US3812018A

US3812018A - Multi-stage coke cooler

Info

Publication number: US3812018A
Application number: US00352409A
Authority: US
Inventors: B Hinchliffe
Original assignee: Koppers Co Inc
Current assignee: Raymond Kaiser Engineers Inc
Priority date: 1969-01-28
Filing date: 1973-04-19
Publication date: 1974-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-21

Abstract

A continuous, multi-stage coke cooling apparatus is presented for use with a conventional coke oven battery. Hot, incandescent coke is cooled to a predetermined temperature in a plurality of closed cooling zones. Each cooling zone has a coke conveyor means for conveying a uniform layer of hot coke therethrough and a water spraying means for cooling the coke. The first cooling zone includes a receiving means for receiving the hot coke from a hot coke receiving car and for holding the hot coke while portions of the hot coke are being metered onto the coke conveying means. The later cooling zone includes detecting means for determining the temperature of the hot coke after it has been initially cooled with water in the first cooling zone. The water sprays in the later cooling zone are responsive to the heat detecting means which regulates the necessary quantity of water that is sprayed onto the initially cooled coke to cool it to the final, predetermined temperature.

Description

B. W. HINCHLEFFE May 21, 1914 MUL'II-STAGE COKE COOLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1975 FIG.I

FIG. 2

I NVEN TOR.

BflS/L l/V. hlNCl/L IFFE y 21, 1.974 B. w. HINCHUFFE 3,812,018

MULTI -STAGE COKE COOLER" Filed A ril 19, .1975 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR.

5145/1 w. Hl/VCHL/FFE United States Patent O 3,812,018 MULTI-STAGE COKE COOLER Basil W. Hinchlifie, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Koppers Company, Inc.

Continuation-impart of applications Ser. No. 794,485,

Jan. 28, 1969, now Patent No. 3,580,813, and Ser.

No. 145,640, May 21, 1971, now abandoned. This application Apr. 19, 1973, Ser. No. 352,409

Int. Cl. Cb 39/00 US. Cl. 202-230 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous, multi-stage coke cooling apparatus is presented for use with a conventional coke oven battery. Hot, incandescent coke is cooled to a predetermined temperature in a plurality of closed cooling zones. Each cooling zone has a coke conveyor means for conveying a uniform layer of hot coke therethrough and a water spraying means for cooling the coke. The first cooling zone includes a receiving means for receiving the hot coke from a hot coke receiving car and for holding the hot coke while portions of the hot coke are being metered onto the coke conveying means. The later cooling zone includes detecting means for determining the temperature of the hot coke after it has been initially cooled with water in the first cooling zone. The water sprays in the later cooling zone are responsive to the heat detecting means which regulates the necessary quantity of Water that is sprayed onto the initially cooled coke to cool it to the final, predetermined temperature.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 794,485, filed on Jan. 28, 1969, now Pat. 3,580,813, and is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 145,640, filed May 21, 1971 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for cooling hot, incandescent coke with water, whereupon a significant reduction of air pollution and a substantial conversation of water is obtained.

conventionally, hot, incandescent coke is pushed from each coke oven of a coke oven battery into a conventional coke quenching car that travels along a track on the coke side of the battery. A locomotive moves the coke quenching car to a conventional quenching station remote from the coke oven battery, and water sprays apply water to the hot coke in the car to quench it to a predetermined temperature. The quenched coke is subsequently dumped from the car onto a coke wharf where it dries and cools further to a suitable handling temperature.

