TWI839571B - Glass melting furnace and glass manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The glass melting furnace 10 of the present invention comprises: a melting tank 20, in which glass raw materials are supplied; a power electrode 50, which is arranged in the melting tank 20; a support structure 40, which is arranged outside the melting tank 20; a support unit 60, which has a support plate 61 arranged between a first insulator 62 and a second insulator 63 of a laminated body, and fixes the second insulator 63 to the support structure 40; and an upper structure 30, which includes a conductive brick, which is supported by the support unit 60 via the first insulator 62 and covers the top of the melting tank 20.

Description

Glass melting furnace and glass manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a glass melting furnace and a glass manufacturing method.

One method of melting glass raw materials is to insert a pair of electrodes facing each other into a melting tank and apply electricity. When an alternating voltage is applied between the electrodes and electricity is applied, Joule heat is generated, so the glass raw materials are heated and the temperature rises, and the glass raw materials can be melted. Electric heating of glass raw materials is performed using a glass melting furnace with electrodes in the melting tank.

As an example of such a glass melting furnace, Patent Document 1 discloses an upper structure including a transverse wall member and a top member provided on the upper part of a melting tank (see Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-165726

[The problem that the invention wants to solve]

However, in a glass melting furnace having an upper structure, during electric heating, the current flows not only in the glass raw material or the melting tank, but also in the upper structure. If a potential is generated in the upper structure due to the current, Joule heat loss occurs due to the current flowing in the upper structure. Therefore, there is a problem of reduced energy efficiency.

The present invention provides a glass melting furnace and a glass manufacturing method that can suppress the reduction of energy efficiency. [Technical means to solve the problem]

A glass melting furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a melting tank, in which glass raw materials are supplied; an electrode, which is arranged inside the aforementioned melting tank; a supporting structure, which is arranged outside the aforementioned melting tank; a supporting unit, which has a plurality of insulators through layers and a supporting plate arranged between the aforementioned plurality of insulators, and fixes the aforementioned insulators on one side of the stacking direction to the aforementioned supporting structure; and an upper structure, which includes a conductive brick, which is supported by the aforementioned supporting unit through the aforementioned insulators on the other side of the aforementioned stacking direction and covers the top of the aforementioned melting tank. [Effect of the Invention]

The glass melting furnace of the present invention can suppress the reduction of energy efficiency.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described using drawings.

"First Implementation Form" The first implementation form of the glass melting furnace of the present invention is described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

The structure of the glass melting furnace 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG1 , the glass melting furnace 10 of the present embodiment includes: a melting tank 20 in which glass raw materials are supplied; an upper structure 30 covering the upper part of the melting tank 20; and a plurality of energized electrodes 50 which are separated from each other. A support structure 40 is provided outside the melting tank 20. The support structure 40 supports the upper structure 30.

The melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 have a shape extending in the X-axis direction. FIG1 shows a cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to the X-axis direction, the X-axis direction corresponds to the long side direction of the melting tank 20, and the Y-axis direction corresponds to the short side direction of the melting tank 20. The Z-axis direction of FIG1 corresponds to the up-down direction of the glass melting furnace 10.

The glass melting furnace 10 has a burner (not shown) on the upper structure 30, and melts the glass raw material supplied to the melting tank 20 by burning the burner and applying voltage to the power electrode 50. The melting tank 20 has a bottom 21 and a side wall 22, and holds the molten glass G obtained by melting the glass raw material supplied therein.

