Abstract: In a heating vessel wherein corrosive exhaust degrades exposed positions of the vessel, a high velocity gas jet injects gas between the corrosive exhaust and the exposed portions of the vessel. The gas minimizes contact between the exhaust and the exposed portions so as to reduce wear due to corrosive degradation.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for liquefying material such as glass batch, primary thermal protection for the vessel is provided by a lining of the batch material, with secondary protection being provided by forced cooling of a minor portion of the vessel in regions and at times when the primary protection is irregular.

Abstract: A rotary heating apparatus, for example, for liquefying glass batch or the like, is provided with dynamic stability by isolating structural support elements from vessel elements that are subject to thermal distortion and by supporting the vessel so as to be self-centering. The preferred embodiment entails a support ring separate from the vessel, rotatably supported at an elevation above the center of gravity of the vessel, and attached to a lower portion of the vessel by way of a plurality of link rods. Horizontal force is applied to the support ring to damp oscillations of the vessel. Rotation of the ring may be on a conical track to aid self-centering.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing practically stria-free, bubble-free, and homogeneous quartz-glass plates of any desired configuration and with a surface area that exceeds the cross-section of the full circular quartz-glass cylinder that is employed as a starting material. The cylinder is continuously lowered into a furnace shell flooded with an inert gas, in which it is heated to a flowing temperature in the range of 1700.degree. to 1900.degree. C. until some of the quartz-glass flows off into a graphite crucible. The crucible is preferably clad with zirconium-oxide.

Abstract: In a rotating vessel for liquefying pulverulent material wherein the pulverulent material forms a lining on sidewall portions of the vessel, pressing means are provided for creating a flattened end portion at the top of the lining onto which additional pulverulent material is fed and subsequently pressed into the lining. The pressing means is preferably a rotationally driven wheel and the pulverulent material may be glass batch. A more stable feeding operation and reduction of dusting are attained.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of adjusting the effective length of a rotary kiln. Preheating gas enters the kiln, passes over a portion of the material to be heated and exits the kiln through an axially extending exhaust duct. Changing the length of the duct modifies the amount of time the material is subjected to direct heating by the gas so that the effective heating length of the kiln is changed.

Abstract: Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out on a lining of pulverulent material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain the lining substantially intact.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a method and a system for treating gaseous effluents to remove impurities therefrom, these gaseous effluents flowing out from a high temperature reactor, into which a particulate material is being fed. The method comprises directing the flow of gaseous effluents counter-currently through the particulate material which is fed into the reactor, and independently controlling the particulate material feed rate and the velocity of the gaseous effluents so that particles in the gas feed are substantially all trapped by the particulate feed material and are returned to the high temperature reactor. Volatile materials may also be condensed on the particulate feed material. The purified gaseous effluents are then allowed to exit. A system for carrying out this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for vitrifying highly radioace waste solutions. The arrangement has a glass melting furnace and a wet scrubber for scrubbing particles of dust out of the offgas from the glass melting furnace. The offgas is passed from the glass melting furnace into the wet scrubber through an offgas conduit. The solids in the offgas are deposited in the offgas conduit. In order to counteract the disadvantageous consequences of such deposits, the offgas conduit includes two conduit lengths. The glass melting furnace is connected to one end of a first one of the conduit lengths via a connecting conduit stub mounted on the melting furnace and the wet scrubber is connected to one end of the second conduit length via a connecting conduit stub on the scrubbers. The two conduit lengths extend upwardly and are inclined toward each other so that they interconnect at their respective other ends.

Abstract: Raw materials such as glass batch are preheated by combustion of liquid or solid fuel such as fuel oil or coal mixed with the batch material. In one embodiment the material being heated and the gaseous products of combustion are passed cocurrently through the preheating stage to avoid carbonaceous effluents. Preheated materials and any ash from the fuel are transferred to a second stage where they are liquefied. Carbon monoxide from the preheating stage may serve as fuel for the liquefying stage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the high temperature destruction by pyrolysis and incineration of organic and inorganic gaseous, liquid, and solid toxic and hazardous compounds. The apparatus has a melting chamber and a combustion chamber wherein solid, sludge liquid and gaseous compounds are separately or simultaneously eliminated. In the melting chamber of the apparatus, a molten mass media operates at temperatures between 2200 and 2900 degrees F. Directly above the molten mass a flame impinges upon the molten surface at a temperature of 3000 degrees F. and above. Solid, liquid, and gaseous hazardous wastes are introduced into the melting chamber either on or beneath the surface of the molten mass wherein the waste is destroyed. Due to the operating sequence of the apparatus, the liquid and solid waste compounds may be in the molten mass in excess of eight hours.

