A method and an apparatus for making a mineral melt having a cyclone furnace and a separating cyclone, said apparatus further having a device for supplying pre-heated particulate mineral material from a bottom of the separating cyclone to an inlet of the cyclone furnace. A material receiving conduit adapted for receiving the pre-heated particulate mineral material from the bottom outlet of the separating cyclone, in which the material receiving conduit has a first pressure. An outlet conduit supplying the particulate mineral material to the inlet of the cyclone furnace having a second pressure, wherein said second pressure is higher than said first pressure, and the particulate mineral material is fluidised and flows from the material receiving conduit to the outlet conduit. A gas-lock valve is provided between said material receiving conduit and said outlet conduit.

A glass melting plant having a melting tank having end-fired heating, the melting tank having a feeding material inlet, an outlet for removing the molten glass, and a melt surface of at least 40 m.sup.2. At least one doghouse is laterally situated and is connected to the melting tank inlet for feeding material input. The doghouse has side walls that, together with the melting tank inlet, limit a feeding surface area, and has a feeding device. The doghouse has a roof with an end wall oriented toward the feeding device, which end wall encloses, with the roof, a gas compartment open toward the melting tank. To increase the specific melting performance with at least equal glass quality, the feeding surface of the doghouse is at least 8 m.sup.2 and, given a melt surface of at least 115 m.sup.2, is at least 7% of the melting tank melt surface.

A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber for containing glass melt and a conveyor for receiving glass batch material and feeding the glass batch material to the furnace chamber. A dam wall is disposed with respect to the conveyor such that batch material from the conveyor must flow upward over the dam wall before entering the furnace chamber. The top of the dam wall may be below the level of the melt pool in the furnace chamber.

An apparatus including a first conveyor device including a first conveyor belt; a second conveyor device including a second conveyor belt; a movement device; and a mold device including a mold; wherein the first conveyor device is connected to the second conveyor device so that when the movement device moves the first conveyor device, the second conveyor device also moves with respect to the mold device; wherein the first conveyor belt moves independent of the second conveyor belt; and wherein the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt move independent from the movement device. The apparatus may further include a first and second dispensing devices configured to dispense first and second materials, first and second gate devices to control height, and a computer processor to control the various components and the resulting ratio of first material to second material in a processed slab.

A glass melting furnace and method for introducing batch feed material into a glass melter tank of the glass melting furnace are disclosed. The glass melting furnace comprises the glass melter tank, a feeder tank, and at least one conduit. The glass melter tank defines at least one melter tank inlet, a molten glass outlet, and an exhaust gas outlet, and the feeder tank, which is separate from the glass melter tank, defines a batch feed inlet and a feeder tank outlet. The at least one conduit is in fluid communication with the feeder tank outlet and the melter tank inlet. Moreover, the melter tank inlet is defined below a melt level of a glass melt contained within the glass melter tank and at least partially filling the at least one conduit.

An inlet spool for controlling the back flow of molten glass from a submerged combustion melter. The inlet spool includes a pipe having a first end, a second end, and an inner wall defining a passageway between the first end and the second end. A cross-sectional area of the passageway increases along a length of the passageway from the first end to the second end toward the melter. The passageway may be conical-shaped.

An inlet spool for controlling the back flow of molten glass from a submerged combustion melter. The inlet spool includes a pipe having a first end, a second end, and an inner wall defining a passageway between the first end and the second end. A cross-sectional area of the passageway increases along a length of the passageway from the first end to the second end toward the melter. The passageway may be conical-shaped.

An apparatus including a first conveyor device including a first conveyor belt; a second conveyor device including a second conveyor belt; a movement device; and a mold device including a mold; wherein the first conveyor device is connected to the second conveyor device so that when the movement device moves the first conveyor device, the second conveyor device also moves with respect to the mold device; wherein the first conveyor belt moves independent of the second conveyor belt; and wherein the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt move independent from the movement device. The apparatus may further include a first and second dispensing devices configured to dispense first and second materials, first and second gate devices to control height, and a computer processor to control the various components and the resulting ratio of first material to second material in a processed slab.

A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber including a side wall and a bottom wall and containing a pool of glass melt having a melt level. A batch feed hopper is adjacent to the side wall of the furnace chamber to supply batch material under gravity to a bottom of the hopper. A feed opening is in the side wall of the furnace chamber and feeds batch material from the bottom of the hopper to the pool of glass melt below the melt level. A conveyor is proximate the bottom wall of the hopper and feeds the batch material from the bottom of the hopper through the feed opening and into the furnace chamber.

The claims define a submerged combustion melter comprising a submerged combustion burner (1) comprising three concentric tubes, all being closed at one end and open at the same opposite end, the internal tube (3) being connected to a source of oxygen containing gas (7), the middle tube (9) surrounding the internal tube (3) being connected to a source of fuel gas (11), and the outer tube (15) being connected to a source (19) of oxygen containing gas. The claims are also directed to a method of introducing a flame and/or combustion products into a melt from a submerged combustion burner and also directed to the use of the burner as a submerged combustion burner in a melter.