Systems and methods for making foamed glass using submerged combustion

• US 9,676,652 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• 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:
  US14/607,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20150166389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 method comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

depositing the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet directly onto a conveyor, and

transporting the initial foamy molten glass to a processing apparatus using the conveyor, forming a continuous ribbon of molten foamed glass having varying thickness and varying width as the ribbon passes over the conveyor.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising controllably cooling and/or annealing the initial foamy molten glass during at least a portion of the transporting step.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the conveyor transporting the glass through a lehr at a controlled speed, the lehr divided into different areas each with its own heat source, and regulating a temperature gradient to which the glass is submitted in the lehr.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising the conveyor allowing the continuous ribbon thickness to generally decrease as the ribbon passes over the conveyor.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the conveyor allowing the continuous ribbon width to generally increase as the ribbon passes over the conveyor.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising discharging the initial foamy molten glass into a stage intermediate the melter outlet and the conveyor, the intermediate stage i) receiving the initial foamy molten glass directly from the melter outlet;

and ii) transforming the initial foamy molten glass into an initial product composition that comprises less uniformly distributed bubbles than the initial foamy molten glass.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the discharging the initial foamy molten glass into the intermediate stage comprises discharging the initial foamy molten glass into a refractory or refractory-lined channel, the channel receiving the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet and allowing the initial foamy molten glass to traverse through channel to the conveyor.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising injecting a gas, through one or more gas injectors extending through a structural element of the channel, into the initial foamy molten glass in the channel, forming a foamy glass in the channel comprising generally decreasing density as measured from the melter outlet to the conveyor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the injecting a gas comprises delivering the gas through a bottom of the channel.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the discharging of the initial foam molten glass into the channel comprises forming a zonal flow comprising a generally less dense upper flow of molten glass having generally decreasing density measured in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, and a generally denser lower flow of molten glass having generally increasing density measured in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, the densities compared to the density of the initial foamy glass.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising flowing the generally less dense upper flow of molten glass over a weir, the weir positioned just upstream of the conveyor, and flowing the generally denser lower flow of molten glass out of the channel through an outlet.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising the processing apparatus producing a foamed glass product having reduced odor compared to a foamed glass product made using a non-submerged combustion batch melting process.

13. A method of manufacturing foamed glass comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

depositing the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet directly onto or into a transport apparatus, and

transporting the initial foamy molten glass to a processing apparatus using the transport apparatus, forming a continuous ribbon of molten foamed glass on or in the transport apparatus having varying thickness and varying width, allowing the thickness of the continuous ribbon to generally decrease as it flows in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, and allowing the width of the continuous ribbon to generally increase as it flows in a direction generally away from the melter outlet.

14. A foamed glass manufacturing method comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

discharging the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet into a refractory or refractory-lined channel and allowing the initial foamy molten glass to traverse through the channel,

injecting a gas, through one or more gas injectors extending through a structural element of the channel, into the initial foamy molten glass in the channel, forming a foamy glass in the channel comprising generally decreasing density as measured from the melter outlet, and

transporting the foamy glass as a continuous ribbon of molten foamed glass having varying thickness and varying width to a processing apparatus using a transport apparatus.

15. A foamed glass manufacturing method comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

discharging the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet into a refractory or refractory-lined channel and allowing the initial foamy molten glass to traverse through the channel, the channel having a width and a depth forming a zonal flow comprising a generally less dense upper flow of molten glass having generally decreasing density measured from the melter outlet to a downstream transport apparatus, and a generally denser lower flow of molten glass having generally increasing density measured from the melter outlet to one or more downstream dense glass processing apparatus, the densities compared to the density of the initial foamy glass,

depositing the upper flow of molten glass onto or into the downstream transport apparatus, and

allowing the generally denser lower flow of molten glass to flow out of the channel to the downstream dense glass processing apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising transporting the less dense foamy glass to a foamed glass product fabricating facility.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising using the foamed glass product fabricating facility to produce a foamed glass product having reduced odor compared to a foamed glass product made using a non-submerged combustion batch melting process.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the downstream dense glass processing apparatus is selected from the group consisting of continuous fiber production apparatus, discontinuous fiber production apparatus, and dense glass shaping apparatus.

