Method for producing glass particle deposits and device for producing glass particle deposits

Abstract

The invention provides a manufacturing method and a manufacturing device of a glass particle accumulation body, which can improve the operation rate of the whole manufacturing equipment. The method for manufacturing a glass fine particle deposit comprises: a deposition step for depositing glass fine particles, which are generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner, on a target in a reaction vessel; and a taking-out step of taking out the glass particle accumulation body manufactured through the accumulation step from the reaction container, conveying the glass particle accumulation body to a clean room, and leading air into the clean room after passing through a clean room filter for removing particles in the air. Air from a space different from the clean room is introduced into the reaction vessel through the reaction vessel filter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a glass particle deposit and an apparatus for producing a glass particle deposit. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a glass fine particle deposit.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-166992 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a glass particle deposit, wherein clean air is supplied to an external container covering a reaction container in which glass particles are deposited. By supplying clean air to the external container, foreign matter can be prevented from being attached to the glass particle deposit.

[0008] In addition, in the manufacturing apparatus of the glass particle accumulation body, clean air may be introduced from a clean room. In the clean room, the cleanliness is adjusted by a filter. In addition, there may be a case where a plurality of reaction vessels are connected to a common clean room.

[0009] The filter for introducing air into the clean room is replaced as appropriate. At this time, the operation of all the reaction containers of the glass particle accumulation bodies connected to the clean room is stopped.

[0010] The present disclosure provides a method for producing a glass particle deposit and an apparatus for producing a glass particle deposit that improve the operating rate of the entire production equipment.

[0011] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0012] A method for producing a glass particle deposit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0013] a deposition step of depositing glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner on a target in a reaction container; and

[0014] a taking-out step of taking out the glass particle deposit produced by the depositing step from the reaction container and transporting it to a clean room,

[0015] The air is passed through a clean room filter that removes particles in the air and introduced into the clean room,

[0016] In the deposition step, air from a space different from the clean room is introduced into the reaction container through a reaction container filter.

[0017] A device for producing a glass particle deposit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0018] A reaction container in which glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner are deposited on a target to produce a glass particle deposit; and

[0019] The conveyor conveys the manufactured glass particle accumulation body to a clean room with adjusted cleanliness.

[0020] The reaction container comprises:

[0021] an introduction duct opening in a space different from the clean room and introducing air into the reaction container; and

[0022] The reaction container filter is arranged on the introduction pipe and is used to remove particles in the air introduced into the reaction container.

[0023] Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a method for producing a glass particle deposit and an apparatus for producing a glass particle deposit that improve the operating rate of the entire production facility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a state of a deposition step of the glass particle deposit production apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing a state of a non-deposition step of the glass particle deposit manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a figure which shows the glass particle deposit manufacturing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing a glass particle deposit production apparatus according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] (Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure)

[0030] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of examples.

[0031] A method for producing a glass particle deposit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows:

[0032] (1) A method for producing a glass particle deposit, comprising: a deposition step of depositing glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner on a target in a reaction container; and

[0033] a taking-out step of taking out the glass particle deposit produced by the depositing step from the reaction container and transporting it to a clean room,

[0034] The air is passed through a clean room filter that removes particles in the air and introduced into the clean room,

[0035] In the deposition step, air from a space different from the clean room is introduced into the reaction container through a reaction container filter.

[0036] With this structure, the air introduced into the reaction container is introduced from a space different from the clean room. Since the air introduced into the reaction container passes through the reaction container filter, the cleanliness of the air introduced into the reaction container can be adjusted. Since the amount of air passing through the clean room filter is reduced, the frequency of stopping the operation of the reaction container with the replacement of the clean room filter is also reduced, so the overall operation rate of the manufacturing equipment can be improved.

[0037] (2) The air may be introduced into the clean room by passing through an air conditioner capable of adjusting temperature and humidity.

[0038] According to this configuration, in the stacking process, it is possible to suppress consumption of the air whose temperature and humidity are adjusted, thereby reducing the cost and labor involved in operating the air conditioner.

[0039] (3) In the method for producing a glass particle deposit according to (1) or (2), in the deposition step, air sucked from an introduction duct opening to the outside of the room may be introduced into the reaction container.

