A system for drawing optical fiber in microgravity including a sealed housing to prevent infiltration of at least humidity and filled with a dry environment, a preform holder located within the sealed housing to hold preform material, a furnace located within the sealed housing to receive the preform material from the preform holder and to heat the preform material from which the optical fiber is pulled, a feed system to move the preform material from the preform holder to the furnace, a drawing mechanism located within the sealed housing to pull the optical fiber from the preform material within the furnace, a diameter monitor located within the sealed housing to measure a diameter of the optical fiber and a fiber collection mechanism located within the sealed housing to gather and store the optical fiber.

A system for drawing optical fiber in microgravity including a sealed housing to prevent infiltration of at least humidity and filled with a dry environment, a preform holder located within the sealed housing to hold preform material, a furnace located within the sealed housing to receive the preform material from the preform holder and to heat the preform material from which the optical fiber is pulled, a feed system to move the preform material from the preform holder to the furnace, a drawing mechanism located within the sealed housing to pull the optical fiber from the preform material within the furnace, a diameter monitor located within the sealed housing to measure a diameter of the optical fiber and a fiber collection mechanism located within the sealed housing to gather and store the optical fiber.

An optically transparent protective coating is described that remains stable at elevated temperatures associated with optical fiber-based sensor applications and is sufficiently transparent to allow for conventional fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) to be formed by directly writing through the coating. In particular, vinyl group-containing silicone polymers have been found to provide the UV transparency required for a write-through coating (WTC) and promising mechanical properties for protecting the optical fibers, while also being able to withstand elevated temperatures for extended periods of time.

An optically transparent protective coating is described that remains stable at elevated temperatures associated with optical fiber-based sensor applications and is sufficiently transparent to allow for conventional fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) to be formed by directly writing through the coating. In particular, vinyl group-containing silicone polymers have been found to provide the UV transparency required for a write-through coating (WTC) and promising mechanical properties for protecting the optical fibers, while also being able to withstand elevated temperatures for extended periods of time.

An optical fiber comprises a glass fiber; a primary resin layer coating an outer periphery of the glass fiber; and a secondary resin layer coating an outer periphery of the primary resin layer, and a pH of the primary resin layer is greater than a pH of the secondary resin layer.

An optical fiber comprises a glass fiber; a primary resin layer coating an outer periphery of the glass fiber; and a secondary resin layer coating an outer periphery of the primary resin layer, and a pH of the primary resin layer is greater than a pH of the secondary resin layer.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber includes: gripping a preform by a gripper that includes an aligner; forming a bare fiber by melting the preform in a melting furnace; cooling the bare fiber by blowing gas in a cooler; applying a resin and coating an outer circumference of the bare fiber; curing the resin; acquiring input information that changes a flow rate of the gas blown to the bare fiber in the cooler; and adjusting based on the input information an entry position of the bare fiber into the cooler by controlling the aligner and moving the preform.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber includes: gripping a preform by a gripper that includes an aligner; forming a bare fiber by melting the preform in a melting furnace; cooling the bare fiber by blowing gas in a cooler; applying a resin and coating an outer circumference of the bare fiber; curing the resin; acquiring input information that changes a flow rate of the gas blown to the bare fiber in the cooler; and adjusting based on the input information an entry position of the bare fiber into the cooler by controlling the aligner and moving the preform.

A fiber optic cable assembly includes first and second cable sections each having a jacket, at least one optical fiber, and multiple strength members. An intermediate cable section includes at least one splice joint as well as bundled sections of strength members of the cable sections formed into bundled sections that overlap and are adhered together. As adhered, the bundled strength members are shorter than the at least one spliced optical fiber in the intermediate section to ensure that the strength members bear tensile loads. A fabrication method includes binding unjacketed segments of strength members of two cable sections into bundled sections of strength members, fusion splicing ends of optical fibers, polymerically overcoating at least one splice joint, and adhering the bundled sections of strength members in an overlapping arrangement. An apparatus for thermoplastically coating cable assembly portions includes a trough for molten thermoplastic material, and a lateral insertion slot defined therein.

A fiber optic cable assembly includes first and second cable sections each having a jacket, at least one optical fiber, and multiple strength members. An intermediate cable section includes at least one splice joint as well as bundled sections of strength members of the cable sections formed into bundled sections that overlap and are adhered together. As adhered, the bundled strength members are shorter than the at least one spliced optical fiber in the intermediate section to ensure that the strength members bear tensile loads. A fabrication method includes binding unjacketed segments of strength members of two cable sections into bundled sections of strength members, fusion splicing ends of optical fibers, polymerically overcoating at least one splice joint, and adhering the bundled sections of strength members in an overlapping arrangement. An apparatus for thermoplastically coating cable assembly portions includes a trough for molten thermoplastic material, and a lateral insertion slot defined therein.