Glass melting furnace, glass product manufacturing equipment, and glass product manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a glass melting furnace capable of reducing a moisture content included in molten glass and enhancing thermal efficiency.SOLUTION: A glass melting furnace includes upstream and downstream walls and first and second side walls. The first side wall has a first burner group; the second side wall has a second burner group; an oxygen combustion burner forms 40-100% of a total combustion heat quantity per hour supplied by the first and second burner groups; the first and / or second side walls include an exhaust port; the nearest exhaust port from the downstream wall is called as a specific exhaust port; the first or second side wall has a supply port for supplying a dilution gas, when setting a distance from the upstream wall to the downstream wall to L and calling a direction of the L as an extension direction, the supply port positioned apart by 0.3 L from the specific exhaust port in the extension direction is arranged at a position of 0.3 L or less from the downstream wall in the extension direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a glass melting furnace, a manufacturing facility for glass products, and a method for manufacturing glass products.

Background Art

[0002] A glass manufacturing facility for manufacturing glass products includes a glass melting furnace. In the glass melting furnace, glass raw materials are melted to form molten glass.

[0003] Generally, a glass melting furnace has an upstream wall and a downstream wall facing each other, two side walls facing each other, an upper surface, and a bottom surface. These partition a lower melting part and an upper ceiling part.

[0004] An input port for glass raw materials is provided in the upstream wall, and an outlet for molten glass or a passage for transporting molten glass to another room is provided in the downstream wall. Further, a plurality of burners are installed on the ceiling side of the side wall to heat and melt the glass in the melting part.

[0005] Burners are roughly classified into air combustion burners and oxygen combustion burners. In an air combustion burner, air is used as the gas mixed with a fuel such as natural gas and / or heavy oil, and in an oxygen combustion burner, oxygen is used as the gas mixed with the fuel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Oxygen combustion burners have better thermal efficiency than air combustion burners and can reduce the amount of gas used, thus suppressing CO2 emissions. In addition, oxygen combustion burners produce NO x Emissions of nitrogen oxides can also be reduced.

[0008] However, if all the burners in a glass melting furnace are oxygen combustion burners, the concentration of water in the combustion exhaust gas tends to increase, which in turn increases the amount of water in the molten glass.

[0009] In particular, some glass manufacturing equipment uses platinum components that provide good protection for molten glass. When moisture in molten glass comes into contact with such platinum components, the moisture decomposes, generating hydrogen and oxygen. Of these, hydrogen can permeate the platinum components and therefore escape quickly out of the system. However, oxygen remains in the molten glass, resulting in air bubbles remaining in the manufactured glass products.

[0010] To address the quality issues of glass products caused by such air bubbles, Patent Document 1 proposes placing oxygen combustion burners and air combustion burners in predetermined positions to reduce the amount of water contained in the molten glass.

[0011] However, the glass melting furnace configuration described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the heat supplied to the glass melting furnace is inefficient, and the amount of fuel used in the burner increases significantly.

[0012] This invention has been made in view of the above background, and aims to provide a glass melting furnace that can significantly reduce the amount of water contained in molten glass and significantly increase thermal efficiency. Furthermore, this invention aims to provide a glass product manufacturing facility equipped with such a glass melting furnace. Moreover, this invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing glass products using such a glass melting furnace. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In this invention, a glass melting furnace, It has an upstream wall and a downstream wall that face each other, and a first side wall and a second side wall that face each other, A first group of burners, including an oxygen combustion burner, is arranged on the first side wall, and a second group of burners, including an oxygen combustion burner, is arranged on the second side wall. 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group and the second burner group is from the oxygen combustion burner, and 0% to 60% of the total heat of combustion is from the air combustion burner. The first side wall and / or the second side wall are provided with exhaust ports for exhausting combustion exhaust gas to the outside of the system, and the exhaust port closest to the downstream wall is referred to as a specific exhaust port. The first side wall or the second side wall has a supply port for supplying diluent gas into the glass melting furnace, Let L be the distance from the upstream wall to the downstream wall, and let L be referred to as the extension direction. A glass melting furnace is provided in which the supply port is located at a position at least 0.3L away from the specific exhaust port along the extension direction, and at a position at least 0.3L away from the downstream wall along the extension direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for glass products, Glass melting furnace and Molding equipment and A conveying device connecting the glass melting furnace and the molding apparatus, Equipped with, The glass melting furnace is a glass melting furnace having the aforementioned features, and the manufacturing equipment is provided.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing glass products, Dissolution process, The transport process, The molding process, It has, In the melting step, a glass melting furnace having the above-described characteristics is used, and a manufacturing method is provided.

Effects of the Invention

[0016] In the present invention, it is possible to provide a glass melting furnace that can significantly reduce the amount of moisture contained in molten glass and can significantly improve thermal efficiency. Further, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a manufacturing facility for glass products including such a glass melting furnace. Furthermore, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for glass products using such a glass melting furnace.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic top view of a glass melting furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the glass melting furnace shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a schematic top view of another glass melting furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the glass melting furnace shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a schematic top view of yet another glass melting furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the glass melting furnace shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a diagram schematically showing the flow of a method for manufacturing a glass product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0019] As described above, the glass melting furnace described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the efficiency of heat supplied to the glass melting furnace is poor and the amount of fuel used significantly increases.

