Cooling method, fluid guiding device and sleeve shaft, refractory tube and system containing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for cooling a space around a sleeve shaft, a device for guiding a fluid along an outer surface region of the sleeve shaft, a sleeve shaft including the device, and a refractory tube into which the sleeve shaft is inserted. The present invention also relates to a system including the sleeve shaft and / or the refractory tube.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for cooling the space around a sleeve shaft, a device for guiding a fluid along an outer surface region of the sleeve shaft, a sleeve shaft including the device, and a refractory tube inserted with the sleeve shaft. The present invention also relates to a system including the sleeve shaft and / or the refractory tube. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art for a mechanical glass tube drawing process (such as the Danner process), a support for supporting a refractory tube is used, and both the support and the refractory tube are connected to each other in a non-rotating manner. The refractory tube is provided with a surface region onto which molten glass flows, and then, in a forming region arranged at one end of the refractory tube, the molten glass is formed into a glass tube. During the drawing process, the support performs a rotational movement, so that the refractory material tube also performs a rotational movement.

[0003] Herein, the support can be in the form of a sleeve shaft. For example, the sleeve shaft is generally a hollow shaft made of steel.

[0004] According to this process, since the molten glass flows on the surface region of the refractory tube, the temperature of the refractory tube is, for example, 1100 °C to 1200 °C.

[0005] However, in a traditional glass drawing process, it has been observed that improving the geometric parameters of a glass line can still improve the quality of the glass line. For example, the uniformity of the wall thickness of the glass tube can be improved or at least better controlled.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the related prior art by providing a method and a device, which can produce a glass tube with improved quality in a simple and cost-effective manner. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sleeve shaft, a refractory tube, and a system that overcome the known disadvantages. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the existing problem is solved by providing a method for cooling the space around a sleeve shaft. The sleeve shaft is used as a support for a refractory tube, and during the glass tube drawing process, molten glass flows onto at least one surface region of the refractory tube.

[0008] Wherein, at least one fluid flow is discharged in a direction towards at least one volume domain from at least one fluid outlet at a fixed position relative to at least one rotating component (the component includes the refractory tube and the sleeve shaft, and the sleeve shaft is non-rotatably connected to the refractory tube), the volume domain is at least partially enclosed between at least one outer surface region of the sleeve shaft and at least one inner surface region of the refractory tube, and the volume domain is non-rotatably provided with the sleeve shaft,

[0009] the volume domain is partitioned into a plurality of volume partial domains, and the volume partial domains are at least partially fluidly connected to each other in pairs and / or region by region within the volume domain, and

[0010] an alternating fluid flow is generated within the volume domain or a part of the volume domain because at least a part of the fluid flow discharged from the fluid outlet is sequentially injected into different volume partial domains due to the rotation of the component.

[0011] Therefore, based on the present invention, it is surprisingly found that by establishing a controlled forced convection (the forced convection has a flow direction that varies spatially and / or temporally) within a defined volume domain (especially along the outer surface of the sleeve shaft) enclosed between the refractory tube and the sleeve shaft, it is possible to contribute to the effective dissipation of energy. The energy is dissipated in the form of heat energy from the space between the sleeve shaft and the refractory tube. Thus, a cooling effect is provided for the air within this space. The result shows that this cooling effect also cools the refractory tube. The surprising discovery is that with the reduction of the temperature of the refractory tube, the quality of the glass tube can be significantly improved in the drawing process of the glass tube.

[0012] Although the inventors do not have a strict scientific theory to explain this phenomenon, they believe that by reducing the temperature of the refractory tube in this way, a favorable interaction can be generated between the initial hot glass material and the cooled refractory tube, and thus, well-defined geometric parameters of the glass tube line can be obtained.

[0013] In addition, surprisingly, since the volume domain is partitioned and the fluid flow is sequentially discharged into different fluidly connected parts of the volume domain, for the fluid, a controlled forced convection can be realized in a particularly simple and effective manner in the defined volume domain, and the controlled forced convection has different and continuously changing flow directions.

[0014] In the field of glass drawing, it has been found to be particularly promising to utilize the interaction between a fixedly arranged fluid outlet and the rotational movement of the volume domain to achieve the condition of sequentially discharging the fluid in different volume partial domains.

