Optical fiber surface layer heating coating-rapid curing composite cable processing system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical fiber surface layer heating coating-rapid curing composite cable processing system and method. The background is that a composite cable needs to solve the underground space problem in in-situ leaching uranium mining, but the surface of an optical fiber needs high-temperature-resistant treatment and has the defects of complex process and the like. The system comprises a high-temperature coating area and a low-temperature cooling and curing area and works in a closed environment, and optical fiber transmission is guaranteed through a specific pipeline structure. A coating material is heated by combustible gas in the high-temperature coating area, and the coating is rapidly cured by low-temperature combustible gas in the low-temperature cooling and curing area. The processing method comprises the steps that the optical fiber sequentially enters the two areas to be coated and cured. The method optimizes the production process, simplifies the equipment configuration, improves the efficiency, and is suitable for large-scale production and related application scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the manufacture of integrated "optical fiber-electric cable" composite cables, and in particular to a composite cable processing system and method for optical fiber surface heating coating-rapid solidification. Background Art

[0002] In-situ uranium leaching is the most important natural uranium mining process in my country. In actual production, dozens to hundreds of submersible pumps are usually used to work simultaneously. The submersible pump must be placed in a vertical shaft with an inner diameter of 128mm to lift the underground uranium-containing leaching solution to the ground for resource recovery. The power of the submersible pump is usually between 5.0-18.5kW, and a larger power cable (3*6mm 2 、3*10mm 2 ); At the same time, the acquisition of underground water level data requires the use of an optical fiber water level meter to achieve real-time monitoring of the underground liquid level. However, due to the limitation of underground space (casing inner diameter 128mm, submersible pump outer diameter 102mm), the simultaneous lowering of conventional water level meters, corresponding optical fiber communication lines, submersible pumps, lifting fluid pipelines, etc. will occupy the space in the well, and hundreds of meters of pipelines, cables, and optical fiber communication lines are easily entangled and damaged during the lowering and lifting process. In order to solve the above problems, it is necessary to provide a composite cable that integrates optical fiber and power cable, which integrates communication optical fiber and power cable into one, to facilitate underground operations.

[0003] However, the downhole optical fiber communication line uses a 900μm single-mode ordinary optical fiber, and its surface material cannot withstand the high temperature of 400°C during the high-temperature vulcanization process of the cable. If no special treatment is done, the surface of the optical fiber will be damaged and melted under the conditions of high temperature and pressure, resulting in the destruction of its optical transmission performance. Therefore, it is necessary to pre-coat the surface of the optical fiber with a high-temperature resistant coating (coating temperature is about 300°C), and then cool it to room temperature to cure the heat-resistant coating. However, under normal temperature conditions, the cooling of the high-temperature resistant coating requires at least 1 hour, and cooling and curing becomes a separate process step. This step requires the processing flow of the composite cable to be divided into two steps, namely (i) high-temperature coating of the optical fiber + cooling and curing, and (ii) vulcanization and integrated molding of the composite cable.

[0004] It can be seen that the optical fiber coating and cooling curing process are usually carried out in different equipment, different areas and different time periods, which leads to complex production processes, low efficiency, and easily leads to the problem of unstable coating quality. Therefore, technicians in this field are committed to developing a fast and efficient composite cable processing method. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a composite cable processing system for heating and coating the surface of an optical fiber and quickly curing the composite cable, comprising a coating and curing pipeline, end caps and rotating rings are arranged at both ends of the pipeline, holes for the optical fiber to pass through are arranged on the end caps, a cross-shaped spring roller centering device is arranged in the rotating ring, and the optical fiber is pressed against the rotating ring by four rollers with spring force during the transmission process to ensure the centering of the optical fiber during the transmission process, and a transmission wheel matched with the rotating ring is arranged outside the pipeline, the rotating ring can rotate under the drive of the transmission wheel, and the optical fiber is driven by the spring roller centering device to rotate while moving forward in the pipeline; the coating and curing pipeline comprises a high-temperature coating area and a low-temperature cooling and curing area, the high-temperature coating area comprises a coating nozzle arranged in the pipeline and a coating material hopper arranged outside the pipeline, the coating nozzle is connected to a low-temperature combustible gas conduit, and is used for heating and spraying the optical fiber passing through the high-temperature coating area; the low-temperature cooling and curing area is provided with a "U"-shaped heat exchange tube connected to the low-temperature combustible gas conduit and arranged in a circular shape, which is used for cooling and curing the optical fiber after heating and spraying.

