Optical Fiber Feeding Device Preventing Spring Back Blockages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing feeding devices for optical fibers in temperature measurement apparatuses face blockages due to the elastic spring back effect when decoiling and recoiling fibers from coils, particularly in high-temperature environments like Electric Arc Furnaces.
Innovation Solution
A feeding device with a flexible metal tube acting as a load to guide the optical fiber, preventing spring back effects and incorporating a housing with separate compartments for the coil and electrical equipment to protect against external disruptions, along with independent motor control for precise fiber management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the optical fiber is decoiled and recoiled from a coil using a feeding mechanism, then the fiber can be fed and managed, but the elastic spring back effect causes the fiber to get entangled and blocked
Solution Approach 1:
A guide tube is introduced as an intermediary component through which the optical fiber passes during decoiling and recoiling operations. The guide tube constrains the fiber path and prevents lateral movements that cause entanglement, while allowing the fiber to be fed smoothly without direct contact with the coil structure, thus eliminating the spring back effect problems
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful elastic spring back effect is extracted or removed from the system by separating the fiber feeding path from the coil structure. The guide tube extracts the fiber from the coil environment, preventing the coil's elastic recoil from affecting the fiber movement and causing blockages
2Adaptability or versatility
If the feeding device is exposed to the high-temperature environment of the Electric Arc Furnace, then temperature measurement can be performed, but the device components are damaged by thermal influences
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding device is segmented into two distinct zones: a hot zone containing the guide tube and fiber immersion point that can withstand high temperatures, and a cool zone containing the coil and electrical components that remain protected from thermal damage. This spatial segmentation allows the device to operate in the high-temperature environment while protecting sensitive components
Solution Approach 2:
The guide tube is nested within the feeding device housing, creating a protected pathway for the fiber from the external high-temperature environment to the internal safe zone. The nested structure allows the fiber to pass through the thermal boundary while keeping the coil and electrical components isolated from direct thermal exposure
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
The solution effectively prevents blockages and ensures reliable, continuous operation by managing the fiber's movement and protecting the device from environmental influences, allowing for accurate and efficient temperature measurements in harsh conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the optical fiber gets entangled for example due to an elastic spring back effect
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 3b
AI summary
The invention refers to a feeding device for feeding an optical fiber from a coil and for recoiling unused fiber for use in an apparatus for measuring the temperature of a melt. The device comprises a support for a coil, a feeding mechanism for decoiling the optical fiber from the coil and recoiling the optical fiber and at least one motor for driving the feeding mechanism. It is the object of the present invention to avoid blockage when decoiling and recoiling a fiber from a coil of a feeding device for feeding an optical fiber. The object of the invention is solved by a device for feeding an optical fiber from a coil and for recoiling unused fiber. The device comprises a support for a coil, a feeding mechanism for decoiling an optical fiber from the coil and recoiling the optical fiber and at least one motor for driving the feeding mechanism. The device comprises a load for the optical fiber which avoids a spring back effect of the optical fiber from the coil. As a result, a blockage is avoided when decoiling and recoiling the fiber.