An automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of automatic sintering equipment technology, specifically an automatic sintering device for quartz glass, comprising a furnace core tube, a furnace wall, a take-up and release assembly, an automatic processing unit, a gas supply assembly, and an airflow disturbance assembly. The furnace wall is fixedly installed on the outside of the furnace core tube, forming a sintering space inside the core tube. A heating space is formed between the core tube and the furnace wall, and heating elements are installed within the heating space. The take-up and release assembly drives the automatic processing unit to switch between a standby position and a working position. The automatic processing unit includes a sealing cover plate, a control box, a placement assembly, a vacuum assembly, and a drive and control assembly, enabling the rotation and lifting of the silica porous body during sintering. The gas supply assembly introduces a protective atmosphere into the sintering space. The airflow disturbance assembly is located inside the furnace core tube and works in conjunction with the automatic processing unit to disturb the atmosphere inside the furnace, promoting the discharge of pore gases. This invention achieves efficient and high-quality sintering of quartz glass, with advantages such as high automation and environmental safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic sintering equipment technology, specifically an automatic sintering equipment for quartz glass. Background Technology

[0002] Quartz glass possesses excellent properties, such as high temperature resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal shock resistance, high chemical stability, and good electrical insulation. It is a special industrial technical glass with silicon dioxide as its main component. Currently, in the manufacturing process of quartz glass, the indirect method uses silicon-containing raw materials, which are synthesized into a porous silica body through low-temperature chemical vapor deposition. This porous silica body is then sintered to form quartz glass.

[0003] Existing quartz glass sintering equipment typically employs a zone melting step-by-step sintering method. This involves a silica porous body being continuously and slowly passed through a high-temperature heating zone via a mechanical device, sintering segment by segment within a very narrow heating area. This sintering method suffers from the following technical problems: First, the sintering efficiency is low, requiring more than 24 hours for the entire process, which cannot meet the demands of industrial production. Second, for larger silica porous bodies, the gases within the internal pores are difficult to expel, resulting in quartz glass with a significant number of pores. Consequently, the product quality cannot meet the high requirements of aerospace, laser nuclear technology, and precision optics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an automated quartz glass sintering device to overcome the shortcomings of current practical applications. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass includes: a furnace core tube and a furnace wall, the furnace wall being fixedly disposed on the outside of the furnace core tube, a sintering space being formed inside the furnace core tube, and a heating space being formed between the furnace core tube and the furnace wall, with a plurality of heating elements disposed inside the heating space; a take-up and release assembly and an automatic processing unit controlled by the take-up and release assembly, the take-up and release assembly driving the automatic processing unit to switch between a standby position and a working position, when the automatic processing unit switches to the working position, the automatic processing unit inserts into the furnace core tube and connects and closes with the furnace core tube to complete the sintering of the silica porous body; a gas supply assembly disposed inside the take-up and release assembly and connected to the heating space disposed inside the furnace core tube, used to form a protective atmosphere during the sintering process and help to expel gas from the pores of the silica porous body; and an airflow disturbance assembly disposed inside the furnace core tube and connected to the inserted automatic processing unit, used to cooperate with the automatic processing unit to disturb the air located inside the furnace core tube.

[0006] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the automatic processing unit includes: a sealing cover plate, a control box, a placement component, a vacuum component, and a drive control component. The sealing cover plate is disposed on the outside of the furnace core tube. A control box connected to the placement component is fixedly disposed on the side of the sealing cover plate away from the furnace core tube. A drive control component is disposed inside the control box. The drive control component is connected to the placement component disposed on the outside of the sealing cover plate and is used to cooperate with the control box to realize the rotation and lifting of the placement component. A vacuum component connected to the control box is also disposed inside the sealing cover plate.

[0007] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the placement assembly includes: a placement frame, a slider, and a transmission prism. The placement frame is disposed outside the sealing cover and connected to the drive control assembly. A slider is slidably disposed on the inner side of the frame wall of the placement frame. A spring is fixedly disposed between the slider and the placement frame. A transmission prism is fixedly disposed on the outer side of the other end of the slider. The transmission prism is disposed opposite to the airflow disturbance assembly and is used to cooperate with the placement frame to drive the airflow disturbance assembly.

