Refiner Well Structure to Restrict Molten Glass Backflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
The recirculation of molten glass within the refiner well in glass manufacturing systems leads to mixing with incoming glass flows, creating nucleation points and commercial variations such as gas inclusions in glass containers.
Innovation Solution
The refiner is structured with a backflow restrictor wall projecting upward from the floor, elevating the well outlet above the floor, or a specific geometry with a constant rectangular cross-section, to impede backflowing glass and maintain a laminar flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If molten glass flows through the throat into the refiner well, then the glass is delivered into the refining chamber, but backflowing glass creates recirculating flow patterns that mix with incoming glass and create nucleation points
Solution Approach 1:
The refiner well is segmented into an upper receiving portion and a lower discharge portion by a baffle wall. This segmentation prevents backflowing glass from mixing with incoming glass by physically separating the two flow paths, thereby eliminating nucleation points while maintaining productive glass delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
A baffle wall is introduced as an intermediary structure between the incoming glass flow and the backflowing glass. This intermediary element blocks the harmful mixing interaction while allowing the beneficial flow delivery to continue, resolving the contradiction between productivity and quality.
2Device complexity
If the refiner well outlet is at the floor level, then the structure is simpler, but backflowing glass can circulate along the downstream wall creating mixing with incoming glass
Solution Approach 1:
The refiner well structure is segmented by introducing a baffle wall that divides the well into distinct regions. This segmentation prevents backflowing glass from circulating along the downstream wall and mixing with incoming glass, ensuring uniform glass flow while adding only moderate structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The baffle wall extends vertically into the refiner well, adding a vertical dimension to the flow control. This vertical structure prevents horizontal backflow and circulation patterns, thereby maintaining glass flow uniformity without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If backflowing glass is allowed to recirculate in the refiner well, then the flow pattern is established, but it creates commercial variations in glass containers
Solution Approach 1:
The refiner well is segmented by a baffle wall into an upper receiving portion and a lower discharge portion. This segmentation breaks the recirculating flow pattern by preventing backflowing glass from reaching the incoming glass flow zone, thereby eliminating commercial variations and gas inclusions while maintaining stable, controlled flow patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful recirculating flow pattern is extracted and eliminated by the baffle wall, which separates the backflowing glass from the incoming glass. This extraction removes the source of commercial variations and gas inclusions while preserving the beneficial stable flow pattern for glass delivery.
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 configuration reduces the occurrence of commercial variations in glass containers by preserving the flow of incoming molten glass into the refining chamber, minimizing mixing and nucleation points.
Implementation Method 1
maintain a laminar flow
Implementation Method 2
backflow restrictor wall that projects upwardly from the refiner floor
Implementation Method 3
preserving the flow of incoming molten glass into the refining chamber, minimizing mixing
Data Source
AI summary
A refiner for a glass melting system includes a housing that defines a refining chamber and a refining well. The refining chamber contains a refining glass bath, which is fed by a flow of incoming glass that flows through the refiner well. To impede molten glass within the refining glass bath from backflowing into the refiner well, the housing of the refiner includes a backflow restrictor wall that projects upwardly from a floor of the refiner and elevates a refiner well outlet above the refiner floor, and/or the refiner well outlet is defined at least partially by the refiner floor and the refiner well is provided with a rectangular cross-sectional shape that is constant from the refiner well outlet down through the refiner well at least part way to a refiner well floor.