A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure.

A glass fining system, multi-stage vacuum housing, and method are disclosed. The glass fining system includes a multi-stage vacuum housing comprising a first melt receipt tank configured to receive molten material, where the first melt receipt tank is disposed in a first vacuum chamber; a first refining channel configured to flow the molten material from the first melt receipt tank through a second vacuum chamber; a second melt receipt tank configured to receive the molten material from the first refining channel, where the second melt receipt tank is disposed in a third vacuum chamber; and a second refining channel configured to flow the molten material from the second melt receipt tank and through a fourth vacuum chamber; and a glass melter coupled to the multi-stage vacuum housing.

Processes of controlling submerged combustion melters, and systems for carrying out the methods. One process includes feeding vitrifiable material into a melter vessel, the melter vessel including a fluid-cooled refractory panel in its floor, ceiling, and/or sidewall, and heating the vitrifiable material with a burner directing combustion products into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. Burners impart turbulence to the molten material in the melting zone. The fluid-cooled refractory panel is cooled, forming a modified panel having a frozen or highly viscous material layer on a surface of the panel facing the molten material, and a sensor senses temperature of the modified panel using a protected thermocouple positioned in the modified panel shielded from direct contact with turbulent molten material. Processes include controlling the melter using the temperature of the modified panel. Other processes and systems are presented.

The present disclosure relates to a method for cooling a component of a glass melting plant that contacts a glass melt, the corresponding cooling device, as well as the system of the cooling device and the cooled component itself. The method provides that a pipe with an open pipe end at least on one pipe section is introduced into an open cavity in the component with the formation of a peripheral annular space, and a cooling medium is introduced through the pipe into the cavity and is deflected at the base of the cavity, flows back in the annular space, and flows out of the cavity. In its pipe section introduced into the cavity, the pipe has a constriction and has perforations through the pipe walls in the region of the constriction, whereby the cooling medium is accelerated in its passage through the constriction in the inside of the pipe, and a portion of the cooling medium flowing back from the annular space is aspirated into the inside of the pipe.

A device for melting glass includes a furnace equipped with electrodes in contact with the mass of vitrifiable materials. The furnace includes a side opening connected to a feeder channel for the molten glass, a removable barrier dipping into the glass in or before the opening so that a vertical plane passing through the upstream face of the barrier touches the biggest horizontal circle which can be inscribed the furthest downstream in the furnace, barrier excluded, the biggest circle being at the height of the highest side of the bottom of the channel. The device delivers a glass of good quality which can feed a fiberizing device.

Channel apparatus for use with submerged combustion systems and methods of use to produce glass. One channel apparatus includes a flow channel defined by a floor, a roof, and a wall structure connecting the floor and roof, the flow channel divided into sections by a series of skimmers. Channel apparatus include both high and low momentum combustion burners, with one or more high momentum combustion burners positioned immediately upstream of each skimmer in either the roof or sidewall structure, or both, and one or more low momentum combustion burners positioned immediately downstream of each skimmer in either the roof, the sidewall structure, or both, and positioned to transfer heat to the molten mass of glass without substantial interference from foamed material. Certain embodiments include increased height of glass-contact refractory, in particular immediately upstream of the skimmers.

Methods and systems produce a molten mass of foamed glass in a submerged combustion melter (SCM). Routing foamed glass to a fining chamber defined by a flow channel fluidly connected to and downstream of the SCM. The flow channel floor and sidewalls have sufficient glass-contact refractory to accommodate expansion of the foamed glass as fining occurs during transit through the fining chamber. The foamed glass is separated into an upper glass foam phase and a lower molten glass phase as the foamed glass flows toward an end of the flow channel distal from the SCM. The molten glass is then routed through a transition section fluidly connected to the distal end of the flow channel. The transition section inlet end construction has at least one molten glass inlet aperture, such that the inlet aperture(s) are positioned lower than the phase boundary between the upper and lower phases.

A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure.

A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure.

A glass fining system, multi-stage vacuum housing, and method are disclosed. The glass fining system includes a multi-stage vacuum housing comprising a first melt receipt tank configured to receive molten material, where the first melt receipt tank is disposed in a first vacuum chamber; a first refining channel configured to flow the molten material from the first melt receipt tank through a second vacuum chamber; a second melt receipt tank configured to receive the molten material from the first refining channel, where the second melt receipt tank is disposed in a third vacuum chamber; and a second refining channel configured to flow the molten material from the second melt receipt tank and through a fourth vacuum chamber; and a glass melter coupled to the multi-stage vacuum housing.