Apparatus, systems and methods for conditioning molten glass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE46462-E
Application number	US-201514807494-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2011
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Channel apparatus for use with submerged combustion systems and methods of use to produce glass. One channel apparatus includes a flow channel defined by a floor, a roof, and a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, the flow channel divided into sections by a series of skimmers. Channel apparatus include both high and low momentum combustion burners, with one or more high momentum combustion burners positioned immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the roof or sidewall structure, or both, and one or more low momentum combustion burners positioned immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the roof, the sidewall structure, or both, and positioned to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from foamed material. Certain embodiments include increased height of glass-contact refractory, in particular immediately upstream of the skimmers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for conditioning molten glass comprising:
a flow channel defined by a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof;
the flow channel divided into a plurality of serial sections by a series of skimmers extending generally substantially vertically downward a portion of a distance between the roof and floor;
one or more high momentum combustion burners positioned immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the roof or sidewall structure, or both, to burst at least some foamed material retained behind the skimmers and floating on top of a molten mass of glass flowing in the flow channel by heat and/or direct impingement thereon; and
one or more low momentum combustion burners positioned immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the roof, the sidewall structure, or both, and positioned to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from the foamed material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a first section fluidly and mechanically connecting the flow channel to a submerged combustion glass melter, the roof, floor and sidewall structure of the first section configured to promote a change of direction of flow of the molten mass of glass, wherein the change of direction varies from between about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 comprising wherein the first section has a first subsection and a second subsection, wherein the first subsection causes the mass of molten glass to flow in a first flow direction, and the second subsection causes the mass to flow in a direction different from the first direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising wherein the first subsection has a flow channel width greater than a flow channel width of the second subsection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein each of the plurality of sections has a flow channel width W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , . . . W N , wherein N represents the Nth flow channel in the plurality of sections, and W 1 >W 2 >W 3 > . . . W N .

6. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein the sidewall structure of each section has sufficient glass-contact refractory to accommodate an operating depth of molten mass of glass ranging from about 5 inches (about 13 cm) to about 15 inches (about 38 cm).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein the sidewall structure of each section has sufficient glass-contact refractory to accommodate an operating depth of molten mass of glass ranging from about 5 inches (about 13 cm) to about 10 inches (about 25 cm).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein the sidewall structures and floors of each section are comprised of glass-contact refractory, wherein the sidewall structure's glass-contact refractory extends at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) above an operating level of molten mass of glass upstream of each skimmer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising wherein the sidewall structure's glass-contact refractory extends from at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) above the level of molten mass of glass upstream of each skimmer to about 18 inches (46 cm) above the operating level of molten mass of glass upstream of each skimmer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising wherein the glass-contact refractory extends at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) above the operating level of molten mass of glass in each section, with the glass-contact refractory gradually extending higher up the sidewall structure in each section in regions immediately upstream of each skimmer to no less than 18 inches (46 cm).

11. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein all of the high momentum combustion burners are positioned along a centerline of the flow channel in the roof of each section.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising all of the low momentum combustion burners are positioned along a centerline of the flow channel in the roof of each section.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein the skimmers are separated along a longitudinal length of the flow channel by a separation distance “D” of at least about 5 feet (152 cm), wherein the separation distance may be the same or different from section to section.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 comprising wherein “D” is greater than or equal to about 5 feet (152 cm) and less than or equal to about 15 feet (456 cm).

15. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising wherein the flow channel of each section N has a height “h N ”, and each skimmer has a distal end extending downward at least 0.5×h N and wherein the distal end of each skimmer are below an operating level of the molten mass of glass.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the high momentum burners have a fuel velocity ranging from about 150 ft./second to about 1000 ft./second (about 46 meters/second to about 305 meters/second) and an oxidant velocity ranging from about 150 ft./second to about 1000 ft./second (about 46 meters/second to about 305 meters/second).

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the low momentum burners have a fuel velocity ranging from about 6 ft./second to about 40 ft./second (about 2 meters/second to about 12 meters/second) and an oxidant velocity ranging from about 6 ft./second to about 40 ft./second (about 2 meters/second to about 12 meters/second).

18. A system for conditioning molten glass comprising:
a submerged combustion melter comprising a floor, a roof, a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof, a melting zone being defined by the floor, roof and wall structure, and a plurality of burners, at least some of which are positioned to direct combustion products into the melting zone under a level of molten glass in the melting zone and form a turbulent molten glass, the melter vessel comprising a batch feeder attached to the wall or roof above the level, and an exit end comprising a melter exit structure for discharging the molten glass, the melter exit structure fluidly and mechanically connecting the melter vessel to a molten glass conditioning channel, the melter configured to produce an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles, at least some of the bubbles forming a bubble layer on top of the foamy molten glass;
the molten glass conditioning channel comprising:
a flow channel defined by a channel floor, a channel roof, and a channel wall structure connecting the channel floor and channel roof;
the flow channel divided into a plurality of serial sections by a series of skimmers extending generally substantially vertically downward a portion of a distance between the channel roof and channel floor;
one or more high momentum combustion burners positioned immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof or channel sidewall structure, or both, to burst at least some foamed material retained behind the skimmers and floating on top of the molten mass of glass flowing in the flow channel by heat and/or direct impingement thereon; and
one or more low momentum combustion burners positioned immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the channel roof, the channel sidewall structure, or both, and positioned to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from the foamed material.

19. The system of claim 18 comprising wherein each of the plurality of sections has a flow channel width W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , . . . W N , wherein N represents the Nth flow channel in the plurality of sections, and W 1 >W 2 >W 3 > . . . W N .

20. The system of claim 18 comprising wherein the sidewall structure of each section has sufficient glass-contact refractor

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

• Huber Aaron Morgan
• Martin Marlon Keith
• Mobley John Euford

Classifications

• C03B7/06

  Means for thermal conditioning or controlling the temperature of the glass · CPC title

• C03B5/202 Primary

  Devices for blowing onto the melt surface, e.g. high momentum burners · CPC title

• C03B7/02

  Forehearths, i.e. feeder channels · CPC title

• C03B5/2356

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

• C03B5/205

  Mechanical means for skimming or scraping the melt surface · CPC title