Abstract: A spinner for fiberizing mineral fibers, in particular glass fibers, by centrifugation from a molten material, includes a peripheral barrel pierced with orifices for the passage of the molten material and for obtaining fibers by drawing during the centrifugation, a wheel center connecting the peripheral barrel to an upper flange for securing the spinner in a fiberizing device, a turnup extending the peripheral barrel in the bottom part of the spinner and making an angle ? herewith, wherein the angle ? is strictly less than 90°.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for monitoring and controlling the amount of moisture introduced into the forming hood area in the manufacture of mineral fiber insulation products. Moisture from coolant liquids, binder dispersions and binder diluents are all introduced deliberately into a forming hood; ambient moisture and water from combustion are additional sources. A series of global variable control valves, one for each fluid system; as well as individual variable control valves for each fiberizing unit are provided with associated meters. Sensors monitor fibrous pack conditions and ambient conditions and provide inputs to the valve control system. A specific 3-ring liquid dispensing system is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for producing thin silicon rods includes: a) providing a rod of silicon; b) sequentially cutting with a sawing device slabs from the rod, wherein the rod is respectively rotated axially through 90° or 180° between two successive cuts so that two of four successive cuts respectively take place pairwise on radially opposite sides of the rod or wherein slab cutting takes place simultaneously together at radially opposite sides of the rod; and c) sawing the cut slabs into thin rods having a rectangular cross section. A device for producing thin rods from a silicon rod by sawing, contains a first unit with cutting tools and a cutting tool cooling liquid, a second unit having nozzles for introducing additional cooling liquid into cutting kerfs of the workpiece, and a third unit having a band saw, a wire saw or cutting tools containing one or more shafts.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved cooling of a veil of glass fibers by using a combination of nozzle assemblies. The nozzle assemblies include air caps of differing configurations to control the penetration of the spray into the veil. One suitable spray configuration is a nozzle assembly having punch air cap that creates a narrow exit angle, high velocity flow of droplets to penetrate the veil to cool the fibers at the interior. Another suitable configuration is a nozzle assembly having a flat air cap that creates a wide exit angle, low velocity, dispersed spray pattern to cool the exterior of the veil. Preferably, the flat air cap creates a very fine particle size to increase the cooling efficiency of the spray. By using the cooling ring of the present invention, lower levels of binder to be applied to the fibers and environmental emissions from the plant may be reduced.

Abstract: A coolant system for cooling a fiber includes a heat exchanger with an internal passage disposed between a fiber inlet and fiber outlet to cool the fiber moving through the internal passage. A plurality of chambers are disposed within the internal passage, and at least one fluid medium flows within at least a portion of the internal passage, and at least one adjustable seal is positioned within the internal passage to form a partition between two adjacent chambers. A gas analyzer communicates with at least one chamber of the internal passage to extract a fluid sample from the chamber and to measure a concentration of a gas in the extracted fluid sample. A controller communicates with the analyzer and controls at least one of the adjustable seal and the flow rate of fluid medium within the internal passage based upon the measured concentration.

Abstract: Cooling systems and the methods of cooling filaments using the cooling systems are disclosed. One embodiment of the cooling system includes a layer of nozzles that spray air on the filaments above a pre-pad water spray. Alternatively, another cooling system utilizes air-atomizing nozzles to spray a mixture of air and water on the filaments.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for cooling a quartz tube used in fabrication of an optical fiber preform by modified chemical vapor deposition. The apparatus has a nozzle ring supplied with a coolant. The nozzle ring has at least two vent sections that are be separatable for detaching the quartz tube from a lathe during processing, and a plurality of vents formed along the inside of the two vent sections for ejecting the coolant.

Abstract: In a known process for the manufacture of an elongated porous SiO2 preform, SiO2 particles are deposited on the mantle surface of a cylindrical carrier rotating about its longitudinal axis. The SiO2 particles are formed by means of a plurality of deposition burners which are arranged, at a distance from one another, in at least one burner row extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carrier. The burners are moved in a repeated cycle back and forth along the forming preform and between turnaround points where the direction of their motion is reversed. Measures are taken in the process to prevent or reduce overheating of the preform in the turnaround point regions. These measures can lead to variations in the rate of deposition.