AU646472B2 - Submarine optical cable - Google Patents
Submarine optical cable Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU646472B2 AU646472B2 AU80325/91A AU8032591A AU646472B2 AU 646472 B2 AU646472 B2 AU 646472B2 AU 80325/91 A AU80325/91 A AU 80325/91A AU 8032591 A AU8032591 A AU 8032591A AU 646472 B2 AU646472 B2 AU 646472B2
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- cable
- layer
- wires
- conducting
- tube
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 title claims description 11
- 239000003566 sealing material Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000003892 spreading Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 229920013716 polyethylene resin Polymers 0.000 claims 1
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims 1
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 9
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 9
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 3
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000007767 bonding agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000001580 bacterial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052799 carbon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229920001577 copolymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005684 electric field Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012777 electrically insulating material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003000 extruded plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000012212 insulator Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000615 nonconductor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920005749 polyurethane resin Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000005036 potential barrier Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000003839 salts Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000000741 silica gel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910002027 silica gel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000009827 uniform distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4401—Optical cables
- G02B6/4415—Cables for special applications
- G02B6/4427—Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4401—Optical cables
- G02B6/4415—Cables for special applications
- G02B6/4416—Heterogeneous cables
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4401—Optical cables
- G02B6/4429—Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables
- G02B6/443—Protective covering
- G02B6/4432—Protective covering with fibre reinforcements
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4401—Optical cables
- G02B6/4429—Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables
- G02B6/44384—Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Insulated Conductors (AREA)
- Communication Cables (AREA)
Description
t 47" P/00/01 1 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2 S. 0 09 0
S
*t SO 00 0
S
S
*500
S.
S
S.
AUSTRALIA
Patents Act 1990
ORIGINAL
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Titlc: "SUBMARINE OPTICAL CABLE"'
S
S
5559 5e 0
S
*5* The following statement is a 171.ll description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- This invention relates to a submarine fibre optic telecommunication cable including a tube containing optical fibres embedded in a filling material, inside a strand of high strength wires.
Document AU-A-81304/87 already proposed a submarine telecommunication cable including a tube of conducting metal surrounding the optical fibres embedded in a filling material inside the tube, an electrical insulator surrounding the tube of conducting metal, and at least one layer of high-tensile wires surrounding the insulator, forming a protective shield. Nevertheless, such a cable is not sufficiently strong to prevent possible water ingress and lengthwise spreading of the water, espccially when the immersed cable is damaged. Moreover, once in contact with salt water, the wires forming the protective shield can become corroded by bacterial action for instance. This corrosion phenomenon could then generate molecular hydrogen which, under certain conditions, may migrate to come in contact with the optical fibres and thus downgrade the tranmission characteristics. Furthermore, the 15 tube of conducting metal containing the fibres implies an expensive structure when a link is not remotely powered, or imposes a different optical module dictated by the 'o tube containing the fibres depending whether or not the link is remotely powered.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a submarine telecommunication cable which prevents the water entering its damaged shield from spreading, which has a light and compact structure and a low production cost, and which can be fitted, if need be, with repeater power supply conductors without modifying its centre part.
The cable in accordance with the invention is characterised in that a strand of high strength wiress directly encases the tube containing the fibres. It is further characterised in that, the spaces between the high strength wiress of the strands, and between the strand and the said tube are filled with a sealing material preventing the water from spreading into the cable, and in that, the said strand of high strength wiress is itself surrounded by an abrasion-resistant extruded sheath made of electrically insulating material.
Furthermore, it preferably incorporates at least one of the following features: devices dedicated to remote power supply of equipment inserted along the cable, arranged on the outskirts of the strand of high strength wiress, and made up of a conducting strip on the strand, or of conducting wires which, together with the said high strength wiress, belong to the strand; 3 a semiconducting interface layer, between the devices dedicated to remote power supply and the extruded sheath, made of insulating material laden with conducting particles; the insulating material is also laden with conducting particles.
In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, embodiments thereof will now be described in relation to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section of a cable in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-section of another version of the cable in accordance with the invention.
In both figures, the same item numbers have been used when the same components are illustrated.
The cable shown in Figure I includes a tube filled with a scaling compound, silica gel for instance, in which the optical fibres arc embedded. The optical fibres may or may not be wired and may or may not have excess length in the 15 tube.