[0020] In contrast, in one embodiment of the present invention, a glass melting furnace, It has an upstream wall and a downstream wall that face each other, and a first side wall and a second side wall that face each other, A first group of burners, including an oxygen combustion burner, is arranged on the first side wall, and a second group of burners, including an oxygen combustion burner, is arranged on the second side wall. 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group and the second burner group is from the oxygen combustion burner, and 0% to 60% of the total heat of combustion is from the air combustion burner. The first side wall and / or the second side wall are provided with exhaust ports for exhausting combustion exhaust gas to the outside of the system, and the exhaust port closest to the downstream wall is referred to as a specific exhaust port. The first side wall or the second side wall has a supply port for supplying diluent gas into the glass melting furnace, Let L be the distance from the upstream wall to the downstream wall, and let L be referred to as the extension direction. A glass melting furnace is provided in which the supply port is located at a position at least 0.3L away from the specific exhaust port along the extension direction, and at a position at least 0.3L away from the downstream wall along the extension direction.

[0021] A glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention has exhaust ports in the first side wall and / or second side wall for exhausting combustion exhaust gas to the outside of the system. The number of exhaust ports provided in the first side wall and the second side wall is not particularly limited, and there may be multiple exhaust ports.

[0022] In this application, among the exhaust ports provided in the first and second side walls, the exhaust port closest to the downstream wall is specifically referred to as the "specific exhaust port."

[0023] For example, if exhaust vents exist only on the first side wall, the exhaust vent closest to the downstream wall is referred to as the "specific exhaust vent." Similarly, if exhaust vents exist only on the second side wall, the exhaust vent closest to the downstream wall is referred to as the "specific exhaust vent." Furthermore, if one or more exhaust vents exist on both the first and second side walls, the exhaust vent closest to the downstream wall is referred to as the "specific exhaust vent."

[0024] Furthermore, in a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the upstream wall and the downstream wall is represented by L, and the direction of L is also referred to as the "extension direction."

[0025] In a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention, 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group and the second burner group is supplied by the oxygen combustion burner. In other words, only 0% to 60% of the total heat of combustion per hour is supplied by the air combustion burner.

[0026] Generally, oxygen combustion burners have the advantage of higher combustion efficiency compared to air combustion burners. Therefore, by supplying 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour with oxygen combustion burners, combustion efficiency can be significantly increased compared to conventional methods, and as a result, the thermal efficiency of the glass melting furnace can be improved.

[0027] Furthermore, a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention has a supply port in the first or second side wall for supplying dilution gas into the glass melting furnace. In this case, dilution gas can be supplied into the glass melting furnace from the supply port, and the concentration of water contained in the combustion exhaust gas can be significantly reduced by this dilution gas.

[0028] Furthermore, this supply port is positioned at a distance of 0.3 L or more from the "specific exhaust port" along the "extension direction" defined above. By positioning the supply port at a sufficient distance from the "specific exhaust port" in this way, it becomes possible to ensure sufficient travel distance for the diluent gas within the glass melting furnace.

[0029] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the supply port is positioned at a distance of 0.3 L or less from the downstream wall along the "extension direction". By positioning the supply port near the "downstream end" of the glass melting furnace in this manner, the diluent gas can be sufficiently distributed throughout the glass melting furnace.

[0030] As a result, in a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of water contained in the combustion exhaust gas can be significantly reduced, and consequently, the amount of water contained in the molten glass can be significantly reduced.

[0031] Furthermore, based on a similar philosophy, it is also conceivable to position the supply outlet along the "extension direction" at a distance of 0.3L or less from the upstream wall.

[0032] However, typically, the "upstream end" of a glass melting furnace is the side where the glass raw materials are supplied, i.e., the inlet side, and is a region with a relatively low temperature within the furnace. Therefore, if a supply port is provided on this inlet side and dilution gas is supplied from this port, the temperature on the inlet side of the glass melting furnace will drop even further. As a result, it becomes necessary to supplement the heat on the inlet side, further reducing the overall thermal efficiency.

[0033] Therefore, in a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention, the dilution gas supply port is located near the downstream wall, rather than on the upstream wall.

[0034] Due to the effects described above, the glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention can significantly increase thermal efficiency and significantly reduce the amount of water contained in the molten glass.

[0035] In this application, the distance L from the upstream wall to the downstream wall is defined as the distance from the downstreammost position of the upstream wall to the upstreammost position of the downstream wall.

[0036] Furthermore, the distance from the specific exhaust port to the supply port is defined as the distance from the downstream end of the specific exhaust port to the upstream end of the supply port, along the aforementioned "extension direction".

[0037] Furthermore, the distance from the supply port to the downstream wall is defined as the distance from the downstream end of the supply port to the upstream end of the downstream wall, along the aforementioned "extension direction".

[0038] (Glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention) The following describes in more detail a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 shows a schematic top view of a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "first melting furnace" 100) has an upstream wall 110 and a downstream wall 120 that face each other, and a first side wall 130A and a second side wall 130B that face each other.

[0041] The upstream wall 110 is provided with an inlet 112 for the glass raw material MA, and the downstream wall 120 is provided with an outlet 122 for the molten glass MG.

[0042] As mentioned above, the distance between the upstream wall 110 and the downstream wall 120 is represented by L, and the direction of distance L is the "extension direction".