[0007] The present invention also provides a method for processing a composite cable with optical fiber surface heating coating and rapid solidification, which comprises the steps of: (1) Provide a composite cable processing system for optical fiber surface heating coating and rapid curing as claimed in claim 1; (2) The optical fiber is conveyed into the coating and curing pipeline, and the spring roller centering device is used to make the optical fiber rotate while moving forward in the pipeline; the low-temperature combustible gas is conveyed into the coating nozzle through the conduit and ignited, so that the coating material in the coating material hopper is evenly sprayed on the surface of the optical fiber in the form of a high-speed jet under the pressure of the combustible gas; (3) The coated optical fiber then enters the low-temperature cooling and solidification zone, where it is cooled and solidified in the low-temperature zone formed by the heat exchange tube.

[0008] Furthermore, the low-temperature combustible gas is liquid hydrogen or liquid propane.

[0009] Further, the optical fiber surface is coated at 300°C.

[0010] The present invention optimizes the production process of optical fiber coating and curing through an integrated design of coating and cooling curing. High-temperature coating and low-temperature curing of the coating material are achieved through the same gas source, which simplifies equipment configuration, reduces energy consumption, and improves production efficiency. The device is suitable for large-scale rapid production of integrated cables through a highly integrated design, and is particularly suitable for application scenarios that require efficient coating and rapid curing.

[0011] The concept, specific structure and technical effects of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to fully understand the purpose, characteristics and effects of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a general schematic diagram of a composite cable processing system for heating and coating the optical fiber surface layer and quickly curing it in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Internal structure diagram; DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the specification, so that the technical content is clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms of embodiments, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned in the text.

[0013] In the drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical reference numerals, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical reference numerals. The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown, and the present invention does not limit the size and thickness of each component. In order to make the illustration clearer, the thickness of the components is appropriately exaggerated in some places in the drawings.

[0014] The invention patent includes two spaces, the left is a high-temperature coating area, and the right is a low-temperature cooling and curing area. The optical fiber goes through the coating and cooling and curing processes in sequence. The entire device works in a closed environment, ensuring the stability of the environment during the coating and curing process.

[0015] High-temperature coating area: The high-temperature coating area on the left heats the coating material by burning combustible gas. The burner provides high-temperature airflow to heat the emulsified coating material to a temperature suitable for coating, and evenly coats it on the optical fiber surface through the nozzle. The optical fiber first enters the coating area, and the guide device ensures that the optical fiber maintains a stable transmission path during the coating process. The airflow generated during the combustion process helps the coating material to adhere evenly to the optical fiber surface. After the coating is completed, the optical fiber enters the low-temperature cooling and curing area on the right.

[0016] Low-temperature cooling and curing area: After the optical fiber enters the low-temperature cooling and curing area on the right, low-temperature combustible gas enters this area through the circulating pipe system. The gas is cooled by a heat diffusion device, so that the coated optical fiber coating can be quickly cured in a short time. During the cooling process, the low-temperature gas is continuously recycled in a closed loop to ensure that the cooling process continues and the cooling efficiency is maintained. After the optical fiber passes through the cooling and curing area, the coating is completely cured and can enter the subsequent processing link.

[0017] exist Figure 1-2In the embodiment shown, when the optical fiber 1 enters the coating and curing stage through the transmission system, in order to avoid the influence of the external environment (such as dust), the entire operation is carried out in a relatively closed coating and curing pipeline 2. The pipeline 2 is made of materials with good thermal insulation and air tightness to ensure the stability of the internal environment. End caps 3 and rotating rings 4 are provided at both ends of the pipeline 2. A cross-shaped spring roller centering device 41 is provided in the rotating ring 4. Through four rollers with spring force, the optical fiber is pressed against the optical fiber during the transmission process to ensure the centering of the optical fiber 1 during the transmission process. At the same time, a transmission wheel 8 cooperating with the rotating ring 4 is provided outside the pipeline 2. The rotating ring 4 can rotate under the drive of the transmission wheel 8, and at the same time, the optical fiber 1 is driven by the spring roller centering device 41 to rotate while moving forward in the pipeline 2.

[0018] The optical fiber 1 first enters the left high-temperature coating zone through the hole of the end cap 3. The high-temperature coating zone consists of a coating nozzle 4 arranged in the pipeline 2 and a coating material hopper 5 arranged outside the pipeline 2. Combustible gas (such as liquid hydrogen) enters the nozzle 4 through the conduit port 6 and is ignited to heat the emulsified coating material in the coating material hopper 5. At high temperature, since the optical fiber 1 rotates while moving forward in the pipeline 2, the coating material in the coating material hopper 5 is evenly sprayed on the surface of the optical fiber 1 in the form of a high-speed jet under the pressure of the combustible gas.

[0019] The coated optical fiber then enters the low-temperature cooling and curing zone. The curing zone uses a "U"-shaped heat exchange tube 7 arranged in a circular shape. The low-temperature combustible gas enters the curing zone through the conduit and absorbs heat in the "U"-shaped pipe to form a stable low-temperature environment, so that the optical fiber coated with high temperature is quickly cooled and cured, completing the integrated process of coating and curing.

