Feeder Tank For A Glass Melter
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorLiming Shi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A glass melting furnace and method for introducing batch feed material into a glass melter tank of the glass melting furnace are disclosed. The glass melting furnace comprises the glass melter tank, a feeder tank, and at least one conduit. The glass melter tank defines at least one melter tank inlet, a molten glass outlet, and an exhaust gas outlet, and the feeder tank, which is separate from the glass melter tank, defines a batch feed inlet and a feeder tank outlet. The at least one conduit is in fluid communication with the feeder tank outlet and the melter tank inlet. Moreover, the melter tank inlet is defined below a melt level of a glass melt contained within the glass melter tank and at least partially filling the at least one conduit.
Claims13
A glass melting furnace, comprising:
- a glass melter tank that defines at least one melter tank inlet, a molten glass outlet, and an exhaust gas outlet, the glass melter tank containing a first portion of a glass melt having a melt level rising above the melter tank inlet;
- a feeder tank that defines a batch feed inlet and a feeder tank outlet;
- and
- at least one conduit in fluid communication with the feeder tank outlet of the feeder tank and the melter tank inlet of the glass melter tank, and wherein a second portion of the glass melt at least partially fills the conduit.
A method for introducing batch feed material into a glass melting furnace, comprising:
- introducing batch feed material into a feeder tank that is separate from a glass melter tank but fluidly connected to the glass meter tank by at least one conduit;
- directing the batch feed material from a feeder tank outlet of the feeder tank, through the conduit, and into the glass melter tank through a melter tank inlet, the melter tank inlet being defined in the glass melter tank below a melt level of a glass melt contained in the glass melter tank and at least partially filling the at least one conduit;
- and
- melting the batch feed material in the glass melter tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.