JP2008290922A - Apparatus for producing glass beads - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus capable of producing small-lots of various types of glass beads with good energy efficiency and in a short time by a direct process. <P>SOLUTION: This apparatus comprises a glass melting furnace, fluid injection nozzles for injecting a fluid to a glass melt falling under self weight from an outflow port of the glass melting furnace, and a chamber provided surrounding the outflow port and the fluid injection nozzles. The glass melting furnace has an oxygen burner attached downward to the ceiling wall, and raw materials for glass and auxiliary materials are supplied to the glass melting furnace by gas conveyance. The oxygen burner is ignited downward, and raw materials for glass and auxiliary materials are supplied downward into the flame for melting. The resulting glass melt is temporarily stored in the bottom section of the furnace, and it is allowed to fall under self weight from the outflow port as it is. The glass melt falling under self weight is dispersed by injecting a high-speed fluid from the fluid injection nozzles. The dispersed glass particles are made spherical by the surface tension thereof and cooled, and the resulting glass beads are collected in the chamber. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass bead manufacturing apparatus, and more specifically, a small glass melting furnace having a specific oxygen burner mounted downward on a ceiling wall, so-called small lot, multi-type glass beads can be manufactured in an energy efficient and short time. It relates to a device that can do.

  Conventionally, as a glass bead manufacturing apparatus, a direct method and an indirect method are known. An apparatus for producing glass beads by a direct method uses a glass melting furnace to produce a glass melt from a glass raw material and an auxiliary raw material (hereinafter referred to as glass raw materials) and directly produces glass beads from the glass melt. Device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, the glass bead manufacturing apparatus using the indirect method generates a glass melt from a glass raw material using a glass melting furnace, and once the glass particles or glass rods are manufactured from the glass melt, the glass particles or glass This is an apparatus for manufacturing glass beads by reheating these from a rod or the like or applying mechanical force to them (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

Compared to the glass bead manufacturing apparatus using the indirect method, the glass bead manufacturing apparatus using the direct method has the advantage of being able to manufacture glass beads efficiently without taking time and effort. However, even if the conventional glass bead manufacturing apparatus is based on the direct method, a melting zone is formed in the upstream part of the furnace as a glass melting furnace, and the clarification zone (from the middle part in the furnace to the downstream part) Using a considerably long one with a degassing zone), the glass raw material charged into the furnace from the uppermost stream part is used in the furnace radiation by burning of the burner attached to the side wall of the glass melting furnace. 1) Poor energy efficiency even when oxygen burner is burned as the burner. 2) Glass materials to be put into the furnace include various materials with different melting points. Among them, those having a low melting point dissolve quickly, but those having a high melting point dissolve slowly, so that homogeneous melting as a whole is difficult and takes a long time for homogeneous melting. 3) Generated in a glass melting furnace. Gala Due to the presence of undissolved glass raw materials at the top of the melt, there is a problem that the gas generated in the glass melt is difficult to escape and the time required for degassing is long. As a result, the glass melting furnace becomes long, and replacement of the glass melt in the furnace is extremely troublesome. 4) There is a problem that the glass melting furnace is extremely unsuitable for the production of small lots of various types of glass beads.
JP 52-42512 A JP 2000-119028 A JP 2004-224679 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of producing glass beads of a large variety of small lots in an energy efficient manner in a short time by a direct method.

  The present invention that solves the above problems includes a glass melting furnace, a fluid injection nozzle provided facing a glass melt that falls by its own weight from an outlet of the glass melting furnace, the outlet, and the fluid injection nozzle The glass melting furnace has an oxygen burner mounted downward on the ceiling wall, and the oxygen burner is supplied with a combustion-supporting gas having an oxygen concentration of 90% by volume or more. Glass raw material and auxiliary raw material are supplied by gas conveyance, and the oxygen burner is burned downward, and the glass raw material and auxiliary raw material are supplied downward into the flame and melted to form a glass melt. Is temporarily stored in the bottom of the furnace, and the glass melt is dispersed by spraying a high-speed fluid from the fluid jet nozzle onto the glass melt that is falling by its own weight while dropping itself from the outlet. Thereby, the glass particles dispersed by cooling with spheroidized by the surface tension thereof, according the generated glass beads manufacturing apparatus for a glass bead, characterized by comprising as to collect in the chamber.

