Analysis of Three-Core Composite Submarine Cable Damage Due to Ship Anchor

Suspended submarine cables are prone to likely mechanical damages due to ship anchors, which represent a significant threat to the reliability of power transmission and information communication networks. This paper is aimed at presenting a detailed investigation to the dynamic response of a ship anchor impacting the suspended section a submarine cable in order to reduce the risk of cable damage. In this regard, a three-dimensional and dual nonlinear model of the anchor affecting a subsea cable is established using ABAQUS finite element analysis software. The damage effect due to the ship anchor on the suspended and buried-in-soil sections of the cable is studied. Results show that when a ship anchor hits a suspended section of the subsea cable, the mechanical stress is concentrated at the impacted point and is progressing to both sides of the suspended section with a significant cable deformation. On the other hand, the buried section of the cable suffers from a short impact process, and the deformation is relatively small. To reduce this impact effectively, a detailed technical comparison of two common dumping and filling methods is conducted, and the better protection method is proposed.