Continuous automatic feeding system for optical fiber preform

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of quartz preform manufacturing, and particularly discloses an optical fiber preform continuous automatic feeding system which comprises a pressure accumulator and a temperature control device which are sequentially arranged along a gas path, and a gas inlet of the pressure accumulator is connected with a main gas supply device and one or more standby gas supply devices; a gas outlet of the temperature control device is connected with one or more gas shunting devices; the gas flow dividing device comprises a first pneumatic valve, a pipeline pressure gauge and a first flow control device which are sequentially arranged along a gas path, and a gas outlet of the first flow control device serves as a gas outlet of the gas flow dividing device. The continuous automatic feeding system further comprises a central control device, and the central control device is connected with the signal ends of the main gas supply device, the standby gas supply device, the temperature control device, the pipeline pressure gauge and the first flow control device. According to the technical scheme, materials can be continuously supplied to a plurality of machine tables, and the efficiency of the machine tables can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of quartz preform manufacturing, and specifically discloses a continuous automatic feeding system for optical fiber preforms. Background Art

[0002] As the supply and demand relationship in the optical fiber communication market changes, the market is more sensitive to optical fiber prices, and manufacturers have higher and higher requirements for raw material utilization and machine efficiency, especially for the utilization rate of optical fiber masterbatch - preform rod raw materials.

[0003] The raw materials for producing optical fiber preform are mainly silicon tetrachloride SiCl4 and germanium tetrachloride GeCl4, and their chemical reaction formula is:

[0004] SiCl4+2O2→SiO2+2Cl2

[0005] GeCl4+2O2→GeO2+2Cl2

[0006] The produced SiO2 and GeO2 are the main components of optical fiber preform.

[0007] In general, during the preform production process, silicon tetrachloride and germanium tetrachloride are supplied from bottles, and oxygen is continuously supplied within the factory. The volume in a single bottle is limited, and manual inspection of the remaining amount in the bottle and replacement of the bottle are required. If the remaining raw materials in the bottle are not enough to produce a whole preform, the machine will be stopped to replace the bottle, resulting in waste of the remaining raw materials in the bottle and increased machine downtime. Utility Model Content

[0008] In view of the defects of the prior art, the purpose of this application is to solve the problem of automatic feeding in the production process of optical fiber preform connection.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present application provides a continuous automatic feeding system for optical fiber preforms; the continuous automatic feeding system comprises a pressure accumulator and a temperature control device arranged in sequence along a gas path, wherein the gas inlet of the pressure accumulator is respectively connected to a main gas supply device and one or more backup gas supply devices;

[0010] The gas outlet of the temperature control device is connected to one or more gas diversion devices;

[0011] The gas diversion device includes a first pneumatic valve, a pipeline pressure gauge and a first flow control device arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the gas outlet of the first flow control device serves as the gas outlet of the gas diversion device for connecting to the reaction terminal;

[0012] The continuous automatic feeding system also includes a central control device, which is respectively connected to the main gas supply device, the backup gas supply device, the temperature control device, the pipeline pressure gauge and the signal end of the first flow control device.

[0013] Preferably, the continuous automatic feeding system further includes an alarm device connected to the control end of the central control device.

[0014] As further preferred, the alarm device is a display alarm device and / or an audio alarm device.

[0015] Preferably, the main gas supply device and the backup gas supply device include a material bottle, a second pneumatic valve and an electronic pressure gauge arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the central control device is connected to the signal end of the electronic pressure gauge.

[0016] As a further preference, the central control device is also connected to the signal ends of the first pneumatic valve and the second pneumatic valve.

[0017] Preferably, a reverse shut-off valve is further provided between the air inlet of the pressure accumulator and the connection parts of the main gas supply device and the backup gas supply device.

[0018] Preferably, a total flow control device is further provided between the temperature control device and the gas diversion device, and a signal end of the total flow control device is connected to the central control device.

[0019] Preferably, the temperature control device includes a first thermometer, a heating device and a second thermometer sequentially arranged along the gas path, and the signal ends of the first thermometer and the second thermometer are connected to the central control device.

