Optical fiber preparation method and method for determining key influence factors of tensile strength

Through the synergy between natural light and ultraviolet light, combined with adaptive light adjustment and PID control, the fiber curing strategy is optimized, which solves the high cost and health risks of ultraviolet curing in the existing technology, and improves the tensile strength and communication system of the optical fiber stability.

CN119100581APending Publication Date: 2024-12-10WUHAN BRIGHTCORE OPTICAL FIBER CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411254641.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-09-09
Publication Date
2024-12-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the existing optical fiber preparation technology, ultraviolet light is required to cure the coating layer, which leads to high costs, high energy consumption, and poses hidden dangers to the environment and operator health. At the same time, optical fibers may lead to performance degradation when processing thermally sensitive materials.

Method used

Natural light is used for irradiation of optical fibers, combined with ultraviolet primary curing and natural light secondary curing, and through adaptive light adjustment and PID control algorithms, the curing strategy is optimized to improve tensile strength and reduce costs and energy consumption.

Benefits of technology

It improves the tensile strength and reliability of optical fibers, reduces the redundancy of preparation and storage conditions, enhances the stability and economy of optical fiber communication systems, and avoids the risk of using ultraviolet light equipment.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides an optical fiber preparation method and a method for determining key influence factors of tensile strength. The method comprises the following steps: heating a sintered preform until the preform is softened; drawing the softened preform into a fiber core and a cladding, and coating the surface of the cladding with a high polymer material in the drawing process; curing the high polymer material to obtain the optical fiber; and irradiating the optical fiber by using natural light until the tensile strength of the irradiated optical fiber reaches the standard. The invention creatively provides a method for irradiating the optical fiber by adopting natural light to cure the coating layer, and the tensile strength of the optical fiber can be improved in a simple, convenient, low-cost and economical manner, so that the performance and reliability of the optical fiber can be improved, the redundancy of preparation and storage conditions of a client can be reduced, and the service life of the optical fiber can be prolonged. In addition, the stability, the economical efficiency and the user experience of the whole optical fiber communication system are positively influenced, and the technical prejudice that ultraviolet irradiation is needed for curing in the current preparation process is overcome.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber preparation, and in particular to an optical fiber preparation method and a method for determining key influencing factors of tensile strength. Background Art

[0002] Communication optical fiber is a key component in the field of modern communications, with advantages such as high-speed transmission, large capacity and anti-interference. In the manufacturing and application process of communication optical fiber, tensile strength is an important performance indicator, which has a significant impact on the performance and reliability of communication optical fiber. Tensile strength refers to the maximum force that an optical fiber can withstand when subjected to tensile force, and is an important indicator for measuring the mechanical strength of optical fiber. Therefore, in the manufacturing and application process of communication optical fiber, attention should be paid to improving the tensile strength of optical fiber, providing a scientific basis for the storage and use of the corresponding optical fiber, ensuring its environmental adaptability and reliability, and meeting the growing communication needs.

[0003] At present, optical fibers generally include a core and a cladding. The core is used to transmit optical signals, while the cladding has a different refractive index from the core and is used to seal the optical signal in the core for transmission while protecting the core. However, optical fibers are hard and brittle, and are very easy to break when bent. Therefore, a coating layer needs to be added to the outer surface of the cladding as a protective layer. Ultraviolet light is needed to improve the curing level of the polymer material during the formation of the optical fiber coating.

[0004] Generating and extracting ultraviolet light to improve the curing level of polymer materials requires a lot of expense to transform traditional thermal curing equipment. UV curing equipment consumes a lot of electricity. Since the service life of UV lamps is limited, replacing lamps will increase maintenance costs.

[0005] In addition, ultraviolet lamps produce ozone and other harmful gases, and ultraviolet light is harmful to human skin and eyes, resulting in the potential for existing optical fiber processing equipment to cause harm to the environment and the health of operators.

[0006] Additionally, optical fiber or other substrate materials may be heat sensitive, and the heat from the UV curing process may cause the material to deform or degrade. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention provides an optical fiber preparation method and a method for determining key influencing factors of tensile strength, so as to overcome the technical bias of the prior art that ultraviolet light must be used to achieve coating curing during optical fiber preparation.

[0008] The present invention provides a method for preparing an optical fiber, comprising the following steps: heating the sintered preform rod until it softens; Under high temperature, the softened preform is drawn into a fiber core and a cladding, and a polymer material is coated on the surface of the cladding during the drawing process; After curing the polymer material, an optical fiber is obtained, wherein the polymer material forms a coating layer coated on the surface of the fiber core after curing; The optical fiber is irradiated with natural light until it is determined that the tensile strength of the irradiated optical fiber meets the standard.

[0009] According to an optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention, before irradiating the optical fiber with natural light until determining that the tensile strength of the optical fiber after irradiation meets the standard, the method further comprises: irradiating the optical fiber with ultraviolet light to perform a primary curing on the polymer material; The optical fiber is irradiated with the natural light to perform secondary curing on the polymer material.

[0010] According to a method for preparing an optical fiber provided by the present invention, while irradiating the optical fiber with natural light, the method further comprises: Determine a target curing strategy according to the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard, wherein the target curing strategy includes the ultraviolet irradiation time, the natural light irradiation time and the irradiation intensity ratio; According to the target curing strategy, the adaptive light adjustment device is controlled to adjust the setting parameters of the ultraviolet generating device and the shading opening and shading duration of the shading device, wherein the shading device is used to adjust the illumination intensity of natural light; Real-time monitoring of the real-time tensile strength of the optical fiber during the curing process of the polymer material; A PID control algorithm is used to adjust the target curing strategy according to the real-time tensile strength until it is determined that the real-time tensile strength reaches the curing target value.

[0011] According to an optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention, the target curing strategy is determined according to the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard, including: The optimization goal is defined as minimizing the total irradiation time and energy consumption, and the tensile strength of the optical fiber is greater than the curing target value, and the constraint conditions are determined according to the current weather data and equipment operation restrictions, and a mathematical model is established; The mathematical model is solved to formulate the target solidification strategy according to the searched global optimal solution.

[0012] According to a method for preparing an optical fiber provided by the present invention, before irradiating the optical fiber with natural light, the method further comprises: A light absorber is applied on the coating layer.