[0008] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the drive control assembly includes: a drive motor, a drive rod, a piston groove, a connecting pipe, a lifting component, a limiting guide block, a lifting column, and a transmission control assembly. The drive motor is fixedly installed on the top of the inner side of the control box. The output end of the drive motor is fixedly connected to the drive rod. A piston groove is provided on the inner side of the drive rod. The piston groove is connected to the connecting pipe fixedly installed on the drive rod. Both the connecting pipe and the drive rod are connected to the transmission control assembly installed inside the control box. The lifting component is slidably connected to the piston groove. The other end is connected to the placement frame through the lifting column. The lifting component is slidably connected to the limiting guide block fixedly installed inside the drive rod.

[0009] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the transmission and control assembly includes: a cam, a transmission and control box, a guide tube, a connecting sleeve, a control plate, a piston component, and a piston tube. The cam is fixedly connected to the drive rod. A control plate is abutted against the outer side of one end of the cam, and a transmission and control box fixedly connected to the control box is provided on the outer side of the other end. A piston tube is fixedly provided on the wall of the transmission and control box. A piston component fixedly connected to the control plate is slidably provided on the inner side of the piston tube. A guide tube is also fixedly provided on the transmission and control box. The other end of the guide tube is connected to a connecting sleeve that surrounds the outer side of the drive rod. The connecting sleeve covers the outer side of the connecting pipe.

[0010] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the vacuum assembly includes: a cavity, a first insert, a vacuum pump, a gas supply pipe, a purification box, a gas guide pipe, a filter box, an exhaust pipe, and an activated carbon filter plate. The cavity is located inside a sealing cover. A vacuum pump is fixedly connected to the sealing cover inside the cavity. The output end of the vacuum pump is connected to the purification box located inside the control box via the gas supply pipe. A purification liquid is located inside the purification box. A filter box is fixedly located outside the purification box. A gas guide pipe is fixedly located between the filter box and the purification box. An exhaust pipe is fixedly located between the filter box and the control box. An activated carbon filter plate connected to the filter box is located between the exhaust pipe and the gas guide pipe. A first insert connected to the sintering space is fixedly located on the sealing cover. A second insert connected to the heating space is also fixedly located on the sealing cover. Both the first insert and the second insert are connected to the cavity.

[0011] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the receiving and discharging assembly includes: a connecting box, a threaded rod, a receiving and discharging motor, a lifting frame, and a guide rod. The connecting box is fixedly installed on the outside of the furnace wall, and the receiving and discharging motor is fixedly installed on the inside of the connecting box. The output end of the receiving and discharging motor is fixedly connected to the threaded rod. The threaded rod is threadedly connected to the lifting frame fixedly installed on the outside of the control box. Guide rods fixedly connected to the control box are symmetrically arranged on the outside of the lifting frame, and the guide rods are slidably connected to the connecting box.

[0012] As a further aspect of the present invention: the gas supply assembly includes a gas tank, a gas pump, and a gas supply pipeline. The gas tank is fixedly installed inside the connecting box. The input end of the gas pump is connected to the gas tank, and the output end is connected to the sintering space located inside the furnace core tube through the gas supply pipeline. A gas flow control valve is installed inside the gas supply pipeline. The gas flow control valve is preferably a mass flow controller, which can accurately control the gas flow rate entering the sintering space. The gas tank can provide inert gases such as helium, argon, and nitrogen to form a protective atmosphere or help exhaust gases from the pores during the sintering process.

