Processes and systems for producing molten glass using submerged combustion melters, including densifying an initial composition comprising vitrifiable particulate solids and interstitial gas to form a densified composition comprising the solids by removing a portion of the interstitial gas from the composition. The initial composition is passed from an initial environment having a first pressure through a second environment having a second pressure higher than the first pressure to form a composition being densified. Any fugitive particulate solids escaping from the composition being densified are captured and recombined with the composition being densified to form the densified composition. The densified composition is fed into a feed inlet of a turbulent melting zone of a melter vessel and converted into turbulent molten material using at least one submerged combustion burner in the turbulent melting zone.

Processes and systems for producing molten glass using submerged combustion melters, including densifying an initial composition comprising vitrifiable particulate solids and interstitial gas to form a densified composition comprising the solids by removing a portion of the interstitial gas from the composition. The initial composition is passed from an initial environment having a first pressure through a second environment having a second pressure higher than the first pressure to form a composition being densified. Any fugitive particulate solids escaping from the composition being densified are captured and recombined with the composition being densified to form the densified composition. The densified composition is fed into a feed inlet of a turbulent melting zone of a melter vessel and converted into turbulent molten material using at least one submerged combustion burner in the turbulent melting zone.

The present invention relates to a submerged combustion furnace for melting ceramic frits by means of a submerged combustion process, said furnace comprising at least one control loop with feedback of the overall weight regulating at least one process variable of the furnace for producing ceramic frit.

The invention also relates to a regulating method for a submerged combustion furnace having these features, whereby obtaining a batch production of a ceramic frit having certain characteristics. The regulating method is implemented in the system by means of regulating process variables relating to the production of molten material during production.

The present invention relates to a submerged combustion furnace for melting ceramic frits by means of a submerged combustion process, said furnace comprising at least one control loop with feedback of the overall weight regulating at least one process variable of the furnace for producing ceramic frit.

The invention also relates to a regulating method for a submerged combustion furnace having these features, whereby obtaining a batch production of a ceramic frit having certain characteristics. The regulating method is implemented in the system by means of regulating process variables relating to the production of molten material during production.

The invention relates to a pouring device (1) for supplying molten material (10) from a melting furnace (2) via an outlet (3) of the melting furnace (2) to at least one production unit (6), comprising a discharge trough (5) sub-divided into segments (4), wherein at least one segment (4) has a discharge (42) for the molten material (10), and wherein at least one segment (4) has at least one movable partition (44).

The invention relates to a pouring device (1) for supplying molten material (10) from a melting furnace (2) via an outlet (3) of the melting furnace (2) to at least one production unit (6), comprising a discharge trough (5) sub-divided into segments (4), wherein at least one segment (4) has a discharge (42) for the molten material (10), and wherein at least one segment (4) has at least one movable partition (44).

In illustrative implementations of this invention, a crucible kiln heats glass such that the glass becomes or remains molten. A nozzle extrudes the molten glass while one or more actuators actuate movements of the nozzle, a build platform or both. A computer controls these movements such that the extruded molten glass is selectively deposited to form a 3D glass object. The selective deposition of molten glass occurs inside an annealing kiln. The annealing kiln anneals the glass after it is extruded. In some cases, the actuators actuate the crucible kiln and nozzle to move in horizontal x, y directions and actuate the build platform to move in a z-direction. In some cases, fluid flows through a cavity or tubes adjacent to the nozzle tip, in order to cool the nozzle tip and thereby reduce the amount of glass that sticks to the nozzle tip.

A glass forming system (200) and a method are described herein for forming a glass sheet (230). In one example, the glass forming system and method can use a glass composition with a liquidus viscosity less than 1000 poises to continuously form a glass sheet.

A glass forming system (200) and a method are described herein for forming a glass sheet (230). In one example, the glass forming system and method can use a glass composition with a liquidus viscosity less than 1000 poises to continuously form a glass sheet.

A laminate fusion draw apparatus including: a core isopipe having a first core melter; a clad isopipe having a clad melter; a first core down comer between the core melter and the core isopipe; and a second clad down comer between the clad melter and the clad isopipe, the second clad down comer having an independently adjustable linear and horizontal position with respect to a fixed horizontal position of the first down comer, and the core melter and the clad melter are linearly moveable for relative movement in the same or opposite horizontal direction, as described herein. Also disclosed is a method of using the apparatus where the first core down comer remains substantially centered or concentric on the first inlet tube, and the second clad down comer remains substantially centered or concentric on the second inlet tube.