Erratum: “Investigation of Steady-State Drawing Force and Heat Transfer in Polymer Optical Fiber Manufacturing” [Journal of Heat Transfer, 2004, 126(2), pp. 236–243]

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 666-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Reeve, ◽  
A. M. Mescher, and ◽  
A. F. Emery
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Optical Fiber ◽  
Drawing Force ◽  
Polymer Optical Fiber ◽  
Fiber Manufacturing

Investigation of Steady-State Drawing Force and Heat Transfer in Polymer Optical Fiber Manufacturing

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayden M. Reeve ◽  
Ann M. Mescher ◽  
Ashley F. Emery
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Free Surface ◽  
Optical Fiber ◽  
Conjugate Problem ◽  
Surface Shape ◽  
Polymer Optical Fiber ◽  
Draw Force ◽  
Free Surface Shape ◽  
Cylindrical Furnace ◽  
Fiber Manufacturing

The force required to draw a polymer preform into optical fiber is predicted and measured, along with the resultant free surface shape of the polymer, as it is heated in an enclosed cylindrical furnace. The draw force is a function of the highly temperature dependent polymer viscosity. Therefore accurate prediction of the draw force relies critically on the predicted heat transfer within the furnace. In this investigation, FIDAP was used to solve the full axi-symmetric conjugate problem, including natural convection, thermal radiation, and prediction of the polymer free surface. Measured and predicted shapes of the polymer free surface compared well for a range of preform diameters, draw speeds, and furnace temperatures. The predicted draw forces were typically within 20% of the experimentally measured values, with the draw force being very sensitive to both the furnace wall temperature and to the feed rate of the polymer.

Investigation of Polymer Optical Fiber Drawing Force and Heat Transfer

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayden M. Reeve ◽  
Ann M. Mescher ◽  
Ashley F. Emery
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Optical Fiber ◽  
Thermal Radiation ◽  
Conjugate Problem ◽  
Optical Signal ◽  
Surface Shape ◽  
Drawing Force ◽  
Polymer Optical Fiber ◽  
Draw Force ◽  
Chain Alignment

In this study, the force required to draw a polymer preform into optical fiber is predicted and measured, along with the resultant free surface shape of the polymer, as it is heated in an enclosed cylindrical furnace. The applied drawing force affects the degree of chain alignment within the polymer. Chain alignment causes orientational birefringence, an unwanted property that attenuates any propagating optical signal. The draw force is a function of the highly temperature dependent polymer viscosity. Therefore accurate prediction of the drawing force requires a detailed investigation of the heat transfer within the furnace. In this investigation, the full axi-symmetric conjugate problem (including both natural convection and thermal radiation) was solved using the commercial finite element package FIDAP. In addition, the location of the polymer/air interface was solved for as part of the problem and was not prescribed beforehand. Results show that thermal radiation accounts for approximately 70% of the total heating experienced by the deforming polymer, but only 15% of the cooling. The draw force is very sensitive to both the furnace wall temperature and to the feed rate of the polymer. Numerical results compared well with the experimentally measured draw tension and neck-down profiles for several preform diameters, draw speeds, and furnace temperatures. The predicted draw forces were typically within 20% of the experimentally measured values.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Polymer Preform Heating

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayden M. Reeve ◽  
Ann M. Mescher ◽  
Ashley F. Emery
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Temperature Profile ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Polymer Optical Fiber ◽  
Transient Heating ◽  
Black Paint ◽  
Numerical Predictions ◽  
Axial Temperature

Abstract The transient heating of a polymer preform within a cylindrical furnace is the initial step in the manufacture of polymer optical fiber. A numerical model was used to simulate the radiative and convective heat transfer within the furnace enclosure during this initial heating. Results illustrate a strong dependence of the preform’s heating rate on the radiative properties of the preform. Due to the prominence of radiative heat transfer at steady-state, the resulting axial temperature profile within the preform is strongly coupled to the corresponding axial temperature profile of the furnace wall. Numerical predictions were compared with experimental results for several preform surface emissivities, preform diameters, and thermal boundary conditions. The results compare well for preforms with well-characterized surface finishes (such as black paint and aluminum), with discrepancies between experimental and numerical results typically less than 1.3°C. Experiments indicate that the heating characteristics of poly(methyl methacrylate) preforms can be adequately simulated by assuming that the preform exhibits nearly blackbody behavior (ε = 0.96) when exposed to the low furnace temperatures (85°C) used in this study. Finally, the experiments revealed the tendency for unstable natural convection within tall furnace cavities, with experimental readings indicating oscillatory air temperatures as the system approached steady-state.

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