Rotary batch and cullet preheater system control scheme

A control system for controlling the amount of material fed to a glass furnace from a rotatable chamber of a rotary heat-exchanger wherein a discharge hopper is in communication with said rotatable chamber having a rotatable chamber variable frequency drive in communication with a rotatable chamber motor for rotating said rotatable chamber and with said glass furnace, said control system comprising:

• a hopper level measurer configured to measure the level of said material in said discharge hopper;
• wherein said controller is in communication with said hopper level measurer and with said rotatable chamber variable frequency drive and is configured to modify the speed of said rotatable chamber in response to a signal generated by said hopper level measurer indicative of the level of said material in said discharge hopper.

A method for controlling the amount of material fed to a glass furnace from a rotatable chamber of a rotary heat-exchanger having a rotatable chamber variable frequency drive in communication with a rotatable chamber motor for rotating said rotatable chamber, the method comprising:

• generating a signal with said chamber variable frequency drive indicative of a torque required to rotate said rotatable chamber;
• driving a material feeder having a feeder variable frequency drive and a motor associated with said variable frequency drive to feed said material into said rotatable chamber;
• controlling the speed of said material feeder with said variable frequency drive in response to the sensed signal indicative of said torque.

A method for controlling the amount of material fed to a glass furnace from a rotatable chamber of a rotary heat-exchanger wherein a discharge hopper is in communication with said rotatable chamber having a rotatable chamber variable frequency drive in communication with a rotatable chamber motor for rotating said rotatable chamber and is in communication with said glass furnace, said method comprising:

• measuring the level of said material in said discharge hopper;
• and
• controlling the speed of said rotatable chamber in response to a signal generated by said hopper level measurer indicative of the level of said material in said discharge hopper by controlling said chamber variable frequency drive.