Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are provided for constructing refractory structures, e.g., glass furnace regenerator structures and/or glass furnace structures formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having a roof support elements. Cross-support beams are provided to latitudinally span the refractory structure and are suspended from roof support elements associated with the building housing the refractory structure by a suspension support system attached to the cross-support beams. An overhead crane assembly may thus be supported by the cross-support beams.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims domestic priority benefits under 35 USC §119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 62/111,398 filed on Feb. 3, 2015 and also claims foreign priority benefits under 35 USC §119(a) from GB 1503159.4 filed on Feb. 25, 2015, the entire contents of each such prior filed application being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to methods and apparatus for constructing refractory structures associated with glass furnaces. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In the manufacturing process for making glass, raw materials including sand, lime, soda ash and other ingredients are fed into a furnace, sometimes called a glass tank. The raw materials are subjected to temperatures above about 2,800° F. in the glass furnace which causes the raw materials to melt and thereby form a molten bed of glass that exits the glass furnace for further downstream processing into glass products. 
         [0004]    The most common way of heating the glass furnace is through the combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel source, such as natural gas or oil. The hydrocarbon fuel is mixed with combustion air inside the furnace and combusted to thereby transfer the combustion heat energy to the raw materials and glass melt prior to exiting the furnace. 
         [0005]    In order to improve the thermal efficiency of the combustion process, the combustion air used to combust the fuel is preheated by means of regenerator structures. More specifically, a supply of combustion air is preheated in a honeycombed pack of checker bricks contained within the interior of the regenerator structure. Fresh combustion air is drawn up through the pack of heated checker bricks in the regenerator structure and preheated by means of heat transfer. The pre-heated combustion air may then be mixed with the fuel, combusted. Waste combustion gas exits the glass furnace and passes through a second regenerator structure. As the waste gasses pass through the second regenerator the checkers in the pack are heated by means of heat transferred from the waste gas. After a predetermined time has elapsed (e.g., after about 15-30 minutes), the process cycle is reversed so that the checker bricks in one of the regenerator structures that were being heated by heat transfer with the waste gas are then used to preheat the fresh combustion air while the checker bricks in the other regenerator structures that were used to preheat the combustion air are then re-heated by heat transfer with the waste combustion gas. See in this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,541 (the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference). 
         [0006]    The current process for building glass furnace refractory structures, e.g., regenerators, glass furnaces including glass furnace refiners, fore hearths and the like, is very labor intensive taking many weeks as it requires the placement of hundreds of thousands of refractory bricks that may be individually coated with mortar and positioned or in some cases essentially dry set with minimal (if any) mortar. As is well known in the glass making industry, the joints associated with the bricks of the furnace refractory structures are the weakest part of the structure and are consequently more readily susceptible to degradation by the corrosive hot gasses passing therethrough. As the brick joints begin to erode, the walls forming the refractory structure face increased attack as the corrosive gasses begin to condense and dissolve the refractory materials forming the bricks thereby weakening the structure. As the structure becomes weakened, the glass furnace itself may become compromised and fail which could then require a complete shut down and rebuilding operation. 
         [0007]    It can be appreciated therefore, that if the refractory structures could be fabricated from larger refractory blocks, then fewer joints would ensue thereby prolonging the regenerator structure&#39;s useful life and minimizing down time due to rebuilding. However, while large refractory blocks can be fabricated by pressing, molding or casting a refractory material, it is problematic to install such blocks during construction of a large-scale refractory structure. 
         [0008]    In addition to the problems noted above, many of the components of the refractory structure, e.g., checker bricks used in glass regenerator structures, need to be replaced near or at the end of their useful life in order to maintain optimal production efficiencies. It is currently difficult to replace such components, e.g., the checker bricks, when it may be desired for them to do so. 
         [0009]    What has been needed therefore are improvements in apparatus and methods whereby refractory structures may be efficiently and economically constructed and/or re-built. It is towards providing such improvements that the embodiments of the present invention are directed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    In general, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward methods and apparatus for constructing refractory structures, e.g., glass furnace regenerator structures and/or glass furnace structures formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having a roof support elements. Cross-support beams are provided to latitudinally span the refractory structure and are suspended from roof support elements associated with the building housing the refractory structure by a suspension support system attached to the cross-support beams. An overhead crane assembly may thus be supported by the cross-support beams. The cross-support beams may be connected rigidly to a longitudinally oriented lower roof support beam of the building housing the refractory structure. 
         [0011]    According to some embodiments, the suspension support system comprises a pair of suspension supports attached to respective ends of the cross-support beams. Other embodiments may have a pair of rigid suspension beams attached to the cross-support beam. 
         [0012]    The overhead crane assembly may comprise a pair of raceway beams longitudinally extending relative to the refractory structure and dependently supported by the cross-support beams, a bridge beam moveable mounted to the pair of raceway beams for reciprocal movements therealong in a longitudinal direction of the refractory structure, and a hoist moveably mounted to the bridge beam for reciprocal movements therealong in a latitudinal direction of the refractory structure. 
         [0013]    One end portion of the raceway beams may be supported in a cantilever manner according to some embodiments by a respective pair of support beams and cross-support beam and so as to extend beyond a respective end of the refractory structure. 
         [0014]    According to certain embodiments, methods of constructing a crane assembly relative to a refractory structure formed of refractory components, the refractory structure being housed within a building having a roof support elements, will include (i) spanning the refractory structure latitudinally with cross-support beams, (ii) supporting the cross-support beams by a suspension support system attached to the roof support elements of the building housing the refractory structure, and (iii) supporting an overhead crane assembly by the cross-support beams. 
