Energy chain above and under water

• What was needed: E4/4 series energy chain; chainflex® motor and signal cable
• Requirements: The tidal turbine had to be moved reliably and safely over 20 metres in rough seas. Corrosion and climate pose particular challenges for the cable routing, which nevertheless had to be as maintenance-free as possible.
• Industry: Offshore, renewable energies
• Success for the customer: The E4/4 plastic chain eliminates the need for any maintenance on the open sea and was the only solution that could be considered, as a conventional metal chain would not have been able to cope with the combination of climate and mechanical requirements.

This tidal turbine with a diameter of 6 metres was installed in the North Sea just off the Scottish Orkney Islands and harnesses the power of the water. The function behind this clever idea is easy to explain: when water flows through the turbine and out again due to the ebb and flow of the tide, the power station's 16 rotor blades start to turn. In this way, green electricity is produced naturally. The ingenious nature of the system is also demonstrated by the in-built travelling mechanism. This is because the turbine can be moved quickly along the supporting pillars below the water surface during storms, for example. The tidal turbine can thus cover a whole 20 metres within a very short time.
There is no question that the demands on the cable routing in this harsh environment are high. Corrosion, the rough sea weather and, last but not least, the fact that some of the energy supply system and cables are permanently submerged under water required a robust design that would also function as maintenance-free as possible far from the coast.

Due to the combination of climatic and mechanical requirements that would have arisen on the high seas, a conventional metal chain was not an option for the energy supply.
Instead, an e-chain® of the E4/4 series from our energy chain portfolio is used here today. It protects the chainflex® motor and signal cable, also supplied by us, during the stroke and lowering movements of the turbine, and does so with a travel of 20 metres. The robust energy chain is guided in a steel trough. The vertical stroke movement is converted into a horizontal stroke via a 90° deflection. And the most important thing in this application: The plastic chain makes any maintenance on the open sea superfluous and was therefore the only possible solution for the operators.