The steady state and dynamic behaviour in glass furnaces and forehearths can be described accurately and reliably by computational fluid dynamics models (CFD) such as the TNO Glass Tank Model. CFD models are based on the numerical solution of the partial differential equations for conservation of mass, momentum, energy and electric neutrality. Application of these detailed, but also slow models for direct on-line control or optimisation of glass melting processes is not possible without strong model reduction. A generic approach, so-called proper orthogonal decomposition, which is able to reduce the complex CFD glass furnace simulation model to no more than around 50 equations, while maintaining the required accuracy and level of detail, is presented.