[0020] Preferably, a filter is further provided between the first pneumatic valve and the pipeline pressure gauge.

[0021] In general, compared with the existing technology, the above technical solution conceived by the present application has a simple structure, easy installation, precise gas pressure and flow control, can continuously supply multiple machines, and the raw material utilization rate has been increased from about 85% of the existing technology to more than 92%, which can improve the efficiency of the machine and facilitate subsequent maintenance; it can achieve continuous supply of silicon tetrachloride SiCl4 and germanium tetrachloride GeCl4 in the production process of optical fiber preform rods. When the remaining amount in the bottle is insufficient, it can automatically switch to the next bottle supply through system control, so that the raw materials in the bottle can be more fully utilized without stopping the machine to wait for the bottle to be replaced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the continuous automatic feeding system of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Example 1 of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the first part of Example 1 of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second part of Example 1 of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the third part of Example 1 of the present application;

[0027] In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same elements or structures, where: 0-central control device, 1-gas supply device, 1-1-material bottle, 1-2 second pneumatic valve, 1-3-electronic pressure gauge, 1-4-second manual valve, 1-5-pressure regulating valve, 2-accumulator, 3-temperature control device, 4-total flow control device, 5-gas diversion device 5, 5-1-first pneumatic valve, 5-2-pipeline pressure gauge, 5-3-first flow control device, 5-4-filter, 5-5-third manual valve, 5-6-fourth manual valve, 6-reverse stop valve, 7-first manual valve, 8-third pneumatic valve, 9-alarm device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0029] It should be understood that expressions such as "include" and "may include" used in this application indicate the existence of the disclosed functions, operations, or constituent elements, and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. In this application, terms such as "include" and / or "have" may be interpreted as indicating a specific characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component, or combination thereof, but may not be interpreted as excluding the existence or possibility of adding one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0030] It should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0032] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0033] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present application provides a continuous automatic feeding system for an optical fiber preform, which is used to continuously provide silicon tetrachloride SiCl4 raw material in the production process of the material SiO2 of the optical fiber preform, or to provide germanium tetrachloride GeCl4 raw material in the production process of the material GeO2; Figure 1 As shown, the continuous automatic feeding system includes: a pressure accumulator 2, a temperature control device 3 and a total flow control device 4 arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the gas inlet of the pressure accumulator 2 is respectively connected to a main gas supply device 1 and one or more backup gas supply devices;

[0034] The main gas supply device 1 and one or more backup gas supply devices are used to provide raw materials in the production process. The pressure accumulator is used to provide temporary storage of raw materials when the main gas supply device 1 and one or more backup gas supply devices are switched and the gas pressure is unstable, so as to ensure continuous supply. The temperature control device 3 is used to heat the raw material gas at a set temperature. The total flow control device 4 is used to monitor the flow rate of the material in the main gas line;

[0035] The gas outlet of the temperature control device 3 is connected to one or more gas diversion devices 5;

[0036] The gas diversion device 5 includes a first pneumatic valve 5-1, a pipeline pressure gauge 5-2, and a first flow control device 5-3 arranged in sequence along the gas path. The gas outlet of the first flow control device serves as the gas outlet of the gas diversion device and is used to connect to the reaction terminal. For example, when the continuous automatic feeding system is used to supply SiCl4, it is connected to a machine for reacting to produce SiO2. When the continuous automatic feeding system is used to supply GeCl4, it is connected to a machine for reacting to produce GeO2. The first pneumatic valve 5-1 is used to close or open the passage of the gas diversion device 5. Since the continuous automatic feeding system can have multiple gas diversion devices 5, and thus provide materials for multiple reaction terminals, only the first pneumatic valve 5-1 of the gas diversion device 5 connected to the reaction terminal in reaction can be opened and the other first pneumatic valves 5-1 can be closed; the pipeline pressure gauge 5-2 is used to detect the pressure of the corresponding gas diversion device 5, and the first flow control device 5-3 is used to control the flow of gas entering the reaction terminal; in some embodiments, a filter 5-4 is also provided between the first pneumatic valve and the pipeline pressure gauge to filter out impurities that may be contained in the material.

