Date of Graduation

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Thomas R. Long

Abstract

Oxy-fuel combustion is an alternative method for melting glass that has recently become increasingly attractive as one way for the glass industry to improve its energy efficiency and reduce its environmental impacts. Research, however, is still needed to better appreciate the advantages that oxy-fuel combustion offers to the users of the batch tanks. Efforts have been underway by the WVU Projects with Industry Program to identify the parameters that govern the combustion and control behavior of an oxy-fuel fired batch tank. The two primary goals of this thesis are to develop a transfer function model for the oxy-fuel fired batch tank and to analyze the tank's closed-loop performance based on actual batch tank results. The closed-loop transfer function representation of an oxy-fuel fired batch tank can reduce both the time needed to design a new batch tank and the talent required to tune an existing batch tank. Modeling theory is used to develop the transfer functions for three main elements of an open-loop batch tank; the pipe trains, the burner and the tank. Observed data collected for an actual batch tank is used to verify the batch tank model and to specify a controller for the batch tank. The performance of the closed-loop model developed for the oxy-fuel fired batch tank was studied using the MATLAB Program. Results for both the glass melting period and the glass cooling period of the batch were in close agreement with the observed data for an actual batch tank.

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