Methods of melting feedstock using a submerged combustion melter

• US 9,982,884 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huber, Aaron Morgan, Faulkinbury, Albert Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Herring, Lisa L
• Application Number:
  US14/854,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• 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: F23C 3/004 the chamber being arranged for submerged combustion F23C3/002 takes precedence
• 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: F27B 1/08 heated otherwise than by solid fuel mixed with charge
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 3/205 Burners
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 3/225 Oxygen blowing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/50 Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping

Abstract

Methods of maximizing mixing and melting in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) are described. One method includes melting an inorganic feedstock in an SCM using an arrangement of two or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a north side (N) and a south side (S), and operating the arrangement of SC burners such that a progressively higher percentage of a total combustion flow from the SC burners occurs from SC burners at progressively downstream positions in the SCM. Other methods include operating the N and S SC burners with more combustion flow than the central burners. Other methods include strategic placement of fuel lean SC burners and fuel rich SC burners.

Claims

1. A method of maximizing mixing and melting in a submerged combustion melter (SCM), the method comprising:

(a) melting an inorganic feedstock in the SCM, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a north side (N) and a south side (S), using a matrix of at least two rows and at least two columns of submerged combustion (SC) burners wherein a row spans a majority of the width (W) and a column spans a majority of the length (L) of the SCM;

(b) operating the matrix of SC burners such that a progressively higher percentage of a total combustion flow rate from the SC burners occurs from SC burners at progressively downstream positions; and

(c) the SC burners on the N and S sides in a first row R1 operate at a rate r₃, and the SC burners in the center (C) of the first row R1 operate at a rate r₄, where r₃>

r₄, and the SC burners on N and S sides in a second row R2 operate at a rate r₅ and the SC burners in the center (C) of the second row R2 operate at a rate r₆, where r₅>

r₆≥

r₄ and r₅>

r₃, wherein r₃, r₄, r₅, and r₆ are combustion flow rates.

2. A method of maximizing mixing and melting in a submerged combustion melter (SCM), the method comprising:

(a) melting an inorganic feedstock in the SCM, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a north side (N) and a south side (S), using a matrix of at least two rows and at least two columns of submerged combustion (SC) burners wherein a row spans a majority of the width (W) and a column spans a majority of the length (L) of the SCM;

(b) operating all SC burners for a first time period with equal percentage of the total combustion flow rate, adding a first amount at a first concentration of a tracer compound or element to the inorganic feedstock at a beginning of the first time period, measuring concentration of the tracer compound or element in melt exiting the SCM during the first time period;

(c) after the first time period, operating all SC burners for a second time period equal to the first time period, adding a second amount equal to the first amount at the first concentration of the tracer compound or element to the inorganic feedstock at a beginning of the second time period, then measuring concentration of the tracer compound or element in melt exiting the SCM during the second time period to verify a decrease in the tracer compound or element concentration in the melt exiting the SCM at the end of the second time period indicating an increase in residence time of melt in the SCM during the second time period compared to the tracer compound or element concentration at the end of the first time period and residence time of the melt exiting the SCM at the end of the first time period when all SC burners were operating with equal percentage of the total combustion flow rate, operating the SC burners on the N and S sides in a first row R1 at a rate r₃ during the second time period, operating the SC burners in the center (C) of the first row R1 at a rate r₄ during the second time period, where r₃>

r₄, operating the SC burners on N and S sides in a second row R2 at a rate r₅ during the second time period, and operating the SC burners in the center (C) of the second row R2 at a rate r₆ during the second time period, where r₅>

r₆≥

r₄, and r₅>

r₃, wherein r₃, r₄, r₅, and r₆ are combustion flow rates.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the tracer compound or element is selected from the group consisting of ZnO (zinc oxide), SrCO₃ (strontium carbonate), BaCO₃ (barium carbonate), and Li₂CO₃ (lithium carbonate), and mixtures and combinations thereof.