EP4653515A1

EP4653515A1 - Method for predicting lifespan of coke oven battery

Info

Publication number: EP4653515A1
Application number: EP23927426.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yasumasa Fukushima
Original assignee: JFE Steel Corp
Current assignee: JFE Steel Corp
Priority date: 2023-03-15
Filing date: 2023-03-15
Publication date: 2025-11-26
Also published as: JPWO2024189805A1; MX2025010689A; EP4653515A4; JP7493131B1; WO2024189805A1

Abstract

An object is to provide a coke oven battery life predicting method that can predict the life of a coke oven battery.

A coke oven battery life predicting method for predicting a life of a coke oven battery includes measuring an oven wall shape of each carbonization chamber 14 constituting a coke oven battery with a shape measuring device to identify a bulge 34 bulging inward from an initial position based on hot-state dimensions upon completion of construction of the coke oven, measuring the oven wall shape for the bulge 34 multiple times at different measurement dates and times to determine a regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging, calculating a date and time at which the amount of bulging calculated using the regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold to predict a usable period of the carbonization chamber 14, and predicting a life of the coke oven battery on the basis of the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber 14.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for predicting the life of an aging coke oven battery.

Background Art

In recent years, as coke ovens have aged, some of refractories constituting the coke ovens have worn and deformed, and joints between refractories have widened. This may cause part of the oven wall of a carbonization chamber, which was flat upon completion of construction of the coke oven, to bulge inward. In the operation of the coke oven, an increase in the amount of bulging of the oven wall of the carbonization chamber causes a pushing clogging, which makes it difficult for coke to be discharged. If a pushing clogging occurs, the amount of coke produced per unit time decreases. If the amount of bulging of part of the oven wall further increases, a ram head of a pushing ram may come into contact with the part, and this will make it difficult for the pushing ram to discharge coke from the carbonization chamber. The contact may cause oven wall refractories to collapse.
To avoid this, the oven wall refractories of the carbonization chamber are to be restacked and repaired before the amount of bulging in the carbonization chamber becomes too large. For repairing the oven wall refractories of the carbonization chamber, it is necessary to know the location of the inner wall to be repaired and when the repair is to be made. Patent Literature 1 discloses a coke oven wall diagnostic method in which a laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device is installed outside the carbonization chamber and the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber is measured by irradiating the oven wall inside the carbonization chamber with laser. Patent Literature 2 discloses a method which involves measuring the oven wall shape in the same way as above to identify a bulging portion of the inner wall of the carbonization chamber, and predicting the time when repair of the bulging portion is to be required, that is, the usable period of the carbonization chamber.

Citation List

Patent Literature

PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-82909
PTL 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-60867

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

Since a coke oven includes many carbonization chambers and combustion chambers alternately arranged, repairing the oven wall refractories for each individual carbonization chamber is inefficient. Therefore, when the oven wall refractories of carbonization chambers are to be repaired, it is preferable to collectively repair the oven wall refractories of the carbonization chambers in units of oven batteries of the coke oven. In contrast, the oven wall diagnostic method and the usable period predicting method disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 are directed to individual carbonization chambers in the coke oven and therefore, the life of an aging coke oven battery cannot be predicted with these methods alone. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem in the related art. An object of the present invention is to provide a coke oven battery life predicting method that can predict the life of a coke oven battery.

Solution to Problem

The present invention that can solve the problem described above is summarized below.

[1] A coke oven battery life predicting method for predicting a life of the coke oven battery includes measuring an oven wall shape of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery with a shape measuring device to identify a bulge bulging inward from an initial position based on hot-state dimensions upon completion of construction of the coke oven, measuring the oven wall shape for the bulge multiple times at different measurement dates and times to determine a regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging, calculating a date and time at which the amount of bulging calculated using the regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold to predict a usable period of the carbonization chamber, and predicting a life of the coke oven battery in the coke oven on the basis of the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber.
[2] In the coke oven battery life predicting method according to [1], a correspondence between an operating period of the coke oven and a percentage of unusable carbonization chambers in the coke oven battery is determined using the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber, and the life of the coke oven battery is predicted using the correspondence.
[3] In the coke oven battery life predicting method according to [1], a correspondence between an operating period of the coke oven and coke production from the coke oven battery is determined using the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber, and the life of the coke oven battery is predicted using the correspondence.
[4] In the coke oven battery life predicting method according to any one of [1] to [3], the threshold is determined on the basis of a gap sd between a ram head of a pushing ram and the initial position of the bulge based on the hot-state dimensions upon completion of construction. Advantageous Effects of Invention

