Abstract:
An electric furnace for converting fly ash into mineral wool. It is critical that fly ash for the production of mineral wool be melted and poured within critical temperature and pour rate tolerances. The electric furnace contains a product exit orifice (16), a plurality of electrodes (26, 28 and 30) located in the vessel to define primary current paths adjacent the orifice, a movable control electrode (200) is positioned for defining an additional current path adjacent the orifice and a circuit (300) for energizing the primary electrodes with multiphase current and for time-sharing the multiphase current with the control electrode. The degree of time-sharing is responsive to the temperature of the product passing through the orifice and/or the rate of flow therethrough. Also, the control electrode is positionable dependent upon the temperature of the exiting product and/or flow rate through the orifice.