Reliability of Optical Fibres and Components

1. Introduction and General Information about COST and the COST 246 Action.- 1.1. COST Framework.- 1.2. Technical Description of COST 246 Action.- 1.3. Objectives.- 1.4. Working Groups, Study Groups and Their Tasks.- 1.5. Methods of Working.- 1.6. Meetings and Workshops.- 1.7. Dissemination of the Results and Achievements.- 1.8. Economic Dimension.- 2. Reliability of Optical Fibres and Components.- 2.1. Introduction, Reliability.- 2.2. How to Study Reliability and Estimate Lifetime of New Components.- 2.3. Standards for Optical Fibre, Component and Network Reliability.- 2.4. References.- Annex 2.A Impact of Fibre Lifetime on Network Reliability.- 3. Optical Fibres (WG1.1).- 3.1. Contributors.- 3.2. Introduction.- 3.3. Objectives.- 3.4. Working Methods.- 3.5. Output of WG1.1.- 3.6. Presentations at WG1.1 Meetings.- 3.7. Achievements and Conclusions.- 3.8. Prospects and Future Work.- Annex 3.A Strength Degradation of Lightguide Fibres in Room Temperature Water.- Annex 3.B Influence of the Coating in Mechanical Behaviour of Aged Optical Fibres.- 4. Handleability of Aged Fibres (WG1.1 SG1).- 4.1. Contributors.- 4.2. Introduction.- 4.3. Objectives.- 4.4. Working Methods.- 4.5. Output of SG1.- 4.6. Achievements and Conclusions.- 4.7. References.- Annex 4.A Handleability of Aged Optical Fibres.- 5. Ageing Tests (WG1.1 SG2).- 5.1. Contributors.- 5.2. Introduction.- 5.3. Objectives.- 5.4. Working Methods.- 5.5. Output of SG2.- 5.6. Presentations at SG2 Meetings.- 5.7. Achievements and Conclusions.- 5.8. References.- Annex 5.A Effect of Water Quality and Quantity on Strength Degradation of Fused Silica Fibre in Water Tests.- Annex 5.B High-Temperature Ageing of Modern Polymer-Coated Optical Fibers.- 6. Fusion Splices Reliability(WG1.1 SG3).- 6.1. Contributors.- 6.2. Introduction.- 6.3. Objectives.- 6.4. Working Methods.- 6.5 Output of SG3.- 6.6. Presentations at SG3 Meetings.- 6.7. Achievements and Conclusions.- 6.9. References.- Annex 6.A Measurements on 8 Fibres Ribbons and Fusion Splices.- Annex 6.B Effect of Mechanical Stripping and Arc-Fusion on the Strength and Ageing of a Spliced Recoated Optical Fiber.- 7. Lifetime Estimation and B-Value (WG1.1 SG4).- 7.1. Contributors.- 7.2. Introduction.- 7.3. Objectives.- 7.4. Working Methods.- 7.5. Output of SG4.- 7.6. Presentations at SG4 Meetings.- 7.7. Achievements and Conclusions.- 7.8. Prospects and Future Work.- 7.9. References.- Annex 7.A A Compression Proposal to IEC Power-Law Document (IEC SC86A/WG1 Document No-17).- Annex 7.B Mechanical Behavior and B-Value of an Abraded Optical Fiber.- Annex 7.C Modelling of Proof Test Level Flaws using Cube Corner Indents.- 8. Cables and Outside- Plant Components (WG1.2).- 8.1. Contributors.- 8.2. Introduction.- 8.3. Objectives.- 8.4. Working Methods.- 8.5. Output of WG1.2.- 8.6 Presentations at WG1.2 Meetings.- 8.7. Achievements and Conclusions.- 8.8. Prospects and Future Work.- 8.9. References.- Annex 8.A Results from Questionnaire, Outside Plant Configurations and Weakest Points.- Annex 8.B Results from Questionnaire, Service Environmental Conditions for Fibres and Optical Components in Cable Networks.- 9. Connecting and Branching Components (WG2).- 9.1. Contributors.- 9.2. Introduction.- 9.3. Objectives.- 9.4. Working Methods.- 9.5. Output of WG2.- 9.6. Presentations at WG2 Meetings.- 9.7. Achievements and Conclusions.- 9.8. Prospects and Future work.- 9.9. References.- 10. Fibre Bragg Grating Components (WG4).- 10.1. Contributors.- 10.2. Introduction.- 10.3. Objectives.- 10.4. Working Methods.- 10.5. Output of WG4.- 10.6. Achievements and Conclusions.- 10.7. Prospects for the Bragg Gratings Activities.- 10.8. References.- App. 1 List of publications of COST 246.- App. 2 COST 246 Participant Index with contact addresses.- App. 3 MoU of COST 246.- App. 4 Information of COST Framework and Telecommunications.