[0040] According to this structure, since outdoor air is directly introduced, it can be realized with a simple structure.

[0041] (4) In the method for producing a glass particle deposit according to (1) or (2), in the deposition step, air sucked from an introduction duct opening in a chamber different from the clean room and the reaction container may be introduced into the reaction container.

[0042] This structure can reduce the influence of outdoor environment such as outdoor wind compared to the case of direct suction from the outside. In addition, when air is introduced into the chamber through a filter with a larger mesh than the reaction container filter, clogging of the reaction container filter can be suppressed.

[0043] (5) In the deposition step of the method for producing a glass particle deposit according to any one of (1) to (4), the air introduced into the reaction container may be subjected to total heat exchange with the air in the clean room.

[0044] With this structure, the air introduced into the reaction container also contributes to the adjustment of the temperature and humidity in the clean room, thereby reducing the cost and labor involved in operating the air conditioner.

[0045] (6) Alternatively, the method for manufacturing a glass particle deposit according to any one of (1) to (5) above may include switching an intake duct opening to the outside of the room and an exhaust port of the reaction container to be connected to an exhaust pipe. When the depositing process starts, the exhaust pipe is connected to the exhaust port. When the depositing process ends, the exhaust pipe is connected to the intake duct and the exhaust port is closed.

[0046] With this configuration, the air in the reaction container is not exhausted except in the deposition step, and thus the life of the reaction container filter is prolonged.

[0047] A manufacturing apparatus for a glass particle deposit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0048] (7) A device for manufacturing a glass particle deposit, comprising: a reaction container, in which glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner are deposited on a target to manufacture the glass particle deposit; and a conveyor, which transports the manufactured glass particle deposit to a clean room with adjusted cleanliness, the reaction container comprising: an introduction duct, which opens in a space different from the clean room and introduces air into the reaction container; and a reaction container filter, which is arranged in the introduction duct and is used to remove particles in the air introduced into the reaction container.

[0049] With this structure, since air is introduced into the reaction container from a space different from the clean room, the consumption of air in the clean room can be suppressed. As a result, the life of the clean room filter that adjusts the cleanliness in the clean room is prolonged, and the frequency of stopping the operation of the reaction container with the replacement of the clean room filter is reduced, so the overall operation rate of the manufacturing equipment can be improved.

[0050] (Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure)

[0051] The following describes a specific example of a method for manufacturing a glass particle deposit and a device for manufacturing a glass particle deposit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0052] (First embodiment)

[0053] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a state in which a deposition step is performed by the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the glass particle deposit according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing a state where a non-deposition step is performed by the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a glass particle deposit according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, a manufacturing apparatus 1 for a glass particle deposit is housed in a clean room 2. It should be noted that, generally, a clean room houses a plurality of reaction vessels, but only one reaction vessel is depicted in the drawings of the present disclosure.

[0054] The manufacturing device 1 of the glass particle deposit body includes a reaction container 10 and a conveyor 14. The reaction container 10 includes an outer container 11 and an inner container 12. The inner container 12 includes a burner B and a mesh wall portion 13. The manufacturing device 1 of the glass particle deposit body manufactures the glass particle deposit body by depositing glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction of a flame of the burner B on a target T inside the reaction container 10. In the present embodiment, the manufacturing device 1 of the glass particle deposit body manufactures the glass particle deposit body by an OVD method in which the glass particles are deposited by reciprocating a plurality of burners B in parallel with the direction in which the target T extends.

[0055] The mesh wall 13 is formed by laminating a plurality of mesh plates made of a corrosion-resistant metal material such as nickel. In the deposition step of depositing glass particles at the target T, the mesh wall 13 straightens the flow of air flowing from the outer container 11 into the inner container 12 .

[0056] The transporter 14 transports the target T into the clean room 2, transports the target T from the clean room 2 into the reaction container 10, and takes out the completed glass particle deposit from the reaction container 10 and transports it to the clean room 2. The completed glass particle deposit is stored in the clean room 2.

[0057] The clean room 2 maintains cleanliness by removing particles by introducing air from the outside through the clean room filter 3. This can prevent impurities from being attached to the completed glass particle deposit.

