EP1885960A2 - Repeteur optique articule pour systeme de transmission optique sous-marin - Google Patents

Repeteur optique articule pour systeme de transmission optique sous-marin

Info

Publication number
EP1885960A2
EP1885960A2 EP06770319A EP06770319A EP1885960A2 EP 1885960 A2 EP1885960 A2 EP 1885960A2 EP 06770319 A EP06770319 A EP 06770319A EP 06770319 A EP06770319 A EP 06770319A EP 1885960 A2 EP1885960 A2 EP 1885960A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
optical
optical amplifier
optical fiber
amplifier module
circuit board
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06770319A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
David S. Devincentis
Mark K. Young
Savino S. Camporeale
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
HMN Technologies Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Red Sky Subsea Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Red Sky Subsea Ltd filed Critical Red Sky Subsea Ltd
Publication of EP1885960A2 publication Critical patent/EP1885960A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4401—Optical cables
    • G02B6/4415—Cables for special applications
    • G02B6/4427—Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables
    • G02B6/4428—Penetrator systems in pressure-resistant devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
    • G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
    • G02B6/4441—Boxes
    • G02B6/4446—Cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
    • G02B6/4471—Terminating devices ; Cable clamps
    • G02B6/4478—Bending relief means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
    • G02B6/444—Systems or boxes with surplus lengths
    • G02B6/4441—Boxes
    • G02B6/4448—Electro-optic

