Electricity Transmission Under South China Sea by Suspending Cables Within Pipes

There is currently no way to send power from hydroelectricity rich Sarawak to fossil fuel dependent Peninsular Malaysia which is separated by 630km of sea. A XLPE based submarine cable was found to be impractical after an in-dept research indicated the losses will be too high. But bare transmission lines can carry the needed power. Therefore, this work recreates overhead line conditions under the sea by suspending bare cables at the center of oil and gas pipes. Eddy current losses plus joule heating was measured as current is increased in steps of 5A up to 55A with 11 switchable parallel circuits of 12 incandescent bulbs each flowing in an uninsulated cable suspended at the center of eight 92cm length pipes of diameters ranging from 2.18cm to 8.81cm. The eddy current was measured as the heat generated on the pipes with an infrared camera. This data was extrapolated to HV transmission levels to determine the pipe diameter to negate losses. Then DC current was injected. Correspondingly the design of the cable-in-pipe system was made with feedback from O&G experts. At the forefront of this industry, HDPE pipes are being used which will be perfect for HV transmission, without worrying about eddy current or arching.