Propagation characteristics of inter-sheath and ground modes on subsea buried cables

Assessing the transmission characteristics of subsea buried cables is a hot topic since the number of operating underwater connections is increasing. In the present paper, the authors continue a research activity on subsea cables, focussing on the propagation characteristics of the supported modes. Particular attention is devoted to the inter-sheath and ground modes that are affected by the accurate computation of the per unit length ground-return parameters. The analysis is carried out employing standard modal analysis through custom-made computer codes. The modal field patterns are computed using commercial 2D FEM codes. The results aim to provide a clearer understanding of propagating modes for cables buried in the ground, sea, or subsea, affecting transient analyses.