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Producing new glass products from recycled glass (cullet) reduces CO2 emissions as melting cullet rather than virgin raw materials uses less fuel. Neither does cullet contain carbonates, so unlike virgin raw materials it does not does not release CO2 during the melting process. Furnaces melting higher proportions of recycled glass can therefore operate at lower fuel inputs. To maximise this energy saving and CO2 emission reduction potential, furnace operators need the tools to get the best from the furnace.
This project has produced a mathematical model to predict furnace energy consumption at various production outputs and cullet levels. This could be the basis of a furnace control algorithm.