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and a second stream of hot gases is employed to preheat the pellets and in which the two streams are combined and withdrawn from the system.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 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 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: A process and apparatus for the manufacture of glass is disclosed. Glass batch agglomerates are formed, fed to a vertical bed preheat hopper, dried and preheated with furnace exhaust gases, and then fed to a glass melting furnace. A bypass wedge removes a portion of the exhaust gases below the top of the vertical bed to reduce superficial velocity and temperature of the gas through the top of the bed and reduce particulate emissions.

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: 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: An improvement is provided in forming a B.sub.2 O.sub.3 containing glass from heated glass batch agglomerates by using an uncalcined, mineral sodium calcium borate which contains chemically bound water to form the agglomerates. These agglomerates can be heated, prior to melting, to a temperature in excess of that needed to substantially remove all of said chemically bound water without the water release causing the agglomerates to disintegrate.

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: Water and particulate material are placed in the pelletizer and the pelletizer rotated. The size distribution of pellets at the output of the pelletizer is controlled by altering the amount of water, or particulate material injected into the pelletizer. The output of the pelletizer is screened into two or three discrete sized groups. The groups are periodically weighed and the ratios of their weight are compared to a predetermined standard or to the ratios of the weights of a previous set of groups. The amount of water injected into the system is altered responsively to an excess weight of either the smaller or the larger sized pellets.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing glass, and apparatus for effecting same, which comprises passing flue gases from a glass melting furnace through a bed of agglomerates of glass forming batch materials so as to heat the agglomerates to a temperature less than that at which they form an aggregated mass, cooling the flue gases as they pass through the bed with a heat exchanger positioned in the bed, and then melting the heated batch materials in a fossil fuel fired melter to form molten glass. The heat transfer medium of the heat exchanger may then be transported to a different location and the increased energy therein employed for a beneficial purpose.

Abstract: A glass melting furnace in which glass can be heated by sources below its upper surface, as electrically by Joule effect, and by means above its upper surface, as by fossil fuel firing or by heat reflectors. A cold top melting mode is employed in the charging region of the furnace while the glass discharge region maintains an exposed molten, upper surface on the glass. In a disclosed embodiment a high crown over the charging region enables cold top melting and refining to be accomplished by Joule effect while flues and burner ports in that region are closed. A low crown, which may be adjustable in its height above the glass line, is provided over the discharge region to increase heating at the exposed, molten upper surface of the glass by reflection. Heating in the discharge region can be augmented by above surface heaters distributed across the crown. A flue in the discharge region carries gases from that region.