[0015] Thus, depending on the rotational position of the volumetric part domains relative to the (at least one) fluid outlet, firstly, each volumetric part domain can be regarded as acting as a fluid guiding element, where a fluid stream is injected from the outside of the volume domain, and secondly, each volumetric part domain can be regarded as acting as a fluid guiding element, where a fluid stream is injected from the inside of the volume domain (i.e., through a fluid connection). This results in the formation of alternating (spatial and / or temporal) fluid streams within the volume domain or within parts of the volume domain, i.e., spatially and / or temporally different forced flow directions.

[0016] Preferably, it is assumed that within the volume domain, the volumetric part domains are fluidly connected to each other. However, this does not exclude that the volumetric part domains can also be fluidly connected to each other through certain connections outside the volume domain.

[0017] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: the amount of fluid discharged by the fluid outlet is between 20 liters per minute and 200 liters per minute, preferably between 20 liters per minute and 100 liters per minute or between 90 liters per minute and 200 liters per minute, and / or the amount of fluid discharged by the fluid outlet is controlled according to the rotational speed of the assembly and / or according to the temperature measured at least partly between the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft and the inner surface area of the refractory tube, and / or wherein the rotational speed of the assembly is between 10 revolutions per minute and 20 revolutions per minute, preferably between 13 revolutions per minute and 17 revolutions per minute.

[0018] The amount of fluid is a preferred parameter for controlling the cooling effect. Generally, a higher amount of fluid enhances the cooling effect of the air in the space between the refractory tube and the sleeve shaft, thus further reducing the temperature of the refractory tube.

[0019] If the amount of fluid is controlled according to the rotational speed of the assembly and / or according to the measured temperature, then the air temperature within a certain range can be kept constant at a predetermined level. This improves the quality and uniformity of the produced glass tube.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the existing problem is solved by providing a device for guiding at least one fluid along at least one outer surface area of a sleeve shaft. The sleeve shaft serves as a support for a refractory tube, and in a glass tube drawing process, molten glass flows onto at least one surface area of the refractory tube, wherein the device is arranged or can be arranged at least regionally in a non-rotating manner on the sleeve shaft and / or in the refractory tube, and the device comprises:

[0021] At least one outer wall which, when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, has at least one radial distance from the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft at least region by region, and the outer wall defines at least one volume domain which is enclosed between the outer wall and the outer surface area of at least part of the sleeve shaft radially outward; and

[0022] One or more separating elements which are at least partly arranged in the volume domain and which divide the volume domain into a plurality of volume partial domains which are at least partly fluidically connected to one another in pairs and / or region by region within the volume domain.

[0023] Thus, based on the present invention, it has surprisingly been found that by establishing a controlled forced convection (the forced convection having a flow direction which varies in a spatial and temporal manner) within the defined volume domain enclosed between the refractory tube and the sleeve shaft (in particular along the outer surface of the sleeve shaft), it is possible to contribute to the effective dissipation of energy. The energy is dissipated in the form of heat from the space between the sleeve shaft and the refractory tube. Thus, a cooling effect is provided for the air within this space. It has been shown that this cooling effect also cools the refractory tube. The surprising finding is that with a reduction in the temperature of the refractory tube, it is possible to significantly improve the quality of the glass tube in the glass tube drawing process.

[0024] Although the inventors do not have a strict scientific theory to explain this phenomenon, they believe that by reducing the temperature of the refractory tube in this way, it is possible to create a favorable interaction between the initially hot glass material and the cooled refractory tube, and thus, it is possible to obtain clearly defined glass tube geometric parameters.

[0025] Surprisingly, according to the concept of the present invention, the favorable fluid flow can be established by combining appropriate fluid guiding elements. Here, it is possible to easily implement the fluid guiding elements since the outer wall limits the volume domain in the radial direction and one or more separating elements are used to construct the volume partial domains. To achieve a spatial and / or temporal variation of the flow direction, the inventors have recognized that it is sufficient if at least some of the individual volume partial domains are fluidically connected to one another within the volume domain.

[0026] Thus, first, each volume partial domain provided by the device can be used as a fluid guiding element, where a fluid flow is injected from the outside of the volume domain, and then, each volume partial domain can be used as a fluid guiding element, where a fluid flow is injected from the inside of the volume domain (i.e., via the fluid connection). If the fluid is discharged successively in different volume partial domains, this creates an alternating (spatial and / or temporal) fluid flow within the volume domain or within a part of the volume domain, i.e., spatially and / or temporally different forced flow directions.