The conventional technique above described has several disadvantages. The hot, incandescent coke is not uniformly cooled in the coke quenching car because there is seldom a uniform layer of hot coke therein. Consequently, the quenched coke has a non-uniform moisture content; coke having a non-uniform moisture content is undesirable for use in a blast furnace. Sometimes there is a time delay in pushing the hot coke from the ovens be- 3,812,018 Patented May 21, 1974 cause the coke quenching cars are not immediately available to receive hot coke from another oven. The schedule for pushing the coke ovens in a battery are often dependent upon the availability of the coke quenching car. Consequently, one batch of coke may have been coked for a longer period of time than another batch of coke and, thus, uniform coke is not produced from the same coke oven battery. Gases, fumes, and particulate matter evolve from the reaction of the hot, incandescent coke with the air. This evolution of gases, fumes, and particulate matter is especially profuse during the pushing of the hot coke from the oven. Additional amounts of gases, fumes, and particulate matter are evolved during the quenching of the coke with water, all of which contribute substantially to the problems of air pollution of the environment surrounding a coke oven battery. Additionally, the hot incandescent coke is oxidized and burned in the coke quenching car as the car travels from the coke oven to the quenching station. Thus, a weight loss of about one percent (1%) of the total weight of the hot coke pushed from the coke oven occurs. Also, because the hot coke is quenched in the coke quenching car, there are corrosion problems associated with the quenching car which require constant maintenance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART For some time those working in the art have been aware of these disadvantages and problems with conventional methods and apparatus. Various attempts to solve them have been made. For example, US. Pat. 3,367,844 attempts to solve the air pollution problem by providing an inclined and rotatable vessel that is movable alongside the coke oven battery. A retaining chamber gas-tightly communicates with the coke oven door jamb and with the inclined rotatable vessel. The hot, incandescent coke is passed through the retaining chamber and into the rotating inclined vessel whereupon it is quenched with a quantity of water. At the discharge end of the rotating vessel a conventional conveyor carries the quenched coke from the movable coke quenching apparatus to a station remote from the battery for further processing of the quenched coke. This movable apparatus, however, does not solve many of the problems of the art. For example, the vessel, being movable alongside the coke oven battery, is not always available for the discharge of coke from another coke oven, and, thus, it does not solve the scheduling problem.

US. Pat. 3,373,086 attempts to solve the problems of scheduling the discharge of coke ovens and the uniform quenching of hot coke by providing a stationary quenching unit having in one embodiment a conveyor means that receives the hot, incandescent coke from a conventional coke carrying car that carries the hot coke to a Water spraying chamber. The device does not solve the problems of air pollution, the efficient use of water, and the uniform quenching of the coke. Hot coke is not continuously and uniformly charged into the conveyor but is batch dumped thereon from the coke carrying car and, consequently, the hot coke is not uniformly cooled and does not have a uniform moisture content. Also, excessive quantities of water are needed to assure the adequate quenching of the coke since it has been batch dumped on the conveyor and not uniformly disposed thereon. Moreover, air pollution results because an open coke carrying car is used and because the charging end of the conveyor is open to the atmosphere so that the surrounding environment is polluted with particulate matter.

A German Letters Patent 1,812,383 attempts to solve the problems of air pollution, the uniform quenching of hot coke, the scheduling of the discharge of coke ovens, and the efiicient use of cooling water by providing a closed coke prequenching car that runs on a track alongside the battery, and a stationary quenching chamber beneath the track remote from the battery. The hot coke is discharged into the closed coke prequenching car and the hot coke therein is prequenched to protect the closed car. Gas cleaning equipment is situated on the coke receiving car to prevent the steam, emissions and the like resulting from the prequenching, from entering the surrounding environment. The prequenched coke, still being incandescent, is dumped into a coke bunker in the stationary quenching chamber and fed onto a conveyor belt upon which the hot coke is quenched. The disadvantage of the device described in German Pat. 1,812,383 is that it is too cumbersome and too expensive for practical use. The coke prequenching car is burdened with two distinct devices, namely, a water circulation system, including water tanks and pumps, and a gas cleaning system. Because the hot coke is prequenched in the closed coke prequenching car, excessive amounts of emissions are generated thus requiring larger gas cleaning equipment than would ordinarily be required were the hot coke not prequenched. Also, the closed coke car is now subjected to corrosion problems since the hot coke is prequenched therein.

In accordance with my invention I provide a device and method which solves the aforementioned problems. My invention uniformly cools the hot coke. With my invention, the pollution of the surrounding environment is prevented and the use of water in the cooling of the hot coke is conserved, and the coke that is produced has a uniform moisture content. My apparatus overcomes the scheduling problems heretofore existing in the operation of the devices known int he art. The water used in the quenching or cooling of the hot coke may efficiently be used in that it may be recirculated with my invention. With my invention, greater yields of coke are produced because the hot coke is protected from reaction with the atmosphere. My invention avoids the corrosion problems associated with the coke receiving car since hot coke is not therein with water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a multi-sta'ge, closed coke cooling device includes a chamber that is subdivided by partition walls therein into a plurality of cooling zones. A first zone includes a receptacle for receiving and holding a quantity of hot incandescent coke. A first conveyor means in the chamber traverses the zones therein and receives coke from the receptacle and carries it thence. Means is provided in a second zone for continuously spraying water onto the coke on the conveyor. In another zone there is means for detecting the temperature of the coke near the discharge end of the conveyor means which is in such other zone, and there is a second conveyor means in the other zone for receiving coke from the first conveyor means and for carrying such coke thence out of the chamber. Means is also provided in the other zone for spraying water onto the coke in response to a signal from the temperature detecting means.