Abstract: Thermally fusible material such as glass batch is liquefied using a solid carbonaceous fuel such as coal as the major energy source. In another embodiment, solid or liquid fuel is mixed with the batch material being fed to an initial liquefaction stage. Melting may be advanced further in a subsequent stage where the melt may also be re-oxidized.

Abstract: A method of an apparatus for heat processing of glass and/or glass forming material wherein cullet and/or the raw materials needed to form glass are heated while suspended in a high temperature gas stream which may comprise products of combustion. The particles heated both in and downstream of a burner, for example, together with products of combustion are accelerated out of the burner, preferably downwardly, through a nozzle and against a closely spaced impact surface in a separation chamber. Upon impact, the particles and/or molten droplets are separated from the products of combustion by adhering to the impact surface and form a continuous flowing layer which flows from the impact surface, over a flow surface and as a molten layer into a pool of molten glass product at the bottom of the separation chamber.

Abstract: A method of producing a glass product requiring minimum fining wherein finely pulverized glass batch material is heated very rapidly in suspension in a hot gas stream to at least about its melting temperature in a heating chamber and directing it through a nozzle to impact on an impact surface in a separation chamber where the glass batch material is separated from the hot gas stream by adhering to the impact surface.Upon impact, the particles and/or molten material form a continuously flowing layer which flows over a flow surface as a molten layer into a pool of molten glass product in a collection zone. The melt flow over the flow surface is controlled to effect the immigration of gas therein to and then leave the exposed surface of the melt flow and simultaneously effect at least substantial reaction of the glass batch material before it reaches the collection zone.

Abstract: This invention proposes a method of controlling the melting rate of a glass furnace to obtain substantially constant molten glass throughput. The furnace contains a pool of molten glass and a relatively thin layer of unmelted glass batch on the surface of the pool. The furnace contents are weighed, and the batch feed is controlled by the measured weight. In essence, the melting rate is determined by the thickness of the lighter, thermally insulated batch layer, since a thinner batch layer results in more heat loss through the batch and less batch melted by the cooler molten glass. Thus, a decrease in weight indicates more molten glass withdrawal and a lower melting rate, and batch is added to increase the molten glass temperature and to melt more glass batch. In the preferred embodiment, the furnace is electrically heated at a constant rate, and only the rate of batch feed is controlled to maintain substantially constant glass throughput.

Abstract: Heat transfer media is heated by passing the media downwardly through a chamber, introducing hot gases near the top of the chamber, introducing hot gases near the bottom of the chamber, and exhausting hot gases from a hot gas outlet positioned near the middle of the chamber.

Abstract: Glass or the like is melted by liquefying batch materials in a first stage by means of radiant heating, and further advancing the melting process in a second stage where the melt is heated by induction heating. Another aspect of the invention provides a residence zone at the exit of the induction heating stage to aid elimination of gaseous inclusions.

Abstract: In a glass batch liquefying process, batch-entrained nitrogen is purged by contacting the batch with a substantially nitrogen-free gas in a pretreating stage.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for the heat processing of granular materials by the counterflow of the granular material and preheated particulate heat exchange media through a processing drum rotatable about an inclined axis. The hot media is intimately mixed with the granular material internally of the drum to heat the material and to cool the media. Various arrangements are disclosed to recover the heat imparted to the material, or to utilize the media for successive heating operations, or to recover waste heat from other related heat processing operations or to utilize the material as preheated by the media.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for reducing the particulate emissions in exhaust gases for a glass melting furnace. This invention also may preheat glass batch to be charged to the furnace. An electrical charge is used to collect particulate from the exhaust gases and deposit them on oppositely charged solids. The counterflow of exhaust gases past the solids heats the solids for further processing resulting in the conservation of heat.

Abstract: The heating media feeder includes a hollow conical frustum facing an inlet in the drum end plate, an aperture in the periphery of the conical frustum, a baffle outside the conical frustum aligned with a leading edge of the aperture therein, a circular plate adjacent a smaller end of the conical frustum, an aperture in the circular plate forwardly offset from that in the conical frustum, and a generally V-shaped chute on an opposite side of the circular plate aligned with the aperture therein.

Abstract: Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out on a lining of pulverulent material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain the lining substantially intact.

Abstract: Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out on a support surface of the unmelted material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain a substantially constant layer of the unmelted material.

Abstract: A process for the production of glass comprises introducing cullet or frit into a glass furnace and melting it therein to form a flux, and guiding the flux along a track, which may be slightly inclined. Preheated raw material components are applied to the surface of the flux substantially in the proportion of one part of flux to between one part to nine parts of raw material components on or in the flux so as to form a glass melt. The glass melt is then refined by introducing refining materials.

