Abstract:
An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a cable component includes providing at least a pair of shaped wire members, passing the wire members through at least one shaped roller set, providing at least one cable portion, placing the wire members over the cable portion and running the wire members and cable portion through an assembly roller to form a subassembly, and attaching a fixing element to the subassembly to secure the wire members and cable portion to complete the cable component.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. 
     In creating cable components, such as fiber optics components for oilfield applications, special care is taken to protect the optical fibers in the downhole environment. Often, this has been accomplished by sealing them in a seam-welded tube. This strategy may have problems including, but not limited to, wherein the seam-welding process may be relatively slow and fiber optic components with metal tubes may be expensive. Difficult-to-detect pinholes may form or remain when the tubes are welded to encase the optical fibers, welding gases may be trapped inside the tube, which may lead to deterioration of the optical fibers inside the tube, which may lead to optical signal attenuation. The metal tube is sufficiently thick to prevent collapse under moderate loads or torque, or under high pressure, which thickness may take up valuable space within the cable core. The metal tube may have limited flexibility, may have a low fatigue life in dynamic applications, and often cannot be spliced without over-sizing the metal tube. 
     Some embodiments have incorporated shaped, semi-circular-profile wires that come together to form a circular component over one or more optical fibers encased in a soft polymer at the component core. While this method avoids many of the problems of seam-welded tubing, it is difficult to hold the shaped wires in the proper orientation as they are brought together over the core. 
     It remains desirable to provide improvements in wireline cables, cable components, and/or downhole assemblies. 
     SUMMARY 
     An embodiment of a method for manufacturing a cable component comprises providing at least a pair of shaped wire members, passing the wire members through at least one shaped roller set, providing at least one cable portion, placing the wire members over the cable portion and running the wire members and cable portion through an assembly roller to form a cable subassembly, and attaching a fixing element to the cable subassembly to secure the wire members and cable portion to complete the cable component. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1 a    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing system. 
         FIG. 1 b    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  1   b - 1   b  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 1 c    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  1   c - 1   c  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 1 d    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  1   d - 1   d  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view, in an enlarged scale, of the encircled portion  2  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 3 a    is a schematic cross sectional view of a roller assembly taken along line  3   a - 3   a  in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3 b    is a schematic cross sectional view of an embodiment of a roller assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of an assembly roller for use with the manufacturing system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5 a    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing system. 
         FIG. 5 b    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  5   b - 5   b  in  FIG. 5   a.    
         FIG. 5 c    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  5   c - 5   c  in  FIG. 5   a.    
         FIG. 6 a    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing system. 
         FIG. 6 b    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  6   b - 6   b  in  FIG. 6   a.    
         FIG. 6 c    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  6   c - 6   c  in  FIG. 6   a.    
         FIG. 6 d    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  6   d - 6   d  in  FIG. 6   a.    
         FIG. 7 a    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing system. 
         FIG. 7 b    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  7   b - 7   b  in  FIG. 7   a.    
         FIG. 7 c    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  7   c - 7   c  in  FIG. 7   a.    
         FIG. 7 d    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  7   d - 7   d  in  FIG. 7   a.    
         FIG. 8 a    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing system. 
         FIG. 8 b    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  8   b - 8   b  in  FIG. 8   a.    
         FIG. 8 c    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  8   c - 8   c  in  FIG. 8   a.    
         FIG. 8 d    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  8   d - 8   d  in  FIG. 8   a.    
         FIG. 9 a    is a schematic view of an embodiment of a manufacturing system. 
         FIG. 9 b    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  9   b - 9   b  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 9 c    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  9   c - 9   c  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 9 d    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  9   d - 9   d  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         FIG. 9 e    is schematic cross sectional view taken along line  9   e - 93  in  FIG. 1   a.    