[0037] The continuous automatic feeding system also includes a central control device 0 and an alarm device 9. The central control device 0 is respectively connected to the signal ends of the main gas supply device 1, the backup gas supply device, the temperature control device 3, the pipeline pressure gauge 5-2, the total flow control device 4 and the first flow control device 5-3. The alarm device 9 is connected to the control end of the central control device 0; the alarm device 9 can be a display alarm device and / or an audio alarm device, which uses images or sound signals to issue prompt information.

[0038] In some embodiments, the main gas supply device 1 and the backup gas supply device include a material bottle 1-1, a second pneumatic valve 1-2 and an electronic pressure gauge 1-3 arranged in sequence along the gas path; wherein, the material bottle 1-1 is used to store gas materials, the second pneumatic valve 1-2 is in operation and the gas supply device remains open when providing materials, otherwise it is closed, and the signal end of the electronic pressure gauge 1-3 is connected to the central control device 0 for continuously monitoring the pressure of the material bottle 1-1.

[0039] In some embodiments, the central control device 0 is also connected to the signal ends of the first pneumatic valve 5-1 and the second pneumatic valve 1-2 to control the opening or closing of the pneumatic valve when the continuous automatic feeding system is started, the reaction terminal is connected, or the bottle 1-1 is replaced without human intervention.

[0040] In some embodiments, a reverse shut-off valve 6 is further included between the air inlet of the accumulator and the connection parts of the main gas supply device and the backup gas supply device to ensure that reverse flow of materials does not occur when the backup gas supply device is switched to the main gas supply device 1.

[0041] In some embodiments, the temperature control device 3 includes a first thermometer 3-1, a heating device 3-2 and a second thermometer 3-3 arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the signal ends of the first thermometer 3-1 and the second thermometer 3-3 are connected to the central control device; the central control device adjusts the power of the heating device 3-2 by monitoring the temperature of the first thermometer 3-1 and the second thermometer 3-2 (i.e., the temperature before and after the material is heated).

[0042] The working process of the continuous automatic feeding system is as follows:

[0043] Ensure that the second pneumatic valve 1-2 of the main gas supply device 1 is open, and the second pneumatic valve of the backup gas supply device is closed. It should be noted that the main gas supply device 1 and the backup gas supply device are not fixed; whichever gas supply device's bottle 1-1 is supplying material is designated as the main gas supply device. At the same time, the first pneumatic valve 5-1 of the gas diversion device 5 connected to the reaction terminal remains open, and the other first pneumatic valves remain closed.

[0044] The central control device 0 adjusts the power of the heating device 3-2 by monitoring the temperatures of the first thermometer 3-1 and the second thermometer 3-2, so that the gas material is heated to the optimal reaction temperature. At the same time, it continuously monitors and controls the values ​​of the electronic pressure gauge 3-1 of the main gas supply device 1, the pressure gauges 5-2 of each pipeline, the total flow control device 4, and each first flow control device 5-3. When the values ​​are abnormal, it sends an alarm signal to the alarm device 9, prompting it to alarm and urge relevant personnel to inspect, repair or replace the gas cylinder. Abnormal conditions include:

[0045] 1. When the value of the electronic pressure gauge 1-3 of the main gas supply device becomes abnormal, close the second pneumatic valve 1-2 of the main gas supply device 1, open the second pneumatic valve of a backup gas supply device, switch to the main gas supply device 1, and replace the material bottle 1-1 of the main gas supply device 1.

[0046] 2. When the total flow rate of the flow control device 4 is not equal to the sum of the flow rates displayed by the first flow control devices 5-3 in operation, it indicates that there is a fault in the pipeline and maintenance should be carried out.