[0043] The first melting furnace 100 further has an upper surface 192 and a bottom surface 194. Thus, the lower melting section BC and the upper ceiling section UC are separated by the upstream wall 110, the downstream wall 120, the first side wall 130A, the second side wall 130B, the upper surface 192 and the bottom surface 194.

[0044] Molten glass MG is contained in the melting section BC. Multiple combustion burners (details below) and a first exhaust port 150A and a second exhaust port 150B are arranged in the ceiling section UC.

[0045] A first burner group 140A, including multiple burners 1A to 7A, is arranged on the ceiling UC side of the first side wall 130A. Similarly, a second burner group 140B, including multiple burners 1B to 7B, is arranged on the ceiling UC side of the second side wall 130B.

[0046] Burners 1A to 7A of the first burner group 140A and burners 1B to 7B of the second burner group 140B each have the role of injecting the flames generated when the mixed gas is burned into the first melting furnace 100 to melt the glass raw material MA and heat the molten glass MG.

[0047] In the first burner group 140A, burner 1A is the burner located furthest upstream, and thereafter, the reference codes of the burners increase sequentially as you move downstream. Therefore, if the first burner group 140A consists of n burners (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the furthest downstream burner is represented by the code nA. The same applies to each burner in the second burner group 140B.

[0048] The first exhaust port 150A is installed on the ceiling UC side of the first side wall 130A, and the second exhaust port 150B is installed on the ceiling UC side of the second side wall 130B. Two or more of the first exhaust ports 150A and the second exhaust ports 150B may be provided. In addition, one of the first exhaust ports 150A or the second exhaust ports 150B may be omitted.

[0049] As mentioned above, of the first exhaust port 150A and the second exhaust port 150B, the one closest to the downstream wall 120 is referred to as the "specific exhaust port." In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, there is one first exhaust port 150A and one second exhaust port 150B. Furthermore, the first exhaust port 150A and the second exhaust port 150B are positioned so that they face each other when viewed from above. Therefore, in this case, both the first exhaust port 150A and the second exhaust port 150B are "specific exhaust ports."

[0050] Hereafter, in this application, the area upstream of the specified exhaust port in the first melting furnace 100 will be referred to as the "first section (PA)," and the area downstream of the specified exhaust port will be referred to as the "second section (PB)."

[0051] The burners 1A to 7A included in the first burner group 140A are divided into burners 1A to 3A located in "Section 1 PA" and burners 4A to 7A located in "Section 2 PB". Similarly, the burners 1B to 7B included in the second burner group 140B are divided into burners 1B to 3B located in "Section 1 PA" and burners 4B to 7B located in "Section 2 PB".

[0052] Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the first melting furnace 100 further has a first supply port 135A and a second supply port 135B into which dilution gas can be supplied to the first melting furnace 100. The first supply port 135A is located on the first side wall 130A, and the second supply port 135B is located on the second side wall 130B.

[0053] Furthermore, the first melting furnace 100 has a partition wall 160 in the melting section BC. The partition wall 160 is positioned to extend parallel to the upstream wall 110 and the downstream wall 120. However, the bottom of the partition wall 160 is open, and therefore the molten glass MG can flow from the upstream side (the side of the upstream wall 110) through the partition wall 160 to the downstream side (the side of the downstream wall 120) along the extending direction of the first melting furnace 100 (the X direction in Figures 1 and 2).

[0054] By providing such a partition wall 160, the molten glass MG in the melting section BC can be homogenized. However, the partition wall 160 may be omitted.

[0055] The first melting furnace 100 with this configuration is used as follows.

[0056] First, the glass raw material MA is supplied to the melting section BC from the inlet 112 of the upstream wall 110.

[0057] The glass raw material MA is heated by the flames of burners 1A to 7A and 1B to 7B, respectively, which are included in the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B, and molten glass MG is formed.

[0058] The molten glass MG is contained in the melting section BC and flows downstream along the stretching direction. A partition wall 160 is provided in the melting section BC. Therefore, the molten glass MG flows downstream, passing through the bottom of the partition wall 160. In this process, the movement of "foreign matter," such as unmelted components, which could affect the uniformity of the manufactured glass product, is prevented. Thus, the molten glass MG is homogenized by passing through the partition wall 160.

[0059] Subsequently, the molten glass MG that reaches the downstream wall 120 is discharged from the outlet 122 and transported to the next device in the glass manufacturing facility.

[0060] The combustion exhaust gases generated by the combustion of each burner 1A to 7A and 1B to 7B are discharged through the first exhaust port 150A and the second exhaust port 150B.

[0061] In the first melting furnace 100, 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B is supplied by the oxygen combustion burners. In other words, 0% to 60% of the total heat of combustion is supplied by the air combustion burners.

[0062] By selecting the total amount of heat supplied by the oxygen combustion burner in this way, the thermal efficiency within the first melting furnace 100 can be significantly increased compared to conventional methods.

[0063] Furthermore, the first melting furnace 100 has a first supply port 135A on the first side wall 130A and a second supply port 135B on the second side wall 130B. The first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B are positioned facing each other when viewed from above of the first melting furnace 100.

[0064] Furthermore, the first supply port 135A is positioned along the extension direction of the first melting furnace 100 at a location at least 0.3L away from a specific exhaust port (for example, the first exhaust port 150A) and at a distance of 0.3L or less from the downstream wall 120.

[0065] Similarly, the second supply port 135B is positioned along the extension direction of the first melting furnace 100 at a location at least 0.3L away from a specific exhaust port (e.g., the second exhaust port 150B) and at a distance of 0.3L or less from the downstream wall 120.

