Method and device for monitoring a submarine cable

US10620245B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• NKT Photonics GmbH · DK

Inventors

• Wieland Hill · Odenthal, DE
• Peter Schaefer · Pfungstadt, DE
• Martin Olschewski · Grafschaft, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 6, 2016
• Grant date: Apr 14, 2020
• Expiry date: Jul 12, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/58
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Device for monitoring a submarine cable (1) comprising at least one optical fiber (2) which is arranged in or on the submarine cable (1), at least one laser light source (3), the light of which can be coupled into the optical fiber (2), wherein portions of the light back-scattered in the optical fiber (2) can be coupled out from the optical fiber (2), detection and evaluation means (5) capable of detecting the back-scattered light and determining from the detected light spatially resolved the temperature of the optical fiber (2), detection means (6) for the electric current flowing in the submarine cable (1), evaluation means (7) capable of storing the time profile of the detected temperature and the time profile of the detected electric, wherein the evaluation means (7) are capable of calculating from the time profiles of the temperature and the electric current spatially resolved the thermal resistance of the soil surrounding the submarine cable (1) and inferring from the spatially resolved determined thermal resistance of the soil the cover height of the submarine cable (1).