Submerged Combustion Melting was introduced in Russia in the Mid 70’s.
Gas Technology Institute purchased rights to practice SCM outside the former Russia.  Through the US Department of Energy, a consortium of five glass companies invested funds and engineering to take the project through pre-competitive research and engineering.  I intend to review the seven years of development, a pilot furnace constructed and operated to melt three different glasses and some of the major benefits.  One that is not often challenged, the cost of depreciation, or construction cost.
Macro Energy Balances
Between 1978 and 1982 I performed over 120 complete furnace energy balances that required a team of people a week to collect data and a week to analyze.  These energy balances were the basis for Corning reducing the energy to melt good product by 54% during these 4 years.  Recently Corning asked me to look at a 50% partnership and see what could be done.  I did the same energy balance and we increased output by 10% with no increase in fuel.  I asked a friend who had recently retired to build software to allow easier analysis of the data.  Today, after a day and a half we have an energy balance.  Although I use a few short cuts, which will be described, it provides a tool to know where the purchased energy is going. 
Today, it is not as easy to find a $100,000 in savings as the easy stuff had been completed.  However, one area is the same as it was 30years ago.  Just stands out better and we will discuss this are for energy savings

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