Patent ID: 7578144
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: C03B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for homogenizing molten glass comprising: operating a stir chamber, the stir chamber including a rotating stirrer, the stir chamber and the stirrer including a refractory metal; rotating the stirrer at a plurality of different speeds N flowing molten glass through the stir chamber at a plurality of different glass temperatures T determining an actual refractory metal inclusion rate in the molten glass for combinations of N calculating a distribution of shear stress as a function of stir chamber and stirrer surface areas in contact with the molten glass for the combinations of N using the actual refractory metal inclusion rates and the distributions of shear stress to calculate a threshold value of shear stress σ calculating a refractory metal inclusion rate temperature dependence m using the refractory metal inclusion rate temperature dependence and the threshold value of shear stress to calculate a predicted refractory metal inclusion rate for a predetermined temperature and stiffer rotational speed; and varying the glass temperature and/or varying the stirrer rotation speed in response to the predicted refractory metal inclusion rate to minimize refractory metal inclusions in the molten glass.