Communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions and temperature control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of communication transmission technology, and in particular to a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions and a temperature control method thereof, comprising: an optical cable unit, a reinforcing cable unit and an outer sheath; the reinforcing cable unit is arranged at the center of the communication optical cable, there are multiple optical cable units, the multiple optical cable units surround the outer periphery of the reinforcing cable unit, the multiple optical cable units and the reinforcing cable unit together form a cable core, and the outer sheath is sleeved on the outer periphery of the cable core. The communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions of the present invention adopts an alloy wire with good thermoelectric properties, which can increase the tensile strength of the entire cable on the one hand, and on the other hand, the alloy wire can be used as a heating element, and a temperature control device is used to realize automatic control of the on and off power heating of the alloy wire, and can operate stably for a long time in extremely cold temperatures and large ice and snow environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication transmission technology, and in particular to a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions and a temperature control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of new domestic infrastructure, the construction of communication infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to the national economy and the development of various industries. The scope of communication coverage required by 4G and 5G communication base stations is constantly expanding. At the same time, my country has a vast territory and various harsh climates and extreme environments, such as: Mobei with extremely cold temperatures, deserts with large temperature differences between day and night, and mountainous areas with frequent ice, snow and freezing rain. Communication optical cables laid in these areas are often due to climate factors such as temperature, rain and snow. Communication optical cables suitable for extremely cold conditions often have excessive contraction of materials when cold or ice hanging on the cables, causing the cable tension to exceed the upper limit of the product design, resulting in cable damage or even breakage, which will eventually cause communication failures.

[0003] Therefore, in order to solve the communication transmission problems in the above-mentioned extreme environments, a new communication optical cable assembly product is urgently needed in the market. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: in order to solve the technical problem that the cable tension of the communication optical cable exceeds the upper limit and the cable is damaged in the extreme environment in the prior art. The present invention provides a communication optical cable assembly suitable for extremely cold conditions and a temperature control method thereof, which adopts an alloy wire with good thermoelectric properties, on the one hand, can increase the tensile strength of the entire cable, and on the other hand, the alloy wire can be used as a heating element, and a temperature control device is used to realize automatic control of the on and off power heating of the alloy wire, and can operate stably for a long time in extremely cold temperature and large ice and snow environment.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions, comprising:

[0006] An optical cable unit, a reinforcing cable unit and an outer sheath; the reinforcing cable unit is arranged at the center of the communication optical cable, there are multiple optical cable units, multiple optical cable units surround the outer periphery of the reinforcing cable unit, multiple optical cable units and the reinforcing cable unit together form a cable core, and the outer sheath is sleeved on the outer periphery of the cable core. By arranging the reinforcing cable unit in the communication optical cable, the tensile strength of the communication optical cable can be improved, the structural stability of the communication optical cable can be improved, and it is more conducive to realizing a communication connection with a long length and a long span.

[0007] Furthermore, the reinforced cable unit includes: two alloy wires; and an insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer is respectively sleeved on the outer circumference of the two alloy wires.

[0008] Further, one ends of the two alloy wires are connected to each other;

[0009] The communication optical cable assembly suitable for use under extremely cold conditions also includes a temperature control device, and the other ends of the two alloy wires are respectively connected to the temperature control device, and the two alloy wires and the temperature control device form a loop. By using an alloy wire with good thermoelectric properties as a heating element, the problems of cable material contraction caused by low temperature and excessive tension of the communication optical cable assembly caused by ice and snow load can be solved by heating the alloy wire under extremely cold conditions. The alloy wire can be made of manganese copper alloy wire and copper-nickel-based constantan alloy wire material. This type of material is relatively low in cost and has good thermoelectric properties, and can have a long-distance heating function. At the same time, it is ensured that the material has a certain tensile strength and is not easily oxidized and corroded, so as to ensure the long-term operation of the communication optical cable assembly. Other copper alloy wires or iron-chromium-aluminum alloy wires with good thermoelectric properties and strong tensile strength can also be used.

[0010] The temperature control device includes: a temperature sensor, which is arranged outside the communication optical cable to monitor the change of the external environmental temperature of the communication optical cable; a tension sensor, which is arranged on the communication optical cable along the length direction of the communication optical cable to monitor the tensile tension of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor and the temperature sensor are arranged correspondingly; a controller, the temperature sensor and the tension sensor are both electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the alloy wire of the reinforcing cable unit.

