Back to results
US 9,450,385 B2Granted
Subsea switchgear
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorKnut Schonhowd Kristensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A subsea switchgear is provided. The subsea switchgear includes a first power input for receiving electric power from a power source and a second power input for receiving electric power from a power source. It further includes a power distribution bus and a first circuit breaker coupled between the first power input and the power distribution bus. The first circuit breaker is configured to be capable of disconnecting the first power input from the power distribution bus. A second circuit breaker is further coupled between the second power input and the power distribution bus. The second circuit breaker is configured to be capable of disconnecting the second power input from the power distribution bus.
Claims27
A subsea switchgear, comprising:
- a first power input to receive a first electric power from a first power source;
- a power distribution bus;
- a first circuit breaker, coupled between the first power input and the power distribution bus, configured to disconnect the first power input from the power distribution bus;
- a second power input to receive a second electric power from a second power source;
- a second circuit breaker, coupled between the second power input and the power distribution bus, configured to disconnecting the second power input from the power distribution bus;
- and
- a power output to supply at least one of the first electric power or the second electric power to a load, the power output being coupled to the power distribution bus,
- wherein the subsea switchgear is configured to selectively supply at least one of the first electric power or the second electric power to the power output from the first power input or the second power input,
- wherein the subsea switchgear is a modular subsea switchgear comprising a plurality of modules including at least a first circuit breaker module including the first circuit breaker, a second circuit breaker module including the second circuit breaker, a first distribution module including a first section of the power distribution bus and a second distribution module including a second section of the power distribution bus, and
- wherein each of the plurality of modules comprises a subsea enclosure to protect an inner volume located inside the subsea enclosure against surrounding water when the subsea switchgear is installed subsea, wherein the subsea enclosures of adjacent ones of the plurality of modules are connected together and wherein the plurality of modules provide separation by a wall or by controllable separation between a medium filling the subsea enclosure of a respective one of plurality of modules and a medium filling the subsea enclosure of an adjacent one of the plurality of modules, the adjacent one of the plurality of modules being adjacent to the respective one of plurality of modules.
7 more elements
A method of operating a subsea switchgear, the subsea switchgear including:
- a first power input to receive a first electric power from a first power source,
- a power distribution bus,
- a first circuit breaker coupled between the first power input and the power distribution bus, a second power input to receive a second electric power from a second power source,
- a second circuit breaker coupled between the second power input and the power distribution bus, and
- a power output to supply at least one of the first electric power or the second electric power to a load, the power output being coupled to the power distribution bus,
- wherein the subsea switchgear is a modular subsea switchgear including a plurality of modules including a first circuit breaker module which includes the first circuit breaker, a second circuit breaker module which includes the second circuit breaker, a first distribution module which includes a first section of the power distribution bus, and a second distribution module which includes a second section of the power distribution bus, and
- wherein each of the plurality of modules includes a subsea enclosure to protect an inner volume located inside the subsea enclosure against surrounding water when the subsea switchgear is installed subsea,
- wherein the subsea enclosures of adjacent ones of the plurality of modules are connected together, and
- wherein the plurality of modules provide separation by a wall or by controllable separation between a medium filling the subsea enclosure of a representative one of the plurality of modules and a medium filling the subsea enclosure of an adjacent one of the plurality of modules, the adjacent one of the plurality of modules being adjacent to the respective one of plurality of modules,
- the method comprising:
- receiving the first electric power on the first power input and supplying the received first electric power to the power output;
- opening the first circuit breaker;
- and
- receiving the second electric power on the second power input and supplying the received second electric power to the power output.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.