Glass Melting Technology: A Technical and Economic ... - OSTI

and diverting funds from R&D and other manufacturing improvements. Some technologies accept higher
operating costs to minimize the capital investment capital in the furnace, for example the small Pouchet
electric melters. Waste heat recovery technology currently involves capital investment that is often
greater than the potential energy savings.
A.17. Lower operating cost
Costs for glass melting include operating labor, primary melting energy, secondary melting energy for air
and water cooling pumps and blowers, and maintenance labor and material, as well as the cost of lost
production during rebuilds to replace worn refractory linings. Melting energy and batch raw material
costs represent over 75 percent of the operating costs for melting glass. Energy efficiency and use of lessexpensive
raw materials can have the greatest impact.
A.18. Lower environmental compliance costs
Compliance with new environmental regulations continues to burden glass manufacturers financially,
requiring purchase of add-on devices, process modifications to the existing unit, or total unit replacement.
To comply, manufacturers encounter costs for capital investment, operating cost penalties (energy,
production or inefficiencies), monitoring equipment, labor and maintenance costs. Cost analysis of any
alternative melting system must include the cost of environmental compliance along with capital and
operating costs.
A.19. All-electric melter
Technology applicable to all-electric melting, but not to fossil fuel furnaces.
A.20. Total oxygen- and fuel-fired furnace
Technology applicable to fossil fuel furnaces using 100% oxygen to combust the fuel without air. It does
not apply to all-electric melting.
A.21. Combination fuel and electric furnace
Technologies applicable to mixed-energy melting systems.
A.22. Can apply to the general glass industry
Technology not limited to a single segment of the glass industry, but potentially applicable to any glass
melting system.
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