Loss in Steel Armour Wires for Submarine Power Cables

In-depth knowledge of the magnetic properties of the steel wires used in armour for power cables is an precursor for an economical design of subsea power cable. In this work the total power loss for alternating flux in longitudinal direction was measured for individual steel wires of three different diameters, 6, 7 and 10mm at 30°C, 60°C and 90°C. The experimental results have been accurately reproduced with a finite-element model (FEM) by using the measured non-linear BH curve, the hysteresis loss derived from Steinmetz equation and the eddy-current loss calculated by the FEM program. Therefore a versatile toolset based on the measured material properties and FE simulation, has been developed, which can be used to effectively and accurately evaluate the armor loss in actual cable designs.