The present invention can predict the life of a coke oven battery by predicting the usable period of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery. This makes it possible to develop a repair plan for carbonization chambers in units of oven batteries, and to repair the carbonization chambers efficiently.

Brief Description of Drawings

[Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a coke oven.
[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating a carbonization chamber of the coke oven.
[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber of the coke oven.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of oven wall shape data of the carbonization chamber.
[Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a graph illustrating how the amount of bulging w changes with time.
[Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber of the coke oven.
[Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a graph illustrating a relation between the operating period of a coke oven battery α and a coke oven battery β in the coke oven and the percentage of non-operational ovens.
[Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating a relation between the operating period of the coke oven battery α and the coke oven battery β illustrated in Fig. 7 and the percentage of coke production.

Description of Embodiments

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention and are not limited by these examples.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a coke oven 10. First, the coke oven 10 will be described using Fig. 1. The coke oven 10 includes a regenerative unit 12 constructed by a plurality of regenerative chambers arranged side by side, and a plurality of carbonization chambers 14 and a plurality of combustion chambers 16 disposed on the regenerative unit 12. The carbonization chambers 14 and the combustion chambers 16 are alternately arranged adjacent to each other. A coke oven battery 10 is structured by a plurality of carbonization chambers 14 arranged along a longitudinal direction L.
A charging car 18 travels over the carbonization chambers 14 and the combustion chambers 16 along the longitudinal direction L of the coke oven 10. An upper wall of the carbonization chambers 14 has a plurality of charging holes (not illustrated) arranged along a transverse direction S of the coke oven 10. Coal, which is the raw material for coke, is charged through the charging holes into the carbonization chambers 14. The carbonization chambers 14 each have end flues 14a on both sides thereof. The end flues 14a are each closed by being covered with a removable oven lid (not illustrated). A pusher machine 20 is disposed on the side of one end flue 14a of the carbonization chamber 14, and a guide car 22 is disposed on the side of the other end flue 14a. The pusher machine 20 and the guide car 22 travel along the longitudinal direction L of the oven.
In each carbonization chamber 14, coal is carbonized into a coke cake. To carbonize coal, fuel gas is supplied from each regenerative chamber of the regenerative unit 12 to the combustion chamber 16 for combustion, and the combustion heat is transferred to the adjacent carbonization chamber 14 to heat the carbonization chamber 14. This increases the temperature in the carbonization chamber 14 and coal is carbonized. Upon completion of carbonization of coal, the oven lid is removed, and a pushing ram of the pusher machine 20 is inserted into the carbonization chamber 14. By inserting the pushing ram, the coke cake obtained by carbonization of coal is pushed out of the carbonization chamber 14 and received by the guide car 22 on the opposite side of the pusher machine 20. A quenching car 24 capable of travelling in front of the regenerative unit 12 along the longitudinal direction L of the oven is disposed below the guide car 22, so that the quenching car 24 receives the coke cake from the guide car 22. The quenching car 24 conveys the coke cake to a predetermined location.
The operation of the coke oven 10 involves repetition of pushing the coke cake out of the carbonization chambers 14 and charging coal into the carbonization chambers 14. Repeating this operation causes the oven walls of the carbonization chambers 14 to wear and deform. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber 14 of the coke oven 10. Fig. 2(a) illustrates the carbonization chamber 14 upon completion of construction of the coke oven 10, and Fig. 2(b) illustrates the carbonization chamber 14 with an oven wall 32 deformed and partially bulging inward. The carbonization chamber 14 is formed by a pair of opposite oven walls 32. The oven walls 32 are produced by vertically stacking refractory bricks.
The coke cake is pushed out by a pushing ram 26. The pushing ram 26 includes a ram head 28 and a ram beam 30 to which the ram head 28 is attached. The pusher machine 20 includes the pushing ram 26 and a pushing ram drive device (not illustrated) connected to the ram beam 30 of the pushing ram 26. When the ram beam 30 is driven by the pushing ram drive device, the ram head 28 is inserted into the carbonization chamber 14, and the coke cake is pushed out of the carbonization chamber 14 by the ram head 28.
In the carbonization chamber 14 illustrated in Fig. 2(a), there is no occurrence of pushing cloggings of the coke cake caused by irregularities in the oven wall 32. In the carbonization chamber 14 illustrated in Fig. 2(b), however, the oven wall 32 has a bulge 34 and the coke cake may come into contact with the bulge 34 when pushed out by the ram head 28. This may increase the resistance encountered during pushing of the coke cake and cause a pushing clogging. The bulge 34 is formed when part of the oven wall 32, which was flat, bulges inward as some of refractories wear and deform or joints between refractories widen, due to aging of the coke oven 10.
If the bulge 34 further bulges inward and the ram head 28 comes into contact with part of the bulge 34, bricks of the combustion chamber that constitute the oven wall 32 in and around the contact area may collapse or the pushing ram 26 may stop functioning. Since the collapse of bricks of the combustion chamber, in particular, often takes a long period of time for repair, the contact between the ram head 28 and the bulge 34 is to be avoided.
Therefore, the use of the carbonization chamber 14 is to be stopped before the amount of bulging of the bulge 34 becomes large enough to cause pushing cloggings of the coke cake or the collapse of refractory bricks. To determine whether the carbonization chamber 14 can be used, a coke oven battery life predicting method according to the present embodiment predicts the usable period of the carbonization chamber constituting a coke oven battery in accordance with steps 1 to 4 listed below.

