Analysis of heat transfer during glass forming

Abstract

A thermal model is described which is intended to simulate internal heat transfer in glass being cooled by the mold and plunger after pressing. The heat transfer analysis in glass accounts for the spectral nature of radiation, the dependence of the thermophysical properties of glass on temperature and the contact heat transfer between mold and glass as well as plunger and glass during and after pressing. Heat exchange between glass and mold as well as plunger across a very small gap by contact conduction and thermal radiation are also accounted for. To assess the utility of the Rosseland diffusion approximation for radiative transfer, the results are compared with those based on rigorous formulation of radiative transfer. Numerical solutions have been obtained for typical condidons simulating symmetric and asymmetric cooling as well as cyclic operation, and the results are presented and discussed. During the dwell time thermal contact conduction between the glass and the mold as well as plunger is the dominant heat extraction mechanism from the glass. Results show that radiation from the surface of the glass plays a relatively small part in the heat extraction process, but radiation from the interior of the glass is much more significant but less important than thermal contact conduction.