Deep sea optical cable and preparation process thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a deep sea optical cable and a preparation process thereof, and relates to the technical field of optical cables. The plurality of multi-core optical fibers are uniformly distributed on the periphery of the reinforcing core in an equidistant arrangement mode; the sealing layer coats the peripheries of the reinforcing core and the multi-core optical fiber to form an elastic sealing body; the copper pipe wraps the periphery of the sealing layer, and the copper pipe, the reinforcing core, the multi-core optical fiber and the sealing layer form a sealing composite middle core body with axial elasticity; an insulating layer; a reinforcing layer; the armor layer and the plurality of sector-ring-shaped twisting units are mutually twisted and wrap the periphery of the reinforcing layer; a braid layer; and an outer protective layer. According to the deep-sea optical cable and the preparation process thereof provided by the embodiment of the invention, the problem that the water blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable in some water pressure environments in the prior art is poor is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical cable technology, and in particular to a deep-sea optical cable and a preparation process thereof. Background Art

[0002] As international information exchange becomes more and more frequent, the requirements for the transmission capacity of deep-sea optical cables are also getting higher and higher. The transmission capacity of deep-sea optical cables mainly depends on the number of optical fiber cores.

[0003] In related technologies, deep-sea optical cables use single-core optical fibers. The central tube deep-sea optical cable contains an optical fiber bundle tube filled with fiber jelly, which can only accommodate up to 96 core optical fibers. When the optical fiber demand exceeds 100 cores, a layer-twisted structure must be adopted. The layer-twisted deep-sea optical cable includes multiple optical fiber bundle tubes filled with fiber jelly. By increasing the number of bundle tubes and the number of optical fibers in the bundle tubes, the number of cores of the submarine optical cable is increased.

[0004] However, these deep-sea optical cables have large core gaps, resulting in insufficient filling of fiber and cable grease. This results in poor water-blocking properties of the bundle tubes and cable cores in the high-pressure deep-sea environment. Furthermore, stranding multiple bundle tubes together increases the cable's size and cost. Furthermore, the cable's length is limited by the cable assembly equipment's reel capacity, preventing continuous production of long lengths. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a deep-sea optical cable and a preparation process thereof to solve the problem in the prior art that deep-sea optical cables have poor water-blocking performance under certain water pressure environments.

[0006] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a deep-sea optical cable, comprising:

[0007] Strengthening core;

[0008] A plurality of multi-core optical fibers are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the reinforcing core in an equidistant arrangement;

[0009] a sealing layer, filling the gap between the reinforcing core and the multi-core optical fiber and completely covering the outer periphery of the reinforcing core and the multi-core optical fiber, wherein the sealing layer is an ultraviolet light-curable silicone elastic sealing body;

[0010] The copper tube is coated on the outer periphery of the sealing layer and forms a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity with the reinforcing core, the multi-core optical fiber and the sealing layer.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, an insulating layer is further included, and the insulating layer is coated on the outer circumference of the copper tube.

[0012] In a possible implementation, a reinforcement layer is further included, and the reinforcement layer is wrapped around the outer periphery of the insulating layer.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the invention further includes an armor layer, wherein the armor layer includes a plurality of twisted units, and the twisted units are twisted together and wrapped around the outer periphery of the reinforcement layer.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the twisted unit includes a twisted piece and an outer sheath, there is at least one twisted piece, and the outer sheath covers the outer circumference of each twisted piece at the same time.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner, a braided layer is further included, and the braided layer is wrapped around the outer circumference of the armor layer.

[0016] In a possible embodiment, the outer protective layer is further included, and the outer protective layer is coated on the outer periphery of the braided layer and penetrates into the braiding pores of the braided layer, and is integrated with the armor layer into an integral structure to avoid interlayer separation.