Each powered electrode 50 has a shape extending in the up-down direction and is arranged to penetrate the bottom 21. The front end of each powered electrode 50 extends into the melting tank 20 in a manner of inserting the molten glass G. Each powered electrode 50 includes a conductor, which is electrically insulated relative to the bottom 21 and electrically conductive with the molten glass G on the other hand. A plurality of pairs of powered electrodes 50 are arranged along the X-axis direction. Each pair of powered electrodes 50 is arranged to face each other in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, a plurality of pairs of powered electrodes can also be arranged along the Y-axis direction. In this case, each pair of powered electrodes is arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction. A power source 100 for applying an alternating voltage is connected to each pair of powered electrodes 50. The AC voltage applied to the power electrode 50 is applied to the molten glass G through the power electrode 50, so that the molten glass G flows and generates Joule heat, thereby heating the molten glass G. In this embodiment, since the power electrode 50 is arranged at the bottom 21, the space below the melting tank 20 can be effectively used.

The upper structure 30 includes: a transverse wall member 31, which stands upward from the side wall portion 22 of the melting tank 20; and a top member 32, which is arranged above the transverse wall member 31. As shown in FIG1, in a cross section perpendicular to the X-axis direction (a cross section in the paper), the transverse wall member 31 extends up and down, and the top member 32 has an arch shape. The transverse wall member 31 has a jaw 31a at the lower end and a receiving portion 31b at the upper end to support the weight of the top member 32 and maintain the arch shape of the top member 32.

Electrocast bricks are used as conductive bricks for the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30. Electrocast bricks have higher corrosion resistance than calcined bricks to the molten glass G melted at high temperature, and have the excellent property of not easily contaminating the melted molten glass G. Electrocast bricks also have a lower electrical resistance than calcined bricks.

Examples of electrocast bricks include AZS electrocast bricks, zirconia electrocast bricks, and alumina electrocast bricks. Examples of electrically conductive bricks other than electrocast bricks include precious metal coated bricks in which the surface of the brick is coated with platinum, a platinum alloy, or iridium.

As shown in FIG1 , a high-resistance refractory 23 is provided between the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 to fill the space between the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30. As the high-resistance refractory 23, dense zirconia brick, zirconia brick, or mullite brick can be cited. The high resistance mentioned here means that the specific resistance at 1400°C is 6000 Ω·cm or more.

As shown in FIG1 , the support structure 40 includes a support portion 41 extending in the vertical direction and an arm portion 42 extending in the horizontal direction from the support portion 41 to the upper structure 30. The arm portion 42 has a base end portion 42a on the support portion 41 side and a front end portion 42b on the upper structure 30 side. The support unit 60 is fixed to the upper portion of the front end portion 42b.

In this embodiment, the support structure 40 supports the transverse wall member 31, and the transverse wall member 31 supports the top member 32 in such a manner that the jaw 31a of the transverse wall member 31 is placed on the upper part of the front end portion 42b of the arm 42 via the support unit 60, and the top member 32 is placed on the receiving portion 31b of the transverse wall member 31.

A plurality of support structures 40 are formed around the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30. Each support structure 40 has a support column 41 and an arm 42. In this embodiment, a plurality of support structures 40 are formed by arranging a plurality of support columns 41 at a specific pitch along the X-axis direction.

When the support column 41 is made of steel, if a plurality of support columns 41 are arranged at a pitch of 10 m or less, the weight of the upper structure 30 can be sufficiently supported. In the present embodiment, H-shaped steel is used as the steel.

The adjacent pillars 41 are formed to have a specific interval. The specific interval between the adjacent pillars 41 can be any interval as long as an electrically insulating space can be ensured between the support units 60 fixed to the adjacent pillars 41.

The support unit 60 has a support plate 61 including a conductive material, and a first insulator 62 and a second insulator 63. The support plate 61 is disposed between the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63. In the present embodiment, the support unit 60 is a laminated configuration having three layers of the first insulator 62, the support plate 61, and the second insulator 63 in order from the top. As materials for the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63, mica board, tape-shaped glass fiber material, paper-shaped glass fiber material, electrically insulating cement board, or refractory brick can be cited.

The resistance value of the first insulator 62 can be different from the resistance value of the second insulator 63. In this embodiment, the resistance value of the second insulator 63 is greater than the resistance value of the first insulator 62. To make the resistance values of the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63 different, it is sufficient to make the thickness in the lamination direction, the area in the direction perpendicular to the lamination direction, or the material of the insulator different.

