Effect of Sediment Properties on the Thermal Performance of Submarine HV Cables

The thermal performance of high-voltage submarine cables is controlled by the effectiveness of heat transfer through the sediments in which they are buried. This paper assesses the influence of sediment parameters on this heat transfer using finite-element simulations. Particular attention is paid to the role of convective heat transfer, with a method being developed to define installation scenarios where this may become significant. This paper shows that the permeability is the dominant factor and can have a significant impact on cable temperatures, even though it is typically neglected in conventional models.