The marine bend limiter (commonly known as subsea bend limiter or subsea cable bend restrictor) is a device specially designed to limit the excessive bending of cables, pipelines, and other structures in the ocean when bending. It is widely used in submarine cables, offshore oil and gas pipelines, deep-sea mining pipelines, and other marine projects, especially in deep water or high-pressure environments. The function of the bend limiter is to prevent the bending radius of the cable or pipeline from being too small, thereby avoiding structural damage caused by excessive bending and improving service life.
• Material and design
Marine bend restrictors are usually made of highly wear-resistant and high-strength polyurethane materials that can withstand high pressure, high temperature, and friction in deep-sea environments. These materials ensure that the bend limiter can maintain stable performance in harsh marine environments. The bend restrictor strengthens and supports the cable or pipeline to ensure that its bending radius is not less than the specified minimum bending radius (usually 1.5 to 10 times the cable or pipeline), thereby preventing damage to the cable or pipeline caused by excessive bending.
• Features of vertebral bend limiters
The subsea bend limiter with vertebrae design has many advantages such as improved flexibility, optimized force distribution, enhanced durability, reduced friction, lightweight, and improved installation flexibility. It is an ideal solution for protecting cables and pipelines in deep-sea and high-pressure environments. It can effectively protect cables and pipelines, avoid damage caused by excessive bending, and extend the service life of the system.
• Customization and standardization
Philson provides standard bend limiters for cables such as 35kV 3×70mm² and 3×120mm² and can customize bend restrictors of different specifications according to the actual needs of customers. The products comply with API 17L standards and are customized according to the needs of fiber optic cables, communication cables, offshore oil and gas, wind power, and other fields to provide the best solution.
• Solution
Bend limiters are usually installed by mechanical interlocking and bolting of two-piece units to prevent excessive bending at the interface between flexible streamlines/umbilical cables/cables and rigid structures. These bend restrictors are usually used in static applications and only provide protection when the pipeline reaches the required bending radius. Unlike bend stiffeners, bend limiters only work when it is necessary to prevent cables or pipes from reaching the appropriate bending radius between rigid structures and flexible pipes.
• Applications and customization services
Philson's bend limiters have been widely used in offshore oil and gas, renewable energy projects such as offshore wind power, and the defense industry. The company provides cost-effective customized solutions through continuous research and development, optimized innovative design methods, and the use of a variety of rigid polyurethane (PU) grades.
