Methods and systems for monitoring glass and/or foam density as a function of vertical position within a vessel

• US 9,115,017 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: McCann, Jonathan, Shock, Jeffrey M, Nesti, Bryan Keith, Mobley, John Euford
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazorcik, Jason L
• Application Number:
  US13/752,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: C03B 5/24 Automatically regulating the melting process
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/24 by observing the transmission of wave or particle radiation through the material

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining density or density gradient of molten foamed glass in a glass melter, an apparatus downstream of a glass melter, or both. A molten foamed glass is generated having molten glass and bubbles entrained therein and/or a layer of glass foam on a top surface thereof in a melter. At least a portion of the molten foamed glass is transferred into an apparatus positioned downstream of the melter, and the density or density gradient of the molten foamed glass in the melter or downstream apparatus is determined as a function of distance from a structural feature of the melter or downstream apparatus, or both, using one or more electromagnetic (EM) wave-based sensors.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a molten foamed glass comprising molten glass and bubbles entrained therein and/or a layer of glass foam on a top surface thereof in a melter, the melter comprising at least a floor and a sidewall structure defining an internal space sufficient for containing the molten foamed glass;

transferring at least a portion of the molten foamed glass into a downstream apparatus positioned downstream of the melter, the downstream apparatus comprising at least a floor and a sidewall structure defining an internal space sufficient for containing a non-flowing or flowing stream of the molten foamed glass; and

determining density as a function of distance from a structural feature of the molten foamed glass in either the melter, the downstream apparatus or both, using one or more electromagnetic (EM) wave-based sensors.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising determining a density gradient as a function of distance from the floor of the melter or the floor of the downstream apparatus, or both, of the molten foamed glass using said one or more EM wave-based sensors.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the melter comprises at least one submerged combustion melter, and the generating of the molten foamed glass comprises feeding one or more feed compositions comprising a vitrifiable material into the submerged combustion melter.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the density gradient of the molten foamed glass comprises:

emanating at least one initial EM wave from at least one source of an EM wave-based sensor, the source positioned near a first external surface of a first portion of the wall structure and below a top surface of the molten foamed glass in the downstream apparatus; and

sensing at least one attenuated EM wave using at least one detector of the EM wave-based sensor, the detector positioned near a second external surface of a second portion of the wall structure and positioned to intercept the attenuated EM wave.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising:

passing the initial EM wave through the first portion of the wall structure, producing a first attenuated EM wave;

passing the first attenuated wave through a portion of the molten foamed glass, producing a second attenuated EM wave;

passing the second attenuated EM wave through the second portion of the wall structure below a top surface of the molten foamed glass, producing a third attenuated EM wave; and

detecting at least a portion of the third attenuated EM wave using the detector.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising passing the initial EM wave and the first, second, and third attenuated EM waves at an angle different than 0 degrees and different than 90 degrees relative to horizontal.

7. The method of claim 4 comprising maintaining the EM wave source and the EM wave detector stationary.

8. The method of claim 4 comprising moving the EM wave source and the EM wave detector substantially simultaneously and at substantially equivalent rate along their respective external surfaces of the wall structure during the step of determining the density.

9. The method of claim 4 comprising maintaining a single EM wave source stationary while moving a single EM wave detector along its respective external surface of its respective wall structure portion, pivoting the source to generally track position of the detector.

10. The method of claim 4 comprising positioning a plurality of stationary EM wave sources along the external surface of the first portion of the wall structure, and moving one EM wave detector along the external surface of the second portion of the wall structure, the EM wave detector intercepting a corresponding plurality of attenuated EM waves as it moves.

11. The method of claim 4 comprising positioning a plurality of stationary EM wave detectors along the external surface of the second portion of the wall structure, and moving one EM wave source along the external surface of the first portion of the wall structure, the EM wave detectors intercepting a corresponding plurality of attenuated EM waves as the EM wave source moves.

12. The method of claim 4 comprising:

positioning at least one EM wave detector above the top surface of the molten foamed glass;

passing the initial EM wave through the first portion of the wall structure, producing a first attenuated EM wave;

passing the first attenuated EM wave through a portion of the molten foamed glass, producing a second attenuated EM wave;

passing the second attenuated EM wave through the second portion of the wall structure, producing a third attenuated EM wave; and

detecting at least a portion of the third attenuated EM wave using the EM wave detector positioned above the top surface of the molten foamed glass.

13. The method of claim 2 comprising comparing the determined density gradient of the molten foamed glass to a set point density gradient, calculating a difference between the determined density gradient and the set point density gradient, controlling an operating parameter of the melter and/or the downstream apparatus using the difference.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the controlling an operating parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

controlling feed rate of a feed material to the melter;

controlling energy delivered to the melter for melting the feed material and/or maintaining temperature of the molten foamed glass in the melter;

controlling discharge rate of the molten foamed glass from the melter to the downstream apparatus;

controlling a level of the molten foamed glass in the melter;

controlling feed rate of the molten foamed glass to the downstream apparatus;

controlling energy delivered to the downstream apparatus for maintaining temperature of the molten foamed glass in the downstream apparatus; and

two or more of the above.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the controlling energy delivered to the melter comprises controlling fuel and oxygen-enriched oxidant flow rates to one or more submerged combustion burners, and wherein the controlling of the temperature of the molten foamed glass in the melter downstream apparatus is devoid of electrical heating, and comprises using one or more non-submerged oxy-fuel combustion burners positioned in corresponding apertures in the sidewall structure and/or the roof of the downstream apparatus.

16. A method comprising:

generating a turbulent molten foamed glass comprising molten glass and bubbles entrained therein and/or a layer of glass foam on a top surface thereof in a submerged combustion melter, the melter comprising at least a floor and a sidewall structure defining an internal space sufficient for containing the turbulent molten foamed glass;

transferring at least a portion of the molten foamed glass into a downstream apparatus positioned downstream of the submerged combustion melter, the downstream apparatus comprising at least a floor and a sidewall structure defining an internal space sufficient for containing a non-flowing or flowing stream of the molten foamed glass; and

determining density as a function of distance from a structural feature of the turbulent molten foamed glass in the melter, the downstream apparatus or both, using one or more electromagnetic (EM) wave-based sensors.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising determining a density gradient as a function of distance from the floor of the melter or the downstream apparatus, or both, of the turbulent molten foamed glass using one or more electromagnetic (EM) wave-based sensors.

18. A method comprising:

generating a turbulent molten foamed glass comprising molten glass and bubbles entrained therein and/or a layer of glass foam on a top surface thereof in a submerged combustion melter, the melter comprising at least a floor and a sidewall structure defining an internal space sufficient for containing the turbulent molten foamed glass;

transferring at least a portion of the molten foamed glass into a downstream apparatus positioned downstream of the submerged combustion melter, the downstream apparatus comprising at least a floor and a sidewall structure defining an internal space sufficient for containing a non-flowing or flowing stream of the molten foamed glass; and

determining density in a particular location in the melter or in the downstream apparatus, or both, using a stationary EM source and a stationary EM detector.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the particular location is near an interface between glass foam and liquid molten glass in the melter or downstream apparatus, or both.