Modularized outdoor optical cable production equipment and method thereof
Through the segmented fiber preheating pipe and cooling pipe, combined with the hot and cold separation technology of temperature sensors and eddy current pipes, the problems of uneven temperature and high energy consumption before and after fiber coating are solved, and efficient, stable and environmentally friendly temperature control of optical cable production is achieved, adapting to the production of multiple types of optical cables.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511044384.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-26
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
The existing preheating module before the fiber coating cannot achieve precise gradient temperature control, resulting in uneven temperature, affecting the wetting and adhesion effect of the coating material, and the cooling module is difficult to adjust according to real-time temperature and production speed, resulting in insufficient or too fast cooling, affecting the quality and life of the optical cable, and at the same time lacks heat recovery design, wasting energy and polluting the environment.
The optical fiber preheating pipe and optical cable cooling pipe are designed in sections, combined with temperature sensors and control valves to achieve a gradient temperature field, and the vortex tube is used to separate the cold and cold, providing heating and cooling functions, and forming an energy closed loop through the recycling of hot gas, integrating an ultrasonic cleaning machine to achieve integration of cooling and cleaning.
It realizes uniform adhesion of fiber cladding and stable cooling of optical cables, reduces energy consumption, reduces equipment redundancy, improves production stability and efficiency, adapts to the production of multiple types of optical cables, and reduces manual intervention.
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Figure CN120533913A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of optical cable production equipment, and in particular relates to modular outdoor optical cable production equipment. Background Art
[0002] Modular outdoor optical cable production equipment includes core modules such as fiber payout, coloring, stranding, and jacket extrusion, as well as auxiliary modules such as preheating and cooling. Preheating and cooling the fiber before and after coating are key to ensuring fiber performance, mechanical strength, and environmental adaptability, but existing technology has significant drawbacks. In the preheating stage before optical fiber coating, traditional preheating modules mostly use a single resistor or infrared heating method, which makes it difficult to achieve precise gradient temperature control from the inlet to the outlet of the preheating tube, and cannot match the internal temperature of the coating mold assembly, resulting in uneven surface temperature of the optical fiber, reduced wetting and adhesion effects of the coating material, weakened bonding strength between the coating layer and the optical fiber, and easily causing coating shedding, bubbles and other quality problems; at the same time, it lacks a heat recovery mechanism, high energy consumption and high cost, and does not meet the requirements of green manufacturing. The cooling process after optical fiber coating also has shortcomings. Common air cooling and water cooling systems are difficult to flexibly adjust the cooling intensity according to the real-time temperature and production speed of the optical cable. Insufficient cooling will prevent the coating material from solidifying and shaping in time, resulting in deformation and wrinkles; too fast cooling will form large internal stress in the coating layer, causing cracks, affecting the quality and life of the optical cable.
[0003] In addition, the existing cooling module and preheating module are independent of each other and lack a heat recovery design, which not only wastes energy but also affects the surrounding environment. In summary, the existing optical fiber preheating before coating and cooling modules after coating have defects in temperature control, energy utilization, equipment integration and quality assurance. There is an urgent need to design a modular outdoor optical cable production equipment. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a modular outdoor optical cable production device that can overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.
[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: A modular outdoor optical cable production device comprises an optical fiber preheating tube, an optical fiber coating mold assembly and an optical cable cooling tube, which are sequentially arranged along an optical fiber production path, and an optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module connected to the two. The optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module generates dry cold air and hot air. The hot air enters the optical fiber preheating tube and the optical cable cooling tube through conduction, and is close to the ends of the optical fiber coating mold assembly. The hot air is then ejected from the end away from the optical fiber coating mold assembly, so that a preheating gradient of low temperature at the inlet and high temperature at the outlet of the optical fiber preheating tube is formed inside the two tubes, and a cooling gradient of high temperature at the inlet and low temperature at the outlet of the optical cable cooling tube is formed.
[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the optical fiber preheating tube includes a first base and a first lower mold tube fixedly installed on the first base, the first upper mold tube is rotatably installed on the first lower mold tube, the first lower mold tube and the first upper mold tube are closed to form a complete preheating pipe, a first electric heater is fixedly installed on one end of the first lower mold tube close to the optical fiber coating mold, a first spiral air guide plate is fixedly installed in the first lower mold tube, a first reduction motor is fixedly installed on the first lower mold tube, and the output shaft of the first reduction motor is fixedly connected to the first upper mold tube.
