General Dynamics Advanced Technology Systems, Inc.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alan David Tysinger

Dennis Paul Dyer

James Reinhart

Paul Joseph Elliot

Douglas Eugene Tucker

Kenneth Leroy Heybrock

William Ira Stewart, Jr

A pressure vessel is provided for housing electronic components in an underwater environment and permitting connection of the components to signal transmission elements of a signal cable. The pressure vessel comprises a hollow steel shell defining an interior chamber adapted to house the electronic components. A layer of thermal-sprayed aluminum covers the shell. The shell has an opening adapted to pass the signal transmission elements into the interior chamber. A seal adapted to sealingly surround the transmission elements is disposed in the opening in the shell so that an outer peripheral surface of the seal contacts an inner peripheral surface of the opening in the shell for preventing moisture penetration into the interior chamber. The seal may be formed of epoxy and the outer peripheral surface have a plurality of compressible o-rings disposed in axially-spaced circumferential grooves for contacting the inner peripheral surface of the opening in the shell.

Pressure vessel assembly

A cable seal and method for sealing a cable termination is provided for sealing the passage of a cable into a cable-receiving structure. The seal includes a first plurality of o-rings disposed along a length of the cable adjacent the cable-receiving structure and a first length of heat-shrinkable tube which fits over the cable and o-rings for compressive engagement with the cable and o-rings to prevent moisture penetration between an inner surface of the first tube and the outer surface of the cable. A second plurality of o-rings is disposed over the first heat-shrinkable tube adjacent the first plurality of o-rings. A second length of heat-shrinkable tube fits over the second plurality of o-rings, the first heat-shrinkable tube, the first plurality of o-rings, the cable and a portion of the cable-receiving structure to prevent moisture penetration between an inner surface of the second tube and an outer surface of the cable-receiving structure and between the inner surface of the second tube and the outer surface of the cable.

Cable seal

An articulated underwater cable riser system includes at least one articulated anchor section having a plurality of modular anchor segments and an articulated mid-span buoy having a plurality of modular buoy segments. The anchor segments and buoy segments encircle the cable and are secured adjacent one another in appropriate positions along the cable by cable clamps. The buoy segments and anchor segments are interfaced to the cable clamps by fairings which present smooth outlines for the anchor sections and mid-span buoy between the segments and the clamps to facilitate handling the anchor sections and mid-span buoy using conventional cable laying equipment. The anchor segments and buoy segments can be one-piece or, preferably, assembled by securing segment halves to one another. Bend limiters are coupled to at least some of the anchor segments to prevent an articulated anchor section from exceeding the minimum bend radius for the cable. The bend limiters can be one-piece collars or they can be formed as two pieces which are secured together to form a single bend limiter. The bend limiters are coupled to adjacent pairs of anchor segments by means of studs which extend from the out surfaces of the anchor segments with the studs extending into axially aligned oblong slots in the bend limiters.

Articulated underwater cable riser system

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, NC, United States of America

Alan David Tysinger