Back to results
US 2026/0285733 A1Published application
Melting furnaces and charging of melting furnaces
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsSteven M. Will, Kirk Holmes, Victor A. Plumbo, II, Karin Gabriela Bastarrachea
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feedstock charger includes a charger conduit and a feedstock conveyor rotatably and translatably carried in the charger conduit. According to a method of using the feedstock charger, feedstock is supplied to the feedstock conveyor of the feedstock charger, feedstock is allowed to fall through the charger conduit and out of an outlet of the charger conduit, and the feedstock conveyor is rotated and linearly advanced in the charger conduit. Also, a disclosed system includes the feedstock charger is coupled to a submerged combustion melter wherein the charger conduit extends into the melter through a feedstock inlet of the melter.
Claims19
A system for producing molten material, the system comprising:
- a submerged combustion melter including
- a melting tank that defines a reaction chamber and includes a floor, a roof, and at least one surrounding wall extending between the floor and the roof,
- a feedstock inlet for introducing a vitrifiable feedstock into the submerged combustion melter,
- a molten material outlet for discharging unrefined molten material from the reaction chamber, and
- one or more submerged combustion burners;
- and
- a feedstock charger coupled to the submerged combustion melter, and wherein the feedstock charger includes
- a charger conduit extending into the melter through the feedstock inlet and along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet, and including
- a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit, and
- at least one actuator coupled to the feedstock conveyor and including
- a rotary actuator configured to rotate the feedstock conveyor about the longitudinal charger axis, and
- a linear actuator coupled to the charger conduit and to the feedstock conveyor and configured to linearly translate the feedstock conveyor along the longitudinal charger axis.
11 more elements
A system for producing molten material, the system comprising:
- a submerged combustion melter including:
- a melting tank that defines a reaction chamber and includes a floor, a roof, and at least one surrounding wall extending between the floor and the roof, a feedstock inlet for introducing a vitrifiable feedstock into the reaction chamber, a molten material outlet for discharging unrefined molten material from the reaction chamber, and one or more submerged combustion burners, and
- a charging alcove appended to the melting tank of the melter, and including an alcove floor, an alcove cover at a lower elevation than the melting tank roof and including the feedstock inlet, at least one alcove surrounding wall extending between the alcove floor and the alcove cover, and an alcove interior in open communication with the reaction chamber;
- and
- a feedstock charger extending along a feedstock charger longitudinal axis and being configured to charge feedstock into the alcove interior of the submerged combustion melter through the feedstock inlet of the alcove cover, wherein the feedstock charger includes a charger conduit extending into the alcove through the feedstock inlet and having a downstream end configured to be submerged below a free surface of molten material in the alcove and a feedstock conveyor extending into the charger conduit and having a downstream end configured to be recessed with respect to the downstream end of the charger conduit.
2 more elements
A method of using a feedstock charger, the method comprising:
- supplying feedstock to a feedstock charger including a charger conduit and a feedstock conveyor carried in the charger conduit;
- conveying the feedstock to the feedstock conveyor of the feedstock charger;
- allowing the feedstock to fall through the charger conduit and out of an outlet of the charger conduit;
- rotating the feedstock conveyor in the charger conduit;
- and
- linearly advancing the feedstock conveyor in the charger conduit.
3 more elements
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, and an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet and including a downstream end;
- and
- a gate intersecting the charger conduit downstream of the inlet and including a closed state wherein the downstream end of the feedstock mover is positioned in a location upstream of the gate and an open state wherein the downstream end of the feedstock mover is movable through the gate to a location downstream of the gate.
2 more elements
A feedstock charger, comprising:
- a charger conduit extending along a longitudinal charger axis, and including an inlet to receive feedstock into the charger conduit, an outlet to transmit feedstock out of the charger conduit, and a spout including a spout downstream end establishing the outlet;
- and
- a feedstock mover cooperative with the charger conduit to move feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet and including
- a feedstock conveyor having a downstream end, and
- at least one actuator configured to linearly translate the feedstock conveyor relative to the spout so that the downstream end of the feedstock conveyor extends axially past the outlet.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.