[0017] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a preparation process for the deep-sea optical cable described in any of the above embodiments, comprising the following steps:

[0018] The reinforcing core and multi-core optical fiber in the deep-sea optical cable are precisely arranged and pulled into a transparent forming mold through a distribution mold by a pay-off frame;

[0019] Injecting a UV-curable liquid silicone base material and a UV catalyst into the molding die, submerging the reinforcing core and the multi-core optical fiber, activating a UV light source, and forming a UV-curable silicone elastomer through an ultraviolet light curing process to form a sealing layer;

[0020] The copper strip is closed into a tubular shape through a longitudinal wrapping forming die on the periphery of the sealing layer, and laser welding is used to form a seamless welded pipe. The welded pipe is then plastically deformed through a drawing process, and the outer diameter is reduced by 5-15% to form a copper pipe. The copper pipe and the sealing layer are interference fit, tightly wrapped around the outer periphery of the sealing layer, and form a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity with the internal structure.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the following steps are further included:

[0022] A polyethylene sheath material is extruded at high temperature through a sector annular die on the outer periphery of the twisted element to form a sheath layer, wherein the twisted element and the outer sheath constitute a sector annular twisted unit;

[0023] The central angles of the multiple twisted units expand and the ring widths compress under the action of the spiral twisting tension, and interference fit is achieved between each other to form an armor layer;

[0024] Weaving non-metallic fibers at a set helix angle around the outer periphery of the armor layer to form a braided layer;

[0025] A polyethylene sheath material is extruded at high temperature on the periphery of the braided layer to form an outer sheath. The outer sheath is made of the same material as the outer sheath. During high-temperature extrusion, the molten polyethylene material penetrates into the mesh pores of the braided layer to achieve integrated fusion between the two sheath layers.

[0026] An embodiment of the present application provides a deep-sea optical cable and a preparation process thereof, wherein the deep-sea optical cable includes: a reinforcing core; a plurality of multi-core optical fibers, which are evenly distributed on the periphery of the reinforcing core in an equidistant arrangement; a sealing layer, which fills the gap between the reinforcing core and the multi-core optical fibers and completely covers the periphery of the reinforcing core and the multi-core optical fibers, and the sealing layer is an ultraviolet light-curing silicone elastic sealing body; a copper tube, which covers the periphery of the sealing layer and forms a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity together with the reinforcing core, the multi-core optical fibers, and the sealing layer. Therefore, by using multi-core optical fibers, the number of optical fiber cores is increased exponentially without increasing the outer diameter of the optical fiber, the number of optical fibers, and the number of optical fiber bundle tubes, thereby avoiding the increase in the outer diameter of the submarine cable and the cable core gap, reducing production costs, and meeting the requirements of continuous large-length production; by drawing the copper tube to produce plastic deformation, an interference fit with the elastomeric structure sealing layer is achieved, thereby strengthening the sealing of the composite core body, thereby improving the protection effect of the multi-core optical fiber and optimizing the water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable, so that the deep-sea optical cable can be used in higher water pressure environments, solving the problem of poor water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable in some water pressure environments in the existing technology.

[0027] The deep-sea optical cable of the present application also includes: an armor layer, comprising multiple fan-shaped annular twisted units twisted together and wrapped around the outer periphery of the reinforcement layer; a braided layer; and an outer sheath. As a result, the fan-shaped annular twisted units expand their central angles and compress their ring widths under the action of spiral twisting tension, forming an armor layer through interference fit, achieving a coverage rate of ≥99.5%. The outer sheath is made of the same material as the outer sheath of the twisted units. During extrusion of the outer sheath, molten polyethylene material penetrates the pores of the braided layer, achieving integrated fusion with the armor layer. This reduces the gap between the armor layer and the outer sheath, improves interlayer adhesion, and solves the problem of low interlayer adhesion in deep-sea optical cables in the prior art, making it more suitable for deep-sea construction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a deep-sea optical cable provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the twisted unit;

[0031] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the forming mold in the preparation process provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Description of reference numerals:

[0033] 10-forming mold; 11-forming pipe; 12-first material delivery pipe; 13-second material delivery pipe;

[0034] 20-UV lamp;

[0035] 100-reinforced core;

[0036] 200-multi-core optical fiber;

[0037] 300-sealing layer;

[0038] 400-copper tube;

[0039] 500-insulation layer;

[0040] 600-reinforcement layer;

[0041] 700-armor layer; 710-twisted unit; 711-twisted piece; 712-outer sheath;

[0042] 800-braid;

[0043] 900-outer sheath.

