Temperature distribution of an optical fiber traversing through a chemical vapor deposition reactor

A fundamental understanding of how reactor parameters influence the fiber surface temperature is essential to manufacturing high-quality optical fiber coatings by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In an attempt to understand this process better, a finite-volume model has been developed to study the gas flow and heat transfer of an optical fiber as it travels through a CVD reactor. This study showed that draw speed significantly affects fiber temperature inside the reactor, with temperature changes over 50% observed under the conditions studied. Other parameters affecting fiber temperature include fiber radius, fiber coating emissivity, and gas flow velocity at inlet. Multiple heat transfer modes contribute to these phenomena, with convection and radiation heat transfer dominating the process. The numerical model is validated against analytical cases.