Glass production device, glass production method, glass supply pipe, and molten glass transport method
A glass manufacturing apparatus includes a dissolving vessel configured to dissolve a glass raw material to produce a molten glass, a forming vessel configured to form the molten glass into a predetermined shape, and glass supply tubes configured to convey the molten glass from the dissolving vessel to the forming vessel. The glass supply tubes each include a tube body, a flange portion, which is arranged in an outer circumferential portion of the tube body and has first and second parts, an electrode portion arranged in the first part, and a temperature difference setting portion configured to cause a temperature difference between the first and second parts. The temperature difference setting portion sets a temperature of the first part to be higher than that of the second part.
1. A glass manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
a dissolving vessel configured to dissolve a glass raw material to produce a molten glass;
a forming vessel configured to form the molten glass into a predetermined shape; and
a glass supply tube configured to convey the molten glass from the dissolving vessel to the forming vessel,
the glass supply tube comprising:
a tube body;
a flange portion, which is arranged at an outer circumferential portion of the tube body and has a first part and a second part;
an electrode portion arranged at the first part; and
a temperature difference setting portion configured to cause a temperature difference between the first part and the second part,
wherein the temperature difference setting portion comprises a first cooling device arranged at the first part and configured to cause a cooling medium to flow therethrough, and a second cooling device arranged at the second part and configured to cause a cooling medium to flow therethrough, and
wherein the temperature difference setting portion is configured to set a temperature of the second part to be lower than a temperature of the first part by configuring a flow rate of the cooling medium in the second cooling device to be larger than a flow rate of the cooling medium in the first cooling device.
2. A glass supply tube, which is configured to convey a molten glass, the glass supply tube comprising:
a tube body;
a flange portion, which is arranged at an outer circumferential portion of the tube body and has a first part and a second part;
an electrode portion arranged at the first part; and
a temperature difference setting portion configured to cause a temperature difference between the first part and the second part,
wherein the temperature difference setting portion comprises a first cooling device arranged at the first part and configured to cause a cooling medium to flow therethrough, and a second cooling device arranged at the second part and configured to cause a cooling medium to flow therethrough, and
wherein the temperature difference setting portion is configured to set a temperature of the second part to be lower than a temperature of the first part by configuring a flow rate of the cooling medium in the second cooling device to be larger than a flow rate of the cooling medium in the first cooling device.