BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for manufacture of glass products, mineral wool, rock wool, and other non-metallic inorganic materials using submerged combustion melters.

Background Art

Submerged combustion melting (SCM) involves melting glass-forming materials, mineral wool forming materials, rock wool forming materials, and other non-metallic inorganic feedstock materials to produce molten materials by passing oxygen, oxygen-air mixtures or air along with a liquid, gaseous fuel, or particulate fuel directly into a molten or semi-molten pool of material, usually through burners submerged in a melt pool. The introduction of high flow rates of oxidant and fuel into the molten material, and the expansion of the gases cause rapid melting of the feedstock and much turbulence. Splashing of the molten vitreous mass inside the SCM is a phenomenon unique to the SCM. While aggressive mixing and turbulence are desired for reducing time to melt feedstock, this splashing (where molten material actually breaks away from the turbulent surface and travels upward and then falls back down into the vitreous mass by gravity, or strikes the ceiling or walls of the SCM and drips back down into the molten mass, or solidifies thereon) causes significant strain on the materials of construction, such as fluid-cooled wall panels. This strain may open up unwanted passages in semi-continuous welded channels in traditional fluid-cooled (usually liquid-cooled) panels and allow cooling fluid to bypass sections of the panel. This may lead to boiling of the cooling liquid in the bypassed sections and the buildup of condensed material (solids) found in the cooling liquid that further may restrict cooling liquid flow.

It would be an advance in the SCM art if these bypassed sections in fluid-cooled panels could be reduced or eliminated.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, systems and methods are described which reduce or overcome one or more of the above problems.

A first aspect of the disclosure is a continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panel, in certain embodiments comprising (consisting essentially of, or consisting of):

a primary metal plate (preferably selected from carbon steel, stainless steel, or combinations thereof) having length (L), a width (W), first and second major surfaces, and a perimeter edge;

a plurality of substantially 90 degree metal (either same or different than the primary metal plate, preferably carbon steel, stainless steel, or combination thereof) pieces welded to the primary metal plate in parallel configuration, each of the substantially 90 degree metal pieces comprising first and second metal leg plates configured to form a substantially 90 degree vertex therebetween, each metal leg plate having an edge distal to the vertex, the distal edge of the first metal leg plate welded to the first major surface of the primary metal plate, the distal edge of the second metal leg plate welded to the vertex of an adjacent substantially 90 degree metal piece;

each of the plurality of substantially 90 degree metal pieces having a length (l) such that l<L, and each welded to the primary metal plate in staggered configuration to form, along with first and second end plates and a seal plate, a serpentine continuous flow coolant channel.

Certain other continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panels comprise (consist essentially of, or consist of):

a primary metal plate having length (L), a width (W), first and second major surfaces, and a perimeter edge;

a plurality of substantially 90 degree metal pieces welded to the primary metal plate in parallel configuration, each of the substantially 90 degree metal pieces comprising first and second metal leg plates configured to form a substantially 90 degree vertex therebetween, each metal leg plate having an edge distal to the vertex, the distal edge of the first metal leg plate welded to the first major surface of the primary metal plate, the distal edge of the second metal leg plate welded to the vertex of an adjacent substantially 90 degree metal piece;

each of the plurality of substantially 90 degree metal pieces having a length (l) such that l=L, and each welded to the primary metal plate to form, along with first and second end plates, a plurality of substantially parallel, equal length coolant flow channels; and a plurality of conduits fluidly connecting adjacent ends of the flow passages through the first and second end plates (or alternatively through the second leg of the substantially 90 degree metal pieces) and configured to form a serpentine continuous coolant flow channel.

Certain other continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panels comprise (or consist essentially of, or consist of):

a one piece milled metal plate having a length (L), width (W), a longitudinal axis, a thickness (T), first and second major surfaces, and a perimeter edge, the one piece milled metal plate comprising a plurality of substantially parallel, equal length coolant flow channels milled or formed therein substantially parallel to longitudinal axis and not intersecting from a first end to a second end of the one piece milled metal plate, and

adjacent coolant flow channels connected at respective ends by a plurality of conduits fluidly connecting adjacent ends of the adjacent coolant flow channels and configured to form a serpentine continuous coolant flow channel.

Still other continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panels comprise (or consist essentially of, or consist of):

a one piece milled metal (pref. carbon steel) plate having a length (L), width (W), a longitudinal axis, a thickness (T), first and second major surfaces, and a perimeter edge, the one piece milled metal plate comprising a plurality of non-through passages milled or formed therein substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and not intersecting from a first end to the second end of the plate, the milled or formed non-through passages configured such that they extend from one minor edge of the plate to greater than 80 percent but not more than 99 percent of the length (L), adjacent through passages connected by surface conduits fluidly connected to the non-through passages by a plurality of connecting passages extending from one major surface to each of the non-through passages, and configured to produce a continuous coolant fluid flow passage through the plate.

A second aspect of the disclosure is a submerged combustion melter comprising (consisting of or consisting essentially of) one or more continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panels of the first aspect of this disclosure in either the roof, the sidewall structure, or both.

A third aspect of the disclosure is a method of producing molten inorganic product comprising feeding one or more feedstocks to an SCM of the second aspect of this disclosure.

Continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panels, SCMs, and methods of the disclosure will become more apparent upon review of the brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the disclosure, and the claims that follow.