[0011] Preferably, the tension sensor is a Bragg grating optical fiber sensor.

[0012] Optionally, the tension sensor is arranged in the outer sheath of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor and a plurality of optical cable units are together surrounded on the outer circumference of the reinforcing cable. When manufacturing the communication optical cable, the tension sensor can be directly arranged in the communication optical cable.

[0013] Optionally, if the tension sensor is not disposed in the communication optical cable in the early stage, a tension sensor may be installed outside the communication optical cable in the later stage, and the tension sensor is fixed to the outer sheath by a fixing device.

[0014] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the alloy wire is 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm, and the resistivity is 0.44 Ω mm 2 / m~0.55Ωmm 2 / m, tensile strength greater than 600N / mm 2 , the elongation is 6% to 15%. To ensure that the outer diameter of the alloy wire maintains sufficient tensile strength when the outer diameter of the communication optical cable is excessively increased, and it can be used as a reinforcement cable for the communication optical cable.

[0015] Furthermore, the insulating layer is made of polyvinyl chloride plastic, cross-linked polyolefin or fluoroplastic, and can withstand a temperature greater than 100° C. The high temperature resistant and flame retardant polyvinyl chloride plastic, flame retardant cross-linked polyolefin or fluoroplastic can withstand a long-term working temperature greater than 100° C. The use of flame retardant materials does not introduce flammable substances, improves the safety of the communication optical cable, and ensures that the alloy wire can work at high temperatures for a long time.

[0016] The insulating layer of the reinforcing cable unit is covered with an inner lining layer, which is formed by winding a mica tape or a glass sand fireproof tape, so as to effectively prevent the alloy wire from burning when it is short-circuited and avoid causing a fire.

[0017] The optical cable unit includes: an optical fiber core; an optical cable sheath, wherein the optical cable sheath is sleeved on the outer periphery of the optical fiber core; a water-blocking material is also filled between the optical fiber core and the optical cable sheath, and the water-blocking material is water-blocking powder or water-blocking sand. Water-blocking materials used for traditional optical fibers, such as water-blocking fiber paste and cable paste, are easy to liquefy at high temperatures and solidify at low temperatures, affecting the optical fiber communication performance. The optical fiber unit is used for information transmission and needs to adapt to extremely cold climate environments in the present invention, and an alloy wire is used as a heating element. Therefore, the water-blocking sand or water-blocking powder used in the present invention needs to have a strong ability to withstand high and low temperatures.

[0018] Furthermore, the outer sheath is a cross-linked polyolefin or a non-cross-linked polyolefin. As the outer sheath, a plastic that meets the requirements of cable flame retardancy and the ability to withstand long-term outdoor ultraviolet radiation is required. The present invention uses cross-linked polyolefin or non-cross-linked polyolefin, which has low smoke and flame retardant properties. To a certain extent, the cross-linked polyolefin of carbon black that can block ultraviolet rays can more effectively improve the environmental resistance of communication optical cables.

[0019] The present invention also provides a temperature control method for a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions, comprising the following steps:

[0020] Step S1: using a temperature sensor to detect the external ambient temperature of the communication optical cable, setting the temperature threshold as T0, and setting the measured ambient temperature as the test temperature T1;

[0021] Step S2: determine whether the test temperature T1 is less than the temperature threshold T0. If yes, detect the tensile tension of the communication cable through the tension sensor, set the tension threshold to F0, and set the measured tensile tension of the communication cable to the test tension F1;

[0022] Step S3: determining whether the test tension F1 is greater than the tension threshold F0, and if so, heating the alloy wire through the controller;

[0023] Step S4: During the heating process, it is continuously determined whether the test tension F1 is greater than the tension threshold F0. If not, the controller stops heating the alloy wire.

[0024] First, use the temperature sensor to determine whether the communication optical cable has excessive tension due to the low ambient temperature. If it is caused by the low ambient temperature, the alloy wire can be heated to increase the temperature of the entire communication optical cable, thereby reducing the tension of the entire communication optical cable. If the reason for the excessive tension is not the low external temperature environment, heating will not be enabled to avoid the risk of electric shock caused by accidental power-on.

[0025] In addition, the use of a temperature control device with a temperature sensor and a tension sensor can realize automatic heating and power-off of the alloy wire according to changes in ambient temperature and cable tension in an unmanned environment, eliminating environmental hazards that affect the safety of the optical cable, and is more suitable for unmanned remote areas.

