Method and system for detecting inclusions in float glass based on spectral reflectance analysis
AssigneeGuardian Glass, LLC
InventorOkan Agbuga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and/or system is provided for detecting and/or identifying inclusions (e.g., nickel sulfide based inclusions/defects) in glass such as soda-lime-silica based float glass. In certain example instances, during and/or after the glass-making process, following the stage in the float process where the glass sheet is formed and floated on a molten material (e.g., tin bath) and cooled or allowed to cool such as via an annealing lehr, energy such as infrared (IR) energy is directed at the resulting glass and reflectance at various wavelengths is analyzed to detect inclusions.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- directing light from at least one light source toward soda-lime-silica based glass on a float glass line;
- and
- determining whether a nickel sulfide related defect is present in the glass based on an emitted value, a refracted value, a re-emitted value, a transmitted value, or a reflectance value,
- wherein at least one of the emitted value, the refracted value, the re-emitted value, the transmitted value, and the reflectance value is outside of the visible spectrum.
A method of detecting an inclusion in glass, the glass including a base glass composition comprising:
- Ingredient
- wt. %
- SiO2
- 67-75%
- Na2O
- 10-20%
- CaO
- 5-15%
- Al2O3
- 0-7%
- K2O
- 0-7%
- the method comprising:
- directing energy from at least one source toward the glass, the directed energy causing reflectance from the glass, the at least one source being located above the glass;
- obtaining, from the reflectance, at least one of an emitted value, a refracted value, a re-emitted value, a transmitted value, and a reflectance value in the infrared (IR) spectrum;
- and
- determining whether an inclusion is present in the glass based on at least one of the emitted value, the refracted value, the re-emitted value, the transmitted value, and the reflectance value.
A system for detecting an inclusion in glass, the glass including a base glass composition comprising:
- Ingredient
- wt. %
- SiO2
- 67-75%
- Na2O
- 10-20%
- CaO
- 5-15%
- Al2O3
- 0-7%
- K2O
- 0-7%
- the system comprising:
- at least one source for directing energy toward the glass, the at least one source being located above the glass and being oriented to cause reflectance as a result of the directed energy;
- and
- a processor configured to determine whether an inclusion is present in the glass based on at least an analysis of at least one of an emitted value, a refracted value, a re-emitted value, a transmitted value, and a reflectance value obtained in the infrared (IR) spectrum from the glass, the emitted value, the refracted value, the re-emitted value, the transmitted value, and the reflectance value being obtained at different wavelengths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.