Temperature monitoring system for ROV cables
Partner
Scope
The objective of the project is the monitoring of the internal temperature in an umbilical for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The typical design considerations include evaluation of internal heating and mechanical stress and strain. The operations of the vehicle involve cyclic loads on the cable. These represent both mechanical exposures as well as internal heating. The cable is stored on a winch drum, and according to the working depth of the diving vehicle, a length of cable is submerged.
For the submerged part of the cable, heating is usually not a problem. When operating the vehicle at shallow waters, however, a major portion of the cable remains on the winch. In case of several layers of cable on the winch when the ROV is on duty, significant internal heating may occur. This needs to be monitored.
For monitoring this heating, it is not necessary to have a completely distributed temperature profile along the cable length. This makes Bragg gratings attractive, as they may be positioned for measurements at spots of interest, in particular on the inner part of the umbilical on the winch.