[0058] In addition, in the present embodiment, the clean room 2 has an air conditioner 4. The temperature and humidity of the introduced air are adjusted by the operation of the air conditioner 4, thereby being able to keep the temperature and humidity inside the clean room 2 constant. When an inspection device is provided in the clean room 2, it is preferable to control the temperature and humidity in order to achieve a constant inspection accuracy. In addition, the air in the clean room 2 containing the glass particle accumulation body sometimes contains hydrogen chloride, and it is preferable to adjust the humidity in order to suppress the hydrochloric acid generated by condensation from corroding the inside of the clean room 2.

[0059] The reaction container 10 has an introduction duct 15 for introducing air into the reaction container 10. In the present embodiment, two introduction ducts 15 are provided. One end of the introduction duct 15 opens to the space between the outer container 11 and the inner container 12. In the first embodiment, the other end of the introduction duct 15 opens to the outside. The outside is an example of a space different from the clean room 2.

[0060] In addition, the reaction container 10 has a reaction container exhaust duct 18 for exhausting the air inside the reaction container 10. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the reaction vessel exhaust duct 18 is connected to the exhaust pipe 9, but as described below, depending on the situation, the exhaust port 18a of the reaction vessel exhaust duct 18 may be closed by a closing portion 19 (see also Figure 2 ).

[0061] In addition, a first air intake duct D1, a second air intake duct D2, and a third air intake duct D3, each of which has one end opening to the outside, are provided in the clean room 2. The other end of the first air intake duct D1 is connected to the reaction container exhaust duct 18. The other end of the third air intake duct D3 is connected to the exhaust pipe 9.

[0062] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, in the second air intake duct D2, the state in which the other end of the second air intake duct D2 is not connected to any pipe and the state in which the other end of the second air intake duct D2 is connected to the exhaust pipe 9 are switched. More specifically, in the stacking process (i.e., the state in which the burner B is ignited), the other end of the second air intake duct D2 is not connected to any pipe. However, in the non-stacking process (the state in which the burner B is not ignited), as described above, the exhaust port 18a of the reaction container exhaust duct 18 is closed by the closing portion 19, and the second air intake duct D2 is moved so that the other end of the second air intake duct D2 is connected to the exhaust pipe 9. In addition, as the second air intake duct D2 moves, the connecting pipe portion between the reaction container exhaust duct 18 and the exhaust pipe 9 moves.

[0063] The introduction pipe 15 has a reaction container filter 16. The reaction container filter 16 is provided so as to allow air inside the introduction pipe 15 to pass through. In this embodiment, since two introduction pipes 15 are provided, the reaction container filters 16 are provided in the two introduction pipes 15, respectively. Figure 1As shown in FIG. 1 , it is preferred to provide an introduction fan 17 near the reaction container filter 16. The air sent in by the introduction fan 17 passes through the reaction container filter 16, thereby removing particles from the air introduced into the reaction container 10. The reaction container filter 16 and the introduction fan 17 may also be located in a space outside the clean room 2. In addition, the reaction container filter 16 does not necessarily have to be provided in the middle of the introduction duct 15. For example, the reaction container filter 16 and the introduction fan 17 may also be provided at the opening portion of the introduction duct 15 (see also FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 ).

[0064] Next, the flow of air associated with the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 As shown, in the deposition process, the outside air is introduced from the introduction duct 15 by the operation of the introduction fan 17. The particles in the air entering the introduction duct 15 are removed by the reaction vessel filter 16 located in the middle of the path. The air with improved cleanliness after the particles in the air are removed is sent to the outer container 11. The air in the outer container 11 is sucked into the inner container 12 through the mesh wall portion 13. The air sent to the reaction container 10 passes through the reaction container exhaust duct 18 together with the gas generated in the deposition process and is discharged from the exhaust pipe 9. At this time, the air is discharged from the reaction container 10 while mixing with the air sucked from the outside by the first intake duct D1 and the third intake duct D3. The air discharged from the exhaust pipe 9 is sent to an exhaust gas treatment device not shown.

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown, in the non-deposition process, since air is not introduced into the reaction vessel 10, it is not necessary to exhaust air from the reaction vessel exhaust duct 18. In addition, when the burner B is ignited before the non-deposition process is transferred to the deposition process, the combustion gas (generally hydrogen, etc.) is ejected from the burner B, but at this time, it is preferred not to transport a large amount of combustion gas to the exhaust gas treatment device. In these cases, the sealing portion 19 seals the exhaust port 18a of the reaction vessel exhaust duct 18.

