The application is that the name that proposed on November 17th, 2003 is called the common unsettled U.S. Patent Application Serial Number 10/715 of " being used for the method and apparatus that electricity is isolated the light amplifier module that universal cable joint holds ", 330 continuation part, its integral body is incorporated herein by reference at this.
The application still is the continuation part that the name that proposed on March 12nd, 2004 is called the common unsettled U.S. Patent Application Serial Number 10/800,424 of " thermal management of the light amplifier module that holds in the universal cable joint ", and its integral body is incorporated herein by reference at this.
The name that the application also relates on October 16th, 2003 and proposes is called the common unsettled U.S. Patent Application Serial Number 10/687,547 of " being used for the light amplifier module that the universal cable joint of undersea optical transmission system is held ", and its integral body is incorporated herein by reference at this.
Summary of the invention
According to the present invention, provide the pressure vessel that in environments such as subsea, uses.Described pressure vessel comprises pressure housing and two optical cable receiving elements, described optical cable receiving element is arranged in the opposite end of described pressure housing, be used for receiving respectively the end that each all comprises the optical cable of electric lead therein, described optical cable receiving element be suitable for described optical cable in described each electric lead electrically contact.At least one image intensifer is arranged in described pressure vessel.Described image intensifer comprises at least one electric component, and it is used for receiving electrical power from the described electric lead of described optical cable.Described pressure vessel also comprises electrical insulation parts, and it isolates at least one and the described pressure housing electricity in the described optical cable receiving element.
According to an aspect of the present invention, described electrical insulation parts comprises ceramic component.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described pressure housing and described electrical insulation parts are shaped as cylindrical and equal diameters.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described pressure housing is formed by metal material.
According to another aspect of the present invention, provide the light amplifier module that comprises described image intensifer.Described module comprises inner casing, and it has basically internal optical fiber with the seabed cable joint external dimensions that the external dimensions of housing equates that continues.Described inner casing comprises pair of opposing end faces, its each all have holding element, be used for described inner casing is remained within the shell of described seabed cable joint.Described inner casing also comprises the sidewall of the described opposing end surface that interconnects, and it is longitudinal extension between described opposing end surface.The described sidewall that is formed by Heat Conduction Material comprises receptacle portion, and it has a plurality of through holes, and the size of each described through hole is suitable for receiving the passive optical components that uses in the image intensifer.Described module also comprises at least one circuit board, resident electronic device such as at least one voltage drop element relevant with described image intensifer on described circuit board.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a thermo-contact at least one optical pump source and the described end face.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described end face each all comprise the boss that at least one extends internally.Described optical pump source resides in the described boss that extends internally one.
According to another aspect of the present invention, first face of described circuit board resides on the surface of extending by described sidewall.The heat conduction pad is installed to described first of described circuit board, and the thermally conductive pathways between described voltage drop element and the described sidewall is provided.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described voltage drop element is installed to described heat conduction pad.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described voltage drop element is a voltage stabilizing didoe.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described a plurality of through hole described receptacle portion by described sidewall longitudinal extension flatly.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described inner casing has the shape of plain cylindrical form.The described receptacle portion of described sidewall has the curvature of the described cylinder form diameter of regulation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described seabed cable joint is general joint, is used for connecting having heteroid optical cable.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the optical fiber storage district comprises at least one fiber spool, can twine optical fiber around described bobbin.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described inner casing is formed by a pair of half-cell, and each described half-cell comprises in the described holding element.
According to another aspect of the present invention, described sidewall comprises the rib formula parts of a pair of described receptacle portion longitudinal extension from described sidewall.Each all has therefrom the pull bar through hole of longitudinal extension flatly described rib formula parts, is used to support the pull bar that described seabed cable joint uses.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the external dimensions of described inner casing is less than about 15cm * 50cm.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the external dimensions of described inner casing is approximately 7.5cm * 15cm.
Embodiment
The inventor has recognized that, by at first reducing the length of repeater, can access significantly less repeater, so that alleviate the stress that is applied thereto during it is disposed greatly, thereby eliminates the needs to gimbal.The elimination of gimbal allows further to reduce the size of repeater again.
