{"id":566,"date":"2026-07-29T08:34:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boostercompressorforoxygen.com\/oxy-fuel-combustion-in-glass-tank-furnaces-the-case-for-on-site-oxygen-compression\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T08:34:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:34:54","slug":"oxy-fuel-combustion-in-glass-tank-furnaces-the-case-for-on-site-oxygen-compression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boostercompressorforoxygen.com\/ja\/oxy-fuel-combustion-in-glass-tank-furnaces-the-case-for-on-site-oxygen-compression\/","title":{"rendered":"Oxy-Fuel Combustion in Glass Tank Furnaces: The Case for On-Site Oxygen Compression"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why Glass Manufacturers Are Switching to Oxy-Fuel Combustion<\/h2>\n

The glass manufacturing industry has been transitioning from conventional air-fuel combustion to oxy-fuel combustion for more than three decades. The driving forces behind this transition are well-documented: higher flame temperatures, significant reductions in fuel consumption, lower NOx emissions, and \u2014 in many cases \u2014 improved glass quality through reduced nitrogen infiltration into the melt.<\/p>\n

What is less well understood is the engineering infrastructure required to deliver the oxygen reliably and at the right pressure. A glass tank furnace runs continuously for 10 to 15 years between rebuilds. The oxygen supply system must run for the same duration without disruption. Choosing between cylinder delivery, liquid oxygen (LOX), and on-site oxygen generation with compression is not simply a cost calculation \u2014 it is a decision about operational resilience over a very long production horizon.<\/p>\n

We have supplied medium-pressure oxygen booster compressors to glass manufacturers across multiple countries. This article draws on that experience to explain what the oxygen supply system for a glass furnace actually requires.<\/p>\n

\"4MW
4MW-70\/36 large-capacity oxygen booster: a representative configuration for a major float glass plant oxygen pipeline. 70 m\u00b3\/min inlet flow, 3.6 MPa outlet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oxygen Pressure Requirements in Glass Furnace Applications<\/h2>\n

The oxygen delivery pressure at the burner manifold for a glass tank furnace is typically in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 MPa (5 to 15 bar), depending on the furnace design and the burner supplier’s specification. The distribution header pressure \u2014 the pressure at which oxygen is delivered from the supply system to the furnace building \u2014 is usually 1.0 to 1.6 MPa (10 to 16 bar) to allow for pressure drop in the building pipework and to provide regulator headroom at each burner station.<\/p>\n

This pressure range places glass furnace oxygen supply firmly in the medium-pressure product class \u2014 our ZW and LW series two-stage compressors cover this range at outlet pressures from 1.0 MPa (10 bar) to 1.6 MPa (16 bar). All models in this class run on standard 380V power supply without requiring a high-voltage transformer.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Furnace Type<\/th>\nOxygen Demand<\/th>\nHeader Pressure<\/th>\nCompressor Range<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Container glass (small)<\/td>\n3 \u2013 8 m\u00b3\/min<\/td>\n1.0 \u2013 1.2 MPa<\/td>\nZW-3\/15 to LW-6\/15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Container glass (large)<\/td>\n8 \u2013 20 m\u00b3\/min<\/td>\n1.0 \u2013 1.5 MPa<\/td>\nLW-10\/15 to ZW-20\/15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Float glass (single furnace)<\/td>\n15 \u2013 35 m\u00b3\/min<\/td>\n1.2 \u2013 1.6 MPa<\/td>\nLW-24\/16 or multiple units<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Specialty glass \/ fibre glass<\/td>\n5 \u2013 15 m\u00b3\/min<\/td>\n1.0 \u2013 1.5 MPa<\/td>\nLW-6\/15 to LW-10\/15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The Combustion Chemistry: Why Oxygen Concentration Matters<\/h2>\n

In air-fuel combustion, the 79% nitrogen in air is an inert diluent that absorbs heat without contributing to combustion. This has two consequences: the flame temperature is lower than it would be in pure oxygen, and a significant fraction of the fuel’s chemical energy goes into heating nitrogen rather than the glass melt.<\/p>\n

Oxy-fuel combustion replaces all or most of this nitrogen with oxygen. The thermochemical benefits are significant:<\/p>\n