Definitions

  • optical signals that are transmitted through an optical fiber cable become attenuated over the length of the cable, which may span thousands of miles.
  • optical repeaters are strategically positioned along the length of the cable.
  • the optical fiber cable carrying the optical signal enters the repeater and is coupled through at least one amplifier and various components, such as optical couplers and decouplers, before exiting the repeater. These optical components are coupled to one another via optical fibers.
  • Repeaters are housed in a sealed structure that protects the repeaters from environmental damage. During the process of deployment, the optical fiber cable is coiled onto large drums located on a ship. Consequently, the repeaters become wrapped about the drums along with the cable. Due to the nature of the signals, and the ever increasing amount of information being transmitted in the optical fibers, repeaters are getting larger, and their increased length creates problems as they are coiled around a drum.
  • a bend limiter is often provided, whose purpose is to equalize the forces imposed on the cable.
  • a gimbal may be provided at each longitudinal end of the repeater to which the bend limiting devices are attached. The gimbal provides free angular movement in two directions. The bend angle allowed by the gimbal between the repeater and bend limiting device further reduces the local bending that is imposed on the optical fiber cables.
  • an optical amplifier arrangement for an undersea optical transmission system.
  • the arrangement includes first and second modules.
  • Each of the modules includes an internal housing having an outer dimension substantially equal to an outer dimension of an internal fiber splice housing of an undersea optical fiber cable joint.
  • the internal housing includes a pair of opposing end faces each having a retaining element for retaining the internal housing within an outer housing of the undersea optical fiber cable joint.
  • the internal housing also includes a sidewall interconnecting the opposing end faces, which extends between the opposing end faces in a longitudinal direction.
  • the sidewall includes a receptacle portion having a plurality of thru-holes each being sized to receive a passive optical component employed in an optical amplifier.
  • the module also includes at least one circuit board on which resides at least one voltage dropping element for conveying voltage from the conductor to electronics also residing on the circuit board and associated with the optical amplifier.
  • An isolated electrical path provides electrical power received from a conductor in at least one optical fiber cable to the at least one circuit board.
  • the voltage dropping element is in thermal communication with the sidewall.
  • a bend limiter couples the first module to the second module.
  • each of the modules contains at least one optical amplifier.
  • At least one optical pump source is in thermal contact with one of the end faces.
  • the end faces each include at least one inwardly extending boss.
  • the optical pump source residing on one of the inwardly extending bosses.
  • a first side of the circuit board resides on a surface extending through the sidewall.
  • a thermally conductive pad is mounted to the first side of the circuit board and provides a thermally conductive path between the voltage dropping element and the sidewall.
  • the undersea optical fiber cable joint includes a pair of cable termination units in which end portions of optical fiber cables to be jointed are respectively retained.
  • the retaining elements are each connectable to one of the cable termination units.
  • the conductor of each of the optical fiber cables to be jointed are in electrical contact with one of the retaining elements.
  • _o includes a power conductor located within the circuit board that is in electrical contact with one of the retaining elements.
  • At least one voltage dropping element is provided for conveying a portion of voltage from the power conductor to the electronics associated with the optical amplifier.
  • the voltage dropping clement is a zener diode.
  • the circuit board comprises a pair of circuit boards, and the isolated electrical path further includes at least one electrically conductive pin electrically connecting the power conductors of the pair of circuit boards.
  • the plurality of thru-holes laterally extend through the receptacle portion of the sidewall in the longitudinal direction.
  • the internal housing has a generally cylindrical shape.
  • the receptacle portion of the sidewall has a curvature that defines a diameter of the cylindrical shape.
  • the undersea optical fiber cable joint is a universal joint for jointing optical cables having different configurations.
  • the retaining elements each include a flange through which at least one optical fiber extending from the end portion of one of the optical cables extends into the internal housing.
  • FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of one of the half units that form the optical
  • amplifier module depicted in FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the bottom of one of the circuit boards illustrating the manner in which the zener diodes are mounted to facilitate heat transfer.
  • FIG. 11 shows two optical amplifier modules that are concatenated with a bend limiter.
  • FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the invention in which an optical amplifier module is concatenated with two universal cable joints.
  • the present inventors have recognized that a substantially smaller repeater can be achieved by first reducing the length of the repeater so that the stresses placed upon it during its deployment are greatly reduced, thereby eliminating the need for gimbals.
  • the elimination of the gimbals allows further reductions in the dimensions of the repeaters.
  • the common component assembly 10 is inserted in the stainless steel sleeve 14 and end caps 13 are screwed to each end of the assembly 10.
  • Two tension rods 17 and 19 extend through the end caps 13 and the common component assembly 10.
  • the tension rods 17 and 19 are designed to carry the tension loads that are placed on the universal joint during the deployment process as the joint is transferred from a ship to its undersea environment.
  • the joint is laid in a mold that is injected with molten polyethylene to provide an insulate (i.e., polyethylene sleeve 16) that is continuous with the outer jacket of the cables.
  • optical amplifier module 400 may support EDFAs having different configurations such as multistage amplifiers, forward and counter-pumped amplifiers, as well as fiber amplifiers that employ rare-earth elements other than erbium.
  • the optical amplifier module 400 is designed to be compatible with the remainder of the cable joint so that it connects to the cable termination units 12 and fits within the stainless steel sleeve 14 in the same manner as the common component assembly 10.
  • the module 400 is defined by a generally cylindrical structure having flanges
  • a longitudinal plane 405 extends through the optical amplifier module 400 to thereby bisect the module 400 into two half units 404 and 404' that are symmetric about a rotational axis perpendicular to the longitudinal plane 405. That is, as best seen in FIG. 5, rather than dividing the end faces
  • each half unit 404 includes the portion of one of the end faces 403 on which a respective flange 402 is located.
  • FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of one of the units 404.
  • each half unit 404 houses two erbium-doped fiber amplifiers [0055]
  • Flanges 402 mate with the cable termination units 12 of the Universal Joint shown in FIG. 3.
  • through-holes 407 extend inward from the end faces 403 through which the tension rod of the universal joint are inserted.
  • the end faces 403 also include clearance holes 430 for securing the end caps 13 of the Universal Joint to the optical amplifier module 400.