[0026] Furthermore, the tension threshold F0 is divided into a first tension threshold F 01 and the second tension threshold F 02 , the first tension threshold F 01 Greater than the second tension threshold F 02 The heating current of the alloy wire is divided into a first heating current and a second heating current, the first heating current is higher than the second heating current, when the second tension threshold F 02 <Test tension F1<First tension threshold F 01 When the heating current of the alloy wire is the second heating current; when the first tension threshold F 01 When the test tension is F1, the heating current of the alloy wire is the first heating current.

[0027] The tension sensor is set to trigger the control program to determine the current level for heating the alloy wire. This prevents the optical cable from running at high temperatures for a long time, which is beneficial to increasing the service life of the optical cable.

[0028] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the communication optical cable assembly used in extremely cold conditions of the present invention adopts an alloy wire with good thermoelectric properties. On the one hand, it can increase the tensile strength of the entire cable. On the other hand, the alloy wire can be used as a heating element, and a temperature control device is used to realize automatic control of the on and off heating of the alloy wire. The present invention senses the operating environment of the communication optical cable through a sensor. The temperature sensor is used to sense the temperature change of the external environment, and the tension sensor is used to sense the tensile tension of the communication optical cable. Among them, the temperature sensor is used to determine whether the main reason for the increase in the tension of the communication optical cable is due to the low temperature environment, rather than due to foreign matter or construction. If foreign matter is added to the communication optical cable, causing the cable tension to increase, then energizing the alloy wire cannot solve this problem. If it is caused by construction, it can avoid the danger caused by mis-energization. The tension sensor ensures that the cable operates within the tolerable tension range. The communication optical cable suitable for extremely cold conditions of the present invention can operate stably for a long time in extremely cold temperatures and large ice and snow environments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication optical cable suitable for use in extremely cold conditions of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of another angle of the communication optical cable suitable for use in extremely cold conditions of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 It is a flow chart of the temperature control method of the communication optical cable assembly applicable to extreme cold conditions of the present invention.

[0034] Reference numerals:

[0035] 10. Optical cable unit; 11. Optical fiber core; 12. Optical cable sheath; 30. Reinforced cable unit; 31. Alloy wire; 32. Insulation layer; 33. Inner lining layer; 40. Outer sheath; 50. Temperature control device; 51. Temperature sensor; 52. Tension sensor; 53. Controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, which only illustrate the basic structure of the present invention in a schematic manner, and therefore only show the components related to the present invention.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, it is the best embodiment of the present invention, including: a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions, including:

[0040] An optical cable unit 10, a reinforced cable unit 30 and an outer sheath 40; the reinforced cable unit 30 is arranged at the center of the communication optical cable, there are multiple optical cable units 10, and the multiple optical cable units 10 are surrounded by the outer circumference of the reinforced cable unit 30. The multiple optical cable units 10 and the reinforced cable unit 30 together constitute a cable core, and the outer sheath 40 is sleeved on the outer circumference of the cable core.

[0041] The reinforced cable unit 30 includes: two alloy wires 31 and an insulating layer 32, the insulating layers 32 are respectively sleeved on the outer circumference of the two alloy wires 31, one ends of the two alloy wires 31 are connected to each other, and the other ends of the two alloy wires 32 are respectively connected to the temperature control device 50, and the two alloy wires 32 and the temperature control device 50 form a loop.

[0042] The outer diameter of the alloy wire 31 is 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm, and the resistivity is 0.44 Ω mm 2 / m~0.55Ωmm 2 / m, tensile strength greater than 600N / mm 2 The elongation is 6% to 15%. The insulating layer 32 is made of polyvinyl chloride plastic, cross-linked polyolefin or fluoroplastic, and can withstand a temperature greater than 100°C. The insulating layer of the reinforcing cable unit 30 is covered with an inner lining layer 33, which is formed by winding a mica tape or a glass sand fireproof tape.

[0043] The temperature control device 50 includes: a temperature sensor 51, a tension sensor 52 and a controller 53. The temperature sensor 51 is arranged outside the communication optical cable to monitor the change of the external environment temperature of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor 52 is arranged on the communication optical cable along the length direction of the communication optical cable to monitor the tensile tension of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor 52 and the temperature sensor 51 are arranged correspondingly, and the temperature sensor 51 and the tension sensor 52 are both electrically connected to the controller 53, and the controller 53 is electrically connected to the alloy wire 31 of the reinforcing cable unit 30.

