A furnace system includes a muffle defining a furnace cavity. A lower heater is coupled to the muffle and is configured to create a hot zone within the furnace cavity having a temperature of about 1900? C. or greater. An upper muffle extension is positioned above the muffle and defines a handle cavity. A downfeed handle is positioned within the handle cavity such that a gap is defined between an outer surface of the downfeed handle and an inner surface of the upper muffle extension. An upper heater is thermally coupled to the upper muffle extension and configured to heat the gap. A gas screen is positioned in the upper muffle extension and is configured to inject a process gas into the handle cavity.

A fiber draw furnace includes a heated section configured to contain and heat a glass source from which an optical fiber is drawn. A lower extended muffle having a first end and a second end. A gas screen is coupled to the second end of the lower extended muffle configured to allow a gas to flow into the lower extended muffle. A reclaim cylinder is coupled to the lower extended muffle including an outer housing defining a reclaim chamber. A plurality of reclaim ports are tangentially coupled to the outer housing and an inner housing is positioned within the outer housing.

A fiber draw furnace includes a heated section configured to contain and heat a glass source from which an optical fiber is drawn. A lower extended muffle having a first end and a second end. A gas screen is coupled to the second end of the lower extended muffle configured to allow a gas to flow into the lower extended muffle. A reclaim cylinder is coupled to the lower extended muffle including an outer housing defining a reclaim chamber. A plurality of reclaim ports are tangentially coupled to the outer housing and an inner housing is positioned within the outer housing.

A method of producing an optical fiber is provided that includes the steps of flowing a first gas into an optical fiber draw furnace. The first gas is passed through a heated section configured to contain and heat a glass source from which the optical fiber is drawn, passing the first gas through a muffle which defines a capture chamber. A portion of the first gas is removed through at least one reclaim port operatively coupled to the capture chamber. A second gas flows into a gas screen at a rate configured to substantially recover a pressure drop associated with removing the portion of the first gas.

A method of producing an optical fiber is provided that includes the steps of flowing a first gas into an optical fiber draw furnace. The first gas is passed through a heated section configured to contain and heat a glass source from which the optical fiber is drawn, passing the first gas through a muffle which defines a capture chamber. A portion of the first gas is removed through at least one reclaim port operatively coupled to the capture chamber. A second gas flows into a gas screen at a rate configured to substantially recover a pressure drop associated with removing the portion of the first gas.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a reclaim cylinder includes: a single housing (60) coupled to a fiber draw furnace system, the housing defining a reclaim chamber 64, a plurality of gas reclaim ports (68) spaced equidistant from each other and tangentially coupled to the housing, a gas sampling port (52) tangentially or perpendicularly coupled to the housing, and a particle sampling port (54) tangentially or perpendicularly coupled to the housing.

A method of producing an optical fiber is provided that includes the steps of flowing a first gas into an optical fiber draw furnace. The first gas is passed through a heated section configured to contain and heat a glass source from which the optical fiber is drawn, passing the first gas through a muffle which defines a capture chamber. A portion of the first gas is removed through at least one reclaim port operatively coupled to the capture chamber. A second gas flows into a gas screen at a rate configured to substantially recover a pressure drop associated with removing the portion of the first gas.