  • each unit 404 includes curved sidewalls 412 forming a half cylinder that defines a portion of the cylindrical structure.
  • a spinal member 406 is integral with and tangent to the curved sidewalls 412 and extends longitudinally therefrom.
  • the thru hole 407 containing the tension rod of the universal joint extends through the spinal member 406.
  • a ceramic boss 440 is located on the end of the spinal member 406 remote from the end flange 403. As shown in FIGs. 5 and 7, the thru hole 407 extends through the ceramic boss 440.
  • the curved sidewalls 412 are sufficiently thick to support a plurality of thru- holes 418 that extend therethrough in the longitudinal direction.
  • the thru-holes 418 serve as receptacles for the passive components of the optical amplifiers. That is, each receptacle 418 can contain a component such as an isolator, gain flattening filter, coupler and the like.
  • End faces 403 each include a pair of pump support bosses 403a (see FIGs. 6 and 7) that extend inward and parallel to the circuit board 426.
  • the circuit board 426 has cut-outs so that the pump support bosses 403 a are exposed.
  • a pump source 427 that provides the pump energy for each optical amplifier is mounted on each pump boss 403a.
  • the optical amplifier module 400 and sleeve 14 are surrounded by polyethylene sleeve 16, which serves as a dielectric. Electrical power is taken from the conductor in the cable located in the termination units 12 and transferred through a conductor located in the circuit board 426.
  • the circuit board is electrically isolated from the optical amplifier module 400, with the epoxy resin of the circuit board acting as a local dielectric. After the voltage is dropped to the electrical components on one of the circuit boards the voltage is passed from circuit board 426 to circuit board 426' via a pair of complaint conductive pins 423 that each comprise a pin and socket assembly.
  • the pins 423 allow for any axial movement that may occur as a result of tension or hydrostatic pressure.
  • Ceramic isolators 442 surround the bolts that secure the circuit board 426 to the sidewalls 412 of each half unit 404.
  • the ceramic isolators 442 prevent electrical discharges from the bolts to the components located on the circuit board 426.
  • the ceramic boss 440 located on each half unit 404 electrically isolates the spinal member 406 to which it is connected from both the end cap 13 and the end flange 403 with which it is in contact.
  • FIG. 9 shows the manner in which the tension rods 409 extending through thru-holes 407 are electrically isolated from the end caps 13.
  • a ceramic washer 444 surrounds the head of each tension rod 409.
  • the ceramic washer 444 electrically isolates the end cap 13 from the tension rod 409.
  • the heat from the pump sources 427 is thereby conducted through the pump support bosses 403a to the end flange 403, which has a relatively large mass so that it serves as an effective heat sink.
  • the end flange 403 in turn conducts the heat to the end caps 13 seen in FIG. 3.
  • the sidewalls 412 of the optical amplifier module 400 are made from a thermally conductive material such as a metal, preferably aluminum. Since the sidewalls 412 have a relatively large surface area, they serve as a spreader that distributes the heat over its surface in a uniform manner so that its local and overall temperature rises are kept to a minimum.
  • the zener diodes are preferably situated as close to the sidewalls 412 as possible to so that the heat generated by the diodes can be readily conducted to the sidewalls 412.
  • the copper pads 480 contact the electrically insulating pad on which the circuit board 426 rests.
  • the electrical insulating pad is a relatively good thermal conductor and thereby conducts the heat generated by the zener diodes 484 from the copper pads 480 to the circuit board support surface 416 of the optical amplifier module 400. In this way heat flows from the zener diodes 484, through the copper pads 480 and the electrical insulating pad, and into the optical amplifier module 400.
  • the heat is directly conducted to the stainless steel sleeve 14 that surrounds module 400.
  • the wide distribution of heat over the relatively large surface area of the end caps 13 and the tension sleeve 14 allows the heat to be effectively conducted through the surrounding polyethylene sleeve 16, which is not a particularly good thermal conductor, to sea water.
  • FIG. 11 shows two optical amplifier modules 610 that are concatenated with a bend limiter 630.
  • the bend limiter 630 prevents the relative rotation between the two optical amplifier modules 610 from exceeding a maximum bend angle. This in turn prevents the fibers from being damaged.
  • the sleeves 614 e.g., sleeves 14 in FIG. 3 in which the optical amplifier modules 610 are located as well as the cable termination units 612 (e.g., cable termination units 612 in FIG. 3) and the over armor sleeve 616 (e.g., sleeve 16 in FIG. 3).
  • this arrangement reduces the number of bend limiting boots that are required. Instead of requiring a pair of boots for each individual repeater, only two boots 640 are required for the entire concatenation of repeaters since the optical amplifier modules 610 are in such close proximity to one another.
  • the repeater housing 710 (in which is situated an optical amplifier module) is located along a cable between the conventional cable joints 720 to provide an integrated unit. That is, the repeater housing 710, cable segments, and cable joints 720 are operationally coupled to one another so that they can all be traversed by an optical signal.
  • a number of advantages arise by providing such an integrated unit to a customer.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)
  • Cable Accessories (AREA)
  • Optical Couplings Of Light Guides (AREA)
  • Light Guides In General And Applications Therefor (AREA)
  • Cable Transmission Systems, Equalization Of Radio And Reduction Of Echo (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système amplificateur optique pour un système de transmission optique sous-marin. Ledit système comprend des premier et second modules. Chacun des modules comprend un boîtier interne présentant une dimension extérieure sensiblement égale à une dimension extérieure d'un boîtier d'épissure de fibres interne d'une jonction de câbles de fibres optiques sous-marins. Le boîtier interne comprend une paire de faces d'extrémités opposées présentant chacune un élément de retenue destiné à retenir le boîtier interne dans le boîtier externe de la jonction de câbles de fibres optiques sous-marine. Le boîtier interne comprend également une paroi latérale reliant les faces d'extrémité opposées entre elles, laquelle s'étend entre les faces d'extrémité opposées dans une direction longitudinale. La paroi latérale comprend une partie réceptacle présentant une pluralité de trous traversants, chaque trou étant dimensionné pour recevoir un composant optique passif utilisé dans un amplificateur optique. Le module comprend également au moins une carte de circuits imprimés sur laquelle se trouve au moins un élément de chute de tension conçu pour acheminer la tension du conducteur vers des dispositifs électroniques se trouvant également sur la carte de circuits imprimés et associés à l'amplificateur optique. Un chemin électrique isolé fournit une puissance électrique reçue en provenance d'un conducteur dans au moins un câble de fibres optiques à ladite ou auxdites cartes de circuits imprimés. L'élément de chute de tension est en communication thermique avec la paroi latérale. Un limiteur de flexion permet de coupler le premier module au second module.
EP06770319A 2005-05-13 2006-05-13 Repeteur optique articule pour systeme de transmission optique sous-marin Withdrawn EP1885960A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US68106305P 2005-05-13 2005-05-13
US43375006A 2006-05-12 2006-05-12
PCT/US2006/018600 WO2006124703A2 (fr) 2005-05-13 2006-05-13 Repeteur optique articule pour systeme de transmission optique sous-marin

