Floodable Optical Fiber Conduit for Subsea Splice Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional marine geophysical survey systems require numerous robust hermetic seals and splice encapsulations for optical fibers, which are costly and prone to failure, especially in long-term subsea deployments where water exposure is common.
Innovation Solution
The use of floodable optical fiber conduits with vents allows sea water to flood the interior, eliminating the need for traditional seals and enabling pressure-balanced configurations, and reconstitutable tubes facilitate access and repair of optical fibers without the need for spare conduits or costly splicing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If robust hermetic seals and splice encapsulations are used for optical fibers in subsea applications, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hermetic seal from the optical fiber conduit system. Instead of sealing the conduit to protect against water ingress, the invention allows water to freely enter the conduit while using a pressure-equalizing mechanism (perforated tube surrounded by water-filled space) to eliminate pressure differentials that could cause water ingress at splices. This extraction of the seal simplifies the system while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the conduit into functional segments: a sealed outer conduit providing structural protection, and an inner perforated tube that allows water ingress. This segmentation enables different parts of the system to serve different functions - the outer conduit provides mechanical strength while the inner perforated tube enables pressure equalization, eliminating the need for complex sealing systems.
2Reliability
If robust hermetic seals and splice encapsulations are used for optical fibers in subsea applications, then reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates expensive hermetic seals and complex splice encapsulations from the optical fiber conduit system. By using a simple perforated tube design that allows free water ingress and relies on pressure equalization rather than sealing, the system achieves comparable reliability at significantly lower manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive components such as perforated tubes and basic cable management structures instead of expensive hermetic seals and complex encapsulation systems. These simpler components achieve the same functional outcome (preventing water ingress at splices through pressure equalization) at a fraction of the cost.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional sealed conduits are used, then protection against water ingress is provided, but the number of seals and potential failure points increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes multiple hermetic seals from the conduit system, replacing them with a single open design where water can freely enter through perforations. This eliminates the seals themselves as potential failure points while maintaining protection against water ingress at the critical splice locations through pressure equalization.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful factor of water ingress into a beneficial mechanism for pressure equalization. By allowing water to freely enter the conduit through perforations, the system equalizes pressure between the interior and exterior environments, eliminating pressure differentials that would otherwise force water ingress at splice points. The harm (water entering the conduit) becomes the solution (pressure equalization).
Data Source
AI summary
At least some illustrative embodiments are including a method exposing a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber disposed within an interior volume of a first tube. A splice is formed between the first optical fiber and a third optical fiber, the splice joining an end of the first optical fiber and an end of the third optical fiber. A second tube is disposed the first, second, third optical fibers and the splice between the first and third optical fibers, wherein an end of the second tube adjoins an end of the first tube to form a structure comprising either an overlapping structure; or an abutting structure.