Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange, the flange including a first ring extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring comprising a first portion including a first thickness and a second portion including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion and the second portion overlap in a plane of the flange such that at least a portion of the first portion is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange.

A method for heating a liquid glass channel of a glass fiber tank furnace. The method comprises: passing oxygen gas and a fuel, via a burner (1), into a channel space (3) for combustion to heat the channel space (3) and a liquid glass (2), wherein the flow rate of the fuel is V.sub.F and the flow rate of the oxygen gas is V.sub.OX such that the relative velocity difference D=(V.sub.FV.sub.OX)/V.sub.F. The temperature of the channel is 0-1500 C., and the relative velocity difference D is kept to 25% or more. A pure oxygen combustion method is used for heating a tank furnace channel to reduce waste gas emission and heat loss, thereby achieving the goals of energy conservation, reduced carbon emissions, and improve environment friendliness. The fuel flow rate, relative velocity difference, and related parameters can be controlled according to the temperature of the channel, providing excellent uniformity and accurate control of the temperature of the channel.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange (100) configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange (100), the flange (100) including a first ring (112) extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring (112) comprising a first portion (118) including a first thickness and a second portion (128) including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion (118) and the second portion (128) overlap in a plane of the flange (100) such that at least a portion of the first portion (118) is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion (128) and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange. When the vessel comprises two flanges each connected to an electrode portion (116), current is more uniformly distributed about the vessel, which prevents hot spots.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange (100) configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange (100), the flange (100) including a first ring (112) extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring (112) comprising a first portion (118) including a first thickness and a second portion (128) including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion (118) and the second portion (128) overlap in a plane of the flange (100) such that at least a portion of the first portion (118) is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion (128) and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange. When the vessel comprises two flanges each connected to an electrode portion (116), current is more uniformly distributed about the vessel, which prevents hot spots.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange, the flange including a first ring extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring comprising a first portion including a first thickness and a second portion including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion and the second portion overlap in a plane of the flange such that at least a portion of the first portion is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange, the flange including a first ring extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring comprising a first portion including a first thickness and a second portion including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion and the second portion overlap in a plane of the flange such that at least a portion of the first portion is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange.

A method for heating a liquid glass channel of a glass fiber tank furnace. The method comprises: passing oxygen gas and a fuel, via a burner (1), into a channel space (3) for combustion to heat the channel space (3) and a liquid glass (2), wherein the flow rate of the fuel is V.sub.F and the flow rate of the oxygen gas is V.sub.OX such that the relative velocity difference D=(V.sub.FV.sub.OX)V.sub.F. The temperature of the channel is 0-1500 C., and the relative velocity difference D is kept to 25% or more. A pure oxygen combustion method is used for heating a tank furnace channel to reduce waste gas emission and heat loss, thereby achieving the goals of energy conservation, reduced carbon emissions, and improve environment friendliness. The fuel flow rate, relative velocity difference, and related parameters can be controlled according to the temperature of the channel, providing excellent uniformity and accurate control of the temperature of the channel.

A method of producing glass includes receiving unrefined molten glass in a stilling chamber of a stilling tank at a fluctuating flow rate. An intermediate pool of molten glass is held within the stilling chamber of the stilling tank and is heated therein by one or more non-submerged burners. Molten glass flows from the intermediate pool of molten glass to a transfer pool of molten glass held in a spout chamber of a feeding spout that is appended to the stilling tank. A molten glass feed can be drawn from the transfer pool of molten glass and delivered from the feeding spout at a controlled flow rate.

A method of producing glass includes receiving unrefined molten glass in a stilling chamber of a stilling tank at a fluctuating flow rate. An intermediate pool of molten glass is held within the stilling chamber of the stilling tank and is heated therein by one or more non-submerged burners. Molten glass flows from the intermediate pool of molten glass to a transfer pool of molten glass held in a spout chamber of a feeding spout that is appended to the stilling tank. A molten glass feed can be drawn from the transfer pool of molten glass and delivered from the feeding spout at a controlled flow rate.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a glass manufacturing system includes a hot-end subsystem, including: a submerged combustion melter that melts feedstock to produce molten glass; a stiller that receives the molten glass from the submerged combustion melter and that includes a stilling tank to still the molten glass and that is configured to control outflow of the stilled molten glass to effectively decouple viscosity of the molten glass from the flow rate of the molten glass and thereby control finer molten glass levels; and a finer that is mechanically decoupled from the stiller, and that receives and fines the stilled molten glass to produce fined molten glass. Many other aspects of the system are also disclosed and claimed.