Apparatus and method using heat pipes for manipulating temperature gradients in a glass forming chamber
US4092140A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 8, 1976 |
| Grant date | May 30, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 8, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF28D15/0266
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A plurality of high-temperature operating, corrosion-resistant heat pipes are employed to distribute heat transversely and longitudinally from normally hotter portions of a glass forming chamber to normally cooler portions of the same chamber in order to provide a more uniform thermal environment for the forming of flat glass. In particular, heat pipes are provided beneath the surface of a pool of glass-supporting molten metal in such a chamber to remove heat from a central and usually upstream region of such a chamber and transfer it to a marginal and preferably downstream region of the chamber. By transferring the heat in this manner, the temperature gradients within the chamber may be manipulated to be more uniform throughout a forming region so that glass of improved quality can be produced with improved efficiency, utilizing less energy than normally required for producing glass according to typical conventional float glass manufacturing methods.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.