[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the optical cable cooling tube includes a second base and a second lower mold tube fixedly installed on the second base, a second upper mold tube is rotatably installed on the second lower mold tube, the second lower mold tube and the second upper mold tube are closed to form a complete cooling pipe, a second electric heater is fixedly installed on one end of the second lower mold tube close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly, a second spiral air guide plate is fixedly installed in the second lower mold tube, a second reduction motor is fixedly installed on the second lower mold tube, the output shaft of the second reduction motor is fixedly connected to the second upper mold tube, the optical cable cooling tube is connected to the optical fiber preheating tube at one end via a fifth insulation tube, and the fifth insulation tube is provided with a third control valve.
[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: a first mounting tube is fixedly installed on the top of the first upper mold tube, and the bottom of the first mounting tube is connected to the interior of the preheating pipe; a second mounting tube with a top seal is fixedly installed on the top of the second upper mold tube, and the bottom of the second mounting tube is connected to the interior of the cooling pipe; temperature sensors are provided in both the first mounting tube and the second mounting tube.
[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: a shaping tube is fixedly installed inside one end of the cooling pipe close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly, an air guide groove is provided on the tube wall of the shaping tube, and the shaping tube consists of two half tubes, and the two half tubes are fixedly connected to the second upper mold tube and the second lower mold tube respectively.
[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: a third spiral air guide plate is fixedly installed in the air guide groove, and the third spiral air guide plate is composed of two groups of semi-arc plates. When the two half tubes are merged, the two groups of semi-arc plates form a complete spiral air guide plate.
[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module includes an air compressor, a hot and cold separation component and an air intake component; wherein, the hot and cold separation component includes a mounting plate, on which vortex tubes are arranged and installed, and the heat exhaust ends of multiple groups of the vortex tubes are fixedly installed with a first gas collecting hood, the output end of the first gas collecting hood is fixedly installed with a second insulation tube, the output end of the second insulation tube is fixedly installed with a second control valve, the first output end of the second control valve is fixedly connected to one group of the first control valves through a fourth insulation tube; the second control valve is connected to the inside of the air guide groove through a third insulation tube; the cold exhaust ends of multiple groups of the vortex tubes are fixedly installed with a second gas collecting hood, and the output end of the second gas collecting hood is connected to the inner ventilation part of the air intake component.
[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: the air intake assembly includes a mounting box, a filter box is fixedly installed on the side wall of the mounting box, both ends of the filter box are connected, the exhaust end at the top of the mounting box is connected to the air intake end of the air compressor through an air intake heat exchange pipe, a heat exchanger is fixedly installed in the mounting box, one end of the heat exchanger is connected to the air intake end of the second air collecting hood, and the exhaust end of the heat exchanger is connected to the fourth control valve on the second mounting pipe at the discharge end of the optical cable cooling pipe through the first insulation pipe.
[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention: a filter plate is fixedly installed in the installation box, a shuttle hole is provided in the installation box, a guide roller is rotatably installed in the installation box, and an ultrasonic cleaning machine is fixedly installed. The cooled optical cable passes through the shuttle hole and is immersed in water under the guidance of the guide roller.
[0014] A method for using modular outdoor optical cable production equipment comprises the following steps: Step 1: Open and close the upper and lower mold tubes by using the reduction motor, pass the fiber traction machine rope through the cooling tube spiral air guide plate, air guide groove, coating mold, preheating tube spiral air guide plate in sequence, and then fix the optical fiber. Close the mold tube and seal the pipe gap with a sealing strip. Step 2: Use the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module to generate hot air to preheat the optical fiber preheating tube and the optical cable cooling tube, so that the temperature of the optical fiber preheating tube and the optical cable cooling tube is high at one end close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly and gradually decreases towards the other end; Step 3: Start the traction machine to pull the optical fiber, and at the same time stop supplying hot air to the interior of the optical cable cooling tube, and instead supply cold air to the end of the optical cable cooling tube away from the optical fiber coating mold assembly, so that the cold air moves toward the optical fiber coating mold assembly to absorb the heat of the optical cable; Step 4: Send the dry gas that has absorbed the heat of the optical cable in the optical cable cooling tube into the optical fiber preheating tube near one end of the optical fiber coating mold assembly, and discharge the hot gas ejected from the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module to the area with a similar temperature in the optical fiber preheating tube to mix with the gas discharged from the optical cable cooling tube to preheat the optical fiber.