For a further understanding of the invention and for features and advantages thereof, reference may be made to the following description and the drawing which illus trates a preferred embodiment of equipment in accordance with the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the closed, multi-stage coke cooling system in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the closed hopper car shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view along line IIIIII of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The closed, multi-stage coke cooling system 11 of FIG. 1 comprises a pair of first enclosed chamber 21, a cross section of one of which is shown in FIG. 3, and a second enclosed chamber 23.

A chamber 21 includes top, bottom and side walls, as shown, and a receptacle 81 which has a rectangular shape, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The receptacle 81 abuts a transverse dividing wall 25 within the chamber 21. Thus, the receptacle 81, into which hot incandescent coke is charged, as described hereinafter, is considered as a first zone A, and the space within the chamber 21 to the left of wall 25, as viewed in FIG. 3, is a second zone B.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a closed coke guide 31 and a closed coke receiving car 51, illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 1, are associated with the closed, multistage cooling system 11 to provide an integrated system that isolates the hot, incandescent coke pushed from a coke oven from the atmosphere until it has been cooled to a predetermined temperature at which fumes, gases and the like are no longer emitted from the coke.

The closed coke guide 31 in FIG. 3 has smooth solid walls 32 forming a channel through which the hot incandescent coke passes when pushed from a coke oven (not shown) into the closed car 51. The coke guide 31 is supported on rollers 33 which are connected to a guide frame 35. The guide frame 35 has wheels 37 riding upon a tract 39 on the "coke side of the battery. The closed guide 31 has two open ends (41a, b); one end 41a engages the conventional coke oven door jamb (not shown), and the other end 41b engages the closed car 51 in such a fashion as to provide a closed channel connecting together the coke oven and the closed hopper car 51 to prevent the exposure of the hot, incandescent coke to the atmosphere, and to contain any gases evolving from the hot, incandescent coke within the car 51. The coke guide 31 may be conveniently designed so that it telescopes between the coke oven and the car 51.

The closed car 51 in FIG. 2 travels on another track 53 which is disposed at the coke side of the coke oven battery at a lower level than the track 39 over which the guide 31 travels, and which leads to the cooling units 21 as shown in FIG. 1. The closed quenching car 51 in FIG. 2 includes a body portion 55 having wheels 57 which engage a track 53. The body portion 55 has a bottom 59, side walls 61, end walls 63, and a closed top 69 forming a closed chamber to contain gases which evolve within the body 55, and to protect the hot coke in the car 51 from the air. The phantom lines 56 in FIG. 2 indicate the height to which the incandescent coke rises in a fully charged closed car 51. With my invention, it is unnecessary to move the car gradually forward to provide a uniform layer of coke in the quenching car as the coke is discharged from the oven. The body portion 55 extends from the wheels 57 of the car to a height greater than that of a coke oven door. The side wall 61 nearest the coke oven battery has a swinging door 71 or the like pivotally mounted on the car 51 and conforming substantially to the size of the coke oven door jamb. This door 71 will normally be closed to provide the closed chamber of the car 51; the door 71 will be opened by the coke guide 31 to receive the end of the coke guide 31 when the car 51 is aligned with the guide 31 to form a seal between the guide 31 and the door 71 which will substantially prevent air from contacting the coke contained in the car.

The bottom 59 of the car has gates 73, or the like, shown in FIG. 3 which are normally closed in order to contain the hot, incandescent coke within the closed car 51. When the car is positioned in the proper position relative to one of the cooling units 21, the gates 73 will be opened and the hot, incandescent coke will gravitate through the gate 73 into the cooling unit 21.

The car 51 is movable along the track 53 by any suitable means. Conveniently, a locomotive 75 is used to transfer the car to the cooling unit 21.

