Sand dissolution and bubble removal in a model glass melting channel with a uniform melt flow

The relations describing sand dissolution and single bubble removal in an orthogonal horizontal or vertical channel with a throughput of glass were determined. The different glass flow regimes without melt circulation were studied with the aim of revealing their influence on the introduced quantity, space utilisation, and on the dissolution and fining performance of the channel. The isothermal regime showed a relatively high space utilisation and melting performance for both examined processes owing to the absence of circulation dead spaces. In comparison with the isothermal regime, the application of a small longitudinal temperature gradient with a higher temperature on the channel output in the horizontal channel showed an increase of the space utilisation and dissolution performance by about 12%, whereas both quantities increased by more than 30% when a proper vertical temperature gradient with a higher temperature on the glass level was applied. The similar regimes did not in essence influence the utilisation of the space for bubble removal or the fining performance of the channel. The results form a knowledge base for comparison with melting spaces characterised by melt circulation.