Abstract: A pellet preheat hopper is disclosed, the hopper being equipped with agitator means proximately coincident with the upper operating pellet level to break up pellet encrustation.

Abstract: A method of preheating glass batch pellets in which a controlled first stream of hot gases is employed to predry pellets and a second stream of hot gases is employed to preheat the pellets and in which the two streams are combined and withdrawn from the system.

Abstract: A process for preheating glass batch pellets is disclosed, the pellets being preheated by tumbling them into a heated gas stream and subsequently by contact of the pellets, in the form of a moving bed, with hot gases from the furnace in which the preheated pellets are melted to form molten glass from which fibers are formed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for preheating glass batch ingredients is disclosed. The invention uses a heat exchange method that preferably employs furnace exhaust gases. The heated batch then is fed to a glass melting furnace.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for preconditioning and preheating pellets of glass batch prior to heating and melting them in a furnace. Components of glass batch are mixed together and combined with water to form agglomerates, e.g., pellets. These agglomerates are supplied to a hopper through which hot combustion gases are passed and they are preheated to an elevated temperature in the hopper prior to entering the melting furnace, thereby resulting in a savings of substantial amounts of energy. Moisture is removed from the agglomerate prior to their being supplied to the hopper; hence, the tendency for the agglomerates to adhere to one another and form aggregates, or clinkers, is substantially controlled. For that purpose, the agglomerates are collected in a preconditioner having receptacles located above the bed of agglomerates in the hopper with the hot gases also passing through the agglomerates in the receptacles after passing through the bed in the hopper.

Abstract: Some free water containing glass batch agglomerate formulations when attempted to be dried and heated in a vertical bed prior to being discharged to a glass melter for vitrification convert into large aggregates which cannot be suitably supplied to the melter. The present invention solves this process disabling aggregate formation by treating such agglomerates in a preconditioning chamber(s) prior to supplying them into a vertical bed so as to preclude serious aggregate formation in either the preconditioner or the vertical bed. Such treatment is employed in manufacturing glass with a fossil fuel fired melter or an electrically operated melter.

Abstract: A process is described for minimizing the sticky or tacky surface characteristics of free water-containing glass batch pellets so as to allow for the more expeditious handling of such pellets in further processing operations. Generally, this is effected by coating the pellets subsequent to their formation on a rotating disc pelletizer, the coating being done with a tumbling motion in a rotary drum member so as to form a substantially uniform surface coating on the pellets. The coating material is the same glass batch composition employed to produce the pellets.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for handling heat-softenable batch material prior to melting it. The batch components are mixed together and then mixed with liquid and formed into balls or pellets of substantially uniform size and shape. The pellets are then collected into a heat-exchange chamber through which hot gases are passed from a melting unit in which the pellets are to be heated to a heat-softened state. The pellets thereby are preheated prior to entering the melting unit to save considerably on energy requirements. A physical characteristic and specifically the depth of a portion of the batch being formed into the pellets is sensed, the depth being related to moisture content. The ratio of the batch material and liquid is accordingly regulated to achieve uniformity in pellet size, which is influenced by the moisture content. Size uniformity is important in maintaining relatively free flow of the hot gases through the pellets in the heat-exchange chamber.