[0044] The tension sensor 52 is a Bragg grating optical fiber sensor.

[0045] In the early stage of manufacturing the communication optical cable, the tension sensor 52 can be disposed in the outer sheath 40 of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor 52 and the plurality of optical cable units 10 are together surrounded by the outer circumference of the reinforcing cable 30 .

[0046] If the tension sensor 52 is not disposed in the communication optical cable, the tension sensor 52 may be installed on the outer wall of the communication optical cable at a later stage, and the tension sensor 52 is fixed on the outer sheath 40 by a fixing device.

[0047] The optical cable unit 10 comprises: an optical fiber core 11 and an optical cable sheath 12. The optical cable sheath 12 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the optical fiber core 11. A water-blocking material is filled between the optical fiber core 11 and the optical cable sheath 12. The water-blocking material is water-blocking powder or water-blocking sand.

[0048] The outer sheath 40 is cross-linked polyolefin or non-cross-linked polyolefin.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the present invention also provides a temperature control method for the above-mentioned communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions, comprising the following steps:

[0050] Step S1: using the temperature sensor 51 to detect the external ambient temperature of the communication optical cable, setting the temperature threshold as T0, and setting the measured ambient temperature as the test temperature T1;

[0051] Step S2: Determine whether the test temperature T1 is less than the temperature threshold T0. If so, detect the tensile tension of the communication cable through the tension sensor 52, set the tension threshold to F0, and set the measured tensile tension of the communication cable to the test tension F1;

[0052] Step S3: determining whether the test tension F1 is greater than the tension threshold F0, and if so, heating the alloy wire 31 through the controller 53;

[0053] Step S4: During the heating process, it is continuously determined whether the test tension F1 is greater than the tension threshold F0 . If not, the controller 53 stops heating the alloy wire 31 .

[0054] The tension threshold F0 is divided into the first tension threshold F 01 and the second tension threshold F 02 , the first tension threshold F 01 Greater than the second tension threshold F 02 The heating current of the alloy wire 31 is divided into a first heating current and a second heating current. The first heating current is higher than the second heating current. When the second tension threshold F 02 <Test tension F1<First tension threshold F 01 When the first tension threshold F 01When the test tension is F1, the heating current of the alloy wire 31 is a first heating current, the range of the first heating current is 500A-550A, and the range of the second heating current is 300A-350A.

[0055] The temperature control method of the communication optical cable assembly of the present application is applicable to extremely cold conditions. First, the temperature sensor 51 is used to determine whether the communication optical cable has excessive tension due to the low ambient temperature. If it is caused by the low ambient temperature, the temperature of the entire communication optical cable can be increased by heating the alloy wire 31, thereby reducing the tension of the entire communication optical cable. If the reason for the excessive tension is not due to the low external temperature environment, heating is not enabled to avoid the risk of electric shock caused by accidental power-on.

[0056] In addition, by using a temperature control device 50 with a temperature sensor 51 and a tension sensor 52, it is possible to automatically heat and power off the alloy wire 31 according to changes in ambient temperature and cable tension in an unmanned environment, thereby eliminating environmental hazards that affect the safety of the optical cable and being more suitable for unmanned remote areas.

[0057] The tension sensor 52 is set to a gear position to trigger the control program to determine the gear position of the current for heating the alloy wire 31. Avoiding the optical cable from operating under high temperature for a long time is beneficial to improving the service life of the optical cable.

[0058] The communication optical cable assembly and temperature control method suitable for use under extremely cold conditions of the present invention can solve the problem that the traditional communication optical cable is subjected to extremely cold temperatures, such as low temperatures below -40°C, which causes excessive contraction of the cable constituent materials, resulting in excessive cable tension exceeding the tensile strength of the cable; or ice and snow attached to the cable repeatedly melt and freeze on the cable to form icicles, and the heavy icicles increase the cable tension. The present invention can increase the cable temperature by electrically heating the alloy wire 31 inside the cable, thereby alleviating the excessive cable tension caused by the above reasons. This allows the cable to maintain long-term operating stability under extremely cold conditions, effectively ensuring communication security.

