CFD-based investigation of flow field in a glass furnace reactor under an oxy-fuel electric boosting mode

This study focuses on a 200 t/d glass fiber furnace with an electric boosting system using oxygen and air as the oxidizers. A furnace model, including the combustion space and glass melt, was developed using CFD numerical simulation techniques. Temperature fields, velocity fields, and glass particle trajectories were used to compare the operating conditions of air-fuel and oxy-fuel combustion, analyzing the impact of the oxy-fuel system on the glass furnace. Additionally, the residence time distribution, melting factor, and mixing factor were used as quality indicators to assess the performance and production quality of the glass furnace. The results demonstrated that in the oxy-fuel electric boosting process, the flame-covered zone reached higher temperatures, the high-temperature region was larger, and the maximum temperature difference was about 378.5 K, which improved the heat transfer efficiency to the glass melt. Additionally, the oxy-fuel process promoted glass flow, and enhanced the mixing of the glass melt, although the residence time of the fastest-moving particles was only 8.0 h, which might have an inferior melting quality. These research findings can provide valuable insights for the engineering optimization of the oxy-fuel electric boosting process.