[0066] As described above, in this case, the dilution gas supplied from the first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B can be sufficiently distributed throughout the first melting furnace 100. Therefore, in the first melting furnace 100, the concentration of water contained in the combustion exhaust gas can be significantly reduced, and as a result, the amount of water contained in the molten glass MG can be significantly reduced.

[0067] (Explanation of each part) Next, we will describe in more detail each component of the glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] For clarity, the first melting furnace 100 will be used as an example in the following explanation. Therefore, the reference numerals shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be used to represent each part.

[0069] (First melting furnace 100) The first melting furnace 100 is applied as one of the devices included in the glass manufacturing equipment. Typically, glass manufacturing equipment includes a glass melting furnace, a molding device, and a conveying device that connects the two.

[0070] In the first melting furnace 100, the width between the first side wall 130A and the second side wall 130B is represented by W (see Figure 1). Here, the width W is defined as the distance L from the innermost position of the first side wall 130A to the innermost position of the second side wall 130B.

[0071] In the first melting furnace 100, L / W is, for example, in the range of 2 to 5.

[0072] (First burner group 140A, second burner group 140B) As described above, in the first melting furnace 100, 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B is supplied by the oxygen combustion burner.

[0073] By selecting the total amount of heat supplied by the oxygen combustion burner in this way, the thermal efficiency within the first melting furnace 100 can be significantly increased compared to conventional methods.

[0074] Furthermore, 50% to 100% of the heat of combustion per hour in the aforementioned first PA section may be supplied by an oxygen combustion burner.

[0075] In addition to this, or separately, 20% to 100% of the heat of combustion per hour in the second section PB may be supplied by an oxygen combustion burner.

[0076] In the example shown in Figure 1, in a top view of the first melting furnace 100, the burners 1A to 7A in the first burner group 140A and the burners 1B to 7B in the second burner group 140B are arranged to face each other. However, this is merely one example, and the relative positions of the burners 1A to 7A in the first burner group 140A and the burners 1B to 7B in the second burner group 140B are not particularly limited. For example, the burners 1A to 7A and the burners 1B to 7B may be offset from each other in the extending direction of the first melting furnace 100.

[0077] Furthermore, the burners 1A to 7A included in the first burner group 140A do not necessarily have to be arranged at equal intervals. For example, the burners 1A to 7A may be arranged at an uneven pitch along the extension direction of the first melting furnace 100. The same applies to the second burner group 140B.

[0078] Furthermore, the number of burners included in the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B is not particularly limited. For example, the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B may each contain fewer than 7 burners or 8 or more burners.

[0079] Furthermore, in the first burner group 140A, the number of burners included in the first section PA and the second section PB is not particularly limited. The same applies to the second burner group 140B.

[0080] (First exhaust port 150A, second exhaust port 150B) As mentioned above, of the first exhaust port 150A and the second exhaust port 150B, the exhaust port located furthest downstream is referred to as the specific exhaust port. However, in the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, there is one first exhaust port 150A and one second exhaust port 150B, and they are located facing each other. Therefore, in this case, either the first exhaust port 150A or the second exhaust port 150B may be referred to as the specific exhaust port.

[0081] The specific exhaust port may be positioned at a distance of 0.3L to 0.7L from the upstream wall 110 along the extension direction of the first melting furnace 100.

[0082] Furthermore, if there is one first exhaust port 150A and one second exhaust port 150B, the position of the second exhaust port 150B in a top view of the first melting furnace 100 may be shifted by 0 to 0.2L relative to the first exhaust port 150A along the extension direction of the first melting furnace 100.

[0083] (First supply port 135A and second supply port 135B) The first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B are used as supply ports for dilution gas.

[0084] The diluent gas supplied from the first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B is not particularly limited, as long as it does not contain water. The diluent gas may be, for example, an oxidizing gas or an inert gas.

[0085] The oxidizing gas may be air or oxygen, etc. The inert gas may be nitrogen, etc.

[0086] The total amount of dilution gas supplied is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 1 in volume ratio with respect to the amount of fuel used in the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B.

[0087] It is preferable to heat the diluent gas before supplying it. By supplying heated diluent gas, the temperature drop near the first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B can be suppressed. The temperature of the diluent gas is, for example, 400°C or higher, and preferably 450°C or higher.

[0088] Note that either the first supply port 135A or the second supply port 135B may be omitted.

[0089] In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B are positioned facing each other in a top view of the first melting furnace 100.

[0090] However, this is merely one example, and the installation location of the second supply port 135B is not particularly limited; the second supply port 135B may be located at any position on the second side wall 130B.

[0091] In other words, in one embodiment of the present invention, if both the first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B are present, it is sufficient that at least one of them is arranged to satisfy the above-described characteristics. Specifically, it is sufficient that at least one of the first supply port 135A and the second supply port 135B is arranged along the extending direction of the first melting furnace 100 such that the distance from a specific exhaust port is 0.3L or more and the distance from the downstream wall 120 is 0.3L or less.

[0092] (Another glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention) Next, with reference to Figures 3 and 4, another glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0093] Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of another glass melting furnace (hereinafter referred to as the "second melting furnace") according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows a schematic side view of the second melting furnace shown in Figure 3.