The inventor further recognizes, can hold the repeater that size significantly reduces in such unit, and described unit forms from the ready-made parts that are suitable for environments such as subsea.Particularly, the inventor has recognized that, the housing of the different submarine fiber cables that are used to traditionally to interconnect also can be as the repeater housings of minimum form factor.As following the discussion, a kind of such housing, it is commonly referred to as universal joint, has become the actual global standard that is used to safeguard submarine fiber cable, and has the long-range history of successfully disposing.The present invention thereby a kind of repeater is provided, wherein, because its little size, described repeater is easy to dispose, and is arranged in housing economic, that be suitable for the seabed, and described housing is continued to use for a long time in the optical communication industry of seabed.In addition, the different optical cable because universal joint can interconnect is so repeater can be used for connecting multiple optical cable and system from different manufacturers.
For the ease of understanding the present invention, the example of submarine fiber cable is described in conjunction with Fig. 1.Although different optical cable products uses the optical cable with not isostructure and size, most of optical cables all use most of parts of describing among Fig. 1 with a kind of form or other forms.Optical cable 330 comprises by the separator tube that is full of gel 332 metal single, that be positioned at the center such as aluminium or stainless steel.The separator tube 332 that is full of gel comprises optical fiber 335.In some cases, separator tube 332 is replaced by the optical cable king wire (kingwire) by the centering that optical fiber surrounded in the embedded polymer thing.Around separator tube, twine the two-layer twisted wire that serves as strength layer.One deck comprises twisted wire 338, and another layer then comprises twisted wire 339.Copper conductor 340 surrounds twisted wire, and serves as electric lead and sealing barrier.The overcoat 342 that is formed by polyethylene encapsulates copper conductors 340 and serves as insulating barrier.
Fig. 2 has shown the rough schematic view of universal cable joint that is used to connect optical cable for the usefulness of undersea optical telecommunication systems.Such joint is known as universal cable joint many dissimilar undersea optical telecommunication cables because it can interconnect and no matter its manufacturer whom is.Fiber cable joint comprises that fibre junction is positioned at common unit assembly 10 wherein.Fibre junction is formed by two optical fiber, and described two optical fiber are respectively from two optical cables, its each termination in cable termination units 12.Protection assembly 15 surrounds common unit assembly 10 and cable termination units 12, so that the protection that avoids external environment condition to be provided.
Fig. 3 has shown the specific example of universal cable joint, and this universal cable joint can obtain from global shipping system Co., Ltd and universal joint alliance, and as previously mentioned, this universal cable joint is called universal joint usually for short.In the accompanying drawing of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 and back, the same same element of reference number indication.In Fig. 3, the protection assembly of describing among Fig. 2 15 comprises: stainless steel sleeve 14, and it surrounds common unit assembly 10; And polyethylene sleeve 16, it is overmolded on the common unit assembly 10.Stainless steel sleeve 14 provides the opposing to pulling force, torsion and pressure load, and conductive path further is provided, by this conductive path, and can be from the copper conductor of an optical cable copper conductor transmission electric power to another optical cable.
Connection procedure starts from overcoat, copper conductor, twisted wire and the optical fibre set (for example comprise the separator tube of optical fiber or the optical cable king wire that by optical fiber surrounded) of each layer to expose predetermined length of peelling off optical cable.Clamp twisted wire at the hood assembly that is arranged in cable termination units 12.Optical fibre set extends into common unit assembly 10, is secured in place by a series of anchor clamps there.In common unit assembly 10, independent optical fiber is separated and is routed to their the corresponding optical fiber from another optical cable.Broken into ring and winding in the passage that joint and unnecessary optical fiber form together in common unit assembly 10.In stainless steel sleeve 14, insert common unit assembly 10, and end cap 13 is screwed to each end of assembly 10.Two pull bars 17 and 19 extend by end cap 13 and common unit assembly 10. Design pull bar 17 and 19 to be to support tensile load, and wherein, from the ship during the deployment when its environments such as subsea shifts, described tensile load is applied on the universal joint at joint.At last, place joint in mould, described mould is injected into the polyethylene of fusing so that insulation (that is polyethylene sleeve 16) to be provided, and it links to each other with the overcoat of optical cable.The assembly of stainless steel sleeve 14 and end cap 13 regulations serves as the pressure vessel that holds fiber cable joint therein.
