Patent ID: 8632621

Claim:
A process for melting a solid charge in a furnace, said process comprising the steps of: feeding a solid charge comprising glass or metal to the furnace; injecting a jet of fuel and a primary portion of oxidant into a furnace from a fuel/oxidant nozzle in a burner block; causing the jet of fuel and primary oxidant to be directed downward towards the solid charge by initiating injection of a jet of a first actuating fluid downwards towards the jet of fuel and primary oxidant thereby impinging the jet of fuel and primary oxidant, the first actuating fluid being a further portion of oxidant; upon the melting of a desired amount of the solid charge, discontinuing injection of the jet of the first actuating fluid; reducing an amount of oxidant injected from the fuel/oxidant nozzle as primary oxidant while initiating injection of a secondary portion of oxidant from a pair of secondary lances disposed in the burner block above the fuel/oxidant nozzle until a desired degree of staging of oxidant injection between primary and secondary oxidant and distributed combustion conditions are achieved; and withdrawing the molten charge from the furnace.