Effect of thermal insulation of the bottom of a melting tank on mass exchange of the glass

The authors study the effects of thermal insulation in the bottom of a glass melting furnace on the heat transfer and hydraulic behavior of the molten glass and the temperature distribution throughout the furnace. Their parametric analysis holds the productivity of the furnace constant and uses fuel consumption as the main variable. An algorithm, written in Fortran, is constructed which simulates the thermal and hydraulic behavior of the glass, calculates the temperature distribution against the dimensions of the furnace, and optimizes the configuration of the insulation and the fuel input. It is designed for implementation in an on-line control system for such furnaces.