A Study on the Glass Sheet Elevation Control with Linear Induction Motor in Molten Metal

Abstract

The authors have been investigating the applications of a Linear Induction Motor (LIM) to a manufacturing process of sheet glass. It was found that a sheet glass can be sunk into molten metal by supplying electromagnetic force of LIM in the contrary direction to the gravity force.
This paper describes the study on the glass sheet elevation control with LIM in molten metal. The points discussed are followings:
(1) A mathematical model of the sinking length of sheet glass in molten metal is derived on the principle of the glass sheet elevation control with a LIM.
(2) Experiments verified that the LIM can elevate a sheet glass in molten metal and that the locus of the glass movement has a mysterious hysteresis loop, which is due to the end effect of the LIM.
(3) It is shown that the calculated positions of a sheet glass in molten metal are depth in 12% errors with the measured ones.
(4) It is clarified that the sinking length by the friction force of molten metal flow is no more than 3% compared to the gravity force and the electromagnetic force is dominant to control the elevation of sheet glass.