[0066] Even when the exhaust port 18a is closed by the closing portion 19, it is preferable to always introduce a constant amount of air into the exhaust gas treatment device. In this case, the exhaust pipe 9 is connected to a second air intake duct D2, and the air introduced from the outside into the second air intake duct D2 is transported to the exhaust gas treatment device through the exhaust pipe 9.

[0067] Thus, in the deposition process, clean air (air containing a small number of particles) is intermittently introduced into the reaction container 10, and the same amount of air as the introduced air is exhausted from the reaction container 10. In the non-deposition process, the exhaust port 18a is closed by the closing portion 19, so that air is not exhausted from the reaction container 10.

[0068] In the manufacturing apparatus of the glass particle deposit as in Patent Document 1, the air of the reaction container may be introduced from a clean room. In this case, the introduction duct opens in the clean room. Thus, high-cleanliness air can be introduced into the reaction container.

[0069] However, if high-cleanliness air is introduced from a clean room, it is necessary to introduce into the clean room an amount of air taken out of the clean room. When the air is introduced into the clean room, since it passes through the clean room filter, the clean room filter needs to be replaced appropriately. Generally, since multiple reaction vessels are connected to a common clean room, the operation of all reaction vessels is stopped when the clean room filter is replaced.

[0070] In addition, if the clean room is equipped with an air conditioner, the cost and labor involved in operating the air conditioner are incurred. The cost and labor involved in operating the air conditioner refer to the cost and labor involved in the power cost of the air conditioning equipment, the operating cost of the cold or warm source, or both, and the maintenance work. The more air (in other words, the air with regulated temperature and humidity) introduced into the clean room, the greater these costs and labor.

[0071] In consideration of these points, the inventors have found a method for producing a glass particle deposit and a structure of a production apparatus 1 for producing a glass particle deposit that improve the operating rate of the entire production facility according to the present disclosure.

[0072] According to the manufacturing method of the glass particle deposit involved in this embodiment, the air introduced into the reaction container 10 is introduced from a space different from the clean room 2. Since the air introduced into the reaction container 10 passes through the reaction container filter 16, the cleanliness of the air introduced into the reaction container 10 can be adjusted. Since the amount of air taken out from the clean room 2 is reduced, the amount of air passing through the clean room filter 3 is also reduced. As a result, the frequency of stopping the operation of the reaction container 10 due to the replacement of the clean room filter 3 is also reduced, and the operation rate of the entire manufacturing equipment can be improved.

[0073] It should be noted that by providing the reaction container filter 16, it is necessary to appropriately replace the reaction container filter 16. However, compared with the case where the operation of all reaction containers 10 connected to the clean room 2 is stopped when the clean room filter 3 is replaced, when the reaction container filter 16 is replaced, only the operation of the reaction container 10 provided with the reaction container filter 16 needs to be stopped, so the overall operating rate of the manufacturing equipment is improved.

[0074] The clean room 2 includes an air conditioner 4 capable of adjusting temperature and humidity. In the deposition step of the method for producing a glass particle deposit according to the present embodiment, consumption of air with adjusted temperature and humidity can be suppressed, thereby reducing cost and labor involved in operating the air conditioner 4.

[0075] In the method for producing the glass particle deposit according to the present embodiment, outdoor air is directly introduced into the reaction container 10 through the introduction duct 15, so that the method can be realized with a simple structure.

[0076] In addition, in the present embodiment, the air in the reaction container 10 is not exhausted by closing the exhaust port 18a by the closing portion 19 except in the deposition process (non-deposition process). Therefore, the life of the reaction container filter 16 is prolonged.

[0077] In the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the glass particle deposit according to the present embodiment, since the introduction duct 15 introduces air into the reaction container 10 from a space different from the clean room 2, it is possible to suppress the consumption of air in the clean room 2. As a result, the life of the clean room filter 3 for adjusting the cleanliness in the clean room 2 is prolonged, thereby improving the overall operating rate of the manufacturing equipment.