[0013] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the airflow disturbance component includes: a rotating rod, a disturbance rod, and a transmission control rod. The transmission control rod is rotatably disposed inside the furnace core tube, and a prismatic groove adapted to the transmission prism is provided on the inner side. A plurality of rotating rods rotatably connected to the furnace core tube are arranged around the outer side of the transmission control rod. A drive gear is fixedly disposed on the outer side of the transmission control rod, and the drive gear meshes with a driven gear fixedly disposed on the outer side of the rotating rod. A plurality of disturbance rods are fixedly disposed on the outer side of the rotating rod.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. High sintering efficiency: By setting up automatic processing units and drive control components, the rotation and lifting of the silica porous body during the sintering process can be realized. Combined with precise control of the temperature field, the whole body can be heated and sintered at the same time, which greatly shortens the sintering time and improves production efficiency. 2. Excellent sintering quality: Sintering is carried out in a vacuum or protective atmosphere environment. With the help of the airflow disturbance component, the atmosphere inside the furnace core tube is disturbed, which promotes the discharge of gas from the pores inside the silica porous body, effectively reducing the bubble content in the finished product and improving the transparency and optical performance of quartz glass. 3. High degree of automation: The feeding and receiving components can automatically feed the placement components into or out of the furnace core tube, and with the help of the sealing cover, they can automatically close and open, which facilitates the loading and unloading of materials, improves the convenience of operation and the level of equipment automation. 4. Environmental protection and safety: The vacuum components perform two-stage purification treatment (purification liquid + activated carbon filtration) on the waste gas generated during the sintering process, avoiding the emission of harmful gases and protecting the environment and the health of operators; 5. Precise closed-loop control: The device integrates multiple sensors and programmable logic controllers to achieve real-time monitoring and automatic adjustment of multiple parameters such as temperature, pressure, and gas flow, ensuring a stable and controllable sintering process and adapting to different process requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic sintering device for quartz glass.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an automated sintering apparatus for quartz glass.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure used to place components in an automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the components placed in an automated sintering apparatus for quartz glass.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drive and control components used in an automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass.

[0020] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the control components used in an automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow disturbance component used in an automatic sintering device for quartz glass.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the control rod used in an automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass.

[0023] In the diagram: 1. Furnace wall; 2. Sealing cover; 3. Control box; 4. Lifting frame; 5. Connecting box; 6. Guide rod; 7. Furnace core tube; 8. Heating element; 9. Gas tank; 10. Gas pump; 11. Gas pipeline; 12. Airflow disturbance assembly; 13. Threaded rod; 14. Discharge motor; 15. Placement assembly; 16. Vacuum assembly; 17. Drive and control assembly; 18. Automatic processing unit; 19. Placement rack; 20. Slider; 21. Transmission prism; 22. Drive motor; 23. Drive rod; 24. Cam; 25. 26. Control box; 27. Guide tube; 28. Connecting sleeve; 29. ​​Piston groove; 30. Connecting pipe; 31. Lifting component; 32. Limiting guide block; 33. Lifting column; 34. Cavity; 35. First insertion tube; 36. Vacuum pump; 37. Gas supply pipe; 38. Purification box; 39. Gas guide pipe; 40. Filter box; 41. Exhaust pipe; 42. Control plate; 43. Piston component; 44. Piston tube; 45. Driven gear; 46. Rotating rod; 47. Disturbance rod; 48. Control rod; 49. Activated carbon filter plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solution of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0025] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment of the present invention, an automatic sintering device for quartz glass includes: a core tube 7 and a furnace wall 1, the furnace wall 1 being fixedly disposed outside the core tube 7, a sintering space being formed inside the core tube 7, and a heating space being formed between the core tube 7 and the furnace wall 1, with a plurality of heating elements 8 disposed inside the heating space; a take-up and release assembly and an automatic processing unit 18 controlled by the take-up and release assembly, the take-up and release assembly being used to drive the automatic processing unit 18 to switch between a standby position and a working position, and when the automatic processing unit 18 switches to the working position, the automatic processing unit... The element 18 is inserted into the furnace core tube 7 and connected to the furnace core tube 7 to close, thereby completing the sintering of the silica porous body; the gas supply component is located inside the receiving and releasing component and is connected to the heating space located inside the furnace core tube 7, thereby forming a protective atmosphere during the sintering process and helping to expel the gas from the pores of the silica porous body; the airflow disturbance component 12 is located inside the furnace core tube 7 and is connected to the inserted automatic processing unit 18, thereby cooperating with the automatic processing unit 18 to disturb the air located inside the furnace core tube 7.