The inventor has recognized that, can revise the fiber cable joint the universal cable joint of describing in Fig. 2-3, is positioned at wherein repeater housings to serve as one or more image intensifers.Fig. 4-9 has shown an embodiment of the light amplifier module 400 of the common unit assembly of seeing among replacement Fig. 1-4 10.Light amplifier module 400 must have the size identical substantially with the common unit assembly, and it only is about 7.5cm * 15cm.As previously mentioned, this it typically is several feet long dimensionally much smaller than traditional repeater housings.The light amplifier module of describing in the accompanying drawing 400 can be supported 4 erbium doped optic fibre amplifiers (EDFA), and wherein, for two optical fiber centerings each, it is classified as the dual amplifier unit physically.Certainly, the present invention has comprised the light amplifier module that can support arbitrary number EDFA.
Each image intensifer all comprises erbium doped optic fibre, optical pump source, isolator and gain-flattening filter (GFF).Amplifier is a single-stage, with the pumping forward of cross-couplings pump laser.If a fault in two pump lasers, then three-dB coupler allows two coils of the erbium doped optic fibre in the dual amplifier all to be pumped.At output, the isolator protection prevents that back-scattered light from entering amplifier.The gain-flattening filter is designed to smooth amplifier gain under the input power of design.Consider the path monitoring of COTDR type, other optical path can be provided, be coupled with the filtration fraction that allows the back-scattered light in arbitrary optical fiber and turn back on the opposite direction.Certainly, light amplifier module 400 can support such as casacade multi-amplifier, forward with the counter-pumped amplifier have a heteroid EDFA, and the fiber amplifier that uses the rare earth element except erbium.
Light amplifier module 400 is designed to the fiber cable joint compatibility with other, so that it is connected to cable termination units 12, and is installed in the stainless steel sleeve 14 in the mode identical with common unit assembly 10.
The end view that in Fig. 4, has shown light amplifier module 400 in end cap 13 modes in place.Usually come regulation module 400 with cylindrical structural, described cylindrical structural has flange 402 (see figure 5)s that are positioned on the opposing end surface 403.Fore-and-aft plane 405 extends by light amplifier module 400, thereby module 400 is cut into two half-cells 404 and 404 ', and it is about the rotating shaft symmetry perpendicular to fore-and-aft plane 405.That is, as seeing among Fig. 5, be not that end face 403 is divided into two parts that are positioned on the different half-cells 404, but each half-cell 404 all comprise one part in 402 end faces 403 thereon of each flange preferably.Fig. 5 has shown one perspective view in the unit 404.In the embodiments of the invention of describing in Fig. 4-9, each half-cell 404 holds two erbium doped optic fibre amplifiers.
Cable termination units 12 pairings of the universal joint that shows among flange 402 and Fig. 3.As seeing in the sectional view of Fig. 7 and 8, through hole 407 extends internally from end face 403, inserts the pull bar of universal joint by this through hole 407.End face 403 also comprises lyriform pore 430, is used for the end cap 13 of universal joint is fixed to light amplifier module 400.Along such straight line lyriform pore 430, described straight line is perpendicular to the straight line of cylinder lever connecting rod through hole 407.
Shown in Fig. 4-6, each unit 404 comprises half cylindrical crooked sidewall 412 of formation, and described hemicycle cylinder has been stipulated the part of cylindrical structural.Vertebral members 406 and crooked sidewall 412 constitutes whole and tangent with it, and longitudinal extension therefrom.The through hole 407 that comprises the pull bar of universal joint extends by vertebral members 406.Ceramic boss 440 is positioned at the end away from the vertebral members 406 of end flange 403.Shown in Fig. 5 and 7, through hole 407 extends by ceramic boss 440.As following the discussion, ceramic boss 440 prevents that electric current from flowing to another from a half-cell 404.