[0078] (Second embodiment)

[0079] Next, a method for producing a glass particle deposit according to a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment and thereafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing a manufacturing device 101 of a glass particle deposit according to a second embodiment. A reaction vessel 110 of the manufacturing device 101 of a glass particle deposit according to the second embodiment is disposed inside a chamber R1 of a lower layer of a clean room 102. The difference is that the introduction duct 15 in the first embodiment opens to the outside and introduces outside air, but the introduction duct 115 in the second embodiment opens to a space (chamber R1) in a room different from the clean room 102. The introduction duct 115 introduces indoor air into the reaction vessel 110 via a reaction vessel filter 116. In the chamber R1, outdoor air may be introduced without adjusting the cleanliness, or air may be introduced through a filter having a larger mesh than the clean room filter 3 that adjusts the cleanliness in the clean room 102. In addition, the temperature and humidity of the air may not be adjusted in the chamber R1.

[0080] In the method for producing a glass particle deposit according to the present embodiment, since the introduction duct 115 draws in indoor air and introduces it into the reaction container 110 , the influence of the outdoor environment such as outdoor wind can be reduced compared to the case where air is directly drawn in from the outside.

[0081] Furthermore, when air is introduced from the outside into the chamber R1 through a filter (not shown) having larger mesh than the reaction container filter 116 , clogging of the reaction container filter 116 can be suppressed, thereby extending the life of the reaction container filter 116 .

[0082] (Third Embodiment)

[0083] Next, a method for producing a glass particle deposit according to a third embodiment will be described. Figure 4 2 is a diagram showing a manufacturing device 201 of a glass particle deposit according to a third embodiment. A reaction vessel 210 of the manufacturing device 201 of a glass particle deposit according to the third embodiment is disposed in a clean room 202, and an introduction duct 215 is opened in a space (chamber R2) in a room different from the clean room 202 and outside the room, which is disposed on an upper floor of the clean room 202. The introduction duct 215 adjusts and sucks in indoor air from the opening of the chamber R2 or outdoor air from the opening of the outdoor room by a valve, and introduces the air into the reaction vessel 210. In the third embodiment, the introduction duct 215 is a structure in which one duct branches in the middle, so that air is introduced into the reaction vessel 210 from two places. An introduction fan 217 for sucking in air from the chamber R2 or outdoor air is provided in the introduction duct 215. The air sucked into the introduction duct 215 by the introduction fan 217 is introduced into the reaction vessel 210 through a reaction vessel filter 216. In room R2, outdoor air may be introduced without adjusting the cleanliness, or air may be introduced through a filter having a larger mesh than the clean room filter 3 that adjusts the cleanliness in the clean room 202. In addition, the temperature and humidity of the air in room R2 may not be adjusted.

[0084] The clean room 202 has a circulation path 221 for circulating the air in the clean room 202. A circulation fan 222 for sucking the air in the clean room 202 is provided in the circulation path 221. The air sucked into the circulation path 221 by the circulation fan 222 passes through a circulation path filter 223 provided in the middle of the circulation path 221 and returns to the clean room 202 again. By circulating the air through the circulation path filter 223, the cleanliness in the clean room 202 can be maintained for a longer period of time.

[0085] In addition, total heat exchange is performed between the air passing through the circulation path 221 and the air passing through the introduction duct 215 through the total heat exchanger 224. Total heat exchange means exchanging temperature or humidity, or both. In other words, in total heat exchange, only temperature may be exchanged, only humidity may be exchanged, or both temperature and humidity may be exchanged.

[0086] By performing total heat exchange between the air passing through the circulation path 221 and the air passing through the introduction duct 215 using the total heat exchanger 224, the operating cost of the air conditioner 4 can be reduced. The reason for this will be described below with reference to a specific example.

[0087] In general, when the outdoor air is higher in temperature and humidity than the air inside the clean room 202, the air introduced into the clean room 202 is first cooled to a temperature lower than the temperature of the air inside the clean room 202. As a result, the amount of saturated water vapor in the air introduced into the clean room 202 is reduced, and part of the water vapor in the air condenses. By removing the condensed water, the amount of water vapor in the air is reduced, and thus the humidity is reduced. Next, the air is heated to the temperature of the air inside the clean room 202. By using this principle through appropriate adjustment, the air in the clean room 202 can be adjusted to a suitable temperature and humidity.