[0027] In this embodiment, the heating element 8 can be a resistance heating wire or a silicon molybdenum rod. The heating element 8 is connected to a temperature controller, which is electrically connected to a temperature sensor located inside the furnace core tube 7 to control the temperature of the sintering space. Pressure gauges are installed inside both the sintering space and the heating space. During operation, the silica loose material is placed inside the automatic processing unit 18. The take-up and release assembly drives the automatic processing unit 18 to be taken inside the furnace core tube 7. The automatic processing unit 18 evacuates the sintering space and the heating space. Subsequently, the heating element 8 is activated, cooperating with the furnace core tube 7 to sinter the silica loose material located inside the automatic processing unit 18. During the sintering process, the gas supply assembly injects gas into the heating space, while the automatic processing unit 18 extracts an equal amount of air from inside the heating space to ensure the stability of the pressure inside the heating space and purify the extracted air to avoid harm to the environment and personnel. After the processing unit 18 is inserted into the furnace core tube 7, the automatic processing unit 18 can also drive the airflow disturbance component 12. The airflow disturbance component 12 disturbs the atmosphere around the porous material, rather than directly contacting the porous material itself, thereby promoting gas discharge and improving sintering quality. As sintering is completed, the take-up and release component pulls out the automatic processing unit 18, making it convenient for people to take and release the silica porous material before and after processing, which greatly improves the processing effect of the equipment. By setting the automatic processing unit 18, in conjunction with the take-up and release component and the airflow disturbance component 12, this application can carry out sintering in a negative pressure environment or a specific atmosphere, effectively discharge the gas in the pores inside the silica porous material, reduce the bubble content in the finished product, improve the transparency and product quality of quartz glass, and also achieve uniform lifting and lowering of the silica porous material in the sintering space during the sintering process. Combined with the precise control of the temperature field, the whole can be heated and sintered at the same time, which greatly improves the sintering efficiency and shortens the sintering time.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 2 The automatic processing unit 18 includes: a sealing cover plate 2, a control box 3, a placement component 15, a vacuum component 16, and a drive control component 17. The sealing cover plate 2 is located on the outside of the furnace core tube 7. The control box 3, which is connected to the placement component, is fixedly installed on the side of the sealing cover plate 2 away from the furnace core tube 7. The drive control component 17 is located inside the control box 3. The drive control component 17 is connected to the placement component 15 located on the outside of the sealing cover plate 2 and is used to cooperate with the control box 3 to realize the rotation and lifting of the placement component 15. The vacuum component 16, which is connected to the control box 3, is also located inside the sealing cover plate 2.

[0029] In this embodiment, the silica loose material is stored inside the placement component 15. The placement component, together with the control box 3 and the sealing cover plate 2, drives the placement component 15 into the inner side of the furnace core tube 7. The sealing cover plate 2 completes the sealing of the top of the furnace core tube 7. The vacuum component 16 set on the sealing cover plate 2 extracts the air inside the heating space and sintering space and reaches the specified vacuum degree. Subsequently, the vacuum component 16 and the gas supply component operate synchronously. The gas supply component introduces the atmospheric gas with a set flow rate through the gas flow control valve, and works with the vacuum component 16 to keep the pressure inside the sintering space stable and complete the gas conversion. The drive control component 17 can realize the rotation of the placement component 15 and simultaneously realize the lifting and lowering of the placement component 15. During the sintering process, the silica loose material is lifted and lowered at a uniform speed in the sintering space. Combined with the precise control of the temperature field, the whole can be heated and sintered at the same time, which greatly improves the sintering efficiency and shortens the sintering time.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The placement assembly 15 includes a placement frame 19, a slider 20, and a transmission prism 21. The placement frame 19 is disposed on the outside of the sealing cover plate 2 and connected to the drive control assembly 17. The slider 20 is slidably disposed on the inner side of the frame wall of the placement frame 19. A spring is fixedly disposed between the slider 20 and the placement frame 19. The transmission prism 21 is fixedly disposed on the outer side of the other end of the slider 20. The transmission prism 21 is disposed opposite to the airflow disturbance assembly 12 and is used to cooperate with the placement frame 19 to drive the airflow disturbance assembly 12.

