Since the overall dimensions and weight of an OPGW is similar to the regular grounding wire, the towers supporting the line do not experience extra loading due to cable weight, wind and ice loads. An alternative to OPGW is use of the power cables to support a separately-installed fiber bundle.OverviewAn optical ground wire (also known as an OPGW or, in the IEEE standard, an optical fiber composite ) is a type of cable that is used in. Such cable combines the functions of. An OPGW cable was patented by BICC in 1977 and installation of optical ground wires became widespread starting in the 1980s. In the peak year of 2000, around 60,000 km of OPGW was installed worldwide. Asia, especially. Several different styles of OPGW are made. In one type, between 8 and 48 glass optical fibers are placed in a plastic tube. The tube is inserted into a stainless steel, aluminum, or aluminum-coated steel tube, with some slack lengt.
[PDF Version]