A loose body dehydration system and dehydration method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dehydration system and a dehydration method for a loose body, wherein the dehydration system comprises: a sintering cylinder provided with an air inlet, the sintering cylinder further provided with a protective gas inlet, and the sintering cylinder further provided with a high-temperature dehydration zone between the air inlet and the protective gas inlet; an air jet device, the air jet device is connected to the protective gas inlet, the air jet device can spray protective gas along the protective gas inlet to form an air curtain, the air curtain is used to collect the gas introduced from the air inlet in the high-temperature dehydration zone; a rod feeding device, the rod feeding device is used to extend the loose body to the high-temperature dehydration zone in the sintering cylinder. The reaction gas is gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone through the air curtain, the concentration of the reaction gas is increased, and efficient dehydration of the loose body is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber manufacturing, and in particular to a loose body dehydration system. Background Art

[0002] At present, VAD (Vapour phase Axial Deposition) plus OVD (Outside Chemical Vapour Deposition) are commonly used to make optical fiber preforms. Among them, the OVD sintering process is the process of dehydrating and sintering the opaque loose body generated by OVD deposition to vitrify it and turn it into a transparent loose body.

[0003] In the related art, chlorine gas, helium gas, etc. are introduced from the bottom of the furnace, and the loose body is dehydrated by passing it through a high-temperature heating part in a mixed gas environment of high-purity helium and chlorine.

[0004] However, the existing dehydration efficiency is low, and a more efficient loose body dehydration device is needed. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiment of the present invention provides a loose body dehydration system to solve the problem of low loose body dehydration efficiency in the process of manufacturing optical fiber preform in the related art.

[0006] In a first aspect, a dehydration system for a loose body is provided, which comprises: a sintering cylinder provided with an air inlet, the sintering cylinder further provided with a protective gas inlet, and the sintering cylinder further provided with a high-temperature dehydration zone between the air inlet and the protective gas inlet; an injection device, the injection device is connected to the protective gas inlet, the injection device can inject protective gas along the protective gas inlet to form an air curtain, the air curtain is used to collect the gas introduced from the air inlet in the high-temperature dehydration zone; a rod feeding device, the rod feeding device is used to extend the loose body to the high-temperature dehydration zone in the sintering cylinder.

[0007] In some embodiments, the sintering cylinder is provided with a plurality of protective gas ports, and the protective gas ports are evenly spaced along the circumference of the sintering cylinder, and each of the protective gas ports is connected to the gas injection device.

[0008] In some embodiments, the sintering cylinder is provided with a plurality of vent pipes, wherein the vent pipes connect the protective gas port with the injection device, and the vent pipes extend radially along the sintering cylinder. The length of the vent pipes along the axial direction of the sintering cylinder is smaller than the length along the circumferential direction of the sintering cylinder, and the axial length of the vent pipes along the sintering cylinder is equal at all locations.

[0009] In some embodiments, the diameter of the ventilation tube gradually decreases in a direction away from the protective gas port.

[0010] In some embodiments, the rod feeding device includes a main shaft, which is used to clamp the loose body, and the main shaft is coaxial with the sintering cylinder.

[0011] In some embodiments, the sintering cylinder extends in a vertical direction, the air inlet is provided at the bottom of the sintering cylinder, the air inlet is connected to a reaction gas supply device, and the reaction gas supply device stores chlorine and helium for dehydrating the loose body.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rod feeding device can move along the axial direction of the sintering cylinder to pull the loose body from the high-temperature dehydration zone to a direction away from the air inlet.

[0013] In some embodiments, a heater is disposed outside the sintering cylinder. The heater is located on a side of the protective gas port close to the gas inlet. The heater is used to heat the sintering cylinder to form a high-temperature dehydration zone.

[0014] In some embodiments, the air inlet is connected to a first gas storage device, which is filled with helium and chlorine, and the jet device is connected to a second gas storage device, which is filled with the protective gas, which is helium.

[0015] In some embodiments, the sintering cylinder is provided with an exhaust port, and the exhaust port is located on a side of the protective gas port away from the gas inlet.