[0044] The above drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the textual description are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the present application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0046] In related technologies, deep-sea optical cables use single-core optical fibers. When the demand for optical fibers exceeds 100 cores, one of the structures of deep-sea optical cables mainly includes a reinforcing core, multiple optical fiber bundle tubes (including: optical fibers, fiber grease, metal tubes), water-blocking grease, an inner sheath, an armor layer, and an outer sheath; the optical fiber bundle tubes are twisted together to wrap the reinforcing core.

[0047] However, due to insufficient filling of fiber grease and water-blocking grease or excessive gaps between multiple optical fiber bundle tubes, the water-blocking performance of deep-sea optical cables in some water pressure environments is poor, which in turn affects the normal operation of optical fibers.

[0048] Thus, the embodiment of the present application provides a deep-sea optical cable and its preparation process, wherein the deep-sea optical cable comprises: a strengthening core; a plurality of multi-core optical fibers, uniformly distributed on the outer periphery of the strengthening core in an equidistant arrangement; a sealing layer, coated on the outer periphery of the strengthening core and the multi-core optical fibers, forming an ultraviolet light-curing silicone elastic seal; a copper tube, coated on the outer periphery of the sealing layer, and forming a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity with the strengthening core, the multi-core optical fibers, and the sealing layer. Thus, by using multi-core optical fibers, the number of optical fiber cores is multiplied without increasing the outer diameter of the optical fiber, the number of optical fibers, and the number of optical fiber bundle tubes, thereby avoiding the increase in the outer diameter of the submarine cable and the cable core gap, reducing the production cost, and meeting the requirements of continuous long-length production; by drawing the copper tube to produce plastic deformation to achieve interference fit with the elastic structure sealing layer, the sealing of the composite core body is strengthened, thereby improving the protection effect of the multi-core optical fiber and optimizing the water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable, so that the deep-sea optical cable is suitable for higher water pressure environments, solving the problem of poor water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable in some water pressure environments in the prior art. The deep-sea optical cable of the present application also includes: an armor layer, comprising multiple fan-shaped annular twisted units twisted together and wrapped around the outer periphery of the reinforcement layer; a braided layer; and an outer sheath. As a result, the fan-shaped annular twisted units expand their central angles and compress their ring widths under the action of spiral twisting tension, forming an armor layer through interference fit, achieving a coverage rate of ≥99.5%. The outer sheath is made of the same material as the outer sheath of the twisted units. During extrusion of the outer sheath, molten polyethylene material penetrates the pores of the braided layer, achieving integrated fusion with the armor layer. This reduces the gap between the armor layer and the outer sheath, improves interlayer adhesion, and solves the problem of low interlayer adhesion in deep-sea optical cables in the prior art, making it more suitable for deep-sea construction.

[0049] The following specific embodiments describe in detail the technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a deep-sea optical cable, comprising:

[0051] Reinforcement core 100;

[0052] Multiple multi-core optical fibers 200 are evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the reinforcing core 100 in an equidistant arrangement;

[0053] The sealing layer 300 fills the gap between the reinforcing core 100 and the multi-core optical fiber 200 and completely covers the outer periphery of the reinforcing core 100 and the multi-core optical fiber 200. The sealing layer 300 is an ultraviolet light-curable silicone elastic sealant;

[0054] The copper tube 400 is coated on the outer periphery of the sealing layer 300 and forms a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity together with the reinforcing core 100 , the multi-core optical fiber 200 and the sealing layer 300 .

[0055] The reinforcing core 100 may be a copper-plated metal wire, a copper-plated steel wire or other conductive metal wire, without limitation. The copper tube 400 may be made of copper or other conductive materials.