Abstract: A method of melting glass in a toroidal vortex reactor wherein first pulverized glass batch materials are entrained in an oxidant flow which creates a first gas-solids suspension. This first gas-solids suspension is heated in combusting fuel to form a heated suspension which is thereafter mixed with second glass forming ingredients, whereby a second gas-solids suspension is formed. The second gas-solids suspension is injected into the toroidal vortex reactor from a plurality of locations about the circumference thereof. The heated suspension particles in the reactor collide with each other and the wall of the reactor and form a glass layer which flows down the reactor wall and is withdrawn at the bottom thereof.

Abstract: A charging machine for charging a glass melting tank furnace includes a reciprocatable charging table above which a hopper is provided for the batch, at the rear side of which at least one movable scraper is provided which seals the slot between the rear wall of the batch hopper and the top surface of the loading table. In order to eliminate the wear on the lower edge of the movable scraper and the surface of the charging table which comes into engagement with the movable scraper, the movable scraper is connected to stroke elements for lifting and lowering, whose stroke is controlled in dependency on the movements of the loading table in such a manner that the movable scraper is lifted during the forward movement of the charging table and is lowered during the return movement of the charging table. In this charging machine, wear occurs only during the table return movement, but not during the table forward movement, so that the wear is cut in half, thus doubling the service life of the machine.

Abstract: Molten material is heated by submerged combustion of hydrogen with oxygen so that the product of combustion injected into the melt is low in volume and consists essentially of water vapor which is relatively soluble in a material such as molten glass. Preferred embodiments involve liquefying the batch materials in a first stage and subjecting the liquefied materials to submerged combustion in a second stage.

Abstract: Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out by a plasma heat source encircled by a layer of the unmelted material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain a substantially constant layer of the unmelted material, thereby maintaining the temperature of the melting vessel relatively low and eliminating the need for forced cooling of the vessel.

Abstract: A method of melting glass in a vortex reactor wherein first pulverized glass batch materials are entrained and preheated in a suspension preheater thereby creating a first gas-solids suspension. This first gas-solids suspension is thereafter mixed with a second gas-solids suspension comprised of additional glass batch material in a vortex reactor. The first gas-solids suspension and the second gas-solids suspension are introduced into the vortex reactor through at least one injector assembly. The stoichiometry and heat release in the vortex reactor are controlled by adjusting the oxidant/fuel ratio in the suspension preheater and the vortex reactor. The heated suspension particles are mixed and distributed to the walls of the vortex reactor by fluid mechanically induced centrifugal forces with glass forming reactions occurring along the vortex reactor walls. The formed glass is rapidly refined and homogenized along the vortex reactor walls in a thin layer under the influence of gas dynamic shear forces.

Abstract: Glass batch materials and the like are liquefied in a first stage and the liquefied materials are subjected to submerged combustion in a second stage.

Abstract: In a two stage glass batch liquefying process, calcium source material is preheated in a first stage in the absence of the major sodium source material, and the heated calcium source material and the sodium source material are combined and liquefied in a second stage.

Abstract: Apparatus for improving oxygen burner performance in a glass furnace having a chamber with a bottom wall connected to a roof wall by side walls, said walls having refractory surfaces, and an opening in the roof wall, comprises a burner for injecting a flame downwardly into the chamber through the roof opening with the flame being adapted to impinge against a bath of molten glass on the bottom wall of the chamber, a hopper for inserting a shower of cullet into the chamber through the roof opening, and a burner spout having a flared end for forming the shower of cullet into a shroud around the flame and for heating the shower of cullet and for forming the cullet into an annular ridge of unmelted cullet on the top surface of the molten glass bath, whereby said ridge deflects the flame upwardly when the flame bounces from the bath of molten glass so that the flame does not bounce horizontally and impinge against the near surface of the side walls, and the shower of cullet shrouds the flame and protects the furnac

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for melting pulverulent material such as glass batch wherein liquefaction takes place on a stable layer of pulverulent material, adjustable means are provided for feeding the material in a controlled manner onto the active melting surface.

Abstract: In a process for liquefying glass batch and the like, wherein a layer of batch is maintained as a lining in the liquefaction vessel, the thickness of the lining is monitored by measuring the temperature in a region facing an end portion of the lining. Preferably, a series of thermocouples serves to determine the location of the face of the lining on which liquefaction is taking place.