[0088] In this way, when adjusting the humidity and the like by the air conditioner 4, it is sometimes intentionally cooled to a temperature lower than the appropriate temperature, or conversely heated to a temperature higher than the appropriate temperature. In such a case, by performing a total heat exchange with the air introduced into the reaction container 210, the air conditioner 4 can assist in adjusting the temperature and humidity of the air in the clean room 202. Therefore, the operating load and operating cost of the air conditioner 4 can be reduced. In addition, in order to more effectively assist in the adjustment of temperature and humidity, the air introduced into the reaction container 210 can be switched or mixed with the air introduced from the room R2 and the air introduced from the outside.

[0089] Thus, according to the method for producing a glass particle deposit in this embodiment, the air introduced into the reaction container 210 also contributes to adjusting the temperature and humidity of the air in the clean room 202. This can reduce the load and cost associated with the operation of the air conditioner 4.

[0090] (Experimental example)

[0091] Next, the life of the clean room filter involved in the conventional method for manufacturing a glass particle deposit (hereinafter referred to as a comparative example) and the method for manufacturing a glass particle deposit involved in the first to third embodiments was compared. It should be noted that the comparative example is a method in which the air in the clean room is taken out and introduced into the reaction container during the deposition process.

[0092] Regarding the above four methods including the comparative example, the amount of air carried out of the clean room, the operating load of the air conditioner, the life of the clean room filter, the properties of the air introduced into the reaction container, the cleanliness of the clean room, and the frequency of poor optical fiber quality are compared. The results are shown in Table 1. It should be noted that the amount of air carried out of the clean room, the operating load of the air conditioner, the life of the clean room filter, and the frequency of poor optical fiber quality show the approximate proportion when the values ​​of the comparative example are all set to 1. The cleanliness of the clean room shows the approximate proportion of the number of dust when the value of the number of dust in the comparative example is set to 1. The "frequency of poor optical fiber quality" shows the degree of defective products when the optical fiber is manufactured based on the glass particle accumulation body manufactured by various methods. In addition, regarding the "properties of the air introduced into the reaction container", it is compared from the perspective of cleanliness, temperature and humidity. Among them, the cleanliness shows the number of dust.

[0093] [Table 1]

[0094]

[0095] As shown in Table 1, the amount of air carried out of the clean room in the first embodiment is 0.1 times or less compared to the comparative example. In addition, the amount of air carried out of the clean room in the second and third embodiments is 0.05 times or less compared to the comparative example.

[0096] Since the amount of air newly introduced into the clean room is the same as the amount of air carried out of the clean room, in the manufacturing methods according to the first to third embodiments, the operating load of the air conditioner is reduced and the life of the clean room filter is prolonged.

[0097] Specifically, the operating load of the air conditioner is roughly proportional to the amount of air carried out of the clean room. That is, the operating load of the air conditioner in the first embodiment is 0.1 times or less relative to the comparative example. In addition, the operating load of the air conditioner in the second embodiment and the third embodiment is 0.05 times or less relative to the comparative example.

[0098] On the other hand, the life of the clean room filter is roughly inversely proportional to the amount of air carried out of the clean room. That is, the life of the clean room filter of the first embodiment is about 10 times that of the comparative example. In addition, the life of the clean room filter of the second embodiment and the third embodiment is about 20 times that of the comparative example.

[0099] Furthermore, as shown in Table 1, the properties of the air introduced into the reaction container and the cleanliness of the clean room are different between the comparative example and each embodiment.

[0100] Regarding cleanliness, since air is introduced into the reaction container after passing through a filter, the difference in cleanliness is relatively small in any of the examples. However, regarding temperature and humidity, there are relatively large differences between the comparative example and each embodiment.

[0101] In the comparative example, since the temperature and humidity were adjusted by the air conditioner, air having a temperature of 20° C. to 30° C. and a humidity of 20% to 60% was introduced into the reaction container.

[0102] On the other hand, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the air introduced into the reaction container is not regulated in temperature and humidity. Therefore, in both embodiments, air having a temperature of 0° C. to 40° C. and a humidity of 10% to 100% is introduced into the reaction container.

[0103] In addition, in the third embodiment, total heat exchange is performed by a total heat exchanger. As a result, the range of temperature and humidity of the air introduced into the reaction container becomes smaller than that of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, air having a temperature of 5° C. to 35° C. and a humidity of 15% to 95% is introduced into the reaction container.

