High resolution headline sonar cable
A production method for a headline sonar cable characterized by steps of: a. providing a first strength member ( 14 ); b. coupling to strength member ( 14 ) a conductor ( 122 ); c. forming a layer of polymeric material about the combination of strength member ( 14 ) and conductor ( 122 ) while ensuring that the conductor remains slack; d. forming a flow shield around the layer of polymeric material, thus forming an elongatable internally located conductive structure; and e. braiding a strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ) of polymeric material around the elongatable internally located conductive, structure while ensuring that the conductor is slack when surrounded by the jacket layer ( 52 ). For another embodiment, an optical fibre is wrapped around the exterior of the layer of polymeric material within which is enclosed a braided conductor formed about the first strength member ( 14 ). Other embodiments employ further thermo-plastic layers and further sheaths and further conductors.
1 . A method for producing a load bearing data and/or energy cable ( 20 , 120 , 220 , 320 , 420 ), comprising the steps of:
a) providing a first strength member ( 14 );
b) providing a conductor that is capable of data signal and/or electrical energy transmission and is capable of elongation;
c) forming an elongatable internally located conductive structure by:
(i) coupling said conductor to said first strength member ( 14 ) while ensuring that the conductor remains able to elongate;
(ii) coupling the combination of the conductor and the first strength member ( 14 ) to thermoplastic material that is capable of reaching a molten phase and deforming during subsequent heating;
d) braiding a strength-members jacket layer ( 52 ) of polymeric material so as to enclose the elongatable internally-located conductive structure while ensuring that the conductor remains elongatable during the steps of surrounding the elongatable internally-located conductive structure with the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ) so that the conductor retains its ability to elongate during further desired processing steps and does not break upon stretching under heat and tension of the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ), wherein the first strength member ( 14 ) and strength-member layer ( 52 ) are selected and formed so that said first strength member ( 14 ) has less breaking strength than the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ); and
e) stretching under heat the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ) and the elongatable internally-located conductive structure followed by cooling both the elongatable internally-located conductive structure as well as the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ), while maintaining a tension needed to retain the elongated load bearing data and/or energy cable at a determined amount of elongation from its initial length, thereby permanently lengthening the load bearing data and/or energy cable a predetermined amount while simultaneously not breaking or causing to become brittle the conductor.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising an additional step of selecting to form the first strength member ( 14 ) with a different mass of material in comparison with a mass of material selected for forming the braided strength member jacket layer ( 52 ).
3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising an additional step of selecting for the material mass of the first strength member ( 14 ) a material mass that is lesser than the material mass of the braided strength member jacket layer ( 52 ).
4 . The method of claim 3 where the step of coupling the combination of the conductor and the first strength member ( 14 ) to the layer of thermoplastic material further comprises enclosing the combination of the conductor that is coupled to the first strength member ( 14 ) within the layer of thermoplastic material.
5 . The method of claim 3 further comprising selecting to form the conductor at the moment it is being coupled to the first strength member ( 14 ).
6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising an additional step of selecting to form the conductor by braiding the conductor about the first strength member ( 14 ).
7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising an additional step of selecting a braid angle when forming the braided conductor that is more obtuse in comparison to a braid angle selected for the initial formation with a braiding machine of the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ).
8 . The method of claim 4 further comprising extruding and/or pultruding the layer of thermoplastic material about the combination of the conductor coupled to the first strength member ( 14 ) prior to forming the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ).
9 . The method of claim 3 further comprising additional steps of forming a shielding layer ( 36 ) of electrically conductive material around the layer of thermoplastic material prior to forming the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ).
10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting to form another layer of thermoplastic material about the shielding layer ( 36 ) of electrically conductive material, prior to forming the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ).
11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising forming about the another layer of thermoplastic material a sheath of tightly braided fibers and/or filaments having a higher softening point than the softening point of the another layer of thermoplastic material, prior to forming the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ).
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising additional steps of selecting to situate between the another layer of thermoplastic material and the sheath of tightly braided fibers and/or filaments from a minimum of at least one fiber optic conductor ( 22 ) to several fiber optic conductors prior to forming the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ) by wrapping from at least one to several fiber optic conductors in spiral form about the another layer of thermoplastic material in such a fashion so as to ensure sufficient slack in the at least one fiber optic conductor ( 22 ) so that it does not break during the stretching of the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ).
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising steps of selecting to situate additional thermoplastic material so as to fill in at least some of spaces ( 97 , 98 ) existing between the another layer of thermoplastic material; the sheath of tightly braided fibers and/or filaments; and the at least one fiber optic conductor ( 22 ).
14 . The method of claim 3 wherein, at least prior to the step of permanently elongating the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ), the method further comprises an additional step of selecting to form the at least a first strength member ( 14 ) with a potential for constructional elongation at 10° C. that is different in comparison to a potential for constructional elongation at ° C. of the conductor.
15 . The method of claim 3 further comprising an additional step of selecting to form the first strength member ( 14 ) so that it requires more tension to elongate it beyond two percent stretch in comparison to a tension required to elongate the conductor the same certain amount.
16 . The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting to employ the shielding layer ( 36 ) formed of electrically conductive material as another conductor, including so as to form a conductive loop employing the shielding layer ( 36 ) and the conductor.
17 . The method of claim 9 further comprising additional steps of selecting to situate from at least one to several fiber optic conductors between at least the strength-member jacket layer ( 52 ) and the shielding layer ( 36 ).
18 . The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting to employ the shielding layer as the output loop of a first conductive loop while employing the conductor as the input loop of the first conductive loop, while employing at least one fiber optic conductor as another input.
19 . The method of claim 3 further comprising an additional step of selecting for the first strength member ( 14 ) a strength member having a breaking strength that is between two hundred fifty grams to sixteen hundred kilograms while selecting a breaking strength for the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ) that is at least four thousand kilograms up to four million kilograms.
20 . The method of claim 3 further comprising an additional step of selecting to form the first strength member ( 14 ) with a different diameter and/or width in comparison with a diameter and/or width selected for forming the braided strength member jacket layer ( 52 ).
21 . The method of claim 20 further comprising an additional step of selecting for the diameter and/or width of the first strength member ( 14 ) a diameter and/or width that is lesser than the diameter and/or width of the braided strength member jacket layer ( 52 ).
22 . The method of claim 21 wherein, at least prior to the step of permanently elongating the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ), the method further comprises an additional step of selecting to form the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ) with an ability to elongate at temperatures lesser than 50° C. that is different in comparison to an ability to elongate of the first strength member ( 14 ) at temperatures lesser than 50° C.
23 . The method of claim 21 further comprising an additional step of selecting for the first strength member ( 14 ) a strength member having a breaking strength that is between seventy thousand to twenty times lesser than the breaking strength of the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ).
24 . The method of claim 21 further comprising an additional step of selecting to stretch the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ) to an extent that causes the first strength member ( 14 ) to experience failure.
25 . The method of claim 21 further comprising an additional step of selecting to stretch the strength member jacket layer ( 52 ) to an extent that causes the first strength member ( 14 ) to break.