Systems and methods for making foamed glass using submerged combustion

• US 8,997,525 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shock, Jeffrey M., Huber, Aaron Morgan, Swales, Timothy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Szewczyk, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US13/267,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 65/22
• US Class Current: 65/346
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/08 by foaming
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2211/22 by direct combustion in the melt
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2211/23 using oxygen, i.e. pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01 Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/2356 Submerged heating, e.g. by using heat pipes, hot gas or submerged combustion burners bubblers C03B5/193
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/50 Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping

Abstract

Submerged combustion systems and methods of use to produce foamed glass. One system includes a submerged combustion melter having an outlet, the melter configured to produce an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases. The initial foamy molten glass is deposited directly onto or into a transport apparatus that transports the initial foamy molten glass to a downstream processing apparatus. An intermediate stage may be included between the melter and the transport apparatus. One intermediate stage is a channel that includes gas injectors. Another intermediate stage is a channel that produces an upper flow of a less dense glass and a relatively more dense glass lower flow. The upper flow may be processed into foamed glass products, while the more dense flow may be processed into dense glass products.

Claims

1. A submerged combustion foamed glass manufacturing system comprising:

a submerged combustion melter comprising a melting zone defined by a floor, a ceiling, and a substantially vertical wall connecting the floor and ceiling at a perimeter of the floor and ceiling, the melting zone having a molten glass outlet, the melter devoid of a refining zone, the melting zone having a feed inlet for receiving at least one partially vitrifiable material through a batch feed chute, the batch feed chute and the molten glass outlet positioned at opposing ends of the melting zone, the melting zone having an expanding zone beginning at the inlet, and extending to an intermediate location relative to the opposing ends, and a narrowing zone extending from the intermediate location to the molten glass outlet, and a plan view shape selected from the group consisting of;

i) defined by first and second trapezoids sharing a common base positioned at the intermediate location and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the melter, the first trapezoid having a side parallel to the base and positioned at the feed inlet, the second trapezoid having a side parallel to the base and positioned at the molten glass outlet; and

ii) a non-symmetrical plan about an axis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the melter, wherein the substantially vertical wall in the expanding zone and the narrowing zone is non-linear;

and a plurality of submerged combustion burners, at least some of which are positioned to direct combustion products into the expanding zone and the narrowing zone under a level of molten glass in the expanding zone and the narrowing zone,

the melter molten glass outlet fluidly connected to an intermediate stage positioned between the melter molten glass outlet and a conveyor, the intermediate stage fluidly connected to the conveyor, the conveyor comprising heat-resistant components and devoid of gas injectors, the conveyor fluidly connected to a processing apparatus downstream of the conveyor, and

wherein the intermediate stage comprises a refractory or refractory-lined channel having width, depth, and length, the refractory or refractory-lined channel comprising one or more gas injectors positioned to deliver gas through a bottom of the refractory or refractory-lined channel.

2. A system for forming a foamy molten batch of glass using a submerged combustion melter, and manufacturing foamed glass and dense glass from the same foamy molten batch of glass, the system comprising:

a submerged combustion melter comprising a melting zone defined by a floor, a ceiling, and a substantially vertical wall connecting the floor and ceiling at a perimeter of the floor and ceiling, the melting zone having a molten glass outlet, the melter devoid of a refining zone, the melting zone halving a feed inlet for receiving at least one partially vitrifiable material through a batch feed chute, the batch feed chute and the molten glass outlet positioned at opposing ends of the melting zone, the melting zone having an expanding zone beginning at the inlet and extending to an intermediate location relative to the opposing ends, and a narrowing zone extending from the intermediate location to the molten glass outlet, and a plan view shape selected from the group consisting of;

i) defined by first and second trapezoids sharing a common base positioned at the intermediate location and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the melter, the first trapezoid having a side parallel to the base and positioned at the feed inlet, the second trapezoid having a side parallel to the base and positioned at the molten glass outlet; and

ii) a non-symmetrical plan about an axis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the melter, wherein the substantially vertical wall in the expanding zone and the narrowing zone is non-linear,

and a plurality of submerged combustion burners, at least some of which are positioned to direct combustion products into the expanding zone and the narrowing zone under a level of molten glass in the expanding zone and the narrowing zone,

the melter molten glass outlet fluidly connected to an inlet of a refractory or refractory-lined channel having width, depth, and length and having an end weir with an overflow outlet, and a bottom throat;

a conveyor fluidly connected to and downstream of the refractory or refractory-lined channel, the conveyor having a first end positioned to accept foamy molten glass from the overflow outlet of the refractory or refractory-lined channel, the conveyor comprising heat-resistant components and devoid of gas injectors, the end weir positioned in the refractory or refractory-lined channel just upstream of the conveyor first end, the bottom throat positioned at the bottom of the refractory or refractory-lined channel and upstream of the end weir, the bottom throat fluidly connecting the refractory or refractory-lined channel with a downstream dense glass processing apparatus;

the conveyor dimensioned to accept the foamy molten glass on it to form a continuous ribbon of foamed molten glass having varying thickness and varying width, and

the downstream dense glass processing apparatus dimensioned to accept denser molten glass and form one or more dense glass products.