[0016] In the second aspect, a method for dehydrating a loose body using the above-mentioned dehydration system is provided, which includes the following steps: using a rod feeding device to extend the loose body to the high-temperature dehydration zone of the sintering cylinder; introducing a reaction gas into the air inlet, and spraying a protective gas into the sintering cylinder through a jet device to form a gas curtain, so that the reaction gas is gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone; after the temperature of the high-temperature dehydration zone rises and stabilizes to a first threshold value, the loose body is moved by the rod feeding device to dehydrate the loose body evenly.

[0017] In some embodiments, moving the loose body by a rod feeding device to uniformly dehydrate all parts of the loose body includes: moving the rod feeding device in a direction away from the air inlet to gradually move the loose body away from the air inlet.

[0018] The beneficial effects brought about by the technical solution provided by the present invention include:

[0019] The embodiment of the present invention provides a dehydration system and a dehydration method for a loose body. Since the dehydration system is provided with a high-temperature dehydration zone and an air inlet, and the loose body can be extended to the high-temperature dehydration zone through a rod feeding device, the reaction gas can be passed into the sintering cylinder through the air inlet to meet the dehydration of the loose body. By setting an injection device, a protective gas can be sprayed into the sintering cylinder to form a gas curtain, and the reaction gas is gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone to increase the concentration of the reaction gas. Thereby improving the efficiency of dehydration of the loose body. Therefore, the reaction gas is gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone through the gas curtain, the concentration of the reaction gas is increased, and efficient dehydration of the loose body is achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a loose body dehydration system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic top view of the structure of a loose body dehydration system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] In the figure:

[0024] 1. Sintering cylinder; 11. Air inlet; 12. Protective air outlet; 13. Exhaust outlet; 14. Heater;

[0025] 2. Jet device;

[0026] 3. Rod feeding device; 31. Spindle;

[0027] 4. Loose body;

[0028] 5. Ventilation pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention provide a loose body dehydration system and a dehydration method, which can solve the problem of low loose body dehydration efficiency in the related art.

[0031] See also Figure 1 As shown, a dehydration system for a loose body provided by an embodiment of the present invention may include: a sintering cylinder 1 provided with an air inlet 11, the sintering cylinder 1 also provided with a protective gas port 12, and the sintering cylinder 1 also provided with a high-temperature dehydration zone between the air inlet 11 and the protective gas port 12; an air jet device 2, the air jet device 2 is connected to the protective gas port 12, the air jet device 2 can spray protective gas along the protective gas port 12 to form a gas curtain, the gas curtain is used to collect the gas introduced from the air inlet 11 in the high-temperature dehydration zone; a rod feeding device 3, the rod feeding device 3 is used to extend the loose body 4 to the high-temperature dehydration zone in the sintering cylinder 1. When the loose body 4 needs to be dehydrated, the loose body 4 is fixed on the rod feeding device 3, and the rod feeding device 3 is used to extend the loose body 4 to the high-temperature dehydration zone of the sintering cylinder 1. The reaction gas for dehydration is passed to the air inlet 11 of the sintering cylinder 1, so as to achieve dehydration of the loose body 4 in a high-temperature environment. By providing a protective gas port 12 in the sintering cylinder 1, the gas injection device 2 can inject protective gas into the sintering cylinder 1 through the protective gas port 12 to form a gas curtain. Since the high-temperature dehydration zone is arranged between the gas inlet 11 and the protective gas port 12, the gas curtain formed by the gas injection device 2 will intercept the reaction gas introduced from the gas inlet 11 and gather it in the high-temperature dehydration zone, thereby increasing the concentration of the reaction gas in the high-temperature dehydration zone and allowing the loose body 4 to be fully replaced by gas. This shortens the time required for dehydration of the loose body 4 and improves the dehydration efficiency of the loose body 4. In this embodiment, the sintering cylinder 1 is provided with a plurality of protective gas ports 12, and the protective gas ports 12 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the sintering cylinder 1, so that the gas curtain has a better effect of intercepting the reaction gas. In other embodiments, the sintering cylinder 1 may also be provided with only one protective gas port 12. Since the protective gas port 12 introduces protective gas, it will not interfere with the dehydration reaction of the loose body 4, and can be recycled and used after dehydration. Compared with directly introducing the reaction gas for dehydration into the protective gas port 12 , the consumption of the reaction gas can be reduced.