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 a    through  4 , a manufacturing system is indicated generally at  10 . A cable portion or component, such as an optical fiber  12 , is fed from a spool or the like (not shown) and passes through an extruder  14 . The extruder  14  extrudes a polymer layer  16  over the optical fiber  12 . In an embodiment, the portion  12  comprises an optical fiber or an electrical conductor comprising a polymer jacket layer, similar to the polymer layer  16 , disposed on an exterior surface thereof. In such an embodiment, an extruder  14  would not be utilized for the portion  12  already having the polymer layer  16 , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     At least a pair of semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18  is passed from a respective feed spool  19  or the like, through a first set of shaped rollers  20  and a second set of shaped rollers  22 . The shaped wires  18  may comprise a metallic material such as, but not limited to, copper, nickel plated copper, steel alloys or the like. The shaped rollers  22  comprise a first roller  24  and a second roller  26 . The first roller  24  comprises a concave inner surface  28  that substantially conforms to a side surface of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18 . The second roller  26  comprises a convex inner surface  30  that substantially conforms to an opposite side surface of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18 . The semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18  are disposed between the surfaces  28  and  30  of the rollers  24  and  26  during operation of the system  10 , as seen in  FIG. 3 a    and discussed in more detail below. In an embodiment (best seen in  FIG. 3 b   ), a second roller  26 ′ comprises a substantially planar or flat surface  31  for engagement with the surface of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18 . It is understood that greater or fewer rollers, such as the rollers  20 ,  22  may be may be utilized for the system  10  in any suitable configuration. In an embodiment, the rollers may comprise straightening rollers in an offset configuration suitable for removing variations in the shaped wires  18  such that when the shaped wires  18  are joined together, the wires  18  will form a substantially circular shape, discussed in more detail below. The straightening rollers may comprise alternating individual rollers, such as the roller  24 , for engaging with only one side surface of the shaped wires  18  at a time. Successive rollers, such as the roller  24 , engage with alternate outer side surfaces of the shaped wires  18  as the shaped wires  18  move during operation of the system  10 , discussed in more detail below. The shaped semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18  pass through rollers  20  and  22  to hold them in a proper general orientation prior to closing over a cable portion or component, such as the optical fiber  12 . 
     The shaped wires  18  and the cable portion  12  are directed to a assembly roller  32 . The multiple pairs of shaped rollers  20  and  22  ensure the shaped wires  18  are in a proper orientation before entering the assembly roller  32 . The assembly roller  32  comprises a first roller  34  and a second roller  36 , best seen in  FIG. 4 . The first roller  34  comprises a concave inner surface  38  that substantially conforms to an exterior surface of one of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18 . The second roller  36  comprises a concave inner surface  40  that substantially conforms to an exterior surface of the other of the semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18 . The portion  12  is directed to a position between the semi-circular-profile shaped wires  18  and the surfaces  38  and  40  of the assembly roller  32 . The assembly roller  32  closes the wires  18  over the portion  12 , which places the shaped wires  18  and portion  12  to form a core subassembly  44  in a substantially circular configuration, shown in  FIG. 1 c   . The assembly roller  32  may be configured to place the core subassembly  44  in other configurations, such as an oval configuration or the like. The shaped wires  18  may pass through a third (or more) set of rollers  45  prior to entering the assembly roller  32 . 
     After the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  have passed through the assembly roller  32  to form the core subassembly  44 , the core subassembly  44  is completed with a fixing element in order to secure or fix the shaped wires  18  and the portion  12  in the proper orientation for subsequent use. The fixing element may comprise a polymer layer, a mechanical element, or both, discussed in more detail below. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 a  through 5 c   , in an embodiment, the core subassembly  44  passes from the assembly roller  32  through an extruder  46 . The extruder  46  extrudes a jacket polymer layer  48  over the core subassembly  44  to secure or fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation and form a jacketed completed component  50 . The completed component  50  is passed through a water bath, such as a chilled water bath  52 , to shorten the exposure of the optical fibers of the cable portion  12  to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially circular shape provided by the assembly roller  32 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 a  through 6 d   , in an embodiment, the core subassembly  44  passes from the assembly roller  32  adjacent to a cable taping machine or head  54 , where a cabling tape  56  is passed around the core subassembly  44  to secure or fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation. The core subassembly  44  with the tape  56  then passes through an extruder  58 . The extruder  58  extrudes a jacket polymer layer  60  over the core subassembly  44  and the tape  56  to secure fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation and form a completed and jacketed component  62 . The completed component  62  is passed through a chilled water bath  64  to shorten the exposure of the optical fibers of the cable portion  12  to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially circular shape provided by the assembly roller  32 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 a  through 7 d   , in an embodiment, the core subassembly  44  passes from the assembly roller  32  adjacent to a serving machine  66 , where a layer of served wire  68  is passed around the core subassembly  44  to secure or fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation. The core subassembly  44  with the served wire  68  then passes through an extruder  70 . The extruder  70  extrudes a jacket polymer layer  72  over the core subassembly  44  and the served wire  68  to fix the shaped wires  18  and portion  12  in the proper orientation and form a jacketed completed component  74 . The completed component  74  is passed through a chilled water bath  76  to shorten the exposure of the optical fibers of the cable portion  12  to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially circular shape provided by the assembly roller  32 . The wire  68  may comprise, but is not limited to, a metallic wire, a synthetic twisted yarn, or a rope. