Submerged combustion glass manufacturing system and method

• US 9,481,592 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• 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: Huber, Aaron Morgan, Martin, Marlon Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz, Angela
• Assistant Examiner(s): Szewczyk, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US14/208,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20140190214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2211/40 using oxy-fuel burners
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/167 Means for preventing damage to equipment, e.g. by molten glass, hot gases, batches C03B5/20, C03B5/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/183 using thermal means, e.g. for creating convection currents
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/193 using gas, e.g. bubblers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/2353 by combustion with pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air, e.g. using oxy-fuel burners or oxygen lances
• 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 5/237 Regenerators or recuperators specially adapted for glass-melting furnaces

Abstract

Submerged combustion glass manufacturing systems include a melter having a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, and an exhaust passage through the roof. One or more submerged combustion burners are mounted in the floor and/or wall structure discharging combustion products under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in the material. The melter exhausts through an exhaust structure connecting the exhaust passage with an exhaust stack. The exhaust structure includes a barrier defining an exhaust chamber having an interior surface, the exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter. The barrier maintains temperature and pressure in the exhaust structure at values sufficient to substantially prevent condensation of exhaust material on the interior surface.

Claims

1. A submerged combustion glass manufacturing system comprising:

a melter comprising a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, and an exhaust passage through the roof;

one or more submerged combustion burners mounted in the floor and/or wall structure, the submerged combustion burners configured to discharge combustion products under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in substantially all of the material; and

an exhaust structure fluidly connecting the exhaust passage with an exhaust stack, the exhaust structure comprising a barrier preventing exhaust material from contacting the atmosphere, the barrier defining an exhaust chamber having an interior surface, the exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter, the barrier configured to maintain temperature and pressure in the exhaust structure at values sufficient to substantially prevent condensation of exhaust material on the interior surface, the barrier of the exhaust structure comprising a refractory lined metal layer, the refractory comprising the interior surface of the barrier, the metal layer having one or more air-cooled surfaces, the metal layer is one or more austenitic nickel-chromium super alloys, and the air-cooled surfaces are steel.

2. A submerged combustion glass manufacturing system comprising:

a melter comprising a floor, a roof, a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, a feed inlet in a feed end, a molten glass outlet in an exit end, and an exhaust passage through the roof positioned substantially centrally between the feed and exit ends;

one or more submerged combustion burners mounted in the floor and/or wall structure, the submerged combustion burners configured to discharge combustion products under a level of material being melted in the melter and create turbulent conditions in substantially all of the material; and

an exhaust structure fluidly connecting the exhaust passage with an exhaust stack, the exhaust structure comprising;

a barrier preventing exhaust material from contacting the atmosphere, the barrier defining an exhaust chamber having an interior surface, the exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter, the barrier configured to maintain temperature and pressure in the exhaust structure at values sufficient to substantially prevent condensation of exhaust material on the interior surface, the barrier of the exhaust structure comprising a refractory lined metal layer, the refractory comprising the interior surface of the barrier, the metal layer having one or more air-cooled surfaces, the metal layer is one or more austenitic nickel-chromium super alloys, and the air-cooled surfaces are steel;

a liquid-cooled transition structure fluidly connecting the exhaust passage and the exhaust structure; and

an air inspirator fluidly connecting the barrier and the exhaust stack.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the air inspirator is selected from the group consisting of one or more adjustable panels, and one or more adjustable hoods.