[0056] Thus, by drawing the copper tube 400 to produce plastic deformation, an interference fit is achieved with the elastomeric structural sealing layer, strengthening the sealing of the composite core, thereby improving the protection of the multi-core optical fiber 200 and optimizing the water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable, making it suitable for use in higher water pressure environments. This solves the problem of poor water-blocking performance of deep-sea optical cables in certain water pressure environments in the prior art. At the same time, the sealing layer 300 also has better axial elasticity than the copper tube 400. When the submarine cable is subjected to external forces, the sealing layer 300 can freely expand and contract to buffer the stress, reducing the strain risk of the multi-core optical fiber 200, extending the service life of the multi-core optical fiber 200, and improving the structural stability of the composite core.

[0057] In addition, compared to the traditional method of twisting multiple optical fiber bundles together and coating them on a cable core, the arrangement of the multi-core optical fiber 200 in the embodiment of the present application also has the effect of reducing the bending loss of the multi-core optical fiber 200.

[0058] In this embodiment, multiple multi-core optical fibers 200 are provided, and the multiple multi-core optical fibers 200 are evenly distributed around the strength core 100. The copper tube 400 simultaneously encases the strength core 100 and the multiple multi-core optical fibers 200, with the strength core 100 being located at the center of the copper tube 400, thereby improving the uniformity of the internal structure of the deep-sea optical cable.

[0059] In practice, the multiple multi-core optical fibers 200 may be 2-core MCFs (MCF stands for multi-core fiber), 4-core MCFs, or 7-core MCFs, among others. It will be appreciated that the provision of multiple multi-core optical fibers 200 (i.e., a multi-core optical fiber structure) can provide transmission bandwidth several times higher than that of a single-core optical fiber without significantly increasing the physical volume, and can easily achieve long-length continuous production. Of course, in other embodiments, a single multi-core optical fiber 200 may also be provided.

[0060] In some embodiments, the sealing layer 300 is a UV-curable silicone elastic sealant.

[0061] The UV-curable silicone elastic sealant specifically comprises a UV-curable liquid silicone base material and a UV catalyst, which are thoroughly mixed to form a liquid base material mixture. This base material mixture is then injected into a mold 10, submerging the strength member 100 and each multi-core optical fiber 200. The base material mixture is then cured using a UV light source to form a UV-curable silicone elastic sealant. This sealant layer 300 provides excellent protection for the strength member 100 and the multi-core optical fiber 200, preventing external moisture from penetrating the multi-core optical fiber 200 and optimizing the water-blocking properties of the deep-sea optical cable.

[0062] In other embodiments, the sealing layer 300 may also be made of sealant or other sealing materials.

[0063] Further, such as Figure 1 As shown, the deep-sea optical cable further includes an insulating layer 500 , which is coated on the outer circumference of the copper tube 400 .

[0064] In this embodiment, the reinforcing core 100, multi-core optical fiber 200, sealing layer 300, and copper tube 400 are combined into a functional unit. The insulating layer 500, wrapped around the outer periphery of the copper tube 400, effectively shields against external electromagnetic interference. The copper tube 400 provides both structural support and power transmission, while the multi-core optical fiber 200 enables high-capacity, high-speed signal transmission. This integrated design, through the synergistic effect of various material layers, significantly improves the electromagnetic compatibility, structural stability, and watertightness of the functional unit.

[0065] The insulating layer 500 is extruded from polyethylene insulating material. For example, the insulating layer 500 can be extruded from medium-density polyethylene or high-density polyethylene.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, the deep-sea optical cable further includes a reinforcement layer 600 , which is coated on the outer periphery of the insulation layer 500 .

[0067] In this embodiment, the reinforcement layer 600 is coated on the outside of the insulating layer 500, so that the reinforcement layer 600 provides buffer protection and mechanical reinforcement for the insulating layer 500 and the functional units.

[0068] During implementation, the reinforcement layer 600 may be made of a steel-plastic composite tape or other metal composite tape material longitudinally wrapped around the insulation layer 500 .

[0069] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it also includes an armor layer 700, which includes a plurality of twisted units 710. The twisted units 710 are twisted together and wrapped around the outer periphery of the reinforcement layer 600. The coverage of the armor layer 700 is ≥99.5%.

