US3843460A - Apparatus for transporting and quenching coke pushed from horizontal coking chambers - Google Patents

Abstract

1. An apparatus for transporting and quenching coke discharged from a horizontally-arranged battery of coke oven chambers, in combination with a coke guide grating movable along a charging floor in front of the oven and into an aligned relationship with each of said coke oven chambers, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of coke transfer tanks each having an opening arranged toward said coke chamber for receiving coke discharged from said coke guide grating, a first pair of rails supporting at different times each of said coke transfer tanks for displacement into a position forming a smoke-tight contact with said oven, each of said tanks having a coke discharge outlet arranged below the hearth of said oven when supported by said first pair of rails at a position in front of the oven, a car supporting said first pair of rails and one of said coke tanks, a second pair of rails supporting said car for movement along said battery of coke oven chambers, a plurality of third rail sections arranged remotely from said coke oven chamber and in a selectively alignable relation with said first pair of rails supported by said car, a quenching chamber at each of said third rail sections arranged for receiving coke discharged from one of said coke tanks while supported on one of said third rail sections, means forming a smoke-tight connection between a coke transfer tank and a quenching chamber during the discharging of coke into the quenching chamber, a coke conveying chute in each of the quenching chambers for transporting coke discharged from one of said coke transfer tanks when arranged in a smoketight relation with one of the quenching chambers, controlled water sprinklers in each of the quenching chambers for cooling coke, said controlled water sprinklers being arranged above said coke conveying chute, and a vibrating conveyor for advancing coke while it is quenched.

Description

7 3,843,460 APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND QUENCHING coma PUSHED.

v E. E. FRIES Oct. 22, 1974 Filed July 25, 1972 Oct. 22, 1974 Es I 3,843,460

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND QUENCHING COKE PUSHED FROM HORIZONTAL COKING CHAMBERS Filed July 25, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. E. PRIES 3,843,460 APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND QUENCHING COKE PUSHED Oct. .22, 1974 FROM HORIZONTAL COKING CHAMBERS 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jul 25, 1972 Oct. 22, 1974 E. E. PRIES 3,843,460

APPARATUS FOR THANSPORTING AND QUENCHING' CDKE PUSHED FROM HORIZONTAL COKING CHAMBERS Filed July 25, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND QUENCH- ING COKE PUSHED FROM HORIZONTAL COK- ING CHAMBERS Erich E. Pries, Bochum, West Germany, assignor to Dr.

C. Otto & Comp. G.m.b.H., Bochum, West Germany Filed July 25, 1972, Ser. No. 275,093 Claims priority, application West Germany, Aug. 20, 1971, P 21 41 696.6 Int. Cl. Cb 39/12 US. Cl. 202-230 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for transporting and quenching coke which is pushed from a horizontal coke chamber through a guide grating and into a coke transfer tank. The guide grating is movable along the charging floor for alignment with the coking chamber. The coke transfer tank is carried on a car for movement along the charging floor. The car includes rails arranged to support the coke transfer tank for displacement toward the coke oven in a smoke-tight contact with the guide grating. A waste gas exhaust system is associated with the coke transfer tank which additionally includes a coke support floor arranged to slope downwardly in a direction extending away from the coke guide. A lockable outlet is provided in the side wall of the tank at a point where the lowered end of the floor joins the side wall. The car carries the tank from the coke ovens to one of a plurality of remotely located quenching chambers where the tank is arranged in a smoke-tight connection with the chamber and the coke contained therein is discharged in a thin layer onto vibrating chutes which conveys the coke below sprinklers for cooling the coke.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional apparatus for receiving coke which is pushed from a coke oven generally includes an inclined quenching car arranged for movement in front of a battery of coke ovens. The coke is transported by a car to a quenching car where it is sprayed with such quantities of water so that automatic ignition of the coke load can no longer take place. This system has several drawbacks, one of which relates to the formation of dust and smoke clouds which pollute the environment as the coke is dropped onto the loading surface of the quenching car. As this occurs, automatic combustion of the coke commences. The coke is deposited on the loading surface of the quenching car in an unequal height along the bed of the car. This requires such quantities of water for cooling which partially submerge the coke in water.

