The development of the optical fiber cable industry has experienced decades of ups and downs and has achieved many remarkable achievements. The appearance of OPGW cable once again shows a major breakthrough in technological innovation, which is well received by customers. In the stage of rapid development, the life span of the cable is mentioned again. How to extend the service life of OPGW cables is mainly to pay attention to these technical points.
1. Cable coating material selection and wire drawing process
The main reasons for the increased loss of functional OPGW cables include hydrogen loss, cable cracking and cable stress. Through actual tests, it is found that after years of use, the mechanical properties, welding performance and optical properties of OPGW cables have not changed. Scanning electron microscope did not find obvious abnormal phenomena such as microcracks. However, the coating prospects of OPGW cables are not optimistic. The attenuation of cables with high modulus, dense coating and large peeling force increases significantly.
2. Ointment filling planning
OPGW optical fiber paste is an oily substance. It is a mixture based on mineral oil or compound oil, which can block water vapor and buffer the cable. The function of the fiber paste is evaluated by measuring the oxidation induction period of the fiber paste. The increase in the acid value of the ointment after oxidation leads to an increase in hydrogen evolution. After the oil slurry is oxidized, it will affect the stability of the cable structure, resulting in a decrease in stress, and the cable will be affected by oscillation, impact, distortion, temperature difference, and topographical changes. It is emphasized to weaken the buffering effect of the optical fiber paste on the cable, thereby reducing the safety of the OPGW cable. The direct contact between the optical fiber paste and the cable is the most important direct cause of the deterioration of the performance of the cable. Over time, the fiber paste will slowly deteriorate, usually condensing into small particles, and then gradually evaporate, differentiate and dry.
3. Loose tube size
The influence of the size of the loose tube on the life of the OPGW cable is mainly reflected in the induced stress. When the size is too small, the stress on the cable cannot be relieved due to factors such as temperature changes, mechanical stress, and the interaction between the filler and the cable, which will accelerate the decline in the life of the OPGW cable and cause aging.
In actual use, due to external factors and some quality problems, the highly anticipated OPGW cable often fails. To extend life, you need to master the main technical points, although the discussion is more complicated. But it is not impossible to extend the service life of OPGW cables.