[0027] The device can be implemented in a simple and robust manner.

[0028] Preferably, it is assumed that within the volume domain, the volume partial domains are fluidly connected to each other. However, this does not exclude the possibility that the volume partial domains may also be fluidly connected to each other through certain connections outside the volume domain.

[0029] Preferably, especially with respect to the second aspect of the present invention, the radial and / or axial directions of the present invention describe the radial or axial directions when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft. That is: if the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, the radial or axial directions can be determined. This definition particularly applies to the radial direction, that is: the volume domain is radially outwardly limited.

[0030] In one embodiment, preferably, the device according to the second aspect of the present invention can be used in combination with the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0031] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: the outer wall is designed to be integral and / or at least part of the outer wall is hollow cylindrical, and / or

[0032] the outer wall is composed of a plurality of outer wall parts, and when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, the outer wall parts are preferably completely or at least partially separated from each other, wherein, preferably, each of the outer wall parts defines one or more of the volume partial domains that are at least partially radially outward.

[0033] An integral outer wall is easy to manufacture and handle.

[0034] If the outer wall is cylindrical, it can be arranged in the space between the sleeve shaft and the refractory tube, because many components are also cylindrical. In addition, when the device is connected to the sleeve shaft, the cylindrical shape of the outer wall can prevent the introduction of imbalance during the rotation of the sleeve shaft.

[0035] If the outer wall is composed of a plurality of outer wall parts, it is easier to arrange the wall at the sleeve shaft, because the outer wall parts can be arranged on the sleeve shaft in sequence. In addition, if the outer wall has a plurality of parts, the device may be easier to store.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, as long as the fluid connection is normal, the outer walls can be separated in the installed state. In this way, there is no need to meet the condition of small tolerances during the installation process. This simplifies the installation of the device.

[0037] If each volume partial domain has its own outer wall part, a specific number of volume partial domains can also be selected by setting the corresponding number of outer wall parts.

[0038] In one embodiment, optionally or alternatively preferably: the device is designed in a modular manner, wherein when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft and / or each outer wall portion is composed of at least one module, preferably, a plurality of modules are arranged adjacent to each other on the sleeve shaft around at least a part of the outer periphery of the sleeve shaft,

[0039] wherein, preferably, at least one partition element is composed of a part of at least one wall of at least one module, in particular, the partition element is composed of parts of two adjacent walls of two adjacent modules, and / or the parts of the walls extend in the axial and / or radial directions within the volume domain.

[0040] Because each module can be arranged at the sleeve shaft in sequence, the modular device can easily arrange the device at the sleeve shaft.

[0041] If the partition element itself is composed of parts of the walls of the module (or parts of the walls of two adjacent modules), the setting of the device is particularly simplified.

[0042] For example, in one embodiment, each module can be designed as a "box" of a general shape, the "box" having a top wall (e.g., the outer wall), a rear wall, and one or two side walls (i.e., the parts of the walls). After it is arranged at the sleeve shaft, a volume part domain is enclosed between the top wall, the rear wall, the side walls, and the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft. The two side walls that limit the volume domain can belong to the same module (i.e., each module has two side walls) or belong to two adjacent modules (i.e., each module has one side wall).

[0043] If the parts of the walls extend in the axial and / or radial directions within the volume domain, a volume part domain with a particularly good volume geometry can be achieved with respect to the fluid flow.

[0044] In one embodiment, optionally or alternatively preferably: the partition element includes at least one metal sheet, the metal sheet is at least partially arranged within the volume domain, wherein, preferably, the metal sheet extends in the axial and / or radial directions within the volume domain, and / or

[0045] the partition element extends from the inner peripheral side of the outer wall into the volume domain, the partition element forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the outer wall, the partition element is designed integrally with the outer wall, and / or when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, the partition element is arranged on the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft.

[0046] The metal sheet can be set in a particularly simple manner. Metal sheets of different shapes can also be set in a simple manner.

[0047] If the separating element is integral with the outer wall, the device can be designed to be particularly robust.

[0048] By means of an angle of approximately 90 degrees, a volume partial domain with a particularly good volume geometry can be obtained relative to the fluid flow.

