Optical Fiber Preform Manufacturing Temperature Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in manufacturing optical fiber preforms is that organosilicon can liquefy when premixed with oxygen gas at a low temperature, leading to safety hazards, irregular glass particulate deposition, and potential blockages in the burner nozzle, which can cause explosions.

Innovation Solution

Premixing the source-material-containing gas with oxygen at a temperature greater than or equal to the liquefaction temperature of organosilicon, ensuring it remains in a gaseous or atomized state during the reaction, using a seal gas to maintain the temperature and prevent liquefaction, and reacting it in an oxyhydrogen flame to produce SiO2 soot.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If organosilicon is premixed with oxygen gas at low temperature to improve reactivity and accelerate production, then productivity is improved, but organosilicon liquefies causing safety hazards and operational instability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction speed of SiO2 sootVSAvoidreaction stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the oxygen gas from low temperature to high temperature (≥ liquefaction temperature of organosilicon). This parameter change allows the organosilicon to remain in gaseous state during premixing, preventing liquefaction while maintaining high reactivity and productivity. The temperature parameter is specifically adjusted to be above the liquefaction point of the organosilicon compound used.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary heating to the oxygen gas before mixing with organosilicon. This preliminary action ensures that when the organosilicon is introduced, the environment is already at the required temperature to prevent liquefaction. The oxygen gas is preheated to a temperature greater than or equal to the liquefaction temperature of the organosilicon before the mixing occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Power

If organosilicon is premixed with oxygen gas to improve reactivity, then reaction efficiency is improved, but droplet formation occurs causing harmful effects such as nozzle blockage and potential explosions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereactivity of organosiliconVSAvoiddroplet formation and nozzle blockage

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the oxygen gas to be at or above the liquefaction temperature of organosilicon. This parameter change ensures that organosilicon remains in gaseous state during premixing, preventing droplet formation while maintaining high reactivity. The temperature is specifically controlled to avoid the liquid phase transition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If organosilicon is supplied in great amounts to accelerate production, then productivity is improved, but complete combustion becomes difficult causing impurity formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction rate of SiO2 sootVSAvoidpurity of SiO2 soot

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the oxygen gas to high temperature (≥ liquefaction temperature of organosilicon). This enables complete combustion of large amounts of organosilicon by ensuring it remains in gaseous state with high reactivity, thereby producing high-purity SiO2 soot without impurities while maintaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This method prevents organosilicon liquefaction, enhancing the safety and stability of the reaction, improving the quality of the SiO2 soot and enabling the production of high-quality optical fibers.

Implementation Method 1

The organosilicon is combusted in an oxyhydrogen flame (reaction field) with, use of a burner or other such apparatus so that SiO2 soot is produced.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 2

The organosilicon is combusted in an oxyhydrogen flame

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Implementation Method 3

the oxygen gas having, in the step (a), a temperature greater than or equal to a liquefaction temperature of the organosilicon

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentUS10167543B2Method for manufacturing optical fiber preform

Publication Date: 2019.01.01 FUJIKURA LTD

AI summary

Provided is a method for manufacturing an optical fiber preform. In a premixing step, a source-material-containing gas containing organosilicon is mixed with premix-use oxygen gas so as to obtain a premixed source material gas. In the premixing step, the premix-use oxygen gas has a temperature greater than or equal to a liquefaction temperature of the organosilicon, the liquefaction temperature being determined depending on an amount of the organosilicon contained in the premixed source material gas.