[0013] According to a method for preparing an optical fiber provided by the present invention, the optical fiber is irradiated with natural light until it is determined that the tensile strength of the optical fiber after irradiation meets the standard, comprising: According to the material properties of the polymer material, determining the total amount of curing light intensity and the curing light intensity threshold when the tensile strength meets the standard; During the irradiation process, the light intensity is monitored in real time; When it is determined that the light intensity is greater than the curing light intensity threshold, calculating the cumulative effective irradiation time; When it is determined that the cumulative effective irradiation time is greater than the total curing light intensity, stopping the irradiation; The light intensity is obtained by inputting the sun altitude angle and current weather data into a light intensity prediction model; the light intensity prediction model is obtained after training with historical preparation data.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength, comprising: Setting multiple groups of different environmental factor combinations that affect the tensile strength of optical fibers, wherein the environmental factor combinations include one or more of temperature, humidity, and natural light; Using the environmental factor combinations respectively to perform optical fiber tensile strength tests, and obtaining tensile strength test values ​​corresponding to each group of environmental factor combinations; According to the change of the tensile strength test value, it is determined from all environmental factors that the key influencing factor for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber is to irradiate the optical fiber with natural light.

[0015] According to the method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention, the method of setting multiple groups of different environmental factors that affect the tensile strength of optical fiber includes: Set the temperature to high temperature, the natural light to avoid light, and adjust the humidity to different levels to form a combination of multiple environmental factors, where the high temperature refers to a temperature exceeding a first threshold; Set the humidity to high humidity and the natural light to avoid light, and form a combination of multiple environmental factors by adjusting different temperatures, wherein the high humidity means that the humidity exceeds the second threshold; Set the temperature to normal, the humidity to normal, and the natural light to one of normal light, light avoidance, and accelerated natural light. By adjusting the exposure time of different natural lights, multiple environmental factor combinations are formed. The normal temperature and the normal humidity are theoretical temperature and theoretical humidity that do not affect the tensile strength of the optical fiber coating layer.

[0016] According to the method for determining the key influencing factors of the tensile strength of an optical fiber provided by the present invention, the key influencing factor for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber is determined from all environmental factors according to the change of the tensile strength test value to be increasing natural light, including: Placing a first preset number of test optical fibers in a high temperature but different humidity environment, storing them in a light-proof environment for a first preset time, obtaining a first set of tensile strength test values ​​before and after the placement, and determining a first test result according to changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the first tensile strength test set before and after the placement; Placing a second preset number of test optical fibers in a high humidity but different temperature environment, storing them in a light-proof state for a second preset time, and obtaining a second set of tensile strength test values ​​before and after the placement, so as to determine a second test result according to the change of the tensile strength test values ​​in the second tensile strength test combination before and after the placement; Placing a third preset number of test optical fibers in a normal temperature and humidity environment, respectively, and adopting light-proof storage for a third preset time and normal irradiation storage for a third preset time, respectively, to obtain a third tensile strength test value set, so as to determine a third test result according to changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the third tensile strength test combination before and after the light-proof storage and the normal irradiation storage; Placing a fourth preset number of test optical fibers under a normal temperature and humidity environment, respectively, using normal light storage for a fourth preset time and accelerated natural light storage for a fourth preset time, respectively, to obtain a fourth tensile strength test value set, so as to determine a fourth test result according to changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the fourth tensile strength test set before and after the normal light storage and the accelerated natural light storage; The key influencing factor is determined from all the environmental factors by comprehensively analyzing the first test result, the second test result, the third test result and the fourth test result.

[0017] According to the method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention, when determining key influencing factors for improving optical fiber tensile strength, the method further includes: Winding the test optical fiber onto an optical fiber reel; The optical fiber disc is placed in a normal temperature and humidity environment and stored away from light for a fifth preset time period, and a fifth tensile strength test value set is obtained, so as to determine a fifth test result according to changes in tensile strength test values ​​of some optical fibers to be tested located at different depths of the optical fiber disc in the fifth tensile strength test set before and after the placement; The key influencing factor is determined from all the environmental factors by comprehensively analyzing the first test result, the second test result, the third test result, the fourth test result and the fifth test result.

[0018] The optical fiber preparation method and the method for determining the key influencing factors of tensile strength provided by the present invention creatively propose a method of irradiating the optical fiber with natural light to solidify the coating layer, which can improve the tensile strength of the optical fiber in a simple, low-cost and economical manner, not only helping to improve the performance and reliability of the optical fiber itself, and reducing the redundancy of the preparation and storage conditions of the client, but also having a positive impact on the stability, economy and user experience of the entire optical fiber communication system, and overcoming the current technical prejudice that ultraviolet light irradiation is required for curing during the preparation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the process of the optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic flow chart of a method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the key influencing factors test for optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is the second schematic diagram of the key influencing factor test of optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings 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.

[0023] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variant 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 "include one..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements. The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower" and the like is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is 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 orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of 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 skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0024] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of the same type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0025] In the manufacturing and application process of communication optical fiber, tensile strength is an important performance indicator, which has a significant impact on the performance and reliability of communication optical fiber. During the manufacturing, transportation, installation and maintenance of optical fiber, it will be subjected to various forces, such as stretching, compression, bending and torsion. If the tensile strength of the optical fiber is insufficient, it is easy to break, damage and other problems, affecting the service life and reliability of the optical fiber. It is an important indicator to ensure the mechanical properties of the optical fiber.

[0026] At the same time, optical fibers with high tensile strength have better durability and can withstand longer periods of use and harsher environmental conditions. In optical fiber communication systems, optical fibers need to withstand the influence of various environmental factors, especially since today's optical fiber cable lines need to cross long distances in uninhabited areas. If unmanned relay stations are established, it will be expensive and difficult to maintain. If the tensile strength of the optical fiber is insufficient, such as if it is affected by environmental factors such as temperature and humidity changes, light, and pressure, it may experience problems such as aging and degradation, affecting the performance and reliability of the optical fiber. Similarly, optical fibers with high tensile strength have better geometric stability and optical properties, which can ensure that the optical fiber does not undergo significant deformation and loss under the action of force.

[0027] In optical fiber communication systems, the transmission performance of optical fiber has an important impact on the performance of the entire system. If the tensile strength of the optical fiber is insufficient, loss problems are likely to occur, affecting the transmission performance of the optical fiber and the reliability of the system.

[0028] On the contrary, improving the tensile strength can enhance the mechanical strength, reliability and life of the optical fiber, so that the optical fiber can withstand greater forces and harsher environmental conditions, which can reduce the problems of optical fiber breakage and damage, and improve the service life and reliability of the optical fiber. Secondly, improving the tensile strength can also reduce the problems that occur during the installation and maintenance of the optical fiber, such as breakage and damage, which can improve the installation and maintenance efficiency of the optical fiber and reduce maintenance costs and downtime. Furthermore, improving the tensile strength can ensure that the optical fiber does not undergo obvious deformation and loss under the action of force, thereby ensuring the transmission performance of the optical fiber and the reliability of the system, which can improve the transmission rate and capacity of the optical fiber and meet the growing communication needs. Finally, improving the tensile strength can reduce the problems of optical fiber breakage and damage, and reduce the replacement and maintenance costs of the optical fiber.

