Control and Use of Dual Fuel Systems in Forehearths, Glazers, and Lehrs

A solution to the curtailments of natural gas for the combustion systems of forehearths, glazers, lehrs, an other small burners used in the glass industry is reported. The solution lies in the use of oil-to-gas converters which are fully automatic, oil-fired air heaters that supply a precisely controlled flow of heated combustion air to the mixture manifold. Oil is atomized, vaporized, and delivered to the existing burners. The mixture of hot air and oil vapors has the same calorific value as the mixture of cold air and natural gas, and its combustion produces a blue flame characteristic of gas firing. This system has been used successfully in Mexico for the last two years in plants manufacturing containers, pressed table ware, opal borosilicate dinner ware, automatic paste mold ware, and hand blown glass.