[0094] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second melting furnace 200 has a configuration similar to that of the first melting furnace 100 described above. For example, the second melting furnace 200 has an upstream wall 210, a downstream wall 220, a first side wall 230A, a second side wall 230B, a first burner group 240A, and a second burner group 240B, etc.

[0095] However, the second melting furnace 200 generally differs from the first melting furnace 100 in the arrangement of the first exhaust port 250A and the second exhaust port 250B, as well as the arrangement of the first supply port 235A and the second supply port 235B.

[0096] In other words, in the second melting furnace 200, both the first exhaust port 250A and the second exhaust port 250B are located upstream of the first burner group 240A and the second burner group 240B. Furthermore, the first exhaust port 250A and the second exhaust port 250B are positioned facing each other when viewed from above in the second melting furnace 200. Therefore, both the first exhaust port 250A and the second exhaust port 250B are "specific exhaust ports".

[0097] As a result of the above arrangement, in the second melting furnace 200, no burners are located upstream of the specific exhaust port (for example, the first exhaust port 250A), i.e., in the first section PA, and all burners are located downstream of the specific exhaust port, i.e., in the second section PB.

[0098] Here, in the second melting furnace 200 as well, 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group 240A and the second burner group 240B is supplied by the oxygen combustion burner.

[0099] Furthermore, in the second melting furnace 200, unlike the first melting furnace 100, the first supply port 235A is located between burner 6A and burner 7A, which are included in the first burner group 240A. Similarly, the second supply port 235B is located between burner 6B and burner 7B, which are included in the second burner group 240B.

[0100] However, in the second melting furnace 200 as well, the first supply port 235A is positioned at a distance of 0.3L or more from a specific exhaust port (for example, the first exhaust port 250A) and at a distance of 0.3L or less from the downstream wall 220 in the extending direction of the second melting furnace 200, where L is the distance from the upstream wall 210 to the downstream wall 220.

[0101] Similarly, the second supply port 235B is positioned at a location at least 0.3L away from the specific exhaust port in the extension direction of the second melting furnace 200, and at a distance of 0.3L or less from the downstream wall 220.

[0102] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the same effects as those of the first melting furnace 100 can be obtained in the second melting furnace 200 having such a configuration.

[0103] In other words, even in the second melting furnace 200, the thermal efficiency within the second melting furnace 200 can be significantly increased compared to the conventional method.

[0104] Furthermore, in the second melting furnace 200, the dilution gas supplied from the first supply port 235A and the second supply port 235B can be sufficiently distributed throughout the second melting furnace 200, significantly reducing the concentration of water in the combustion exhaust gas. As a result, the amount of water contained in the molten glass MG can be significantly reduced.

[0105] (Another glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention) Next, with reference to Figures 5 and 6, yet another glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0106] Figure 5 shows a schematic top view of yet another glass melting furnace (hereinafter referred to as the "third melting furnace") according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 shows a schematic side view of the third melting furnace shown in Figure 5.

[0107] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the third melting furnace 300 has a configuration similar to that of the first melting furnace 100 described above. For example, the third melting furnace 300 has an upstream wall 310, a downstream wall 320, a first side wall 330A, a second side wall 330B, a first burner group 340A, and a second burner group 340B, etc.

[0108] However, the third melting furnace 300 generally differs from the first melting furnace 100 and the second melting furnace 200 in that it has an additional chamber 380 downstream of the downstream wall 320.

[0109] A narrow passage 382 is located between the downstream wall 320 and the room 380. No burners are provided on the side walls of the room 380.

[0110] By providing such a room 380, the temperature of the molten glass MG can be made uniform.

[0111] Furthermore, in the third melting furnace 300, the first burner group 340A has a total of four burners (burner 1A to burner 4A). Similarly, the second burner group 340B has a total of four burners (burner 1B to burner 4B).

[0112] Furthermore, in the third melting furnace 300, the first exhaust port 350A is located between burner 1A and burner 2A, which are included in the first burner group 340A, and the second exhaust port 350B is located between burner 1B and burner 2B, which are included in the second burner group 340B.

[0113] Furthermore, the first exhaust port 350A and the second exhaust port 350B are positioned to face each other when viewed from above the third melting furnace 300. Therefore, both the first exhaust port 350A and the second exhaust port 350B are "specific exhaust ports".

[0114] As a result of the above arrangement, in the third melting furnace 300, only burner 1A of the first burner group 340A is located upstream of the specific exhaust port (for example, the first exhaust port 350A), i.e., in the first section PA, while the remaining burners (burners 2A to 4A) are located downstream of the specific exhaust port, i.e., in the second section PB. Similarly, in the second burner group 340B, only burner 1B is located in the first section PA, and the remaining burners (burners 2B to 4B) are located in the second section PB.

[0115] Here, in the third melting furnace 300 as well, 40% to 100% of the total amount of heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group 340A and the second burner group 340B is supplied by the oxygen combustion burner.

[0116] In Section 1 PA, 50% to 100% of the hourly combustion volume may be generated by oxygen combustion burners. Similarly, in Section 2 PB, 20% to 100% of the hourly combustion volume may be generated by oxygen combustion burners.

[0117] Furthermore, in the third melting furnace 300, the first supply port 335A is located downstream of the burner 4A included in the first burner group 340A. Similarly, the second supply port 335B is located downstream of the burner 4B included in the second burner group 340B.

