Different Subsea Cable Monitoring Tools: From Traditional Methods to Innovative Solutions
Effective subsea cable monitoring is crucial for ensuring the long-term performance of offshore wind farms. With evolving challenges in maintaining these critical transmission systems, operators are increasingly turning to more advanced monitoring solutions. This article explores the various subsea cable inspection tools available today, while shining a light on Marlinks’ continuous, real-time monitoring technology.
Traditional Subsea Cable Monitoring Tools
Traditionally, subsea cable inspections have relied on vessel-based systems. These inspections target cable accessories, cable entry and exit points, and other vulnerable areas to detect visual damage. The primary types of vessels and tools used in traditional subsea cable monitoring include:
- Vessel-mounted systems: Survey equipment is attached to vessels (such as multibeam sonar systems) to scan the seabed and assess cable conditions.
- Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs): These unmanned robots are controlled from a surface ship and are often tethered by cables for communication and power supply.
- Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs): Independent from surface ships, AUVs Navigate underwater to perform cable inspections without a wiring harness.
- Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs): These unmanned vessels operate on the sea’s surface and gather data to assist with subsea cable monitoring.
- Thermal sensors or cameras: Detect temperature variations along the cable.
- Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONAR) sensors: Used for depth measurement and determining the shape and orientation of underwater objects, with sub-bottom profilers and multibeam systems providing varying degrees of detail.
- Light detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors: Measures seafloor depth and characteristics but is less commonly used underwater due to light attenuation.
- Ultrasonic imaging sensors: Provides detailed imaging of subsea structures.
The Marlinks Solution: Continuous, Real-Time Monitoring
While traditional vessel-based systems offer valuable insights, they often require periodic interventions. Marlinks takes a different approach. By using Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) devices and fiber optic technology, Marlinks offers continuous monitoring of subsea cables without the need for physical offshore interventions.
Key features of the Marlinks system include:
- Non-intrusive monitoring: Fiber optic sensors embedded within submarine power cables, eliminating the need for offshore vessels or invasive procedures.
- Real-time insights: Continuous data collection and analysis provide operators with actionable insights, allowing for a more proactive maintenance strategy.
- Customizable reporting: Marlinks’ system can be integrated into existing monitoring frameworks or customized with dashboards and alerts tailored to the operator’s needs.
Combining Vessel-Based and Continuous Monitoring
While continuous monitoring through fiber optics offers considerable advantages, vessel-based inspections still play a role in certain scenarios. Annual vessel inspections, for example, can provide valuable data that serves as a reference point for validating the continuous monitoring system’s findings. Marlinks recognizes this and encourages a complementary approach, where both continuous monitoring and periodic vessel-based assessments work together to provide operators with a holistic understanding of cable conditions. Using this two-way mechanism, the operator could also advocate for the potential adoption of their DTS and DAS system by government bodies as a viable alternative to traditional yearly preventive cable health maintenance operations.
The Future of Subsea Cable Monitoring
As offshore wind energy scales, the need for efficient, cost-effective, and reliable cable monitoring solutions becomes even more important. By adopting advanced fiber optic technologies like those provided by Marlinks, operators can significantly reduce the risk of cable failure, lower operational costs, and minimize environmental impacts.
The combination of real-time, data-driven insights and traditional inspection methods creates a comprehensive framework for maintaining the health of subsea cables. This proactive approach ultimately extends the lifespan of critical assets, supporting the growth of offshore wind as a key player in the global transition to sustainable energy.
Want to learn more?
You can reach us by sending a message to sales@marlinks.com and we’ll be happy to schedule a conversation to discuss.
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