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Show COMBUSTION PROGRESS, PROBLEMS, NEEDS IN THE GLASS INDUSTRY Robert A. Drake Glass Technical Institute Vienna, Virginia, USA COMBUSTION PROGRESS, PROBLEMS, NEEDS IN THE GLASS INDUSTRY THIS PAPER IS presented on behalf of one of the recognized major industrial energy users -- the glass industry, one of the oldest industries in thjs country. The plenary session purpose is to identify problems in industry related to combustion both past and present. The perceived needs for further problems solutions for continued progress of the industry will also be discussed. Included in this paper will be a bit of history, a brief description of the industry, a general overview of energy use and change as well as a current picture of what is being done and what needs to be done. The paper for the glass industry ~7ill include the following: PROGRESS PROGRESS PROBLEMS NEFDS To establish progress, the process will be gen~rally described in order to identify the major e~ergy consumption portions of the process. The glass industry is divided into the follol-ling four segments in the government standard industr.ial classification system (SIC): SIC 3221 - Container glass SIC 3211 - Flat glass SIC 3229 - Pressed & Blo~~ & N.E.C. (NEC - not elsewhere classified) SIC 3296 - Wool fiberglass 23 The container segment of the industry accounts for the major portion of the glass produced, about 45 to 50%. The flat glass segment accounts for about 20 to 25% of the glass. The Pressed and Blown and NEC segment accounts for about 15 to 20%. Wool fiberglass accounts for the remaining 7 to 10%. PROCESS DESCRIPTION Glass is generally produced in the same manner to the point in the process where fabrication or forming takes place. The raw materials, basically of sand, soda ash and limestone are received, stored, weighed and mixed. This mixture, known as batch is then delivered to the furnaces as needed. The glass is then melted on one of a felol types of furnaces and then flows to the fabricating or processing part of the operation. The following diagrams are shown to provide a general picture of the operations: 1. Glass container plant process layout - the general layout is similar for container, flat, pressed and blown and fiberglass. The point of change is where the glass leaves the furnace and the form it j.s in at that point. A glass melting furnace is essentially a refractory box in which the raw materials are continually melted at approximately 2600F to 2900F to produce bubble and stone free glass on a continually drawn basis. The volume of glass within the furnace remains constant. Mixed batch is fed into the melting zone of a furnace where the batch is melted and dissolved to form clear glass . At the dog |