[0118] However, in the third melting furnace 300 as well, the first supply port 335A is positioned at a distance of 0.3L or more from a specific exhaust port (for example, the first exhaust port 350A) and at a distance of 0.3L or less from the downstream wall 320 in the extending direction of the third melting furnace 300, where L is the distance from the upstream wall 310 to the downstream wall 320.

[0119] Similarly, the second supply port 335B is positioned at a location at least 0.3L away from the specific exhaust port in the extension direction of the third melting furnace 300, and at a distance of 0.3L or less from the downstream wall 320.

[0120] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the same effects as those obtained with the first melting furnace 100 and the second melting furnace 200 can be obtained with the third melting furnace 300 having such a configuration.

[0121] In other words, even in the third melting furnace 300, the thermal efficiency within the third melting furnace 300 can be significantly increased compared to the conventional method.

[0122] Furthermore, in the third melting furnace 300, the dilution gas supplied from the first supply port 335A and the second supply port 335B can be sufficiently distributed throughout the third melting furnace 300, significantly reducing the concentration of water in the combustion exhaust gas. As a result, the amount of water contained in the molten glass MG can be significantly reduced.

[0123] The glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, using the first melting furnace 100 to the third melting furnace 300 as examples. However, the glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other practical embodiments can be envisioned.

[0124] (Method for manufacturing glass products according to one embodiment of the present invention) Next, with reference to Figure 7, a method for manufacturing glass products according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0125] Figure 7 shows a schematic flow of a method for manufacturing a glass product according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0126] As shown in Figure 7, a method for manufacturing glass products according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "first method") is: A melting process (step S110) in which glass raw materials are melted to form molten glass, A transport process (process S120) for transporting molten glass, The molding process (process S130) for shaping molten glass, It has.

[0127] The following describes each step.

[0128] (Step S110) First, the glass raw materials are melted in a glass melting furnace to form molten glass. The composition of the glass raw materials is not particularly limited.

[0129] A glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention is used. For example, a glass melting furnace such as the first melting furnace 100 to the third melting furnace 300 described above may be used.

[0130] For example, when the first melting furnace 100 is used as the glass melting furnace, the glass raw material MA supplied from the inlet 112 of the upstream wall 110 is heated by the flames of the burners 1A to 7A and 1B to 7B, which are included in the first burner group 140A and the second burner group 140B. This forms molten glass MG. The formed molten glass is discharged from the outlet 122.

[0131] When a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention is used, 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group and the second burner group is supplied by the oxygen combustion burner. Therefore, the thermal efficiency within the glass melting furnace can be significantly increased.

[0132] Furthermore, when using a glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention, the diluent gas supplied from the diluent gas supply port can be sufficiently distributed throughout the melting furnace. Therefore, the concentration of water contained in the combustion exhaust gas can be significantly reduced, and as a result, the amount of water contained in the molten glass MG can be significantly reduced.

[0133] (Process S120) Next, the formed molten glass is transported to the molding machine via a conveying device.

[0134] (Step S130) Next, the transported molten glass is molded in a molding apparatus. This forms a glass ribbon. Furthermore, the glass ribbon is slowly cooled to produce a glass product. If necessary, the glass product may be cut to the desired dimensions.

[0135] The glass products manufactured may be made from alkali-free glass.

[0136] Alkali-free glass is expressed in mass % based on oxides. SiO2: 54-73% Al2O3: 10-23% B2O3: 0.1-12% MgO: 0-12% CaO: 0-15% SrO: 0~16% BaO: 0-15% It contains, MgO + CaO + SrO + BaO: 8-26% That's fine.

[0137] Furthermore, the glass products manufactured will have a β-OH content of 0.3 mm. -1 ~0.45mm -1 It may also be within that range.

[0138] Here, β-OH is an indicator of the amount of water in the glass; the larger this value, the more water is contained in the glass.

[0139] Furthermore, the manufactured glass products may have a total iron content of 0.005% to 0.1% when expressed as an oxide-based mass percentage, converted to Fe2O3. In particular, the mass ratio of divalent iron (Fe-redox) in the total iron converted to Fe2O3 may be in the range of 50% to 80%. [Examples]

[0140] Examples of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, Examples 1 to 3 are examples, and Examples 11 to 13 are comparative examples.

[0141] (Example 1) The glass raw material was melted using a glass melting furnace such as the first melting furnace 100 mentioned above.

[0142] The glass raw material was alkali-free glass having the following composition, expressed in mass percentage based on oxides: SiO2: 54-73%, Al2O3: 10-23% B2O3: 0.1~12%, MgO: 0~12% CaO: 0-15% SrO: 0~16%, BaO: 0-15%.

[0143] The composition of MgO + CaO + SrO + BaO is approximately 8-26%.

[0144] In a glass melting furnace, the first burner group and the second burner group each consist of a total of seven burners.

[0145] Furthermore, one first exhaust port was installed on the first side wall, and one second exhaust port was installed on the second side wall. In a top view, the first and second exhaust ports were positioned facing each other. Therefore, both the first and second exhaust ports are specific exhaust ports.

[0146] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the burners in the first section PA consisted of six burners, numbered 1A-3A and 1B-3B, and the burners in the second section PB consisted of six burners, numbered 4A-7A and 4B-7B. Furthermore, all burners in both the first and second burner groups were oxygen combustion burners.

[0147] One diluent gas supply port was located on each of the first and second side walls. The first and second supply ports were positioned opposite each other when viewed from above the glass melting furnace.

