Dalian Maritime University, Nantong Liwei Mechanical Engineering Company and Jiangsu Hengtong Huahai Technology Company have developed a winch system capable of laying cables at the deepest known point in the ocean, local newspaper Guangming Daily reported.
The deepest part of the sea is believed to be the Challenger Deep, a basin located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, with a depth of 11,000 meters.
According to Kaida Electrical, the cable system is used to carry various deep-sea equipment, such as probes and remotely operated underwater vehicles - which are fundamental in deep-sea research and exploration.
As deep sea scientific research has grown, the need for winch systems to take ships deeper has increased.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the Haiwei GD11000 system can deploy cables at a depth of 11,000 meters, a significant increase compared to the previous record depth held by the Italian company Prysmian.
Prysmian broke the record this summer by laying the cable at a depth of 2,150 meters, according to a statement posted on the company's website.
According to China Daily, the Haiwei GD11000 can also carry a payload of about 15 tons. According to Sputnik International, the system can reach speeds of about 120 meters per minute.
The system completed its first major test in October, deploying the cable at a depth of more than 11,000 meters, Interesting Engineering reported.
The winch system will be used to conduct regular survey operations in deep sea and polar regions, according to Guangming Daily.
While the Haiwei GD11000 helps conduct further research in the deepest part of the ocean, exploration of this area actually began more than 100 years ago.
According to All That's Interesting, in March 1875, HMS Challenger - a survey ship of the British Royal Navy - found the deepest point in the ocean.
Challenger Deep is deeper than Mount Everest and has no light. It's also cold, with temperatures just above freezing at 0 degrees Celsius. The pressure is 1,000 times higher than standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.
However, despite the harsh conditions, scientists have found some creatures at the deepest point on Earth, Challenger Deep, such as plankton, sea cucumbers and sea fleas.