  An apparatus for producing glass beads according to the present invention includes a glass melting furnace, a fluid injection nozzle provided facing a glass melt in the middle of dropping from the outlet of the glass melting furnace, and the outlet and fluid injection. And a chamber provided around the nozzle. In the glass bead manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the glass melting furnace has an oxygen burner attached downward to the ceiling wall. The oxygen burner is supplied with a combustion support gas having an oxygen concentration of 90% by volume or more, and the glass raw material is usually a granular glass raw material mixed with a glass raw material and an auxiliary raw material by gas conveyance. When the oxygen burner is burned downward, glass raw materials and the like are supplied downward into the flame and melted. As such an oxygen burner itself, a known one can be used. For example, an oxygen burner described in JP-A-8-312938, JP-A-2000-55340, JP-A-2000-103656, and the like can be used. Can be diverted. In these oxygen burners, the nozzle structure at the tip is directed from the center to the outer periphery, for example, a fuel supply nozzle, a primary combustion gas supply nozzle, an object to be treated (glass raw material etc.) supply nozzle, and a secondary combustion gas supply Like a nozzle, it consists of a plurality of supply nozzles arranged concentrically.

  If the above-mentioned oxygen burner is mounted downward on the ceiling wall of the glass melting furnace and supplied with a supporting gas having an oxygen concentration of 90% by volume or more and burned downward, the temperature of the flame itself will only increase. The flame also heats the molten metal surface temporarily stored in the bottom of the furnace. When glass raw material or the like is supplied downward in such a flame, the glass raw material or the like dissolves in a very short time. In addition, at this time, moisture such as glass raw material supplied downward in a high-temperature flame that burns downward evaporates all at once, and those in the form of carbonate compounds decompose and release gas, so they are temporarily released at the bottom of the furnace. The amount of gas generated in the glass melt stored in is significantly reduced. In addition, such glass melts are stored at the bottom of the furnace, even temporarily, where homogenization and degassing are encouraged, so they pass through the refining zone (degassing zone) as in conventional glass melting furnaces. Needless to say, even if the glass beads are directly dropped from the outlet, there is no problem in directly manufacturing the glass beads. By the direct method, glass lots of various types of small lots can be produced in an energy efficient manner in a short time.

  The above-mentioned oxygen burner is provided with elevating means, and by operating the elevating means, the distance between the tip portion thereof and the molten metal surface of the glass melt temporarily stored in the bottom of the glass melting furnace is variable. It is preferable to do so. In addition to adjusting the amount of combustion of the oxygen burner, by changing the distance between the tip of the oxygen burner and the molten metal surface of the glass melt at the bottom of the furnace, the glass melt at the bottom of the furnace, especially its The heating of the hot water surface can be controlled more freely. Adjusting the amount of combustion of the oxygen burners changes their flame length and often changes the distance between the flame front and the glass melt surface at the bottom of the furnace. Can properly control the distance by the lifting means.

  The outlet for dropping the glass melt generated from the glass melting furnace by its own weight is usually opened at the bottom wall (hearth wall) of the glass melting furnace, preferably at the center thereof, but at the bottom of the side wall of the furnace Can also be opened. In the glass bead manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the fluid ejecting nozzle is provided to face the glass melt that falls by its own weight from the outlet as described above. It is preferable that two or more such fluid injection nozzles are provided obliquely downward with sandwiching or enclosing the glass melt in the middle of falling by its own weight, and focus the glass melt in the middle of dropping the high-speed fluid from these fluid jet nozzles. It is more preferable to inject as As the high-speed fluid ejected from the fluid ejection nozzle, high-speed gas is preferable, but high-speed air or inert gas is more preferable.

  In the glass bead manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the chamber is provided so as to surround the outlet and the fluid ejection nozzle as described above. An oxygen burner attached downward on the ceiling wall of the glass melting furnace is burned downward and glass raw materials are supplied downward into the flame to melt, and the generated glass melt is temporarily stored at the bottom of the furnace. The glass melt is sprayed from the fluid injection nozzle to the glass melt that is falling by its own weight, and the glass melt is dispersed, and the dispersed glass particles are spheroidized by the surface tension. Then, it cools and collects the generated glass beads in the chamber.

  According to the glass bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to manufacture a small lot of various types of glass beads in an energy efficient and short time by a direct method.

  FIG. 1 is an overall view schematically showing in part a longitudinal section of a glass bead manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. The glass bead manufacturing apparatus shown in the figure includes a glass melting furnace 11, fluid jet nozzles 51 and 52 provided facing a glass melt B in the middle of dropping from its outlet 12 of the glass melting furnace 11, and an outlet 12. And a chamber 61 provided to surround the fluid ejection nozzles 51 and 52. The glass melting furnace 11 has a substantially square cross section, and is a little vertically long as a whole, and has a rectangular parallelepiped appearance. An oxygen burner 21 is attached downward on the ceiling wall, and the oxygen burner 21 is directly below. The melted glass A produced at the bottom of the furnace facing is temporarily stored. The oxygen burner 21 is attached to the ceiling wall via the cylinder mechanism 22 and can be moved up and down. The distance between the tip of the glass burner 21 and the molten metal surface of the glass melt A at the bottom of the furnace is variable. Yes.

