Analysis of Energetic Performance of Glass Melting Processes as a Basis for Advanced Glass Production

The experimental and theoretical knowledge of the industrial glass melting process, acquired during two last decades, opens a way to new melting concepts, characterized by smaller size, high performance and flexibility, low energy consumption and by producing high quality glasses. This work presents a method to evaluate the effect of temperature, process time, flow conditions and insulation in a model melting space (simulating melting tanks) on energy consumption, melting performance and flexibility of the process in terms of sand dissolution and bubble removal (fining). The condition of complete accomplishment of both homogenization processes just prior to the glass leaving the space was kept in all calculations. The calculations applying the laboratory sand dissolution times and fining times aimed at finding theoretical optimum conditions of dissolution and bubble fining processes during glass melting. The results obtained under isothermal conditions provide a way to improve fundamentally both processes; particularly by process separation, application of controlled glass melt flows and special conditions for bubble removal. Several examples show the increase in performance of the model melting space when applying the suggested intensification factors