As will be described in detail later, the insulating properties of the support unit 60 can be tested by the structure of the support unit 60.

A glass manufacturing method using the glass melting furnace 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

The glass raw material is supplied to the melting tank 20, and the glass raw material is heated and melted (melting step: S1). The glass raw material is heated from above by radiating the flame of a burner (not shown) installed through the cross-wall member 31 or the top member 32 toward the glass raw material. The glass raw material is heated by the flame of the burner and by applying voltage to the plurality of energized electrodes 50 to energize, thereby generating Joule heat and heating the glass raw material.

The molten glass G obtained by melting the glass raw materials is formed in a forming furnace (not shown) disposed downstream of the melting tank 20 (forming step: S2). The formed glass is slowly cooled in a slow cooling furnace (not shown) disposed downstream of the forming furnace (slow cooling step: S3) to become a glass product.

The method for testing the insulation properties of the glass melting furnace 10 of this embodiment is described in detail.

In the melting step S1, when a voltage is applied to the molten glass G, electricity flows from the molten glass G to the upper structure 30 not only through the melting tank 20 but also through various electrical paths. As various electrical paths, there are electrical paths from the molten glass G to the upper structure 30 through the flame of the burner, or from the molten glass G to the upper structure 30 through the side wall portion 22. In particular, since the electrocast bricks have electrical conductivity, if the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 include the electrocast bricks as in the present embodiment, electricity easily flows from the molten glass G to the upper structure 30.

When electricity flows from the molten glass G to the upper structure 30, the upper structure 30 has a high potential relative to the ground potential. On the other hand, since the support structure 40 is provided outside the melting tank 20, if a steel material is used for the support structure 40, it becomes a ground potential.

In this embodiment, the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63 are provided on the support unit 60 to prevent current from flowing between the upper structure 30 which is at a higher potential than the ground potential and the support structure 40 which is at the ground potential. By providing the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63, the upper structure 30 which is at a higher potential and the support structure 40 which is at the ground potential are electrically insulated.

Furthermore, by stacking the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63, the resistance between the upper structure 30 and the support structure 40 becomes substantially the sum of the resistance of the first insulator 62 and the resistance of the second insulator 63 because the support plate 61 uses steel. Therefore, the resistance between the upper structure 30 and the support structure 40 can be made higher, and the reduction of energy efficiency can be further suppressed.

Furthermore, by increasing the electrical insulation distance between the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63 and thereby increasing the resistance between the upper structure 30 and the support structure 40, spark discharge between the upper structure 30 and the support structure 40 can be suppressed. If spark discharge is suppressed, deterioration of peripheral components or reduction in energy efficiency can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the so-called conductive bricks refer to bricks having the same degree of conductivity as the molten glass G melted in the melting tank 20. Therefore, if the glass melting furnace includes at least conductive bricks in the upper structure 30, the Joule heat loss caused by the installation of the upper structure 30 becomes a problem. However, this problem can be solved by the present embodiment.

Even if insulation failure occurs in any part of the insulator due to adhesion of glass raw materials, accumulation of deposits, moisture, etc., in this embodiment, the electrical insulation between the upper structure 30 and the support structure 40 is maintained by providing the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63 in each support unit 60. In addition, by ensuring electrical insulation spaces between the support units 60 fixed to the adjacent support parts 41, the support unit 60 having insulation failure can be specifically identified.

