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US 2017/0057855 A1Published application
Glass Manufacturing Apparatus and Related Processes
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsDaniel R. Swiler, Dale A. Gaerke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for manufacturing glass includes radially inner and outer flaw channels physically separated from each other by a common wall that allows heat transfer to occur between molten glass flawing through the outer flow Channel and molten glass flowing in the opposite direction through the inner flow channel.
Claims29
-12. (canceled)
A process for manufacturing glass including:
- (a) providing a molten glass precursor composition;
- (b) heating the glass precursor composition to a first temperature as the precursor composition flows through a first flow channel in a first direction;
- (c) removing gas bubbles from the glass precursor composition;
- (d) flowing the glass precursor composition from the first flow channel into a second flow channel;
- (e) introducing one or more solid glass-forming materials into the glass precursor composition such that excess heat is transferred from the glass precursor composition to the one or more solid glass-forming materials to dissolve the one or more solid glass-forming materials into the glass precursor composition and form a final glass composition having a second temperature lower than the first temperature and having a different chemical composition than that of the glass precursor composition;
- and
- (f) flowing the final glass composition through the second flow channel in a second direction opposite the first direction such that heat is transferred by conduction through a common wall radially separating the first and second flow channels from each other and countercurrent heat exchange occurs between the glass compositions flowing in opposite directions through the first and second flow channels.
4 more elements
A process for manufacturing glass including:
- (a) providing a plurality of solid glass batch materials in amounts according to a final desired glass batch composition;
- (b) heating a first portion of the plurality of solid glass batch materials as the materials flow through a first flow channel in a first direction to produce molten glass;
- (c) flowing the molten glass from the first flow channel into a second flow channel;
- (d) introducing a second portion of the plurality of solid glass batch materials into the molten glass as the molten glass flows through a passageway extending between upper ends of the first and second flow channels;
- and
- (e) flowing the molten glass through the second flow channel in a second direction opposite the first direction such that heat is transferred by conduction through a common wall radially separating the first and second flow channels from each other and countercurrent heat exchange occurs between the glass batch materials and the molten glass flowing in opposite directions through the first and second flow channels.
3 more elements
A process for manufacturing glass including:
- (a) flowing unrefined molten glass through a first flow channel in a first direction;
- (b) heating the unrefined molten glass to a first temperature as the molten glass flows through the first flow channel;
- (c) removing gas bubbles from the unrefined molten glass to produce refined molten glass;
- (d) introducing at least one solid glass-forming material into the refined molten glass to form a mixture of refined molten glass and at least one solid glass-forming material;
- and then
- (e) flowing the mixture of refined molten glass and at least one solid glass-forming material through a second flow channel in a second direction opposite the first direction such that heat is transferred by conduction through a common wall radially separating the first and second flow channels from each other and countercurrent heat exchange occurs between the molten glass flowing in opposite directions through the first and
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.