Optimal Control Strategy For Predictive Compensation Of Gas Quality Fluctuations In Glass Melting Furnaces

The German glass industry is facing increasing problems born from fluctuating composition of natural gas. For cost optimization, gas suppliers are frequently switching between different sources of natural gas, taking bio gas from local sources too. In the near future we may expect hydrogen from windmills as well. This paper presents a strategy for balancing different sources of gases used and their quality for glass melting.