[0032] See also Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the sintering cylinder 1 is provided with a plurality of protective gas ports 12, and the protective gas ports 12 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the sintering cylinder 1, and each of the protective gas ports 12 is connected to the gas injection device 2. By providing the protective gas ports 12 evenly spaced along the circumference of the sintering cylinder 1 to introduce protective gas into the sintering cylinder 1, the protective gas blown into the sintering cylinder 1 from all directions can reduce the weak positions of the gas curtain and better gather the reaction gas introduced from the gas inlet 11.

[0033] See also Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, in some optional embodiments, the sintering cylinder 1 is provided with a plurality of vent pipes 5, the vent pipes 5 connect the protective gas port 12 with the gas injection device 2, the vent pipes 5 extend along the radial direction of the sintering cylinder 1, the vent pipes 5 along the axial direction of the sintering cylinder 1 are shorter than the circumferential length of the vent pipes 5 along the sintering cylinder 1, and the axial length of the vent pipes 5 along the sintering cylinder 1 is equal at all places. In other words, the protective gas in the gas injection device 2 is guided into the sintering cylinder 1 by the flat vent pipes 5, and since the circumferential length of the vent pipes 5 along the sintering cylinder 1 is equal at all places, the thickness of the gas curtain formed by each protective gas port 12 can be the same, and the ability of each gas curtain to intercept the reaction gas is the same, which better ensures the uniform dehydration of each area of ​​the loose body 4. Since the axial length of the vent pipe 5 along the sintering cylinder 1 is shorter than the circumferential length thereof, a long and flat gas curtain can be formed through the vent pipe 5. By reducing the axial length, when the jetting device 2 jets the same flow rate of protective gas, the density of the gas curtain is higher, and a better effect of gathering the reaction gas can be achieved, thereby reducing the probability of the reaction gas passing through the gas curtain.

[0034] See also Figure 2 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the diameter of the vent pipe 5 gradually decreases as it moves away from the protective air port 12. By setting the vent pipe 5 to have a gradually decreasing diameter, the jet port of the jet device 2 can be set smaller, thereby reducing the difficulty of sealing the vent pipe 5 and the jet device 2 without affecting the shape of the air curtain.

[0035] See also Figure 1 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the rod feeding device 3 includes a main shaft 31, and the main shaft 31 is used to clamp the loose body 4, and the main shaft 31 is coaxial with the sintering cylinder 1. That is, the axis of the main shaft 31 is colinear with the central axis of the sintering cylinder 1. By clamping the loose body 4 with the main shaft 31 coaxial with the sintering cylinder 1, the loose body 4 can be placed in the central area of ​​the sintering cylinder 1. Since the protective gas ports 12 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the sintering cylinder 1, the gas curtain density in all directions of the loose body 4 at the axial position of the sintering cylinder 1 is roughly equal. The gas curtains in all directions can gather reaction gases of roughly the same concentration. Better ensure that the dehydration efficiency of the loose body 4 is the same everywhere.

[0036] See also Figure 1As shown, in some optional embodiments, the sintering cylinder 1 extends in the vertical direction, the air inlet 11 is arranged at the bottom of the sintering cylinder 1, and the air inlet 11 is connected to a reaction gas supply device, and the reaction gas supply device stores chlorine and helium for dehydrating the loose body 4. That is to say, by extending the sintering cylinder 1 vertically and arranging the air inlet 11 at the bottom of the sintering cylinder 1, the density of chlorine is relatively large when the reaction gas supply device sprays chlorine, and the probability of passing through the air curtain under the action of gravity is lower, so that the high-temperature dehydration area at the bottom of the air curtain is more likely to gather a larger concentration of chlorine, thereby improving the dehydration efficiency of the loose body 4. In this embodiment, the chlorine stored in the reaction gas supply device is high-purity chlorine, and high-purity helium is also stored in the reaction gas supply device. During the dehydration process of the loose body 4, the reaction gas supply device passes high-purity helium and high-purity chlorine into the sintering cylinder 1 together to achieve dehydration of the loose body 4. In other embodiments, the reaction gas supply device may further store gases other than chlorine and helium that are beneficial to the dehydration of the loose body 4 .

