Review of Electrical Connectors for Underwater Applications

The history of underwater electrical connectors is relatively new: In 1858, the first transatlantic communication cable was created. Since then, the need for subsea electrical connectors has been growing very fast in the offshore industry. Today numerous companies offer a large choice of underwater connectors and assemblies, and it can be intricate to distinguish the different technologies employed for each of them. However the use, deployment, maintenance, and lifetime of any subsea equipment, from a simple sonar to a wave energy converter, relies on its connectors. Hence the design of an underwater electrical connector is to be carefully looked at, and especially for tailor-made applications that have more specific requirements. To produce a good connector, it is necessary to account for thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties, as well as to determine the best materials that should be used for the application. Finally, connector issues go hand in hand with the deployment and operation of any electrical equipment, and it is of interest to review the different techniques for cable connection, as well as the challenges related to cable layout. Those challenges can be of different nature, but they should all be taken into account for any subsea connection.