Traceable Optical Fiber Cable with Bonded Metal Tape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical fiber cable manufacturing technologies face challenges in tracing the burial position of long-distance cables buried underground, making maintenance and repair operations difficult and costly due to complex installation procedures and high economic losses from damage.
Innovation Solution
The development of optical fiber cable manufacturing equipment that includes a metal tape bonded to the collective core, with tracing wires and a sheath, allowing for easy identification of the burial position through a unique adhesive application and cooling process, facilitating easy stripping and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the optical fiber cable is buried deeply underground, then the cable is protected from damage and environmental factors, but it becomes difficult to trace the burying position for maintenance and repair operations
Solution Approach 1:
A metal tape is introduced as an intermediary element between the optical fiber bundle and the external environment. The metal tape is wrapped around the collective core portion and bonded with adhesive, creating a traceable component that remains with the cable throughout burial. This mediator allows detection of the cable position without exposing the optical fibers themselves, resolving the contradiction between protection and detectability.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal tape provides a distinct physical signature that differs from the surrounding soil and environment. Its metallic properties (conductivity, reflectivity, or magnetic characteristics) enable detection devices to identify the cable's burial position through ground-penetrating radar, metal detectors, or other sensing technologies, making the invisible cable visible again.
2Ease of operation
If a long-distance cable is installed on the ground, then maintenance and repair operations are easier, but installation cost increases and installation procedure becomes complicated due to negotiation with landowners
Solution Approach 1:
The cable structure is segmented into distinct functional layers: the optical fiber bundle for signal transmission, the metal tape for tracing, and the sheath for protection. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function independently, enabling burial installation (avoiding land negotiation) while maintaining traceability and protection capabilities.
3Strength
If the metal tape is bonded to the collective core portion, then the cable structure is strengthened, but the adhesive bonding process becomes complex requiring multiple coating portions and heating/cooling sections
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied in advance to the metal tape or collective core portion before the bonding process. The first coating portion applies adhesive to the ends of the metal tape, and the second coating portion applies adhesive to the collective core portion, ensuring proper adhesive distribution before heating and bonding occur. This preliminary action simplifies the overall process by preparing components beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding process utilizes phase transitions of the adhesive material. The heating section raises the temperature to melt or activate the adhesive, enabling it to flow and bond the metal tape to the collective core. The cooling section then solidifies the adhesive, creating a strong permanent bond. This phase transition approach provides controlled, reliable bonding without requiring excessively complex equipment.
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
Enables efficient tracing and maintenance of buried optical fiber cables, reducing installation costs and minimizing economic losses from damage by simplifying the identification of cable positions.
Implementation Method 1
a first adhesive over at least part of both ends of the metal tape
Implementation Method 2
a second adhesive over the outside of the metal tape
Implementation Method 3
an upper portion of the collective core portion to which the metal tape is bonded is heated before the collective core portion to which the metal tape is bonded enters the second coating portion
Implementation Method 4
a cooling portion installed behind the sheath fabrication portion to cool the sheath portion, wherein the cooling portion is formed in a shape of a water tank to cool the sheath portion in a water cooling method
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to optical fiber cable manufacturing equipment for long distance wiring, and a traceable optical fiber cable manufactured thereby, and more particularly, to optical fiber cable manufacturing equipment which makes it easy to trace a burying position, considering a maintenance and repair operation of a cable even when the cable is buried deeply, and a traceable optical fiber cable manufactured thereby.