[0037] See also Figure 1 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the rod feeding device 3 can move axially along the sintering cylinder 1 to pull the loose body 4 from the high-temperature dehydration zone to the direction away from the air inlet 11. The loose body 4 is pulled from the high-temperature dehydration zone to the direction away from the air inlet 11 by axial movement of the rod feeding device 3. The various parts of the loose body 4 are sequentially contacted with the high-concentration area of ​​the reaction gas where the gas curtain converges, and the various parts of the loose body 4 are sequentially dehydrated by moving the rod feeding device 3 at a uniform speed. Compared with the original dehydration device that requires the rod feeding device 3 to move downward for dehydration, dehydration from bottom to top can be achieved, and the loose body 4 can be moved out from above the high-temperature dehydration zone after dehydration. There is no need to pass the loose body 4 through the high-temperature dehydration zone again. The efficiency of dehydration is improved.

[0038] See also Figure 1 As shown, in some optional embodiments, a heater 14 is provided outside the sintering cylinder 1, and the heater 14 is located on the side of the protective gas port 12 close to the air inlet 11, and the heater 14 is used to heat the sintering cylinder 1 to form a high-temperature dehydration zone. In other words, the high-temperature dehydration zone of the sintering cylinder 1 is formed by heating by the heater 14, and the dehydration of the loose body 4 can be satisfied by controlling the working state of the heater 14. In this embodiment, the sintering cylinder 1 is glass, and after dehydration, the heater 14 will be controlled to gradually cool down and stand by for heat preservation to avoid the sintering cylinder 1 with a glass structure from suddenly cooling down and breaking. In this embodiment, the heater 14 surrounds the sintering cylinder 1. The sintering cylinder 1 is heated in an annular direction. The temperature of the high-temperature dehydration zone is made uniform.

[0039] Lieutenant General Figure 1As shown, in some optional embodiments, the air inlet 11 is connected to a first gas storage device, in which helium and chlorine are installed, and the jet device 2 is connected to a second gas storage device, in which the protective gas is installed, and the protective gas is helium. Helium and chlorine are introduced into the sintering cylinder 1 through the air inlet 11 to achieve dehydration of the loose body 4. Helium is sprayed into the sintering cylinder 1 through the jet device 2 to form a helium gas ring, and the helium and chlorine introduced into the air inlet are gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone to improve the dehydration efficiency of the loose body 4. In this embodiment, high-purity helium and high-purity chlorine are stored in the first gas storage device, and high-purity helium is stored in the second gas storage device.

[0040] See also Figure 1 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the sintering cylinder 1 is provided with an exhaust port 13, and the exhaust port 13 is located on a side of the protective gas port 12 away from the gas inlet 11. That is, by providing the exhaust port 13 on a side of the sintering cylinder 1 away from the gas inlet 11, an air flow channel is formed inside the sintering cylinder 1, thereby improving the fluidity of the reaction gas.

[0041] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for dehydrating a loose body using the above-mentioned dehydration system, which includes the following steps: using a rod feeding device 3 to extend the loose body 4 to the high-temperature dehydration zone of the sintering cylinder 1; introducing a reaction gas into the air inlet 11, and spraying a protective gas into the sintering cylinder 1 through the jet device 2 to form a gas curtain, so that the reaction gas is gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone; after the temperature of the high-temperature dehydration zone rises and stabilizes to a first threshold value, the loose body 4 is moved by the rod feeding device 3 to dehydrate the loose body 4 evenly.

[0042] The loose body 4 is moved to the high-temperature dehydration zone of the sintering cylinder 1, so that the loose body 4 is at the dehydration temperature. The protective gas introduced through the protective gas port 12 forms a gas curtain, which gathers the reaction gas used for the reaction of the loose body 4 in the high-temperature dehydration zone under the protective gas port 12, thereby increasing the concentration of the reaction gas when the loose body 4 is dehydrated, thereby improving the efficiency of the dehydration of the loose body. In this embodiment, after the temperature in the high-temperature dehydration zone is heated and stabilized at 1100°C to 1200°C, the loose body 4 is dehydrated.