1. The oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 constituting a coke oven battery is measured with a shape measuring device to identify a bulge.
2. In the carbonization chamber 14 constituting the coke oven battery, the oven wall shape of the bulge is measured multiple times at different measurement dates and times to acquire a plurality of data sets, each consisting of the measurement date and time t and the amount of bulging w.
3. A regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging w is determined using the plurality of data sets.
4. A date and time at which the amount of bulging w calculated using the regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold is calculated. This threshold is a threshold determined in advance on the basis of the amount of bulging at which a pushing clogging of the coke cake or a collapse of refractory bricks occurs. The period up to this date and time is the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14 constituting the coke oven battery.

First, a method will be described in which the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 constituting a coke oven battery is measured with a shape measuring device to identify a bulge. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber 14 of the coke oven 10. The oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 is measured under hot conditions, for example, by a laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36. Note that the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 is an exemplary shape measuring device that measures the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 under hot conditions. The laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 is installed in front of an end flue 14a on the side of the carbonization chamber 14 from which the coke cake is pushed out. The laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 measures the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 as a point cloud by obliquely irradiating the oven wall 32 with laser through a laser irradiation hole and receiving reflected light from the oven wall 32 at a detection hole. The hot-state dimensions of the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 can thus be acquired.
Although the oven wall shapes on the right and left sides of the carbonization chamber 14 may be simultaneously measured using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36, it is preferable to separately measure the oven wall shapes on the right and left sides of the carbonization chamber 14. The carbonization chamber 14 is about 6 m high, about 400 mm wide, and about 16 m deep on the upper side, and the end flue 14a has a narrow, elongated structure about 400 mm wide and about 6 m high. In irradiation of laser from outside the carbonization chamber 14, the incident angle of laser on the oven wall 32 is shallow if the oven wall shapes on both the right and left sides are to be measured simultaneously. When laser is incident at such a shallow angle, if the oven wall 32 bulges inward, a shaded area that laser cannot reach may be created at the back of the bulging portion and the oven wall shape cannot be measured. On the other hand, when the oven wall shapes on the right and left sides are separately measured, the incident angle of laser on the oven wall 32 can be increased, so that the oven wall shape can be measured even if the oven wall 32 bulges inward.
The right and left inner wall shape data measured by the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 may be evaluated separately, or these two pieces of inner wall shape data may be combined on the basis of a reference object around the carbonization chamber 14 and evaluated as a single piece of composite oven wall shape data. The oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 in the coke oven 10 can thus be measured by using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36.
Referring back to Fig. 2(b), the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 is measured using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36, and oven wall shape data acquired by this measurement is compared with hot-state measurement data of the carbonization chamber 14 acquired immediately after completion of construction to obtain differential shape data. A portion of the differential shape data bulging inward from an initial position based on the hot-state dimensions obtained upon completion of construction of the coke oven 10 is the bulge 34. The position of the bulge 34 can thus be identified.
If there are a plurality of bulges that bulge inward from the initial position, it is preferable to identify a portion with the largest amount of bulging w as the bulge. This is because the amount of bulging w of a bulge with the largest amount of bulging w is considered to increase most rapidly. The position of the bulge simply needs to be identified at least once before predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14. However, after the position of the bulge that bulges the most is initially identified, the most bulging area may change gradually. In this case, the position of another bulge may be identified instead of, or in addition to, the bulge initially identified.
Next, in the carbonization chamber 14 constituting the coke oven battery, the oven wall shape is measured multiple times at different measurement dates and times to acquire a plurality of data sets, each consisting of the measurement date and time t and the amount of bulging w of the bulge identified. A dotted line in Fig. 2(b) indicates the initial position of the oven wall 32 based on the hot-state dimensions obtained upon completion of construction of the coke oven 10, and a black dot on the dotted line indicates the initial position of the bulge 34 based on the hot-state dimensions obtained upon completion of construction of the coke oven 10. A solid line in Fig. 2(b) is a line parallel with the dotted line and tangent to the most bulging area of the bulge 34. The initial position of the bulge 34 is a point at which a line extending perpendicularly from the most bulging area of the bulge 34 to the dotted line intersects the dotted line. The amount of bulging w is the distance from the initial position of the bulge 34 to the dotted line. As described above, once the bulge 34 is identified, the initial position of the bulge 34 is also identified. Therefore, the amount of bulging w of the bulge 34 can be determined by acquiring the oven wall shape data measured by the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36.
