Rotary Batch Preheater for Wet Glass Batch Without Caking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing batch preheating technologies in the glass industry face issues such as dust entrainment, agglomerate formation, large equipment size, high costs, and limited applicability due to the formation of cakes on heat transfer surfaces, especially when handling wet glass batch materials.
Innovation Solution
A rotary, indirect tubular heat exchanger design that uses rotating drums with tubes through which hot furnace exhaust gases pass, evaporating water from wet glass batch to form sodium carbonate monohydrate, which then dehydrates to anhydrous sodium carbonate, ensuring dry and dust-free batch material for the glass melting furnace.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If wet glass batch material is used in existing batch preheating technologies, then the batch can be heated, but cakes form on heat transfer surfaces causing agglomerate formation and dust generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotating drum as an intermediary carrier between the heat transfer tubes and the batch material. The drum rotates to continuously present fresh batch surfaces to the heat transfer tubes while preventing direct contact between wet batch and the fixed heat transfer surfaces, thereby eliminating cake formation on the tubes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static heat transfer surface into a dynamic rotating drum system. The rotation of the drum creates continuous movement of batch material, preventing moisture accumulation and cake formation that would occur with stationary heat transfer surfaces when processing wet batch.
2Productivity
If direct contact between batch and hot gases is used for preheating, then heating efficiency is improved, but dust entrainment in exhaust gases increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer tubes act as an intermediary medium between the hot gases and the batch material. Heat is transferred from the hot gases through the tube walls to the batch, eliminating direct contact between gases and batch particles, thereby preventing dust entrainment while maintaining effective heat transfer.
3Loss of energy
If batch preheating is implemented to reduce fuel consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating drum serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a heat transfer surface, a material carrier, a dust prevention mechanism, and a batch mixing device. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate equipment components, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity despite the energy recovery benefits.
4Adaptability or versatility
If existing preheating devices are designed to handle wet batch, then material flexibility improves, but equipment size and cost increase due to cake formation prevention requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating drum creates dynamic movement that prevents cake formation without requiring excessive equipment volume. The rotation continuously exposes fresh batch surfaces to heat transfer, allowing compact equipment design while maintaining the ability to handle wet batch materials effectively.
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
The solution effectively prevents agglomerate formation, reduces dust generation, and enhances melting efficiency by maintaining the batch in a dry and free-flowing state, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
Implementation Method 1
evaporating water from wet glass batch to form sodium carbonate monohydrate
Implementation Method 2
indirect tubular heat exchanger design that uses rotating drums with tubes through which hot furnace exhaust gases pass
Implementation Method 3
which then dehydrates to anhydrous sodium carbonate
Data Source
AI summary
Rotary heat-exchanger for glass batch and/or cullet, comprising a stationary casing having a gas inlet and outlet, and an interior region between the gas inlet and outlet; a chamber positioned in the casing rotatable with respect to the casing and configured to receive batch material or a mixture with cullet; at least one heat exchange tube in the casing in fluid communication with the gas inlet and outlet; a feeder in communication with the chamber and comprising a feeder housing configured to discharge the batch material or mixture of batch material and cullet into the chamber along an infeed length and in contact with the at least one tube; wherein the infeed length is a length effective to heat the batch or mixture with cullet material up to at least 100° C. in the infeed length. A method of preheating glass batch is also disclosed.