19. A method comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

depositing the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet directly onto a conveyor,

transporting the initial foamy molten glass to a processing apparatus using the conveyor, forming a continuous ribbon of molten foamed glass having varying thickness and varying width as the ribbon passes over the conveyor, and

controlling speed of the conveyor to control void fraction of the initial foamy glass.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising controllably cooling and/or annealing the initial foamy molten glass during at least a portion of the transporting step.

21. The method of claim 19 comprising the conveyor transporting the glass through a lehr at a controlled speed, the lehr divided into different areas each with its own heat source, and regulating a temperature gradient to which the glass is submitted in the lehr.

22. The method of claim 19 comprising the conveyor allowing the continuous ribbon thickness to generally decrease as the ribbon passes over the conveyor.

23. The method of claim 19 comprising the conveyor allowing the continuous ribbon width to generally increase as the ribbon passes over the conveyor.

24. The method of claim 19 comprising discharging the initial foamy molten glass into a stage intermediate the melter outlet and the conveyor, the intermediate stage i) receiving the initial foamy molten glass directly from the melter outlet;

and ii) transforming the initial foamy molten glass into an initial product composition that comprises less uniformly distributed bubbles than the initial foamy molten glass.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the discharging the initial foamy molten glass into the intermediate stage comprises discharging the initial foamy molten glass into a refractory or refractory-lined channel, the channel receiving the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet and allowing the initial foamy molten glass to traverse through channel to the conveyor.

26. The method of claim 25 comprising injecting a gas, through one or more gas injectors extending through a structural element of the channel, into the initial foamy molten glass in the channel, forming a foamy glass in the channel comprising generally decreasing density as measured from the melter outlet to the conveyor.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the injecting a gas comprises delivering the gas through a bottom of the channel.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the discharging of the initial foam molten glass into the channel comprises forming a zonal flow comprising a generally less dense upper flow of molten glass having generally decreasing density measured in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, and a generally denser lower flow of molten glass having generally increasing density measured in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, the densities compared to the density of the initial foamy glass.

29. The method of claim 28 comprising flowing the generally less dense upper flow of molten glass over a weir, the weir positioned just upstream of the conveyor, and flowing the generally denser lower flow of molten glass out of the channel through an outlet.

30. The method of claim 19 comprising the processing apparatus producing a foamed glass product having reduced odor compared to a foamed glass product made using a non-submerged combustion batch melting process.

31. A method of manufacturing foamed glass comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

depositing the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet directly onto or into a transport apparatus,

transporting the initial foamy molten glass to a processing apparatus using the transport apparatus, forming a continuous ribbon of molten foamed glass on or in the transport apparatus having varying thickness and varying width, allowing the thickness of the continuous ribbon to generally decrease as it flows in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, and allowing the width of the continuous ribbon to generally increase as it flows in a direction generally away from the melter outlet, and

controlling speed of the transport apparatus to control void fraction of the initial foamy glass.

32. A foamed glass manufacturing method comprising:

melting glass-forming materials in a submerged combustion melter comprising an outlet, the melter producing an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases,

discharging the initial foamy molten glass from the melter outlet into a refractory or refractory-lined channel and allowing the initial foamy molten glass to traverse through the channel, the channel having a width and a depth forming a zonal flow comprising a generally less dense upper flow of molten glass having generally decreasing density measured from the melter outlet to a downstream transport apparatus, and a generally denser lower flow of molten glass having generally increasing density measured from the melter outlet to one or more downstream dense glass processing apparatus, the densities compared to the density of the initial foamy glass,

depositing the upper flow of molten glass onto or into the downstream transport apparatus,

allowing the generally denser lower flow of molten glass to flow out of the channel to the downstream dense glass processing apparatus, and

controlling speed of the downstream transport apparatus to control void fraction of the initial foamy glass.

33. The method of claim 32 comprising transporting the less dense foamy glass to a foamed glass product fabricating facility.

34. The method of claim 33 comprising the foamed glass product fabricating facility producing a foamed glass product having reduced odor compared to a foamed glass product made using a non-submerged combustion batch melting process.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the downstream dense glass processing apparatus is selected from the group consisting of continuous fiber production apparatus, discontinuous fiber production apparatus, and dense glass shaping apparatus.