Method and system for controlling a tin bath atmosphere for the reduction of surface defects

A process for controlling the manufacture of float glass on a tin bath, comprising:

• determining one or more of:
• (a) a concentration of hydrogen and/or nitrogen to include in a first process gas having nitrogen and/or argon for injecting into a first zone of a tin bath furnace, (b) a flow rate of the first process gas for injecting into the first zone, and/or (c) atmospheric pressure of atmosphere in the tin bath furnace in the first zone based on one or more of (i) thickness of a ribbon to be formed on the tin bath, (ii) atmospheric conditions within the tin bath furnace, (iii) ribbon speed, (iv) ribbon width, (v) tin conditions in the tin bath furnace, and/or (vi) measured defects of the ribbon;
• determining one or more of:
• (d) a concentration of hydrogen and/or nitrogen to include in a third process gas having nitrogen and/or argon for injecting into a second zone and/or a third zone of the tin bath furnace, (e) a flow rate of the third process gas for injecting into the second zone and/or third zone, and/or (f) atmospheric pressure of atmosphere in the tin bath furnace in the third zone based on one or more of (i) the thickness of the ribbon to be formed on the tin bath, (ii) the atmospheric conditions within the tin bath furnace, (iii) the ribbon speed, (iv) the ribbon width, (v) the tin conditions in the tin bath furnace, and/or (vi) the measured defects of the ribbon;
• determining a flow rate for injecting a second process gas comprising argon and/or nitrogen adjacent an interface of the first zone and the second zone so that hydrogen is not added into an atmosphere of the tin bath furnace via the injecting of the second process gas to facilitate maintenance of a pre-selected hydrogen content within the atmosphere throughout the tin bath furnace during formation of glass from the ribbon;
• and
• adjusting a power level of one or more heating elements of the tin bath furnace based on detected tin condensate within the atmosphere and/or the heating elements;
• wherein the first zone is a ribbon forming zone, the third zone is a cooling zone, and the second zone is a transition zone between the first zone and third zone.