[0104] In addition, regarding the cleanliness of the clean room, the comparative example and the third embodiment are different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

[0105] In the comparative example, the air in the clean room is taken out and introduced into the reaction container. In addition, the air taken out of the clean room is introduced from the outside through the clean room filter. Therefore, compared with the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the frequency of air circulation is higher, so the cleanliness becomes lower than that of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

[0106] In other words, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, since the amount of air carried out of the clean room is small, the cleanliness value is increased by about 20% compared with the comparative example.

[0107] On the other hand, the third embodiment circulates the air in the clean room through the circulation path. In addition, a circulation path filter is provided on the circulation path, and the circulation path filter can remove particles of the air passing through the circulation path. Thus, the cleanliness of the clean room becomes the same as that of the comparative example.

[0108] Thus, the comparative example and each embodiment produce glass particle deposits under different conditions in terms of the properties of the air introduced into the reaction container and the cleanliness of the clean room. However, as shown in Table 1, even if the glass particle deposits are produced by any of the exemplified methods, the frequency of occurrence of poor optical fiber quality is almost unchanged. That is, it is shown that the production method of the glass particle deposit of the present disclosure can provide a glass particle deposit of the same quality as the comparative example.

[0109] The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, but it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components described above are not limited to the above embodiments, and can be changed to appropriate numbers, positions, shapes, etc. when implementing the present disclosure.

[0110] For example, in any embodiment described in the present disclosure, an example of manufacturing a glass particle deposit by the OVD method is shown. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the example of the embodiment, and can also be applied to the case of manufacturing a glass particle deposit by other gas phase synthesis methods.

[0111] Description of Reference Numerals

[0112] 1, 101, 201: manufacturing device; 2, 102, 202: clean room; 3: clean room filter; 4: air conditioner; 9: exhaust duct; 10, 110, 210: reaction container; 11: external container; 12: internal container; 13: mesh wall; 14: conveyor; 15, 115, 215: introduction duct; 16, 116, 216: reaction container filter; 17: introduction fan; 18: reaction container exhaust duct; 18a: exhaust port; 19: closing part; 217: introduction fan; 221: circulation path; 222: circulation fan; 223: circulation path filter; 224: total heat exchanger; B: burner; D1: first intake duct; D2: second intake duct; D3: third intake duct; R1: room; R2: room; T: target.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a glass particle deposit, comprising: A deposition step of depositing glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner on a target in a reaction container; as well as a taking-out step of taking out the glass particle deposit produced by the depositing step from the reaction container and transporting it to a clean room, The air is passed through a clean room filter for removing particles in the air and introduced into the clean room, In the deposition step, air from a space different from the clean room is introduced into the reaction container through a reaction container filter.

2. The method for producing a glass particle deposit according to claim 1, wherein: The air is introduced into the clean room through an air conditioner capable of adjusting temperature and humidity.

3. The method for producing a glass particle deposit according to claim 1, wherein: In the deposition step, air sucked from an introduction duct opened to the outside is introduced into the reaction container.

4. The method for producing a glass particle deposit according to claim 1, wherein: In the deposition step, air sucked from an introduction duct opened in a room different from the clean room and the reaction container is introduced into the reaction container.

5. The method for producing a glass particle deposit according to claim 1, wherein: In the deposition step, the air introduced into the reaction container is subjected to total heat exchange with the air in the clean room.

6. The method for producing a glass particle deposit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Switch the air intake duct opening to the outside and the exhaust port of the reaction container to connect with the exhaust pipe, At the beginning of the stacking process, the exhaust pipe is connected to the exhaust port. When the deposition process is completed, the exhaust pipe is connected to the air intake duct and the exhaust port is closed.

7. A device for manufacturing a glass particle deposit, comprising: A reaction container in which glass particles generated by a hydrolysis reaction caused by a flame of a burner are deposited on a target to produce a glass particle deposit; and The conveyor conveys the manufactured glass particle accumulation body to a clean room with adjusted cleanliness. The reaction container comprises: an introduction duct opening in a space different from the clean room and introducing air into the reaction container; and The reaction container filter is arranged on the introduction pipe and is used to remove particles in the air introduced into the reaction container.

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