A Proposed Method for Calculating the Performance of Glass Tank Furnaces

JSGT 1941 V25 T249-T269

From consideration of a basic heat-exchange equation a logical method has been derived for determining the performance figure of a tank furnace irrespective of the type of glass melted and the melting temperature. The following factors have been considered: the effect of temperature' on fuel consumption, the effect of the size of the furnace, the quality of the fuel used, the design of the furnace, and the rate of melting and rate of withdrawal. It is shown that insulation of the furnace refractories is likely to- give a greater saving of fuel than changes of design in the furnace str11cture. The· colour of the glass affects the performance figure, and an attempt has been made to take this factor into account in view of the differences in the heat-absorbing properties of colourless and coloured glasses.

W. M. Hampton, B.Sc., Ph.D., F.Inst.P., F.I.C., F.S.G.T.