[0029] In summary, tensile strength plays an important role in communication optical fiber, and improving tensile strength also has important advantages for communication optical fiber. Therefore, in the manufacturing, storage, transportation and application of communication optical fiber, attention should be paid to some key factors affecting tensile strength, so as to provide a scientific basis for the storage and use of corresponding optical fiber, and then improve the tensile strength of optical fiber in a planned way, ensure its environmental adaptability and reliability, and meet the growing communication needs.

[0030] The optical fiber mainly includes a core, a cladding and a coating. The core is the core part of the optical fiber and is used to transmit optical signals. The layer or layers of material surrounding the core have a different refractive index from the core and are used to seal the optical signal in the core for transmission and protect the core. The coating formed by curing the layer or layers of polymer material surrounding the cladding is used to protect the optical fiber from external mechanical damage and environmental factors. The main improvement of the present invention is to improve the curing effect of the polymer material by irradiating with natural light, thereby improving the overall tensile strength of the optical fiber.

[0031] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 4 The present invention describes the optical fiber preparation method and the method for determining the key influencing factors of tensile strength, aiming to illustrate that the present invention has found through multi-angle experiments that irradiating the optical fiber with natural light can effectively improve the curing effect of its coating layer, especially produce a certain enhancement effect on the improvement of the tensile strength of the optical fiber.

[0032] It should be noted that the measurement units of some parameters appearing in the subsequent embodiments are explained in advance, among which the measurement unit of temperature is unified as Celsius (℃); the measurement unit of humidity is unified as relative humidity, recorded as (RH%), which indicates the proportion of the vapor content relative to the maximum amount of water vapor that the air may contain at that temperature; the unit of length and depth is unified as kilometer (km); the unit of tensile strength is unified as gigapascal (Gpa). The measurement units of the above parameters are assumed to be so unless otherwise specified.

[0033] In addition, when changes in tensile strength occur in the embodiments of the specification, a positive value indicates that the tensile strength has been improved, whereas a negative value indicates that the tensile strength has been deteriorated.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the process of preparing an optical fiber provided by the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, including but not limited to the following steps: Step 101, heat the sintered preform rod to soften. This step is a key link in the optical fiber manufacturing process. The purpose is to heat the preform rod (made of glass or specific materials, with the optical fiber structure designed inside) to its softening point so that it can be deformed without breaking under the action of external force. The temperature control of this step is extremely important and needs to be precisely controlled to avoid damage to the material structure due to overheating or ineffective stretching due to insufficient temperature.

[0035] Good preform quality and appropriate softening temperature are the basis for the smooth progress of subsequent steps, which indirectly affects the final properties of the optical fiber, including tensile strength.

[0036] The timing of the generation of the optical fiber cladding may be during the drawing process, that is, the preform rod is composed of core material and cladding material, and the cladding material has not yet been completely solidified or is in a flowable state. In this way, during the drawing process of the preform rod, the preform rod is gradually elongated and thinned, and the cladding material is gradually solidified during the drawing process and tightly wrapped around the core material to form a complete optical fiber structure.

[0037] The generation of optical fiber cladding can also be a subsequent process, that is, a special process is set up to apply the cladding material, by evenly applying the specific cladding material on the outside of the already cured coating layer and fixing it on the optical fiber by some means (such as heat curing).

[0038] Since the core of the optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention does not lie in how to prepare the cladding, the subsequent embodiments are all described using the timing of generating the optical fiber cladding during the drawing process as an example, which is not regarded as a specific limitation on the protection scope of the present invention.

[0039] Step 102, drawing the softened preform rod into a fiber core and a cladding under high temperature, and coating the surface of the cladding with a polymer material during the drawing process.

[0040] The preform is sent into a high-temperature furnace and heated to a suitable temperature so that both the core material and the cladding material can be softened and drawn. During the drawing process, the preform is gradually elongated and thinned by precisely controlling the temperature and drawing speed. At the same time, the cladding material gradually solidifies and tightly wraps around the core material during the drawing process to form a complete optical fiber structure. During the entire process, the diameter of the optical fiber and the thickness of the cladding can be controlled by adjusting the drawing speed and temperature to meet the design requirements.

[0041] Step 103, curing the polymer material to obtain an optical fiber, wherein the polymer material is cured to form a coating layer coated on the surface of the fiber core.

[0042] After drawing, the optical fiber is coated to protect it from damage by the external environment. The polymer material used for coating is usually a polymer, which is applied to the surface of the optical fiber by dipping or spraying.

[0043] In this step, the polymer material coated on the surface of the fiber core needs to be initially cured to form a coating layer to provide a certain mechanical force protection for the optical fiber so that it has a certain tensile strength.

[0044] Step 104: irradiate the optical fiber with natural light until it is determined that the tensile strength of the optical fiber after irradiation meets the standard.

[0045] This step is the key to improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber in the present invention. The coated and preliminarily cured optical fiber is exposed to natural light, and the coating layer is further cured by long-term irradiation, and the bonding force between the optical fiber and the coating layer may be enhanced through a certain mechanism (such as photopolymerization, photocrosslinking, etc.), thereby further improving the overall tensile strength of the optical fiber. Parameters such as irradiation time and light intensity can be optimized based on experimental data to ensure that the tensile strength of the optical fiber meets the design requirements.

[0046] At present, it is generally believed in the art that ultraviolet light irradiation is required to realize polymer materials, mainly using ultraviolet light to excite photoinitiators in polymer materials to initiate cross-linking reactions, thereby solidifying the materials.

[0047] Unlike the prior art, the present invention creatively discovered that the curing problem of polymer materials can be solved by natural light irradiation alone without relying on ultraviolet light equipment. The advantage of this change is that it overcomes the inherent prejudice in this field, is low-cost, easy to operate, and natural light is everywhere, which is convenient for implementation in a variety of environments. At the same time, the present invention adopts natural light curing and avoids the use of ultraviolet light equipment, which not only reduces equipment costs and energy consumption, but also avoids the adverse effects that ultraviolet light may have on certain materials (such as aging, yellowing, etc.). At the same time, the natural light curing process is more gentle, which may be more conducive to maintaining the stability and performance of optical fiber materials.

[0048] The optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention creatively proposes a method of using natural light to irradiate the optical fiber to solidify the coating layer, which can improve the tensile strength of the optical fiber in a simple, low-cost and economical way. It not only helps to improve the performance and reliability of the optical fiber itself, and reduce the redundancy of the preparation and storage conditions of the client, but also has a positive impact on the stability, economy and user experience of the entire optical fiber communication system, and overcomes the current technical prejudice that ultraviolet light irradiation is required for curing during the preparation process.