There are other known arrangements which provide quenching cars that are moved in front of the oven for receiving the coke which is then immediately quenched either partly or completely. This arrangement has the serious disadvantage that water lines must be connected to supply lines to deliver the Water for quenching the coke. In addition, the apparatus usually provided for removing the toxic vapors during quenching is a cumbersome structure. This type of coke quenching operation seriously limits the number of coke oven chambers that can be emptied into such a quenching car and then processed during a given period of time, for example, 1 hour.

There are other known arrangements of apparatus which are operated by first conveying the coke to a tank. The conveying apparatus is connected to the coking chamber in a smoke-tight manner by means of a guide grate which is constructed for movement with the tank along the battery of coke ovens. The total time required for charging the tank, then transferring it to a quenching apparatus 3,843,460 Patented Oct. 22, 1974 ice and followed by emptying the coke from the tank is, particularly with respect to large oven units, a multiple of the time required for pushing the coke from each oven chamber. This coke quenching sequence has an operation capacity such that it can serve only a limited number of oven chambers. This generates a great shortage in coke handling capacity which as a result produces disturbances and disruptions to the operation of the coke ovens.

In one final aspect, there are different known processes by which coke may be spread out for quenching and as an incident to which it is transferred or conveyed. When coke is transferred from the oven in this manner, considerable time loss occurs between the succeeding coke pushing operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an overall object of the present invention to provide a combination of apparatus constructed and arranged in a manner to assure a rapid sequence for pushing coke from an oven followed by the quenching of the coke.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to function in a reliable and at an economically feasible cost while preventing smoke pollution during the pushing of coke from the oven and limiting the water consumption for the quenching process.

According to the present invention, there is provided a plurality of coke transfer tanks which are transported in an alternative manner by a flat-bed car between a horizontal battery of coke oven chambers and one of a plurality of quenching chambers into which the coke is discharged for quenching. Each transfer tank has an opening for alignment with the oven chamber and a tank floor which slopes downwardly in the direction extending from the oven chamber to a point below the oven hearth. At its depressed side, the tank has a lockable outlet joining the floor. The fiat-bed car has rails supporting the coke transfer tank for displacement toward the oven chamber into a smoke-tight engagement with a guide chute.

The invention further provides that each quenching chamber incorporates vibrating chutes by which coke discharged from the coke transfer tank is conveyed in a thin layer below water sprays for quenching the coke. Control means are provided for the quenching sprays in response to measurements of the coke bed height on the vibrating chutes and the coke travel speed by the chutes.

These features and advantages of the present invention as well as others will become more apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view showing the apparatus according to the present invention in combination with a coke oven chamber after the pushing of coke from the oven;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the coke receiving tank and support car shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the quenching chambers and the coke receiving tank apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view in section illustrating a quenching chamber and the discharge end of the coke receiving tank.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is illustrated the dehvery end of a battery of horizontal, underburner-type, coke ovens having chambers 10. Braces 11 support the masonry surrounding the coke oven chamber. A charging floor 12 extends in a horizontal direction at the coke side of the oven. A celler area 13 is arranged below the regenerators for the coke oven. Wheels 14 support a coke guide grate 15 for displacement along the charging floor 12. Th e coke guide grate 15 has extension pieces 16 PI'OJeOtlDg beyond the charging floor. The extension pieces 16 define a sloping extending end which is adapted to pass into an opening 17 formed in a coke transfer tank 19. A door 18 is supported on the car for movement to one side thereof to expose the opening 17 when the grate is to be received therein. As clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the coke transfer tank extends below the charging floor and defines a trapezoid outline formed by an inner wall 20, an outer end wall 21 and two side walls 22 which converge in an outward direction. The tank further includes a sloping bottom 23 which extends in a downward direction away from the coke oven to an opening 50 in the end wall 21, which can be closed by a hinged door 55. The coke transfer tank has a portion extending above the charging floor which is formed by an inner wall 24, an outer wall 26 and two side Walls which are joined together at the top of the tank. A waste gas pipe 27 in the upper part of one of the side walls 25 extends in a downward direction outside the tank. The pipe has an elbow 28 on its free end by which it is connected to a suction and disintegrating apparatus 37 supported in a H stationary manner on a fiat-bed car 31.

