Abstract: In a glass melting furnace, a combination includes a tank having an end chamber for containing a glass melt, the tank having soldier blocks arranged side-by-side which are of a refractory, mineral material and form a wall of the end chamber. The soldier blocks have an inner side facing the end chamber and an outer side facing away from the end chamber. The soldier blocks have a rectangular cross-section at least in a bottom region thereof and the soldier blocks reach upwardly above an established level line of the glass melt. The combination includes a plurality of cooling air nozzles which are directed at the outer side of a plurality of the soldier blocks. The soldier blocks individually have on their outer side recesses diminishing a thickness cross section in thickness direction. As corrosion of the soldier blocks progresses, refractory supplementary elements are insertable into the recesses. Each recess is disposed at an upper end of each soldier block.

Abstract: A glass melting furnace including a melting tank heated from above by burners and comprising a melting section as well as a refining and homogenizing section provided with electrodes for the supply of electrical energy; a dam which separates the melting section from the refining and homogenizing section and the upper edge of which is disposed below the surface of the (glass) melt bath; and an outlet for the glass disposed in the bottom portion of the refining and homogenizing section; wherein the bottom of the refining and homogenizing section is in a position deeper than the bottom of the melting section, and the electrodes are arranged in one or more planes (levels) of the refining section, the glass melting furnace being configured such that on the side of the refining section there is provided adjacent to the dam a bottom portion which is disposed at a level substantially above the bottom of the homogenizing section.