Feedstock supply structure apparatus, including an exhaust conduit fluidly and mechanically connectable to a structure defining a melting chamber, the exhaust conduit positioned at an angle to vertical ranging from 0 to about 90 degrees. The exhaust conduit may include a heat exchange substructure, or the conduit itself may serve as a heat exchanger. A feedstock supply structure fluidly connected to the exhaust conduit. Systems include a structure defining a melting chamber and an exhaust conduit fluidly connected to the structure. The exhaust conduit includes a heat exchange substructure for preheating the feedstock. Methods include supplying a granular or pellet-sized feedstock to the melter exhaust conduit, the exhaust conduit including the heat exchange substructure, and preheating the feedstock by indirect or direct contact with melter exhaust in the heat exchange substructure.

A system for preheating batch materials in a glass melting furnace includes: a preheater configured to receive unheated batch materials and to deliver heated batch materials, the preheater including an outlet configured to exhaust fluid from the preheater and an inlet configured to receive exhaust fluid from the glass melting furnace and exhaust fluid recirculated from the outlet of the preheater; a fan configured to provide ambient air to a furnace flue; a valve configured to control an amount of the ambient air to the furnace flue; a temperature sensor configured to sense temperature of exhaust gases in the furnace flue; and a temperature controller configured to control the valve and the fan responsive to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

A furnace system includes a regenerative furnace with a melting tank and first and second regenerators. In a forward operating mode, combustion air enters and travels through the first regenerator before exiting the first regenerator into the melting tank while exhaust fluids exit the melting tank into the second regenerator and travels through the second regenerator before exiting the second regenerator. In a reverse operating mode, the flow is reversed. The system also includes a preheater for preheating materials supplied to the melting tank. Portions of the combustion air traveling through the first regenerator in the forward operating mode and the second regenerator in the reverse operating mode are diverted before entering the melting tank and mixed with fluids exhausted from the fluid outlet of the preheater for delivery to the fluid inlet of the preheater.

A method for melting vitrifiable materials to produce flat glass, including: providing a furnace including: a melting tank, a fining tank, a neck, at least one inlet means located at the melting tank, an outlet means located downstream of the fining tank, and at least one extraction means of a flue gas located at the at least one upstream zone; charging the vitrifiable materials including raw materials and cullet in the melting tank with the at least one inlet means; cullet pre-heating; melting the vitrifiable materials in the melting tank; fining the melt in the fining tank; flowing the melt from the fining tank to a working zone through the outlet means; and capturing CO.sub.2 from the flue gas.

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.

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.

The present invention concerns a process for melting vitrifiable materials to produce flat glass, comprising the steps of (i) providing a furnace with a specific segmented design; (ii) charging the vitrifiable materials comprising raw materials and cullet in the melting tank with the inlet mean(s), the amount of cullet being at least 10% in weight of the total amount of vitrifiable materials and the raw materials comprising less than 25% in weight of carbonate compounds; (iii) melting the vitrifiable materials in said melting tank; (iv) fining melt in the fining tank by heating with the oxy-combustion heating means alimented with gas and/or hydrogen; (v) flowing the melt from the fining tank to a working zone trough the outlet mean; (vi) capturing CO.sub.2 from flue gas, said flue gas has a CO.sub.2 concentration of at least 35%; the electrical input fraction ranging from 30% to 85% and the step of capturing CO.sub.2 comprising step(s) of compression and/or dehydration.