System and method for manufacturing optical fiber

Abstract

A system for precoating a preform for drawing optical fiber including a diameter sensor to determine a diameter of pulled optical fiber, a cooling system to cool the optical fiber once it is pulled from a furnace, a coating system to apply a coating to the optical fiber once it has cooled and an ultra-violet lamp to cure the coating.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for drawing optical fiber in a microgravity environment, the system comprising:
 a furnace comprising:
 at least one heated element, and 
 a heat insulating element in contact with the at least one heated element; 
   a controller to control heat from the at least one heating element; and   at least one sensor to provide data to the controller used for controlling heat from the at least one heating element.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a housing surrounding at least part of the heat insulation element, the housing comprising an opening for the at least one heat insulating element between the housing and the at least one heated element to function as insulation. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature probe to at least one of determine a thermal environment of the furnace and simulate how a material heats up within the furnace based on heating occurring in a microgravity environment. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the temperature probe comprises multiple temperature sensors to map the thermal environment of the furnace. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the temperature probe comprises multiple temperature sensors to simulate how the material heats up within the furnace based on heating occurring in a microgravity environment. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the material is a preform material of a preform from which fibers are to be pulled once the preform is heated by the furnace. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a device to draw ambient gas within the furnace to assist in creating a temperature profile. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the device comprises at least one of an air pump and a fan. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a resistance temperature detector. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller uses proportional-integral-derivative control of temperature based on data received from the resistance temperature detector. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the furnace further comprising a tube in contact with the at least one heated element to direct emissions from the at least one heated element away from a material being heated by the furnace. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the furnace further comprising a first opening through which a material to be heated is passed and a second opening through which a fiber pulled from the material exits the furnace. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the furnace further comprising transparent material through which at least a portion of an interior of the furnace is visible. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pulling device to pull a fiber from heated material being heated in the furnace. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the pulling device comprises forceps to pull the fiber from the heated material. 
     
     
         16 . A microgravity functional furnace system, the system comprising:
 a heating core;   an insulator portion to limit heating of an ambient environment;   an active proportional-integral-derivative loop controller to control temperature of the heating core; and   at least one detector to detect temperature of the heating core and to provide the detected temperature to the controller.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the heating core produces a hotspot where a fiber is pulled from a material placed within the furnace system at the hotspot. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a jacket to surround the heating core and insulator portion. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , further comprising a first opening through which a material is provided and a second opening through which a fiber is pulled from the material once the material is heated. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a device to draw ambient gas within the furnace to assist in creating a temperature profile.