Glass-melting furnace, process for producing molten glass, apparatus for producing glass products and process for producing glass products

A process for producing molten glass, the process comprising:

• changing glass raw material particles into liquid glass particles in a gas phase atmosphere within a glass-melting furnace;
• accumulating the liquid glass particles in the furnace-bottom portion to obtain an accumulated molten glass liquid at the furnace-bottom portion;
• separating a drain-out molten glass liquid in the drain-out portion;
• and
• discharging the accumulated molten glass liquid,
• wherein the glass-melting furnace comprises:
• a glass raw material particle feed portion disposed downwardly at a furnace wall portion in an upper portion of the glass-melting furnace;
• a heating device provided under the glass-raw material feed portion in the glass-melting furnace for forming a gas phase portion for changing glass raw material particles into liquid glass particles;
• an inlet of a flue disposed on an upstream side of the gas phase portion, relative to a flow direction of the molten glass liquid, wherein the inlet of the flue is disposed such that an upper edge portion of the inlet is located at a position below a half of the distance between the molten glass liquid surface and a ceiling inner wall surface of the glass-melting furnace;
• a furnace-bottom portion for accumulating the liquid glass particles to produce an accumulated molten glass2 liquid;
• a discharge portion for discharging the accumulated molten glass liquid;
• and
• a drain-out portion formed under the flue, said drain-out portion comprising a drain-out bottom, a drain-out discharge, and a dam for separating a drain-out molten glass liquid in the drain-out bottom the accumulated molten glass liquid in the furnace-bottom portion, and
• wherein the drain-out bottom and the flue are situated such that a reacted product that falls from the flue is captured in the drain-out bottom and thereby separated from the accumulated molten glass liquid in the furnace-bottom portion.

A process for producing molten glass, which is a process of changing glass raw material particles into liquid glass particles in a gas phase atmosphere in a glass-melting furnace, accumulating the liquid glass particles in a bottom portion of the glass-melting furnace to obtain a molten glass liquid, the process comprising:

• supplying glass raw material particles downwardly from a furnace wall portion in an upper portion of the glass-melting furnace, such that making the glass raw material particles pass through a gas phase portion formed by a heating device which changes the glass raw material particles into liquid glass particles;
• sucking an exhaust gas produced by the heating device means from an inlet of a flue disposed on an upstream side of the gas phase portion, relating to the flow direction of the molten glass liquid˜ and at a height within a range below a half of the height of a space above the molten glass liquid surface;
• and
• accumulating the liquid glass particles in a bottom portion of the glass-melting furnace to obtain a molten glass liquid,
• wherein the glass-melting furnace comprises:
• a glass raw material particle feed portion disposed downwardly at a furnace wall portion in an upper portion of the glass-melting furnace;
• a heating device provided under the glass-raw material feed portion in the glass-melting furnace for forming a gas phase portion for changing glass raw material particles into liquid glass particles;
• an inlet of a flue disposed on an upstream side of the gas phase portion, relative to a flow direction of the molten glass liquid, wherein the inlet of the flue is disposed such that an upper edge portion of the inlet is located at a position below a half of the distance between the molten glass liquid surface and a ceiling inner wall surface of the glass-melting furnace;
• a furnace-bottom portion for accumulating the liquid glass particles to produce an accumulated molten glass liquid;
• a discharge portion for discharging the accumulated molten glass liquid;
• and
• a drain-out portion formed under the flue, said drain-out portion comprising a drain-out bottom, a drain-out discharge, and a dam for separating a drain-out molten glass liquid in the drain-out bottom the accumulated molten glass liquid in the furnace-bottom portion, and
• wherein the drain-out bottom and the flue are situated such that a reacted product that falls from the flue is captured in the drain-out bottom and thereby separated from the accumulated molten glass liquid in the furnace-bottom portion.