Power supply systems for deep sea factories
Monday, November 18, 2013 - 09:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Siemens is developing power technology for deep sea factories. These self-sufficient oil and gas extraction facilities should one day exploit raw material deposits on the seafloor. Located thousands of meters under water, the factories must operate reliably for several decades. However, there is still no empirical data about the high water pressure's long-term effects on transformers and other network components. As reported in "Pictures of the Future", Siemens is testing components for deep sea facilities in a special pressure chamber in Trondheim, Norway. Beginning in 2020, the Norwegian energy company Statoil plans to build oil and gas extraction facilities deep under water.