ROLE OF GLASS MELT FLOW IN CONTAINER FURNACE EXAMINED BY MATHEMATICAL MODELLING

The character of the glass melt flow in a regenerative container furnace was simulated by mathematical modeling under conditions of various energy distributions in the melting space with the application of electric boosting. The aim was the achievement of high melting performance and the decrease of heat losses. The results of the modeling have confirmed that the melting performance generally increased and heat losses decreased with the growth of the total amount of energy added to the batch region of the furnace. The amount of energy delivered to the furnace batch region moved between 30-60% of the total supplied energy; the melting performance then corresponded with 230-460 tons/day, and the specific heat losses were between 1450-2100 kJ/kg of glass. The energetic model of melt flows is presented providing the diagram of various flow characters.