A fiber optic cable includes a core and a binder film surrounding the core. The core includes a central strength member and core elements, such as buffer tubes containing optical fibers, where the core elements are stranded around the central strength member in a pattern of stranding including reversals in lay direction of the core elements. The binder film is in radial tension around the core such that the binder film opposes outwardly transverse deflection of the core elements. Further, the binder film loads the core elements normally to the central strength member such that contact between the core elements and central strength member provides coupling there between, limiting axial migration of the core elements relative to the central strength member.

An optical cable including a load bearing core includes a longitudinally and radially extending slot housing at least one optical fibre, wherein the slot has a width providing a low clearance for the optical fibre(s) housed therein and preventing two optical fibres being stuck to one another; and the slot has a depth equal to or lower than a radius of the core.

A transition tube is provided for receipt of a fiber optic cable with a jacket portion and a stripped fiber portion. The transition tube allows the optical fiber to be placed within a gel block seal so that the gel block need not contact the jacket of the optical fiber cable. In some examples, the transition tube contains inner geometry to allow easy insertion of an optical fiber cable. In other examples, an end of the cable is sealed within the transition tube.

Cables are constructed with embedded discontinuities in the cable jacket that allow the jacket to be torn to provide access to the cable core. The discontinuities can be longitudinally extending strips of polymer material coextruded in the cable jacket.

Cables jacket are formed by extruding discontinuities in a main cable jacket portion. The discontinuities allow the jacket to be torn to provide access to the cable core. The discontinuities can be longitudinally extending strips of material in the cable jacket, and can be introduced into the extrudate material flow used to form the main portion through ports in the extrusion head. The discontinuities allow a section of the cable jacket to be pulled away from a remainder of the jacket using a relatively low peel force.

A distributed acoustic sensing cable package having a polymer composite extruded over an optical waveguide to encase the waveguide and to form a crystalline matrix layer acoustically coupled to the waveguide. The crystalline matrix includes reinforcement fibers to further enhance transmission of a cable strain to the optical waveguide. During manufacture of the cable, the polymer composite may be extruded over the optical waveguide and subsequently subjected to heat treatment to increase the crystallinity of the polymer composite and increase the elastic modulus. Both axial and radial strain fields are effectively interact with cased fiber waveguide for producing measurable phase shift signal for distributed acoustic noise detection.

An optical fibre unit includes one or more optical fibres; an outer jacket surrounding the one or more optical fibres, made of a fibre reinforced polymer comprising inorganic fibres embedded in a polymer matrix in an amount comprised between 5 and 25 wt % with respect to the weight of the fibre reinforced polymer, the inorganic fibres having a median length (d50) comprised between 50 and 250 μm; and a skin layer surrounding the outer jacket and in direct contact thereto, having a thickness comprised between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm and being free from fibres.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for sensing pressure. In some embodiments, miniature housings are manufactured at ends of optical fibers. In some embodiments, a diamond diaphragm is provided on a hollow housing that receives a fiber optic cable and is sealed to form a Fabry-Perot cavity. In some forms, a plurality of sensors may be manufactured in batch.

A method for stranding aramid yarn around an endless core includes a stranding step that involves a stranding apparatus having at least one yarn bobbin. The bobbin revolves around its own axis and the bobbin revolves around the core, wherein the yarn unwinds from the bobbin and winds around the core. The yarn is a continuous aramid yarn provided with 0.05 to 0.95 wt %, based on the weight of the aramid, of a finish including an organophosphorus compound. The organophosphorus compound is a compound of the formula X1X2X3P═O. X1, X2, and X3 are independently selected from Y1-, Y1-O—, and M-O. Y1 is a branched or straight-chain C1-C20 alkyl, aryl or alkenyl. M is selected from Li, Na, K, or ammonium. At least one of X1, X2, or X3 is selected from Y1- or Y1-O—.

An improved deepwater optical fiber cable with abrasion protection and techniques for manufacturing the same are provided. For example, the abrasion protected deepwater cable may be a modification or enhancement of an existing special application (SPA) optical fiber cable. One or more additional layers of metallic tape and jackets may be added to the outermost layer of the SPA cable. The tape and jacket layers may have different thicknesses and may be made from different materials to optimize protection against man-made objects or otherwise naturally occurring materials in deep water environments, such as fish aggregation devices (FADs).