Method of heating a glass melting furnace using a roof mounted, staged combustion oxygen-fuel burner

Abstract

In an industrial glass furnace, which optionally contains recuperators, regenerators, electric boost or other devices for providing heat to glass batch material, at least one staged combustion oxy-fuel burner is mounted in the roof of the furnace to provide heat to melt the glass batch material by providing a flow of fuel to the oxy-fuel burner; providing a flow of gaseous oxidant in association with said the oxy-fuel burner; injecting the fuel and the oxidant into the furnace; and, combusting the fuel such that at least a portion of combustion is effected in the vicinity of said glass forming material to enhance convective and radiative transfer of heat to said glass forming material without substantially disturbing the glass forming material. In one embodiment, the oxy-fuel burner is adapted for injecting liquid fuels. In another embodiment, the oxy-fuel burner is adapted for fuel staged combustion and contains at least one outer oxidant injector and two inner fuel injectors, the innermost fuel injector being adapted for high velocity fuel injection and the other fuel injector, disposed between the innermost fuel injector and the outer oxidant injector, being adapted for lower velocity fuel injection.