[0148] The distance between the first supply port (and the second supply port) and the specific exhaust port, along the extension direction of the glass melting furnace, was set to 0.55 L. Furthermore, the distance between the first supply port (and the second supply port) and the downstream wall, along the extension direction of the glass melting furnace, was set to 0.3 L or less.

[0149] Air gas heated to 400°C was used as the diluent.

[0150] The contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the total heat supplied is 100%. Similarly, in Section 1 PA, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied is 100%. Likewise, in Section 2 PB, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied is 100%.

[0151] (Example 2) The glass raw materials were melted using a glass melting furnace similar to that in Example 1.

[0152] However, in this Example 2, among the first group of burners, burner 1A and burners 5A to 7A were air combustion burners. Similarly, among the second group of burners, burner 1B and burners 5B to 7B were air combustion burners. The remaining burners were oxygen combustion burners.

[0153] The contribution rate of oxygen combustion burners to the total heat supply was set at 44%. Furthermore, the contribution rate of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supply in Section 1 PA was set at 71%. Similarly, the contribution rate of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supply in Section 2 PB was set at 24%.

[0154] (Example 3) The glass raw materials were melted using a glass melting furnace similar to that in Example 1.

[0155] However, in this Example 3, among the first group of burners, burner 1A and burner 7A were air combustion burners. Similarly, among the second group of burners, burner 1B and burner 7B were air combustion burners. The remaining burners were oxygen combustion burners.

[0156] The contribution rate of oxygen combustion burners to the total heat supplied was assumed to be 72%. Similarly, the contribution rate of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied in Section 1 PA was assumed to be 71%. Likewise, the contribution rate of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied in Section 2 PB was assumed to be 72%.

[0157] (Example 11) The glass raw materials were melted using a glass melting furnace similar to that in Example 1.

[0158] However, in this example 11, all of the first burner group were oxygen combustion burners. Similarly, all of the second burner group were oxygen combustion burners. Also, in this example 11, no dilution gas supply port was provided, and no dilution gas was supplied.

[0159] The contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the total heat supplied is 100%. Similarly, in Section 1 PA, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied is 100%. Likewise, in Section 2 PB, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied is 100%.

[0160] (Example 12) The glass raw materials were melted using a glass melting furnace similar to that in Example 1.

[0161] However, in this example 12, all of the first burner group were air-combustion burners. Similarly, all of the second burner group were air-combustion burners. Also, in this example 12, no dilution gas supply port was provided, and no dilution gas was supplied.

[0162] The contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the total heat supplied is 0%. Similarly, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied in Section 1 PA is 0%. Likewise, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied in Section 2 PB is 0%.

[0163] (Example 13) The glass raw materials were melted using a glass melting furnace similar to that in Example 1.

[0164] However, in this example 13, the first group of burners consisted entirely of oxygen combustion burners. Similarly, the second group of burners consisted entirely of oxygen combustion burners.

[0165] The contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the total heat supplied is 100%. Similarly, in Section 1 PA, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied is 100%. Likewise, in Section 2 PB, the contribution of oxygen combustion burners to the heat supplied is 100%.

[0166] In this example 13, the distance between the first supply port (and the second supply port) and the specific exhaust port, along the extension direction of the glass melting furnace, was set to 0.1 L. Furthermore, the distance between the first supply port (and the second supply port) and the downstream wall, along the extension direction of the glass melting furnace, was set to more than 0.3 L.

[0167] Table 1 below summarizes the configuration of the glass melting furnace used in each example.

[0168] [Table 1] (evaluation) In each case, the amount of fuel used per hour was evaluated. The volume ratio of the diluent gas to the fuel supply was also calculated. Furthermore, the amount of β-OH in the molten glass obtained in each case was evaluated.

[0169] Furthermore, β-OH was evaluated as follows.

[0170] First, the water content in the gas after combustion was calculated based on the composition of the fuel and gas burned by each burner. Next, considering that the gas after combustion flows towards the first and second exhaust ports, the distribution of water content in the atmosphere within the melting section was calculated. Then, based on the water content distribution and the average flow velocity of the molten glass, the amount of water that ultimately diffuses into the molten glass was calculated and converted into β-OH content in the glass after manufacturing.

[0171] Table 2 below summarizes the results obtained in each example.

[0172] [Table 2] In Table 2, the "Fuel Consumption" column shows the standard value relative to the fuel consumption in Example 11. That is, the "Fuel Consumption" in each example is shown as a percentage of the fuel consumption in Example 11, which is set to 100.

[0173] The results show that in Example 11, where all burners were oxygen combustion burners, fuel consumption was kept low. However, in Example 11, no diluent gas was supplied, and the β-OH level in the glass was the highest.

[0174] Furthermore, in Example 12, where no diluent gas was supplied and all burners were air-combustion burners, it can be seen that although the amount of β-OH in the glass was kept low, the amount of fuel used was extremely large.

[0175] In Example 13, although dilution gas was supplied, the β-OH level remained high. This is presumably because, in Example 13, the distance between the dilution gas supply port and the downstream wall was long, and the dilution gas supply port was relatively close to a specific exhaust port, preventing the dilution gas from spreading sufficiently throughout the glass melting furnace.

[0176] On the other hand, in Examples 1 to 3, where the distance between the first supply port and the specific exhaust port along the extension direction of the glass melting furnace was set to 0.55 L, and the distance between the first supply port and the downstream wall was set to 0.3 L or less, the first and second supply ports were provided, and β-OH was significantly suppressed. Furthermore, fuel consumption was also significantly suppressed in Examples 1 to 3.

