Accelerated reliability testing of articulated cable bend restrictor for offshore wind applications

The test demonstrated the integrity of the cable protection system with quantified wear rates obtained through 3D scanning of the individual shells. The static power cable also maintained its integrity throughout the accelerated test regime. None of the failure modes, mainly fatigue cracks and fretting of individual wires, identified by cable dissection would have caused a direct loss of service. The observed failure modes could also be predicted through numerical load analysis, giving confidence in the utilised mechanical modelling and cross-sectional analysis for dynamic applications.