Abstract: Raw materials are fed into the charging end of a melting section which is heated by electrodes in the glass bath. The melted charge is then clarified under fossil fuel burners in a clarifying section, where the highest temperature of the furnace is maintained, and homogenized in a homogenizing section from which the clarified melt is drawn. Flue gas from the clarifying section sweeps the surface of the melting section countercurrently to the charge and is then used to heat combustion air. Burners in the clarifying section are operated under air starved conditions to reduce nitrogen oxides, while burners in the melting section are operated with excess air to achieve complete combustion.

Abstract: A bottom tap of a glass melting furnace comprises a tap brick with a tap hole in which glass is frozen when the tap is not in operation and seals the tap. A tap gate of refractory and non-oxidizing metal is urged against the tap brick underneath the tap hole which is connected as an electrode to a counter-electrode situated in a glass bath. A tap chamber is situated underneath the tap gate, and a removable insulation is provided for the tap chamber.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for recovering glass from old glass by continuously feeding the old glass onto an open, continuously running conveyor system by segregating nonglass impurities and by mechanically crushing old glass in a breaking apparatus. To facilitate visual inspection and concentrating the size range of the shards, a sorting of the old glass into two fractions of different piece sizes is performed in a separating apparatus prior to the manual sorting and before crushing. Exclusively the old glass of the at least one coarser fraction ("coarse glass") is fed, after the segregation of at least a portion of the nonglass impurities, to the breaking apparatus. Then the old glass of this fraction, crushed to the desired shard size, is freed of remaining impurities and finally fed to a place of storage for good glass.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for feeding and distributing charge material through a feeding opening onto the molten bath surface in a glass melting furnace. On a movable stand there are disposed a charge hopper, a charging device, a pusher with a pusher holder and pusher driver and a heat shield substantially covering the feed opening, in which at least one opening is disposed for the passage therethrough of the charging device and of the pusher holder. To maintain a suitable path of movement of the pusher with simultaneous improvement of the shielding action of the heat shield, the pusher holder is mounted on a horizontal linear guiding device on a horizontal platform and is displaceable with respect to the latter by a horizontal driver. The platform is mounted on the stand by means of a vertical guiding device and can be raised and lowered on the stand by a vertical driver.

Abstract: Disclosed are an energy saving method for melting glass in and a glass melting furnace for the practice of the method.A charge is melted in a melting section, clarified in a clarifying section adjoining the melting section, and then homogenized in an adjoining homogenizing section of increased bath depth and drawn therefrom. The charge is fed in at the beginning of the melting section and energy is supplied underneath the charging end through electrodes. The melting energy input is generated by combustion by fossil fuel burners in the clarifying section. The burner flue gases flow over the melting section countercurrently to the charge and are exhausted close to the charge end. The surface of the melting section is swept by a flow coming from the clarifying section countercurrently to the charge.

Abstract: Roof of a working tank or of a glass melting furnace having a basin containing molten glass and covered by the radiation roof of highly refractory firebrick material, in which the roof is constructed with horizontal supporting elements in the form of straight arches (3) bearing the load of the roof (1) and spanning the tank at intervals, and with horizontal slabs (4) covering the open intervals between the supporting elements (3) and laid crosswise between the supporting elements (3).

Abstract: A preheater for cullet is disclosed, in which hot gas coming from a hot supply duct can be passed through the cullet while yielding heat to the latter and can be carried away through a hot gas exhaust duct. The cullet is guided between guiding walls forming a cullet shaft and permitting gas entry as well as gas exit. Means are provided for repeatedly moving at least one of the guiding walls (23, 24,25,26) laterally relative to another guiding wall (23-26) so as to change the spacing between them.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved efficiency glass melting furnace and a method of operation in which a mixture, or batch, is fed at a narrow side of a rectangular glass melting tank onto the molten glass mass (or bath) across the full width thereof. The furnace includes burners positioned adjacent to the opposite narrow side for supplying energy, and heat exchangers for energy exchange between the combustion exhaust gases and the combustion air supplied to the burners. The exhaust gas openings are disposed adjacent to the mixture feeding area. The furnace is provided with at least one thermal radiation shield between the burner and feed sections which extends to a small distance above the molten glass.

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.

Abstract: A method and a system for uniformly heating a glass stream flowing in the feeder of a glass melting furnace wherein power or energy is supplied through the electrodes immersed in the glass melt and wherein the temperature of the glass stream is continuously detected, has the current flowing between cooperating electrodes maintained constant independently of the resistance defined by the glass melt by controlling the voltage as long as the temperature of the glass stream does not deviate from predetermined limits and the current flow of at least a number of electrodes positioned at the inlet of the feeder are controlled to compensate for temperature variations when the tolerable deviation limit has been exceeded.

