Flow pattern of glass current in unit melters and its forming mechanism

Abstract

The flow pattern of glass current in unit meUers greatly differs from that of other tank furnaces. When two rows of bubbling arearranged, the whole flow process is reorganized by the bubbling circulations. Hence, the flow pattern caused by bubbling wasinvestigated in this paper. This flow pattern was divided into inner bubbling region and outer induced flow ränge. The boundary between the two parts of the flow pattern looks like the cross-section of an onion. Its forming mechanism is discussed in detail.The pull current path goes up and down several times due to the bubbling and the geometric configuration of the melter. The glassmelting process in the tank is closely related tothe flow pattern. In order to depict the process conveniently, five regions oftheflow pattern in the melter were identified, each having a particular function. This procedure maybe useful for understanding the melting process.