  The oxygen burner 21 is composed of a plurality of supply nozzles arranged concentrically as described above. The oxygen burner 21 is supplied with combustion-supporting gas having an oxygen concentration of 90% by volume or more from the adsorption-type oxygen generator 31 via the combustion control unit 32, and from the fuel tank 33 via the combustion control unit 32. Fuel gas is supplied. Further, a gas conveyance system 41 is connected to the oxygen burner 21 so that powdery glass raw materials and the like are supplied by gas conveyance. A compressor 42 with a dryer is connected to the upstream side of the gas transport system 41, and a glass raw material supply system 43 is connected in the middle thereof. The glass raw material supply system 43 includes a glass raw material storage hopper 44, a quantitative cutting device 45 connected to the hopper 44, a vibrating sieve 46 connected to the quantitative cutting device 45, and a fixed quantity connected to the vibrating sieve 46. A crusher 48 is provided that includes a supply device 47 and crushes the coarse material sieved by the vibrating sieve 46 and returns it to the upstream side of the vibrating sieve 46. Powdered glass raw material from the glass raw material supply system 43 to the gas conveying system 41 via the hopper 44, the quantitative cutting device 45, the vibrating sieve 46 and the quantitative supply device 47, and also via the crusher 48 as necessary. Etc. are supplied to the oxygen burner 21 while being supplied in a fixed quantity. In the glass bead manufacturing apparatus shown in the figure, a fuel gas and a supporting gas having an oxygen concentration of 90% by volume or more are supplied to the oxygen burner 21 mounted downward on the ceiling wall of the glass melting furnace 11 and burned downward. A powdery glass raw material or the like is supplied downward and melted.

  An outlet 12 for dropping the glass melt A generated from the glass melting furnace 11 under its own weight is established at the center of the bottom wall of the glass melting furnace 11. Further, two fluid ejection nozzles 51 and 52 are provided obliquely downward at symmetrical positions sandwiching the glass melt B in the middle of falling from the outlet 12 from both sides. Glass melt B in the midst of dropping its own high-speed air as a fluid is jetted as a focal point F. The chamber 61 is provided so as to surround the outlet 12 and the fluid ejection nozzles 51 and 52 as described above.

  In the illustrated apparatus for producing glass beads according to the present invention, the oxygen burner 21 attached downward to the ceiling wall of the glass melting furnace 11 is burned downward and the glass raw material is supplied downward into the flame to be melted. The generated glass melt A is temporarily stored in the bottom of the furnace, and the high speed air is sprayed from the fluid jet nozzles 51 and 52 to the glass melt B in the midst of falling by its own weight while dropping itself from the outlet 12 as it is. Then, the glass melt is dispersed, and the dispersed glass particles are spheroidized by the surface tension and cooled, and the generated glass beads C are collected in the chamber 61.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Glass melting furnace 12 Outlet 21 Oxygen burner 22 Cylinder mechanism 31 Adsorption-type oxygen generator 33 Fuel tank 41 Gas conveyance system 43 Glass raw material supply system 44 Hopper 45 Fixed amount cutting device 46 Vibrating sieve 47 Fixed supply device 51, 52 Fluid Injection nozzle 61 chamber

Claims (4)

  A glass melting furnace, a fluid injection nozzle provided facing a glass melt in the middle of falling from the outlet of the glass melting furnace, and a chamber provided surrounding the outlet and the fluid injection nozzle The glass melting furnace has an oxygen burner mounted downward on the ceiling wall. The oxygen burner is supplied with a combustion supporting gas having an oxygen concentration of 90% by volume or more, and glass raw materials and auxiliary raw materials are supplied by gas conveyance. The oxygen burner is burned downward, and the glass raw material and auxiliary raw material are supplied downward into the flame and melted, and the generated glass melt is temporarily stored in the bottom of the furnace. Then, while dropping the weight of the glass from the outlet as it is, a high-speed fluid is sprayed from the fluid jet nozzle onto the glass melt that is falling by its own weight to disperse the glass melt, and the dispersed glass particles are dispersed. It cooled with spheroidizing due to surface tension, the manufacturing apparatus of glass beads of glass beads, characterized by comprising as to collect in the chamber generated.   The oxygen burner is provided with elevating means, and the distance between the tip of the oxygen burner and the molten metal surface of the glass melt temporarily stored in the bottom of the glass melting furnace by the operation of the elevating means is 2. The apparatus for producing glass beads according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is variable.   The apparatus for producing glass beads according to claim 1 or 2, wherein two or more fluid injection nozzles are provided obliquely downward, and a high-speed fluid is sprayed from a glass melt on its way as a focal point.   The apparatus for producing glass beads according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the high-speed fluid is a high-speed gas.

Images