A composite cable includes a pair of first electric wires, a twisted pair wire formed by twisting a pair of second electric wires having a smaller outer diameter than the first electric wires, a tape member wound into a spiral around an assembly that is formed by twisting the pair of first electric wires and the twisted pair wire together, and a sheath covering an outer periphery of the tape member. The tape member and the sheath includes an inwardly projecting part formed in a spiral along a cable longitudinal direction and formed so as to enter inward at least one of a valley part between the two first electric wires and valley parts between the first electric wires and the twisted pair wire. The inwardly projecting part has a projecting length of not less than 3% of an outer diameter of the first electric wires.

The invention relates to a photovoltaic plant (100) comprising: at least one photovoltaic module (1), including at least one junction box (13) placed on a front face of the photovoltaic module (1), via which face the solar rays enter, in proximity to a peripheral edge (4) of said photovoltaic module (1), and at least one DC current cable (15, 17) that conveys the current generated by the at least one photovoltaic module (1), characterized in that it furthermore comprises a protective sheath (5) that is placed, on the front face of the photovoltaic module (1), encircling the junction box (13) and the DC current cable (15, 17), said protective sheath (5) having a cross-section the height of which corresponds at least to the height of the junction box (13) and including a window (57) that is located in the face of the protective sheath (5) that makes contact with the photovoltaic module (1), via which window the junction box (13) protrudes from the protective sheath (5), and a closable longitudinal aperture (51) allowing the junction box (13) and the DC current cable (15, 17) to be accessed.

The invention relates to a photovoltaic plant (100) comprising: at least one photovoltaic module (1), including at least one junction box (13) placed on a front face of the photovoltaic module (1), via which face the solar rays enter, in proximity to a peripheral edge (4) of said photovoltaic module (1), and at least one DC current cable (15, 17) that conveys the current generated by the at least one photovoltaic module (1), characterized in that it furthermore comprises a protective sheath (5) that is placed, on the front face of the photovoltaic module (1), encircling the junction box (13) and the DC current cable (15, 17), said protective sheath (5) having a cross-section the height of which corresponds at least to the height of the junction box (13) and including a window (57) that is located in the face of the protective sheath (5) that makes contact with the photovoltaic module (1), via which window the junction box (13) protrudes from the protective sheath (5), and a closable longitudinal aperture (51) allowing the junction box (13) and the DC current cable (15, 17) to be accessed.

A cable device includes a sheath member, a number of electrical cables provided within the sheath member, and an optical fiber sensing member provided within the sheath member. The optical fiber sensing member includes a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to changes in a parameter of interest. Also, a method of sensing radiation includes introducing a source light into an optical fiber sensing member provided within a structure, wherein the optical fiber sensing member comprises a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to radiation, detecting sensing light generated in response to the source light, and determining a radiation level at a plurality of locations within the structure using the detected sensing light and a distributed sensing scheme.

A cable device includes a sheath member, a number of electrical cables provided within the sheath member, and an optical fiber sensing member provided within the sheath member. The optical fiber sensing member includes a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to changes in a parameter of interest. Also, a method of sensing radiation includes introducing a source light into an optical fiber sensing member provided within a structure, wherein the optical fiber sensing member comprises a functionalized optical fiber based sensor device structured to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties in response to radiation, detecting sensing light generated in response to the source light, and determining a radiation level at a plurality of locations within the structure using the detected sensing light and a distributed sensing scheme.

A rodent repellent fiber optic cable includes an outer jacket, one or more optical fibers, and a repellent electrostatically bonded to at least one component of the cable. The one or more optical fibers extend longitudinally through an interior of the cable. The repellent is preferably an olfactory stimulant, such as menthol, configured to repel rodents. In various embodiments, the cable also includes one or more separators and/or a sheath. In embodiments that employ separators, at least one optical fiber is wrapped in, or otherwise surrounded by a separator. In embodiments that employ a sheath, the sheath surrounds an assembly of the cable's internal components.

A rodent repellent cable includes a jacket, a transmission means for facilitating transmission of electrical current or data, and a repellent bonded to at least one component of the cable. A method of manufacturing the rodent repellent cable includes electrostatically bonding a repellent to one or more components of the cable and adding the jacket around the internal components of the cable. The repellent is preferably an olfactory stimulant configured to repel rodents. Prior to adding the jacket around the internal components, the method may also include wrapping, enclosing, or otherwise surrounding one or more of the transmission means with a separator and/or wrapping, enclosing, or otherwise surrounding an assembly of internal components with a sheath. Additionally, prior to adding the jacket around the internal components, an assembly of internal components may be passed through a cooling apparatus to cool the assembly to a pre-determined temperature.

A cable assembly extends in a longitudinal direction. The cable assembly comprises a first cable, two second cables, two coupling portions, an interposing portion and an outer cover. The first cable has a first conductor and a first cover. Each of the second cables has a second conductor and a second cover. The coupling portions couple the second covers, respectively, with the first cover. The first cable, the two second cables and the two coupling portions are arranged in a V-shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The interposing portion extends along the first cable and the two second cables and has a full length which is equal to that of each of the first cable and the two second cables. The interposing portion is brought into contact with all the first cable and the two second cables.

A cable assembly extends in a longitudinal direction. The cable assembly comprises a first cable, two second cables, two coupling portions, an interposing portion and an outer cover. The first cable has a first conductor and a first cover. Each of the second cables has a second conductor and a second cover. The coupling portions couple the second covers, respectively, with the first cover. The first cable, the two second cables and the two coupling portions are arranged in a V-shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The interposing portion extends along the first cable and the two second cables and has a full length which is equal to that of each of the first cable and the two second cables. The interposing portion is brought into contact with all the first cable and the two second cables.

A method for checking the production quality of a cable that is provided with a protective sheath, in particular an electrical cable, includes the steps of acquiring images of an external surface of the cable by way of one or more digital video cameras, while the cable is moved along an advancement axis. The method also includes processing the images by way of one or more algorithms in order to calculate one or more numeric indices, each one of which is proportional to a respective optically-detectable characteristic of the external surface of the cable.