[0047] The following are examples:

[0048] Example 1

[0049] The overall structural diagram of the continuous automatic feeding system of this embodiment is as follows Figure 2 In order to make the connection between the parts clearer, Figure 2 The parts shown in red, blue and purple dotted boxes are enlarged as shown in the figure. Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 shown.

[0050] Figure 3 The part shown is the front end of the gas circuit, including the main gas supply device 1 and the backup gas supply device, the main gas supply device 1 and the backup gas supply device at the inlet of the main gas circuit, and then the reverse stop valve 6, the accumulator 2, the first manual valve 7 and the third pneumatic valve 8, the first thermometer 3-1, the heater 3-2 and the second thermometer 3-3 are arranged in sequence along the gas circuit; the third pneumatic valve 8 is kept open when the continuous automatic feeding system is working, and the first manual valve 7 is closed under normal circumstances and is only opened when the pipeline is repaired.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the structures of the main gas supply device 1 and the backup gas supply device located on the right side of the main gas supply device are exactly the same. In this embodiment, we only set up one backup gas supply device, but in practice, multiple backup gas supply devices can be set according to the time when the device needs to continue running. In this embodiment, only the main gas supply device 1 is taken as an example to describe the structure of a gas supply device, which includes a material bottle 1-1, a second pneumatic valve 1-2, an electronic pressure gauge 1-3, a second manual valve 1-4, and a pressure regulating valve 1-5; among them, the second manual valve 1-4 is usually opened when the material bottle fails to repair, and the pressure regulating valve 1-5 is used for preliminary pressure regulation of the material bottle.

[0052] Figure 4 The part shown is the rear end of the gas path, which consists of Figure 2 The purple dotted line is framed; the gas path after the second thermometer 3-3 includes a main pipeline flow controller 4 and three gas diversion devices 5 connected to the rear in sequence. Since the structures of the gas diversion devices 5 are the same, in this embodiment, only the top gas diversion device 5 is taken as an example to illustrate its structure. The gas diversion device includes a third manual valve 5-5, a fourth manual valve 5-6, a first pneumatic valve 5-1, a filter 5-4, a pipeline pressure gauge 5-2, and a first flow control device 5-3 along the gas path direction; the third manual valve 5-5 is in a normally open state in the working state, and the fourth manual valve 5-6 is in a normally closed state, and is only opened when the pipeline needs maintenance.

[0053] Figure 5 The part shown is the signal terminal for control and alarm in this embodiment. Figure 2 The purple dotted line frame is shown; the PLC control system 0 as the central control device is respectively connected to the signal ends of the electronic pressure gauges 1-3, the first thermometer 3-1, the second thermometer 3-3, the pipeline pressure gauge 5-2, the main pipeline flow controller 4 and the first flow control device 5-3; the alarm tricolor light 9-1 and the HMI display system 9-2 are used as the alarm device 9, which can issue prompt information when the status is abnormal.

[0054] The working process of the automatic feeding system is as follows: Multiple gas supply devices can be placed according to the site. Figure 2 Only one main gas supply device and one backup gas supply device are shown; the second pneumatic valve 1-2 is used to control the switch of the bottle 1-1 and is controlled by the PLC control system ( Figure 2 The electronic pressure gauge 1-3 will feed back the pressure value to the PLC control system to display the pressure of the gas flowing out of the bottle 1-1.

[0055] Accumulator 2 is used to temporarily store high-pressure gas materials. When there is insufficient material in bottle 1-1, resulting in insufficient pressure and flow in the pipeline, it can temporarily compensate for the pipeline pressure and flow. When the bottle is switched successfully, it will automatically absorb gas materials and accumulate pressure.

