Comprehensive Analysis of Temperature and Stress Distribution in Optical Fiber Composite Low Voltage Cable Using Finite Element Method

Optical fiber composite low voltage cable (OPLC) is an optimized way of carrying out the function of supplying electrical power and communication signals in a single cable. In this paper, the temperature and stress distribution in OPLC cable is analyzed by using the finite element method as the current increases to maximum capacity. The increase of temperature and stress are the two main factors that affect the additional attenuation in optical fiber. This additional attenuation can be reduced by selecting the optimal heat resistant layer for the optical unit that limits the increase of temperature and stress at the optical fiber. The analysis is carried out for three different kinds of materials by using the finite element method FEM and among them, thermoplastic elastomer TPE is chosen as a heat resistant layer as it restricts the temperature and stress at rated current of 92 A to the minimum values of 69°C and 7.90× 107 N/m2 respectively. The OPLC cable with TPE as a heat resistant material for the optical unit is put in the experimental setup to analyze the temperature and stress increase inside the cable in real-time using the BOTDA analyzer at normal and under overload condition and compared with the simulation results to verify the correct selection of optimal heat resistant layer for optical unit.