[0020] Example 1: Optical fiber coating and cooling solidification experiment using liquid hydrogen The first set of field experiments of the device of the present invention was conducted in a certain optical fiber production enterprise in Anhui Province, and the effect of using liquid hydrogen as a low-temperature combustible gas was tested. Production line A adopts the device of the present invention, and uses liquid hydrogen (boiling point -252.87°C) for integrated coating and cooling and curing operations. Hydrogen provides high temperature for the coating material through combustion, so that the optical fiber surface is coated at about 300°C, and then the low-temperature characteristics of liquid hydrogen are used to quickly cool and cure in the curing area. The traditional production line B adopts independent high-temperature coating and long-term cooling steps, and the actual cooling time is 1.3 hours. The coating speed of production line A is increased by 20%, the uniformity of the coating is significantly improved, there are no bubbles on the surface, and the adhesion is strong. Through the rapid cooling function of the device of the present invention, the curing time is shortened to 55 seconds. The overall production efficiency is increased by 25%, and the energy consumption is reduced by 15%. As a low-temperature combustible gas, liquid hydrogen performs well in rapid heating coating and cooling curing, significantly improves processing efficiency, and reduces the time cost of step-by-step operation.

[0021] Example 2: Optical fiber coating and cooling solidification experiment using liquid propane A second set of experiments was conducted at the same optical fiber production company to test the effect of using liquid propane as a low-temperature combustible gas. Production line A used liquid propane (boiling point -42°C) for coating and cooling and curing. Propane provides a high temperature of 300°C for optical fiber coating through combustion. After coating, the low-temperature properties of propane are used for cooling and curing. In contrast, production line B continues to use traditional processes with an actual cooling time of 1.2 hours. Production line A increased the coating speed by 15%, with good coating quality and high uniformity, and the curing time was shortened to 90 seconds. Although the cooling effect is slightly slower than liquid hydrogen, liquid propane still significantly improves production efficiency, with an overall production efficiency increase of 20% and a reduction in energy consumption of 10%. This experiment verifies the effectiveness of liquid propane in rapid coating and curing, and is particularly suitable for processing requirements of medium-temperature coating and rapid curing.

[0022] The preferred specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. It should be understood that a person skilled in the art can make many modifications and changes based on the concept of the present invention without creative work. Therefore, any technical solution that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments based on the concept of the present invention on the basis of the prior art should be within the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A composite cable processing system for optical fiber surface heating coating and rapid curing, characterized in that: It includes a coating and curing pipeline. End caps and rotating rings are arranged at both ends of the pipeline. The end caps are provided with holes for optical fibers to pass through. A cross-shaped spring roller centering device is arranged in the rotating ring. Four rollers with spring force are used to press the optical fiber tightly during the transmission process to ensure the centering of the optical fiber during the transmission process. At the same time, a transmission wheel matched with the rotating ring is arranged outside the pipeline. The rotating ring can rotate under the drive of the transmission wheel. At the same time, the spring roller centering device drives the optical fiber to move forward in the pipeline while rotating. The coating and curing pipeline includes a high-temperature coating area and a low-temperature cooling and curing area. The high-temperature coating area includes a coating nozzle arranged in the pipeline and a coating material hopper arranged outside the pipeline. The coating nozzle is connected to a low-temperature combustible gas conduit and is used to heat and spray the optical fiber passing through the high-temperature coating area. A "U"-shaped heat exchange tube connected to a low-temperature combustible gas conduit is arranged in a circular shape in the low-temperature cooling and curing area to cool and cure the optical fiber after heating and spraying.

2. A method for processing a composite cable with heating coating and rapid curing of the optical fiber surface, wherein: Includes steps: (1) Provide a composite cable processing system for optical fiber surface heating coating and rapid curing as claimed in claim 1; (2) The optical fiber is conveyed into the coating and curing pipeline, and the spring roller centering device is used to make the optical fiber rotate while moving forward in the pipeline; the low-temperature combustible gas is conveyed into the coating nozzle through the conduit and ignited, so that the coating material in the coating material hopper is evenly sprayed on the surface of the optical fiber in the form of a high-speed jet under the pressure of the combustible gas; (3) The coated optical fiber then enters the low-temperature cooling and solidification zone, where it is cooled and solidified in the low-temperature zone formed by the heat exchange tube.

3. The optical fiber surface heating coating-rapid curing composite cable processing method according to claim 2, wherein: The low-temperature combustible gas is liquid hydrogen or liquid propane.

4. The optical fiber surface heating coating-rapid curing composite cable processing method according to claim 2, wherein: The optical fiber surface is coated at 300°C.

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