March 12, 2021
TNSC Develops Oxygen-Enriching Lance Combined with Self-Induced Oscillation
to Achieve Energy Saving and Reduce NOx

Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (“TNSC”) hereby announces that it has developed the “Innova-JetⓇ
OxLance”, an oxygen-enriching technology that can achieve high efficiency and low NOx output inmelting furnaces in the glass manufacturing process by swinging an oxygen jet applying self-inducedoscillation.
1. Background to Product Development
In the glass manufacturing process, glass raw materials are melted down in a furnace, which loses itscombustion efficiency over a lifecycle of about 10–15 years, decreasing the production capacity of theproduct. Introducing oxygen into the furnace and conducting oxygen-enriched combustion improves
combustion efficiency and maintains production capacity.
Meanwhile, limits on permissible concentrations of NOx in exhaust gases emitted from furnaces arestrict. Generally, there is a correlation between the NOx emissions and the temperature inside thefurnace, with the NOx emissions easily increasing in oxygen-enriched combustion as flames get hotter.
As a result, an issue arose with limited examples of application in ordinary oxygen-enriched
combustion in furnaces.
TNSC has resolved this issue by developing the “Innova-Jet Ⓡ OxLance”, an oxygen-enriching
technology for glass melting furnaces that applies self-induced oscillation.
2. Technical Overview
Self-induced oscillation is a technology that uses a fluid phenomenon known as the Coandă effect, inwhich a fluid ejected from a nozzle flows along a nearby wall surface. Applied to a lance, thisphenomenon causes the jet flows to change direction periodically, expanding the heated area. Moreover,the “Innova-JetⓇ OxLance” eliminates the need for a mechanical propulsion unit, and has a simple
structure that’s easier to maintain.
TNSC marketed the “Innova-Jet Ⓡ Swing” oxygen-enriching burner that uses the self-induced
oscillation and has already introduced a large number of applications for tundish preheaters in thesteelmaking processes. (News release dated July 28, 2017.)

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Fig. 1 Structure of self-induced oscillating burner (left),and a photograph of the flames of the “Innova-JetⓇ Swing” (right)

This oxygen-enriched combustion technology using self-induced oscillation incorporates a variety ofexpertise derived from results obtained from the “Innova-Jet ⓇSwing”, and the following

developments were conducted for application in oxygen-enriched combustion in glass melting furnaces.
(1) Miniaturization for glass melting furnaces, where installation space is limited(2) Minimization of NOx emission volume by optimizing the swing cycle of flames
As a result, the extensive, even distribution of heat made possible by the swing jet improves thermaltransfer efficiency compared to air combustion and reduces the NOx volume generated by up to 25%
compared to conventional oxygen-enriched combustion.

3. Application Examples
In the glass manufacturing process, “Innova-JetⓇ OxLance” is applied when heating glass melting
furnaces, which are used to melt raw materials.
The structure of a glass melting furnace includes an internal melting chamber comprised of fireproof
walls with a pair of nozzles called ports on the sides. High-temperature preheated air is alternately
ejected from each port using alternating combustion, which mixes with fuel to form a flame that melts
and heats the glass raw materials inside the chamber. Due to this distinctive structure and operation
method, complicated gas flows form within the furnace, which requires optimization of the installation
position and swing jet angle.
To solve this issue while raising thermal transfer efficiency and reducing the NOx emissions, TNSC
used a test furnace that recreated the alternating combustion occurring in glass melting furnaces andconducted verification testing of the Innova-JetⓇ OxLance’s performance.
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As a result of measuring the temperature distribution of the test furnace simulating the end port furnace
used in a glass melting furnace, it was confirmed that the bottom of the furnace could be heated to ahigher temperature compared to conventional air combustion, as shown in Fig. 2. In addition,assessment bottom of the furnace confirmed greater thermal transfer efficiency compared toconventional air combustion (Table 1). Furthermore, assessment of the “Innova-Jet Ⓡ OxLance”
confirmed an approximate 25% reduction in the NOx emissions compared to conventional oxygenenriched combustion.

Fig. 2 Temperature distribution at the base of the furnace
Table 1 Effects of the “Innova-JetⓇ OxLance”
ItemUnitAverage temp. inside [℃]furnacePreheated air temp.

[℃]

Comparative thermal [-]transfer efficiency*
NOx emission**ppm

Aircombustion

Oxygen-enriched combustion
Conventional
technology

Innova-JetⓇ OxLance

1400

1400

1400

700

700

700

1.0

1.2

1.2

13525264* Indicates the level of thermal transfer efficiency using air combustion as 1.00.
** Indicates a 15% oxygen concentration conversion value.

34. Future Developments
Up to now, TNSC has been making technical proposals, including total oxygen
combustion and oxygen burner boosting, to achieve improved productivity and energy
saving in the glass melting process.
“Innova-JetⓇ OxLance” is an application that can contribute further to energy saving and
CO2 reduction in glass melting furnaces, and is expected to develop as a highly efficient
oxygen combustion technology in the glass melting process.
Moreover, this technology is forecast to produce energy savings and improved efficiency
through oxygen enrichment, even in heating furnaces in the iron and steel field andmelting furnaces in the non-ferrous field.
Going forward, TNSC will move forward in rolling out this technology in a variety ofindustrial fields, centering on industrial furnaces, as a technology that contributes toenergy saving and reducing CO2 emissions.

Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation
Tnsc.Info@tn-sanso.co.jp

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