[0056] The first manual valve 7 and the third pneumatic valve 8 are common pipeline stop valves. Among them, the first manual valve 7 is normally open and is manually closed when the pipeline needs maintenance; the third pneumatic valve 8 is a pneumatic stop valve, which is normally closed in the standby state and is opened by the PLC control system when working. Figure 2 The connection relationship is omitted in the figure); the first thermometer 3-1 and the second thermometer 3-3 are feedback type thermometers, which will feed back the temperature value to the PLC control system 0. The first thermometer 3-1 displays the gas temperature t1 before entering the heater 3-2, and the second thermometer 3-3 displays the gas temperature t2 after passing through the heater, which is also the temperature setting value. The PLC control system 0 will compare the temperature values ​​t1 and t2 to determine whether it is necessary to change the heater start-up frequency, and then change the heating power to keep t2 stable within the set range; usually the set temperature of the optical fiber preform during reaction is around 60°C. The main pipeline flow controller 4 will feed back the real-time flow value q1.0 to the PLC control system 0 and display it on the HMI display system 9-2. The PLC control system 0 will calculate the total amount of gas material Q1.0 passing through the main pipeline flow controller 4. Each time the system switches the material bottle, the PLC control system 0 will reset Q1.0 to 0, re-time and calculate the total amount.

[0057] The third manual valve 5-5 is a manual shutoff valve, normally open. The first pneumatic valve 5-1 is a pneumatic shutoff valve, open only during operation. The fourth manual valve 5-6 is a manual shutoff valve, normally closed and opened only for maintenance to purge residual gas and material. This valve also allows for pressure testing of the system via the first flow control device 5-3. The pipeline pressure gauge 5-2 measures the pressure in the pipeline leading to the corresponding machine. The first flow control device 5-3 consists of three flow controllers, which measure the flow of gas and material to the corresponding machine.

[0058] For example, if only the topmost machine is operating, PLC control system 0 opens the topmost first pneumatic valve 5-1 and keeps the pneumatic valves leading to other machines closed, supplying material only to the topmost machine. At this point, the flow rate controlled by first flow control device 5-3 equals the flow rate controlled by main pipeline flow controller 4. If other machines also need to be turned on, PLC control system 0 opens the pneumatic valves leading to the corresponding machines and adjusts the flow rate of main pipeline flow controller 4 to the sum of the required flow rates of the machines. Assuming the required flow rates for each machine are q2.1, q2.2, q2.3, etc., then q1.0 = q2.1 + q2.2 + q2.3 + ... If PLC control system 0 determines that this equation does not hold, it prompts a warning via tri-color alarm light 9-1 and HMI display system 9-2, prompting inspection of the pipeline, determining the cause to be a pipeline leak or MFC failure.

[0059] It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A continuous automatic feeding system for optical fiber preform, characterized in that: It includes a pressure accumulator and a temperature control device arranged in sequence along the gas path, wherein the gas inlet of the pressure accumulator is respectively connected to a main gas supply device and one or more backup gas supply devices; The gas outlet of the temperature control device is connected to one or more gas diversion devices; The gas diversion device includes a first pneumatic valve, a pipeline pressure gauge and a first flow control device arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the gas outlet of the first flow control device serves as the gas outlet of the gas diversion device; The continuous automatic feeding system also includes a central control device, which is respectively connected to the main gas supply device, the backup gas supply device, the temperature control device, the pipeline pressure gauge and the signal end of the first flow control device.

2. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an alarm device connected to the control end of the central control device.

3. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The alarm device is a display alarm device and / or an audio alarm device.

4. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main gas supply device and the backup gas supply device include a material bottle, a second pneumatic valve and an electronic pressure gauge arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the central control device is connected to the signal end of the electronic pressure gauge.

5. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The central control device is also connected to the signal ends of the first pneumatic valve and the second pneumatic valve.

6. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A reverse shut-off valve is further provided between the air inlet of the pressure accumulator and the connection parts of the main gas supply device and the backup gas supply device.

7. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A total flow control device is further provided between the temperature control device and the gas diversion device, and a signal end of the total flow control device is connected to the central control device.

8. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature control device includes a first thermometer, a heating device and a second thermometer arranged in sequence along the gas path, and the signal ends of the first thermometer and the second thermometer are connected to the central control device.

9. The continuous automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A filter is also provided between the first pneumatic valve and the pipeline pressure gauge.

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