Alkali Oxide Adjustment for Foam Control in Submerged Combustion Melter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Submerged combustion melters produce glass with high void fractions and small bubbles, which are challenging to control, leading to inefficient glass production and foam stability issues in downstream equipment.
Innovation Solution
Adjusting the alkali oxide content in the feedstock or separately introduced into the melter allows for control of foam stability and bubble size by influencing surface tension and viscosity, enabling faster or slower foam decay rates as needed for glass or foam product production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high flow rates of combustion products are introduced into molten glass in an SCM, then rapid melting and high productivity are achieved, but foam generation and bubble entrapment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces helium gas into the molten glass to change the physical parameters of the melt. Helium bubbles act as nucleation sites that promote bubble coalescence and reduce foam stability, thereby reducing harmful foam generation while maintaining high productivity melting rates in the SCM
Solution Approach 2:
Helium serves as an intermediary substance introduced into the molten glass system. The helium bubbles interact with the combustion products and existing bubbles to modify foam behavior, acting as a mediator that reduces foam generation without interfering with the primary melting function
2Object-generated harmful factors
If traditional foam reduction methods (vacuum, centrifugal force, sonic methods) are applied to SCM molten glass, then some foam reduction is achieved, but complete foam control is not accomplished
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex mechanical or physical separation methods, the patent changes the chemical composition parameter by introducing helium gas. This simple parameter change fundamentally alters bubble behavior and foam stability, achieving effective foam control without the complexity of vacuum systems, centrifugal devices, or sonic equipment
3Stability of the object's composition
If alkali oxide content is increased in the feedstock, then foam stability is enhanced for foam product production, but void fraction increases for clear glass production
Solution Approach 1:
Helium gas is introduced as an intermediary that decouples the relationship between alkali oxide content and foam stability. The helium bubbles interact with the molten glass to stabilize foam structures independently of alkali oxide concentration, allowing clear glass production (low void fraction) while maintaining foam stability when needed for foam product manufacturing
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively manages foam stability and bubble size, optimizing glass production by reducing voids for clear glass or maintaining bubbles for foam products, enhancing product strength, insulating properties, and density control.
Implementation Method 1
Adjusting the alkali oxide content in the feedstock or separately introduced into the melter allows for control of foam stability and bubble size by influencing surface tension and viscosity
Implementation Method 2
Adjusting the alkali oxide content in the feedstock or separately introduced into the melter allows for control of foam stability and bubble size by influencing surface tension and viscosity
Implementation Method 3
it is preferred that the bubbles be allowed to coalesce and rise to the surface giving good, clean, well-defined molten glass
Data Source
AI summary
Controlling foam in apparatus downstream of a melter by adjustment of alkali oxide content in the melter. One method includes feeding a feedstock into a submerged combustion melter (SCM) apparatus having an internal space containing a flowing or non-flowing molten mass of foamed glass comprising molten glass and bubbles entrained therein, the molten mass having glass foam comprising glass foam bubbles on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass. The molten mass from the SCM is routed to a downstream apparatus, stability of the glass foam in the downstream apparatus is observed, and alkali oxide percentage fed to the SCM apparatus is adjusted based on the observation to positively or negatively affect the foam stability. Systems for carrying out the methods, and the products of the methods are also considered novel and inventive.