[0015] After adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: on the one hand, the present invention divides the optical fiber preheating tube and the optical cable cooling tube into multiple sections, and each section is monitored in real time by an independent temperature sensor, and cooperates with the control valve to realize the gradient temperature field from the mold end to the inlet and outlet, accurately matching the optical fiber coating mold temperature and the dynamic heat requirements of the optical cable curing process, and effectively solving problems such as poor adhesion of the coating layer and internal stress cracks caused by uneven temperature. On the other hand, the vortex tube is used to achieve hot and cold separation, and provide heating and cooling functions at the same time, reducing equipment redundant configuration; the hot air discharged from the cooling tube is returned to the preheating tube for recycling, forming an energy closed loop, efficiently recovering waste heat, reducing overall energy consumption, and improving the production environment. The preheating tube and cooling tube adopt an opening and closing structure consisting of a rotatable upper mold tube and a fixed lower mold tube. They are driven by a reduction motor and cooperate with sealing strips to achieve rapid sealing, which greatly reduces the optical fiber threading time, supports rapid replacement of pipeline modules of different specifications, and is suitable for the production of multiple types of optical cables. The air intake assembly removes dust and dehumidifies the air, solving the problem of condensation on the optical fiber surface caused by humid air, improving the efficiency of the vortex tube and extending the life of the equipment. Through real-time monitoring by the humidity sensor, closed-loop control of the temperature and humidity dual parameters is achieved, reducing manual intervention and improving production stability. Process integration improves production efficiency: An ultrasonic cleaning machine is integrated into the installation box to achieve integrated cooling and cleaning, saving process time and avoiding damage to the optical cable caused by manual contact.
[0016] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] In the attached figure: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention; Figure 2 This is an expanded view of the first upper mold tube of the optical fiber preheating tube of the modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention; Figure 3 The second upper mold of the optical cable cooling tube of the modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention is expanded Figure 1 ; Figure 4 The second upper mold of the optical cable cooling tube of the modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention is expanded Figure 2 ; Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a third spiral air guide vane of a modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module of a modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention; Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of an optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module of a modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention; Figure 8 This is a gas path diagram of a modular outdoor optical cable production equipment proposed by the present invention.
[0018] Figure: 1. Fiber preheating tube; 11. First base; 12. First lower mold tube; 13. First upper mold tube; 14. First reduction motor; 15. First spiral air guide; 16. First mounting tube; 17. First control valve; 18. First electric heater; 2. Fiber coating mold assembly; 3. Cable cooling tube; 31. Second base; 32. Second lower mold tube; 33. Second upper mold tube; 34. Second reduction motor; 35. Second spiral air guide; 36. Second mounting tube; 37. Second electric heater; 38. Shaping tube; 39. Air guide groove; 310. Third spiral air guide; 4. Fiber preheating tube; Thermal cooling auxiliary module; 41. Air compressor; 42. Hot and cold separation component; 421. Mounting plate; 422. Vortex tube; 423. First air collecting hood; 424. Second air collecting hood; 43. Air intake assembly; 431. Mounting box; 432. Air intake heat exchange pipe; 433. Heat exchanger; 434. First insulation pipe; 435. Filter box; 44. Second insulation pipe; 45. Second control valve; 46. Third insulation pipe; 47. Fourth insulation pipe; 48. Fifth insulation pipe; 49. Third control valve; 410. Fourth control valve; 5. Filter plate; 51. Guide roller; 52. Ultrasonic cleaning machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.
[0020] Example: Refer to Figures 1-8A modular outdoor optical cable production equipment is mainly used to preheat the optical fiber before coating and cool the optical fiber after coating. The equipment is mainly improved for the optical fiber preheating module and the optical cable cooling module. The equipment mainly includes an optical fiber preheating tube 1 and an optical cable cooling tube 3 at both ends of the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2, and an optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module 4 for supplying heat to the inside of the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and transporting low-temperature gas to the inside of the optical cable cooling tube 3.
[0021] During the optical fiber production process, the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber preheating tube 1 for preheating and then enters the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2 for coating. The coated optical cable passes through the optical cable cooling tube 3 for cooling.
[0022] Reference Figure 2 The optical fiber preheating tube 1 includes a first base 11 and a first lower mold tube 12 fixedly installed on the first base 11. Flanges are provided at both ends of the first lower mold tube 12. A first upper mold tube 13 is rotatably installed on the first lower mold tube 12. The first lower mold tube 12 and the first upper mold tube 13 are closed to form a complete preheating pipe. A first electric heater 18 is fixedly installed on one end of the first lower mold tube 12 close to the optical fiber coating mold. A first spiral air guide plate 15 is fixedly installed in the first lower mold tube 12. A first reduction motor 14 is fixedly installed on the first lower mold tube 12, and the output shaft of the first reduction motor 14 is fixedly connected to the first upper mold tube 13.
[0023] A first mounting tube 16 is fixedly mounted on the top of the first upper mold tube 13 , and the bottom of the first mounting tube 16 is connected to the interior of the preheating pipe. A temperature sensor is provided inside the first mounting tube 16 for detecting the temperature inside the preheating pipe.
