The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 17, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1996
Richard Quirk, Aughton, GB;
David Alan Bird, Rufford, Nr. Ormskirk, GB;
Ian Nigel Shulver, Southport, GB;
Robin Maxwell McIntosh, Newburgh, GB;
Pilkington Glass Limited, St. Helens, GB;
Abstract
A method of operating a cross-fired regenerative glass furnace for melting flat glass so as to minimize emission of NOx in waste gases leaving the furnace, the furnace having sealed regenerators which act as heat exchangers, the method including supplying fuel in excess of that required for stoichiometric combustion to ensure that glass of the required quality at the required production rate is obtained, and that the waste gases leaving the furnace through the regenerators contain combustible material, and reacting the combustible material with sufficient air to ensure that the waste gases exiting to atmosphere contain permissible levels of combustible material and permissible levels of NOx. Alternatively, the furnace may be operated at substantially stoichiometric conditions and fuel is supplied to the waste gases as they leave the melting chamber. The invention also relates to a cross-fired regenerator glass furnace for use in the method. The invention further provides a method of reducing the emissions of CO in waste gases leaving a cross-fired regenerative glass furnace for melting flat glass, the furnace having sealed regenerators which act as heat exchangers, the method including removing CO from the waste gases in the regenerator by combusting CO in around 8% excess air, based on the combustion air for the supplied fuel, at a temperature greater than 650.degree. C.