The car 51 additionally includes a conventional dust collecting and gas scrubbing unit 77 which is mounted on one end of the car 51 for cleaning and removing gases evolving from the hot, incandescent coke within the closed chamber of the car. This unit 77 is designed to create a negative pressure within the car 51 to prevent evolving gases from escaping to the atmosphere and causing air pollution, and to clean these gases before they pass from the car 51 by the stack 78 of the unit 77 into the atmosphere.

The multi-stage coke cooling system 11 includes a first cooling zone A, a second zone B, and a third zone C. The first cooling zone A comprises the uooling unit 21 in FIG. 3 that is a complete enclosure comprising generally the receiving bin 81.

The second zone B includes a feeder means 103, a temperature detecting device 105, and a spray header and nozzle assembly 111.

The third zone C includes the enclosed volume between tranverse dividing wall 25 and another parallel wall 27 which also forms a side wall of the second enclosed chamber 23. In zone C there is the continuation of the belt conveyors 83, and a series of cooling water headers and spray nozzles 85.

At the receiving end of the cooling unit 21 in FIG. 3 is the receiving bin 81. The receiving bin 81 comprises a chamber 95 which has a generally rectangular wall 97, as seen in FIG. 1, and a series of bottom hoppers 98, as shown in FIG. 3. My invention contemplates three bottom hoppers 98 which are aligned with three conveyors 83 for each receiving bin 81. The incandescent coke is charged for temporary storage into the receiving bin 81.

At the top of the receiving bin 81, a lid 99, or the like, is rollably mounted thereon. The lid 99 is normally closed to prevent the escape of noxious fumes into the atmosphere and further to prevent air from contacting the hot coke. The lid is movable to an open position by a conventional coupling mechanism 60 mounted to the bottom of the car 51. As the car 51 approaches the lid 99, the coupling 60 engages the lid 99,'and, as the car 51 proceeds, the lid slides off the receiving bin 81 to an open position. After the hot, incandescent coke is dumped into the receiving bin 81, the car 51 closes the lid 99 by sliding the lid 99 over the receiving bin 81 to a closed position. If desired, the lid 99 may be operated manually.

The receiving bin 81 is internally lined with a suitable refractory lining 101 which is co-extensive with the walls of the bin 81 for protecting the walls 97 from the high temperatures of the hot, incandescent coke. At the bottom of the hoppers 98 a feeder means 103 is pivotally mounted to the bottom of the chamber 95 to control the rate of discharging therefrom hot, incandenscent coke onto the conveyor 83.

Disposed directly beneath the receiving bin 81 are a plurality of conveyors 83 which carry the hot, incandescent coke through the cooling unit 21; the preferred embodiment contemplates three conveyors for each receiving bin 81 that are comprised of stainless steel. In some instances, plate conveyor or vibratory conveyors, or the like, may be used. The conveyors '83 have variable speeds for passing the incandescent coke through the zones B and C of the cooling unit 21 at any speed desired. The stainless steel belts may be four feet wide and generally extend at right angles of the receiving bin 81. The conveyors 83 may be horizontal or inclined within the cooling unit 21, as preferred. At the receiving end of each one of the conveyors 83, a temperature detecting device 105 is disposed for measuring the temperature of the hot, incandescent coke as it moves with the conveyor 83. Conventional temperature measuring apparatus may be used as the means for detecting the temperature.

A header carrying a plurality of water sprays 85 are provided in zone C which direct their cooling sprays onto the coke on the conveyor 83 to cool the hot, incandescent coke to a suitable temperature. As the hot, incandescent coke is quenched or cooled, steam and other gases evolving from the contact of the water with the hot coke pass into the stack 109 and they flow thence to a conventional dust collecting and mist suppressing unit 93.

The conditions of cooling hot, incandescent coke will vary considerably. For example, the temperature of the hot, incandescent coke, as it is charged to the cooling conveyors 83, will depend on the actual coking conditions in a coke oven, the residence time of the hot coke in the closed car, and even ambient temperatures. The temperature of the water used to cool the hot coke will also alter the conditions of cooling. In order to consistently provide a quenched coke having a predetermined temperature and a uniform moisture content as it exits from the cooling unit 21 a summating or calculating means 91 may be used with my invention, in cooling zone B. However, the summating means 91 is not essential for use with my invention.