Abstract: A glass melting furnace, especially fully electrically heated glass melting furnace, comprising a wall of refractory material, said wall being circular or having the configuration of a regular polygon, and wherein a supporting frame is provided at the exterior side thereof, comprising a cover or roof of refractory material being supported by overlying tierods or beams including wheels travelling on an annular or circular track rail and permitting said roof to be rotated in a horizontal plane; bin means and conveyor means for feeding the batch material into at least one hopper positioned on said roof; and bin means and conveyor means for the controlled supply of the batch material from said hopper or hoppers into a slot or into openings formed in the refractory material of said roof with different radial spacings from the axis of rotation.

Abstract: An electrically heated melting furnace for the Melting of mineral materials, such as frits, (Vitreous) enamels and the like, wherein a bath of molten material (contained in a tank) is heated by means of electrodes contacting the molten material and having a current flowing therethrough which heats the molten material by Joule's heat, wherein a batch is fed onto the melt or molten bath, and the molten product is withdrawn from the bottom of the tank, wherein the furnace space or tank has the cross-section of a regular polygon; and wherein a plurality of heating elements are arranged above the batch material and said heating electrodes are positioned in the lower portion of the molten bath above the tank bottom, and comprising a bottom outlet including a cylindrical portion or element and a further underlying, concentrically disposed, circular disc-shaped or annular portion or element of a refractory material being conductive at high temperature and acting as an electrical conductor, and at least one counter or

Abstract: A method for the melting of glass, wherein a layer or blanket of batch material is fed onto a bath of molten glass, the liquid glass is withdrawn from the bath in a lower position through an opening, and the batch material is subjected to thermal energy from above to melt said batch material providing passing the glass after the melting thereof in a vertically downwardly directed, non-turbulent stream, and additionally heating the glass in said stream by passing electric current therethrough until the final gas removal (refining) is obtained, whereupon the glass is further conducted in vertically downward direction, homogenized in the next lower zone without the supply of energy, and withdrawn from a lower point of said zone and a glass melting furnace for carrying out said method providing a depth of said refining section exceeding the depth of said melting section by about three times.

Abstract: An electrically heated melting furnace for the melting of mineral materials, such as frits, (vitreous) enamels and the like, wherein a bath of molten material contained in a tank is heated by means of electrodes contacting the molten material and having a current flowing therethrough which heats the molten material by Joule's heat, wherein a batch is fed onto the melt or molten bath, and the molten product is withdrawn from the bottom of the tank wherein the furnace space or tank having the molten bath has a square or almost square cross-section or the cross-section of a regular polygon; that the depth of the furnace space or tank having the molten material therein corresponds almost to the diameter of the tank; and that a plurality of radiator heating rods are arranged above the batch material and said heating electrodes are positioned in the lower portion of the molten bath above the tank bottom and comprising a bottom outlet including a cylindrical portion or element and a further underlying, concentricall

Abstract: A method of inclusion melting of glass with radioactive components and a furnace for carrying out the method. Radioactive components are fed in the form of an aqueous suspension or of a slurry into a furnace from above in combination with a mixture for the melt forming of glass, or the mixture for the melt forming being formed from the radioactive components. The molten mass of glass and radioactive components is heated by passing electrical current directly therethrough, wherein the mass flow takes place solely vertically from top to bottom.

Abstract: The temperature or temperature profile of an electrically conductive molten mass heated by electrodes immersed therein is measured during continuous operation by momentarily cutting off the electrical energy supplied to the heating electrodes, passing measuring currents through the molten mass via the heating electrodes during the momentary cut off, measuring the electrical resistance between pairs of heating electrodes in measuring paths defined by such electrodes and then calculating the temperature existing within the individual measuring paths on the basis of the measure resistance values.

Abstract: An electrical glass melting furnace having a refractory tank, wherein the batch glass is fed onto the surface of a bath of molten glass therein and refined glass is withdrawn from a lower portion thereof. Electric heating power is supplied, in the form of three-phase AC, through two levels of peripherally spaced electrodes. The secondary coils of the transformers employed each feed an electrode or electrode pair and the output of each secondary coil is additionally connected to the input of one of the other secondary coils in the system.

Abstract: Glass is melted in a furnace having a melting zone and one or more processing tanks adjacent to the melting zone. Molten glass flows from the melting zone to the processing tank through a passage. A portion of the molten glass is withdrawn from the top of the processing tank and is recirculated to the processing tank or to a separate refining zone. The furnace includes a melting section and at least one adjacent processing tank communicating with the melting section through a passage. A recirculating passage connects the top of the processing tank and the passage connecting the melting section and the processing tank. Additional means are provided to establish a recirculating flow of molten glass via the recirculating passage.

Abstract: Glass is melted in a furnace having a melting zone and one or more processing zones adjacent to the melting zone. A volume of molten glass is caused to flow from the melting zone to the processing zone in a volume which exceeds the volume of glass withdrawn from the processing zone. The excess volume of glass is returned to the melting zone or to a separate refining zone. The furnace includes a melting section and at least one adjacent processing tank communicating with the melting section through a passage. A recirculating passage is provided between the processing tank and the melting section and additional means are provided to establish a circulating flow of molten glass via the recirculating passage.