[0070] In this embodiment, the plurality of twisted units 710 in the armor layer 700 are twisted together and coated on the reinforcement layer 600. The coverage of the armor layer 700 is ≥ 99.5%, for example, the coverage of the armor layer 700 can be 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8% or other values.

[0071] Thus, the armor layer 700 can further enhance the protection of the insulating layer 500 and the functional unit, thereby providing mechanical protection and tension stability.

[0072] The twisted unit 710 includes a twisted piece 711 and an outer sheath 712. There is at least one twisted piece 711, and the outer sheath 712 covers the outer circumference of each twisted piece 711.

[0073] In this embodiment, a plurality of twisted elements 711 are provided, and the outer sheath 712 simultaneously wraps the plurality of twisted elements 711 . The twisted elements 711 and the outer sheath 712 are twisted together and wrapped around the reinforcement layer 600 .

[0074] During implementation, the twisted part 711 can be a steel strand, a single steel wire or other metal wire, a non-metallic armor wire / rod such as FRP, KFRP, carbon fiber rod, or a mixture of metal wire and non-metallic armor wire / rod, and there is no limitation on this.

[0075] The outer sheath 712 is made of polyethylene, for example, medium-density polyethylene or high-density polyethylene.

[0076] Thus, when in use, the outer sheath 712 can fill the gaps between the twisted pieces 711, compressing the water seepage space, and achieving good watertightness under high water pressure in the deep sea. The outer sheath 712 can also seal and protect the twisted pieces 711, isolating water vapor, and having good anti-corrosion and environmental protection performance.

[0077] Further, such as Figure 2 As shown, the cross section of the twisted unit 710 is fan-shaped, and its central angle α=2π / N, where N is the number of the twisted units 710 , and the inner arc side of the twisted unit 710 is tightly wrapped around the outer periphery of the reinforcement layer 600 .

[0078] In this embodiment, the cross-section of the twisted element 711 and the outer sheath 712 as a whole (i.e., the twisted unit 710 as a whole) is fan-shaped, the central angle α of the twisted unit 710 is 2π / N, N is the number of twisted units 710, and the inner arc side is tightly wrapped around the outside of the reinforcement layer 600.

[0079] As a result, the central angles of the multiple twisted units 710 are expanded and the ring widths are compressed under the action of the spiral twisting tension, and the armor layer 700 is formed through interference fit with each other. This can effectively reduce the influence of the dimensional accuracy of the twisted units 710, significantly improve the coverage rate of the armor layer 700, reduce the armor gap, ensure the interlayer tightness of the armor layer 700 formed by twisting, and make the armor layer 700 more watertight.

[0080] When the twisted unit 710 is actually manufactured, for example, the twisted piece 711 and the polyethylene material can be extruded through a sector ring groove die, thereby forming the entire twisted unit 710 with a sector ring-shaped cross-sectional profile.

[0081] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the deep-sea optical cable further includes a braided layer 800 , which is coated on the outside of the armor layer 700 to tighten each twisted unit 710 .

[0082] Specifically, after the twisted units 710 are twisted together and wrapped around the reinforcement layer 600, the braided layer 800 is wrapped around the armor layer 700 to cover the twisted units 710. The braided layer 800 thereby tightens the armor layer 700 and provides tensile strength, facilitating subsequent processing steps.

[0083] During implementation, the braided layer 800 can be woven from high-strength fibers such as aramid fibers, glass fibers, etc., or can be woven from metal wires, and is wrapped around the armor layer 700 .

[0084] In addition, it is necessary to add that Figure 1 As shown, the deep-sea optical cable also includes an outer sheath 900. This outer sheath 900 wraps around the outer periphery of the braided layer 800 and penetrates the pores of the braided layer 800, fusing with the armor layer 700 to form a single unitary structure, thereby preventing interlayer separation. Furthermore, the outer sheath 900 provides effective sealing protection for the inner layer structure. The outer sheath 900 can be extruded from polyethylene.