The summating means 91 is external to the cooling unit and may comprise a computer or the like. Several sources of information are fed to the summating means. The speed at which the conveyor '83 travels, the rate at which incandescent coke is charged to the cooling conveyor 83, the temperature of the water, and the temperature of the incandescent coke are all fed to and summated by the computer to determine the flow rate of water necessary to cool the coke to a certain predetermined temperature. The summating means 91 then relays a signal to control the flow of water through the spray means 85. By the use of the summating means 91, the judicial use of water is provided and further only the water necessary to cool the coke is used. Hence, elaborate breeze and sump handling equipment may be eliminated.

The foregoing summating means provides an open loop control system. If desired, a closed loop control system may be provided by additionally including a means for determining the temperature of the coke as it exits from the water sprays. Then, the summating means 91 relays a signal to control the flow of water through the spray means 85 to maintain the exit temperature of the coke.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the temperature of the layer of coke cooled in the cooling zone C and, correspondingly, the temperature of each coke particle in the layer, is carefully controlled by the summating means 91. Thus, the cooled coke in the zone C should have a predetermined temperature at the exit end of the cooling zone C. In some cases, however, the cooled coke at the exit end of the cooling zone C does not have its predetermined temperature. Thus, the coke can be further cooled to its predetermined temperature by more cooling in cooling zone D by a simple open control. This multi-stage cooling of the coke is economical and makes maximum use of the thermodynamic nature of the cooling operation as the cooling is done in stages whereby the temperature differential at each stage of cooling is under closer control.

The cooling zone D in FIGS. 1 and 3 includes a conveyor 87, a temperature detecting device 117, water sprays and a dust collecting and gas scrubbing device 119.

The conveyor 87 is disposed below and at right angles to the conveyor 83, as shown in FIG. 3. As illustrated, only one conveyor 87 is used in the cooling zone D, and it may be disposed in a horizontal or inclined direction as desired. The conveyor '87 may be an endless conveyor belt, or a plate conveyor or a vibratory conveyor or the like. Conveyor 87 has a variable speed for passing the cooled coke through sprays 115 at any desired speed.

Downstream from the point where the conveyor 87 receives cooled coke from the first conveyors 83, there is a temperature detecting device 117 that is disposed above the conveyor 87 for sensing the temperature of the coke thereon. Any conventional temperature sensing device may be used. As the coke passes under the temperature detecting device 117 its temperature is measured and recorded.

A series of Water sprays 115 are provided and are directed downwardly onto conveyor 87; the water sprays 115 being responsive to the temperature detecting device 117, as illustrated. The temperature detecting device 117 determines the temperature of the coke and the amount of additional cooling water needed to cool the coke further to a final predetermined temperature. The supply of additional cooling water to the coke is then regulated by a regulating device 116 which is conventional. In some cases the use of additional water to cool the coke to its final predetermined temperature is not necessary; however, in most cases its use is contemplated.

As the coke is further cooled with the additional water, particulate matter and other gases evolving from the contact of the water with the cooled coke are collected by the conventional dust collecting and gas scrubbing device 119, shown in FIG. 1. The device 119 cleans the evolved gases so that the surrounding environment is not polluted when the gases are discharged to atmosphere.

As an optional feature of my invention, there is provided a surge bin 89 which may be used to temporarily store the coke after it has been finally cooled.

While the cooling zone D is illustrated herein as being disposed at right angles to the cooling zone C, in order to conserve space, it will be recognized that the cooling zone D could extend at any other angle from the cooling zone C, as desired.

In the operation of my invention, the closed coke guide 31 and the closed car 51 are aligned and positioned with a coke oven to receive hot, incandescent coke from the oven while the car 51 remains stationary. The coke guide 31 will extend against the face of the coke oven and into the closed car 51 at the car door 71 to achieve a relatively close fit.

Hot coke passes into the car through the closed coke guide 31. The dust collecting and gas scrubbing unit 77 evacuates smoke and the like from the car, and discharges them in a cleans state through the stack 78.

After receiving the coke, the car 51 travels to one of the cooling units 21, located at some convenient position relative to the coke oven battery. The car 51 engages the wheeled lid 99 of the receiving bin 81 and moves it to a location beyond the bin. While the car 51 is positioned over the bin '81, the car 51 opens its bottom gates 73 and discharges coke into the receiving bin 81. The car 51 then returns to the coke oven battery and, at the same time, moves the wheeled lid 99 to a closed position over the bin 81.

