US1269895A - Apparatus for converting beehive-ovens into by-product coke-ovens. - Google Patents

Description

burned' by to recover b -products BERNHARD ZWILLINGEB, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR GONVBTING BEEHIVE-OVENS INTO BY-PRODUCT GORE-OVENS.-

Leonesa.

yTo all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, BERNHARD ZwmmNoEn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Iniprove'ments in Ap aratus for Converting Beehive-Ovens into y-Product Coke-Ovens, of which the following is a specification.

`My invention relates generally speaking to bee hive ovens, known 1n the art as standaijd bee hive ovens, for the production of metallurgical coke. As is Well known, ovens of 'this class are operated in such manner that the raw gases evolved from the coal are the aid of air entering into the mterior of the oven to support the process Ofcoke making, whereby all valuable byproducts are destroyed, and a considerable part of the coal, including its volatile constituents, is consumed.

` It is also well known that bee hive ovens can'be specially constructed and operated but new ovens must be specially uilt for this purpose.

.By my novel construction, however, 1 avoid all the above disadvantages. rlhe principal object of my invention is to change or convert any existing bee hive or simple coke oven which produces only coke and in which the gases issuing from the coal charge are burned in the interior of the oven in order to produce the required heat for coking, into anoven in which not only coke is made but all the by-products contained in the crude gases, such as ammonia, tar, benzol, heatin gas, emanating from the coal are distille and saved.

s Another object of my invention is to change vany'existing bee hive ovenninto an oven with by-product recovery Without destroying its structure, or dismantling the plant or itsl general arrangement and to accomplish this quickly and at a low cost.

Another ob'ect of my invention is to heat the bottom o the lay-product bee hive oven in a manner to carbonize the material uniformly and heat the oven sole to a higher degree in those parts where more coal lies and less in those parts Where there is less coal.

Another object ,o my invention is to apply a method l bustion to by-product bee hive ovy A, burned gases can be regulate y f trolled and distributed Iover the entire eating Surface with higher eiciency than heretofore known Specification of Letters Patent. l Application tiled July 12, 1917.

closed. A batte 'ofthese WWhich the heat of the Ty serial No. 180,112.

in bee hive ovens, reducing the timefor carbonizing the coal charge and increasing the capacity of the oven and obtaining the byproducts from the coal.

One or more embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawin in which; l y

igure 1 shows a vertical cross section through one of the ovens, n. portion of the back of the adjacentoven being' likewise indicated;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal closs,seeti(in through Fig. l showing more particularly the dis-- tribution of the fines under the floor of the Oven.

Fig. 3 illustrates a battery of well known forms of hee hive coke ovens arranged back to back in rows which is converted by my invention into a by-product oven battery.

F ig. 4 is al diagrammatic plan of a. plurality of ordinary bee hive ovens arranged in roWs back to back and staggered as indicated With means for supplying theheat ing mixture to and discharging the gases from the front of thefovens. s s

Fig. 5 is a detail cross section of the preheater for the air on line Xf-X` of Fig. 4.

Fig. (i is a cross section on Iline Y--Y of the preheater 'passageway in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail view broken away at the elbow of the preheater waste gas passageq way shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view of oneof the floor bricks provided with a gas tight tenon or joint.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modi- Hed form of preheater hot air and Waste gas fines.

Fig. 10 is a front View of Fig. 9. y

Fig. 11 is a detail frontview of` the gas and air admission pipes shown in Fig.2.