[0177] Thus, it was confirmed that by setting the contribution rate of the oxygen combustion burner to the total heat of combustion to 40% to 100%, and by installing the dilution gas supply port in an appropriate position, the amount of water contained in the molten glass can be significantly reduced, and the thermal efficiency can be significantly increased. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0178] 1A~7A Burner 1B~7B Burner 100 Glass melting furnace (first melting furnace) 110 Upstream wall 112 Inlet 120 Downstream Wall 122 Outlet 130A First side wall 130B Second side wall 135A First supply port 135B Second supply port 140A First burner group 140B Second Burner Group 150A First exhaust port 150B Second exhaust port 160 partition wall 192 Top surface 194 Base 200 Glass melting furnace (second melting furnace) 210 Upstream wall 212 Inlet 220 Downstream wall 222 Outlet 230A First side wall 230B Second side wall 235A First supply port 235B Second supply port 240A First burner group 240B Second Burner Group 250A First exhaust port 250B Second exhaust port 260 Partition Wall 292 Top surface 294 Bottom 300 Glass melting furnace (third melting furnace) 310 Upstream wall 312 Inlet 320 Downstream Wall 322 Outlet 330A First side wall 330B Second side wall 335A First supply port 335B Second supply port 340A First burner group 340B Second Burner Group 350A First exhaust port 350B Second exhaust port 380 rooms 382 Narrow tract 392 Top surface 394 Bottom BC melting section MA glass raw materials MG molten glass PA Section 1 PB Section 2 UC ceiling

Claims

1. A glass melting furnace, It has an upstream wall and a downstream wall that face each other, and a first side wall and a second side wall that face each other, A first group of burners, including an oxygen combustion burner, is arranged on the first side wall, and a second group of burners, including an oxygen combustion burner, is arranged on the second side wall. 40% to 100% of the total heat of combustion per hour supplied by the first burner group and the second burner group is from the oxygen combustion burner, and 0% to 60% of the total heat of combustion is from the air combustion burner. The first side wall and / or the second side wall are provided with exhaust ports for exhausting combustion exhaust gas to the outside of the system, and the exhaust port closest to the downstream wall is referred to as a specific exhaust port. The first side wall or the second side wall has a supply port for supplying dilution gas into the glass melting furnace, Let L be the distance from the upstream wall to the downstream wall, and let L be referred to as the extension direction. The supply port is located at a position at least 0.3L away from the specific exhaust port along the extension direction, and at a position at least 0.3L away from the downstream wall along the extension direction. The glass melting furnace is provided with the aforementioned specific exhaust port located at a position of 0.3L to 0.7L from the upstream wall along the extension direction.

2. The glass melting furnace according to claim 1, wherein the dilution gas includes an oxidizing gas or an inert gas.

3. The glass melting furnace according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature of the diluent gas is 400°C or higher.

4. The glass melting furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the volume ratio of the amount of dilution gas supplied from the supply port to the amount of fuel used in the first burner group and the second burner group is in the range of 0.1 to 1.

5. The glass melting furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein 20% to 100% of the heat of combustion per hour downstream of the specified exhaust port is due to the oxygen combustion burner.

6. A first exhaust port is provided in the first side wall described above. A glass melting furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a second exhaust port is provided in the second side wall.

7. There is one of each of the first and second exhaust ports. The glass melting furnace according to claim 6, wherein the second exhaust port is positioned at a distance of 0 to 0.2 L from the first exhaust port in the extension direction.

8. The first side wall has a first supply port, The second side wall has a second supply port, The glass melting furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first and second supply ports are located at equal positions from the downstream wall.

9. A glass melting furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the distance between the first side wall and the second side wall is the width W, and L / W = 2 to 5.

10. Between the upstream wall and the downstream wall, there is a partition wall for guiding molten glass. The glass melting furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the molten glass flows through the bottom of the glass melting furnace as it passes through the partition wall.

11. Glassware manufacturing equipment, Glass melting furnace and Molding equipment and A conveying device connecting the glass melting furnace and the molding apparatus, Equipped with, The glass melting furnace is the glass melting furnace described in any one of claims 1 to 10, in the manufacturing equipment.

12. A method for manufacturing glass products, Dissolution process, The transport process, The molding process, It has, A manufacturing method wherein the glass melting furnace described in any one of claims 1 to 10 is used in the melting step.

13. The aforementioned glass product is made of alkali-free glass. This alkali-free glass is expressed in mass % based on oxides, Yes ２ :54~73% Al ２ O ３ 10-235 B ２ O ３ :0.1~12% MgO: 0-12% CaO: 0-15% SrO: 0-16% BaO: 0-15% It contains, MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO: 8-26% The manufacturing method according to claim 12.

14. The aforementioned glass product has a β-OH content of 0.3 mm －１ ~0.45mm －１ The manufacturing method according to claim 12 or 13, which is within the range of claim 12 or 13.

15. The glass product has a total iron content, expressed in mass% based on oxides, in the range of 0.005% to 0.1% in terms of Fe ２ O ３ converted thereto, and Fe ２ O ３ Fe in total iron converted to ２ O ３ The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the mass ratio of divalent iron (Fe-redox) converted to is in the range of 50% to 80%.

Images