Water-Cooled Oxygen Lance for Float Glass Furnace

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional oxygen lances for float glass furnaces face challenges with contamination risks and high manufacturing costs due to the need for intricate machining and separate systems for cooling, which can lead to explosion hazards and increased expenses.

Innovation Solution

A water-cooled oxygen lance design featuring a lance pipe surrounded by an outer shell with inlet and outlet water passageways, allowing for efficient cooling without the need for compressed air, thereby reducing contamination risks and manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If compressed air is used to cool the oxygen lance, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but contamination risk and explosion hazard increase due to oil in the oxygen pipeline

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelance cooling effectivenessVSAvoidexplosion hazard

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the cooling function from the oxygen supply system by introducing a separate water cooling system. The water cooling channels are integrated into the lance structure, allowing cooling water to flow through channels in the lance body, thereby separating the cooling medium (water) from the oxygen supply medium (compressed air) to eliminate contamination and explosion risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Water serves as an intermediary cooling medium between the hot lance and the cooling system. Instead of using compressed air that may contain oil contaminants, water is introduced as a safe intermediary substance that absorbs heat from the lance through dedicated cooling channels and removes it via the cooling water flow system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If water cooling is implemented in conventional oxygen lances, then explosion risk is reduced, but manufacturing cost increases due to intricate machining requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexplosion risk reductionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The water cooling channels are nested within the lance structure itself. The channels are formed as integral parts of the lance body through casting or forming processes, with cooling water flowing through passages embedded in the lance walls. This nesting approach eliminates the need for separate external cooling components and reduces manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the manufacturing parameters by using casting or forming processes to create the cooling channels, rather than requiring intricate machining operations. By changing from subtractive manufacturing (machining) to formative manufacturing (casting/forming), the complexity and cost of production are significantly reduced while maintaining the water cooling functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If conventional cooling systems are used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but additional equipment and cleaning procedures are required for compressed air cooling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidinstallation cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling function is merged directly into the oxygen lance structure by integrating water cooling channels within the lance body. This combination eliminates the need for separate external cooling equipment, hoses, and connections that would be required for compressed air cooling systems, thereby simplifying the overall system while reducing installation complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 water-cooled oxygen lance minimizes explosion risks, eliminates the need for additional equipment, and maintains consistent operating temperatures, allowing for thinner lance walls and increased oxygen flow, thus reducing operational and installation costs.

Implementation Method 1

an inlet water passageway in fluid communication with a channel between an exterior surface of the lance pipe and an interior surface of the outer shell, and an outlet water passageway in fluid communication with the channel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS9016094B2Water cooled oxygen lance for use in a float glass furnace and/or float glass furnace using the same

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 GUARDIAN GLASS LLC

AI summary

A float glass furnace includes a melting furnace which heats raw materials to form a molten glass batch, a working end where the molten glass batch is cooled, at least one regenerator which introduces heated combustion air into the melting furnace through a port neck, and at least one oxygen lance in or proximate the port neck. The oxygen lance includes a lance pipe in fluid communication with the port neck, an outer shell surrounding the lance pipe, an inlet water passageway in fluid communication with a channel(s) between an exterior surface of the lance pipe and an interior surface of the outer shell, and an outlet water passageway in fluid communication with the channel(s).