[0024] like Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, multiple groups of first mounting tubes 16 are provided, and multiple groups of first mounting tubes 16 are equidistantly arranged on the first upper mold tube 13, and a first control valve 17 is fixedly installed on the top of each first mounting tube 16, and multiple groups of first control valves 17 are connected in series through an insulation tube, wherein the preheating pipe is divided into B1-Bn sections, and the number of first mounting tubes 16 is the same as the number of sections. When in use, the optical fiber enters from the B1 end and is then discharged into the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2 from the Bn end, wherein the hot air ejected from the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module enters the interior of the preheating pipe from the Bn end, and the first electric heater 18 is designed at the Bn end.
[0025] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3-Figure 5The optical cable cooling tube 3 includes a second base 31 and a second lower mold tube 32 fixedly installed on the second base 31. Flanges are provided at both ends of the second lower mold tube 32. A second upper mold tube 33 is rotatably installed on the second lower mold tube 32. The second lower mold tube 32 and the second upper mold tube 33 are closed to form a complete cooling pipe. A second electric heater 37 is fixedly installed on one end of the second lower mold tube 32 near the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2. A second spiral air guide plate 35 is fixedly installed in the second lower mold tube 32. A second reduction motor 34 is fixedly installed on the second lower mold tube 32, and the output shaft of the second reduction motor 34 is fixedly connected to the second upper mold tube 33.
[0026] A second mounting tube 36 with a top seal is fixedly mounted on the top of the second upper mold tube 33. The bottom of the second mounting tube 36 is connected to the inside of the cooling pipe. A temperature sensor is provided inside the second mounting tube 36 for detecting the temperature inside the preheating pipe.
[0027] Reference Figure 5 A shaping tube 38 is fixedly installed inside one end of the cooling pipe close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2. An air guide groove 39 is provided on the tube wall of the shaping tube 38. The shaping tube 38 consists of two half tubes, and the two half tubes are fixedly connected to the second upper mold tube 33 and the second lower mold tube 32 respectively.
[0028] Reference Figure 5 Furthermore, a third spiral air guide plate 310 is fixedly installed in the air guide groove 39. The third spiral air guide plate 310 is composed of two groups of semi-arc plates. When the two half-tubes are merged, the two groups of semi-arc plates form a complete spiral air guide plate.
[0029] When in use, the optical cable first exchanges heat with the cooling airflow through the shaping tube 38 to cool it down. When the temperature drops to a set threshold (the initial solidification temperature of the coating layer), the cooling airflow directly contacts the surface of the optical cable to cool it down.
[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, there are multiple groups of second mounting tubes 36, and the multiple groups of second mounting tubes 36 are equidistantly arranged on the second upper mold tube 33, and a one-way valve is provided in each second mounting tube 36, wherein the cooling pipe is divided into A1-An sections, and the number of second mounting tubes 36 is the same as the number of sections. When in use, the optical fiber discharged from the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2 enters from the A1 end and is then discharged from the An end, wherein the low-temperature gas ejected from the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module 4 enters the interior of the cooling pipe from the An end, and the second electric heater 37 is designed at the A1 end.
[0031] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 6 and Figure 7The optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module 4 includes an air compressor 41, a hot and cold separation component 42 and an air intake component 43.
[0032] The hot and cold separation component 42 includes a mounting plate 421, on which vortex tubes 422 are arranged and installed, and a first gas collecting cover 423 is fixedly installed at the heat exhaust end of multiple groups of vortex tubes 422, and a second insulation pipe 44 is fixedly installed at the output end of the first gas collecting cover 423, and a second control valve 45 is fixedly installed at the output end of the second insulation pipe 44, and a first output end of the second control valve 45 is fixedly connected to one group of the first control valves 17 through a fourth insulation pipe 47; the second control valve 45 is connected to the interior of the air guide groove 39 through a third insulation pipe 46; multiple groups of vortex tubes 422 are fixedly installed at the heat exhaust end of the first gas collecting cover 423, and a second insulation pipe 44 is fixedly installed at the output end of the second insulation pipe 44. A second gas collecting hood 424 is fixedly installed on the cold discharge end of the flow tube 422, and the output end of the second gas collecting hood 424 is connected to the internal ventilation part of the air intake assembly 43. The output end of the internal ventilation part of the air intake assembly 43 is fixedly installed with a first insulation tube 434. The output end of the first insulation tube 434 is connected to the fourth control valve 410 on the second mounting tube 36 at the An end of the optical cable cooling tube 3, and the air guide groove 39 at the A1 end of the optical cable cooling tube 3 is connected to the Bn end of the optical fiber preheating tube 1 through the fifth insulation tube 48. The fifth insulation tube 48 is provided with a third control valve 49.
