THE HEAT BALANCE OF A GLASS TANK FURNACE1

Abstract

A seventy-two hour test was carried out on a continuous side-fired regenerative glass tank furnace with five oil burners on each side. A novel feature of this furnace was the insulation of the entire silica brick cap by means of a high temperature insulating brick. A complete record of the furnace operation during this period is given. Temperature measurements were made a t various points in the furnace and regenerator. A feature of the temperature observations is the great magnitude of the radiation correction when hot gases are flowing through passages lined with cooler brick work. The method described by Kreisinger and Barkley was used in making these measurements. This method could be employed for direct reading of true temperature at any point in the regenerative system. The heat balance of the complete furnace system between points at bottom of regenerators is given. Possible savings of fuel amounting to 14% of the total fuel burned are shown. An important fact brought out by this heat balance is that leakage through furnace brickwork is as prolific a source of heat loss as flow of heat through them by conduction.