Incarryin out my invention I convert the ordinary as shown in Fig. 3 into by-product-ovens as follows: The ordinary oven consists Aof vaulted fire brick chamber 1 Withdomelike circular Walls 10Q constructed on a suitable foundation 2 `with anfinclined flat tile bottom 3 and an opening 4 through the top. An arched door 5 is provided `at the `bottom of the oven 4 removed and wh Ich 1n operation is tightly ovens is ar ranged in rows back to back and may be staggered aseshown in Fig. 4, fthe of the ovens being incased in lsuitable walls on foundation 8, and the ovens beinggovered Patented June 1s.,A 1918.

attery of bee hive ovenssuch `through which the coke is, y ,v

by a non-heat-conductin backing 9 which covers the sides between t e ovens and covers their tops. Tracks 200 on suitable track supports or pillars are provided for the lorries used to charge the ovens. The ovens may be arranged in a single row, in which case a large nonheat-conducting backing is arranged on top of and in back of the ovens. It will be understood, therefore, that in the best embodiment of this invention the ovens which are converted are of the standard domed form and also of standard space ing from center to center.

n accordance with my invention I first excavate underneath the bottom of the ovens so as to provide a space to he used for the combustion flues. Denotin the place occupied by the oven door as t e front, the op positc end the rear, and the left and right as sides of the oven, I excavate at the front, rear and sides so as to leave underneath the shell of the bee hive oven a space for the combustion iiues with the front of the eX* cavation somewhat lower than the rear. This is clearly shown in Fig. 1. I cover the bottom of the excavation by a suitable fire brick ioor 10.

A. series of iues for distributing and burning a. mixture of air and gas is provided beneath the oven. Their form may be widely varied. These flues have their own inlets for hot air and gas and their own discharge for waste gases and are entirely separate from the interior of the oven, that is to say the coke chamber. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated I make use of a floor 11 above the iioor 10 to provide a space for the fines, the charge to be coked resting upon the door 11. The floor 11 is composed of re brick, preferably made of silica material. In order to produce a gas tight lue so as to prevent leakage, the tiles are provided with tongues 12 and grooves 13,see Fig'. 8,itting into each other, the tongue and groove joints extending in a direction `across the flue chainels, transversely of the Hue walls.

The fiue system is so arranged as to be divided substantially in the middle by a division wall 14 running down the center and separating the liuc system into two separate or equal halves. A plurality of vertical walls 15 arranged as indicated on each side of the central wall provides a plurality of fines which carry the heating gases 1n a serpentine manner along the entire bottom of the ovens, compelling them to give up their heat so that the sole of the oven through its entire extent is subjected tothe heating of the burning gases.

In accordance'with my invention and so as not to interfere with the backs of the oven and without altering the walls of he oven chambers or the spaces between xr ovens, I provide means for discharging tic waste, burnt gases at the front of the oven underneath the wharf of the oven. As illustrated I make use of lues 16, 17 one located at each sida of the oven, the ilues projecting underneath the wharf 18 at the front of the oven downwardly into the longitudinal waste gas main 19. Air and gas are admitted to the combustion lues at the front through a sealing block 20, the block fitting against the ends of the walls 14 and 15 of the {iues as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and hermetically sealing the ends of the (lues. A plurality of gas admission ports 21 pass through the block and are supplied with gas through a gas supply pipe 22, one on each side of the oven, the fuel gas coming from the gas main 23.

Beneath the gas ports 21 are a plurality of air ports 25 which receive their supply of preheated air from the top air channel 26 of a rechperator, of which the wastelgas main 19 is a part. The air ports 25 are connected with the recuperator by a flue 24 and a header or air-box 24, It will be observed that there are two air inlets 25 adjacent the center of each oven at opposite sides of the division 14, and two gas inlets 25 similarly situated. In addition to these other pairs of air and gas ports open into the two halves of the set of tlues between the center inlets and the lateral waste-gas conduits 16. The top and bottom channels 26 of the recuperator are connected at one end by passage 32 (Fig. 4) and lie above and below the intermediate chamber 19 receiving the waste gases. Referring to Fig. 2 it` will be observed that the gas inlets 21 are arranged above the air inlets 25; by means of which an intimate mixture is accomplished. The air being highly preheated before entering into the combustion iue is expanded to a large degree and its specific gravity is therefore considerably below the specific gravity of the heating gas which enters the combos* tion flue at a comparatively low te1npera ture. As a consequence thereof the gas molecules will fall into the ascending highly heated air current producing a desirable mixture, thus effecting complete combustion. The end air ports 25 are inclined somewhat upwardly and are directed t ward the end gas supply conduits-while he two central ports and the gas outlets run parallel to each other, thus producing a shorter Haine at the end ports and elongated flames at the intermedlate ports. By providing a number of gas and air inlets at the front of the oven I avoid a prejudicial accumulation of heat at one restricted space and divide and separate the air and gas into small quantities for better mixing and combustion. Suitable valves and slides 300 are used in the air and gas admission passages and in the discharge pipes for waste gases for controlling the supply and discharge.