[0033] Reference Figure 7 The air intake assembly 43 includes a mounting box 431, a filter box 435 is fixedly installed on the side wall of the mounting box 431, the two ends of the filter box 435 are connected, the exhaust end at the top of the mounting box 431 is connected to the air intake end of the air compressor 41 through the air intake heat exchange pipe 432, and a heat exchanger 433 is fixedly installed in the mounting box 431, and the two ends of the heat exchanger 433 are respectively fixedly connected to the output end of the second gas collecting hood 424 and the input end of the first insulation pipe 434.
[0034] The specific working principle of the above equipment when used is as follows: The first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 can be opened by two sets of reduction motors, so that the staff can pass the pull rope of the optical fiber pulling machine through the inner hole of the second spiral air guide plate 35, the air guide groove 39, the coating cavity of the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2, the inner hole of the first spiral air guide plate 15 and the optical fiber in sequence, and then drive the first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 again by the two sets of reduction motors. After the first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 are closed, the gap between the upper mold tube and the lower mold tube of the two sets of pipes of the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 is sealed by a sealing strip.
[0035] After the optical fiber pulling machine is fixed to the optical fiber, two sets of electric heaters are started to locally heat the ends (A1 end and Bn end) of the two pipes close to the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2, so that the temperature of their ends reaches the working temperature in the coating cavity of the optical fiber coating mold.
[0036] After the preheating temperature reaches the preset threshold, the air compressor 41 is started, and the air compressor 41 draws external air into the vortex tube 422, realizes hot and cold separation in the vortex tube 422, and then sprays hot air into the first air collecting hood 423 and sprays low-temperature cold air into the second air collecting hood 424.
[0037] When the air compressor 41 is working, it extracts air from the top layer inside the installation box 431, so that the air pressure inside the installation box 431 is lower than the external air pressure. Under the action of the pressure difference, the external air passes through the filter box 435 to remove dust and then passes through the heat exchanger 433.
[0038] When the low-temperature cold air passes through the heat exchanger 433, it comes into contact with the air that is about to enter the air compressor 41 to remove moisture from the air and form dry air. The dry air then passes through the air intake heat exchange pipe 432 to exchange heat with the external air, thereby reducing the temperature near the air compressor 41. The dry air that has returned to normal temperature enters the air compressor 41 for compression and is then sent to the vortex tube 422 for hot and cold separation.
[0039] When preheating the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3, the un-dehumidified high-temperature air and low-temperature air are discharged through the second control valve 45 and the fourth control valve 410. Humidity sensors are provided at the second control valve 45 and the fourth control valve 410. The humidity of the air in the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 in the machine is detected by the humidity sensors. After the moist air is discharged, the cold air continues to be discharged into the workshop to assist in cooling the interior of the workshop. Then the hot air is diverted and discharged into the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3. The hot air flows from Bn to B1 end, and from A1 end to An end, until the temperature in the optical fiber preheating tube 1 gradually decreases from Bn end to B1 end and the temperature in the optical cable cooling tube 3 gradually decreases from A1 to An end.
[0040] When the preheating is completed, the optical fiber is pulled and moved by an optical fiber pulling machine. When the optical fiber moves, it passes through the optical fiber preheating tube 1, the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 in sequence. When the optical cable formed after the optical fiber coating enters the optical cable cooling tube 3, the electric heater stops working and stops supplying hot air to the inside of the optical cable cooling tube 3. All the hot air is input into the optical fiber preheating tube 1. At this time, cold air is supplied to the An section, causing the cold air to move toward the A1 end. During this process, the cold air gradually absorbs the heat on the optical cable, and then is transported to the Bn section through the fifth insulation tube 48, and then moves from the Bn end to the B1 end to preheat the optical fiber.
[0041] Reference Figure 7A filter plate 5 is fixedly installed in the installation box 431, a shuttle hole is provided in the installation box 431, a guide roller 51 is rotatably installed in the installation box 431, and an ultrasonic cleaning machine 52 is fixedly installed. The cooled optical cable passes through the shuttle hole and is guided by the guide roller 51 and immersed in water. During the transmission of the optical cable, the ultrasonic cleaning machine 52 makes the condensed water vibrate to clean the optical cable.
[0042] In summary, the device has the following advantages: 1. The optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 are divided into sections B1-Bn and A1-An along their lengths. Each section is monitored in real time by an independent temperature sensor. In conjunction with the first control valve 17 and the second control valve 45, a gradient temperature field is achieved from the mold end to the inlet and outlet (e.g., high temperature Bn at the outlet of the preheating tube and low temperature B1 at the inlet, and a positive gradient in the initial stage and a reverse gradient in the later stage of the cooling tube). This differs from the traditional single-temperature heating / cooling mode and precisely matches the temperature of the optical fiber coating mold and the dynamic thermal requirements of the optical cable curing process, solving problems such as poor coating adhesion and internal stress cracks caused by uneven temperature.
