Numerical analysis of the dynamic responses of submarine cable pallet under drop impacts considering the interaction between submarine cables and pallet

Abstract. Evaluating the dynamic responses of submarine cable pallets is of considerable importance in engineering applications. Nevertheless, an effective mechanical model to capture the dynamic responses of the pallet has yet to be developed. Therefore, a dynamic model of a submarine cable pallet was built, and the dynamic responses were studied in this paper. Elastic springs were arranged horizontally between the inner and outer fences. The objective was to replace the submarine cable with springs while accounting for the interaction between the submarine cable and the pallet during the falling process. First, the necessity of incorporating the submarine cable into the model was validated through analyzing the dynamic responses of the pallet under varying submarine cable mass conditions. Subsequently, the dynamic responses of the pallet under various falling postures were examined, with a focus on the effects of fall velocity and angle. Finally, the dynamic stability of the pallet was determined based on displacement mutation criteria during the falling process. The results demonstrated that the displacement of the pallet web plate initially increased and subsequently decreased with the increase in submarine cable mass, whereas the displacement of the fence exhibited a clearly upward trend. Both fall velocity and angle exerted significant influences on the dynamic responses of the pallet. In conclusion, this study provided a theoretical foundation and practical reference for the stability assessment and engineering application of submarine cable pallets.