Solutions for cable damage avoidance in the vicinity of offshore foundations
taking into account Fluid-Structure-Soil Interaction

(CableProtect)

The challenges of climate change require a robust energy transition, in which offshore wind energy plays a crucial role. Ensuring the reliability and efficiency of offshore wind farms is crucial. Recently, damage to power cables in the vicinity of offshore foundation structures has become known, leading to failures, planning uncertainty, and significant repair costs. This damage can generally be attributed to hydrodynamic processes near the offshore foundations of wind turbines on the seabed. Wave and current forces lead to dynamic movement of the power cable as well as sediment redistribution and scour formation. The structural integrity of a power cable is compromised because the movement of the cable in contact with the seabed causes abrasion of the cable protection system and the cable itself if immediate action is not taken. 

The aim of this project is to increase the reliability and competitiveness of offshore wind energy and thus support the energy transition. To achieve this goal, it is critical to develop a comprehensive understanding of cable dynamics in the vicinity of offshore foundation structures. This understanding will help identify the exact causes of cable damage. The interactions between the water and the elastic structure of the cable (hydroelasticity) as well as between the cable and soil or structure and soil (sediment redistribution, scour formation) are taken into account. On this basis, solutions can be developed, to better assess the structural integrity of the cables, and develop methods to reduce the dynamic load on the cables. This ultimately extends the life of the power cables.