Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
065134500 | By injecting gas below surface of molten glass | 12 |
20090320525 | Method of bubbling a gas into a glass melt - Feed materials are melted in a furnace to form a glass melt in a first vessel, transferred through a first refractory metal connecting tube to a second vessel for conditioning, then transferred through a second refractory metal connecting tube to a third vessel where the glass melt is fined. A gas is bubbled into the glass melt through an injection tube disposed in the first connecting tube, optionally in the second connecting tube, and optionally in both connecting tubes. The gas may be used to mix the melt and/or recharge a fining agent with oxygen. | 12-31-2009 |
20100175427 | GLASS MELTING FURNACE AND METHOD FOR MELTING GLASSES - A glass melting furnace with a tank and a superstructure with a furnace crown and a total internal length (“Lg”), with a preheating zone for charging material and a combustion zone with burners. A single radiation wall is located between the preheating zone and the combustion zone such that the length of the preheating zone is between 15 and 35% of the total internal length and the length of the combustion zone is between 65 and 85% of the total internal length. The preheating zone is designed for use solely with preheating of the charging material within the furnace. The oxidation gas supply contains at least 85 volume percent oxygen and at least one outlet for the waste gases from the preheating zone is connected to the atmosphere without a heat exchanger. | 07-15-2010 |
20130086950 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION GLASS MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Submerged combustion glass manufacturing systems include a melter having a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, and an exhaust passage through the roof. One or more submerged combustion burners are mounted in the floor and/or wall structure discharging combustion products under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in the material. The melter exhausts through an exhaust structure connecting the exhaust passage with an exhaust stack. The exhaust structure includes a barrier defining an exhaust chamber having an interior surface, the exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter. The barrier maintains temperature and pressure in the exhaust structure at values sufficient to substantially prevent condensation of exhaust material on the interior surface. | 04-11-2013 |
20140090423 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTERS HAVING AN EXTENDED TREATMENT ZONE AND METHODS OF PRODUCING MOLTEN GLASS - A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure. | 04-03-2014 |
20150291465 | SWIRLING BURNER AND PROCESS FOR SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTING - A swirling burner | 10-15-2015 |
20150336833 | PANEL-COOLED SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTER GEOMETRY AND METHODS OF MAKING MOLTEN GLASS - A melter apparatus includes a floor, a ceiling, and a substantially vertical wall connecting the floor and ceiling at a perimeter of the floor and ceiling, a melting zone being defined by the floor, ceiling and wall, the melting zone having a feed inlet and a molten glass outlet positioned at opposing ends of the melting zone. The melting zone includes an expanding zone beginning at the inlet and extending to an intermediate location relative to the opposing ends, and a narrowing zone extending from the intermediate location to the outlet. One or more burners, at least some of which are positioned to direct combustion products into the melting zone under a level of molten glass in the zone, are also provided. | 11-26-2015 |
20150336834 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTER COMPRISING A MELT EXIT STRUCTURE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE IMPACT OF MECHANICAL ENERGY, AND METHODS OF MAKING MOLTEN GLASS - A melter apparatus includes a floor, a ceiling, and a wall connecting the floor and ceiling at a perimeter of the floor and ceiling, a melting zone being defined by the floor, ceiling and wall, the melting zone having a feed inlet and a molten glass outlet positioned at opposing ends of the melting zone. Melter apparatus include an exit end having a melter exit structure for discharging turbulent molten glass formed by one or more submerged combustion burners, the melter exit structure fluidly and mechanically connecting the melter vessel to a molten glass conditioning channel. The melter exit structure includes a fluid-cooled transition channel configured to form a frozen glass layer or highly viscous glass layer, or combination thereof, on inner surfaces of the fluid-cooled transition channel and thus protect the melter exit structure from mechanical energy imparted from the melter vessel to the melter exit structure. | 11-26-2015 |
20150336835 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION MELTER COMPRISING A MELT EXIT STRUCTURE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE IMPACT OF MECHANICAL ENERGY, AND METHODS OF MAKING MOLTEN GLASS - A melter apparatus includes a floor, a ceiling, and a wall connecting the floor and ceiling at a perimeter of the floor and ceiling, a melting zone being defined by the floor, ceiling and wall, the melting zone having a feed inlet and a molten glass outlet positioned at opposing ends of the melting zone. Melter apparatus include an exit end having a melter exit structure for discharging turbulent molten glass formed by one or more submerged combustion burners, the melter exit structure fluidly and mechanically connecting the melter vessel to a molten glass conditioning channel. The melter exit structure includes a fluid-cooled transition channel configured to form a frozen glass layer or highly viscous glass layer, or combination thereof, on inner surfaces of the fluid-cooled transition channel and thus protect the melter exit structure from mechanical energy imparted from the melter vessel to the melter exit structure. | 11-26-2015 |
20150344343 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION GLASS MANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND METHOD - Submerged combustion glass manufacturing systems include a melter having a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, and an exhaust passage through the roof. One or more submerged combustion burners are mounted in the floor and/or wall structure discharging combustion products under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in the material. The melter exhausts through an exhaust structure connecting the exhaust passage with an exhaust stack. The exhaust structure includes a barrier defining an exhaust chamber having an interior surface, the exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter. The barrier maintains temperature and pressure in the exhaust structure at values sufficient to substantially prevent condensation of exhaust material on the interior surface. | 12-03-2015 |
20160060154 | BURNERS FOR SUBMERGED COMBUSTION - A burner for submerged combustion melting that mixes a first gas and a second gas inside the burner and emits the mixed gas through a nozzle for combustion below the surface of the material being melted. The burner includes a hollow tube and a static mixer inside the tube that mixes the first gas and the second gas as they travel through the tube. The mixed first and second gas exits a nozzle on a top end of the tube and is ignited to generate a flame below the surface of the material being melted, which may be a glass material. | 03-03-2016 |
20160145135 | SUBMERGED COMBUSTION GLASS MELTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE - Submerged combustion glass manufacturing systems and methods include a melter having a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, and one or more submerged combustion burners mounted in the floor, roof, and/or wall structure discharging combustion products including water vapor under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in the material. The floor, roof, or wall structure may include fluid-cooled refractory material and an optional metallic external shell, or the metallic shell may include coolant passages. One or more conduits drain water condensed from the water vapor from regions of refractory material substantially saturated with the water, and/or from burner supports. | 05-26-2016 |
20160185642 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MELTING SOLID RAW BATCH MATERIAL USING SUBMERGED COMBUSTION BURNERS - The present invention relates to a process for melting solid batch material, comprising the steps of introducing solid batch material into a melter, and melting the solid batch material in the melter by submerged combustion and subjecting the melt to a flow pattern which when simulated on a computer by making use of common fluid dynamic equations shows a substantially toroidal melt flow pattern in the melt, comprising a major centrally inwardly convergent flow at the melt surface, the central axis of revolution of the toroid being substantially vertical. The invention further relates to a melter assembly for carrying out the process. The toroidal melt flow pattern is achieved by suitable arrangement, angle and spacing of multiple submerged combustion burners in the floor of the melter. | 06-30-2016 |