[0031] In this embodiment, the placement rack 19 has a multi-layer structure, which can complete the storage of silica loose body. The placement rack 19 can rotate under the control of the drive and control component 17, and can lift and lower during the rotation process, which greatly improves the uniformity of sintering and effectively improves the sintering efficiency.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 5 The drive and control assembly 17 includes: a drive motor 22, a drive rod 23, a piston groove 28, a connecting pipe 29, a lifting component 30, a limiting guide block 31, a lifting column 32, and a transmission and control assembly. The drive motor 22 is fixedly installed on the top of the inner side of the control box 3. The output end of the drive motor 22 is fixedly connected to the drive rod 23. The piston groove 28 is provided on the inner side of the drive rod 23. The piston groove 28 is connected to the connecting pipe 29 fixedly installed on the drive rod 23. The connecting pipe 29 and the drive rod 23 are both connected to the transmission and control assembly installed inside the control box 3. The lifting component 30 is slidably connected to the piston groove 28. The other end is connected to the placement frame 19 through the lifting column 32. The lifting component 30 is slidably connected to the limiting guide block 31 fixedly installed inside the drive rod 23.

[0033] In this embodiment, the lifting component 30 includes a first piston slidably disposed inside the piston groove 28 and a first push rod fixedly connected to the first piston. The first push rod has a limiting groove slidably connected to the limiting guide block 31 on its rod wall. The other end of the first push rod is fixedly connected to the lifting column 32. The drive motor 22 drives the drive rod 23 to rotate. The drive rod 23 realizes the rotation of the lifting column 32 through the limiting guide block 31 and the lifting component 30. The lifting column 32 drives the placement rack 19 to rotate synchronously. The drive rod 23 can also realize the lifting and lowering of the lifting component 30 through the transmission and control component, thereby realizing the slight up and down vibration of the placement rack 19 to promote the discharge of gas in the vent. In addition, an ultrasonic generator is also provided inside the sealing cover plate 2 to further enhance the vibration effect.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The transmission and control assembly includes: a cam 24, a transmission and control box 25, a guide tube 26, a connecting sleeve 27, a control plate 41, a piston 42, and a piston tube 43. The cam 24 is fixedly connected to the drive rod 23. The control plate 41 is abutted against the outer side of one end of the cam 24, and the transmission and control box 25, which is fixedly connected to the control box 3, is provided on the outer side of the other end. The piston tube 43 is fixedly provided on the wall of the transmission and control box 25. The piston 42, which is fixedly connected to the control plate 41, is slidably provided on the inner side of the piston tube 43. The guide tube 26 is also fixedly provided on the transmission and control box 25. The other end of the guide tube 26 is connected to the connecting sleeve 27, which is arranged around the outer side of the drive rod 23. The connecting sleeve 27 covers the outer side of the connecting pipe 29.

[0035] In this embodiment, the piston component 42 includes a second piston slidably disposed inside the piston tube 43 and a second push rod fixedly connected to the second piston. The other end of the second push rod is fixedly connected to the control plate 41. The drive rod 23 drives the cam 24 to rotate, and the cam 24 drives the control plate 41 to move. With the help of gravity, the piston component 42 reciprocates inside the piston tube 43. The air inside the transmission control box 25 enters and exits the connecting sleeve 27 along the guide pipe 26, and enters and exits the piston groove 28 through the connecting pipe 29, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the placement rack 19.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4The vacuum assembly 16 includes: a cavity 33, a first insertion tube 34, a vacuum pump 35, a gas supply pipe 36, a purification chamber 37, a gas guide pipe 38, a filter box 39, an exhaust pipe 40, and an activated carbon filter plate 49. The cavity 33 is located inside the sealing cover plate 2. The vacuum pump 35, which is fixedly connected to the sealing cover plate 2, is located inside the cavity 33. The output end of the vacuum pump 35 is connected to the purification chamber 37 located inside the control box 3 via the gas supply pipe 36. The purification chamber 37 contains purification liquid. A filter box 39 is fixedly installed on the outside of the purification box 37. A gas guide pipe 38 is fixedly installed between the filter box 39 and the purification box 37. An exhaust pipe 40 is fixedly installed between the filter box 39 and the control box 3. An activated carbon filter plate 49 connected to the filter box 39 is installed between the exhaust pipe 40 and the gas guide pipe 38. A first insertion pipe 34 connected to the sintering space is fixedly installed on the sealing cover plate 2. A second insertion pipe connected to the heating space is also fixedly installed on the sealing cover plate 2. Both the first insertion pipe 34 and the second insertion pipe are connected to the cavity 33.

