Study of the relationship between the distribution of the power and temperatures in a small resistive art glass melting furnace

The subject of the investigation is a small electric resistance furnace with two technological regimes of melting glass - in a crucible or in a ready-made plaster form for the preparation of finished glass sculpture. Specific feature of the second case is that annealing of the finished product is carried out in the same furnace, i.e. the device is also used as annealing furnace. 3D FEM simulation model is developed, which corresponds to the specific features of the load and of the device. The aim of the study is to prove adequacy of the simulation model, using comparison between experimentally and numerically obtained results.