Various forms of preheaters may be used for preheating the air. Figs. 1, 2 and 4 show a preheating device in which the air from the atmosphere enters into the bottom air chamber 26 travels the entire length of the oven battery, ascends to the upper chamber 26 from Where it goes through distribu ting conduit 24 into the combustion chamber. This preheater. is of the recuperator type, the air and Waste-gas passages being separate and distinct, and the heat being transferred from the gases to the air through the intermediate Wall. The flow of burning gases through the .two halves of the set of combustion flues beneath the floor of each oven is constant in direction, and it. Will be observed that the waste-gas educts 16 are of greater aggregate area. than the air inlets 25, so to allow for the expansicnof the gaseous contents and to avoid iack-pres sure. The combination of the divided set of combustion iucs beneath the floor of each oven, the recuperator, and the arrangement of air and gas inlets and waste-gas outlets of the floor ues whereby the burning takes place from a plurality of points, enable me in a simple manner to secure a distributed unilow heating for the ovens which is very advantageous for uniform coking.

The recuperator extends longitudinally beneath the wharf, Where its installation does not require alteration of the oven structure and Where it constitutes no obstruction to the operations which are carried out in front of the ovens. According to my invention the heating system, which converts the ordinary simple internal combustion ovens into externally heated by-product ovens, is practically in its entirety disposed belt W the floor levels,-beneath and outside of the ovens, the construction being such as to enable the transformation to be made at low cost and with the least amount of change in tie structure of the ovens, and to secure highly erlicient heating.

A1 tention may be called to the fact that, as is customary, the floors of the ovensl slope downward to the front to facilitate discharge of the coke. Consequently, after the ovens are changed and the coal leveled parallel with the base, the layer is from 6 to 8 in :hes higher at the fronts of the ovens than at the back. The hot air and gas for combustion being' admitted to the undertloor combustion fines at the front, the most intense heat is produced where the coal is deepest, thus further insuring uniform carbonization of the charges.

While the air for combustion can be supplied by chimney draft I prefer, for better regulation and in order to be inde ende-nt of atmospheric conditions to use a an 301 attached in the lower air channel 26 to furnish the air.

Means are provided for recovering the byproducts from the oven.v As illustrated, I make use of a discharge pipe 2T connected by means of the charging conduit 28 with the top of the oven forming the charge opening of the oven. The conduit 28 is covered by a removable cover 280 which is taken olf when charging the oven through the charging conduit. A down-take pipe 29 discharges the b rproducts into a hydraulic main 30 Where they are led off for recovery.

It Will be observed by reference to the drawin that battery of ordinary bee hive co e ovens iihe converted by my invention into closed byproduct retort coke ovens Without destroying or impairing the dome-` like Walls of the ovens and without it being necessary to rebuild the ovens so as to make them of a special shape or special construction, and Without dismantling the plant or its general arrangement. The space 31 between the adjacent backs of the oven is not interfered with nor is the bank or. heat protecting material 9 on the top of the oven altered nor are the track pillars and tracks interfered with or displaced. By reference to Figs. l, 3 and 4, the construction necessary to convert a battery of bee hive ovens of the ordinary form into byproduct ovens will be readily understood. Referring more particularly to Fig. 4 preheated air 1s su plied through pipes 24 to the fronts of t e ovens and the Waste gases are taken away from discharge pipes 16 and 17. The recuperator is arranged along each side of the fronts of the ovens under their respective wharves, the top and bottom passages 26 of the recupuerator being connected at the end by an tip-take pipe 32. Air is admitted from the atmosphere into the pre-heater by means of openings In this way the air comes from one end of the heating passage of the recuperator travels its entire length, passes upwardly through the up'take pipe 32 and then along the top passage 26 of the recup- `erator finding its Way to the passage 24.

