Submarine Optical Repeater Backup Pump Laser for Aging Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The submarine cable communication system faces performance deterioration due to aging of pump lasers and optical devices, leading to reduced output power, increased losses, and potential service interruptions.
Innovation Solution
An underwater equipment is provided with a conventional pump laser and a backup pump laser. The backup pump laser compensates for the output power loss of the conventional pump laser when it ages, or when the aging value of the equipment or connected lines exceeds certain thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional optical repeater is added to increase optical power, then system performance deterioration is mitigated, but maintenance time increases and service is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing backup pump lasers in the optical repeaters during manufacturing. These backup components are prepared in advance but remain dormant during normal operation. When aging or failure occurs, the backup components can be activated immediately without requiring physical replacement or system shutdown, thus maintaining service continuity while improving reliability.
2Productivity
If conventional pump laser operates continuously, then communication service is maintained, but output power decreases due to aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through monitoring modules that continuously detect the output power and performance parameters of the conventional pump laser. When the output power falls below predetermined thresholds due to aging, the system automatically activates the backup pump laser to compensate for the power loss, ensuring continuous communication service at required power levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters by switching from a single conventional pump laser to a backup pump laser when performance degradation is detected. This parameter change involves altering the active component state from 'single laser operation' to 'backup laser activation,' thereby restoring output power without interrupting service.
3Reliability
If pump laser output power is increased to compensate for aging losses, then system performance is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by activating the backup pump laser only to the extent necessary to compensate for the power loss from the aging conventional laser. Rather than running both lasers at full power continuously, the system activates the backup laser partially or fully only when monitoring detects performance degradation, thereby maintaining system performance while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The backup pump laser extends the service life of the submarine cable communication system by maintaining optimal output power and reducing the impact of aging on system performance, thereby minimizing service interruptions and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
The underwater equipment includes an optical fiber, a conventional pump laser and a backup pump laser. The conventional pump laser is configured to provide pump light to an optical amplification unit located at the optical fiber
Data Source
AI summary
An underwater equipment and a communication system are provided. The underwater equipment includes an optical fiber, a conventional pump laser configured to provide pump light to an optical amplification unit and a backup pump laser configured to, when output power of the conventional pump laser is less than a target output power, perform output power compensation, and to perform output power compensation when aging value of the underwater equipment is greater than a first threshold value or aging value of a connected line or optical device thereof is greater than a second threshold value. By providing the underwater equipment with backup pump laser, pump output power of the underwater equipment can be compensated by starting the backup pump laser when the conventional pump laser is aging, or compensation is performed when the submarine cable optical fiber and other optical device of the underwater fiber communication system are aging.