OPGW Optical Ground Wire

Optical ground wire are used in transmission line to serves as ground wire as well as communication medium

1. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) An  optical ground wire   also known as an  OPGW  or, in the IEEE standard An OPGW cable contains a tubular structure with one or more optical fibers in it, surrounded by layers of steel and aluminum wire. Optical Fiber Metal Tube (Aluminum, Steel or Aluminum coated steel) Outer Strand (Steel, Aluminum or Aluminum Alloy) It is installed at top most of High Power Transmission lines to serve two purpose To Ground the lightning strikes over transmission line occur during bad weather. The fiber optics inside the cable carries high speed data thus serve the purpose of communication

2. Optical Ground Wire

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4. Communication The optical fiber itself is an insulator and is immune to power transmission line and lightning induction, external electrical noise and cross-talk. Optical Fiber Metal Tube (Aluminum, Steel or Aluminum coated steel) Outer Strand (Steel, Aluminum or Aluminum Alloy) Optical Ground Wire (OPGW)

5. Optical Fibers are used for high speed data transmission Control Protection Optical Fiber Metal Tube (Aluminum, Steel or Aluminum coated steel) Outer Strand (Steel, Aluminum or Aluminum Alloy) Voice or data communication May be leased or sold to third parties to serve as a high-speed fiber interconnection between cities Communication Optical Ground Wire (OPGW)

6. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) 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. It is a type of cable that is used in overhead power lines and it combines the functions of  grounding  and  communications. Conductive Part OPGW

7. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) 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. Optical Fiber

8. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Optical Fiber Typically OPGW cables contain single-mode optical fibers with low transmission loss, allowing long distance transmission at high speeds. The optical fiber itself is an insulator and is immune to power transmission line and lightning induction, external electrical noise and cross-talk.

9. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) 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 worldwide.

10. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Construction 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 tube is stranded into the cable with aluminum, aluminum alloy or steel strands, similar to an ACSR cable.

11. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Construction The steel strands provide strength, and the aluminum strands provide electrical conductivity. For very large fiber counts, up to 144 fibers in one cable, multiple tubes are used.

12. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Types

13. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Comparison with other methods Optical fibers are used by utilities as an alternative to private point to point microwave systems, power line carrier or communication circuits on metallic cables. Advantages OPGW as a communication medium has some advantages over buried optical fiber cable. Installation cost per kilometer is lower than a buried cable. Effectively, the optical circuits are protected from accidental contact by the high voltage cables below  A communications circuit carried by an overhead OPGW cable is unlikely to be damaged by excavation work  road repairs or installation of buried pipelines

14. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Advantages OPGW as a communication medium has some advantages over buried optical fiber cable. Installation cost per kilometer is lower than a buried cable. Effectively, the optical circuits are protected from accidental contact by the high voltage cables below the ground  A communications circuit carried by an overhead OPGW cable is unlikely to be damaged by excavation work  road repairs or installation of buried pipelines

15. Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Application A utility may install many more fibers than it needs for its internal communications both to allow for future needs and also to lease or sell to telecommunications companies Lower-voltage distribution lines may also carry OPGW wires for bonding and communications; however, utilities may also install all-dielectric self-supporting (ADSS) cables on distribution pole lines

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