The Waste gases discharged in the itx-be-` tween section 19 of the recuperator are carried out by means of branch pipes 35 and the chimney 36.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the oven 40 is shown back to back to a corresponding oven 41 partly shown. The oven is excavated to a lesser depth than in the main figure and the bottom 42 provided as before. The top of the heating flue system 43 is raised above the Wharf line 44. The floor t3 and the bottom of the oven may be placed at any convenient. heights within the oven. The discharge products are carried through pipes, 45, 46, 47, 48 as before, pipe 48 being supported on i ts shelf 49. The from; of the oven is closed byu suitable door 50. The re-'mnerator passagvs arranged side by side, the central une 51 receivingthe waste gases from discharge pipes 52.

Sil

1 wIt two side sections 53 of the recuperator are connected to and carry the air from the atmosphere around the heating chamber 51 on its wayt/o the front of the oven. Gas is supplied to the front of the oven through a horizontal gas main 54 to which are cennected a suitable number of gas pipes ou. The air is fed to the front of the oven from the branched conduit 56.

Having thus described the construction the operation will be clear. The atmospheric air enters at the ports 33 asses through the low air connecting channe 26 and along the length of the bench ovens underneath the wharf, flowsto the uptake passage 32 to the upper air distributing channel 26, this being connected by air conduits through orifices in the front wall, of the oven as indicated and from this point the air is led into the combustion flues. The' heating gas is conducted through the gas pipes 23, 22 and 21 into the front of the oven so that when the gas and air meet they are burned and their products circulated through the flues escaping up the discharge ipes 16 and 17 into the common discharge ues 19.

In beginning the operation of a battery of ovens one or a small number of ovens is first heated by burning coal or producer gas so that the wall of the oven and a part of its shell retains suiicient heat. The oven is then charged with coal through the door, the gases are expelled from the coal and pass out through the passageways 27, 28 at the top of the oven, are collected in a suitable holder after having been deprived of their tar and ammonia contents may be conducted to the return gas main 23. At this time air is ad mitted to produce combustion. After a few ovens have been put into operation in the described manner the remaining number of ovens can be prepared for permanent operation by charging coal through their charging conduits at the tops of the oven or through the oven doors. For permanent operation the ovens are of course tightly' closed against the entrance of air, acting Wholly as retorts With external heating. Heating gas may be obtained from the first ovens in actual operation instead of preparing for distillation by the combustion of fuel in the interior of the oven. When the ovens are in regular operation the gases from the distilled coal then escape through the take od pipe on top of the dome and are Worked up in the usual manner for lay-products.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the, warts of a row of coke ovens of bee hive design, and a wharf extending longitudinally in front of the same, of means for taking off byproducts froln the ovens, sets of combustion iiues arranged beneath the floors of the ovens with their` passages separate from the interiors thereof, a preheater extending length- Wise beneath the wharf, pipes for supplyin said combustion flues with heating gas, and hot-air and waste-gas conduits extending outward and generally forward from the licor lines of the respective ovens to the preheater beneath the Wharf, whereby the rovv of bee hive ovens is constituted a row of closed, by-product retort ovens.