[0037] In this embodiment, vacuum regulating valves are installed inside both the first insertion tube 34 and the second insertion tube. Vacuum pump 35 evacuates the heating space through the second insertion tube, reducing heat loss and improving heating efficiency. Vacuum pump 35 can be a rotary vane vacuum pump or a molecular pump. The vacuum regulating valve is used to precisely control the vacuum level in the sintering space. Waste gas generated during sintering is also extracted and enters the inner side of the purification chamber 37 along the gas delivery pipe 36. The purification liquid inside the purification chamber 37 purifies the waste gas. The purified air then enters the inner side of the filter chamber 39 along the gas guide pipe 38. After secondary purification by the activated carbon filter plate 49 inside the filter chamber 39, the air is discharged from the device through the exhaust pipe 40. This effectively prevents harmful gases generated after the automatic sintering of quartz glass from escaping into the environment, ensuring the health of workers and facilitating user operation.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 2 The receiving and discharging assembly includes: a connecting box 5, a threaded rod 13, a receiving and discharging motor 14, a lifting frame 4, and a guide rod 6. The connecting box 5 is fixedly installed on the outside of the furnace wall 1, and the receiving and discharging motor 14 is fixedly installed on the inside of the connecting box 5. The output end of the receiving and discharging motor 14 is fixedly connected to the threaded rod 13. The threaded rod 13 is threadedly connected to the lifting frame 4, which is fixedly installed on the outside of the control box 3. The guide rod 6, which is fixedly connected to the control box 3, is symmetrically arranged on the outside of the lifting frame 4. The guide rod 6 is slidably connected to the connecting box 5.

[0039] In this embodiment, after the silica loose material is placed inside the placement rack 19, the retractor 14 drives the threaded rod 13 to rotate. The threaded rod 13, through the lifting frame 4 and the guide rod 6, realizes the lifting and lowering of the placement rack 19. The placement rack 19 is retracted into the furnace core tube 7, and the sealing cover plate 2 completes the sealing of the furnace core tube 7. By setting the retracting and lowering assembly, the automatic retracting and lowering of the placement rack 19 can be completed, which greatly improves the convenience of picking up and putting down the silica loose material, thereby improving the processing efficiency.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 2 The gas supply assembly includes a gas tank 9, a gas pump 10, and a gas supply pipe 11. The gas tank 9 is fixedly installed inside the connecting box 5. The input end of the gas pump 10 is connected to the gas tank 9, and the output end is connected to the sintering space located inside the furnace core tube 7 through the gas supply pipe 11. A gas flow control valve is installed inside the gas supply pipe 11. The gas flow control valve is preferably a mass flow controller, which can accurately control the gas flow rate entering the sintering space. The gas tank 9 can provide inert gases such as helium, argon, and nitrogen to form a protective atmosphere or help exhaust gases from the pores during the sintering process.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The airflow disturbance component 12 includes: a rotating rod 46, a disturbance rod 47, and a transmission control rod 48. The transmission control rod 48 is rotatably disposed inside the furnace core tube 7, and the inner side is provided with a prismatic groove adapted to the transmission prism 21. Several rotating rods 46 that are rotatably connected to the furnace core tube 7 are arranged around the outer side of the transmission control rod 48. A drive gear 44 is fixedly disposed outside the transmission control rod 48. The drive gear 44 is meshed with a driven gear 45 fixedly disposed outside the rotating rod 46. Several disturbance rods 47 are fixedly disposed outside the rotating rod 46.

