Monolithic Interlocking Refractory Blocks for Glass Furnace Regenerators
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current process for building glass regenerator structures is labor-intensive and prone to degradation due to numerous mortar joints, which are susceptible to chemical attack and mineralogical changes from corrosive gases, leading to structural weakening and potential furnace failure.
Innovation Solution
The use of monolithic interlocking refractory wall blocks made from dissimilar precast refractory materials with varying melting temperatures and thermal conductivities, featuring interlocking tongue and groove designs and tie back bars to accommodate thermal expansion, reduces the number of mortar joints and enhances structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional refractory bricks with mortar joints are used to construct regenerator walls, then the construction process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but the structure is susceptible to degradation at mortar joints due to chemical attack and mineralogical changes from corrosive gases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate refractory bricks and mortar joints are merged into a single monolithic refractory block. The block integrates both structural support and thermal insulation functions that were previously separate, eliminating mortar joints and the associated reliability issues while reducing construction time through installation of pre-fabricated units
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic refractory block is constructed from composite refractory materials with different thermal properties in different regions. The block contains an insulating region with lower thermal conductivity and a load-bearing region with higher strength, creating a composite structure that provides both thermal insulation and structural support within a single unit
2Reliability
If monolithic interlocking refractory blocks are used to construct regenerator walls, then construction time is reduced and structural integrity is improved, but the blocks must accommodate thermal expansion and contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking refractory blocks incorporate movable elements such as tie back bars that can slide or adjust position to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction. The blocks are designed with dynamic characteristics that allow them to adapt to temperature changes while maintaining structural integrity, rather than being completely rigid
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic block is segmented into functional regions with different properties - an insulating region and a load-bearing region - that can respond differently to thermal stresses. This internal segmentation allows the block to manage thermal expansion and mechanical loads through differentiated material zones
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 allows for faster construction and prolonged regenerator structure life by minimizing down time and reducing corrosion, as the monolithic blocks with differential thermal properties and interlocking mechanisms provide enhanced structural support and thermal insulation.
Implementation Method 1
the precast refractory materials establishing the adjacent integral regions of at least some of the refractory blocks have a melting temperature difference of at least about 50oc. The precast refractory materials establishing the integral regions of the refractory blocks have a thermal conductivity difference of at least about 10%
Implementation Method 2
fresh combustion air is drawn up through the pack of heated checker bricks in the regenerator structure and preheated by means of heat transfer
Implementation Method 3
As the waste gasses pass through the second regenerator the checkers in the pack are heated by means of heat transferred from the waste gas
Data Source
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AI summary
Glass furnace regenerators having opposed pairs of side and end walls formed of refractory blocks, wherein at last one of the side and end walls of the regenerator comprise an interlocking plurality of refractory blocks, and wherein the refractory blocks are self-supporting and load-bearing one-piece pre-cast structures of a refractory material. Tie back bars may be provided to operatively connect a wall formed of the refractory blocks to externally provided buckstays to allow relative movement between the refractor blocks forming the wall and the buckstays (e.g., as may be required due to the blocks undergoing thermal expansion during use).