2. rlhe combination with the Walls of 'a row of coke ovens of bee hive design, and a wharf extending longitudinally in front of the same, of means for taking ofi' lay-prod.- uets from the ovens, sets of combustion fines arranged beneath the floors of the ovens with their assages separate from the interiors thereo a preheater extending lengthwise beneath the Wharf and having separate and distinct passages in heat-exchange relation for air and waste gasesxpipes for supplying said combustion fines with heating gas, and hot-air and Waste-gas conduits extending outward and generally forward from the floor flues of the respective ovens and connecting the same with the air and waste-gas passages respectively of the prcheater beneath the wharf, the area of the waste-gas conduits discharging from the combustion lines being greater than that of the het-air supply conduits, whereby the row of bee hive ovens is constituted a row of closed, byproduct retort ovens having unitiow heating.

3. The combination with the walls of a row of coke ovens of bee hive design, and a wharf extending longitudinally in front of the saine, of means for taking off byproducts from the ovens, sets nof combustion ues arranged beneath the floors of the ovens with their passages separate from the interiors tlieieo'l, a preheater extending lengthwise beneath the vflurri'. lint uil` und waste-gas conduits extending! outward und generally {orwarl from the door llaa-1 o'i'V the respective ovens` to the preheater beneath the wharf. there being Waste-gas edlu'i .gmuiuits toward both sides of euch oven and hot-air .supply conduits approximately at the ccnter and )ipes for supplying heating gas to the rV-onn'lustion fines adjacent the outlets thereto oi the hot-air conduits, whereby the row of irre hive ovens is constituted a row of hot-air supply conduits approximately at the center and additional hot-air supplyconduits between these and the lateral waste-gas conduits and pipes for supplying heating gas tothe combustion fines adjacent the outlets thereto of the several hotair conduits, whereby the row of bee hive ovens is constituted a row of closed, by-product retort ovens having distributed unitlow heating,

5. The combination with a bee hive noire oven structure, of a set of combustion fines beneath the floor of the oven. said set of fines being divided in lateral halves and having their passages separate from the interior of the oven, an external preheater, hotair and waste-gas conduits extending outward from the floor iues to the preheater, there being waste-gas educt conduits toward vboth sides of the oven and hot-air supply conduits approximatelyv at the center at oppositie sides of the division, and pi es for supplying heating gas to the com ustion fines adjacent thc outlets thereto of the hotair conduits, whereby the oven is constituted a closed. ley-product retort oven having divided uniflow heating.

6. The combination with a bee hive coke oven structure, of a set of combustion lues beneath the Hoor of the oven, said set of flucs being divided in lateral halves and having their passages separat-e from the interior of the oven, an external preheater, hotair and waste-gas conduits extending outward from the floor fines to the preheater` there being wastegas educt conduits toward both sides of the oven, hot-air supply conduits approximately at the center at opposite sides of the division and additional otair supply conduits between these and the lateral waste-gas conduits, and pipes for supplying heating gas to the combustion fines adjacent the outlets thereto of the several hot-air conduits, whereby the oven is constituted a closed, ley-product retort oven having distributed nniow heating.

7. The combination with the walls of a row of bec hive coke ovens, of sets of combustion fines arranged beneath the floors of said ovens and sealed from the interiors thereof, pipes tor supplying heating gas to said fines beneath the ovens. a recuperator comprising separate and distinct air and waste-gas passages located outside of and along the battery, hot-air conduits entering the floor fines of the ovenswfrom the air passage of said external recuperator, conduits of greater capacity for discharging the products of combustion from the Hoor fines outside the row and into the waste-gas passage of the recuperator. and an oitake conduit connected to the top of each oven for delivering l[Jy-products from said oven, whereby said bec hive ovens are constituted closed, b v-product retort ovens having uniflow heating.