[0049] When the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, if the separating element is arranged in the outer surface region of the sleeve shaft, the fluids flowing in the respective volume partial domains do not have an adverse effect on each other. In other words, "leakage" of the fluid flow is reduced or even prevented.

[0050] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: preferably in at least one first end of the device, the separating element is at least regionally reduced in the axial and / or radial extension direction, such that at least one fluid overflow region of the fluid is provided in the volume domain, so that the fluid can flow from at least one first volume partial domain to at least one second volume partial domain.

[0051] Since the separating element provides some openings in the volume zone, which can enable the fluid to flow from one volume partial domain to another volume partial domain in the volume domain, a fluid connection between paired volume partial domains can be realized particularly easily and effectively.

[0052] If the fluid overflow region is provided at the first end of the device, the fluid can flow a maximum distance from entering the volume partial domain (for example, located at the other opposite end of the device) to the fluid overflow region. This results in a particularly effective fluid flow regime in the volume domain and in the volume partial domains.

[0053] In one embodiment, preferably, the term "axially reduced" means reduced compared to the corresponding extension of the volume domain.

[0054] In one embodiment, preferably, the term "radially reduced" means reduced compared to the corresponding extension of the volume domain.

[0055] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: the device includes two, three, four, five or more separating elements, which are arranged at equal angles along the inner circumference of the outer wall. In particular, the device includes four separating elements, which are arranged around the inner circumference at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to each other.

[0056] Here, preferably, the term "equal angle" means that in a cross-section perpendicular to the axial extension of the device, the separating elements are arranged at equal angles to each other. For example, if there are four separating elements, the equal angle is 90 degrees.

[0057] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: (i) the device includes at least one conical second end, in particular, the second end is the end facing the fluid outlet and / or the end opposite to the first end of the device, and / or (ii) the outer wall widens conically at the second end of the device.

[0058] If the device and / or the outer wall includes a conical end, the fluid flow can be injected into the volume domain, particularly into the partial volume domain, more directly and more safely.

[0059] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: the volume domain is designed in at least one cross-sectional plane similar to a ring, and / or at least one partial volume domain is designed in a cross-sectional plane similar to a segment of a ring.

[0060] The ring-shaped volume domain means that the device is concentrically arranged on the sleeve shaft, which is particularly beneficial for preventing the imbalance of the sleeve shaft or the glass drawing system.

[0061] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: the device further includes at least one inner wall, and the volume domain is at least partially enclosed between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, the inner wall is at least regionally in direct or indirect contact with the outer surface region of the sleeve shaft, or can be at least regionally in direct or indirect contact with the outer surface region of the sleeve shaft.

[0062] Wherein, preferably, the inner wall is at least partially concentrically arranged with the outer wall, and / or the separating element is connected to the inner wall and / or is integrally formed with the inner wall; and / or

[0063] The device further includes at least one rear wall, the rear wall at least partially defines the volume domain in the axial direction, preferably, the rear wall is at least partially connected to the outer wall, the inner wall and / or the separating element.

[0064] The inner wall makes the device compactly designed so that it can be very easily mounted on the sleeve shaft. In addition, the inner wall can be designed such that it does not significantly conduct heat from the volume domain to the sleeve shaft. This ensures heat dissipation through the fluid flow.

[0065] After the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, a concentric design is preferably adopted to avoid system imbalance.

[0066] The rear wall gives the device high stability and a properly defined volume domain.

[0067] If the separating element is connected to or integrally formed with the inner wall, then in this case, the device is particularly robust. This also applies to the rear wall.

[0068] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the existing problem is solved by proposing a sleeve shaft. The sleeve shaft includes the device according to the second aspect of the present invention, and the device is installed in at least one outer surface area of the sleeve shaft. Preferably, the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft where the device is installed is partially or completely covered with at least one insulating material, such as fibrous non-woven material.

[0069] If the sleeve shaft is provided with the corresponding device, then the advantages of the above-mentioned device according to the second aspect of the present invention can be applied without any further effort.

[0070] In one embodiment, preferably, the sleeve shaft according to the third aspect of the present invention can be used in combination with the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0071] Providing heat-insulating material further helps the fluid flow carry away heat.

[0072] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally preferably: the device extends axially through the sleeve shaft in at least one direction, and the extension length is between 0.4 times and 0.8 times the length of the sleeve shaft. Preferably, the device extends in at least one end of the sleeve shaft.