The tube is made of metal, steel for instance, and is resistant to water S pressure. It is welded lengthwise either by means of laser, arc welding, or any other suitable method. This tube may also be made of extruded plastic, in this case it will be associated with some means mentioned below providing the cable with sufficient pressure resistance.
The tube is surrounded by a strand of high tensile wires (4 and in one or preferably several layers arranged either in the same or the opposite direction.
Moreover, when dealing with a plastic tube the arch shape of this strand provides resistance to pressure. These wires (4 and 5) are preferably made of steel.
The spaces between the wires (4 and 5) and between the strand and the tube are filled with scaling material (not illustrated) to prevent overloads, preventing the water from spreading lengthwise in the cable, especially when the immersed cable is accidentially damaged. This sealing material may for instance be a polyurethane resin or any other suitable sealing material.
In addition, Figure 1 cable includes a conducting strip made of copper, aluminium or other metal or alloy being a good conductor of electricity, and surrounding the strand of high strength wircss. This conducting strip is dedicated to remote power supply of amplifier repeaters or regenerators inserted between the cable sections making up the submarine link. It reduces to a suitable value the electrical resistance of the steel wire strand and steel tube which is generally too high. The conducting strip is welded lengthwise to form a tube and is contracted over the strand, or it may consist of one or several tapes wound in coils, or it may also consist of one or several foils placed lengthwise on the strand and assembled.
A sheath made of polyethylene or other electcally insulating and abrasion resistance material, is extruded in one or several layers over the strand covered by the conducting strip especially when the latter is taped or otherwise and is not perfectly smooth. It is a very poor conductor. It acts as a potential barrier providing uniform distribution of the electric loads through the strip and for the same degree of insulation the sheath can be thinner, since this layer prevents high concentration of electric fields where roughness exists, which may damage the sheath This semiconducting layer is made of polyethylene laden with conducting particles, carbon particles for instance. A bonding agent, a copolymer for instance, may be used to ensure that this layer adheres to the conducting strip Furthermore, the sealing material may also be laden with conducting particles, 15 and/or another semiconducting layer, similar to layer may be used to cover the outer spaces (10) between the wires of the strand, with a bonding agent which, if reo quired, will ensure its adherence to the peripheral wires of the strand and the conducting strip in order to avoid any electrical problem at conducting strip/strand interface level.
The cable shown in Figure 2 is a different version of the above cable. Only its differences with regard to Figure 1 cable are mentioned here.
Figure 2 cable does not have the conducting strip of Figure 1 cable. Its conducting strip is placed directly against the wire strand and adheres to the pe- I ripheral wires. Moreover, its strand consists of wires (5a) and preferably in several layers, some of these wires no longer being high strength wiress but conducting wires instead. The strand is preferably made of steel wires in one or several layers against the tube and having the characteristics of an arch when the tube is made of plastic, and outer layer wires (5a) and respectively made of steel, and aluminium or copper. Wires (5a) and (5b) are shown with different sections and alternate. Conducting wires (5a) or (5b) have a diameter providing suitable electrical resistance to power the repeaters or regenerators.
The cables, with or without remote power supply, have the same central module defined by tube containing the fibres upon which the suitable external components are added. Without remote power supply, the cable has an all steel wire strand filled with sealing material, and has no conducting strip and/or semiconducting layer. With remote power supply, the cable has an all steel wire strand filled with a sealing material receiving the conducting strip upon which is preferably formed the semiconducting layer being the interface with the sheath, and eventually the layer being the interface with the strand; or the cable has a strand made of steel wires and conducting wires which is filled with a scaling material and preferably receives the seminconducting layer being the interface with the sheath. Whether or not the link is remotely power supplied, production cost of both types of cables is lower. Their structure is compact and lighter and offers good resistance to pressure.
From the different cables described above, it becomes clear that the existence, nature and sections of the conducting devices can be modified in accordance with the system's requirements with regard to remote power supply, without having to handle other cable components. The section of these conducting devices may either be nil for i systems without repeater, small for systems with optical amplifiers, or normal for systems with regenerators. This does not affect the resistance to hydrogen and to 15 pressure of the cable.
