Back to results
US 11,899,243 B2Granted
System and method for joining fiber optic cables
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsZhanke Liu, Mark Oettli, Shrividya Sridharan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for joining fiber optic cables includes sliding a sleeve over a first fiber optic cable, joining a first set of optical fibers of the first fiber optic cable to a second set of optical fibers of a second fiber optic cable, sliding the sleeve over the first and second fiber optic cables, and joining the sleeve to a first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to a second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable.
Claims17
A method for joining fiber optic cables, comprising:
- sliding a sleeve over a first fiber optic cable, wherein the sleeve has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of a first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable that extends about a first set of optical fibers over a length of a first tubular body of the first fiber optic cable, wherein the first set of optical fibers is disposed within the first tubular body;
- joining the first set of optical fibers of the first fiber optic cable to a second set of optical fibers disposed within a second tubular body of a second fiber optic cable;
- sliding the sleeve over the first and second fiber optic cables, wherein the sleeve has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of a second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable that extends about the second set of optical fibers over a length of the second tubular body;
- and
- joining the sleeve to the first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to the second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable, wherein the sleeve comprises a same material as the first exterior casing and the second exterior casing, and wherein joining the sleeve to the first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to the second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable comprises metallurgically joining the sleeve to the first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to the second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable by:
- utilizing welds between at least one of:
- the sleeve, the first exterior casing, or the second exterior casing;
- utilizing friction seizures between at least one of:
- the sleeve, the first exterior casing, or the second exterior casing;
- or
- a combination thereof.
8 more elements
A method for joining a pair of fiber optic cables for use in a wellbore site operation, comprising:
- sliding a sleeve over a first fiber optic cable, wherein the sleeve has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of a first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable that extends about a first set of optical fibers over a length of a first tubular body of the first fiber optic cable, wherein the first set of optical fibers is disposed within the first tubular body;
- joining the first set of optical fibers of the first fiber optic cable to a second set of optical fibers disposed within a second tubular body of a second fiber optic cable;
- sliding the sleeve over the first and second fiber optic cables, wherein the sleeve has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of a second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable that extends about the second set of optical fibers over a length of the second tubular body;
- and
- joining the sleeve to the first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to the second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable, wherein the sleeve comprises a same material as the first exterior casing and the second exterior casing, and wherein joining the sleeve to the first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to the second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable comprises metallurgically joining the sleeve to the first exterior casing of the first fiber optic cable and to the second exterior casing of the second fiber optic cable by:
- utilizing welds between at least one of:
- the sleeve, the first exterior casing, or the second exterior casing;
- utilizing friction seizures between at least one of:
- the sleeve, the first exterior casing, or the second exterior casing;
- or
- a combination thereof;
- and
- utilizing the first fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic cable to communicate an optical signal to or from a downhole tool.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.