Methods and systems for destabilizing foam in equipment downstream of a submerged combustion melter

• US 9,492,831 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• 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: Charbonneau, Mark William, Huber, Aaron Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): HERRING, LISA L
• Application Number:
  US13/644,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20140090422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3405 to produce swirl
• 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 2211/70 Skull melting, i.e. melting or refining in cooled wall crucibles or within solidified glass crust, e.g. in continuous walled vessels
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/04 in tank furnaces C03B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/202 Devices for blowing onto the melt surface, e.g. high momentum burners
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/225 Refining C03B5/18 takes precedence ; Refining agents C03C1/004
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/235 Heating the glass C03B5/02, C03B5/18, C03B5/225 take precedence
• 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 5/44 Cooling arrangements for furnace walls
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2205/10 with pulsating fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2205/20 with pulsating oxidant supply
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 5/08 Disposition of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/22 with separate air and gas feed ducts, e.g. with ducts running parallel or crossing each other
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 14/32 using a mixture of gaseous fuel and pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air F23D14/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/50 Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/57 Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates

Abstract

Methods and systems for de-stabilizing foam produced in submerged combustion melters. A molten mass of glass and bubbles is flowed into an apparatus downstream of a submerged combustion melter. The downstream apparatus includes a floor, a roof and a wall connecting the floor and roof, but is devoid of submerged combustion burners and other components that would increase turbulence of the molten mass. The molten mass has foam on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass. One method includes directly impinging an impinging composition onto at least a portion of the foam in the downstream apparatus. Systems for carrying out the methods are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

producing a turbulent molten mass of glass and stable bubbles in a submerged combustion melter;

flowing the molten mass of glass and stable bubbles into a flow channel positioned downstream of the submerged combustion melter, the flow channel selected from the group consisting of a conditioning channel, a distribution channel, and a forehearth, the flow channel devoid of submerged combustion burners and other components that would increase turbulence of the molten mass, the molten mass having a submerged combustion melter generated foam comprising the stable bubbles on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass; and

de-stabilizing the submerged combustion melter foam by directly impinging an impinging composition onto at least a portion of the submerged combustion melter generated foam in the flow channel, the impinging composition produced by a process selected from the group consisting of;

i) combusting a fuel and an oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel to produce low momentum combustion products,

ii) discharging one or more non-combustible fluids or slurries from one or more nozzles positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel,

iii) routing one or more fluids or slurries from one or more apertures in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel, and

iv) combinations of any two or more of (i)-(iii).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises combusting at least a portion of the fuel and oxidant in one or more burner blocks in the wall, the roof, or both the wall and the roof of the flow channel.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises pulsing flow of the oxidant, the fuel, or both to one or more of the low momentum non-submerged combustion burners.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises routing at least a portion of the combustion product gases from one or more position adjustable burners in the wall, the roof, or both the wall and the roof of the flow channel.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises pulsing flow of the oxidant, the fuel, or both to one or more of the low momentum non-submerged combustion burners.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises pulsing flow of an oxidant, a fuel, or both to one or more of the low momentum non-submerged combustion burners.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises the burners having 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).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the combusting of the fuel and oxidant in one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners positioned in the roof, the wall, or both of the flow channel comprises routing the fuel and an oxidant-enriched oxidant to one or more of the low momentum non-submerged combustion burners, and routing products of combustion of the fuel and the oxidant-enriched oxidant from the one or more low momentum non-submerged combustion burners.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the flowing of the molten mass of glass and bubbles into the flow channel comprises the flow channel positioned immediately downstream of the submerged combustion melter.