[0059] Based on the above ideal embodiments of the present invention, the relevant staff can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of the present invention through the above description. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A temperature control method for a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions, characterized in that: Communication cable assemblies suitable for use in extremely cold conditions, including: An optical cable unit (10), a reinforcing cable unit (30) and an outer sheath (40); the reinforcing cable unit (30) is arranged at the center of the communication optical cable, the optical cable unit (10) is multiple, the multiple optical cable units (10) surround the outer circumference of the reinforcing cable unit (30), the multiple optical cable units (10) and the reinforcing cable unit (30) together form a cable core, and the outer sheath (40) is sleeved on the outer circumference of the cable core; The reinforcing cable unit (30) comprises: two alloy wires (31); An insulating layer (32), the insulating layer (32) being respectively sleeved on the outer circumferences of the two alloy wires (31); The ends of the two alloy wires (31) are connected to each other; The communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions further comprises a temperature control device (50), the other ends of the two alloy wires (32) are respectively connected to the temperature control device (50), and the two alloy wires (32) and the temperature control device (50) form a loop; The temperature control device (50) comprises: A temperature sensor (51), the temperature sensor (51) being arranged outside the communication optical cable and used for monitoring changes in the external environment temperature of the communication optical cable; A tension sensor (52), the tension sensor (52) being arranged on the communication optical cable along the length direction of the communication optical cable, for monitoring the tensile tension of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor (52) and the temperature sensor (51) being arranged correspondingly; A controller (53), the temperature sensor (51) and the tension sensor (52) are both electrically connected to the controller (53), and the controller (53) is electrically connected to the alloy wire (31) of the reinforcing cable unit (30); The alloy wire (31) has an outer diameter of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm and a resistivity of 0.44 Ωmm. 2 / m~0.55Ωmm 2 / m, tensile strength greater than 600N / mm 2 , elongation is 6% to 15%; Step S1: using a temperature sensor (51) to detect the external ambient temperature of the communication optical cable, setting the temperature threshold as T0, and setting the measured ambient temperature as the test temperature T1; Step S2: determining whether the test temperature T1 is less than the temperature threshold T0; if so, detecting the tensile tension of the communication cable by means of a tension sensor (52), setting the tension threshold to F0, and setting the measured tensile tension of the communication cable to be the test tension F1; Step S3: determining whether the test tension F1 is greater than the tension threshold F0, and if so, heating the alloy wire (31) through the controller (53); Step S4: during the heating process, continuously determining whether the test tension F1 is greater than the tension threshold F0; if not, stopping heating the alloy wire (31) through the controller (53); The tension threshold F0 is divided into a first tension threshold F 01 and the second tension threshold F 02 , the first tension threshold F 01 Greater than the second tension threshold F 02 , the heating current of the alloy wire (31) is divided into a first heating current and a second heating current, and the first heating current is higher than the second heating current; When the second tension threshold F 02 <Test tension F1<First tension threshold F 01 When the first tension threshold F 01 When the test tension is F1, the heating current of the alloy wire (31) is the first heating current.

2. The temperature control method for communication optical cable assemblies suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The tension sensor (52) is a Bragg grating optical fiber sensor.

3. The temperature control method for a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The tension sensor (52) is disposed in the outer sheath (40) of the communication optical cable, and the tension sensor (52) and a plurality of optical cable units (10) are together surrounded on the outer circumference of the reinforcing cable (30).

4. The temperature control method for communication optical cable assemblies suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The tension sensor (52) is fixed on the outer sheath (40) by a fixing device.

5. The temperature control method for communication optical cable assemblies suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating layer (32) is made of polyvinyl chloride plastic, cross-linked polyolefin or fluoroplastic, and has a temperature resistance greater than 100°C.

6. The temperature control method for a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: An inner lining layer (33) is provided on the outer shell of the insulating layer of the reinforcing cable unit (30), and the inner lining layer (33) is formed by winding a mica tape or a glass sand fireproof tape.

7. The temperature control method for a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The optical cable unit (10) comprises: Optical fiber core (11); An optical cable sheath (12), the optical cable sheath (12) being sleeved on the outer circumference of the optical fiber core (11); A water-blocking material is also filled between the optical fiber core (11) and the optical cable sheath (12), and the water-blocking material is water-blocking powder or water-blocking sand.

8. The temperature control method for a communication optical cable assembly suitable for use in extremely cold conditions as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer sheath (40) is cross-linked polyolefin or non-cross-linked polyolefin.

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