Abstract: A method comprises flowing an oxidant and a fuel into a submerged combustion burner in a glass tank furnace, the glass tank furnace receiving a feed of glass forming material and producing molten glass, the burner and furnace comprising a melting system. The melting system has a variable system vibration and/or oscillation due to the nature of submerged combustion. One method includes predicting a value of at least one property, such as viscosity, of the molten glass using the variable system vibration and/or oscillation.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible, which enable accurate measurement of a fume generation amount, prevention of deterioration of an inner surface property, and real-time control of a raw material melting state. Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible 50 by supplying silica powder into a mold 10 to form a silica powder layer 11, and heating and melting the silica powder layer 11 by arc discharge. The apparatus includes the mold 10 for defining an outer shape of a vitreous silica crucible, an arc discharge unit having a plurality of carbon electrodes 13 and a power-supply unit 40, and a fume-amount measurement unit 30 for detecting an amount of fumes 80 generated in the mold 10.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a molten glass which can produce a molten glass having a good quality, a glass-melting furnace, a process for producing glass products and an apparatus for producing glass products. While an oxygen combustion burner 20 is rotated by a motor 38, glass raw material particles (not shown) are dropped into a high-temperature gas phase atmosphere produced by a flame F of the oxygen combustion burner 20, to be changed into liquid glass particles. By rotation of an outlet (nozzle) of the oxygen combustion burner 20, the falling position of the liquid glass particles 26, changes with time. Accordingly, generation of bubbles caused by continuous fall of the liquid glass particles in a particular position on a molten glass liquid surface is prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to produce a molten glass having a good quality with few bubbles.

Abstract: A method comprises flowing an oxidant and a fuel into a submerged combustion burner in a glass tank furnace, the glass tank furnace receiving a feed of glass forming material and producing molten glass, the burner and furnace comprising a melting system. The melting system has a variable system vibration and/or oscillation due to the nature of submerged combustion. One method includes predicting a value of at least one property, such as viscosity, of the molten glass using the variable system vibration and/or oscillation.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible, which enable accurate measurement of a fume generation amount, prevention of deterioration of an inner surface property, and real-time control of a raw material melting state. Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible 50 by supplying silica powder into a mold 10 to form a silica powder layer 11, and heating and melting the silica powder layer 11 by arc discharge. The apparatus includes the mold 10 for defining an outer shape of a vitreous silica crucible, an arc discharge unit having a plurality of carbon electrodes 13 and a power-supply unit 40, and a fume-amount measurement unit 30 for detecting an amount of fumes 80 generated in the mold 10.

Abstract: A system and method are described herein that control the environment (e.g., oxygen, hydrogen, humidity, temperature, gas flow rate, pressure) around one or more vessels in a glass manufacturing system. In the preferred embodiment, the system includes a closed-loop control system and a capsule that are used to control the level of hydrogen around the exterior (non glass contact surface) of the vessel(s) so as to suppress the formation of gaseous inclusions and surface blisters in glass sheets. In addition, the closed-loop control system and capsule can be used to help cool molten glass while the molten glass travels from one vessel to another vessel in the glass manufacturing system. Moreover, the closed-loop control system and capsule can be used to maintain an atmosphere with minimal oxygen around the vessel(s) so as to reduce the oxidation of precious metals on the vessel(s).

Abstract: A combustion method for melting glass in which two fuels of the same nature or different natures are fed into a fusion furnace at two locations remote from each other for distributing the fuel to reduce NOx emissions. The combustion air is supplied at only one of the locations. In a method for operating a glass melting furnace, the fuel injection is distributed to reduce NOx emissions. The furnace includes a melting vessel for receiving the glass to be melted and containing a bath of molten glass, walls defining the furnace, a hot combustion air inlet, a hot smoke outlet, at least one burner for injecting a first fuel, and at least one injector for injecting a second fuel. The injector has an adjustable flow complementary relative to the flow to the burner so that up to 100% of the totality of the first and second fuels used may be injected.

Abstract: The device for manufacturing glass, in which bubble formation on precious metal components is prevented, has a precious or refractory metal wall (12, 43) at least partially surrounding a glass melt from which the glass is made, a first electrode pair (20, 21) for measuring oxygen partial pressure at an interface between the glass melt and the wall to obtain an actual value, a second electrode pair (12, 43, 20) for measuring an oxygen partial pressure in the glass melt to obtain a set point value and a regulating system (39, 45) for adjusting the oxygen partial pressure at the interface according to a comparison between the actual value and the set point value, so that the oxygen partial pressure at the interface is within a safe range.

Abstract: A Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) and double-layer nozzle based high efficiency, lightweight, low cost, compact, portable fiber-optic connector cleaning apparatus useful for various fiber optic communications applications such as fiber optic cable plant maintenance. The double-layer nozzle design enables the delivery of compressed, filtered air and solvent to connector surfaces. A built-in MEMS pump sucks the air and solvent back to remove particles and contaminations without leaving residues and without scratching the connector surfaces. An interchangeable external needle allows the cleaner to quickly adapt to all kinds of fiber optic connectors. No disassembly is required. The connector cleaner is therefore both fast and effective at cleaning various male and female fiber optic connectors. The fiber optic connector cleaner with 3–5 cc solvent weighs less than half a pound and can be held and operated by one hand.

Abstract: Methods for producing high purity fused silica (HPFS) glass having desired levels of dissolved hydrogen are provided. The methods involve measuring the level of hydrogen in the cavity of the furnace used to produce the glass and controlling the pressure within the furnace and/or gas flows to the furnace's burners so that the measured concentration has a desired value. In this way, the level of dissolved hydrogen in the glass can be controlled since, as shown in FIG. 3, there is a direct correlation between the hydrogen concentration in the cavity atmosphere and level of dissolved hydrogen in the glass.

Abstract: A system for melting and delivering glass to a work area such as spinners for making fiberglass includes a melter with heaters so arranged that the “hot spot” in the molten glass is located away from the walls and corrosion sensitive parts so that the various elements of the melter wear out at substantially the same time. The system is further provided with a dual exhaust arrangement when the melter, conditioner and forehearth are located on the same floor of the plant, the first exhaust being at the juncture of the melter and conditioner, and the second being an alternating replacement for one of the heating/cooling orifices and mechanisms in the conditioner, so as to effectively limit the amount of corrosive volatiles reaching the forehearth.

Abstract: A method for regulating or controlling the content of NOx in the exhaust gases of a glass-melting furnace having several burners operated in alternation, wherein both the beginning and the end of a combustion break (FP+, FP−) are supplied to a binary signal generator (8) which passes a signal to a regulator (4) with a time delay and upon receipt of the time-regulator (4), and the amount of NH3 supplied to the denitrating plant is adjusted to a lower constant fixed value F1 via a control, and by means of a memory element (7) a higher constant fixed value F2 is calculated as amount of NH3 and supplied to the regulator (4), whereupon as soon as the regulator (4) has received the signal of the time-delayed end of a combustion break, the fixed value F1 is adjusted to the fixed value F2 via a control, and subsequently the regulation is directly continued.