A forehearth system includes a superstructure including refractory bricks that frame a molten glass tank, with a burner block including a discharge throat that extends its distal end formed from a refractory material that is within the superstructure above the molten glass tank. At least one oxygen fuel forehearth burner is within the burner block including a burner body, a fuel pipe within the burner body having a fuel inlet for receiving fuel and a fuel outlet, and an oxygen pipe within the burner body having an oxygen inlet for receiving oxygen and an oxygen outlet. The oxygen pipe is positioned coaxially outside the fuel pipe. The fuel outlet extends beyond the oxygen pipe and beyond the burner body so that the oxygen first reaching the fuel and thus a flame when operating is delayed until the discharge throat.

A glass tank furnace and a glass melting method. The tank furnace comprises a melting portion. The melting portion comprises a melting tank. The melting tank is provided with at least one burner mounted on a crown. Each burner is provided with a gas fuel conduit for supplying gas fuel and an oxygen conduit for providing oxygen. A gas fuel flowmeter and a gas fuel control valve are provided on the gas fuel conduit. An oxygen flowmeter and an oxygen control valve are provided on the oxygen conduit. The gas fuel flowmeter, the gas fuel control valve, the oxygen flowmeter and the oxygen control valve are all connected with a control unit.

A metal melting and retention furnace is provided, wherein a tubular member in a furnace chamber, a table-like melting part is formed directly below the tubular member and a melting burner is arranged in the furnace chamber, a molten metal retention part in which the melting material which has been melted is introduced and which is provided with a retention burner for heating the introduced molten metal is formed around the outer circumference of the table-like melting part, and the molten metal in the molten metal retention part flows to a molten metal ladle part adjacent to the furnace chamber.