Numerical analysis and measurement of glass flow in a small melting furnace

Abstract

Control of glass flow in a glass tank is a key technology in the glass melting process. The flow and temperature distributions of the glass melt greatly affect the quality of glass products. However, these phenomena have not been well understood due to the difficulty involved in the measurement as a result of the high temperature of the glass melt. A small melting furnace was developed that was heated by electrodes. The glass flow was measured and analyzed by 3-D computer simulation. The numerical results show good agreement with the experimentally measured values. It is shown that it is possible to control the glass convection using a variety of the electric boosting conditions, the heat loss through walls and the charged glass batch. The quality of glass melt was evaluated by analyzing the temperature histories of virtual particles the furnace was charged with. It is found that the temperature of the particles is high and stable near the throat, as shown by the experimental data.