Breakout Cables for Nuclear Power Plants

Today, and for more than 20 years, breakout cables are the preferred choice in many nuclear power plants around the world.

For easy installation and maximum fiber protection is needed, breakout fiber optic cables are the excellent choice. Suitable for use in conduit, cable trays, riser and plenum environments, breakout cables are strong and rugged. They can also be provided with interlocked armor for additional protection.

Because each fiber is individually reinforced and protected, breakout designs are robust and quickly terminated to any standard fiber optic connectors, including ST and SC types. Because termination takes less time and labor, breakout cable can be more economic where fiber count isn’t too large and distances too long

Qualification

We have extensively qualified our breakout cables for nuclear use, including

  • Arrhenius data to 60 years, 50C
  • Radiation data to 200 MRad
  • Sequential thermal and radiation aging
  • Flame testing, both aged and unaged

Want more qualification information? Please call 1-800-840-6655 or Email us.

Construction

Each optical fiber is coated with a thermoplastic tight buffer, with the material dependent upon the required flame rating. Each buffered fiber is then surrounded with a polyaramid yarn for tensile strength, and covered with a sub-unit jacket. Like the buffer material, the sub-unit jacket material depends upon the flame rating.
Up to 36 sub-units are combined under an overall jacket. Two versions of breakout cables are manufactured specifically for nuclear power plants. For most applications, S690T Low Smoke Zero Halogen cables are used. Where more severe fire resistance in needed, S753T PVDF cables are available. In accordance with industry practice and regulatory guidelines, neither cable type contains PVC.

Any optical fiber can be used in the cable – 50/125, 62.5/125 and singlemode – in both standard and radiation resistant versions. Prysmian, the world largest manufacturer of multimode fiber, produces the world’s best radiation resistant fibers. The fibers are described below.

Any of our breakout cables can also include interlocked armor protection, with or without an overall outer jacket. This extra protection can be used where cable tray or conduit is not available.

S690T Breakout Cables

Our S690T series cables are manufactured to meet the flame test requirements of IEEE 383, IEEE 1628 and IEEE 1202 as well as UL 1666 and CSA FT-4. Completely non-halogenated, S690T LSZH cables are used extensively in nuclear power plants around the world. CableLAN, and its cable partner Prysmian, are the world’s leading supplier of these cables in the nuclear power market.

S690T Breakout Cables – Weights and Dimensions
Minimum Bend Radius
Outside DiameterWeightShort TermLong TermMax. Load (Installation)
Part NumberFibermminkg/kmlbs/McmincminNewtonslbs.
S690T-02R-XXY27.40.29483211.04.47.42.91200270
S690T-04-XXY48.40.33573812.54.98,43,32000450
S690T-06-XXY69.30.37835614.05.59.33.72700600
S690T-08-XXY811.30.451228217.06.711.34.52700600
S690T-12-XXY1214.50.5720513721.88.614.55.72700600
S690T-18-XXY1814.70.5819813322.08.714.75.82700600
S690T-24-XXY2416.50.6526818024,89.816.56.52700600
S690T-36-XXY3619.80.7833622529.711.720.07.82700600

S753T Breakout Cables

CableLAN’s S753T series cables meet the flame test requirements of IEEE383, IEEE1682, IEEE1202, UL 1666 and NFPA 262. These PVC-free cables provide an extremely higher level of flame resistance and are used in installations where a plenum rating may be needed or required.

S753T Breakout Cables – Weights and Dimensions
Minimum Bend Radius
Outside DiameterWeightShort TermLong TermMax. Load (Installation)
Part NumberFibermminkg/kmlbs/McmincminNewtonslbs.
S753T-02R-XXY25.90.2336248.83.55.92.31200270
S753T-04-XXY46.90.27453010.34.16.92.71200450
S753T-06-XXY68.30.33654412.54.98.33.32700600
S753T-08-XXY89.90.39976514.85.89.93.92700600
S753T-12-XXY1213.20.5218612519.77.813.25.22700600
S753T-18-XXY1813.80.5416611120.78.113.85.42700600
S753T-24-XXY2416.20.6421614524.29.516.26.42700600
S753T-36-XXY3618.60.7329519827.811.020.07.32700600

Optical Fibers

All CableLAN Nuclear fiber optic cables are available with any type optical fiber, or in hybrid versions that combine two or more fiber types in one cable. Simply replace the -XXY in the part number with the glass code below. Please call for hybrid (copper and fiber elements in a common jacket) part numbers.

Glass TypeCode(XXY)Radiation ResistantOperating Wavelength(nm)Min. OFL* Bandwidth(MHz-km)Max. Attenuation(dB/km)1 Gigabit Ethernet Link Length(meters SX/LX**)10 Gigabit Ethernet Link Length(850 nm)
62.5/12562N3Y850/1300200/6003.50/1.25220
62.5/12562XN850/1300200/5003.50/1.25275/5508
50/12550RHY850/1300500/5003.50/1.50550/55082
50/125OM2N850/1300500/5003.50/1.50550/55082
50/125OM3RHY850/13001500/5003.50/1.501000/550300
50/125OM3N850/13001500/5003.50/1.501000/550300
Singlemode010RHY1310/15500.40/0.30
Singlemode010XN1310/15500.40/0.30

Other fiber types (200/230, 100/140) and performance available. Call for information.

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