Rails 30 are arranged on the flat-bed car 31 to support the coke transfer tank 19 in a manner for movement in a direction normal to the movement of the flat-bed car 31. A drive 64 displaces the coke transfer tank 19 on the flat-bed car 31. As clearly shown in FIG. 1, the loading position of the coke tank is represented by solid lines while the phantom lines illustrate walls 21A and 26A when the tank is in a remote position where it is separated from the coke guide 15. The fiat-bed car 31 has a plurality of wheels 33 supported on tracks 32 by which the car is displaceable along the entire length of the coke oven and to a quenching station. A cabin 35 for the operating personnel is arranged on the car opposite the suction and disintegrating apparatus 37. When the coke transfer tank is shifted from the transporting position, shown by phantom lines in FIG. 1, to the coke loading position, the pipe elbow 28 engages a trumpet-like end formed in a connecting pipe 36 of the disintegrating apparatus 37 which further includes a flue 38. Reference numeral 85 indicates the upper surface of the coke after it is pushed into the coke transfer tank 19.

Referring now to FIG. 4, pairs of rail sections 39 extend at right angles to the tracks 32, which support the flat-bed car 31 during its travel from the coke oven to a building 40 having a plurality of quenching chambers 42. Each of these chambers is provided with a vapor-discharge flue 41. In FIG. 4, there is illustrated a coke tank 19 arranged in an aligned relationship with a pair of rails 39. Let it be assumed that the coke tank 19 is empty and supported on the fiat-bed car 31 for displacement to a coke oven chamber which is to be unloaded. While this occurs, the rail section 39 shown to the left of FIG. 4, supports a coke transfer tank which is filled with hot coke delivered from the coke oven and previously brought to the left-hand quenching chamber 42.

FIG. 5 illustrates the relationship between the coke transfer tank 19 when arranged in its discharge position at a quenching chamber. Each quenching chamber 42 includes two tandemly-arranged vibrating chutes 43 and 44, each having a fiat, coke supporting bottom surface 45 that slopes in a direction away from the point of en trance of the coke in a manner so that the coke is slowly moved along the vibrating chutes while it is quenched by water sprayed through overhead nozzles 48. These nozzles are connected to water supply pipes 46 including regulating valves 46A in a water supply distribution chamber 47. The valves 46A control the spraying of water on the coke in response to a signal in line 70 from a controller 71. The controller 71 receives a signal in a line 72 from a potentiometer actuated gage arm 73 that is pivotally supported by the vertical guide walls of the chute 44 and employed to measure the height of the coke bed on the bottom surface 45. A motor 74 drives the vibrating chutes 43 and 44. A signal generator 75 is driven by motor 74 to produce a signal in line 76 proportional to the coke conveying speed by the chutes 43 and 44. The controller 71 combines the signals in lines 72 and 76 to operate the valves 46A for quenching the coke in a controllable manner without the use of excess ve quantities of water. At the delivery side of the vibrat ng chutes, there is arranged a temperature-measuring device 49 for indicating the temperature of the coke after quenching.

Referring again to the coke transfer tank 19, FIG. 5 illustrates that at the point where the outer wall 21 joins the bottom 23, there is pivotally supported a short discharge ramp 65 which extends below the openings 50 in the tank to a point which is spaced a slight distance from the quenching chamber. The inlet to the quenching chamber is closed by a hinged door 51. Push arms 52 are arranged on the outside of the coke tank thereby, upon advancement of the tank, to raise the door 51 in the quenching chamber to the phantom-line position 51A and at the same time, the ramp 65 assumes the phantomline position 65A. The door 55 on the coke tank is connected to arms 53 rotatably supported about a shaft 56 mounted on the tank. The arms 53 have end rollers 54 that form a toggle linkage. The rollers 54, in the position shown in FIG. 5, have just come to rest at the front of the wall 57 of the quenching chamber. As further advancement of the coke transfer tank occurs, the rollers 54 are displaced in an upward direction along the front wall 57 where the arms 53 pivot about the shaft 56 and the door 55 assumes the position shown by phantom lines 55A. This provides a smoke-tight path for the hot coke to travel from the tank 19 through a smoke-tight connection to the interior of the quenching chamber 42. The bed height of the sliding hot coke is established by the position of the door 51 with respect to the ramp 65 from Where the coke passes on to the floor 45 of the vibrating chutes 43 where it is slowly conveyed. At the discharge side of the vibrating chute 44, the coke slides over coke breeze in a bucket 59 and thence onto a ramp 61 and conveyor 62. A trough 63 conveys the quenching water for recycling.

