Commonly used energy-saving technologies for glass melting furnaces

Oxy-fuel Combustion Technology
There are two primary ways oxy-fuel combustion is applied to glass melting furnaces: full oxy-fuel combustion and oxy-fuel boosting.
(1) Full Oxy-fuel Combustion Glass Melting Furnace
In a full oxy-fuel combustion glass melting furnace, pure oxygen is used for combustion throughout the entire melting section. Its advantages include:
① Improved combustion efficiency, resulting in energy savings of 25%–55%;
② Significant pollution reduction: NOx emissions are reduced by over 80%, and particulate matter emissions by 70%–80%;
③ Lower investment costs and a simplified furnace structure with a smaller footprint; it eliminates the need for regenerators, combustion air fans, and denitrification systems;
④ Enhanced glass melting quality: combustion is continuous (no reversing), leading to more stable temperature and atmosphere distributions, which helps reduce cords and seeds (small bubbles) and improves overall glass quality;
⑤ Shorter furnace construction time, reduced maintenance requirements, and extended furnace service life.
(2) Oxy-fuel Boosting Glass Melting Furnace
In an oxy-fuel boosting glass melting furnace, pure oxygen lances are used to apply heat at specific locations—such as the furnace "hot spot" or the "No. 0 port" (in flat glass furnaces)—to accelerate glass melting and refining. Its advantages include:
① Increased pull rate (output) by 5%–15%;
② Improved thermal efficiency, resulting in energy savings of 2%–10%;
③ Reduction of seeds and cords, leading to improved glass quality;
④ Reduction of pollutant emissions by 5%–20%;
⑤ Ability to overcome limitations associated with regenerators and extend the furnace's service life.

Furnace Bottom Bubbling Technology
With the evolution of bubbling technology, the use of precisely controlled low-frequency bubbling (0–8 bubbles/min) has become the prevailing trend. This method achieves standard bubbling effects while offering the following distinct advantages:
① It promotes the homogenization of the glass melt, prevents batch piles from entering the fining zone, improves melt uniformity, and increases output.
② It enhances the thermal efficiency of the melting furnace, resulting in fuel savings of approximately 5%.
③ It shortens the time required for batch changes.④ It enables precise control of the bubbling frequency and independent adjustment of bubble size. Techniques for quantifying bubbling frequency and bubble size help control and stabilize the convection system within the molten glass; furthermore, they prevent the formation of secondary bubbles (due to independent bubbling at low frequencies) and improve the quality of the molten glass.
⑤ Refractory material wear is minimized through the use of very low bubbling frequencies.
⑥ The combination of low-frequency, large-sized bubbles and a specially designed anti-clogging bubbling tube ensures effective homogenization while eliminating the risk of clogging typically associated with bubblers.

Electric-boosted thermal barrier technology
The purpose of electric-boosted thermal barrier technology is to utilize electrical energy to generate beneficial convection currents within the molten glass. In this way, the electric boosting system not only supplies energy to the melting process but also effectively controls the glass melt's convection patterns. This benefits overall furnace operation, improves melt homogeneity, prevents unmelted or insufficiently refined glass from reaching the throat prematurely, and helps optimize heat transfer from the space beneath the furnace crown.