Methods and systems for destabilizing foam in equipment downstream of a submerged combustion melter
AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorsMark William Charbonneau, Aaron Morgan Huber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for de-stabilizing foam produced in submerged combustion melters. A molten mass of glass and bubbles is flowed into an apparatus downstream of a submerged combustion melter. The downstream apparatus includes a floor, a roof and a wall connecting the floor and roof, but is devoid of submerged combustion burners and other components that would increase turbulence of the molten mass. The molten mass has foam on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass. One method includes directly impinging an impinging composition onto at least a portion of the foam in the downstream apparatus. Systems for carrying out the methods are described.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- flowing a molten mass of glass and bubbles into an apparatus downstream of a submerged combustion melter, the downstream apparatus comprising a floor, a roof and a wall connecting the floor and roof, the downstream apparatus devoid of submerged combustion burners and other components that would increase turbulence of the molten mass, the molten mass having foam on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass;
- and
- directly impinging an impinging composition onto at least a portion of the foam in the downstream apparatus, the impinging composition produced by a process selected from the group consisting of:
- i) combusting a fuel and an oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both to produce low momentum combustion products,
- ii) discharging one or more non-combustible fluids or slurries from one or more nozzles positioned in the roof, the wall, or both,
- iii) routing one or more fluids or slurries from one or more apertures in the roof, the wall, or both, and
- iii) combinations of any two or more of (i)-(iii).
A system comprising:
- an apparatus configured to be fluidly connected downstream of a submerged combustion melter, the downstream apparatus comprising a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, the floor, roof, and wall structure defining an internal space configured to contain a flowing or non-flowing molten mass of glass and foam, the apparatus devoid of submerged combustion burners and other components that would increase turbulence of the molten mass, the molten mass having foam on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass;
- and
- one or more foam direct impingement components for directing an impinging composition comprising a majority of gas onto at least a portion of the foam in the apparatus, the direct impingement components selected from the group consisting of:
- i) one or more low momentum combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both to produce low momentum combustion products by combusting a fuel and an oxidant therein;
- ii) one or more non-combustion nozzles positioned in the roof, the wall, or both configured to discharge one or more fluids or slurries therefrom;
- iii) one or more apertures in the roof, the wall, or both configured to route one or more fluids or slurries onto at least a portion of the foam, and
- iii) combinations of any two or more of (i)-(iii).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.