A method for the continuous production of a thin-walled, perforated metal hollow profile with one or more fibre waveguides mounted therein. The method includes supplying of a flat metal strip at a first supply rate to a deforming device, which continuously deforms the metal strip into a metal hollow profile with a slot running in a longitudinal direction. Two opposite edges of the metal strip deformed into the metal hollow profile that lie flush against one another in a contact region extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal hollow profile are continuously welded to one another, drawn off from the welding region and perforated. The method further includes positioning a protective tube reaching into the welded metal hollow profile on the draw-off side to beyond the perforation point and supplying one or more fibre waveguides from one or more fibre unwinders via the protective tube, such that the fibre waveguide or waveguides are introduced into the perforated metal hollow profile from the guide or protective tube downstream of the perforation point in the drawing-off direction. The perforated metal hollow profile with the fibre waveguide or fibre waveguides mounted therein is received in a receiving unit.

An optical cable includes a core member and a plurality of strands wound around the core member in an SZ configuration, the SZ configuration having at least two reversal sections and a helical section extending along a longitudinal length between the at least two reversal sections. A helical lay length of the wound strands is variable along the longitudinal length of the helical section. A method of forming an optical cable includes providing a core member and surrounding the core member with a plurality of strands by winding the strands in an SZ configuration that includes a helical section extending longitudinally between at least two reversal sections.

In one embodiment, an optical cable, which is a flat drop cable, includes a cavity shaped in the form of a stadium in a sectional view of the optical cable. The cable further includes an outer sheath enclosing the cavity, a first strength member, and a first optical fiber element disposed in the cavity. The first optical fiber element includes an optical fiber and has an oscillating pattern within the cavity on an oscillation plane parallel to a longitudinal plane of the cable. The height of the cavity in the sectional view substantially corresponds to a height of the first optical fiber element.

The present disclosure provides an optical waveguide cable. The optical waveguide cable includes one or more optical waveguide bands positioned substantially along a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide cable. Further, the optical waveguide cable includes a plurality of cylindrical enclosure substantially concentric to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide cable. The plurality of cylindrical enclosure includes a predefined cylindrical enclosure. Furthermore, the one or more optical waveguide bands include a plurality of light transmission elements. Moreover, the density of the predefined cylindrical enclosure is at most 0.935 gram per cubic centimeter. Also, the optical waveguide cable has a waveguide area factor about 44%. The one or more optical waveguide bands are coupled longitudinally with the predefined cylindrical enclosure. The predefined cylindrical enclosure is at a predefined diagonal distance of about 0.9 millimeter from the one or more optical waveguide bands.

This invention relates to an apparatus (1) for processing an optical fiber unit, the apparatus comprising an extruder head (2) with an inlet (6) receiving an optical fiber unit (7) including at least one optical fiber (24) and an outlet (4) outputting with a tube speed a produced tube (3), and a capstan (25) receiving and passing on the produced tube (3), the produced tube contacting an outer periphery (19) of the capstan by extending around the capstan. In order to obtain a simple and reliable solution the apparatus comprises a feeding device (13) and a connection (8) to a fluid source (9). The apparatus is configured to launch the optical fiber unit (7) to move with the tube (3) by feeding fluid from the fluid source (9) into the produced tube (3), and activating the feeding device (13) to accelerate the optical fiber unit via the inlet (6) into the tube (3) such that the optical fiber unit reaches the tube speed when the optical fiber unit has reached a predetermined point (P) on the capstan (25), at which stage the feeding device (13) is deactivated.

An optical cable comprises a group of optical modules. Each of the optical modules comprises a strength member, a plurality of optical fibers arranged about the strength member, the plurality of optical fibers being arranged substantially on a circumference concentric with the strength member, and a retaining element arranged about the plurality of optical fibers. The strength member is covered by a coating, and the plurality of optical fibers are at least partly embedded within the coating. The optical cable comprises an outer sheath around the group of optical modules. The optical cable does not have a central strength member.

A method (100) for the continuous production of a thin-walled, perforated metal hollow profile with one or more fibre waveguides mounted therein. The method includes supplying (102) of a flat metal strip at a first supply rate to a deforming device, which continuously deforms the metal strip into a metal hollow profile with a slot running in a longitudinal direction. Two opposite edges of the metal strip deformed into the metal hollow profile that lie flush against one another in a contact region extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal hollow profile are continuously welded to one another (110), drawn off from the welding region and perforated. The method according to the invention comprises furthermore positioning a protective tube reaching into the welded metal hollow profile on the draw-off side to beyond the perforation point and supplying (111) one or more fibre waveguides from one or more fibre unwinders via the protective tube, such that the fibre waveguide or waveguides are introduced into the perforated metal hollow profile from the guide or protective tube downstream of the perforation point in the drawing-off direction. The perforated metal hollow profile with the fibre waveguide or fibre waveguides mounted therein is received in a receiving unit (124).

For the production of fibre waveguides mounted in a metal hollow profile, a flat metal strip is supplied to a deforming unit. The deforming unit is configured for continuously deforming the supplied flat metal strip into a shape corresponding to the hollow profile. The hollow profile is continuously welded along a longitudinal seam by means of a laser. A filler gel with a viscosity which increases with decreasing temperature, and one or more fibre waveguides, are introduced into the welded hollow profile in a continuous process via a guide or protective tube. In order to introduce the one or more fibre waveguides with an excess length into the hollow profile, the welded hollow profile is elastically stretched, is cooled, and is relaxed again. The finished product is received in a receiving unit. The continuous closed-loop control of the excess length of the fibre waveguides is performed inter alia through continuous open-loop control of the gel temperature, of the laser power and of the force exerted on the hollow profile for the elastic stretching.

The present disclosure provides an optical waveguide cable. The optical waveguide cable includes one or more optical waveguide bands positioned substantially along a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide cable. The optical waveguide cable includes one or more layers substantially concentric to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide cable. The one or more layers include a cylindrical enclosure. The one or more optical waveguide bands include a plurality of light transmission elements. The density of the cylindrical enclosure is at most 0.935 gram per cubic centimeter. The optical waveguide cable has a waveguide factor of about 44%. The one or more optical waveguide bands are coupled longitudinally with the cylindrical enclosure.

A cable for use in a wellbore can include an outer housing and a chamber disposed coaxially within the outer housing. The chamber can have a cross-sectional end length that is substantially the same as an inner diameter of the outer housing. The cable can also include a fiber optic cable disposed in a nonlinear arrangement within the chamber. The cable can also include a conductor disposed adjacent to the chamber within the outer housing. The conductor can be usable for transmitting power to a well tool.