[0085] In summary, the deep-sea optical cable provided by the embodiment of the present application, by using multi-core optical fibers 200, increases the number of optical fiber cores by multiples without increasing the outer diameter of the optical fiber, the number of optical fibers, and the number of optical fiber bundle tubes, thereby avoiding the twisting of multiple bundle tube layers, reducing the cable core gap and the outer diameter of the submarine cable, reducing production costs, and ensuring continuous long-length production. By drawing the copper tube to produce plastic deformation, an interference fit with the sealing layer of the elastomeric structure is achieved, thereby strengthening the sealing of the composite core body, thereby improving the protective effect of the multi-core optical fiber and optimizing the water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable, so that the deep-sea optical cable is suitable for higher water pressure environments, solving the problem of poor water-blocking performance of deep-sea optical cables in some water pressure environments in the prior art. At the same time, the copper tube 400 also has a better protective effect on the sealing layer 300, improving the stability of the sealing layer 300 and extending the service life of the sealing layer 300.

[0086] An embodiment of the present application provides a preparation process for preparing the deep-sea optical cable described in any of the above embodiments, comprising the following steps:

[0087] The reinforcing core 100 and the optical fiber unit 200 in the deep-sea optical cable are precisely arranged and pulled into the transparent forming mold 10 through the line splitting mold by a pay-off frame;

[0088] Injecting UV curable liquid silicone base material and UV catalyst into the molding die 10, immersing the reinforcing core 100 and the optical fiber unit 200, and starting the light source to form a UV curable silicone elastomer through the UV curing process to form the sealing layer 300;

[0089] The copper strip is closed into a tubular shape through a longitudinal wrapping forming die on the periphery of the sealing layer 300, and laser welding is used to form a seamless welded pipe. The welded pipe is then plastically deformed through a drawing process, and the outer diameter is reduced by 5-15% to form a copper pipe 400. The copper pipe 400 and the sealing layer 300 are interference fit, tightly wrapped around the outer periphery of the sealing layer 300, and form a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity with the internal structure.

[0090] Among them, Figure 3 As shown, the mold 10 includes a molding pipe 11 and a first material delivery pipe 12 connected to the molding pipe 11. The first material delivery pipe 12 is connected to the second material delivery pipe 13. The molding pipe 11 is made of a transparent material. The molding mold 10 is also provided with an ultraviolet lamp 20, so that the ultraviolet lamp 20 can irradiate the molding pipe 11 and its interior.

[0091] Specifically, the sealing filling material is injected into the molding mold 10 so that the reinforcing core 100 and the multi-core optical fiber 200 are immersed in the sealing filling material, including: conveying the UV-curable liquid silicone base material from the first delivery pipe 12 to the molding pipe 11, and injecting the UV catalyst into the UV-curable liquid silicone base material from the second delivery pipe 13, so that the UV-curable liquid silicone base material and the UV catalyst are fully mixed to form a liquid base material mixture, and then the base material mixture is injected into the molding mold 10, and the reinforcing core 100 and the multi-core optical fiber 200 are immersed in the base material mixture.

[0092] The sealing filling material is cured to form the sealing layer 300 in the deep-sea optical cable, which includes: starting the ultraviolet lamp 20 to make the base material mixture cure after encountering ultraviolet light to form a UV-curable silicone elastic sealing body (ie, the sealing layer 300).

[0093] Secondly, the copper strip is closed into a tubular shape through a longitudinal wrapping forming mold on the outer periphery of the sealing layer 300, and laser welding is used to form a seamless welded pipe. The welded pipe is then plastically deformed through a drawing process, and the outer diameter is reduced by 5-15% to form a copper tube 400. The copper tube 400 and the sealing layer 300 are interference fit, tightly wrapped around the outer periphery of the sealing layer 300, and form a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity with the internal structure.

[0094] Finally, the insulation layer 500 , the reinforcement layer 600 , the armor layer 700 , the braided layer 800 and the outer sheath 900 of the deep-sea optical cable described in any of the above embodiments are sequentially coated on the copper tube 400 to manufacture the deep-sea optical cable.

