The SORG IRD doghouse is a new concept designed primarily to alleviate the inevitable problems caused by batch carry-over into the regenerators. Batch carry-over is a major problem that can result in the need for expensive maintenance work on regenerators. An attempt is usually made to limit the problem by using moist batch, 3% moisture being a typical practical figure. Interest in batch preheating is currently increasing, fuelled by a potential 10-12% decrease in specific energy consumption. However, the use of preheated batch eliminates all batch moisture & therefore poses a significant risk of increased batch carry-over. This has been confirmed in factories that operate batch preheaters where expensive & even dangerous mechanical cleaning of the regenerator packing is necessary at regular intervals. The new SORG IRD doghouse is designed to change two important operating parameters in the doghouse & thereby to increase the glazing of the batch surface leaving the doghouse; a change that helps to prevent batch carry-over. An increase in the surface area of the doghouse increases the residence time of the batch, whilst raising the height of the doghouse arch allows more radiation to enter the doghouse area from the much hotter melter. Both of these measures help to ensure that the batch floating on the glass bath surface is well glazed before it leaves the doghouse, & thus less likely that fine components will be taken up by the combustion gases.
