Submerged combustion melters and methods of feeding particulate material into such melters

A submerged combustion melter (SCM) equipped with one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H1, the SCM comprising:

• (a) one or more particulate feedstock inlet ports, the inlet ports positioned at a height H2, where H2/H1 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67.

A submerged combustion melter (SCM) equipped with one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H1, the SCM comprising:

• (a) a single particulate feedstock inlet port in a feed end of the SCM positioned along the SCM centerline, the inlet port positioned at a height H2 measured form the SCM floor, where H2/H1 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67.

A submerged combustion melter (SCM) equipped with one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H1, the SCM comprising:

• (a) a single particulate feedstock inlet port in a feed end of the SCM positioned along the SCM centerline, the inlet port positioned at a height H2 measured form the SCM floor, where H2/H1 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67;
• and
• (b) a baffle extending vertically downward from a ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline, the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between the SCM feed end and the midpoint (M) of the SCM, an exhaust stack of the SCM attached to a ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline, the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint and the exit end wall of the SCM.

A submerged combustion melter (SCM) equipped with one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H1, the SCM comprising:

• (a) one or more feed conduits having an inlet in the ceiling of the SCM and an exit positioned at a height H2 measured from the floor, where H2/H1 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67, the one or more feed conduit inlets positioned between the SCM feed end and the SCM midpoint;
• (b) a baffle extending vertically downward from a ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline, the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between the one or more feed conduits and the midpoint of the SCM,
• (c) an exhaust stack attached to a ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline, the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint (M) and the exit end wall of the SCM.