[0043] In some optional embodiments, moving the loose body 4 by the rod feeding device 3 so that all parts of the loose body 4 are evenly dehydrated includes: the rod feeding device 3 moves in a direction away from the air inlet 11 so that the loose body 4 gradually moves away from the air inlet 11. That is, by moving the loose body 4 away from the air inlet 11 so that all parts of the loose body 4 are in contact with the high-concentration reaction gas gathered by the air curtain, the H2O and OH generated during dehydration can be efficiently replaced. - ions. This increases the speed of the spindle movement, achieves faster dehydration, and improves production efficiency.

[0044] The principles of a loose body dehydration system and a dehydration method provided by the present invention are as follows:

[0045] The air curtain formed by the jet device 2 gathers the reaction gas introduced from the air inlet 11 in the high-temperature dehydration zone, so that the loose body 4 can be exposed to a higher concentration of reaction gas during the dehydration process, thereby accelerating the replacement dehydration and improving the dehydration efficiency of the loose body 4.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific position, be constructed and operated in a specific position, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] It should be noted that, in the present invention, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0048] The foregoing is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, which enables those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A loose body dehydration system, characterized in that: It includes: A sintering cylinder (1) provided with an air inlet (11), the sintering cylinder (1) further provided with a protective air inlet (12), the sintering cylinder (1) further provided with a high-temperature dehydration zone between the air inlet (11) and the protective air inlet (12); an air jet device (2), the air jet device (2) being connected to the protective gas port (12), the air jet device (2) being capable of jetting protective gas along the protective gas port (12) to form an air curtain, the air curtain being used to collect the gas introduced through the air inlet (11) in the high-temperature dehydration zone; A rod feeding device (3), the rod feeding device (3) being used to extend the loose body (4) to a high-temperature dehydration zone in the sintering cylinder (1); The sintering cylinder (1) is provided with a plurality of protective gas ports (12), and the protective gas ports (12) are evenly spaced along the circumference of the sintering cylinder (1), and each of the protective gas ports (12) is connected to the gas injection device (2); The sintering cylinder (1) is provided with a plurality of ventilation pipes (5), the ventilation pipes (5) connecting the protective gas port (12) with the gas injection device (2), the ventilation pipes (5) extending in the radial direction of the sintering cylinder (1), the length of the ventilation pipes (5) along the axial direction of the sintering cylinder (1) being shorter than the length along the circumferential direction of the sintering cylinder (1), and the axial length of the ventilation pipes (5) along the sintering cylinder (1) is equal at all locations; A heater (14) is arranged outside the sintering cylinder (1), and the heater (14) is located on a side of the protective gas port (12) close to the gas inlet (11). The heater (14) is used to heat the sintering cylinder (1) to form a high-temperature dehydration zone.

2. The dehydration system of loose body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the ventilation pipe (5) gradually decreases in a direction away from the protective gas port (12).

3. The dehydration system of loose body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rod feeding device (3) comprises a main shaft (31), the main shaft (31) is used to clamp the loose body (4), and the main shaft (31) is coaxial with the sintering cylinder (1).

4. The dehydration system of loose bodies according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sintering cylinder (1) extends in a vertical direction, the air inlet (11) is arranged at the bottom of the sintering cylinder (1), the air inlet (11) is connected to a reaction gas supply device, and the reaction gas supply device stores chlorine and helium for dehydrating the loose body (4).

5. The dehydration system of loose bodies according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rod feeding device (3) can move along the axial direction of the sintering cylinder (1) and is used to pull the loose body (4) from the high-temperature dehydration zone to a direction away from the air inlet (11).

6. A method for dehydrating a loose body using the dehydration system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: Using a rod feeding device (3) to extend the loose body (4) to a high-temperature dehydration zone of a sintering cylinder (1); A reaction gas is introduced into the gas inlet (11), and a protective gas is sprayed into the sintering cylinder (1) through the spray device (2) to form a gas curtain, so that the reaction gas is gathered in the high-temperature dehydration zone; After the temperature of the high-temperature dehydration zone rises and stabilizes to a first threshold value, the loose body (4) is moved by the rod feeding device (3) so that all parts of the loose body (4) are evenly dehydrated.

7. The dehydration method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method of moving the loose body (4) by means of the rod feeding device (3) so that all parts of the loose body (4) are evenly dehydrated comprises: The rod feeding device (3) moves in a direction away from the air inlet (11), so that the loose body (4) gradually moves away from the air inlet (11).

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