System and method for synchronized oxy-fuel boosting of a regenerative glass melting furnace

A system for synchronized oxy-fuel boosting of a regenerative glass melting furnace having a first set of regenerative air-fuel burners and a second set of regenerative air-fuel burners, and a furnace control system programmed to control alternate firing of the first set of air-fuel burners and the second set of air-fuel burners such that when the first set of air-fuel burners is firing the second set of air-fuel burners is regenerating, and when the first set of air-fuel burners is regenerating the second set of air-fuel burners is firing, the system comprising:

• a first double-staged oxy-fuel burner mounted in a first wall of the furnace and having a primary oxygen valve to apportion a flow of oxygen between primary oxygen and staged oxygen and a staging mode valve to apportion the flow of staged oxygen between an upper staging port and lower staging port;
• a second double-staged oxy-fuel burner mounted in a second wall of the furnace, the second wall being opposite the first wall, and having a primary oxygen valve to apportion a flow of oxygen between a flow of primary oxygen and a flow of staged oxygen and a staging mode valve to apportion the flow of staged oxygen between a flow of upper staged oxygen to the upper staging port and a flow of lower staged oxygen to the lower staging port;
• and
• a controller programmed to:
• receive a signal from the furnace control system indicating which of the first and second sets for air-fuel burners is firing and which of the first and second sets of air-fuel burners is regenerating;
• and
• send signals to the actuate the primary oxygen valve and the staging mode valve of the first double-staged oxy-fuel burner and to actuate the primary oxygen valve and the staging mode valve of the second double-staged oxy-fuel burner, in response to the signal from the furnace control system, to adjust flame characteristics of the first double-staged oxy-fuel burner and the second double-staged oxy-fuel burner.