Circuit board support surface 416 is 404 the periphery extension along the unit on fore-and-aft plane 405.Mounting circuit boards 426 on stayed surface 416.When assembling half-cell 404 and 404 ', by a pair of interlocking power conduction pin 423 interconnection circuit plates 426 and 426 ', described a pair of interlocking power conduction pin 423 provides electrical connection between two circuit boards 426 and 426 '.The inner chamber of the unit 404 between circuit board support surface 416 and vertebral members 406 serves as optical fiber storage area.Fiber spool 420 is arranged on the inner surface of vertebral members 406 of optical fiber storage area.Twine erbium doped optic fibre and any unnecessary optical fiber around fiber spool 420.Fiber spool 420 has and is large enough at least to prevent that fibre-optical bending from surpassing its minimum outer dia of specifying bending radius.
Crooked sidewall 412 is enough thick, to support a plurality of through holes 418 by the there longitudinal extension.Through hole 418 serves as the jack of the passive component that is used for image intensifer.That is each jack 418 can both comprise the parts such as isolator, gain-flattening filter, coupler and analog.
Each all comprises a pair of pump support rim 403a (seeing Fig. 6 and 7) end face 403, and it extends internally and is parallel to circuit board 426.Circuit board 426 has otch, so that expose pump support rim 403a.On each pump boss 403a, be installed as the pumping source 427 that each image intensifer provides the pumping energy.
Be electrically connected
As previously mentioned, must keep between the optical cable in two cable termination units 12 being electrically connected.Yet necessary electricity is isolated the various parts in the light amplifier module 400, so that must be supplied to the small voltage (for example 5-20V) that is positioned at the electric component on the circuit board 426 to become possibility.
Refer again to Fig. 3, serve as dielectric polyethylene sleeve 16 and surrounded light amplifier module 400 and sleeve 14.Electrical power obtains from the lead of the optical cable that is arranged in termination unit 12, and transmits by the lead that is arranged in circuit board 426.In the mode that the epoxy resin of circuit board serves as local dielectric, circuit board is isolated from light amplifier module 400 electricity.After electric component in the circuit board one was fallen in voltage drop, voltage transmitted to circuit board 426 ' from circuit board 426 via a pair of compatible conductive pin 423, and wherein, each all comprises the pin and sleeve connected components described compatible conductive pin 423.Pin 423 allows any axial motion of taking place owing to pulling force or hydrostatic pressure.
More specifically, with reference now to Fig. 7 and 8, as follows to electric component supply power.Because cable termination units 12 is electronic or active, so end cap 13 also is that electricity is active.Extend in power line each in circuit board 426 and 426 '.Power line directly receives electrical power from pump support rim 403a.One or more voltage drop elements such as voltage stabilizing didoe are positioned on the circuit board 426.Power line is electrically coupled to the voltage stabilizing didoe of other electric components on the circuit board, and having landed is enough to power the voltage of electric component.Electrical connection is extended along power line, and keeps via conductive pin 423 and to pass circuit board to another circuit board.In this way, electrical connection is extended from an end cap 13, by end flange 403 and the pump support rim 403a that contacts with end cap 13, by being positioned at the power line on the circuit board 426 that rests on the pump support rim 403a, by one in the conductive pin 423, and by being arranged in the power line of another circuit board 426.At last, electrical connection extends to another end cap 13 via another pump support rim 403a and end flange 403.
Make power path isolate as follows from light amplifier module 400.Between circuit board support surface 416 and circuit board 426, arrange the electric insulation pad.In this way, except passing through aforesaid power line, pump support rim 403a and circuit board 426 electricity are isolated.Ceramic isolators 442 has been surrounded bolt, and it is fixed to circuit board 426 sidewall 412 of each half-cell 404.Ceramic isolators 442 prevents from bolt to the parts discharge that is positioned on the circuit board 426.The ceramic boss 440 that is positioned on each half-cell 404 makes connected vertebral members 406 isolate from end cap 13 and end flange 403 both electricity of being in contact with it.