[0049] Based on the content of the above embodiment, as an optional embodiment, before irradiating the optical fiber with natural light until it is determined that the tensile strength of the optical fiber after irradiation meets the standard, it also includes: irradiating the optical fiber with ultraviolet light to perform a primary curing on the polymer material; The optical fiber is irradiated with the natural light to perform secondary curing on the polymer material.

[0050] Another optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention can divide the curing of the coating layer into two stages, namely, primary curing by ultraviolet light and secondary curing by sunlight, mainly considering the following aspects: UV curing has the characteristics of rapid curing, which can quickly cure materials such as photosensitive resins in a short time, thus improving production efficiency. In the key stages of optical fiber preparation, such as the initial curing of the coating, UV curing can ensure that the coating quickly reaches the required strength and stability.

[0051] Although UV curing has the advantages of high efficiency and rapidity, long-term exposure to UV light may have certain effects on human health. Waste gas and waste liquid generated during UV curing may also pollute the environment. In contrast, natural light curing is safer and more environmentally friendly. It does not require additional energy and equipment investment, and does not produce harmful waste gas, waste liquid and other pollutants.

[0052] Although the speed of natural light curing is slower than that of UV light curing, in certain stages, such as the storage, transportation and pre-processing of optical fibers, the use of natural light for secondary curing can reduce costs without the need for additional UV light equipment and energy consumption.

[0053] The spectral composition of natural light is more complex. In addition to ultraviolet light, it also includes visible light and infrared light. Although there is no clear experimental data to support this, experimental results show that these different wavelengths of light may have different effects on optical fiber materials, such as promoting certain chemical reactions or improving the physical properties of the material. Therefore, during the storage, transportation and pretreatment stages of optical fibers, the use of natural light for secondary curing does further improve the tensile strength and other mechanical properties of optical fibers.

[0054] The present invention combines ultraviolet light curing with natural light curing, and can flexibly select the curing method according to the different stages and specific needs of optical fiber preparation. This staged curing strategy helps to optimize the entire preparation process and improve the quality and performance of the optical fiber. During the storage and transportation of optical fibers, various complex environmental conditions may be encountered. Secondary curing with natural light can make the optical fiber better adapt to these environmental conditions and improve the environmental adaptability and reliability of the optical fiber.

[0055] Specifically, after the optical fiber is cured once using ultraviolet light, the optical fiber is placed under natural light or standard sunlight for storage. For example, the optical fiber is exposed to natural light or standard sunlight for a period of time (such as several days to several months), and the polymer material on the surface of the optical fiber is cured twice using continuous exposure to natural light until it is determined that the tensile strength test result of the optical fiber after the secondary curing meets the standard.

[0056] Compared with other methods for improving the tensile strength of optical fibers (such as extracting ultraviolet light for separate curing), the optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention does not require additional equipment investment and energy consumption for natural light secondary curing, which greatly reduces costs. The optical fiber that has undergone secondary curing is more adaptable to environmental changes (such as temperature and humidity changes) and can be deployed and used in a wider geographical area in a more economical way.

[0057] Based on the content of the above embodiment, as an optional embodiment, while irradiating the optical fiber with natural light, it also includes: Determine a target curing strategy according to the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard, wherein the target curing strategy includes the ultraviolet irradiation time, the natural light irradiation time and the irradiation intensity ratio; According to the target curing strategy, the adaptive light adjustment device is controlled to adjust the setting parameters of the ultraviolet generating device and the shading opening and shading duration of the shading device, wherein the shading device is used to adjust the illumination intensity of natural light; Real-time monitoring of the real-time tensile strength of the optical fiber during the curing process of the polymer material; A PID control algorithm is used to adjust the target curing strategy according to the real-time tensile strength until it is determined that the real-time tensile strength reaches the curing target value.

[0058] In order to further enhance the effect of improving the tensile strength of optical fibers and achieve more precise control, an optional embodiment can be introduced, which combines the synergistic effect of natural light and ultraviolet irradiation, and optimizes the light treatment process through intelligent control strategies. While using natural light to irradiate the optical fiber, a comprehensive target curing strategy is designed and implemented based on the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data, and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard. This strategy not only covers the duration and intensity of natural light irradiation, but also introduces ultraviolet irradiation as a supplement, and achieves the best effect of improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber by accurately controlling the duration of ultraviolet irradiation, the duration of natural light irradiation, and the ratio of irradiation intensity between them.

[0059] First, conduct a detailed analysis of the polymer material of the optical fiber coating to understand its curing characteristics, photosensitivity, and reaction under different lighting conditions. Tools such as light intensity meters can be used to collect real-time data on the current natural light intensity and ultraviolet light intensity. At the same time, based on the tensile strength requirements of optical fiber products, a reasonable curing target value is set, which should ensure that the optical fiber has sufficient mechanical strength during use.

[0060] Then, based on the material properties, light intensity data and curing target value, a target curing strategy including UV irradiation time, natural light irradiation time and irradiation intensity ratio is formulated. An adaptive light adjustment device is configured, including a UV generator and a shading device. The UV generator is used to supplement the light intensity when natural light is insufficient, while the shading device is used to adjust the light intensity of natural light to match the target curing strategy. According to the target curing strategy, the setting parameters of the UV generator (such as power, irradiation time) and the shading opening and shading duration of the shading device are adjusted through the control system to achieve precise light control.

[0061] During the fiber curing process, the real-time tensile strength of the optical fiber can be monitored in real time through relevant test equipment. The proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm is used to dynamically adjust the target curing strategy based on the deviation between the real-time monitored tensile strength and the curing target value. Through continuous iteration and optimization, the tensile strength of the optical fiber gradually approaches and reaches the set curing target value.

[0062] The optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention can achieve a more accurate and efficient improvement of the tensile strength of the optical fiber. The synergistic effect of natural light and ultraviolet rays, combined with the intelligent control strategy, can provide the optimal curing effect for the optical fiber coating under different lighting conditions. This not only improves the mechanical strength of the optical fiber, but also enhances its environmental adaptability and reliability. At the same time, the introduction of the intelligent control system also greatly reduces the complexity and cost of manual operation, and improves production efficiency and product quality.

[0063] Based on the content of the above embodiment, as an optional embodiment, determining the target curing strategy according to the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard includes: The optimization goal is defined as minimizing the total irradiation time and energy consumption, and the tensile strength of the optical fiber is greater than the curing target value, and the constraint conditions are determined according to the current weather data and equipment operation restrictions, and a mathematical model is established; The mathematical model is solved to formulate the target solidification strategy according to the searched global optimal solution.

[0064] As an optional embodiment, the optimization goal can be explicitly set to minimize the total irradiation time and energy consumption while ensuring that the tensile strength of the optical fiber is greater than a preset curing target value. This goal combines efficiency and economy, reducing the time required for the curing process (because there is a big difference between the time required for natural light curing and ultraviolet light curing) and controlling the energy cost of ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0065] Because it is complicated to directly correspond these factors to the given objective function and constraints, and because the improvement in the tensile strength of the optical fiber is not a simple linear relationship, a simplified, conceptual model can be constructed.