Abstract: Liquefying of pulverulent batch materials (e.g., glass batch) is carried out in two stages. The first stage utilizes extended gas/solid contact to heat the materials to an intermediate temperature, and may recover waste heat. The second stage rapidly liquefies the material in a cavity lined with the batch material, and may employ substantially nitrogen-free heat sources. Another aspect involves maintaining a wet condition in the first stage to entrap particulates.

Abstract: A rotary batch preheating kiln feeding batch materials to a batch liquefying vessel is separated from the liquefying vessel by a transition section including duct means to direct exhaust gas from the liquefying vessel to the interior of the rotary kiln at a location spaced from the discharge location of the kiln. The transition section also shields the rotary kiln from radiant heat from the liquefaction vessel.

Abstract: In an arrangement for liquefying pulverulent materials such as glass batch, the material to be liquefied is deposited onto a sloped surface comprised of a compatible pulverulent material retained in place by a grid-like member.

Abstract: Controlling the level of molten material in a melting furnace is disclosed. The level of molten material is sensed downstream of the furnace and batch materials are choke fed to keep the total batch crust plus molten glass depth constant. This provides for simpler molten glass level control as melter power can be directly controlled in response to glass level.

Abstract: The feeding of batch material to a melting furnace is disclosed. The batch materials are choke fed to keep the total batch crust plus molten glass depth constant. The batch level keeps the arc electrodes submerged and helps promote arc stability and melting efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for delivering a solvent in the liquid state to a surface to be cleaned. The volume of the solvent and the time interval during which it is applied to the surface are selected so that the solvent reaches the surface in the liquid state. In a preferred embodiment, the solvent is water which is sprayed at selected time intervals onto the lower surface of the distributor plate supporting a fluidized bed of glass batch material for preheating.

Abstract: A method for preheating glass batch is disclosed. Media heated with furnace exhaust gases is used to preheat the glass batch. This invention includes a way to clean furnace exhaust gas condensate from the surface of the media.

Abstract: A method of reclaiming chemically coated glass scrap is disclosed. The scrap is introduced into the oxidizing atmosphere of a hydrocarbon-fuel fired glass melting furnace. Some of the glass is melted with the unmelted portion being melted with the glass batch as it moves through the furnace.

Abstract: A powdered raw material feeding device is mounted beside a glass melting tank for feeding the powdered raw materials of glass onto a surface of molten glass in the tank. The raw materials thus riding on the molten glass are forced to move in the downstream direction in response to the feeding of the raw materials to the tank. An obstruction device is stationarily mounted in the way of a heap of the raw materials on the molten glass so that an extreme end of the obstruction device is embedded in the heap of the raw materials on the molten glass at a position near the laterally central position of the path of the heap, whereby upon movement of the heap in the downstream direction, a certain magnitude of flow resistance is applied to the heap of the raw materials.

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: Apparatus for predrying and preheating pellets involving an oscillating grate extending angularly downward across the predrying section and discharging into a preheating section. The grate is substantially equal in width to the width of the predrying section so that the gas flow area through the predrying section is substantially less than the gas flow area through the preheating section. Further, the grate includes a plurality of spaced members positioned to form a gas flow velocity therethrough greater than the gas flow velocity through the preheating section.

Abstract: In a glass melting operation, cullet is employed as a particulate emissions collector. Cullet of a selected size is contacted with exhaust gases in a gas/solid contact vessel wherein particulates are deposited onto the cullet. Double screening of cullet is employed to avoid introducing cullet dust to the gas stream. Electrostatic means may be employed to enhance particulate collection in the bed of cullet.

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: A means and method for preheating glass batch is disclosed. A media heated with furnace exhaust gases is used to preheat the glass batch. This invention includes a way to clean furnace exhaust gas condensate from the surface of the media.

Abstract: The elongated burner is described which is capable of providing a ribbon of flame through which particulate material as small as 1 micron is uniformly dispersed and transported onto a rotating forming surface for formation of an ingot. In a preferred embodiment the burner is provided with a hollow interior defined by a cylindrical surface interrupted by a longitudinal groove in communication with a longitudinal discharge slot. The sides of the groove are sloped at an angle steeper than the angle of repose of the particulate material. In the preferred embodiment the exterior surface of the burner is likewise provided with a longitudinal groove in communication with the discharge slot and providing two surfaces angled toward each other and toward the path through which the discharged material travels.

Abstract: The initial step of melting glass, converting particulate batch materials to a partially melted, liquefied state, is carried out on a support surface of batch. As liquefied batch is drained from the surface, additional batch is fed onto the surface to maintain the surface substantially constant.The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/000,701, filed Dec. 31, 1984 have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).