[0043] 2. The optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module 4 uses a vortex tube 422 to replace the traditional heating / cooling elements, and realizes hot and cold separation through high-speed rotation of compressed air (the hot air temperature can reach 150-200°C, and the cold air is as low as -30°C). The hot air is directly used for preheating the preheating tube and the cooling tube, and the cold air is used for cooling in the cooling stage. It can provide both heating and cooling functions at the same time, reducing equipment redundancy. The hot air discharged from the optical cable cooling tube 3 flows back to the Bn end of the optical fiber preheating tube 1 through the fifth insulation tube 48, and is mixed with the newly generated hot air from the vortex tube 422 and recycled, forming an "cooling exothermic-preheating endothermic" energy closed loop, realizing efficient recovery of waste heat in the cooling stage, reducing the overall energy consumption of the equipment, and at the same time reducing heat emissions in the workshop and improving the production environment.
[0044] 3. Both the preheating tube and the cooling tube are composed of a rotatable upper mold tube (first upper mold tube 13 / second upper mold tube 33) and a fixed lower mold tube (first lower mold tube 12 / second lower mold tube 32). They are driven to open and close by a reduction motor (first reduction motor 14 / second reduction motor 34) and cooperate with sealing strips to achieve rapid sealing. Compared with traditional fixed pipeline structures, the optical fiber threading time is greatly reduced, and it supports rapid replacement of pipeline modules of different specifications, suitable for the production of multiple types of optical cables.
[0045] 4. The air intake assembly 43 removes dust from the air through the filter box 435, and uses the heat exchanger 433 to exchange heat with the cold air for condensation and dehumidification. The dry air is heated and returned to temperature through the air intake heat exchange pipe 432 and then enters the vortex tube 422, solving the problem of condensation water on the optical fiber surface caused by humid air in the traditional air cooling system and avoiding bubble defects in the coating layer. At the same time, the dry air can improve the efficiency of the vortex tube 422, reduce the freezing point inside the vortex tube 422, and extend the life of the internal components of the equipment; by setting humidity sensors at the second control valve 45 and the fourth control valve 410, the air humidity in the pipeline is monitored in real time. When the humidity exceeds the threshold, the dehumidification time is automatically extended, and the un-dehumidified cold air is discharged to the workshop to assist in cooling. Through the closed-loop control of temperature and humidity dual parameters, the whole process from air treatment to temperature regulation is intelligent, reducing manual intervention and improving production stability.
[0046] 5. An ultrasonic cleaner 52 is integrated in the installation box 431. The cooled optical cable is guided by the guide roller 51 and immersed in water, where ultrasonic vibration removes residual impurities on the surface. Traditional processes require offline cleaning. This design integrates cooling and cleaning, saving process time and avoiding damage to the optical cable caused by manual contact.
[0047] A method for controlling the temperature of an optical fiber preheating module and an optical cable cooling module of a modular outdoor optical cable comprises the following steps: Step 1: Fix the optical fiber to the traction machine. The specific method is as follows: The first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 can be opened by two sets of reduction motors, so that the staff can pass the pull rope of the optical fiber pulling machine through the inner hole of the second spiral air guide plate 35, the air guide groove 39, the coating cavity of the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2, the inner hole of the first spiral air guide plate 15 and the optical fiber in sequence, and then the first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 are driven again by the two sets of reduction motors. After the first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 are closed, the gap between the upper mold tube and the lower mold tube of the two sets of pipelines of the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 is sealed by a sealing strip; Step 2: Preheat the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3. The specific method is as follows: The air compressor 41 is turned on to pass the external air through the filter box 435 to remove dust and the heat exchanger 433 to remove moisture, and then it is delivered to the vortex tube 422. The hot air generated by the vortex tube 422 is delivered to the optical fiber preheating tube 1 (end Bn) and the optical cable cooling tube 3 (end A1) through the second insulation tube 44 and the third insulation tube 46, respectively. The first electric heater 18 and the second electric heater 37 are simultaneously turned on to provide auxiliary heating for the preheating tube Bn end and the cooling tube A1 end. Hot air enters the preheating tube from end Bn (fiber outlet), and is guided by the first spiral air guide 15 to flow in a spiral to end B1 (fiber inlet). Temperature sensors in multiple sets of first mounting tubes 16 monitor and adjust the second control valve 45 and the first control valve 17 to ensure that the temperature gradually decreases from end Bn to end B1, forming a gradient with high temperature at the outlet and low temperature at the inlet. Hot air enters the A1 end (fiber inlet) of the optical cable cooling tube 3 and is guided by the third spiral air guide fins 310 to flow in a spiral to the An end (fiber outlet). Temperature sensors in multiple sets of second mounting tubes 36 monitor and adjust the second control valve 45 and the valves on the third insulation tube 46 to ensure that the temperature