Performance And Economics Of Furnace Crowns For Oxy-Fuel Glass Melting

A new furnace design concept is introduced for traditional soda-lime oxy-fuel furnaces (container, tableware, and lighting). A case study using the new design concept for a container furnace is described. The substructure temperature of the proposed container glass furnace is increased from 2870 to 2920 F to increase pull rate by 50 t.day. The use of fused cast ab-alumina for the entire crown and superstructure is considered imperative and is recommended for the proposed furnace. An economic analysis if the proposed furnace is performed and compared against two other alternatives: electric boosting and furnace enlargement. it is shown that the proposed furnace is an economically viable and affordable option to achieve described objectives.