Glass Feeder Channel Heating With Slim Flames for Uniform Melt Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass production methods using burners or fuel-oxygen burners in feeder channels face challenges such as high costs, thermal inefficiencies, and potential for local overheating, especially in narrow channels, leading to non-uniform temperature distribution and increased NOx emissions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using fuel and oxidant lances arranged alternately in the feeder channel to create laminar fuel jets that form stable, slim flames, preventing premature mixing and ensuring uniform heating with low NOx emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If fuel-air burners are used to heat the glass melt, then the glass melt can be heated, but the temperature distribution becomes non-uniform and local overheating occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The burner system is segmented into multiple independent fuel lances and oxidant lances arranged alternately along the feeder channel. Each lance operates independently to create distributed heating zones, replacing the conventional single burner unit. This segmentation allows precise control of heat distribution along the channel length, preventing local overheating while maintaining overall temperature uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system implements local quality by providing different heating intensities at different locations along the feeder channel. The alternating arrangement of fuel and oxidant lances creates localized combustion zones that can be independently controlled, allowing each section of the glass melt to receive appropriate heat treatment based on its specific requirements, thereby achieving uniform temperature distribution throughout.
2Temperature
If the number of burners is increased to achieve uniform temperature distribution, then temperature uniformity improves, but the cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel supply system and oxidant supply system are merged into a single integrated lance arrangement where fuel lances and oxidant lances alternate along the channel. This combined approach replaces the conventional separate burner units, reducing overall system complexity while achieving the same heating function through multiple smaller injection points that work in coordination.
3Use of energy by moving object
If fuel-oxygen burners are used instead of fuel-air burners, then heating efficiency improves, but local overheating and NOx emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion process is segmented into multiple small-scale combustion zones created by alternating fuel and oxidant lances, replacing the single large combustion zone of conventional burners. This segmentation distributes the heat release along the channel, preventing localized excessive temperatures that lead to NOx formation, while maintaining overall heating efficiency through the cumulative effect of multiple combustion zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the combustion parameters by using separate fuel and oxidant injection rather than pre-mixed combustion. This allows control of the fuel-to-oxidant ratio at each lance, enabling operation at lower equivalence ratios that reduce peak flame temperatures and consequently reduce NOx emissions while maintaining heating efficiency through optimized oxidant distribution.
4Temperature
If burners are arranged close together to prevent local overheating, then temperature uniformity improves, but the thermal load on channel walls increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into distributed fuel and oxidant injection points along the channel rather than concentrated burner units. This segmentation creates multiple small heat sources spaced alternately, which distributes the thermal load along the channel walls and ceiling, preventing localized thermal stress while maintaining uniform temperature distribution through the cumulative heating effect.
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 achieves efficient, uniform heating of the glass melt with reduced thermal load on the channel walls and ceiling, minimizing heat losses and costs, while maintaining high process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
fuel and oxidant, respectively, are supplied through said lances and reacted with one another in the feeder channel
Implementation Method 2
the surface of the glass melt is heated by thermal radiation from the flame
Implementation Method 3
create laminar fuel jets that form stable, slim flames, preventing premature mixing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for heating flowable molten glass in a feed channel which is enclosed by lateral walls and a cover and into which a plurality of fuel lances and oxidizing agent lances that are mutually spaced in the flow direction of the molten glass open above the molten glass, fuel or an oxidizing agent being supplied through said lances and being brought into reaction with each other in the feed channel. The invention is characterized in that in order to combust the fuel with the oxidizing agent, a flame is produced in front of the opening of each fuel lance, said flame being designed such that adjacent or opposite flames do not contact one another.