Although the measurement interval of the amount of bulging w is not particularly limited, it is preferable to regularly measure the amount of bulging w every few days, weeks, or months to check how the amount of bulging w changes with time. For example, during the operation of the coke oven 10, the amount of bulging w is unlikely to significantly change over six hours or one day. However, the amount of bulging w may change, for example, over a few days. Therefore, it is preferable to define the period of measurement as two weeks or one month, and measure the amount of bulging w at each period of measurement defined. For a carbonization chamber where the amount of bulging w is large, the measurement interval may be shortened to, for example, one week. This can improve accuracy in predicting the amount of bulging w using a regression equation. Specifically, if the difference between the distance from the initial position of the bulge 34 to the ram head 28 and the amount of bulging w is less than or equal to 10 mm, it is preferable to increase the frequency of measuring the amount of bulging w.
Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of oven wall shape data of the carbonization chamber 14. In the carbonization chamber 14, it was found, as illustrated in Fig. 4, that the amount of bulging tends to be larger in an area A below a rail 40 installed. Therefore, the area A was identified as a bulge, and the oven wall shape of the bulge was measured multiple times at different measurement dates and times to acquire a plurality of data sets, each consisting of the measurement date and time and the amount of bulging w.
Fig. 5 is a graph illustrating how the amount of bulging w changes with time. In Fig. 5, the horizontal axis represents year/month, and the vertical axis represents the amount of bulging w (mm) of the oven wall below the rail. The graph illustrated in Fig. 5 is a plot of 10 data sets, each consisting of the measurement date and time and the amount of bulging w, acquired by measuring the oven wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 with the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 10 times at different measurement dates and times, and using the measurement data. A solid line in Fig. 5 is a straight line representing a regression equation obtained by performing linear regression on the 10 data points using the least-squares method. By acquiring such a plurality of data sets, each consisting of the measurement date and time t and the amount of bulging w, a regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging w can be determined. Although Fig. 5 illustrates an example where linear regression is performed on a plurality of data points, the present invention is not limited to this. Regression may be performed on a plurality of data points using a quadric curve or other functional form.
Next, a method for predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14 using the regression equation will be described. As described above, when the amount of bulging w of the oven wall 32 increases, the coke cake comes into contact with the bulge 34, which increases resistance encountered during pushing of the coke cake and causes a pushing clogging. If the bulge 34 comes into contact with the ram head 28, the bricks of the combustion chamber collapse. Therefore, an experiment or the like is first performed to determine the amount of bulging w of the oven wall 32 at which a pushing clogging or collapse of the bricks of the combustion chamber occurs. This amount of bulging is determined as a threshold in advance, and the date and time at which the amount of bulging reaches the threshold is calculated by using the egression equation. These date and time indicate the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14.
The threshold for the amount of bulging w may be determined on the basis of a gap sd between the initial position of the bulge 34 and the ram head 28 of the pushing ram 26. Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the carbonization chamber 14 of the coke oven 10. The gap sd will now be explained using Fig. 6.
The gap sd is a gap between the ram head 28 and the initial position of the bulge 34 at a position where the ram head 28 is closest to the bulge 34. A dot-and-dash line in Fig. 6 indicates the side position of the ram head 28, and a black dot on a dotted line indicates the initial position of the bulge 34 based on the hot-state dimensions obtained upon completion of construction of the coke oven 10. The gap sd is the distance from the initial position of the bulge 34 to the dot-and-dash line.
Once the position of the bulge 34 is identified by measuring the oven wall shape, the initial position of the bulge 34 is also identified. The side position of the ram head 28 may be determined by actual measurement of the side position of the ram head 28 moving through the carbonization chamber 14, or by calculation from the dimensions of the ram head 28 on the assumption that the center of the ram head 28 passes in the center of the carbonization chamber 14. The gap sd between the initial position of the bulge 34 and the ram head 28 is thus determined from the initial position of the bulge 34 and the side position determined by the actual measurement or calculation.