gradually decreases from the A1 end to the An end, forming a high-temperature inlet and low-temperature outlet gradient. When the temperature of the preheating tube Bn end reaches the working temperature of the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2, and the temperature of the cable cooling tube A1 end is close to the temperature of the optical cable at the mold outlet, the preheating stage is completed; Step 3: Start production and switch to cooling mode for preheating. The specific method is as follows: Start the fiber traction machine and pull the optical fiber from the B1 end through the optical fiber preheating tube 1, and then through the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2 and the optical cable cooling tube 3 to the An end. When the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber coating mold assembly 2, the outer sheath is applied. When the high-temperature optical cable enters the cooling pipe A1 end, the second electric heater 37 is turned off to reduce preheating energy consumption; The airflow path is adjusted by the second control valve 45 and the fourth control valve 410. The low-temperature gas generated by the vortex tube 422 enters the cooling pipe from the An end and is guided by the second spiral air guide 35 to flow toward the A1 end, forming a reverse cooling gradient with low temperature at the outlet and high temperature at the inlet. The low-temperature gas absorbs heat from the optical cable during its flow, and its temperature gradually rises, and then it is discharged from the A1 end.
[0048] Step 4: Waste heat recovery and temperature matching, the specific method is as follows: The hot gas exhausted from the A1 end of the optical cable cooling tube 3 is transported to the Bn end of the preheating tube through the fifth insulation tube 48; Monitor the temperature of the hot gas discharged from the vortex tube 422 and the temperature of each point in the preheating tube B1-Bn section, and guide the hot gas into the area with corresponding temperature through the first control valve 17 to mix with the original hot gas in the area to optimize energy utilization efficiency.
[0049] The recovered hot air and the hot air directly supplied by the vortex tube 422 are driven together by the first spiral air guide vane 15 to flow toward the B1 end, continuously preheating the optical fiber.
[0050] When cleaning the equipment after production, turn off the optical fiber pulling machine and stop the operation of the air compressor 41 and the vortex tube 422; open the second control valve 45 and the fourth control valve 410 to discharge the residual gas in the optical fiber preheating tube 1 and the optical cable cooling tube 3; open the first upper mold tube 13 and the second upper mold tube 33 through the reduction motor to clean the spiral air guide vanes and impurities in the pipeline; check the temperature sensor, sealing strips and other vulnerable parts to ensure safe and reliable operation next time.
[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as above in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the present invention can make slight changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments using the above-mentioned technical contents without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are within the scope of the solution of the present invention.
Claims
1. A modular outdoor optical cable production equipment, characterized in that: It comprises an optical fiber preheating tube (1), an optical fiber coating mold assembly (2), and an optical cable cooling tube (3) which are sequentially arranged along an optical fiber production path, and an optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module (4) connected to the two; The optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module (4) generates dry cold air and hot air, and the hot air is conducted into the optical fiber preheating tube (1) and the optical cable cooling tube (3) from the ends close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2), and then ejected from the end away from the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2), so that a preheating gradient of low temperature at the inlet and high temperature at the outlet of the optical fiber preheating tube (1) is formed inside the two tubes, and a cooling gradient of high temperature at the inlet and low temperature at the outlet of the optical cable cooling tube (3) is formed; The optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module (4) includes an air compressor (41), a hot and cold separation component (42) and an air intake component (43); The hot and cold separation assembly (42) includes a mounting plate (421), vortex tubes (422) are arranged and mounted on the mounting plate (421), a first gas collecting hood (423) is fixedly mounted on the heat exhaust end of multiple groups of the vortex tubes (422), a second insulation tube (44) is fixedly mounted on the output end of the first gas collecting hood (423), a second control valve (45) is fixedly mounted on the output end of the second insulation tube (44), and a first output end of the second control valve (45) is fixedly connected to one group of the first control valves (17) via a fourth insulation tube (47).
2. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical fiber preheating tube (1) comprises a first base (11) and a first lower mold tube (12) fixedly mounted on the first base (11); a first upper mold tube (13) is rotatably mounted on the first lower mold tube (12); the first lower mold tube (12) and the first upper mold tube (13) are closed to form a complete preheating pipe; a first electric heater (18) is fixedly mounted on one end of the first lower mold tube (12) close to the optical fiber coating mold; a first spiral air guide plate (15) is fixedly mounted inside the first lower mold tube (12); a first reduction motor (14) is fixedly mounted on the first lower mold tube (12); and an output shaft of the first reduction motor (14) is fixedly connected to the first upper mold tube (13).
3. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The optical cable cooling tube (3) includes a second base (31) and a second lower mold tube (32) fixedly mounted on the second base (31); a second upper mold tube (33) is rotatably mounted on the second lower mold tube (32); the second lower mold tube (32) and the second upper mold tube (33) are closed to form a complete cooling pipe; a second electric heater (37) is fixedly mounted on one end of the second lower mold tube (32) close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2); a second spiral air guide plate (35) is fixedly mounted inside the second lower mold tube (32); a second reduction motor (34) is fixedly mounted on the second lower mold tube (32); an output shaft of the second reduction motor (34) is fixedly connected to the second upper mold tube (33); the end of the optical cable cooling tube (3) adjacent to the optical fiber preheating tube (1) is connected via a fifth insulation tube (48); and a third control valve (49) is provided on the fifth insulation tube (48).
4. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first mounting tube (16) is fixedly mounted on the top of the first upper mold tube (13), and the bottom of the first mounting tube (16) is communicated with the interior of the preheating pipe. A second mounting tube (36) with a top seal is fixedly mounted on the top of the second upper mold tube (33), and the bottom of the second mounting tube (36) is communicated with the interior of the cooling pipe. Temperature sensors are provided in both the first mounting tube (16) and the second mounting tube (36).
5. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A shaping tube (38) is fixedly installed inside one end of the cooling pipe close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2), and an air guide groove (39) is provided on the tube wall of the shaping tube (38). The shaping tube (38) consists of two half tubes, and the two half tubes are fixedly connected to the second upper mold tube (33) and the second lower mold tube (32) respectively.
6. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: A third spiral air guide plate (310) is fixedly installed in the air guide groove (39). The third spiral air guide plate (310) is composed of two groups of semi-arc plates. When the two half-tubes are combined, the two groups of semi-arc plates form a complete spiral air guide plate.
7. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second control valve (45) is connected to the interior of the air guide groove (39) via a third insulation pipe (46); A second gas collecting hood (424) is fixedly mounted on the cold exhaust ends of the plurality of vortex tubes (422), and the output end of the second gas collecting hood (424) is connected to the inner ventilation portion of the air intake assembly (43).
8. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The air intake assembly (43) includes a mounting box (431), a filter box (435) is fixedly mounted on the side wall of the mounting box (431), the two ends of the filter box (435) are connected, the exhaust end at the top of the mounting box (431) is connected to the air intake end of the air compressor (41) through an air intake heat exchange pipe (432), a heat exchanger (433) is fixedly mounted in the mounting box (431), one end of the heat exchanger (433) is connected to the air intake end of the second air collecting hood (424), and the exhaust end of the heat exchanger (433) is connected to the fourth control valve (410) on the second mounting pipe (36) at the discharge end of the optical cable cooling pipe (3) through a first insulation pipe (434).
9. The modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: A filter plate (5) is fixedly installed in the installation box (431), a shuttle hole is provided in the installation box (431), a guide roller (51) is rotatably installed in the installation box (431), and an ultrasonic cleaning machine (52) is fixedly installed. The cooled optical cable passes through the shuttle hole and is immersed in water under the guidance of the guide roller (51).
10. A method for using modular outdoor optical cable production equipment, using the modular outdoor optical cable production equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Open and close the upper and lower mold tubes by means of a reduction motor, pass the optical fiber pulling machine rope through the cooling tube spiral air guide plate, the air guide groove (39), the coating mold, the preheating tube spiral air guide plate, and then fix the optical fiber, close the mold tube and seal the pipe gap with a sealing strip; Step 2: Using the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module (4) to generate hot air to preheat the optical fiber preheating tube (1) and the optical cable cooling tube (3), so that the temperature of the optical fiber preheating tube (1) and the optical cable cooling tube (3) is high at one end close to the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2) and gradually decreases towards the other end; Step 3: Start the traction machine to pull the optical fiber, and at the same time stop supplying hot air to the inside of the optical cable cooling tube (3), and instead supply cold air to the end of the optical cable cooling tube (3) away from the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2), so that the cold air moves toward the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2) to absorb the heat of the optical cable; Step 4: The dry gas that has absorbed the heat of the optical cable in the optical cable cooling tube (3) is sent into the optical fiber preheating tube (1) near one end of the optical fiber coating mold assembly (2), and the hot gas ejected from the optical fiber preheating and cooling auxiliary module (4) is discharged to an area with a similar temperature in the optical fiber preheating tube (1) to mix with the gas discharged from the optical cable cooling tube (3) to preheat the optical fiber.
Citation Information
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