An apparatus and methods for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures are disclosed. The apparatus (pusher) can include rollers to apply a pushing force to one or more conductors or bundles of conductors. One or more rollers can be coupled to a drive mechanism. The pusher is configured to pull conductors or bundles of conductors off of one or more spools, and push the conductors or bundles of conductors without de-bundling or sorting the conductors. The conductors can be fed through the pusher in any format including side-by-side, vertical on top of one another, twisted together, or other formats. The pusher can include a guiding device that is configured to route the conductors from the pusher to a conduit through which the conductors are being pushed or pulled.

Novel tools and techniques for direct cable expansion are provided. A system includes a pump, a probe, and a coupler. The pump is coupled to a reservoir holding a fluid. The probe is in fluid communication with the pump, and is configured to introduce the fluid into a cable such that a channel is created, by the fluid, between an outer sheath of the cable and a core of the cable. The coupler is configured to attach to a cable, receive the probe, and position the probe at an interface between the outer sheath and an inner material of the cable adjacent to the outer sheath.

A transmission line installation system includes a transmission line conveying apparatus that operates to install a transmission line within a conduit by advancing the transmission line through the conduit. The transmission line conveying apparatus includes a plurality of components. The components include local controllers. Communication with the local controllers of the components synchronizes operation of the components during the installation of a transmission line.

An installation tool arrangement enables installation of a flexible elongated element, such as a conductor, cable, tube or tube bundle, into a pipeline and to extend the flexible elongated element from the surface of the sea to the seabed by the use of a per se known pipeline pigging technique. The tool arrangement includes a first pipe junction tool at the pipeline entrance end for the flexible elongated element, and a second pipe junction tool at the pipeline exit end for the flexible elongated element. The installation tool arrangement includes a leading pig connected to the flexible elongated element to have it advanced through the pipeline toward the seabed by advancing said pig by means of the fluid flowing in the pipeline.

A hydraulic cable injector includes a first stripper assembly positioned at a first end of the hydraulic cable injector to receive a cable and provide a lower seal. A first wye joint is coupled to the first stripper assembly, and a flow tube assembly is operatively coupled to the first wye joint. A second wye joint is coupled to the flow tube assembly, and a second stripper assembly is coupled to the second wye joint and proves an upper seal. A third stripper assembly is positioned at a second end of the hydraulic cable injector for injecting the cable into a tubing and providing a tubing seal. A separator interposes the second and third stripper assemblies and defines a central pathway to feed the cable into the third stripper assembly from the second stripper assembly.

A reduced diameter composite microcable of low weight that is capable of withstanding a tensile load of at least 300 pounds with less than 0.6% fiber strain, is capable of operation between 40 C and 70 C with less than 0.1 dB/km attenuation change at 1550 nm, and whose outer diameter is less than 15 mm is provided. The microcable includes at least one buffer tube, at least one electrical power conductor, at least one rigid strength member cabled together into a multi-unit core, wherein a plurality of optical fibers are placed within the at least one buffer tube.

An integrated transmission line installation system includes a transmission line conveying system that operates to install a transmission line within a conduit by advancing the transmission line through the conduit. The conduit includes at least a first segment and a second segment. The segments are evaluated to determine a full route including the routes of the first and second segments, and an installation plan is generated based at least in part on the full route. The transmission line conveying system includes two or more transmission line conveying apparatuses, a first that controls the advancement of the transmission line through the first segment, and a second that controls the advancement of the transmission line through the second segment. The transmission line conveying system controls and synchronizes the operation of the transmission line conveying apparatuses according to the installation plan so that the transmission line can be continuously installed through the full length of the conduit in a single pass.

A blowing head for installing blown cable, comprising a low-inertia motor using electrical current, operable to obtain the advance of the cable within the blowing head, adjusting means operable to vary the level of current of the motor, and low-inertia sensing means to sense movement and changes in the level of movement of the cable within the blowing head, wherein in use the adjusting means varies the level of current used by the motor in response to changes in the level of movement sensed by the sensing means, and wherein the varying level of current does not exceed a maximum current level.

A Device for installing an elongated element into a duct, comprising a pressure housing having an entry port, an exit port arranged to be connected to the duct for introducing the elongated element into the duct with a driving fluid, a driving fluid chamber, arranged to receive the driving fluid supplied under pressure and to distribute the driving fluid into the duct with the elongated element, and a lubricant chamber, arranged to receive a lubricant and to distribute the lubricant onto an outer surface of the elongated element, the lubricant chamber being located upstream of the driving fluid chamber, characterized in that the pressure housing comprises an upstream chamber, arranged to receive the pressurized driving fluid and located upstream of the lubricant chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a transmission line installation system including a control unit comprising a processing device, a computer-readable storage device, a communication device, a display device, and at least one input device. The control unit is configured to display status information and to receive input from a user. A transmission line source is configured to supply a transmission line to an advancement device drive assembly. A are configured to receive a transmission line at a drive assembly first end and advance the transmission line into a conduit at a drive assembly second end, wherein the plurality of advancement devices comprise a sensor for measuring a speed of the transmission line as it is advanced by the plurality of advancement devices. A local controller is configured to communicate with local controllers positioned in other advancement devices via a global controller, wherein the local controllers are configured to communicate the measured speed of the transmission line as it is advanced through each of the plurality of advancement devices to each of the other plurality of advancement devices via the global controller. The local controllers are configured to receive the measured speed of each of the other local controllers via the global controller and synchronize the speed of the transmission line as it passes through each advancement device.