Oxy-fuel boosting is a process technology in which a set of oxy-fuel burners is used to enhance performance of an air-fuel fired melter. This technology has been used primarily to increase glass production rates and to increase glass quality. It has also helped glassmakers to become familiar with the operation of an oxy-fuel system prior to committing to convert their glass melting operation over to complete oxy-fuel firing. Air Products has recently completed development of a new Cleanfire HRi Advanced Oxy-Fuel Boost Burner that is specifically designed for boosting applications. This new state-of-the-art burner was designed and developed making use of the company's in-house glass team resources comprising many facilities. The burner, and its many benefits to glassmakers, is described in this article.