8. The combination of the walls of a bat- `air and gas inlets. and a tery of circular bee hive coke ovens of standard design arranged in two rows with their backs adjacent, means for recovering byproducts from the tops of said ovens, sets of combustion flues beneath the floors of the ovens and sealed from the interiors thereof, conduits arranged outside of said ovens for supplying air and gas to said lues from the front to be burned under the oors of the ovens and means for discharging the burnt gases from said ilues outward at the fronts of the respective ovens, whereb said bee hive ovens are constituted closed, iiy-produc/t retort ovens.

9. The combination with a non-recovery bee hive coke oven, of means for recovering by-products from said oven, air passages for supplying air to the front of the oven, gas passages for supplying gas in proximity to the outlets of the air passages,l means for preheating air arranged at the front of the oven, lines for burning air and gas mixture under the floor of the oven, and discharge flues for discharging the burnt gases at the front of the oven, into the air preheating device.

10, The combination. with an original bee hive coke oven structure with its original walls, of combustion iues arranged beneath the floor of the oven and sealed from the interior thereof, external ducts for supplying said fines at the front Wit air and gas for combustion, conduits for discharging the waste gases from said combustion fines at the front and outside of the oven, and an otttake connected with the top of the oven for delivering lay-products therefrom, the oven being sealed, whereby the coke oven structure is converted into a closed, by-product retort oven.

11. The combination with the walls of a bank of coke ovens, of sets of combustion fines arranged in the bottoms of the ovens and havin a division between the lateral halves of te set of fines of each oven, gas and air inlets at the fronts of the ovens and at both sides of said divisions, waste-gas fines extending forward from the two halves of each set of flues at opposite sides of the reheater extending beneath the wharf in ront of the ovens and connected with said air inlets and forwardly extending waste-gas fines.

12. The combination with a battery of original internal combustion coke ovens with their original walls, of conduits for carrying ofi'I lay-products from their tops, sets of combustion fines beneath their doors, an air preheater extending lengthwise exterior to the battery and below the floor levels, underground hot-air and waste-gas conduits connecting said combustion ues with the eX- ternal preheater and pipes for supplying heating gas to said combustion tlues in proximity te the outlets thereto of the hot-air supply conduits, whereby the battery of Yuns ovens is converted into a bank of closed, byproduct retort ovens7 the ovens bein sealed. 13. The combination with a dou le row battery of original bee hive coke ovens with their original walls, and wharves extending lengthwise of the battery in front of the ovens, of sets of combustion lines arran ed beneath the floors of the ovens and sea ed from the interiors thereof, a preheater Aextending lengthwise outside, Ain front of each row of ovens and beneath the oven wharf, hot-tir and waste-gas connections at the base of the battery extendin from each preheater lto the' forward part o the combustion flues of the several ovens of the correspondin row, gas pipes likewise entering the forward parte of said liues from the front, sind means for'takingboff by-products from the ovens, the ovens eing sealed, whereby the battery of bee hive ovens is converted /into a battery of closed, by-product retort ovens. 14. The combination with a. battery of two rows baok-to-baok of original bee hive ooke ovens with their original walls, of sets of combustion iues arranged under the floors of the' ovens, conduits for supplying said iiues with air and as for combustion and conduits for conducting away the waste gases therefrom, said air supply and waste-gas educt conduits extending at the front and exteriorly of the ovens, means for taking off ily-products from the ovens, and means for Ereheating the air, whereby the battery of ee hive ovens is converted into a battery of closed, b -product retort ovens, the ovens being sea ed.

15. The combination with an original nonrecovery bee hive coke oven structure with its original walls, of a floor and a system of combustion ues erran ed thereunder, means for taking off by-pro ucts from the top of the oven, external conduits for supplying the floor iues with air and gas for combustion and for conducting away the waste gases therefrom, and means for preheating the air, whereby the coke oven structure is converted from aJ non-recovery bee hive coke oven structure into a closed b -glrduct retort oven, Ythe oven being sealed).I

In testimony whereof.4 I 'have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNHARD ZWILLINGER.

Witnesses:

LOUELLA F. Lrrrnn, W. F. BlssINo.

Images