[0066] Suppose there is a function g ( I , T ), which means that at a given light intensity I and light exposure time T The increase in the tensile strength of the optical fiber (or the expected tensile strength) under the condition of . This function is unknown, but in practical cases it can be fitted or estimated by experimental data.

[0067] Combining this goal (maximizing the improvement of the tensile strength of the optical fiber) with the given objective function and constraints, for example, construct the following optimization model: Creating an objective function involves maximizing the improvement in fiber tensile strength, but considering minimizing the consumption of time and energy, we can transform it into minimizing the weighted sum of the negative improvement plus time and energy: ; in, is the weighting factor for tensile strength improvement, used to balance the priority between improvement and time and energy consumption. It refers to the objective function related to light intensity I and light time T; It refers to the measurement function of the optical fiber tensile strength which is directly related to the illumination intensity and illumination time; α refers to the weight related to the illumination time T, and β refers to the weight related to energy consumption; I(t) is a function of time t, which indicates the change of illumination intensity over time. In practical applications, the illumination intensity may not be constant, but adjusted according to a predetermined pattern or real-time feedback, so I(t) is used to describe this dynamic change.

[0068] Furthermore, setting target constraints mainly includes setting the following constraints.

[0069] Set constraint 1: g ( I , T )≥ g target ; Constraint 1 means that no matter what light intensity is chosen I and light exposure time T , through the effects they obtain (by the function g indicates) must be greater than or equal to a predetermined target value g target In practical applications, g ( I , T ) represents the increase in the tensile strength of the optical fiber, and g target This is the desired curing target value.

[0070] Set constraint 2: I min ≤ I ( t )≤ I max ∀ t ∈[0, T ]; Constraint 2 mainly constrains the light intensity, which means that during the entire lighting process (i.e. from time 0 to time T ), light intensity I ( t ) must always be kept to a minimum I min and maximum value I max Here, I ( t ) is a timet , indicating that the light intensity may change over time.

[0071] Set constraint 3: T min ≤ T ≤ T max ; Constraint 2 mainly constrains the illumination time, indicating the total time of illumination processing T Must be within a predetermined minimum time T min and maximum time T max This constraint helps determine a reasonable processing cycle, which is neither too long nor too short, to achieve the best processing effect.

[0072] Next, we need to solve the mathematical model of the above objective function, which can be solved by using optimization algorithms (such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing algorithms, linear programming, etc.). Under the premise of satisfying all constraints, we can search for the global optimal solution, that is, find the optimal strategy that can achieve or exceed the curing target value of tensile strength while minimizing the irradiation time and energy consumption, including: the set value of light intensity (within the allowable range), the specific value of irradiation time, and the intermittent lighting mode that may be required (such as the response strategy for day and night changes, cloud cover, etc.).

[0073] According to the formulated target curing strategy, it is implemented under the corresponding experimental conditions, and the tensile strength of the optical fiber is measured to verify whether it reaches or exceeds the curing target value. If the result does not meet the requirements, it is necessary to adjust the parameters of the mathematical model or optimization algorithm, and re-solve and optimize the curing strategy.

[0074] The optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention can more scientifically formulate the curing strategy of the optical fiber under light conditions by combining mathematical models and optimization algorithms, thereby minimizing the irradiation time and energy consumption while meeting the tensile strength requirements. This method not only improves the efficiency and economy of optical fiber manufacturing, but also provides a more reliable scientific basis for the storage and use of optical fiber products.

[0075] Based on the content of the above embodiment, as an optional embodiment, before irradiating the optical fiber with natural light, the method further includes: applying a light absorber on the coating layer.

[0076] In the process of using natural light to irradiate an optical fiber to improve its tensile strength, if a light absorber is applied to the coating layer of the optical fiber, the effect of irradiation on improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber can be further enhanced.

[0077] Light absorbers can selectively absorb light of specific wavelengths, especially those ultraviolet or visible light bands that are beneficial to the curing of optical fiber coatings. By absorbing and converting this light energy, light absorbers can accelerate the photochemical reaction of optical fiber coatings, promote the secondary curing of coatings, and thus enhance the mechanical strength of optical fibers.

[0078] When the optical fiber is exposed to natural light, the light distribution may be uneven due to factors such as the non-uniformity of the light source and the reflection and scattering of the optical fiber surface. Light absorbers can improve this situation. Through their absorption and re-radiation characteristics, the light received by the optical fiber surface is more uniform, which is conducive to the uniform curing of all parts of the coating and improves the overall tensile strength of the optical fiber.

[0079] In addition, the light absorber can accelerate the reaction rate of the photosensitive substance in the coating, so that under the same lighting conditions, the coating cures faster and more thoroughly. This not only shortens the optical fiber processing time, but also improves the efficiency of improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber.

[0080] Based on the content of the above embodiment, as an optional embodiment, the irradiating the optical fiber with natural light until determining that the tensile strength of the optical fiber after irradiation meets the standard includes: According to the material properties of the polymer material, determining the total amount of curing light intensity and the curing light intensity threshold when the tensile strength meets the standard; During the irradiation process, the light intensity is monitored in real time; When it is determined that the light intensity is greater than the curing light intensity threshold, calculating the cumulative effective irradiation time; When it is determined that the cumulative effective irradiation time is greater than the total curing light intensity, stopping the irradiation; The light intensity is obtained by inputting the sun altitude angle and current weather data into a light intensity prediction model; the light intensity prediction model is obtained after training with historical preparation data.

[0081] First, based on the material properties of the polymer material on the outer layer of the optical fiber, the total amount of curing light intensity required to meet the optical fiber tensile strength standard (i.e. the total light intensity required for complete curing of the optical fiber coating) and the curing light intensity threshold (i.e. the minimum light intensity required to start effective curing) are determined through laboratory testing or theoretical analysis. These two parameters are the key to ensuring that the optical fiber can be effectively cured during the illumination process.

[0082] After placing the optical fiber in a natural light environment, the current light intensity needs to be monitored in real time. This can be achieved through some light intensity monitoring equipment, or it can be predicted using a trained light intensity prediction model.

[0083] Among them, the light intensity prediction model is obtained by collecting historical preparation data (including light intensity under different solar altitude angles and weather conditions, etc.) for training, and can predict the current light intensity more accurately.

[0084] The application of the light intensity prediction model has greatly improved the intelligence and automation level of the light processing process. By inputting the current solar altitude angle and weather data, the current light intensity can be quickly predicted, providing strong support for the real-time monitoring and control of the light process. This not only improves processing efficiency, but also reduces the cost and error of manual intervention.

