A constrained engineering design method for constant-current remote power supply system of mesh-type cabled underwater information networks

Remote power supply technology is critical for the long-term, wide-area, and real-time monitoring of marine data in cabled underwater information networks (CUINs). In this study, the constant-current remote power supply system (CCRPSS) of mesh-type CUINs based on constant-current branch equipment (CCBE) and constant-current/constant-voltage conversion equipment (CCVE) is studied. The system can be categorized into various power supply links and link segments according to the current flow path and structural characteristics. A system basic simulation model is designed to analyze the influence of 11 typical faults on the working state of the system and to summarize the influence of the open-circuit/short-circuit faults of various underwater units in different power supply link segments on the working state of the system. Then the analysis method of power supply reliability (PSR) of the observation equipment (OE) is proposed. The PSR of the OE of the same power supply link (PSL) decreases gradually from shore to sea, and the PSR of the OE located at the center of the PSL is the lowest in the regular deployment of the CCRPSS. To increase the number of nodes deployed and to reduce the total cost, an engineering design method for the system that integrates the constraints of the PSR of the OE, the fault rate of the underwater unit, and the number of second nodes of each power supply link segment (PSLS) is proposed based on invasive weed optimization (IWO). Through the example simulation, the results of the system cost, the deployment number of secondary nodes, and the reliability of the underwater units are obtained, which also confirms that the PSR of the OE located at the center of the PSL is the lowest. This method can be effectively applied to the engineering design of CCRPSS and can provide theoretical and technical support for future large-scale CUINs construction.