PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A MINERAL MELT

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of making a mineral melt, the method comprising the steps of: providing a circulating combustion chamber (1); injecting fuel, preheated mineral material and combustion gas into the circulating combustion chamber (1); combusting the fuel in the circulating combustion chamber (1) thereby melting the mineral material to form a mineral melt and generating exhaust gases; separating the exhaust gases from the mineral melt, collecting the mineral melt (9) and passing the exhaust gases (10) to a heat exchange system; the method being characterised in tha t the mineral material comprises a first mineral material and a second mineral material wherein the first mineral material has a higher sintering temperature than the second mineral material and the first and second mineral materials are provided separately to the heat exchange system; wherein the first mineral material is preheated through contact with the exhaust gases and subsequently the second mineral material is preheated through contact with the exhaust gases and the preheated first mineral material.