Nanofiber Yarn Spinning With Feedback Control for Uniform Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing nano-fiber yarns are limited by the inability to spin ultra-long fibers into high-quality yarns due to inconsistencies in the forest structure, resulting in fibers that are randomly oriented, curved, and contaminated with metallic catalysts, making them unsuitable for commercialization.
Innovation Solution
A novel method using feedback control in the spinning process to produce tens of kilometers of high-quality nano-fiber yarns without polymers or spinning agents, ensuring fibers are longer than 300 μm, crystalline, and uniformly aligned, thereby overcoming the limitations of existing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If solution based chemistry methods are used to produce nano-fiber yarns, then production is feasible, but fiber length is limited to approximately 100 μm due to uncontrolled entanglement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the limiting factor of solution-based chemistry methods by transitioning to a dry spinning process. This extraction of the problematic manufacturing method enables the use of ultra-long fibers (exceeding 100 μm) without the entanglement issues that constrain fiber length in solution-based approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the spinning process from solution-based to dry spinning. This parameter change transforms the manufacturing approach, allowing ultra-long fibers to be processed without the chemical constraints and entanglement problems that limit fiber length in traditional solution-based methods.
2Productivity
If nano-fibers are spun directly from CVD furnace, then production is achieved, but fibers are randomly oriented, curved, and contaminated with metallic catalysts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning the ultra-long fibers in a forest structure before the spinning process. This preliminary alignment step ensures that fibers are properly oriented and positioned, preventing the random orientation and curvature issues that occur when spinning directly from CVD furnace without pre-treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of metallic catalyst contamination into a beneficial process by implementing purification steps. The catalyst contamination issue is transformed from a defect into an opportunity for demonstrating the effectiveness of the dry spinning purification process, resulting in high-purity fibers.
3Strength
If dry spinning is used from long nano-fiber forests, then yarn bulk strength can reach 60 GPa, but production cost is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable ultra-long fibers that can be produced more economically through the optimized dry spinning process. By using a manufacturing approach that reduces cost while maintaining the ability to produce high-strength yarns, the patent makes the process economically viable for commercialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the production cost parameter by optimizing the dry spinning process parameters. Through adjustments in spinning conditions, fiber selection, and process efficiency improvements, the patent reduces the significant production costs associated with achieving 60 GPa bulk strength, making commercialization feasible.
4Manufacturing precision
If ultra-long fibers are used, then yarn uniformity and flexibility are improved, but spinning process becomes difficult due to forest structure inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control in the spinning process to manage the complexities of processing ultra-long fibers. By monitoring and adjusting spinning parameters in real-time based on feedback from the forest structure variations, the patent maintains yarn uniformity despite the inherent inconsistencies in ultra-long fiber forests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamic adjustments to the spinning process to accommodate variations in ultra-long fiber forests. By making the spinning process adaptive and dynamic rather than static, the patent can respond to forest structure inconsistencies and maintain consistent yarn quality, thereby improving uniformity without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a material comprising an assembly of at least one spun yarn, comprising: synthetic inorganic fibers, such as carbon, metal, oxides, carbides or alloys or combinations thereof, wherein a majority of the fibers: (a) are longer than 300 μm, (b) have a diameter ranging from 0.25 nm and 700 nm, and (c) are substantially crystalline, wherein the yarn has substantial flexibility and uniformity in diameter. A method of making the material is also disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises spinning yarn by pulling fibers from a bulk material with at least one spinner that has real time feedback controls.