In the case where the insulation of the support unit 60 is not poor, the support plate 61 of the support unit 60 is electrically insulated from the upper structure 30 and the support structure 40, and the potential of the support plate 61 is maintained at a potential different from the ground potential (the potential of the support structure 40) and the potential of the upper structure 30. However, in the case where the insulation of the support unit 60 is poor, for example, if the second insulator 63 of any one of the plurality of support units 60 is short-circuited due to poor insulation, the support plate 61 on the short-circuited second insulator 63 becomes the ground potential. On the other hand, since the support plates 61 of other support units 60 are electrically insulated from the support plates 61 on the second insulator 63 where the insulation failure occurs, they maintain a potential higher than the ground potential. Therefore, by comparing the potentials of the support plates 61 of the plurality of support units 60, it is possible to detect which support unit 60 has an abnormality. In order to identify the potential of the support plate 61, for example, the voltage of the support plate 61 relative to the ground potential (the potential of the support structure 40) is measured. In addition, as a method of identifying the potential, the voltage of the support plate 61 relative to the potential of the upper structure 30, or the voltage of the upper structure 30 relative to the potential of the support plate 61 can be measured. Furthermore, the resistance value of the second insulator 63 (the resistance value between the support plate 61 and the support structure 40) can also be measured to identify the insulation characteristics of the second insulator 63 instead of identifying the potential.

On the contrary, if the first insulator 62 of any one of the plurality of support units 60 is short-circuited due to poor insulation, the support plate 61 under the short-circuited first insulator 62 becomes the potential of the upper structure 30. On the other hand, since the support plates 61 of the other support units 60 are electrically insulated from the support plate 61 under the poorly-insulated first insulator 62, they maintain a potential different from the ground potential and the potential of the upper structure 30. In order to identify the potential of the support plate 61, the voltage of the support plate 61 to the potential of the upper structure 30 or the voltage of the upper structure 30 to the potential of the support plate 61 is measured. The support plate 61 under the first insulator 62 with poor insulation shows the potential of the upper structure 30. Therefore, it is possible to detect which support unit 60 has an abnormality. Of course, the abnormality can also be detected by measuring the voltage of the support plate 61 with respect to the ground potential (the potential of the support structure 40). Furthermore, the resistance value of the first insulator 62 (the resistance value between the upper structure 30 and the support plate 61) can also be measured instead of measuring the voltage.

Even though the abnormality of the second insulator 63 does not necessarily cause a short circuit, even if only the resistance value of the second insulator 63 changes, the potential of the support plate 61 also changes. Therefore, even if the abnormality is such that the resistance value of the second insulator 63 of the support unit 60 changes, it is possible to detect which support unit 60 has the abnormality. The same is true for the abnormality of the first insulator 62.

In the case of this embodiment, the resistance value of the first insulator 62 and the resistance value of the second insulator 63 are set to different resistance values. Therefore, even if the insulation deteriorates simultaneously in a plurality of stacked insulators due to adhesion of glass raw materials, accumulation of deposits, moisture, etc., the insulation failure of the insulator with a low resistance value can be detected before the insulation failure of the insulator with a high resistance value. In particular, in the case of this embodiment, since the resistance value of the second insulator 63 is set larger than the resistance value of the first insulator 62, the first insulator 62 can be detected before the insulation failure of the second insulator 63. By making the resistance value of the second insulator 63 greater than the resistance value of the first insulator 62, the first insulator 62 and the second insulator 63 will not cause poor insulation at the same time, so the current or spark discharge flowing to the upper structure 30 can be suppressed.

"Second embodiment" The second embodiment of the glass melting furnace of the present invention is described with reference to FIG3. In the following, only the differences from the first embodiment are described. The glass melting furnace 10A of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the structure of the upper structure and the supporting structure.

The upper structure 30A includes: a transverse wall member 31A, which stands upward from the side wall portion 22 of the melting tank 20; and a top member 32A, which is arranged above the transverse wall member 31A. As shown in FIG3, in a cross section perpendicular to the X-axis direction, the transverse wall member 31A extends up and down, and the top member 32A has an arch shape. The transverse wall member 31A has a jaw portion 31Aa at the lower end and an extension portion 31Ab extending upward at the upper end.

