The present disclosure is directed to devices for glass manufacturing, and more particularly, devices for fining molten glass.

BACKGROUND

Submerged combustion melting (“SCM”) is based on enhancing heat transfer by mixing combustible fuels and oxidants with raw glass material and firing the fuels and oxidants directly into and under the surface of the glass material to be melted. The contact between the raw glass material and the combusting fuels and oxidants generates a bubbling bath of molten glass with high rates of mass and heat transfer. During this process, gases can be produced, which may evolve to form gas bubbles within the molten glass. The process of removing the gas bubbles from molten glass can be referred to as fining (it may also be referred to as refining). Fining can occur inside or outside of a furnace or tank, such as in downstream fining chambers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.

A glass fining device in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes at least one heated orifice through which molten glass flows from a glass melter to produce at least one superheated glass stream; and a low-pressure chamber disposed downstream from the heated orifice, where the at least one superheated glass stream flows from the at least one heated orifice and into the low-pressure chamber, and where the low-pressure chamber surrounds the at least one superheated glass stream.

A glass fining system in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a glass melter and a glass fining device coupled to the glass melter, the glass fining device including at least one heated orifice through which molten glass flows from a glass melter to produce at least one superheated glass stream; and a low-pressure chamber disposed downstream from the heated orifice, where the at least one superheated glass stream flows from the at least one heated orifice and into the low-pressure chamber, and where the low-pressure chamber surrounds the at least one superheated glass stream. In some instances, the low-pressure chamber may include at least one surface extender.

A method for fining molten glass in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes melting glass in a glass melter; flowing the molten glass from the glass melter through at least one heated orifice resulting in a superheated glass stream; and flowing the at least one superheated glass stream from the at least one heated orifice and into a low-pressure chamber, where the low-pressure chamber surrounds the at least one superheated glass stream. In some instances, the method may include flowing the at least one superheated glass stream over at least one surface extender.

