湿插拔接头

CurrentandFutureWet-MateConnectorTechnologyDevelopmentsforScientificSeabedObservatoryApplicationsHowardPainterJohnFlynnOceanDesign,Inc.(ODI)1026NorthWilliamsonBlvdDaytonaBeach,FL32114USAAbstract-Thispaperwillreviewwet-mateconnectortechnologiesbeingdeployedbycurrentcabledseabedobservatoryprojectsaswellaslookforwardtotechnologiesunderdevelopmenttofurtherenableconnectivityofobservatories.Thegoalsofthesenewtechnologiesincludeincreasingbandwidth,systemvoltageandoperatingdepthaswellasreducingcomplexity.Wet-mateconnectortechnologyhasbeenanessentialenablingtechnologyfortheestablishmentofpermanentcabledseabedobservatories.ProjectssuchasMARS(MontereyAcceleratedResearchSystem),VENUS(VictoriaExperimentalNetworkUndertheSea),ALOHA(ALong-termOligotrophicHabitatAssessment)andNEPTUNE(North-EastExperimentalNetworkUndertheSea)areusingarangeoftechnologiesandsystemarchitecturestomeetthespecificprojectrequirementsandconstraints.Wet-mateconnectorsprovidesubseaserviceableconnectionsbetweenthebackbonecable-to-shoreandtheobservatoryornode.Atthenode,wet-mateconnectorsallowfortheregularinterchangeofscientificpackages.Thispaperwillprovideasummaryoftheconnectortechnologiesusedintheobservatoriesmentionedabove.Thisincludestheuniquedevelopmentofahighvoltage(10kVDC)connector,adaptationofthestandardNautilusconnectortotransmit100Base-TEthernetanddevelopmentofacompactmediumvoltagehybridelectric/opticconnectionsystemfordeploymentin5,000metersofwater.Thereareseveraltechnologiesunderdevelopmentthatcanfurtherenableconnectivityofanobservatory.HighCircuitDensityWet-MateOpticalConnector-ThenextgenerationoftheI-CONNwet-mateableopticalconnectorwillsupport12and24circuitsinasingle,compactconnector.Thiswillenablegreaterbandwidthatareducedcostpercircuit.Thisincreaseinavailablecircuitshasthepotentialofenablingtheuseofpassiveopticaldevicesthatarebeingdevelopedbyothersubseaindustries.1000Base-TEthernetCapableConnectors-Thedevelopmentofconnectorsandtheirassociatedcomponentscontinuestobedrivenbytherequirementsforgreaterbandwidth.Basedontheexperiencegainedindevelopingthe100Base-Tsystems,adesignfora1000Base-Tsystemiscurrentlyunderevaluation.Thistechnologywouldfacilitatethelocaldeploymentatthenodeofinstrumentssuchashigh-definitionTVwithouttheneedfordedicatedfiber-opticconnectors.Itcouldalsobeusedinconjunctionwithelectric-to-opticalconvertersandopticalcablestoprovidelongextensionsfromanodetosmallerscienceexperimentclusters.MediumVoltageNautilus-Thedevelopmentofhigh-powerandhighvoltageconnectorscontinues,withrisingmulti-industrydemandsforincreasedcurrentsandvoltages.HighervoltageratingsonstandardNautilusconnectorswillallowforlongercablesandgreaterpowerdeliveryforsystemsusingasimplifiedarchitecturesuchasemployedonVENUSandALOHA.Thiswouldeliminatetheneedformorecomplexpowerconversionsystemsinthenodeandtheassociatedhighvoltageconnectionsystems.I.INTRODUCTIONPermanentcabledseabedobservatoriescurrentlyunderdevelopmentoffertherevolutionaryadvantagesofprovidingcontinuousreal-timescientificdatadirectlytoshoreandtheabilitytointerchangeexperimentalpackagesremotely.Thesystemtypicallyconsistsofashorestation,backbonecable,subseanodeandindividualscienceexperiments.Wet-mateableconnectorsareessentialforinstallation,maintenanceandreconfigurationofcomponentsofthesystems.Theshorestationistheterminationpointofthebackbonecable.Itprovidesanetworkcontrolcenter,datamanagementandarchivingsystemaswellasconnectionwiththeInternet.TheInternetconnectionallowsthescienceinvestigatortoaccesstheexperimentsfromtheirdesktops.Thebackbonecableprovideselectricalpowerandhighbandwidthopticalcommunicationtothenode.Atthesubseaterminationofthebackbonecable,theopticalandelectricalelementsareseparatedintoopticalandelectricaljumperswithwet-mateableconnectors.Theelectricaljumpersprovidepowerupto10kVDCwhiletheopticaljumpertransmitsdataupto20gigabitpersecond.Remotelyoperatedvehicles(ROVs)areusedtoconnectthejumpersfromthecabletothenode.Thenodeconvertsthehighvoltagetolowvoltageforpoweringthenodeelectronicsandscienceports.Theopticalsignalisconvertedto100Base-TEthernetsignal.Thenode'sscienceportsconsistofelectricalwet-mateconnectionportswithcombinedEthernetandlowvoltagepower.1-4244-0115-1/06/$20.00©2006IEEETheretrievableexperimentpackagesareconnectedtothenodebyjumpersofupto70metersinlength.Therecanbemultipleinstrumentsoneachexperimentalpackage.Thispaperwillreviewthevariousapproachestoseabedobservatoriesandconnectionsolutionsrequired.Thepaperwillalsoreviewenablingtechnologiescurrentlyunderdevelopment.II.SYSTEMARCHITECTUREANDCONNECTIONSSYSTEMTheobservatoriesdistancefromshore,waterdepth,dataratesandinstallationscenariosallimpactthefinalsystemarchitectureandconnectionsystemrequired.Thefollowingsectionswilldescribetheobservatoriesunderdevelopmentandtheassociatedconnectionsolutions.A.VENUSUniversityofVictoria'sVENUS(VictoriaExperimentalNetworkUndertheSea)projectlocatedoffofVancouveristhefirstoperationalcableobservatoryusingopticalcommunicationsandwet-mateableconnectivity.Themaximumwaterdepthis400metersandislocatednearshoreall