Fig. 9 has shown following manner: isolate with end cap 13 electricity by the pull bar 409 that through hole 407 extends.As being used for the shown in Figure 9 of leftmost end cap 13, ceramic washer 444 has been surrounded the head of each pull bar 409.Ceramic washer 444 is isolated end cap 13 and pull bar 409 electricity.Because the sealing of setting up by ceramic washer 444 does not seal, thus copper washer 446 and 448 also are provided, to guarantee between pull bar and end cap 13, realizing such sealing.The screw tip of pull bar 409 is termination in relative end cap 13, and screw tip and the not electric isolation of end cap 13.
Because the sleeve 14 of pressure vessel and the end cap 13 of pressure vessel contact, so sleeve 14 should preferably be formed by non-conducting material.For example, sleeve 14 can be formed by thermal conductive ceramic, and described thermal conductive ceramic is favourable because of its intensity.Yet, nominally because such pottery conducts electricity usually, so they need be equipped with oxide surface to serve as dielectric.The Surface Machining of oxide is preferably polished is beneficial to form sealing.
In some embodiments of the invention, if sleeve 14 is formed by the metal material such as stainless steel, then may be favourable.In this case, by means of the electrical insulation ring that inserts between in the end cap 13 and the sleeve 14, can break the sleeve of pressure vessel and the electric continuity between the end cap 13.The example that in Figure 11, has shown such ring.In this example, dead ring 6 is configured to have the radius size identical with sleeve 14.Dead ring 6 can be formed by any suitable material such as pottery.Preferably polish the opposing end surface of ceramic ring 6, so that each end face all forms sealing with end cap or cranse 14.
Thermal management
Pumping source 427 and voltage stabilizing didoe generate a considerable amount of heat, and it must be dissipated, and are no more than their operational limit with the temperature of guaranteeing various parts.This is challenging especially problem, because pumping source 427 and voltage stabilizing didoe can generate several watts power on the zonule.In addition, the heat energy that when the electricity of realizing these same parts is isolated, must dissipate, two targets are mutually internally inconsistent significantly to a certain extent.As described in detail below, the certain characteristics of light amplifier module 400 has strengthened thermal management, is dissipated fully with pyrogenicity.
As previously mentioned, pumping source 427 is installed on the pump support rim 403a of end flange 403.Thereby the heat from pumping source 427 has been transmitted to end flange 403 by pump support rim 403a, and it has big relatively quality, so served as effective radiator.End flange 403 conducts the heat to the end face of seeing among Fig. 3 13 successively.
The sidewall 412 of light amplifier module 400 is made by the Heat Conduction Material that is preferably aluminium such as metal.Because sidewall 412 has big relatively surface area, so they have served as dispenser, it dispels the heat on its surface in uniform mode, so its part and total temperature rise are maintained at minimum value.Voltage stabilizing didoe is preferably arranged near sidewall 412 as far as possible, so that the heat conduction that can easily diode be generated is to sidewall 412.
For example, preferably as seeing among Figure 10, in one embodiment of the invention, voltage stabilizing didoe 484 is positioned on the bottom surface of circuit board 426 face of pumping source 427 resident face opposed circuit boards thereon (that is with).Under in the ceramic isolators 442 of isolating the bolt 482 that circuit board 426 is fixed to stayed surface 416 each, on this bottom surface, arrange copper backing 480.Voltage stabilizing didoe 484 is installed on the copper backing 480, is adjacent to bolt 482.Copper backing 480 serves as and is used for each one of electrically contact of voltage stabilizing didoe 484, other with reference number 486 indications.The part of each copper backing 480 resides on the circuit board support surface 416.Copper backing 480 contact circuit plates 426 are put electric insulation pad thereon.The electric insulation pad is good relatively heat conductor, thereby and the heat that voltage stabilizing didoe 484 generates is transmitted to the circuit board support surface 416 of light amplifier module 400 from copper backing 480.In this way, heat flows through copper backing 480 and electric insulation pad from voltage stabilizing didoe 484, and enters light amplifier module 400.In case heat is disperseed on the sidewall 412 of module 400, then heat just directly is transmitted to the stainless steel sleeve 14 that surrounds module 400.
The extensive dispersion of the heat on the relative big surface area of end cap 13 and cranse 14, allow heat by around be not that the polyethylene sleeve 16 of good especially heat conductor is transmitted to seawater effectively.