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Alcatel has developed a complete range of fibre optic submarine cables, one of them being the URC2 cable family. The URC2 cable has been designed specially for unrepeatered systems, benefiting from our past extensive experience in the conception and development of submarine fibre optic cables.
The cable design is based on a welded steel tube, housing up to 24 fibres in a stress-free environment to ensure a long lifetime.
The fibres have a defined excess length relative to the tube which is filled with a water-blocking compound. The steel tube offers mechanical and hydrostatic protection and acts as an hermetic barrier against hydrogen for the optical fibres.
A steel vault protects the steel tube to complete the cable core. This vault provides a high level of protection and a very good mechanical behaviour during sea-going operations, allowing the URC2 cable to be laid in very deep water, to depths of 7000 metres.
For electroding purposes (fault location by means of sea electrodes), the cable design includes a copper conductor fitted over the steel vault.
The necessary mechanical properties of the URC2 cable family are adapted for each application. Different external structures, such as the number and diameter of armour wires, differ according to different water depths, seabed topology and the degree of protection needed.
Two layers of polypropylene yarn outer servings, flooded in bitumen, are applied over the armouring to provide corrosion protection. The URC2 cable family and associated joints are designed to perform reliably for at least 25 years. The URC2 cables are also qualified for use with the Universal Quick Joint (UQJ).
The cable design ensures that no strain is exerted on the fibres during normal operation. In the case of a cable break, high strains and seawater ingress are limited to a short length, so the majority of the cable remains serviceable.