[0085] When it is determined that the current light intensity is greater than the curing light intensity threshold, the cumulative effective exposure time begins to be calculated. The cumulative effective exposure time refers to the total effective curing light exposure time of the optical fiber. The cumulative effective exposure time is only counted when the light intensity reaches or exceeds the curing light intensity threshold.

[0086] When the cumulative effective exposure time reaches or exceeds the total curing light intensity, it indicates that the optical fiber has been fully cured and its tensile strength has reached or exceeded the expected standard. At this time, the exposure to natural light can be stopped to avoid other effects on the optical fiber that may be caused by excessive exposure.

[0087] The optical fiber preparation method provided by the present invention utilizes natural light to irradiate the optical fiber to improve its tensile strength, including the steps of determining the total curing light intensity and the curing light intensity threshold, real-time monitoring of the light intensity, calculating the cumulative effective irradiation time, and judging and stopping the irradiation. By applying the light intensity prediction model, the irradiation process can be controlled more accurately and efficiently to ensure that the optical fiber is fully cured, thereby improving its tensile strength and mechanical reliability. This method is not only simple and easy to obtain and low-cost, but also has broad application prospects and promotion value.

[0088] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, it mainly includes but is not limited to the following steps: Setting multiple groups of different environmental factor combinations that affect the tensile strength of optical fibers, wherein the environmental factor combinations include one or more of temperature, humidity, and natural light; Using the environmental factor combinations respectively to perform optical fiber tensile strength tests, and obtaining tensile strength test values ​​corresponding to each group of environmental factor combinations; According to the change of the tensile strength test value, it is determined from all environmental factors that the key influencing factor for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber is to irradiate the optical fiber with natural light.

[0089] The present invention takes into account a variety of environmental factors that may affect the tensile strength of optical fibers, including temperature, humidity, and natural light. In actual design, the three factors can be combined to form multiple groups of different experimental conditions. The environmental factor combination includes a variety of temperature and humidity combinations such as high temperature and low humidity, low temperature and high humidity, high temperature and high humidity, and normal temperature and humidity. At the same time, it is also necessary to design lighting conditions such as natural lighting, light avoidance, or accelerated lighting to comprehensively examine the effects of different lighting conditions on the tensile strength of optical fibers.

[0090] Figure 3 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the key influencing factors test for optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention, Figure 4 This is the second schematic diagram of the key influencing factor test of optical fiber tensile strength provided by the present invention, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, relevant sealing devices for implementing optical fiber tensile strength tests can be pre-designed and manufactured, and each sealing device can be equipped with heating, humidification, shading and other facilities.

[0091] Place the optical fiber samples under different combinations of environmental factors, such as high temperature and low humidity, low temperature and high humidity, and other temperature and humidity combinations, as well as light and light-proof conditions. Keep the experimental conditions stable for a period of time (such as 15 days, 1 month, 3 months, etc.) to fully simulate actual usage.

[0092] Before and after the test, the tensile strength of the optical fiber samples was tested, and the tensile strength test values ​​corresponding to each combination of environmental factors were recorded.

[0093] Further, according to the change of the tensile strength test value, it is determined from all environmental factors that the key influencing factor for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber is to irradiate the optical fiber with natural light, specifically including: Compare the changes in the tensile strength of optical fibers under different combinations of environmental factors, and analyze the impact of each factor on the tensile strength of optical fibers. At this time, it is necessary to focus on the impact of different lighting conditions on the tensile strength, and compare the test results under lighting and light-proof conditions.

[0094] According to the results of many experiments by the inventors, it was found that high temperature and low humidity, low temperature and high humidity, high temperature and high humidity, and normal temperature and humidity without light affect the tensile strength of optical fiber, and the impact of high temperature and high humidity is relatively significant. Light treatment under certain conditions, including pretreatment in a standard sunlight test chamber and natural light storage, can significantly improve the tensile strength of optical fiber.

[0095] Therefore, it is determined that irradiating the optical fiber with natural light is a key influencing factor in improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber. The method for determining the key influencing factors of the tensile strength of the optical fiber provided by the present invention has found that the method of irradiating the optical fiber with natural light to solidify the coating layer can improve the tensile strength of the optical fiber in a simple, low-cost and economical way, which not only helps to improve the performance and reliability of the optical fiber itself, and reduce the redundancy of the preparation and storage conditions of the client, but also has a positive impact on the stability, economy and user experience of the entire optical fiber communication system, and overcomes the current technical prejudice that ultraviolet light irradiation is required for curing during the preparation process. This discovery not only provides a scientific basis for the manufacture and application of optical fibers, but also helps to improve the mechanical reliability of optical fibers, reduce system failure rates, extend the service life of optical fibers, and reduce maintenance costs. At the same time, it also provides important data support for the design and development of highly reliable optical fiber products.

[0096] Based on the content of the above embodiment, as an optional embodiment, the setting of multiple groups of different environmental factor combinations that affect the tensile strength of the optical fiber includes: Set the temperature to high temperature, the natural light to avoid light, and adjust the humidity to different levels to form a combination of multiple environmental factors, where the high temperature refers to a temperature exceeding a first threshold; Set the humidity to high humidity and the natural light to avoid light, and form a combination of multiple environmental factors by adjusting different temperatures, wherein the high humidity means that the humidity exceeds the second threshold; Set the temperature to normal, the humidity to normal, and the natural light to one of normal light, light avoidance, and accelerated natural light. By adjusting the exposure time of different natural lights, multiple environmental factor combinations are formed. The normal temperature and the normal humidity are theoretical temperature and theoretical humidity that do not affect the tensile strength of the optical fiber coating layer.

[0097] In view of the situation that the temperature is set to high temperature, the natural light is to avoid light, and different humidity is adjusted to form a combination of multiple environmental factors, the present invention provides the following embodiment 1: Step 1: Select a certain number of optical fiber samples, design a temperature and humidity interaction experiment plan, place the optical fiber in an environmental test box at high temperature but different humidity in a light-proof environment and store it for 15 days to test the tensile strength of the corresponding optical fiber before and after the test under different temperature and humidity conditions, and collect experimental data.

[0098] Step 2, evaluate the experimental results obtained under the tensile strength of the optical fiber at the same stress rate.

[0099] Step 3, the first test result is confirmed by a tensile strength test: under the same high temperature environment, as the humidity increases, the tensile strength of the optical fiber tends to deteriorate.

