Patent ID: 7475569
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: C03B,F27B

Abstract:
1. A glass-melting furnace comprising: an elongated channel consisting of a charge end wall, a discharge end wall, two side walls, a floor, and a roof, the elongated channel defining an upstream melting end, a downstream fining end through which molten glass is discharged, the upstream end being positioned upstream of the downstream end in the glass-melting furnace; a charger supplying glass-forming material to the upstream end of the glass-melting furnace; at least one burner supplying at least a majority of the heat to the glass-forming material at the upstream end of the glass-melting furnace; the upstream end and the downstream end being configured to allow unimpeded flowing and blending of the glass-forming material; and an exhaust disposed within the downstream end of the glass-melting furnace for exhausting combustion gases only from the downstream end of the glass-melting furnace, the exhaust further being positioned downstream of the at least one burner; the exhaust disposed for allowing exhaust gases to provide additional heat to the melting glass-forming material, and for allowing at least some air-entrained glass-forming materials to scale back into the melting glass as exhaust gases travel from the upstream end to the downstream end.