[0073] If the way the device extends through the sleeve shaft is selected according to the length of the sleeve shaft, then a particularly balanced system and appropriate cooling capacity can be provided.

[0074] Preferably, the length is between 0.4 times and 0.6 times the length of the sleeve shaft, between 0.5 times and 0.7 times the length of the sleeve shaft, and / or between 0.6 times and 0.8 times the length of the sleeve shaft.

[0075] In one embodiment, optionally or additionally, the axial extension length of the sleeve shaft is between 2 meters and 4 meters, preferably between 2.3 meters and 3.5 meters, most preferably between 2.5 meters and 3.5 meters, between 2.8 meters and 3.2 meters, or between 2.3 meters and 3.05 meters.

[0076] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the existing problem is solved by proposing a refractory tube. The refractory tube is particularly used for the glass tube drawing process or for the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, and the sleeve shaft according to the third aspect of the present invention is inserted into the refractory tube, especially in a coaxial manner.

[0077] If the refractory tube is provided with a corresponding sleeve shaft, the advantages of the above-described sleeve shaft with respect to the third aspect of the present invention can be applied without any further effort.

[0078] In one embodiment, preferably, the refractory tube according to the fourth aspect of the present invention can be used in combination with the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0079] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the existing problem is solved by presenting a system. The system includes the sleeve shaft according to the third aspect of the present invention and / or the refractory tube according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, and the system further includes at least one fluid outlet, which is in a fixed position relative to the rotating sleeve shaft and / or the refractory tube.

[0080] Wherein, preferably, the system is configured such that at least one fluid flow can be discharged through the fluid outlet in a direction towards at least one volume domain, and the volume domain is at least partially enclosed between at least one outer surface region of the sleeve shaft and at least one inner surface region of the refractory tube. In particular, the device according to the second aspect of the present invention is mounted on the sleeve shaft, and the volume domain is enclosed between the outer wall of the device and the outer surface region of the sleeve shaft.

[0081] The combination of the fluid outlet with a volume domain that rotates relative to the fluid outlet is a particularly effective way to achieve an alternating fluid flow, thereby benefiting the heat dissipation of the sleeve shaft.

[0082] In one embodiment, it is preferably possible to use the system according to the fifth aspect of the present invention in combination with the method according to the first aspect of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0083] When reading the various aspects of the present invention according to the accompanying schematic diagrams, the various aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art through the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, wherein:

[0084] Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional perspective view of a refractory tube having a sleeve shaft and a device according to the present invention is shown;

[0085] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the refractory tube shown;

[0086] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 And Figure 2 A cross-sectional perspective view of the device shown; and

[0087] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3Perspective view of the device shown. Detailed implementation

[0088] Figure 1 Partial sectional perspective view of the refractory tube according to the present invention is shown.

[0089] Insert the sleeve shaft 3 coaxially into the refractory tube 1.

[0090] The sleeve shaft 3 includes a device 5, and the device 5 is installed on at least one outer surface area 7 of the sleeve shaft 3.

[0091] The device 5 has an outer wall 9. When the device 5 is installed on the sleeve shaft 3 (as Figure 1 shown), the outer wall 9 has at least one radial distance D from the outer surface 7 of the sleeve shaft 3 at least region by region, and the outer wall 9 limits a volume domain 11, and the volume domain 11 is enclosed between the outer wall 9 and the outer surface area 7 of at least part of the sleeve shaft 3 radially outward.

[0092] The device 5 further includes a plurality of separating elements 13 (three of which can be seen in Figure 1 ), and the separating elements 13 are at least partially arranged in the volume domain 11. The separating elements 13 divide the volume domain 11 into a plurality of volume partial domains 15, and the volume partial domains 15 are at least partially pairwise and / or region by region fluidly connected to each other within the volume domain 11.

[0093] Figure 2 Shown is Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the refractory tube 1 (and the inserted sleeve shaft 3 and the installed device 5) shown. Figure 2 The cross-section shown is located in a plane perpendicular to Figure 1 the axial extension direction of the refractory tube 1 shown.