As shown in Fig. 3, a high-resistance refractory 33 is provided on the upper part of the extension 31Ab to fill the space between the transverse wall member 31A and the top member 32A. As the high-resistance refractory 33, dense zirconia brick, zirconia brick, or mullite brick can be cited.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the support structure 40 of the second embodiment includes: a support portion 41; an arm portion 42 extending horizontally from the support portion 41 to the upper structure 30A; and an arm portion 43 formed above the arm portion 42 and extending horizontally from the support portion 41 to the upper structure 30A.

The arm portion 42 has a base end portion 42a on the support portion 41 side and a front end portion 42b on the upper structure 30A side. Similarly, the arm portion 43 has a base end portion 43a on the support portion 41 side and a front end portion 43b on the upper structure 30A side.

A support unit 60 is fixed to the upper portion of the front end portion 42b, and a support unit 70 is fixed to the upper portion of the front end portion 43b.

The support structure 40 supports the top member 32A and the cross-wall member 31A of the upper structure 30A by placing the jaw 31Aa of the cross-wall member 31A on the upper portion of the front end portion 42b of the arm 42 via the support unit 60, and placing the jaw 32Aa of the top member 32A on the upper portion of the front end portion 43b of the arm 43 via the support unit 70. As shown in FIG. 3 , the support unit 70 has an L-shape in a cross section perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and maintains the arch shape of the mounted top member 32A.

The support unit 60 includes a support plate 61 including a conductive material, and a first insulator 62 and a second insulator 63 stacked across the support plate 61. In the present embodiment, the support unit 60 also has a stacked configuration of three layers, namely, the first insulator 62, the support plate 61, and the second insulator 63, in order from the top. The support unit 70 also includes a support plate 71 including a conductive material, and a third insulator 72 and a fourth insulator 73 stacked across the support plate 71. In the present embodiment, the support unit 70 has a stacked configuration of three layers, namely, the third insulator 72, the support plate 71, and the fourth insulator 73, in order from the top.

In this embodiment, since the lateral wall member 31A is supported by the support unit 60 and the top member 32A is supported by the support unit 70, respectively, the upper structure 30A with a heavier weight can be supported. In addition, it is possible to detect which of the support units 60 and 70 has an abnormality.

In addition, a plurality of support structures 40 of this embodiment are also formed around the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30A.

"Third Implementation Form" The third implementation form of the glass melting furnace of the present invention is described with reference to FIG4.

The glass melting furnace 10B of the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the structure and arrangement of the power electrodes. A plurality of power electrodes 51 are provided on the side wall portion 22 of the melting tank 20. The power electrode 51 has: a plane portion 51a having a plane; and a through portion 51b, which is arranged in a manner to penetrate the side wall portion 22. The plane portion 51a has a plane intersecting with the direction of the through portion 51b. The plane portion 51a and the through portion 51b include a conductor and are electrically connected to each other. The plane portion 51a of each power electrode 51 is arranged in the melting tank 20 in a manner to insert the molten glass G. The through portion 51b of each power electrode 51 is electrically insulated from the side wall 22, while the flat portion 51a of each power electrode 51 is electrically connected to the molten glass G. In this embodiment, since the power electrode 51 is arranged on the side wall 22, the space on the side of the melting tank 20 can be effectively used.

As shown in Fig. 4, the planar portions 51a of a pair of power electrodes 51 are arranged to face each other along the Y-axis direction. In addition, the present embodiment also includes a plurality of pairs of power electrodes 51, and the plurality of pairs of power electrodes 51 are arranged along the X-axis direction.

"Fourth Implementation Form" The fourth implementation form of the glass melting furnace of the present invention is described with reference to FIG5.

The glass melting furnace 10C of the fourth embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the structure and arrangement of the powered electrodes. As shown in FIG5 , the structure and arrangement of the powered electrodes of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the glass melting furnace of the third embodiment.