0@ 0e 0 4 0
Claims (9)
1. A submarine fibre optic telecommunication cable including a tube containing optical fibres embedded in a filling material and a layer of high strength wires around the tube, wherein said layer of high strength wires directly encases the tube containing the fibres, and wherein the spaces between the high strength wires of the layer, and between the layer and the said tube are filled with a sealing material preventing water from spreading into the cable, the high strength wires layer being surrounded by an abrasion-resistant and electrically insulating extruded sheath, the cable including conducting devices to supply power to equipment inserted along the cable, wherein the said conducting devices are arranged on or around the outer periphery of the layer and are surrounded by the said extruded sheath, and have a section suited to the said equipment, the cable including a first partly conducting layer interfacing the said conducting devices and the said extruded sheath.
2. A cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conducting devices include a conducting strip welded lengthwise and shrunk over the layer or wound helically or placed lengthwise along the said layer.
3. A cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conducting devices are made up of conducting wires which, together with the said high strength wires, belong 20 to the layer.
4. A cable as claimed in claim 3, wherein said layer has at least one layer of high strength wires against the said tube and one peripheral layer of wires being respectively high strength wires and conducting wires.
A cable as claimed in claim 2, including a second partly conducting layer S" 25 filling the outer spaces between the peripheral wires of the layer of high strength S wires and adhering to these peripheral wires, forming an interface with the said conducting strip to which it adheres.
6. A cable as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said first partly S" conducting layer is a polyethylene resin laden with conducting particles. 30
7. A cable as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said sealing material is laden with conducting particles. j
8. A cable as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sealing material is a olyurethane resin.
9. A cable as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said tube is either made of metal and is pressure resistant, or of plastics wherein the said high strength wires strand forms a vault around the plastics tube. A submarine fibre optic telecommunication cable, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 2 of the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS THIRTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER 1993. ALCATEL N.V. *o o a a a a. a *ao• ABSTRACT This invention discloses a submarine fibre optic telecommunication cable com- prising a tube containing optical fibres embedded in a filling material The tube is surrounded by at least one layer of high tensile wires 5) and the spaces between these wires are filled with sealing material for preventing the ingress of water. The cable is also provided with an electrical conducting clement 7, (Figure 1) 4 S* 4
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR9009252 | 1990-07-19 | ||
| FR9009252A FR2664988B1 (en) | 1990-07-19 | 1990-07-19 | UNDERWATER FIBER OPTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE. |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU8032591A AU8032591A (en) | 1992-01-23 |
| AU646472B2 true AU646472B2 (en) | 1994-02-24 |
Family
ID=9398910
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU80325/91A Ceased AU646472B2 (en) | 1990-07-19 | 1991-07-11 | Submarine optical cable |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU646472B2 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2664988B1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2078971A1 (en) * | 2007-12-20 | 2009-07-15 | ABB Research Ltd. | A cable, a method of producing such a cable, and use thereof |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4522464A (en) * | 1982-08-17 | 1985-06-11 | Chevron Research Company | Armored cable containing a hermetically sealed tube incorporating an optical fiber |
| US4523804A (en) * | 1982-08-17 | 1985-06-18 | Chevron Research Company | Armored optical fiber cable |
| US4767182A (en) * | 1984-02-16 | 1988-08-30 | Standard Telephones & Cables, Public Limited Company | Submarine cable |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS5499646A (en) * | 1977-12-16 | 1979-08-06 | Post Office | Submarine communication cable |
| US4765711A (en) * | 1983-09-16 | 1988-08-23 | Siecor Corporation | Underwater fiber optic cable weighted with metal particles |
| DE3518909A1 (en) * | 1985-05-25 | 1986-11-27 | Felten & Guilleaume Energie | STRONG POWER CABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR VOLTAGES FROM 6 TO 60 KV, WITH INSERTED FOCUS |
| US4952012A (en) * | 1988-11-17 | 1990-08-28 | Stamnitz Timothy C | Electro-opto-mechanical cable for fiber optic transmission systems |
-
1990
- 1990-07-19 FR FR9009252A patent/FR2664988B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1991
- 1991-07-11 AU AU80325/91A patent/AU646472B2/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4522464A (en) * | 1982-08-17 | 1985-06-11 | Chevron Research Company | Armored cable containing a hermetically sealed tube incorporating an optical fiber |
| US4523804A (en) * | 1982-08-17 | 1985-06-18 | Chevron Research Company | Armored optical fiber cable |
| US4767182A (en) * | 1984-02-16 | 1988-08-30 | Standard Telephones & Cables, Public Limited Company | Submarine cable |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FR2664988B1 (en) | 1993-07-16 |
| FR2664988A1 (en) | 1992-01-24 |
| AU8032591A (en) | 1992-01-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |