Pressurized optical cable equipped to detect and locate pressure losses that might affect it
First Claim
1. A pressurized optical cable, including a plurality of optical fibers, comprising:
- means for pressurizing the cable internally, source means for creating a light signal and for injecting same into an end of an optical fiber of the cable, to thereby propagate the signal in the fiber;
a plurality of pressure detectors disposed at spaced locations inside the cable, each detector being designed to detect a variation in local pressure in the cable and to react to a pressure variation from a nominal value corresponding to a normal condition of the cable;
a plurality of modification means respectively associated with said detectors, for modifying, in response to a reaction of the respective detector associated therewith, at the point of detection the intensity of light propagating in the optical fiber; and
echometry means for generating at said end of the fiber, a representation of a light signal backscattered by said fiber when the injected signal propagates therein;
to detect and locate loss of pressure in the cable, by detecting and referencing singularities of the representation resulting from action of the modification means.
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Abstract
A pressurized optical cable equipped for the detection and location of losses of pressure that might affect it is equipped with a source for creating a light signal and injecting it into one of the extremities of an optical fiber of the cable, with pressure detectors situated at intervals along the cable, with modifiers associated with the detectors, which, in response to a reaction of the detector modify, at the point of the detection, the intensity of a light propagating in the optical fiber, and with an echometer for generating, at the extremity of the fiber, a representation of a light signal backscattered by this fiber when the injected signal propagates therein, for the purpose of detecting and locating a loss of pressure in the cable by detecting and identifying singularities in the representation, resulting from the action of the modifiers.
27 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A pressurized optical cable, including a plurality of optical fibers, comprising:
- means for pressurizing the cable internally, source means for creating a light signal and for injecting same into an end of an optical fiber of the cable, to thereby propagate the signal in the fiber;
a plurality of pressure detectors disposed at spaced locations inside the cable, each detector being designed to detect a variation in local pressure in the cable and to react to a pressure variation from a nominal value corresponding to a normal condition of the cable;
a plurality of modification means respectively associated with said detectors, for modifying, in response to a reaction of the respective detector associated therewith, at the point of detection the intensity of light propagating in the optical fiber; and
echometry means for generating at said end of the fiber, a representation of a light signal backscattered by said fiber when the injected signal propagates therein;
to detect and locate loss of pressure in the cable, by detecting and referencing singularities of the representation resulting from action of the modification means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- means for pressurizing the cable internally, source means for creating a light signal and for injecting same into an end of an optical fiber of the cable, to thereby propagate the signal in the fiber;
Specification