[0094] The device 5 includes four separating elements 13, and the four separating elements 13 are arranged at equal angles along the inner circumference of the outer wall 9. That is, the four separating elements 13 are spaced from each other at a distance of 90 degrees around the inner circumference. More precisely, in Figure 2 it is shown that the separating elements 13 are located at the twelve o'clock (0 degrees) direction, three o'clock (90 degrees) direction, six o'clock (180 degrees) direction, and nine o'clock (270 degrees) direction.

[0095] The outer wall 9 is designed as an integral body and is a hollow cylinder. The separating elements 13 extend from the inner circumferential side of the outer wall 9 into the volume domain 11. The separating elements 13 form a 90-degree angle with the outer wall 9, and the separating elements 13 are designed as an integral body with the outer wall 9. In addition, as Figure 2 shown, when the device 5 is installed on the sleeve shaft 3, the separating elements 13 are arranged on the outer surface area 7 of the sleeve shaft 3.

[0096] The device 5 is adapted to guide at least one fluid along an outer surface region 7 of a sleeve shaft 3, which serves as a support for a refractory tube 1. The device 5 is arranged on the sleeve shaft 3 in a non-rotating manner.

[0097] If the sleeve shaft 3 rotates, and thus the device 5 rotates, and thus the volume domain 11 rotates, due to the rotation of the sleeve shaft 3, a fluid outlet fixedly arranged relative to the rotating sleeve shaft 3 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 not shown in the figure) can inject fluid streams into the respective volume partial domains 15 in sequence.

[0098] Figure 3 A cutaway perspective view of the device 5 that has been described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 is shown. Figure 3 A view of half of the device 5 through its entire axial extension direction is shown. For ease of illustration, the sleeve shaft (such as the sleeve shaft 3) is represented by an arc segment A and an outer surface region 7.

[0099] The device 5 includes a tapered end 17. This end 17 can be the end facing a possible fluid outlet ( Figure 3 not shown in the figure), such that the fluid can be effectively directed towards the volume partial domain 15.

[0100] At the end of the device 5 opposite to the end 17, the separating element 13 decreases in the axial extension direction, such that a plurality of fluid overflow regions 19 for the fluid are provided within the volume domain 11. In this way, the fluid can flow from at least one first volume partial domain 15 to at least one second volume partial domain 15.

[0101] For ease of illustration, note that Figure 3 the cross-section C represented by the dashed line in the figure is the cross-section of the volume domain 11. Since by definition the volume domain 11 is bounded by the outer wall 9 in the radially outward direction, the volume domain 11 does not extend into the volume enclosed by the tapered end 17. This is because in a specific embodiment of the device 5, the device 5 includes the end 17, but the outer wall 9 does not include the end 17.

[0102] Within the volume domain 11, the volume partial domains 15 are fluidly connected to each other. This does not exclude that the volume partial domains 15 can also be fluidly connected to each other through some connections outside the volume domain 11.

[0103] Each separating element 13 includes a metal sheet and is at least partially arranged within the volume domain 11. In fact, the separating element 13 also extends outside the volume domain 11, that is, into the volume enclosed by the end 17.

[0104] The device further includes a rear wall, but in Figure 3The rear wall is not shown in the figure. The rear wall may define a volume domain 11 in the axial direction (especially near the fluid overflow region 19).

[0105] Figure 4 A perspective view of a part of the device 5 described relative to Figure 3 is shown. More precisely,[[]] Figure 4 a separating element 13 is shown, and the separating element 13 sets a fluid overflow region 19 within the volume domain 11. Similarly, in Figure 4 for the sake of easy illustration, the sleeve shaft (such as the sleeve shaft 3) is represented by an arc segment A and an outer surface region 7.[[]]

[0106] For the sake of convenient description, four volume partial domains (collectively referred to as the volume partial domain 15 above) are now respectively described by volume partial domains 15a to 15d, and four fluid overflow regions (collectively referred to as the fluid overflow region 19 above) are now respectively described by fluid overflow regions 19a to 19d (but the fluid overflow region 19d is completely invisible in Figure 4 ).[[]]

[0107] Between every two adjacent volume partial domains 15a to 15d, the respective fluid overflow regions 19a to 19d provide fluid connections between the respective volume partial domains 15a to 15d. Therefore, between the volume partial domains 15a to 15d, there are at least paired connections.[[]]

