Pressure-Bearing Performance Simulation of Submarine Optical Cables under 10000 m Water Depth

In order to evaluate pressure-bearing performance of submarine optical cables under 10000 m water depth, a 3D model of submarine optical cables was constructed through structure modeling, material parameter modeling, and grid division. Pressure-bearing mechanism and law of submarine optical cables under 10000 m water depth were revealed by simulating von Mises stress of each submarine optical cable component when hydrostatic pressure was 20, 40, 60, 80 MPa and 100 MPa. Simulation results showed that submarine optical cables had two layers of pressure bearing shell. The first layer was composed of outer thin and medium diameter steel wire, and the second layer was composed of thick diameter steel wire, which transferred hydrostatic pressure to steel wire and reduced pressure conduction to central stainless steel tube. The maximum von Mises stress of each submarine optical cable component did not exceed 83% of its yield strength, and safety factors were above 1.2 under hydrostatic pressure of 100 MPa , which could meet the requirements of 10000 m water depth.