# US 7,669,439 B2 · Gas injection for glass melting furnace to reduce refractory degradation

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- Number: US 7,669,439 B2
- Document ID: US7669439B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/657,153
- Filed: 2007-01-24
- Published: 2007-05-31
- Granted: 2010-03-02
- Earliest claimed: 1999-08-16
- Assignees: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Neil George Simpson; John R. LeBlanc; Gregory Floyd Prusia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7669439B2

## CPC

- C03B 5/425: Preventing corrosion or erosion (C03B5/44 takes precedence)
- C03B 5/193: using gas, e.g. bubblers
- C03B 5/2353: {by combustion with pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air, e.g. using oxy-fuel burners or oxygen lances}
- F23C 5/00: Disposition of burners with respect to the combustion chamber or to one another; Mounting of burners in combustion apparatus (F23C1/00, F23C15/00 take precedence)
- F23C 6/047: {with fuel supply in stages}
- F23D 14/02: Premix gas burners, i.e. in which gaseous fuel is mixed with combustion air upstream of the combustion zone
- F23D 14/32: using a mixture of gaseous fuel and pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air (F23D14/38 takes precedence)
- F23D 17/002: {gaseous or liquid fuel}
- F23L 7/00: Supplying non-combustible liquids or gases, other than air, to the fire, e.g. oxygen, steam
- C03B 2211/30: introducing oxygen into the glass melting furnace separately from the fuel
- C03B 2211/40: using oxy-fuel burners
- C03B 2211/60: oxy-fuel burner construction
- F23L 2900/07005: Injecting pure oxygen or oxygen enriched air
- Y02E 20/34: Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery
- Y02P 40/50: Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping
- Y02P 40/57: Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates
- C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- F23C: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN {A CARRIER GAS OR} AIR (burners F23D)
- F23D: BURNERS
- F23L: SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ({air-supply arrangements for fluent fuels F23C;} firebridges with means for feeding air or steam F23M3/04; baffles or shields with air supply passages F23M9/04); VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS {(dampers and throat restrictors for open fire-places F24; air inlet valves for open fire fronts F24)}; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A glass melting furnace has a gas inlet positioned proximate to a charging section oxy-fuel combustion region to introduce gas into the region and to at least partially displace gas having a partial pressure of alkali vapor from the region, and optionally a gas outlet is adapted to provide an exit for a volume of furnace atmosphere. A method for reducing alkali vapor corrosion of glass furnace refractory structures includes providing a gas inlet proximate to the oxy-fuel combustion region; introducing a volume of gas from the inlet into the region, displacing a volume of gas having a partial pressure of alkali vapor from the region; and, optionally providing a gas outlet adapted to provide an exit for a volume of furnace atmosphere.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A glass melting furnace having:
an upstream melting zone;
a downstream fining zone;
a charging section in the melting zone;
at least one oxy-fuel tired burner disposed in the melting zone proximate the charging section to provide an oxy-fuel combustion region;
at least one gas inlet positioned proximate to the oxy-fuel combustion region to introduce a first volume of gas, having no or a dilute partial pressure of alkali vapor, into the oxy-fuel combustion region and at least partially displace a second volume of gas, optionally substantially equal to the first volume, from the oxy-fuel combustion region, the second volume having a higher partial pressure of alkali vapor than the first volume;
at least one gas outlet adapted to provide an exit for a volume of furnace atmosphere; and
a regenerator or a recuperator having a plurality of ports, wherein at least one port of the regenerator or the recuperator is at least partially blocked and wherein at least one port of the regenerator or the recuperator is at least partially open to provide the at least one gas inlet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The glass melting furnace of claim 1 wherein the at least one oxy-fuel burner replaces the combustion from the at least one at least partially blocked port of the regenerator or the recuperator and the at least one at least partially open port of the regenerator or the recuperator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The glass molting furnace of claim 1 wherein the at least one at least partially open port of the regenerator or the recuperator provides the at least one gas outlet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The glass melting furnace of claim 1 further comprising means for directing exhaust gases from the furnace downstream of the charging section to the at least one gas inlet.

### Claim 5

A glass melting furnace comprising:
walls supporting a crown substantially enclosing an upstream melting zone and a downstream fining zone;
a charging section in the melting zone;
at least one oxy-fuel fired burner disposed at the crown above the melting zone proximate the charging section to provide an oxy-fuel combustion region;
at least one gas inlet positioned proximate to the oxy-fuel combustion region to introduce a first volume of gas, having no or a dilute partial pressure of alkali vapor, to the oxy-fuel combustion region and at least partially displace a second volume of gas, having a higher partial pressure of alkali vapor than the first volume, proximate the crown in the oxy-fuel combustion region;
at least one gas outlet adapted to provide an exit for a volume of furnace atmosphere, optionally substantially equal to the first volume; and
a regenerator or a recuperator having a plurality of ports, wherein at least one port of the regenerator or the recuperator is at least partially blocked and wherein at least one port of the regenerator or the recuperator is at least partially open to provide the at least one gas inlet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The glass melting furnace of claim 5 wherein the at least one oxy-fuel burner replaces the combustion from the at least one at least partially blocked port of the regenerator or the recuperator and the at least one at least partially open port of the regenerator or the recuperator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The glass melting furnace of claim 5 wherein the at least one at least partially open port of the regenerator or the recuperator provides the at least one gas outlet.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The glass melting furnace of claim 5 further comprising means for directing exhaust gases from the furnace downstream of the charging section to the at least one gas inlet.