Processes and systems for making inorganic fibers

A system comprising:

• (a) an assembly comprising a molten inorganic fiberizable material container, and a bushing for forming substantially vertical primary fibers from the molten material;
• (b) an oxy-fuel burner adapted to produce a flame by combusting a fuel with a primary oxidant and a separate secondary oxidant stream injected into a combustion chamber of the burner, the flame attenuating the substantially vertical primary fibers, the oxy-fuel burner comprising a refractory burner block adapted to be in fluid connection with sources of primary oxidant and fuel, the refractory burner block having a fuel and primary oxidant entrance end and a flame exit end, the flame exit end having a substantially rectangular flame exit having a width greater than its height, the refractory burner block defining an internal combustion chamber and a slot through the burner block fluidly connecting the internal combustion chamber and the flame exit end, the slot having a height and width substantially the same as the flame exit, the combustion chamber height substantially greater than the height of the slot, and an oxygen manifold fluidly connected to the combustion chamber and adapted to route the secondary oxidant stream comprising a gas with an oxygen molar concentration of at least 50% to the internal combustion chamber, the oxygen manifold comprising an upper manifold and a lower manifold each having a plurality of holes therein for accepting first ends of a corresponding plurality of tubes, each one of the tubes extending through a corresponding one of a plurality of non-horizontal passages through the refractory burner block, the non-horizontal passages extending through the refractory burner block at positions intermediate the fuel and primary oxidant entrance end and the flame exit end;
• and
• (c) a heat exchanger for preheating one or more of the primary oxidant, the secondary oxidant, or the fuel, prior to entering the burner using heat developed during attenuating the fibers, wherein the heat exchanger is adapted to exchange heat between a composition comprising hot combustion gases, aspirated air, and attenuated fibers and streams selected from the fuel, the primary oxidant, and the secondary oxidant.

A system comprising:

• (a) an assembly comprising a molten inorganic fiberizable material container, and a bushing for forming substantially vertical primary fibers from the molten material;
• and
• (b) an oxy-fuel burner adapted to produce a flame and attenuate the substantially vertical primary fibers, the oxy-fuel burner comprising:
• an air-fuel mix manifold;
• a refractory burner block adapted to be in fluid connection with sources of primary oxidant, a gas with an oxygen molar concentration of at least 50%, and fuel, the refractory burner block having an air-fuel mixture entrance end fluidly connected to the air-fuel mix manifold, and a flame exit end, the flame exit end having a substantially rectangular flame exit having a width greater than its height, the refractory burner block defining a combustion chamber and a second chamber fluidly connecting the combustion chamber and the flame exit end;
• and
• an injector positioned between the air-fuel mix manifold and the refractory burner block, the injector comprising substantially concentric inner and outer members defining a cooling volume there between, the inner member defining a passage fluidly connecting the air-fuel mix manifold and the combustion chamber of the refractory burner block, the injector comprising one or more manifolds extending through the outer member and forming a portion of the inner member, first portions of the manifolds exposed to the passage and second portions of the manifolds exposed to the cooling volume, the one or more manifolds fluidly connecting a source selected from a source of a gas with an oxygen molar concentration of at least 50% and a source of fuel with the passage;
• and
• one or more inlet conduits fluidly connected to the injector for supplying the coolant to the cooling volume to cool the manifolds during combustion and one or more outlet conduits fluidly connected to the injector for collecting a warmed coolant from the cooling volume.

A system comprising:

• (a) an assembly comprising a molten inorganic fiberizable material container, and a bushing for forming substantially vertical primary fibers from the molten material;
• and
• (b) an oxy-fuel burner adapted to produce a flame and attenuate the substantially vertical primary fibers, the oxy-fuel burner comprising:
• a plurality of oxygen conduits in a first horizontal plane having inlet ends and outlet ends, the inlet ends fluidly connected to a source of a gas with an oxygen molar concentration of at least 50%, and the outlet ends fluidly connected to an entrance to a refractory slot;
• a plurality of fuel conduits in a second horizontal plane, the second horizontal plane substantially parallel to the first horizontal plane, the plurality of fuel conduits having inlet ends and outlet ends, the inlet ends fluidly connected to a source of fuel, and the outlet ends fluidly connected to the entrance to the refractory slot;
• wherein the refractory slot defines a recess wherein the outlet ends of the oxygen conduits and the outlet ends of the fuel conduits are recessed from an exit of the refractory slot, and the plurality of oxygen conduits and the plurality of fuel conduits are adapted to disperse the fuel and the gas with an oxygen molar concentration of at least 50% uniformly and begin combusting the fuel in the refractory slot, the refractory slot adapted to direct a flame toward primary fibers to be fiberized.