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Apparatus, systems and methods for reducing foaming downstream of a submerged combustion melter producing molten glass

  • US 8,973,405 B2
  • Filed: 10/03/2012
  • Issued: 03/10/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:

  • a flow channel defined by a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof;

    one or more combustion burners positioned in either the roof, the sidewall structure, or both, and positioned to transfer heat to a molten mass of glass containing bubbles having a bubble atmosphere flowing through the flow channel, the burners contributing to formation of a channel atmosphere above the molten glass; and

    a device, at least a portion of which is positionable sufficiently under a level of the molten glass in the flow channel and configured to emit a composition into the molten glass under the level so as to intimately contact the composition with the molten glass and at least some of the bubbles therein, at least some of the composition diffusing into the intimately contacted bubbles to form modified atmosphere bubbles sufficiently different from the channel atmosphere to increase diffusion of a species in the channel atmosphere into the modified atmosphere bubbles, the device comprising a substantially horizontal retractable extension conduit having at least one aperture for emitting the composition,wherein when at least some of the modified atmosphere bubbles are subsequently exposed to the channel atmosphere, a portion of the channel atmosphere diffuses into the modified atmosphere bubbles;

    wherein the roof, floor, and sidewall structure defining the flow channel define a substantially linear structure having a length, a width, a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis, wherein the length is more than five times the width, wherein the roof comprises a molten glass inlet port near the proximal end and a vent port near the distal end, and wherein the sidewall structure comprises a third port for inserting and removing the device; and

    wherein the third port is positioned in the sidewall near the molten glass inlet port, and the flow channel comprises a primary flow dam positionable to block and unblock flow through the flow channel, the apparatus further comprising a distribution channel fluidly connecting a submerged combustion melter with the flow channel, the distribution channel comprising a first flow channel and a first retractable dam positionable to block and unblock the first flow channel, and a second flow channel having a second retractable dam positionable to block and unblock the second flow channel.

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