The hot, incandescent coke now residing in the receiving bin 81 is carefully discharged onto the conveyors 83 through the gate 103 at a certain rate of discharge. The conveyors '83 travels simultaneously while receiving its coke burden so that a uniformly thick layer of coke is carried by the conveyors 83.

The temperature of the incandescent coke is measured prior to its entry into zone C where it is subjected to the water sprays. As the conveyor '83 carrying the hot coke advances under the water sprays 85, the water is first applied to the hot, incandescent coke to quench it to a predetermined temperature. The steam and gases evolving from the coke as it is being quenched are drawn into the zone C above the sprays and then they flow into the stack 109 for cleaning by the gas cleaning equipment 93.

The quenched coke then discharges onto the conveyor 87 in the cooling zone D. The temperature of the cooled coke on conveyor 87 is determined and the amount of additional water needed to cool the coke further to its final predetermined temperature is regulated by device 116. Subsequently, the cooled coke discharges into the surge bin 89 for temporary stage until further processing of the coke is required.

In accordance with this invention, for example, a car 51 having a width of 14 ft. and a length of 28 it. will carry thedischarge of a coke oven producing 25 tons of coke. A receiving bin 30 ft. in length and 8 ft. in width and 6 ft. in height will handle the discharge of one such oven every 6 minutes. The incandescent coke situated on the conveyors 83 will have a uniform depth so as to provide a volume of 2 cu. ft. of coke per linear foot per conveyor; there being three conveyor belts.

To provide for a 5-minute cooling zone, the conveyor belt will travel at the rate of 85 ft. per minute. Thus, each of the three belts will carry 2.2 tons of coke per minute or a total of 6.6 tons of coke per minute.

The pattern of water sprayed on the coke extends the width of the belt and for a length of 40 ft. The sprays supply 4300 gallons of water on the coke during its residence time, thereby quenching the coke from on initial temperature of 1800 F. to 200 F. In this example, 10 sprays per conveyor belt are provided with each spray providing 28.6 gallons of water per minute.

While my multi-stage cooling system has been illustrated herein as comprising four cooling zones, it will be recognized that more or less than four cooling zones may be employed in accordance with the invention.

Thus, my novel closed, multi-stage coke cooling system provides a means for protecting hot, incandescent coke from air and prevents the pollution of the atmosphere with noxious fumes. A greater yield of coke is produced by my invention because the hot coke is always protected from air. Water for cooling the coke is conserved. Also, a quenched coke is produced that contains a minimum and uniform moisture content. The pushing schedule is no longer dependent upon the availability of the coke receiving car as it may return to the coke oven for another load of hot coke as soon as it has been dumped.

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only as an example and that the scope of the invention is defined by what is hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-stage, closed coke cooling device for use with a coke oven battery comprising:

(a) a chamber subdivided by partition walls into a plurality of cooling zones (b) a first one of said zones comprising a receptacle adapted to receive and hold a quantity of hot incandescent coke with said chamber having a movable lid thereon and means for controlling the discharge of said hot coke from said receptacle into a second zone of said chamber;

(c) first conveyor means in said chamber that traverses said second zone and a third one of said zones, and that is adapted to receive said coke from said receptacle and to convey said coke to said third one of said zones;

(d) means in said third one of said zones for continuously spraying onto said hot coke on said first conveyor means;

(e) second conveyor means in a fourth one of said zones of said chamber for receiving said coke from said first conveyor means and conveying it from said chamber;

(f) means for detecting the temperature of said coke near the receiving end of said second conveyor means; and

(g) means acting responsively to the temperature detected by said means for spraying water onto said coke on said second conveyor means when said temperature exceeds a preselected temperature value.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said first conveyor means is an endless belt conveyor; and

(b) said second conveyor means is a vibratory bed conveyor.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said receptacle has more than one discharge opening for said coke; and wherein (b) said first conveyor means includes as many separate and distinct conveyor means as there are discharge openings in said receptacle, with each such distinct conveyor means located below a discharge opening.

4. The invention of claim 1 including:

(a) means for withdrawing and cleaning gases and fumes emitted from the coke being cooled in said zones.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1968 Cremer 202227 8/ 1961 Mansfield 20223O 3/1968 Wilson 202230 NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner D. EDWARDS. Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.