[0095] In summary, the preparation process provided in the embodiment of the present application can improve the protection effect of the multi-core optical fiber 200 and optimize the water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable so that the deep-sea optical cable can be used in higher water pressure environments, thereby solving the problem of poor water-blocking performance of the deep-sea optical cable in some water pressure environments in the prior art.

[0096] Finally, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will readily identify other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited solely by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A deep-sea optical cable, characterized in that: include: Reinforcement core (100); A plurality of multi-core optical fibers (200) are evenly distributed on the periphery of the reinforcing core (100) in an equidistant arrangement; a sealing layer (300) filling a gap between the reinforcing core (100) and the multi-core optical fiber (200) and completely covering the outer periphery of the reinforcing core (100) and the multi-core optical fiber (200); the sealing layer (300) is an ultraviolet light-curable silicone elastic sealing body; The copper tube (400) is coated on the outer periphery of the sealing layer (300), and forms a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity together with the reinforcing core (100), the multi-core optical fiber (200), and the sealing layer (300).

2. The deep-sea optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes an insulating layer (500), wherein the insulating layer (500) is wrapped around the outer circumference of the copper tube (400).

3. The deep-sea optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a reinforcement layer (600), wherein the reinforcement layer (600) is wrapped around the outer periphery of the insulating layer (500).

4. The deep-sea optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes an armor layer (700), wherein the armor layer (700) includes a plurality of twisted units (710), and each of the twisted units (710) is twisted together and wrapped around the outer periphery of the reinforcement layer (600).

5. The deep-sea optical cable according to claim 4, characterized in that: The twisted unit (710) comprises a twisted piece (711) and an outer sheath (712), there is at least one twisted piece (711), and the outer sheath (712) simultaneously covers the outer circumference of each twisted piece (711).

6. The deep-sea optical cable according to claim 4, characterized in that It also includes a braided layer (800), wherein the braided layer (800) is wrapped around the outer periphery of the armor layer (700).

7. The deep-sea optical cable according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes the outer protective layer (900), which is coated on the outer periphery of the braided layer (800) and penetrates into the braided pores of the braided layer (800), and is fused with the armor layer (700) to form an integral structure to avoid interlayer separation.

8. A preparation process, characterized in that: The method for preparing the deep-sea optical cable according to any one of claims 1 to 7 comprises the following steps: The reinforcing core (100) and the multi-core optical fiber (200) in the deep-sea optical cable are precisely arranged and pulled into a transparent forming mold (10) through a pay-off frame via a line splitting mold; Injecting a UV-curable liquid silicone base material and a UV catalyst into the molding die (10), immersing the reinforcing core (100) and the multi-core optical fiber (200), activating a UV light source, and forming a UV-curable silicone elastomer through an ultraviolet light curing process to form a sealing layer (300); A copper strip is formed into a tubular shape by a longitudinally wrapped forming die around the outer periphery of the sealing layer (300), and laser welding is used to form a seamless welded pipe. The welded pipe is then plastically deformed by a drawing process, and the outer diameter is reduced by 5-15% to form a copper pipe (400). The copper pipe (400) and the sealing layer (300) are interference-fitted, tightly wrapped around the outer periphery of the sealing layer (300), and together with the internal structure, form a sealed composite core body with axial elasticity.

9. The preparation process according to claim 8, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: A polyethylene sheath material is extruded at high temperature through a fan-shaped annular die on the outer periphery of the twisted element (711) to form a sheath layer (712), wherein the twisted element (711) and the outer sheath (712) constitute a fan-shaped twisted unit (710); The central angles of the plurality of twisted units (710) are expanded and the ring widths are compressed under the action of the spiral twisting tension, and interference fit is achieved between them to form an armor layer (700); Non-metallic fibers are braided at a set helical angle on the periphery of the armor layer (700) to form a braided layer (800); A polyethylene sheath material is extruded at high temperature on the periphery of the braided layer (800) to form an outer sheath (900). The outer sheath (900) is made of the same material as the outer sheath (712). During high-temperature extrusion, the molten polyethylene material penetrates into the mesh pores of the braided layer (800), thereby achieving integrated fusion between the two sheath layers.

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