In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained, namely, as in the second embodiment, a heavier upper structure 30A can be supported, an abnormality can be detected in which of the support units 60 and 70 occurs, and as in the third embodiment, the space on the side of the melting tank 20 can be effectively utilized.

"Fifth Implementation Form" The fifth implementation form of the glass melting furnace of the present invention is described with reference to FIG6.

The glass melting furnace 10D of the fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the structure and arrangement of the powered electrodes. A plurality of powered electrodes 53 are disposed on the side wall portion 22 of the melting tank 20. Each powered electrode 53 is arranged in a manner penetrating the side wall portion 22. The front end portion of each powered electrode 53 extends into the melting tank 20 in a manner of inserting the molten glass G. Each powered electrode 53 is electrically insulated from the side wall portion 22 and is electrically connected to the molten glass G. In this embodiment, since the powered electrodes 53 are arranged on the side wall portion 22, the space on the side of the melting tank 20 can be effectively utilized.

As shown in Fig. 6, a pair of power electrodes 53 are arranged to face each other along the Y-axis direction. In addition, the present embodiment also has a plurality of pairs of power electrodes 53, and the plurality of pairs of power electrodes 53 are arranged along the X-axis direction.

"Sixth Implementation Form" The sixth implementation form of the glass melting furnace of the present invention is described with reference to FIG7.

The glass melting furnace 10E of the sixth embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the structure and arrangement of the powered electrodes. As shown in FIG7 , the structure and arrangement of the powered electrodes of the sixth embodiment are the same as those of the glass melting furnace 10D of the fifth embodiment.

In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained, namely, similarly to the second embodiment, a heavier upper structure 30A can be supported, an abnormality can be detected in which of the support units 60 and 70 occurs, and similarly to the fifth embodiment, the space on the side of the melting tank 20 can be effectively utilized.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and also includes design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

The glass melting furnace 10 of the present embodiment melts the glass raw materials by burner heating and electric heating, but the glass raw materials may also be melted by electric heating alone.

The melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 of the present embodiment have a shape extending relatively long in one axial direction in the horizontal plane, but any shape is acceptable as long as the glass can be melted.

In this embodiment, the support unit 60 is fixed to the upper part of the front end 42b of the arm 42, but it may be fixed to the upper structure 30. In addition, the support unit 60 may be placed on the front end 42b of the arm 42 instead of being fixed to the front end 42b of the arm 42 or the upper structure 30.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of support structures 40 are formed around the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 (at least along the X-axis direction), but if a single support structure 40 can support the upper structure 30, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of support structures. Furthermore, the support structure 40 is not limited to one having an arm portion 42 and a support portion 41, and any structure may be used as long as it can support the upper structure 30.

In this embodiment, the support units 60 fixed to the adjacent support parts 41 ensure electrical insulation space, and electrical insulation can also be ensured by providing an insulator between the support units 60. Similarly, an insulator can also be provided between the support units 70 fixed to the adjacent support parts 41.

The melting tank 20 and the molten glass G in the melting tank 20 can also be electrically insulated from the upper structure 30 by the high-resistance refractory 23. If the melting tank 20 and the molten glass G in the melting tank 20 are electrically insulated from the upper structure 30, the flow of current from the melting tank 20 and the molten glass G in the melting tank 20 to the upper structure 30 can be reduced. If a high-resistance refractory 23 having a specific resistance of 10 times or more compared to the specific resistance of the molten glass G is used, the melting tank 20 and the molten glass G in the melting tank 20 can be fully insulated from the upper structure 30, which is preferred. Similarly, the high-resistance refractory 33 can be set to electrically insulate the cross-wall member 31A from the top member 32A.

The high-resistance refractory 23 can fill the gap between the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 in an airtight manner. If the gap between the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 is made airtight, the gas inside the melting tank 20 and the upper structure 30 is not easily leaked to the outside. Similarly, the high-resistance refractory 33 can be one that fills the gap between the horizontal wall member 31A and the top member 32A in an airtight manner.

