ICG/Glass Trend meet in Eindhoven

The TCs involved: TC11 (Refractories), TC13 (Environment), TC14 (Gases in Glass), TC15 (Sensors & Control), TC18 (Melting Processes), TC21 (Modeling Furnaces), TC25 (Forming Processes).The seminar welcomed 102 participants from 18 different countries and 29 different industrial companies plus 11 institutes.During the seminar 31 papers were presented concerning innovation in glass production in general, with some recent examples of innovative solutions for glass recycling and improving glass properties.In session W1 on Wednesday the 10th of April, ambitious roadmaps for innovation in glass production were also presented.

The different Technical Committees highlighted their activities and their members' research in different sessions chaired by the TCs.

Thursday, 11th April: The first session (D2) was dedicated to energy efficiency and environmental issues and was coordinated by TC13.  It involved 5 papers on new emission control techniques, energy saving methods and the chemistry and kinetics of evaporation processes. The session D3 on refractory materials with 4 papers was chaired by TC11 with the focus on experimental studies or tests for refractory materials applied in glass furnaces and new refractory materials.

A session (D4) on glass quality and glass defects was led by TC14 and included papers on characterizing bubbles in glass, measuring the contents of water in glass and promoting melting performance in industrial furnaces.

On Friday, 12th April, sessions were organized by TC15, TC21 and TC25. A session (V5) on sensors and process control included 5 papers e.g. on electrochemical sensors, sensor robustness, soft-sensing (using CFD models to estimate time dependent process parameter values in glass furnaces) and control of combustion processes using a recently developed O2/CO sensor. This session was chaired by TC15.

TC21 chaired a session (V6) with 3 papers on the work of this TC on modelling glass melting processes in industrial glass furnaces, with the results of their lastest Round Robin on a TV glass furnace.  Future applications of glass furnace simulation (CFD based) models were discussed. Applications include: furnace design, optimum furnace operation, troubleshooting and process control. The application of CFD modeling to develop furnace designs, furnace operation and better combustion systems for glass melting with higher energy efficiency and lower emissions were shown.