As described above, if the amount of bulging w of the bulge 34 exceeds the gap sd, the bulge 34 comes into contact with the ram head 28 and this increases the possibility that the bricks of the combustion chamber will collapse. Therefore, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the gap sd by a predetermined safety factor may be determined to be the threshold. By thus determining the threshold on the basis of the gap sd, it is possible to reduce the possibility of contact between the bulge 34 and the ram head 28 and the collapse of the bricks of the combustion chamber.
In this manner, the coke oven battery life predicting method according to the present embodiment predicts the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14 constituting a coke oven battery. Next, from the usable period of each carbonization chamber 14 constituting a coke oven battery, the percentage of non-operational ovens in the coke oven battery after a predetermined period of time is determined. Here, the non-operational ovens refer to carbonization chambers that can no longer be used after the usable period, and the percentage of non-operational ovens refers to a value (%) calculated by dividing the number of non-operational ovens by the total number of chambers constituting the coke oven battery and multiplying the result by 100.
Fig. 7 is a graph illustrating a relation between the operating period of a coke oven battery α and a coke oven battery β in the coke oven and the percentage of non-operational ovens. In Fig. 7, the horizontal axis represents a coke oven operating period (in years) and the vertical axis represents the percentage of non-operational ovens (%). As illustrated in Fig. 7, the percentage of non-operational ovens increased in both the coke oven battery α and the coke oven battery β as the operating period of the coke oven increased. As the percentage of non-operational ovens increases, the economic efficiency of operating the coke oven battery deteriorates. Therefore, a repair plan is created to stop the operation of the coke oven battery before the economic efficiency deteriorates, and to repair the carbonization chambers constituting the coke oven battery.
In the case of the coke oven battery α and the coke oven battery β, the economic efficiency of the coke oven battery deteriorates when the percentage of non-operational ovens exceeds 30%. Therefore, a repair plan for repairing each coke oven battery was created so as to repair the coke oven battery α after one year and repair the coke oven battery β after four years. For the coke oven battery α, the carbonization chambers were repaired by "pad-up" (i.e., a construction method which involves restacking the oven wall bricks while continuing to use the existing foundation) after one year. The coke oven battery β was scheduled to be renewed after four years, but it was found that repair costs would be reduced by repairing the coke oven battery β immediately after repairing the coke oven battery α. Therefore, the carbonization chambers of the coke oven battery β were repaired by "pad-up" after two years.
Here, the life of a coke oven battery refers to the period up to the date and time when the operation of the coke oven battery is stopped before the economic efficiency of operating the coke oven battery deteriorates. The deterioration of the economic efficiency of the coke oven battery can be determined from the correspondence between the operating period of the coke oven and the percentage of the number of non-operational ovens, which is determined from the usable period of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery. The life of the coke oven battery can thus be predicted on the basis of the usable period of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery. If the life of the coke oven battery can be predicted, it is possible to easily develop a repair plan for the coke oven battery while taking the economic efficiency into account.
Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating a relation between the operating period of the coke oven battery α and the coke oven battery β illustrated in Fig. 7 and the percentage of coke production. In Fig. 8, the horizontal axis represents the coke oven operating period (in years), and the vertical axis represents the percentage of coke production (%). The percentage of coke production refers to a value (%) obtained by dividing the coke production (t) from the coke oven battery after reduction due to the presence of non-operational ovens by the coke production (t) from the coke oven battery when all chambers are operating, and multiplying the result by 100. The percentage of coke production can also be determined from the usable period of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery.
In this manner, a correspondence between the operating period of the coke oven and the percentage of coke production may be determined from the usable period of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery, and the life of the coke oven battery may be predicted from the correspondence. By thus predicting the life of the coke oven battery, it is possible to develop a repair plan for the coke oven battery while taking into account not only economic efficiency but also coke production.
As described above, in the coke oven battery life predicting method according to the present embodiment, a regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging w is determined for each carbonization chamber 14 constituting a coke oven battery, the usable period of the carbonization chamber is predicted using the regression equation, and the life of the coke oven battery is predicted on the basis of the usable period. This makes it possible to develop a repair plan for carbonization chambers in units of oven batteries while taking into account economic efficiency and coke production plans, and therefore to efficiently repair the carbonization chambers.

