Refining glass with reduced pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10858277-B2
Application number	US-201815922543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2018
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus and methods of refining glass, in a multi-stage, downwardly cascading manner, include a melting chamber housing molten glass and having an outlet, a first refining chamber downstream from the melting chamber and having a first outlet and a first inlet below the outlet of the melting chamber, and a second refining chamber downstream from the first refining chamber and having a second outlet and a second inlet below the first outlet of the first refining chamber. The first refining chamber has a first negative pressure and the second refining chamber has a second negative pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for refining glass in a multi-stage, downwardly cascading manner in which molten glass proceeds down a flow path driven by gravity, the apparatus comprising:
a melting chamber housing molten glass and having an outlet;
a first refining chamber downstream from the melting chamber and having a first outlet and a first inlet below the outlet of the melting chamber, the first outlet of the first refining chamber being spaced from the first inlet of the first refining chamber along the flow path, the first refining chamber having a first negative pressure of 1 to 760 Torr and including a declined refractory chute below the first inlet that extends into the first refining chamber along a central axis, the declined refractory chute having an excurvate upper surface, a lower surface, a pair of side edges between the upper and lower surfaces opposing each other along the central axis, and a pair of walls such that each wall extends upwardly from one respective side edge in a direction away from the excurvate upper surface; and
a second refining chamber downstream from the first refining chamber and horizontally offset from the first refining chamber, the second refining chamber having a second outlet and a second inlet below the first outlet of the first refining chamber, the second outlet of the second refining chamber being spaced from the second inlet of the second refining chamber along the flow path, the second refining chamber having a second negative pressure of 1 to 700 Torr.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a third refining chamber downstream from the second refining chamber and horizontally offset from the second refining chamber, the third refining chamber having a third outlet and a third inlet below the second outlet of the second refining chamber, the third outlet of the third refining chamber being spaced from the third inlet of the third refining chamber along the flow path, and the third refining chamber having a third negative pressure of 1 to 600 Torr.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a conditioning zone downstream from the third refining chamber and having a zone inlet below the third outlet of the third refining chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the melting chamber has a longitudinal axis such that the central axis of the declined refractory chute forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of about 0 to about 10 degrees.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of plungers such that each of the outlet, the first outlet, and the second outlet are connected to one respective plunger that controls a respective flow rate of the molten glass.

6. An apparatus for refining glass in a multi-stage, downwardly cascading manner in which molten glass proceeds down a flow path driven by gravity, the apparatus comprising:
a melting chamber housing molten glass and having an outlet;
a first refining chamber downstream from the melting chamber and having a first outlet and a first inlet below the outlet of the melting chamber, the first refining chamber having a first negative pressure of 1 to 760 Torr and including a declined refractory chute below the first inlet, the declined refractory chute extending into the first refining chamber and along a central axis and having an excurvate upper surface, a lower surface, a pair of side edges between the upper and lower surfaces and opposing each other along the central axis, and a pair of walls such that each wall extends upwardly from one respective side edge and in a direction away from the excurvate upper surface; and
a second refining chamber downstream from the first refining chamber and having a second outlet and a second inlet below the first outlet of the first refining chamber, the second outlet of the second refining chamber being spaced from the second inlet of the second refining chamber along the flow path, and the second refining chamber having a second negative pressure of 1 to 700 Torr.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a third refining chamber downstream from the second refining chamber and having a third outlet and a third inlet below the second outlet of the second refining chamber, the third refining chamber having a third negative pressure of 1 to 600 Torr.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a conditioning zone downstream from the third refining chamber and having a zone inlet below the third outlet of the third refining chamber.

9. An apparatus for refining glass in a multi-stage, downwardly cascading manner in which molten glass proceeds down a flow path driven by gravity, the apparatus comprising:
a melting chamber having an outlet, wherein burners inject an air-fuel mixture or an oxygen-fuel mixture directly into a pool of raw materials contained within the melting chamber to produce molten glass;
a first refining chamber downstream from the melting chamber and having a first outlet and a first inlet, the first inlet of the first refining chamber being below the outlet of the melting chamber and the first outlet of the first refining chamber being spaced from the first inlet of the first refining chamber along the flow path, the first refining chamber including a declined refractory chute below the first inlet of the first refining chamber, the declined refractory chute extending into the first refining chamber along a central axis and having an excurvate upper surface, a lower surface, a pair of side edges between the upper and lower surfaces and opposing each other along the central axis, and a pair of walls such that each wall extends upwardly from one respective side edge in a direction away from the excurvate upper surface, the first refining chamber having a first negative pressure of 1 to 760 Torr; and
a second refining chamber downstream from the first refining chamber, the second refining chamber being horizontally offset and vertically spaced from the first refining chamber, the second refining chamber having a second outlet and a second inlet, the second inlet of the second refining chamber being below the first outlet of the first refining chamber and the second outlet of the second refining chamber being spaced from the second inlet of the second refining chamber along the flow path, the second refining chamber having a second negative pressure of 1 to 700 Torr.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a third refining chamber downstream from the second refining chamber, the third refining chamber being horizontally offset and vertically spaced from the second refining chamber, the third refining chamber having a third outlet and a third inlet, the third inlet of the third refining chamber being below the second outlet of the second refining chamber and the third outlet of the third refining chamber being spaced from the third inlet of the third refining chamber along the flow path, the third refining chamber having a third negative pressure of 1 to 600 Torr.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a conditioning zone downstream from the third refining chamber and having a zone inlet below the third outlet of the third refining chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the third negative pressure is lower than the second negative pressure, and wherein the second negative pressure is lower than the first negative pressure.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second negative pressure is lower than the first negative pressure.

Assignees

• Owens Brockway Glass Container

Inventors

• Wang Zhongming
• Schoenrock Nicholas A
• Lin Ya-Cheng

Classifications

• C03B5/2257

  by thin-layer fining · CPC title

• C03B5/2356

  Submerged heating, e.g. by using heat pipes, hot gas or submerged combustion burners (bubblers C03B5/193) · CPC title

• C03B5/031

  Cold top tank furnaces · CPC title

• C03B5/262

  Drains, i.e. means to dump glass melt or remove unwanted materials · CPC title

• C03B5/2252 Primary

  under reduced pressure, e.g. with vacuum refiners · CPC title