System and method for manufacturing optical fiber
AssigneeMade In Space, Inc.
InventorsJan Clawson, Robert White, Nate Pickslay, Michael Snyder, Geoffrey York Powers, Noah Paul-Gin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor system to provide data for use to control manufacture of an optical fiber in microgravity including a diameter sensor to monitor a diameter of a fiber drawn from a preform material, a tension sensor to monitor tension of the fiber as the fiber is pulled from the preform material to a storage device and a controller in communication with at least one of the diameter sensor and the tension sensor to evaluate sensor data to determine at least one of a speed and rate at which the fiber is pulled from the preform material.
Claims19
A sensor system to provide data for use to control manufacture of an optical fiber in microgravity, the system comprises:
- a diameter sensor to monitor a diameter of a fiber drawn from a preform material;
- a tension sensor to monitor tension of the fiber as the fiber is pulled from the preform material to a storage device;
- a controller in communication with at least one of the diameter sensor and the tension sensor to evaluate sensor data to determine at least one of a speed and rate at which the fiber is pulled from the preform material;
- and
- a sensor to detect contamination caused by at least one of the manufacture of the optical fiber and an external contamination source.
A method comprising:
- creating an optical fiber by pulling the optical fiber from a preform material while the preform material is being heated within a furnace;
- monitoring a diameter of the fiber being drawn from the preform material with a diameter sensor;
- monitoring tension applied to the optical fiber as the optical fiber is pulled from the preform material to a storage device with a tension monitor;
- communication data collected from at least one of the diameter sensor and the tension monitor to a controller;
- adjusting at least one of a speed and rate at which the optical fiber is pulled from the preform material based on the data collected;
- and
- detecting contamination caused by at least one of the manufacture of the optical fiber and an external contamination source with a sensor.
A system for drawing optical fiber in microgravity, the system comprising:
- a preform holder with accelerometer to initially store a preform material;
- a furnace with temperature sensor into which the preform material is inserted from the preform holder;
- a drawing mechanism with tension sensor and a diameter sensor to separate an optical fiber from the preform material within the furnace;
- a fiber collection mechanism to hold the fiber once separated from the preform material;
- and
- a sensor to detect contamination caused by drawing the optical fiber and an external contamination source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.