Method and facility for manufacturing a fiberglass material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11066319-B2
Application number	US-201615748896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and facility for manufacturing a fiberglass material, in which melted glass is produced in a melting furnace heated via combustion of a fuel with an oxygen-rich oxidant. The fumes generated are used to preheat a combustion reagent in two steps: a first step in which air is heated via heat exchange with the fumes, and a second step in which the combustion reagent is preheated via heat exchange with the hot air. The air is then used in the method for converting the melted glass into a fiberglass material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for manufacturing a glass fiber product in which molten glass is converted into a glass fiber product, said process comprising the steps of:
producing molten glass in a melting furnace heated by combustion of a fuel with a rich oxidizer having an oxygen content of 80 vol % to 100 vol %, with generation of heat and flue gases, said generated flue gases being discharged from the melting furnace at a temperature between 1000° C. and 1600° C.;
heating air by heat exchange with the discharged flue gases in a primary heat exchanger to produce hot air, the hot air being at a temperature between 500° C. and 800° C.; and
before the rich oxidizer and the fuel are combusted, preheating the rich oxidizer and/or the fuel by heat exchange with the hot air in a secondary heat exchanger to correspondingly produce preheated rich oxidizer and/or preheated fuel and also moderated air that is obtained from the hot air, the moderated air being at a temperature between 200° C. and 500° C., the molten glass being converted into a glass fiber product by:
spinning the molten glass into at least one stream;
attenuation of the at least one stream into one or more filaments;
collecting the filament or filaments;
optionally sizing the filament or filaments upstream of their collection;
optionally applying adhesive to the filament or filaments before or after their collection, followed by a drying of the applied adhesive using a drying agent;
optionally crosslinking dried adhesive-treated collective filament or filaments and;
optionally texturing the filament or filaments or strands containing them,
wherein: the moderated air resulting from the secondary heat exchanger is employed during conversion of the molten glass into the glass fiber product in at least one of the following stages:
during the attenuation of the at least one stream in the form of one or more attenuation gas currents,
during the sizing of the filament or filaments upstream of their collection in the form of a spraying agent for a sizing agent,
during application of adhesive to the filament or filaments before or after their collection in the form of a spraying agent for an adhesive binder, during the drying of the filament or filaments by using the moderated air as the drying agent, and during the texturing of the filament or filaments or the strands containing them in the form of a texturing gas current.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the moderated air resulting from the secondary heat exchanger is used during the attenuation of the at least one stream in the form of one or more attenuation gas currents.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the attenuation is a flame attenuation using an attenuation flame generated by combustion of a fuel with the moderated air resulting from the secondary heat exchanger.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the attenuation is a gas attenuation using an attenuation gas jet generated by combustion of a fuel with the moderated air resulting from the secondary heat exchanger.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the attenuation is a centrifugal attenuation followed by a gas attenuation with an attenuation gas jet generated by combustion of a fuel with the moderated air resulting from the secondary heat exchanger.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the glass fiber product is chosen from reinforcing fibers or strands, textile or reinforcing fabrics, acoustic insulation products, thermal insulation products and fire-protection products.

7. A plant comprising a glass melting furnace and a conversion unit for conversion of molten glass into a glass fiber product, comprising:
a melting furnace comprising a molten glass outlet, an outlet for flue gases and at least one burner for combustion of a gaseous fuel with a rich oxidizer having an oxygen content of 80 vol % to 100 vol %;
a conversion unit comprising:
a bushing adapted and configured for spinning of the molten glass resulting from the melting furnace into at least one stream, said bushing being fluidically connected to the molten glass outlet of the melting furnace;
an attenuation device adapted and configured for attenuation of the at least one stream resulting from the bushing into one or more filaments;
a collector adapted and configured for collecting of the filament or filaments resulting from the attenuation device;
optionally, one or more of a sizer adapted and configured for sizing of the filament or filaments upstream of the collector;
optionally, a dryer adapted and configured for drying of the filament or filaments upstream of the collector;
optionally, an adhesive applicator adapted and configured for application of adhesive to the filament or filaments, the adhesive being a binder, wherein when the dryer and the adhesive applicator are present, the adhesive applicator is disposed upstream thereof;
optionally, a crosslinking chamber that is adapted and configured for crosslinking of the adhesive-treated collected filament or filaments, wherein when the dryer and the crosslinking chamber are present, the crosslinking chamber is disposed downstream thereof; and
optionally, a texturing chamber adapted and configured for texturing of the filament or filaments or of strands containing it;
a primary heat exchanger that is fluidically connected to a source of air and that is adapted and configured to heat air by heat exchange between air and the flue gases discharged from the melting furnace, thereby obtaining hot air, the hot air at a temperature between 500° C. and 800° C.; and
a secondary heat exchanger adapted and configured to preheat the rich oxidizer and/or the gaseous fuel by heat exchange between the hot air and the corresponding rich oxidizer and/or gaseous fuel prior to combustion of the rich oxidizer and the fuel at the at least one burner to produce moderated air, that is obtained from the hot air and also preheated rich oxidizer and/or preheated gaseous fuel, the primary heat exchanger being fluidically connected to the flue gas outlet of the melting furnace and the secondary heat exchanger connected to a source or sources of the rich oxidizer and gaseous fuel, the moderated air being obtained from a moderated air outlet of the secondary heat exchanger;
wherein the moderated air is used in one or more of:
the attenuation device in which case the moderated air is combusted in an attenuation flame or is instead used as an attenuation gas current;
the sizer in which case the moderated air is used as a spraying agent for a sizing agent;
the dryer in which case the moderated air is used as a drying agent in contact with the filament or filaments after application of the adhesive to the filament or filaments by the adhesive applicator;
the adhesive applicator in which case the moderated air is used as a spraying agent for the binder; and
the texturing chamber in which case the moderated air is used for generating a texturing gas current.

8. The plant of claim 7 , wherein the moderated air outlet is fluidically connected to the attenuation device for the production of an attenuation flame or of an attenuation gas current.

9. The plant of claim 7 , wherein the attenuation device comprises an attenuation burner fluidically connected to the moderated air outlet for the preparation of an attenuation gas current or for combustion of a fuel with the moderated air resulting from the secondary exchanger at the attenuation burner.

10. The plant of claim 9 , wherein the attenuation device also comprises a centrifuge, the attenuation burner being annular and capable of generating an attenuation gas current around the centrifuge.

11. The plant of claim 7 , comprising a hood surrounding the attenuation device

Assignees

• Air Liquide

Inventors

• Jarry Luc
• Joumani Youssef
• Beasse Gregoire

Classifications

• C03B37/06

  by blasting or blowing molten glass, e.g. for making staple fibres · CPC title

• C03B37/14

  Re-forming fibres or filaments, {i.e. changing their shape}(C03B37/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D04H3/12

  with filaments or yarns secured together by chemical or thermo-activatable bonding agents, e.g. adhesives, applied or incorporated in liquid or solid form · CPC title

• Y02P40/50

  Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping · CPC title

• C03B37/04 Primary

  by using centrifugal force {, e.g. spinning through radial orifices; Construction of the spinner cups therefor (bonder application C03C25/00)} · CPC title