[0100] Assume that the first threshold is 85 degrees Celsius, that is, a temperature exceeding 85 degrees is considered a high temperature environment. The relevant experimental results of this embodiment are shown in Table 1: Table 1 Storage in the dark at high temperature and different humidity

[0101] Further, for setting the humidity to high humidity and the natural light to avoid light, by adjusting different temperatures, a combination of multiple environmental factors is formed, and the high humidity refers to the situation where the humidity exceeds the second threshold value, the present invention provides the following embodiment 2: Step 1, still select the above optical fiber samples, design a temperature and humidity interaction experiment plan, place the optical fiber in an environmental test box with maximum humidity but different temperatures (high, medium, and normal temperature) in a light-proof environment and store it for 15 days to test the tensile strength of the corresponding optical fiber before and after the test under different temperature and humidity conditions, and collect experimental data.

[0102] Step 2, evaluate the experimental results obtained under the tensile strength of the optical fiber at the same stress rate.

[0103] Step 3, finally, the tensile strength test proved the result of the second time: only high temperature and high humidity have a deterioration trend on the tensile strength of optical fiber, while normal temperature and high humidity and medium temperature and high humidity have little effect on the tensile strength of optical fiber.

[0104] In the above embodiment 2, the second threshold value when the humidity is maximum is set to 100, and the experimental results under three test temperatures are set to 25, 55 and 85, respectively, as shown in Table 2: Table 2 Storage in dark environment at different temperature and high humidity

[0105] Combining the above-mentioned Example 1 and Example 2, and comprehensively analyzing the first test results and the second test results, it can be learned that only the high temperature and high humidity environment has a deteriorating effect on the optical fiber tensile strength, and other conditions have little effect on the optical fiber tensile strength and cannot improve the optical fiber tensile strength.

[0106] For setting the humidity to normal temperature and normal humidity, the natural light to one of normal light, light-avoiding and accelerated natural light, by adjusting the exposure time of different natural lights, a combination of multiple environmental factors is formed, and the normal temperature is set to 25 and the normal humidity is set to 50, and the changes in tensile strength under light-avoiding storage and natural light exposure storage are obtained respectively, which specifically includes the steps described in the following Examples 3 and 4.

[0107] It should be noted that the accelerated natural light irradiation mentioned in all embodiments of the present invention can be direct irradiation with standard sunlight.

[0108] Wherein, embodiment 3 is specifically described as follows: Step 1: Select a certain number of optical fiber samples and design a storage test plan under natural light at room temperature and humidity, including setting up storage under natural light for 4 months and storage in dark places for 4 months, and storage in dark places for 5 days with accelerated natural light exposure, and perform tensile strength tests before and after, and record the experimental data.

[0109] Step 2, evaluate the experimental results obtained under the tensile strength of the optical fiber at the same stress rate.

[0110] Step 3, through the tensile strength test, the third test result can be obtained: the natural light storage environment conditions can improve the tensile strength of the optical fiber.

[0111] Specifically, the third test results are shown in Table 3 and Table 4 below: Table 3. Storage in the dark under normal temperature and humidity compared with storage under normal natural light.

[0112] Table 4 Comparison of accelerated natural light storage under normal temperature and humidity

[0113] Furthermore, a fourth tensile strength test value set can be obtained based on the fourth preset duration of normal lighting storage and the fourth preset duration of accelerated natural lighting storage, so as to determine a fourth test result based on changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the fourth tensile strength test set before and after the normal lighting storage and the accelerated natural lighting storage.

[0114] As an optional embodiment, the specific experimental steps include: Step 1, select a certain number of optical fiber samples, design a plan, including setting the temperature and humidity conditions of the environmental test chamber under standard sunlight, subjecting one section of a sample to a 5-day accelerated light test while another section of the sample is stored under natural light for 30 days, and then conduct a comparative test of the tensile strength and record the experimental data.

[0115] Step 2, evaluate the experimental results obtained under the tensile strength of the optical fiber at the same stress rate.

[0116] Step 3, the fourth test result obtained by the experiment: the tensile strength of all the test optical fibers, whether natural light storage or accelerated natural light storage, at the same stress rate has been significantly improved. The specific test data are shown in Table 5: Table 5 Comparison of storage under normal temperature and humidity without light, natural light, and accelerated natural light

[0117] Specifically, the present invention also provides the following embodiments: Step 1: Select a certain number of optical fiber samples and design a plan, including setting the temperature and humidity conditions of the environmental test chamber for standard sunlight irradiation (i.e. accelerated natural light irradiation), conduct a 5-day accelerated light test, and then conduct a comparative test of the tensile strength and record the experimental data.

[0118] Step 2, evaluate the experimental results obtained under the tensile strength of the optical fiber at the same stress rate.

[0119] Step 3, thereby obtaining the fourth test result: the tensile strength of all test optical fibers is significantly improved at the same stress rate, whether under standard natural light irradiation or accelerated natural light irradiation.

[0120] Based on the above test results from the first to the fourth test, it can be learned that the tensile strength of the optical fiber can be improved under the conditions of light storage environment to improve the mechanical reliability of the optical fiber. This may be due to the secondary curing effect provided by the light conditions for the coating of the corresponding optical fiber. This provides a scientific basis for the pretreatment, storage, and use of the optical fiber after drawing, ensuring its environmental adaptability and reliability. At the same time, it can provide important data support for the design side, guide the development of highly reliable optical fiber products, and meet the use needs of specific customers.

[0121] As an optional embodiment, when determining the key influencing factors for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber, it also includes: Winding the test optical fiber onto an optical fiber reel; The optical fiber disc is placed in a normal temperature and humidity environment and stored away from light for a fifth preset time period, and a fifth tensile strength test value set is obtained, so as to determine a fifth test result according to changes in tensile strength test values ​​of some optical fibers to be tested located at different depths of the optical fiber disc in the fifth tensile strength test set before and after the placement; The key influencing factor is determined from all the environmental factors by comprehensively analyzing the first test result, the second test result, the third test result, the fourth test result and the fifth test result.

[0122] As an optional embodiment, the present invention provides the following test steps and related test results: Step 1: Select a 5km optical fiber sample and wind it onto a 150mm diameter optical fiber reel. Design a storage test plan under normal temperature and humidity and natural light. Store it for 4 months, perform tensile strength tests before and after, and record the experimental data.

[0123] Step 2, evaluate the experimental results obtained under the tensile strength of the optical fiber sample at the same stress rate.

[0124] Step 3, the fifth tensile strength test set obtained by the experiment includes optical fiber samples at 5km in the bottom layer, 2.5km in the middle layer, and 0km in the surface layer. The tensile strength at the same stress rate is distributed in a gradient from small to large. Therefore, the fifth test result can be obtained as follows: the above distribution of tensile strength is related to the optical fiber depth of light penetration, indicating that the tensile strength of optical fiber can be improved under natural light storage environment conditions. The specific data related to the fifth tensile strength test set are summarized as shown in Table 6: Table 6 Tensile strength of optical fibers at different depths on the same optical fiber reel

[0125] In summary, the method for determining the key influencing factors of the tensile strength of optical fiber provided by the present invention improves the tensile strength of communication optical fiber in a simple, low-cost and economical way, which not only helps to improve the performance and reliability of the optical fiber itself and the redundancy of the storage conditions of the client, but also has a positive impact on the stability, economy and user experience of the entire optical fiber communication system. Therefore, this is an important direction for the development of optical fiber technology and the communication industry. It can also provide an important reference for the application of optical fiber in other fields such as communications and sensors.