         [0015]    The cross-support beams may be attached respective pairs of suspension supports attached to opposed ends thereof, whereby the suspension supports may be in the form of tension support cables and/or rigid suspension beams. 
         [0016]    Some embodiments are practiced by rigidly connecting the cross-support beams to a longitudinally oriented lower roof support beam of the building housing the refractory structure. 
         [0017]    The refractory structure may a glass furnace regenerator structure having walls comprised of refractory blocks and an interior comprised of checker bricks, in which case the method may include operating the overhead crane assembly so as to position the refractory blocks and/or the checker bricks. Other refractory structures associated with glass furnace systems, e.g., cross-fired glass furnaces, end-fired glass furnaces and electric glass furnace systems may be provided with the crane assemblies as disclosed herein. 
         [0018]    These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    The disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the drawings of which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a regenerator structure showing an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged partial end elevation view taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Accompanying  FIG. 1  schematically depicts a perspective view of a regenerator structure  10  showing an overhead crane apparatus  50  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As is known, the regenerator structure  10  is constructed of large pre-cast refractor blocks stacked on a foundation to thereby side and end walls  16 ,  18 , respectively. It will be appreciated that the regenerator structure  10  is used in operative combination with a glass furnace (not shown). The regenerator structure  10  generally depicted in the accompanying FIGURES is of a type used for side-fired glass furnaces. However, the attributes of the embodiments of the invention to be described herein are equally applicable to other glass furnace designs, e.g. end-fired glass furnaces. 
         [0023]    The regenerator structure  10  includes a series of ports (not shown) which are used to introduce pre-heated combustion air into the glass furnace (not shown) or to exhaust combustion gas from the furnace depending on the operational cycle. The top of the regenerator structure  10  is capped with crowns (a representative few of which are noted by reference numeral  10 - 2 ). The walls  16 ,  18  are structurally supported by external upright structural beams known colloquially as buck stays  20 . As is known, the buck stays  20  are compressively held against the walls by means of tie rods (not shown) extending between opposed pairs of buck stays  20  both latitudinally and longitudinally relative to the regenerator structure  10 . 
         [0024]    The overhead crane apparatus  50  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is depicted as including cross-support beams  54  latitudinally spanning the regenerator structure  10 . The cross-support beams are preferably attached to a lower roof support beam  57  associated with a building (not shown) housing the refractory structure  10  and extending longitudinally relative thereto. Attachment of the cross-support beams  54  to the lower roof support beam  55  may be accomplished by any convenient means, e.g., clamping, riveting, welding or the like, which does not weaken the structural integrity of the lower roof support beam  55 . 
         [0025]    The cross-support beams  54  are further supported from upper roof trusses or like structures (not shown) associated with the building housing the refractory structure  10  by opposed pairs of suspension supports  57 , e.g., tensioned suspension cables and/or rigid support beams). One end of the suspension supports  57  is attached to a respective lateral end of a cross-support beam  54  while the opposite end thereof is attached to portion of a correspondingly positioned upper roof truss or like structure. 
         [0026]    The cross-support beams  54  dependently support a pair of runway beams  56  between which is connected a travelling bridge beam  58 . The bridge beam  58  includes an overhead travelling hoist system  60 . According to preferred embodiments, the runway beams  56  are supported in a cantilever manner by the end-most cross-support beams  54  so that the terminal end portions of such runway beams  56  extend beyond the wall  18  of the regenerator structure  10  thereby enabling access to refractory structures or other heavy equipment therebelow. 
         [0027]    Suitable operator controlled motors (not shown) are provided with the bridge beam  58  to allow it to reciprocally travel along the runway beams  56  in a longitudinal direction of the regenerator structure (i.e., in the direction of arrow A 1  in  FIG. 1 ). Similarly, operator controlled motors (not shown) are provided with the hoist  60  to allow it to travel reciprocally along the bridge beam in a latitudinal direction of the regenerator structure  10  (i.e., in a direction of arrow A 2  in  FIG. 1 ). The hoist  60  may be connected to a suitable lifting sling or the like to allow refractory elements (e.g., checker bricks, refractory blocks, refractory bricks and the like) to be lifted up and into the interior of the regenerator structure  10 , e.g., by suitably operating the bridge beam  58  and hoist  60  so as to travel in the directions of arrows A 1  and A 2  while simultaneously causing the hoist  60  to raise or lower the secured load (i.e., in a direction transverse to arrows A 1  and A 2 ). In such a manner, therefore, the checker bricks within the regenerator structure  10  may be replaced and/or refractory blocks/bricks associated with the walls  16  and/or  18  may be installed as may be needed. 
         [0028]    Although pairs of runway beams  56  are depicted in the accompanying drawing  FIGS. 1-2  as supporting a travelling bridge beam  58 , the latter in turn supporting the hoist  60 , the present invention could be embodied in one or more monorail systems whereby the travelling hoist  60  is carried by a monorail extending the lengthwise extent of the refractory structure. In such an embodiment, the monorail may be connected directly to the cross-support beams  54  or may be connected thereto via suitable hangers as described more fully in commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 14/859,820 filed Sep. 21, 2015 (Atty. Dkt. No. BHD-6141-35, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference). 
         [0029]    Therefore, although the embodiments have been described in relation to a cross-fired glass furnace system, the principles of the invention may likewise be embodied in any glass furnace design, such as float furnaces, end-fired furnaces, unit melters with recuperators and electric furnaces with shelf, sidewall or bottom electrodes. 
         [0030]    It will therefore be understood that the description provided herein is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope thereof.