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 a  through 8 d   , in an embodiment, the core subassembly  44  passes from the assembly roller  32  through a heat source, such as an infrared heat source  80 , which heats or modifies the exterior surface of the shaped wires  18 . The core subassembly  44  then passes to an extruder  82 , which extrudes a thin tie layer  84  of polymer over the core subassembly  44 . The tie layer  84  comprises a polymer modified to bond with metal, for example, but not limited to, a polymer modified with Maleic Anhydride. The core subassembly  44  with the tie layer  84  then passes through an extruder  86 , which extrudes a jacket polymer layer  88  over the core subassembly  44  and the tie layer  84  to fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation and form a jacketed completed component  90 . The completed component  90  is passed through a water bath, such as a chilled water bath  92  to shorten the exposure of the optical fibers to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially circular shape provided by the assembly roller  32 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9 a  through 9 e   , the core subassembly  44  passes from the assembly roller  32  adjacent to a serving machine  100 , where a layer of served wire  102  is passed around the core subassembly  44  to fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation. The core subassembly  44  and served wire  102  then passes through a heat source, such as an infrared heat source  104 , which heats or modifies the exterior surface of the shaped wires  18  and the served wire  102 . The core subassembly  44  and served wire  102  then passes to an extruder  106 , which extrudes a thin tie layer  108  of polymer over the core subassembly  44  and the served wire  102 . The tie layer  108  comprises a polymer modified to bond with metal, for example, a polymer modified with Maleic Anhydride. The core subassembly  44  and the served wire  102  with the tie layer  108  then passes through an extruder  110 , which extrudes a jacket polymer layer  112  over the core subassembly  44 , the served wire  102 , and the tie layer  84  to fix the shaped wires  18  and cable portion  12  in the proper orientation and form a jacketed completed component  114 . The completed component  114  is passed through a water bath, such as a chilled water bath  116  to shorten the exposure of the optical fibers to high temperatures and to maintain the substantially circular shape provided by the assembly roller  32 . 
     The embodiments presented herein comprise variations of cable portions or components such as fiber optic cable components that use a shared method of applying a rigid shell comprising at least two semi-circular-shaped wires. By running the shaped wires through a series of rollers, the shaped wires may better be held in the proper orientation as they close over a cable component contained in a soft polymeric jacket. This process may also allow for faster manufacturing speeds. Once the shaped wires are brought together over the cable component comprising the optical fibers, a number of methods may be used to secure or fix the core subassembly together as the manufacturing process continues. 
     Examples of polymers which may be used in the system  10  comprise, but are not necessarily limited to, fluoropolymers, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) polymers, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene polymers (Tefzel®), perfluoro-alkoxyalkane polymer (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene polymer (PTFE), polytetrafluoroethylene-perfluoromethylvinylether polymer (MFA), polyaryletherether ketone polymer (PEEK), or polyether ketone polymer (PEK) with fluoropolymer combination, polyphenylene sulfide polymer (PPS), PPS and PTFE combination, latex or rubber coatings, and the like. 
     Embodiments of the cable component may form a slickline cable or may be formed as a component of a wireline cable and used with wellbore devices to perform a wellbore operation in wellbores penetrating geologic formations that may contain gas and oil reservoirs. The cable components and/or wireline cables may be used to interconnect well logging tools, such as gamma-ray emitters/receivers, caliper devices, resistivity-measuring devices, seismic devices, neutron emitters/receivers, and the like, to one or more power supplies and data logging equipment outside the well. The cable components comprise a component of a seismic cable and used in seismic operations, including subsea and subterranean seismic operations. The cable components may also be useful as a component in permanent monitoring cables for wellbores 
     The preceding description has been presented with references to certain embodiments of the invention. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which this disclosure pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principle, and scope thereof. Accordingly, the foregoing description should not be read as pertaining to the precise structures described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Instead, the scope of the application is to be defined by the appended claims, and equivalents thereof. 
     The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. In particular, a range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood as referring to the power set (the set of all subsets) of the respective range of values. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.