Reference Signs List

10: coke oven
12: regenerative unit
14: carbonization chamber
14a: end flue
16: combustion chamber
18: charging car
20: pusher machine
22: guide car
24: quenching car
26: pushing ram
28: ram head
30: ram beam
32: oven wall
34: bulge
36: laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device

Claims

A coke oven battery life predicting method for predicting a life of a coke oven battery, the method comprising:
measuring an oven wall shape of each carbonization chamber constituting the coke oven battery with a shape measuring device to identify a bulge bulging inward from an initial position based on hot-state dimensions upon completion of construction of the coke oven;

measuring the oven wall shape for the bulge multiple times at different measurement dates and times to determine a regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging;

calculating a date and time at which the amount of bulging calculated using the regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold to predict a usable period of the carbonization chamber; and

predicting a life of the coke oven battery on the basis of the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber.
The coke oven battery life predicting method according to Claim 1, wherein a correspondence between an operating period of the coke oven and a percentage of unusable carbonization chambers in the coke oven battery is determined using the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber, and the life of the coke oven battery is predicted using the correspondence.
The coke oven battery life predicting method according to Claim 1, wherein a correspondence between an operating period of the coke oven and coke production from the coke oven battery is determined using the predicted usable period of the carbonization chamber, and the life of the coke oven battery is predicted using the correspondence.
The coke oven battery life predicting method according to any one of Claim 1 to Claim 3, wherein the threshold is determined on the basis of a gap sd between a ram head of a pushing ram and the initial position of the bulge based on the hot-state dimensions upon completion of construction.