PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The fuel is fired without nitrogen in the applied oxidant (pure oxygen) (lower volumes of flue gases) with oxygen quality >90%.

In general, oxy-fuel glass furnaces have the same basic design as recuperative glass melters, with multiple lateral burners and a limited number of exhaust port(s).Typically are only 4 to 6 burners per sidewall installed.

Burners from opposite sidewalls are preferably not placed in one line, but staggered in order not to produce hot spots. A complete oxy-fuel furnace is approximately 35% cheaper in comparison to a cross-heated regenerative furnace, approximately 25-30% cheaper in comparison to an end fired regenerative furnace, and approximately 15-20% cheaper in comparison to a recuperative furnace.

Oxy-fuel melting can be a very effective technique for thermal NOx abatement (see COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 28 February 2012 establishing the best available techniques (BAT) conclusions under Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions for the manufacture of glass).