Apparatus, systems and methods for conditioning molten glass

A system for conditioning molten glass comprising:

• a submerged combustion melter comprising a floor, a roof, a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof, a melting zone being defined by the floor, roof and wall structure, and a plurality of burners, at least some of which are positioned to direct combustion products into the melting zone under a level of molten glass in the melting zone and form a turbulent molten glass, the melter vessel comprising a batch feeder attached to the wall or roof above the level, and an exit end comprising a melter exit structure for discharging the molten glass, the melter exit structure fluidly and mechanically connecting the melter vessel to a molten glass conditioning channel, the melter configured to produce an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles, at least some of the bubbles forming a bubble layer on top of the foamy molten glass;
• the molten glass conditioning channel comprising:
• a flow channel defined by a channel floor, a channel roof, and a channel wall structure connecting the channel floor and channel roof;
• the flow channel divided into a plurality of serial sections by a series of skimmers extending generally substantially vertically downward a portion of a distance between the channel roof and channel floor;
• one or more high momentum combustion burners positioned immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof or channel sidewall structure, or both, to burst at least some foamed material retained behind the skimmers and floating on top of the molten mass of glass flowing in the flow channel by heat and/or direct impingement thereon;
• and
• one or more low momentum combustion burners positioned immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof, the channel sidewall structure, or both, and positioned to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from the foamed material.

A method for conditioning molten glass comprising:

• a) routing an initial foamy molten glass into a conditioning channel, the initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles, at least some of the bubbles forming a bubble layer on top of the foamy molten glass, the conditioning channel comprising a flow channel defined by a channel floor, a channel roof, and a channel sidewall structure connecting the channel floor and channel roof, the flow channel divided into a plurality of serial sections by a series of skimmers extending generally substantially vertically downward a portion of a distance between the channel roof and channel floor;
• b) positioning one or more high momentum combustion burners immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof or channel sidewall structure, or both;
• c) operating the high momentum burners to route combustion products from the high momentum burners to impact at least a portion of bubbles in the bubble layer on the foamy molten glass retained behind the skimmers with sufficient force and/or heat to burst at least some of the bubbles;
• and
• d) positioning one or more low momentum combustion burners immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof, the channel sidewall structure, or both;
• and
• e) operating the low momentum burners to route combustion products from the low momentum burners to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from the foamed material.

A method for conditioning molten glass comprising:

• a) melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof, the melter comprising one or more submerged combustion burners and a molten glass outlet, producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles, at least some of the bubbles forming a bubble layer on top of the foamy molten glass;
• b) routing the initial foamy molten glass into a conditioning channel, the conditioning channel comprising a flow channel defined by a channel floor, a channel roof, and a channel wall structure connecting the channel floor and channel roof, the flow channel divided into a plurality of serial sections by a series of skimmers extending generally substantially vertically downward a portion of a distance between the channel roof and channel floor;
• c) positioning one or more high momentum combustion burners immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof or channel sidewall structure, or both;
• d) operating the high momentum burners to route combustion products from the high momentum burners to impact at least a portion of bubbles in the bubble layer on the foamy molten glass retained behind the skimmers with sufficient force and/or heat to burst at least some of the bubbles;
• e) positioning one or more low momentum combustion burners immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof, the channel sidewall structure, or both;
• and
• f) operating the low momentum burners to route combustion products from the low momentum burners to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from the foamed material.