Ceramic Radiation Heater for Clean Uniform Fiber Heating

Solution Overview

Problem

Current heating techniques for fiber optics and glass processing, such as flame, electric filament, arc discharge, and direct laser absorption, face challenges in providing precise, uniform, and stable heating, especially for delicate and thin structures, with issues like contamination, instability, and difficulty in achieving high temperatures in atmospheric environments.

Innovation Solution

A radiation pumped heater using a ceramic substrate that absorbs electromagnetic radiation, allowing for high-temperature heating with low thermal conductivity, providing a clean, long-lived, and flexible heat source capable of precise temperature control, suitable for both large and small diameter fibers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If direct laser absorption is used to heat the fiber or glass object, then the heating source is clean, but it is difficult to precisely and uniformly heat objects with diameters of a few microns due to high and dynamic heat convection to the surroundings

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecontaminationVSAvoidheating precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A radiation pumped heater directs thermal radiation to a highly stable platform (e.g., ceramic platform), which absorbs the radiation, causing its temperature to rise. The heated platform functions as a heat capacitor, contributing to the process stability, and also functions as a clean, long-lived heat source.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If an electric filament is used to provide uniform heating, then the heating zone can be shaped to produce high uniformity, but the filament has limited lifetime (tens of minutes) and contaminates the processed glass

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating uniformityVSAvoidlifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The heated platform functions as a heat capacitor, contributing to the process stability, and also functions as a clean, long-lived heat source. Some ceramics such as zirconia (zirconium dioxide ZrO2) have melting points at the range of 2500° C. and higher and are inert.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Temperature

If arc discharge is used to provide high temperatures for large diameter fibers, then high temperatures can be achieved, but long term stability is poor and contamination occurs from electrode particles

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovetemperatureVSAvoidstability

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A radiation pumped heater directs thermal radiation to a highly stable platform (e.g., ceramic platform), which absorbs the radiation, causing its temperature to rise. The heated platform functions as a heat capacitor, contributing to the process stability, and also functions as a clean, long-lived heat source.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of operation

If a gas flame torch is used to process delicate components with sub-micron diameters, then delicate components can be processed, but OH contaminations are almost unavoidable and the heating zone is relatively large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing capabilityVSAvoidOH contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heated platform functions as a heat capacitor, contributing to the process stability, and also functions as a clean, long-lived heat source. Some ceramics such as zirconia (zirconium dioxide ZrO2) have melting points at the range of 2500° C. and higher and are inert.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables the achievement of high temperatures above 2000°C with precise heat distribution control, using high-purity materials that minimize contamination, and maintaining stability over extended periods, suitable for a wide range of processing applications.

Implementation Method 1

A ceramic substrate is used as a heater. Electromagnetic radiation from an external source is absorbed in the substrate.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

the high ceramic temperature is dissipated to the surrounding as black body radiation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS11434162B2Radiation pumped heater/heating element

Publication Date: 2022.09.06 STATE OF ISRAEL - SOREQ NUCLEAR RES CENT

AI summary

A radiation pumped heater includes a ceramic substrate which is heated by a laser beam to a steady state temperature. An optical fiber is heated by conduction and radiation emitted from the ceramic substrate.