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1885960A2 true EP1885960A2 (fr) 2008-02-13

Family

ID=37431951

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP06770319A Withdrawn EP1885960A2 (fr) 2005-05-13 2006-05-13 Repeteur optique articule pour systeme de transmission optique sous-marin

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1885960A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP2008541461A (fr)
CA (1) CA2608401A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2006124703A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2019181763A1 (fr) * 2018-03-23 2019-09-26 日本電気株式会社 Dispositif de transmission optique sous-marine et système de communication optique sous-marine
JP7136488B2 (ja) * 2018-03-23 2022-09-13 日本電気株式会社 海底光伝送装置及び海底光通信システム

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6351591B1 (en) * 1999-07-30 2002-02-26 Lucent Technologies, Inc. Fiber optic buffer tube storage device with integrated bend limiter feature
US20020080447A1 (en) * 2000-12-21 2002-06-27 Julian Fells Transmission system with enhanced repeaters
US20020141695A1 (en) * 2001-02-07 2002-10-03 Redc Optical Networks Ltd. Method and apparatus for a dynamic gain equalizer for an erbium doped fiber amplifier
US6870993B2 (en) * 2002-12-13 2005-03-22 Red Sky Systems, Inc. Interconnect including a repeater for an optical transmission cable
US6917465B2 (en) * 2002-12-13 2005-07-12 Red Sky Systems, Inc. Method and apparatus for electrically isolating an optical amplifier module housed in a universal cable joint

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2006124703A2 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2006124703A3 (fr) 2007-09-13
CA2608401A1 (fr) 2006-11-23
JP2008541461A (ja) 2008-11-20
WO2006124703A2 (fr) 2006-11-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6870993B2 (en) Interconnect including a repeater for an optical transmission cable
EP1581987B1 (fr) Procede et appareil pour isoler electriquement un module d'amplificateur optique loge dans un joint de cable universel
US7436584B2 (en) Optical amplifier module housed in a factory cable joint
US6950229B2 (en) Electrical insulating ring located between an end cap and a tension sleeve of an undersea pressure vessel housing an optical amplifier module
US20050185257A1 (en) Apparatus for concatonating a plurality of undersea pressure vessels each housing an optical amplifier module
US20050200943A1 (en) Thermal management of an optical amplifier module housed in a universal cable joint
US20040175092A1 (en) Hermetically sealed optical amplifier module to be integrated into a pressure vessel for undersea applications
US7529020B2 (en) Optical amplifier module housed in a universal cable joint for an undersea optical transmission system
CN101283490A (zh) 用于海底光传输系统的关节式光中继器
WO2006124703A2 (fr) Repeteur optique articule pour systeme de transmission optique sous-marin
CN100409508C (zh) 布置在海底光学传输系统的通用光缆接头中的光学放大器模块
CN100409509C (zh) 位于海底压力容器的端盖和箍圈之间的电绝缘环
HK1085800B (en) Method and apparatus for electrically isolating an optical amplifier module housed in a universal cable joint
CN100375344C (zh) 电隔离通用光缆接头中的光学放大器组件的方法和设备
HK1085312B (en) Optical amplifier module housed in a universal cable joint for an undersea optical transmission system
HK1096776A (en) Method and apparatus for electrically isolating an optical amplifier module housed in a universal cable joint

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20071212

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR MK YU

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: H01S 3/00 20060101AFI20080313BHEP

DAX Request for extension of the european patent (deleted)
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: HK

Ref legal event code: DE

Ref document number: 1118641

Country of ref document: HK

RAP1 Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred)

Owner name: HUAWEI MARINE NETWORKS CO., LIMITED

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN

18W Application withdrawn

Effective date: 20090515

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: HK

Ref legal event code: WD

Ref document number: 1118641

Country of ref document: HK