[0126] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0127] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing an optical fiber, characterized in that: include: heating the sintered preform rod until it softens; Under high temperature, the softened preform is drawn into a fiber core and a cladding, and a polymer material is coated on the surface of the cladding during the drawing process; After curing the polymer material, an optical fiber is obtained, wherein the polymer material forms a coating layer coated on the surface of the fiber core after curing; The optical fiber is irradiated with natural light until it is determined that the tensile strength of the irradiated optical fiber meets the standard.

2. The method for preparing an optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further includes irradiating the optical fiber with natural light until the tensile strength of the irradiated optical fiber reaches a standard: irradiating the optical fiber with ultraviolet light to perform a primary curing on the polymer material; The optical fiber is irradiated with the natural light to perform secondary curing on the polymer material.

3. The method for preparing an optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: While utilizing natural light to illuminate the optical fiber, the method further includes: Determine a target curing strategy according to the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard, wherein the target curing strategy includes the ultraviolet irradiation time, the natural light irradiation time and the irradiation intensity ratio; According to the target curing strategy, the adaptive light adjustment device is controlled to adjust the setting parameters of the ultraviolet generating device and the shading opening and shading duration of the shading device, wherein the shading device is used to adjust the illumination intensity of natural light; Real-time monitoring of the real-time tensile strength of the optical fiber during the curing process of the polymer material; A PID control algorithm is used to adjust the target curing strategy according to the real-time tensile strength until it is determined that the real-time tensile strength reaches the curing target value.

4. The method for preparing an optical fiber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The target curing strategy is determined according to the material properties of the polymer material, the current light intensity data and the curing target value when the tensile strength reaches the standard, including: The optimization goal is defined as minimizing the total irradiation time and energy consumption, and the tensile strength of the optical fiber is greater than the curing target value, and the constraint conditions are determined according to the current weather data and equipment operation restrictions, and a mathematical model is established; The mathematical model is solved to formulate the target solidification strategy according to the searched global optimal solution.

5. The optical fiber preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before irradiating the optical fiber with natural light, the method further comprises: A light absorber is applied on the coating layer.

6. The method for preparing an optical fiber according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The step of irradiating the optical fiber with natural light until determining that the tensile strength of the optical fiber after irradiation meets the standard comprises: According to the material properties of the polymer material, determining the total amount of curing light intensity and the curing light intensity threshold when the tensile strength meets the standard; During the irradiation process, the light intensity is monitored in real time; When it is determined that the light intensity is greater than the curing light intensity threshold, calculating the cumulative effective irradiation time; When it is determined that the cumulative effective irradiation time is greater than the total curing light intensity, stopping the irradiation; The light intensity is obtained by inputting the sun altitude angle and current weather data into a light intensity prediction model; the light intensity prediction model is obtained after training with historical preparation data.

7. A method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength, characterized in that: include: Setting multiple groups of different environmental factor combinations that affect the tensile strength of optical fibers, wherein the environmental factor combinations include one or more of temperature, humidity, and natural light; Using the environmental factor combinations respectively to perform optical fiber tensile strength tests, and obtaining tensile strength test values ​​corresponding to each group of environmental factor combinations; According to the change of the tensile strength test value, it is determined from all environmental factors that the key influencing factor for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber is to irradiate the optical fiber with natural light.

8. The method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method of setting multiple groups of different environmental factors that affect the tensile strength of optical fibers includes: Set the temperature to high temperature, the natural light to avoid light, and adjust the humidity to different levels to form a combination of multiple environmental factors, where the high temperature refers to a temperature exceeding a first threshold; Set the humidity to high humidity and the natural light to avoid light, and form a combination of multiple environmental factors by adjusting different temperatures, wherein the high humidity means that the humidity exceeds the second threshold; Set the temperature to normal, the humidity to normal, and the natural light to one of normal light, light avoidance, and accelerated natural light. By adjusting the exposure time of different natural lights, multiple environmental factor combinations are formed. The normal temperature and the normal humidity are theoretical temperature and theoretical humidity that do not affect the tensile strength of the optical fiber coating layer.

9. The method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength according to claim 8, characterized in that: According to the change of the tensile strength test value, it is determined from all environmental factors that the key influencing factor for improving the tensile strength of the optical fiber is to increase natural light, including: Placing a first preset number of test optical fibers in a high temperature but different humidity environment, storing them in a light-proof environment for a first preset time, obtaining a first set of tensile strength test values ​​before and after the placement, and determining a first test result according to changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the first tensile strength test set before and after the placement; Placing a second preset number of test optical fibers in a high humidity but different temperature environment, storing them in a light-proof state for a second preset time, and obtaining a second set of tensile strength test values ​​before and after the placement, so as to determine a second test result according to the change of the tensile strength test values ​​in the second tensile strength test combination before and after the placement; Placing a third preset number of test optical fibers in a normal temperature and humidity environment, respectively, and adopting light-proof storage for a third preset time and normal irradiation storage for a third preset time, respectively, to obtain a third tensile strength test value set, so as to determine a third test result according to changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the third tensile strength test combination before and after the light-proof storage and the normal irradiation storage; Placing a fourth preset number of test optical fibers under a normal temperature and humidity environment, respectively, using normal light storage for a fourth preset time and accelerated natural light storage for a fourth preset time, respectively, to obtain a fourth tensile strength test value set, so as to determine a fourth test result according to changes in the tensile strength test values ​​in the fourth tensile strength test set before and after the normal light storage and the accelerated natural light storage; The key influencing factor is determined from all the environmental factors by comprehensively analyzing the first test result, the second test result, the third test result and the fourth test result.

10. The method for determining key influencing factors of optical fiber tensile strength according to claim 9, characterized in that: When determining the key factors affecting the tensile strength of optical fibers, they also include: Winding the test optical fiber onto an optical fiber reel; The optical fiber disc is placed in a normal temperature and humidity environment and stored away from light for a fifth preset time period, and a fifth tensile strength test value set is obtained, so as to determine a fifth test result according to changes in tensile strength test values ​​of some optical fibers to be tested located at different depths of the optical fiber disc in the fifth tensile strength test set before and after the placement; The key influencing factor is determined from all the environmental factors by comprehensively analyzing the first test result, the second test result, the third test result, the fourth test result and the fifth test result.