Method and apparatus for making molten glass
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorRonald L. Schwenninger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a continuous, fuel-fired glass melting furnace, a pair of substantially horizontal, longitudinally extending electrodes are provided in the molten glass closely adjacent to the sides of the floating batch blanket for supplying electrically generated booster heat to the underside of the batch blanket. The electrodes extend a substantial distance into the melting zone of the furnace through the fill end wall. The electrodes also serve as physical barriers that prevent the batch blanket from drifting into contact with sidewalls of the furnace. The electrode arrangement boosts melting rates with efficient utilization of electrical energy, and avoids furnace wall erosion and unbalanced melting conditions.
Claims18
In a continuous process for making molten glass wherein glass batch material is introduced into a fuel-fired furnace through an inlet opening at an end wall of the furnace to form a blanket of unmelted batch on the surface of a pool of molten glass within the furnace, the batch material being deposited onto less than the full width of the pool of molten glass so as to form a blanket covering less than the full width of the pool of molten glass and extending longitudinally into the furnace from the inlet end toward an outlet at the opposite end, the improvement comprising generating additional heat beneath the batch blanket by passing electric current through a region of the molten glass between a pair of longitudinally extending electrodes, said region being spaced from the sidewalls of the furnace and closely adjacent to the underside of at least 30% of the length of the batch blanket, said electrodes extending along, and closely adjacent to, the sides of the batch blanket near the surface of the pool of molten glass so as to maintain the batch blanket spaced from the sidewalls of the furnace.
In a continuous process for making molten glass wherein glass batch material is introduced into a melting furnace through an inlet opening at an end wall of the furnace to form a blanket of batch material on the surface of a pool of molten glass within the furnace, the blanket extending longitudinally into the furnace from the inlet end toward an outlet at an opposite end, the improvement comprising maintaining the batch blanket spaced from the sidewalls of the furnace by means of rods that extend substantially horizontally through the inlet end wall beneath the inlet opening and through the molten glass along the sides of the batch blanket.
A furnace for the continuous production of molten glass comprising:
- an enclosure for holding a volume of molten glass provided with an inlet opening at an end wall, through which glass batch material may be introduced onto the molten glass, and a longitudinally displaced outlet opening through which molten glass may be withdrawn;
- a plurality of burner ports spaced longitudinally along said enclosure for melting the glass batch;
- and
- a pair of transversely spaced, elongated electrodes extending substantially horizontally and longitudinally through said inlet end wall beneath said inlet opening into said enclosure at least as far as the region opposite the first of said burner ports from the inlet end.
A furnace for the continuous production of molten glass comprising:
- an enclosure for holding a volume of molten glass having a doghouse extension at one end, an inlet opening in said doghouse through which glass batch material may be introduced onto the molten glass, and a longitudinally displaced outlet opening through which molten glass may be withdrawn;
- fuel burning means for supplying heat to said enclosure for melting the glass batch;
- and
- a pair of transversely spaced, elongated electrodes extending substantially horizontally and longitudinally through the inlet end wall beneath said inlet opening, through said doghouse extension, and into the main body of said enclosure, the portion of each electrode within the main body of the enclosure being at least as long as the portion within the doghouse extension.
A furnace for the continuous production of molten glass comprising:
- an enclosure for holding a volume of molten glass provided with an inlet opening at an end wall, through which glass batch material may be introduced onto the molten glass, and a longitudinally displaced outlet opening through which molten glass may be withdrawn;
- fuel burning means for supplying heat to said enclosure for melting the glass batch;
- and
- a pair of transversely spaced, elongated electrodes extending substantially horizontally and longitudinally through the inlet end wall beneath said inlet opening and into said enclosure, the length of each electrode beyond the inlet end wall being at least half the width of said enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.