[0108] In Figure 4 an arrow indicating the direction of the fluid flow is shown when the fluid flow is injected into the volume partial domain 15a. The fluid flow injected into the volume partial domain 15a flows towards the end of the device 5, where the overflow regions 19a and 19b are provided. Here, the first part of the discharged fluid flow enters the volume partial domain 15b via the fluid overflow region 19b, and the second part of the discharged fluid flow enters the volume partial domain 15d via the fluid overflow region 19a.[[]]

[0109] Then, the first portion of the first part of the discharged fluid flow flows back within the volume partial domain 15b and flows towards the other end of the device 15. The second portion of the first part of the discharged fluid flow enters the volume partial domain 15c via the fluid overflow region 19c.[[]]

[0110] Similarly, the first portion of the second part of the discharged fluid flow flows back within the volume partial domain 15d and flows towards the other end of the device 15. The second portion of the second part of the discharged fluid flow enters the volume partial domain 15c via the fluid overflow region 19d( Figure 4 not shown in the figure).[[]]

[0111] If the volume partial domains 15a to 15d of the discharged fluid change with time, a corresponding spatially and / or temporally alternating fluid flow is obtained within the volume domain 11. AsFigure 4 As shown by the curved arrow in

[0112] The feature elements disclosed in the specification, drawings and claims may be individually essential or essential in each combination for implementing the present invention in different embodiments of the present invention.

[0113] List of Reference Numerals

[0114] 1 Refractory tube

[0115] 3 Sleeve shaft

[0116] 5 Device

[0117] 7 Region

[0118] 9 Wall

[0119] 11 Volume domain

[0120] 13 Separation element

[0121] 15, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d Volume partial domain

[0122] 17 End

[0123] 19, 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d Region

[0124] A section

[0125] C Cross-section

[0126] D Distance.

Claims

1. A method for cooling the space around a sleeve shaft, which serves as a support for a refractory tube, in a glass tube drawing process, molten glass flows onto at least one surface area of the refractory tube along the refractory tube, wherein, at least one fluid flow is discharged from at least one fluid outlet at a fixed position relative to at least one rotating component in a direction towards at least one volume domain, the component including the refractory tube and the sleeve shaft, the sleeve shaft being non-rotatably connected to the refractory tube, the volume domain being at least partially enclosed between at least one outer surface area of the sleeve shaft and at least one inner surface area of the refractory tube, and the volume domain being provided with the sleeve shaft in a non-rotating manner, wherein, the volume domain is partitioned into a plurality of volume partial domains, the volume partial domains being at least partially fluidly connected to each other in pairs and / or region by region within the volume domain, and, an alternating fluid flow is generated within the volume domain or within a part of the volume domain, because at least a part of the fluid flow discharged from the fluid outlet is sequentially injected into different volume partial domains due to the rotation of the component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The amount of fluid discharged from the fluid outlet is between 20 liters per minute and 200 liters per minute, and / or the amount of fluid discharged from the fluid outlet is controlled according to the rotational speed of the component and / or according to the temperature measured at least partially between the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft and the inner surface area of the refractory tube, and / or wherein, the rotational speed of the component is between 10 revolutions per minute and 20 revolutions per minute.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The amount of fluid discharged from the fluid outlet is between 20 liters per minute and 100 liters per minute.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The amount of fluid discharged from the fluid outlet is between 90 liters per minute and 200 liters per minute.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The rotational speed of the component is between 13 revolutions per minute and 17 revolutions per minute.

6. A device for guiding at least one fluid along at least one outer surface region of a sleeve shaft, which serves as a support for a refractory tube, in a glass tube drawing process, molten glass flows onto at least one surface region of the refractory tube over the refractory tube, wherein, The device is arranged or can be arranged at least region by region in a non-rotating manner on the sleeve shaft and / or in the refractory tube, the device including: at least one outer wall, when the device is installed on the sleeve shaft, the outer wall having at least one radial distance from the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft at least region by region, and the outer wall defining at least one volume domain, the at least one volume domain being enclosed between the outer wall and the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft that is at least partially radially outward; and one or more partitioning elements, the one or more partitioning elements being at least partially arranged in the volume domain, the one or more partitioning elements partitioning the volume domain into a plurality of volume partial domains, the volume partial domains being at least partially fluidly connected to each other in pairs and / or region by region within the volume domain.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The outer wall is designed to be integral and / or the outer wall is at least partially hollow cylindrical, or, The outer wall is composed of a plurality of outer wall parts, when the device is installed on the sleeve shaft, the outer wall parts being at least partially spaced apart from each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The outer wall is composed of a plurality of outer wall parts, when the device is installed on the sleeve shaft, the outer wall parts being completely spaced apart from each other.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein, The outer wall is composed of a plurality of outer wall portions, wherein each of the outer wall portions defines one or more of the volume portion domains that are at least partially radially outward.

10. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The device is designed in a modular manner.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, When the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, a plurality of modules are arranged adjacent to each other around at least a part of the outer circumference of the sleeve shaft on the sleeve shaft, and / or each outer wall portion is composed of at least one module.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, At least one of the partition elements is composed of a part of at least one wall of at least one module, and / or the part of the wall extends in the axial and / or radial direction within the volume domain.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The partition element is composed of parts of two adjacent walls of two adjacent modules.

14. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The partition element includes at least one metal sheet, and the metal sheet is at least partially arranged within the volume domain, and / or The partition element extends from the inner circumferential side of the outer wall into the volume domain, the partition element forms a 90-degree angle with the outer wall, the partition element is designed to be integral with the outer wall, and / or when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, the partition element is arranged on the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft.

15. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The partition element includes at least one metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet extends in the axial and / or radial direction within the volume domain.

16. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, In the axial and / or radial extension direction, in at least one first end of the device, the partition element at least decreases region by region, so that at least one fluid overflow region for the fluid is provided in the volume domain, enabling the fluid to flow from at least one first volume portion domain to at least one second volume portion domain.

17. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The device includes two, three, four, five or more partition elements, and the two, three, four, five or more partition elements are arranged at equal angles along the inner circumference of the outer wall.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The device includes four partition elements, and the four partition elements are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees from each other around the inner circumference.

19. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, (i) The device includes at least one tapered second end, and / or (ii) the outer wall is tapered and widened at the second end of the device.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The device includes at least one tapered second end, and the second end is the end facing the fluid outlet and / or is the end opposite to the first end of the device.

21. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The volume domain is designed in at least one annular cross-sectional plane, and / or at least one volume portion domain is designed in a section of an annular cross-sectional plane.

22. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The device further includes at least one inner wall, and the volume domain is at least partially enclosed between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein when the device is mounted on the sleeve shaft, the inner wall at least region by region directly or indirectly contacts the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft, or can at least region by region directly or indirectly contact the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein The inner wall is at least partially arranged concentrically with the outer wall, and / or the partition element is connected to the inner wall and / or is formed integrally with the inner wall, and / or The device further includes at least one rear wall, and the rear wall at least partially defines the volume domain in the axial direction.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, The device further comprises at least one rear wall, which is at least partly connected to the outer wall, the inner wall and / or the separating element.

25. A sleeve shaft, comprising the device according to any one of claims 6 to 24, the device being mounted on at least one outer surface area of the sleeve shaft.

26. The sleeve shaft according to claim 25, wherein, The outer surface area of the sleeve shaft on which the device is mounted is partly or entirely covered with at least one insulating material.

27. The sleeve shaft according to claim 26, wherein, The insulating material is a fibrous nonwoven material.

28. The sleeve shaft according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein, The device extends axially through the sleeve shaft in at least one direction, the extension length being between 0.4 times and 0.8 times the length of the sleeve shaft.

29. The sleeve shaft according to claim 28, wherein, The device extends in at least one end of the sleeve shaft.

30. A refractory tube for a glass tube drawing process or for the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, inserting the sleeve shaft according to any one of claims 25 to 29 into the refractory tube.

31. The refractory tube according to claim 30, inserting the sleeve shaft coaxially into the refractory tube.

32. A system, comprising the sleeve shaft according to any one of claims 25 to 29 and / or the refractory tube according to claim 30 or 31, and the system further comprises at least one fluid outlet, which is in a fixed position relative to the rotating sleeve shaft and / or refractory tube, Among them, The system is configured such that at least one fluid stream can be discharged through the fluid outlet in a direction towards at least one volume domain, the volume domain being at least partly enclosed between at least one outer surface area of the sleeve shaft and at least one inner surface area of the refractory tube, the device according to any one of claims 6 to 24 being mounted on the sleeve shaft, and the volume domain being enclosed between the outer wall of the device and the outer surface area of the sleeve shaft.

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