Float Glass Kiln Structure (1)

Float glass kiln belong to horizontal flame furnace. Nowadays, float glass kiln in the world melting capacity even can reach more than 1100 t/d.

Float glass kiln structure mainly contains: feeding part, glass melting part, heat supply part, waste heat reusing part, smoke exhaust and gas supply part, etc.

 Part one Feeding Tank

Feeding tank located at the begaining of kiln is a small rectangular pool projecting from kiln tank the same time integrated with kiln tank. Dog house contains feeding tank and breast wall (front wall), the batch is put into kiln from doghouse.

1-1 Float glass kiln planform

1-doghouse; 2-melting end; 3-port; 4-cooling end; 5-flow port; 6-checker chamber

1-2 Float glass kiln front view

1-port; 2-checker chamber; 3-checker; 4-bottom flue; 5-link flue; 6-branch flue; 7-burner nozzle

1. Feeding tank size

Feeding is one of the important technological links in the melting process, which related to batch’s melting speed, melting zone’s hot spot location, the stability of bubble boundary, and finally in the end will affects product’s quality and output. Feeding tank size changed with melting pool size, batch state,feeding method and feeding machines. Batch state has powdery, granular and pulp (powder is commonly used at present); Feeding way is desided based on which kind feeding machine we choose,feeding machines have screw type, ridge type, roller type, reciprocating type, enveloping type, electromagnetic vibration type and oblique blanket type. (ridge and oblique blanket type feeding machine are commonly used).

(1) Using ridge type feeding machine

Feeding pool’s width depends on the number of feeding machines. While length can be determined based on the process equipment layout and front wall’s structure requirement.

(2) Using oblique blanket type feeding machine

Oblique carpet type feeding machine is widely used in nowadays market, its feeding way is similar to ridge type, just feeding area is much wider than ridge type, so the feeding tank size still depends on melting tank size and feeding area requirement.

With the maturing and updating of glass melting technology, feeding pool’s width becomes larger and larger. Since batch’s heat absorbed is proportional to its coverage area, so coverage area becomes larger and larger, this can improve thermal efficiency and energy saving, and higher the melting rate. Therefore, in the large float glass furnace’s design paper, the feeding tank and melting tank are equal width or quasi-equal width. 

To be continue