Numerical Simulations on the Effect of Operating Parameters on NOx Production in an Industrial Flat Glass Furnace

Industrial glass producers are increasingly faced with the need to balance glass production and quality with environmental concerns. This paper summarizes the results of a study whose objective was the exploration of several NOx reduction strategies proposed for use in industrial float glass furnaces. The technologies included the introduction of an oxygen lance to simulate staged combustion, and oxygen/fuel firing. As a secondary investigation, the influence of soot on furnace operation was also explored. These strategies were compared by simulating numerically the turbulent reacting flow and heat transfer in the industrial environment of a full-scale float glass furnace. They were compared on the basis of four figures of merit: 1) fuel utilization efficiency, 2) combustion efficiency, 3) radiative heat flux uniformity on the glass melt surface, and 4) NOx evolution in the combustion gases.