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US 9,611,163 B2Granted
Process and apparatus for refining molten glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorTerence J Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and an apparatus for refining molten glass. The apparatus includes a porous body having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet. The plurality of pores are defined by walls having wall surfaces that are configured to interact with the molten glass as the molten glass flows between the inlet and the outlet to help refine the molten glass.
Claims30
An apparatus for producing molten glass including:
- a chamber through which molten glass flows from an upstream end to a downstream end thereof;
- a porous body disposed within said chamber and having an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with said inlet, an upper surface extending between said inlet and said outlet, a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said inlet and said outlet, and an effective porosity in the range of 0.75 to 0.95;
- and
- a vacuum pump and evacuation system in fluid communication with said upper surface of said porous body that creates a sub-atmospheric pressure environment at said upper surface of said porous body.
1 more element
An apparatus for producing molten glass including:
- a chamber;
- a porous body disposed within said chamber and having an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with said inlet, an upper surface extending between said inlet and said outlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said inlet and said outlet;
- and
- a vacuum pump and evacuation system in fluid communication with said upper surface of said porous body that creates a sub-atmospheric pressure environment at said upper surface of said porous body.
1 more element
An apparatus for refining molten glass that includes:
- a first porous body having a first inlet, a first outlet in fluid communication with said first inlet, a first surface extending between said first inlet and said first outlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said first inlet and said first outlet;
- and
- a second porous body having a second inlet, a second outlet in fluid communication with said second inlet, a second surface extending between said second inlet and said second outlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said second inlet and said second outlet;
- and
- a vacuum pump and evacuation system in fluid communication with said first surface of said first porous body and said second surface of said second porous body that creates a subatmospheric pressure environment at said first surface of said first porous body and at said second surface of said second porous body,
- wherein said first porous body and said second porous body are serially arranged.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a chamber
- a porous body disposed within the chamber and having an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet, a surface extending between the inlet and the outlet, a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- a vacuum pump and evacuation system in fluid communication with the surface of the porous body that creates a sub-atmospheric pressure environment at the surface of the porous body.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.