In the present embodiment, H-shaped steel is used as the steel material of the support portion 41, but I-shaped steel, L-shaped steel, or square steel may also be used if it can support the upper structure 30.

In this embodiment, two insulators and one conductive material are stacked, but three or more insulators and two or more conductive materials may be stacked.

In this embodiment, the first and second embodiments, the third and fourth embodiments, and the fifth and sixth embodiments use different energizing electrodes, but any combination of energizing electrodes is possible as long as the space at the bottom or side of the melting tank can be effectively utilized.

The composition of the glass raw materials used in this embodiment is not particularly limited, and can be any of soda lime glass, alkali-free glass, mixed alkali glass, borosilicate glass, or other glasses. In addition, the uses of the manufactured glass products can be cited as construction, vehicle, flat panel display, or other various uses.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-165681 filed on September 11, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E: glass melting furnace 20: melting tank 21: bottom 22: side wall 23: high resistance refractory 30, 30A: upper structure 31, 31A: transverse wall member 31a, 31Aa: jaw 31b: receiving portion 31Ab: extension 32, 32A: top member 32Aa: jaw 33: high resistance refractory 40: support structure 41: support 42: arm 42a: base end 4 2b: front end 43: arm 43a: base end 43b: front end 50: current electrode 51: current electrode 51a: plane portion 51b: through portion 53: current electrode 60: support unit 61: support plate 62: first insulator 63: second insulator 70: support unit 71: support plate 72: third insulator 73: fourth insulator 100: power source G: molten glass S1: melting step S2: forming step S3: slow cooling step X, Y, Z: axis

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace of the first embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis. Figure 2 is a flow chart of the steps of the glass manufacturing method of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace of the second embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace of the third embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace of the fourth embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace of the fifth embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a glass melting furnace of the sixth embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the X-axis.

10: Glass melting furnace

20: Melting tank

21: Bottom

22: Side wall

23: High resistance refractory

30: Upper structure

31: Cross wall components

31a: jaw

31b: Acceptance Department

32: Top component

40: Support structure

41: Support Department

42: Arms

42a: Base end

42b: front end

50:Electrode with power

60: Support unit

61: Support board

62: The first insulator

63: The second insulated body

100: Power supply

G: Molten glass

X,Y,Z: axis

Claims (6)

A glass melting furnace comprises: a melting tank, in which glass raw materials are supplied; an electrode, which is arranged in the melting tank; a supporting structure, which is arranged outside the melting tank; a supporting unit, which has a plurality of insulators through layering and a supporting plate arranged between the plurality of insulators, and fixes the insulators on one side of the layering direction to the supporting structure; and an upper structure, which includes conductive bricks, which are supported by the supporting unit through the insulators on the other side of the layering direction and cover the top of the melting tank. A glass melting furnace as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper structure comprises electrocast bricks. A glass melting furnace as claimed in claim 1 or 2, which is provided with a high-resistance refractory material arranged between the aforementioned melting tank and the aforementioned upper structure. A glass melting furnace as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper structure comprises: a cross-wall member rising upward from the side wall of the melting tank; and a top member arranged above the cross-wall member; and a plurality of the support units are provided, and the cross-wall member and the top member are supported by different support units. A glass melting furnace as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the resistance values of the plurality of insulators are different. A glass manufacturing method, which uses the glass melting furnace of any one of claims 1 to 5, and includes: a melting step, in which the aforementioned glass raw material is supplied to the aforementioned melting tank, and the aforementioned glass raw material is melted by applying a voltage to the aforementioned electrode to obtain molten glass; a forming step, in which the aforementioned molten glass is formed using a forming furnace arranged downstream of the aforementioned melting tank; and a slow cooling step, in which the formed glass is slow cooled using a slow cooling furnace arranged downstream of the aforementioned forming furnace.