An apparatus and method for melting raw batch materials into molten glass includes feeding raw batch materials into a chamber through a feed port, heating the chamber with a plurality of plasma torches positioned above a predetermined level, each plasma torch emitting a plasma flame into the chamber, and melting the raw batch materials into molten glass up to the predetermined level.

Methods and apparatus for producing fibers from igneous rock, including basalt include heating igneous rock by electrical conductive coils to achieve an homogenous melt and forming homogenous fibers from the melt.

A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber for containing glass melt and a screw 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 screw conveyor such that batch material from the screw 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.

The invention relates to a method of making a mineral melt, the method comprising providing a circulating combustion chamber which comprises an upper zone, a lower zone and a base zone, injecting primary particulate fuel and particulate mineral material and primary combustion gas into the upper zone of the circulating combustion chamber, thereby at least partially combusting the primary particulate fuel and thereby melting the particulate mineral material to form a mineral melt and generating exhaust gases, injecting into the lower zone of the circulating combustion chamber, through at least one first burner, secondary combustion gas and gaseous fuel and secondary particulate fuel, wherein the secondary combustion gas and gaseous fuel and secondary particulate fuel are injected via a single first burner, wherein the amount of secondary combustion gas injected via each first burner is insufficient for stoichiometric combustion of the total amount of gaseous fuel and secondary particulate fuel injected via that first burner, and injecting tertiary combustion gas into the lower zone of the circulating combustion chamber, through at least one tertiary combustion gas injector, whereby the tertiary combustion gas enables completion of the combustion of the gaseous fuel and the secondary particulate fuel, separating the mineral melt from the hot exhaust gases so that the hot exhaust gases pass through an outlet in the circulating combustion chamber and the mineral melt collects in the base zone. The invention also relates to apparatus suitable for use in the method.

A feed assembly for a melting chamber having a plurality of walls and at least one submerged burner, and related methods of its operation are disclosed. The feed assembly includes a tubular body being hollow and having a first end and extending to a second end. The second end is for connecting to one of the plurality of walls. The tubular body further includes a port proximate the second end wherein the port has a first port end and tapers radially inwardly to a second port end at the second end. The feed assembly also has a batch charger disposed within the tubular body and having a first charger end and extending to a second charger end.

Methods and apparatus for producing fibers from igneous rock, including basalt include heating igneous rock by electrical conductive coils to achieve an homogenous melt and forming homogenous fibers from the melt.

A method of manufacturing a glass container includes melting a batch material, which contains cullet, to produce molten glass having a soda-lime-silica chemical composition. A flow of molten glass is delivered to a forehearth and conditioned within the forehearth, which includes reducing a temperature of the flow of molten glass such that the temperature of the flow of molten glass at an outlet of the forehearth is less than the temperature of the flow of molten glass at an inlet of the forehearth. Additionally, the method involves introducing colored cullet into the flow of molten glass, which produces colored striations within the glass flow. An output of conditioned molten glass is discharged from the forehearth and a glass container is formed from the conditioned molten glass. The glass container has a glass substrate that includes random streaks of color.

A system and method of controlling a metal melting process in a melting furnace, including determining at least one furnace parameter characterizing a melting furnace, adding a charge containing solid metal into the melting furnace, detecting at least one charge parameter characterizing the charge, firing a burner into the melting furnace to provide heat to melt the charge, and exhausting burner combustion products from the furnace, detecting at least one process parameter characterizing progress of melting the charge, calculating a furnace efficiency based on the at least one furnace parameter, calculating a predicted process pour readiness time based on the at least one charge parameter, the at least one process parameter, and the furnace efficiency, and controlling the metal melting process based on the predicted process pour readiness time.

A feed assembly having a hollow tubular body and a batch charger disposed within the hollow tubular body is disclosed. The hollow tubular body extends along a central axis from a first end to a second end and, further, comprises a port that tapers from a first port end to a second port end at the second end of the tubular body. The batch charger includes a first charger end proximate the first end of the tubular body and a second charger end proximate the second end of the tubular body. The second charger end is spaced away from the second end of the tubular body to provide a port space within the port. An apparatus that includes a melting chamber and a feed assembly is also disclosed along with a method of feeding batch materials into a melting chamber.

Methods and apparatus for producing fibers from igneous rock, including basalt include heating igneous rock by electrical conductive coils to achieve an homogenous melt and forming homogenous fibers from the melt.