Apparatus and methods for processing molten material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016297701-A1
Application number	US-201514684924-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Apr 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of processing molten material comprising the step (I) of flowing molten material through an interior of a conduit from a first station to a second station of a glass manufacturing apparatus and the step (II) of cooling the molten material within the interior of the conduit by passing a cooling fluid along an exterior of the conduit. The method further includes the step (III) of directing a travel path of the cooling fluid toward a vertical plane passing through the conduit. In further examples, a glass manufacturing apparatus comprises a first station, a second station, and a conduit configured to provide a travel path for molten material traveling from the first station to the second station. The glass manufacturing apparatus further comprises at least one baffle configured to direct a travel path of cooling fluid toward a vertical plane passing through the conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of processing molten material comprising the steps of:
(I) flowing molten material through an interior of a conduit from a first station to a second station of a glass manufacturing apparatus; (II) cooling the molten material within the interior of the conduit by passing a cooling fluid along an exterior of the conduit; and (III) directing a travel path of the cooling fluid toward a vertical plane passing through the conduit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one baffle directs the travel path of the cooling fluid during step (III).

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one baffle includes a first baffle, and step (III) includes directing a first portion of the travel path of the cooling fluid from a first lateral side portion of the conduit toward the vertical plane with the first baffle.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one baffle further includes a second baffle, and step (III) further includes directing a second portion of the travel path of the cooling fluid from a second lateral side portion of the conduit toward the vertical plane with the second baffle.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one baffle includes a deflection panel extending at an angle relative to a travel path of the molten material flowing through the interior of the conduit, and step (III) includes directing the travel path of the cooling fluid with the deflection panel of the baffle.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one baffle further includes a shroud at least partially extending over a top portion of the conduit, and step (III) includes routing the travel path of the cooling fluid with the shroud to be directed by the deflection panel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (III) further directs the travel path of the cooling fluid over a top portion of the conduit.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vertical plane bisects the conduit.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid travels in a direction from the second station toward the first station.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid is substantially free from oxygen.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises nitrogen.

12 . A glass manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a first station; a second station; a conduit configured to provide a travel path for molten material traveling from the first station to the second station; and at least one baffle configured to direct a travel path of cooling fluid toward a vertical plane passing through the conduit.

13 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first station comprises a mixing chamber.

14 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second station comprises a delivery vessel.

15 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one baffle includes a deflection panel extending at an angle relative to the travel path provided by the conduit.

16 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein an outer end of the deflection panel is laterally positioned outside the travel path for the molten material.

17 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the deflection panel includes a concave inner surface facing toward the vertical plane.

18 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one baffle includes a shroud at least partially extending over a top portion of the conduit.

19 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one baffle further includes a deflection panel extending away from the shroud at an angle relative to the travel path of the conduit.

20 . The glass manufacturing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one baffle includes a first baffle including a first deflection panel extending at a first angle relative to the travel path provided by the conduit and a second baffle including a second deflection panel extending at a second angle relative to the travel path provided by the conduit, wherein the first deflection panel and the second deflection panel converge toward one another.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Hwang Jaesoo
• Kim Jaeyoung
• Koo Bonhyoung

Classifications

• C03B5/44

  Cooling arrangements for furnace walls · CPC title

• C03B5/23 Primary

  Cooling the molten glass (C03B5/18, C03B5/225 take precedence) · CPC title

• C03B5/43

  Use of materials for furnace walls, e.g. fire-bricks · CPC title

• C03B17/064

  by the overflow downdraw fusion process; Isopipes therefor · CPC title

• C03B5/16

  Special features of the melting process; Auxiliary means specially adapted for glass-melting furnaces · CPC title