[0042] In this embodiment, after the placement rack 19 is retracted into the inner side of the furnace core tube 7, the transmission prism 21 is inserted into the inner side of the prism groove. The placement rack 19 drives the transmission control rod 48 to rotate through the transmission prism 21. The transmission control rod 48 realizes the rotation of the outer rotating rod 46 through the driving gear 44 and the driven gear 45. The rotating rod 46 drives the disturbance rod 47 to rotate, thereby disturbing the atmosphere around the loose body, rather than directly contacting the loose body itself, thereby promoting gas discharge and improving sintering quality.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, during the entire sintering process, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and displacement sensors collect process parameters in real time and feed them back to the programmable logic controller. The programmable logic controller automatically adjusts the temperature controller, vacuum regulating valve, gas flow control valve, and drive motor 22 according to the deviation between the feedback value and the set value to achieve closed-loop control and ensure that the sintering process is carried out under optimal process conditions.

[0044] This automatic sintering apparatus for quartz glass operates as follows: First, the silica porous material is placed in the placement rack 19. The motor 14 drives the threaded rod 13 to rotate, and the placement rack 19 is fed into the furnace core tube 7 via the lifting frame 4 and guide rod 6. The sealing cover 2 then closes with the furnace core tube 7. Subsequently, the vacuum pump 35 evacuates the sintering and heating spaces through the first insertion tube 34 and the second insertion tube. Once the set vacuum level is reached, the gas supply assembly introduces inert gas into the sintering space through the gas supply pipe 11, forming a protective atmosphere. The drive motor 22 drives the drive rod 23 to rotate, and the rotation and lifting of the placement rack 19 are achieved through the transmission and control assembly, promoting uniform heating of the porous material. Simultaneously, the transmission prism 21 inserts into the transmission and control rod 48, driving the disturbance rod 47 to rotate, disturbing the atmosphere inside the furnace and assisting in gas discharge. Waste gas generated during sintering is purified by the vacuum assembly before being discharged. The entire process is controlled in real-time by a programmable logic controller based on sensor feedback, ensuring efficient, stable, and environmentally friendly sintering.

[0045] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. These will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent.

Claims

1. A quartz glass automatic sintering apparatus characterized by comprising: The application relates to a sintering device for sintering a silica loose body, which comprises a furnace core tube and a furnace wall, the furnace wall is fixedly arranged outside the furnace core tube, a sintering space is formed inside the furnace core tube, a heating space is formed between the furnace core tube and the furnace wall, a plurality of heating elements are arranged inside the heating space, a retractable assembly and an automatic processing unit controlled by the retractable assembly are arranged, the retractable assembly is used for driving the automatic processing unit to switch between a standby position and a working position, when the automatic processing unit switches to the working position, the automatic processing unit is inserted into the inside of the furnace core tube and is closed with the furnace core tube to complete sintering of the silica loose body, a gas supply assembly is arranged inside the retractable assembly and is connected with the heating space arranged inside the furnace core tube, the gas supply assembly is used for forming a protective atmosphere during sintering and helping to discharge gas in pores of the silica loose body, and an air flow disturbance assembly is arranged inside the furnace core tube and is connected with the automatic processing unit after insertion, the air flow disturbance assembly is used for cooperating with the automatic processing unit to disturb air inside the furnace core tube. The automatic processing unit comprises a sealing cover plate, a control box, a placing assembly, a vacuum assembly and a driving control assembly, the sealing cover plate is arranged outside the furnace core tube, a control box connected with the retractable assembly is fixedly arranged on the side of the sealing cover plate away from the furnace core tube, a driving control assembly is arranged inside the control box, the driving control assembly is connected with the placing assembly arranged outside the sealing cover plate and is used for cooperating with the control box to realize rotation and lifting of the placing assembly, and a vacuum assembly connected with the control box is further arranged inside the sealing cover plate. The placing assembly comprises a placing rack, a sliding block and a transmission prism, the placing rack is arranged outside the sealing cover plate and is connected with the driving control assembly, the sliding block is slidingly arranged inside the rack wall of the placing rack, springs are fixedly arranged between the sliding block and the placing rack, the transmission prism is fixedly arranged on the other end of the sliding block, the transmission prism is oppositely arranged with the air flow disturbance assembly and is used for cooperating with the placing rack to drive the air flow disturbance assembly. The driving control assembly comprises a driving motor, a driving rod, a piston groove, a communication pipe, a lifting piece, a limiting guide block, a lifting column and a transmission control assembly, the driving motor is fixedly arranged on the top inside the control box, the output end of the driving motor is fixedly connected with the driving rod, the piston groove is arranged inside the driving rod, the communication pipe fixedly arranged on the driving rod is connected with the piston groove, the communication pipe and the driving rod are both connected with the transmission control assembly arranged inside the control box, the lifting piece is slidingly connected with the piston groove, the other end of the lifting piece is connected with the placing rack through the lifting column, and the lifting piece is slidingly connected with the limiting guide block fixedly arranged inside the driving rod. The transmission control assembly comprises a cam, a transmission control box, a guide control pipe, a connecting sleeve, a regulating plate, a piston piece and a piston pipe, the cam is fixedly connected with the driving rod, the regulating plate is abuttingly arranged on one end of the cam, the transmission control box fixedly connected with the control box is arranged on the other end of the cam, the piston pipe is fixedly arranged on the box wall of the transmission control box, the piston piece fixedly connected with the regulating plate is slidingly arranged inside the piston pipe, the guide control pipe is further fixedly arranged on the transmission control box, the other end of the guide control pipe is connected with the connecting sleeve arranged around the outside of the driving rod, and the connecting sleeve is arranged outside the communication pipe.

2. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 1, wherein ​ 3. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 2, wherein ​ 4. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 3, wherein ​ 5. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 4, wherein ​ 6. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 5, wherein The vacuum assembly includes: a cavity, a first insert, a vacuum pump, a gas supply pipe, a purification chamber, a gas guide pipe, a filter box, an exhaust pipe, and an activated carbon filter plate. The cavity is located inside a sealing cover. A vacuum pump is fixedly connected to the sealing cover inside the cavity. The output end of the vacuum pump is connected to the purification chamber located inside the control box via the gas supply pipe. Purification liquid is located inside the purification chamber. A filter box is fixedly located outside the purification chamber. A gas guide pipe is fixedly located between the filter box and the purification chamber. An exhaust pipe is fixedly located between the filter box and the control box. An activated carbon filter plate connected to the filter box is located between the exhaust pipe and the gas guide pipe. A first insert connected to the sintering space is fixedly located on the sealing cover. A second insert connected to the heating space is also fixedly located on the sealing cover. Both the first insert and the second insert are connected to the cavity.

7. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 3, wherein The receiving and discharging assembly includes: a connecting box, a threaded rod, a receiving and discharging motor, a lifting frame, and a guide rod. The connecting box is fixedly installed on the outside of the furnace wall, and the receiving and discharging motor is fixedly installed on the inside of the connecting box. The output end of the receiving and discharging motor is fixedly connected to the threaded rod. The threaded rod is threadedly connected to the lifting frame fixedly installed on the outside of the control box. Guide rods are symmetrically arranged on the outside of the lifting frame and fixedly connected to the control box. The guide rods are slidably connected to the connecting box.

8. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 7, wherein The gas supply assembly includes a gas tank, a gas pump, and a gas supply pipeline. The gas tank is fixedly installed inside the connecting box. The input end of the gas pump is connected to the gas tank, and the output end is connected to the sintering space located inside the furnace core tube through the gas supply pipeline. A gas flow control valve is installed inside the gas supply pipeline. The gas flow control valve is preferably a mass flow controller, which can accurately control the gas flow rate entering the sintering space. The gas tank can provide inert gases such as helium, argon, and nitrogen to form a protective atmosphere or help exhaust gases from the pores during the sintering process.

9. The apparatus for automatic sintering of quartz glass according to claim 8, wherein The airflow disturbance component includes: a rotating rod, a disturbance rod, and a transmission control rod. The transmission control rod is rotatably disposed inside the furnace core tube, and the inner side is provided with a prismatic groove adapted to the transmission prism. Several rotating rods that are rotatably connected to the furnace core tube are arranged around the outer side of the transmission control rod. A drive gear is fixedly disposed on the outer side of the transmission control rod, and the drive gear meshes with a driven gear fixedly disposed on the outer side of the rotating rod. Several disturbance rods are fixedly disposed on the outer side of the rotating rod.

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