Optical Ground Wire
An optical ground wire (also known as an OPGW or, in the IEEE standard, an optical fiber composite overhead ground wire) is a type of cable that is used in the construction of electric power transmission and distribution lines. Such cable combines the functions of grounding and communications. An OPGW cable contains a tubular structure with one or more optical fibers in it, surrounded by layers of steel and aluminum wire. The OPGW cable is run between the tops of high-voltage electricity pylons. The conductive part of the cable serves to bond adjacent towers to earth ground, and shields the high-voltage conductors from lightning strikes. The optical fibers within the cable can be used for high-speed transmission of data, either for the electrical utility's own purposes of protection and control of the transmission line, for the utility's own voice and data communication, or may be leased or sold to third parties to serve as a high-speed fiber interconnection between cities.
The optical fiber itself is an insulator and is immune to power transmission line and lightning induction, external electrical noise and cross-talk. Typically OPGW cables contain single-mode optical fibers with low transmission loss, allowing long distance transmission at high speeds. The outer appearance of OPGW is similar to ACSR cable usually used for shield wires.
History
An OPGW cable was patented by BICC in 1977 and installation of optical ground wires became widespread starting in the 1980s. In the peak year of 2000, around 60,000 km of OPGW was installed world-wide. Asia, especially China, has become the largest regional market for OPGW used in transmission-line construction.
Construction
An aluminum rod has several spiral grooves around the outside, in which fibers in buffer tubes are laid. The fiber unit is covered with a plastic or steel tape, and the whole surrounded with aluminum and steel strands.
Several different styles of OPGW are made. In one type, between 8 and 48 glass optical fibers are placed in a plastic tube. The tube is inserted into a stainless steel, aluminum, or aluminum-coated steel tube, with some slack length of fiber allowed to prevent strain on the glass fibers.
The buffer tubes are filled with grease to protect the fiber unit from water and to protect the steel tube from corrosion, the interstices of the cable are filled with grease.