The flues 41 are each provided with adjustable louvers 66 for the separation of solids and they each further include a sprinkling apparatus 67 for the separation of airborne pollutants usually in the form of gases.

By controlling the sprinkling of the coke with water, there is assured an optimum quenching of the coke. By employing the apparatus shown, it is possible to regulate the drives of the vibrating chutes so as to establish a very exact rate of coke travel. Moreover, the water con tent in the coke during quenching is kept at a sufiiciently low quantity by controlling the quantity of water that is sprinkled onto the coke. A sufiicient stabilization of the coke occurs due to the repeated circulation of the coke that takes place first during the emptying of the coke from the coke transfer tank and then with the discharging of the coke into the quenching chamber followed by its transportation by means of the vibrating chutes.

The bucket 59 which is usually filled with breeze can be hoisted by means of a cable 60 to a position shown by phantom lines 59A. In this manner, the bucket can be emptied from time to time.

After the contents from the coke tank are released and discharged into the quenching chamber, the tank is displaced by drive 64 in a direction away from the quenching chamber a distance sufiicient so that the door 51 is automatically closed and the lower opening 50 of the tank is closed by the door 55. The coke transfer tank then stands ready on one of the rail sections 39 from where it can be moved onto the fiat-bed car 31 as soon as a filled transfer tank has been delivered from the coke oven to the quenching chambers. In its preferred form, three coke transfer tanks are shuttled between the oven and the quenching chambers to utilize the maximum coke handling and quenching capacity.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. An apparatus for transporting and quenching coke discharged from a horizontally-arranged battery of coke oven chambers, in combination with a coke guide grating movable along a charging floor in front of the oven and into an aligned relationship with each of said coke oven chambers, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of coke transfer tanks each having an opening arranged toward said coke chamber for receiving coke discharged from said coke guide grating,

a first pair of rails supporting at different times each of said coke transfer tanks for displacement into a position forming a smoke-tight contact with said oven,

each of said tanks having a coke discharge outlet arranged below the hearth of said oven when supported by said first pair of rails at a position in front of the oven,

a car supporting said first pair of rails and one of said coke tanks,

a second pair of rails supporting said car for movement along said battery of coke oven chambers,

a plurality of third rail sections arranged remotely from said coke oven chamber and in a selectively alignable relation with said first pair of rails supported by said car,

a quenching chamber at each of said third rail sections arranged for receiving coke discharged from one of said coke tanks while supported on one of said third rail sections,

means forming a smoke-tight connection between a coke transfer tank and a quenching chamber during the discharging of coke into the quenching chamber,

a coke conveying chute in each of the quenching chambers for transporting coke discharged from one of said coke transfer tanks when arranged in a smoketight relation with one of the quenching chambers,

controlled water sprinklers in each of the quenching chambers for cooling coke, said controlled water sprinklers being arranged above said coke conveying chute, and

a vibrating conveyor for advancing coke while it is quenched.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for measuring the bed height of coke on said conveying chute, means for measuring the coke conveying speed by said conveying chute, and control means responsive to said measurement of said height of coke bed and travel rate of coke for adjusting the water delivered by said sprinklers.

3. An apparatus for transporting and quenching coke discharged from a horizontally-arranged battery of coke oven chambers, in combination with a coke guide grating movable along a charging floor in front of the oven and into an aligned relationship with each of said coke oven chambers, said apparatus comprising:

a coke transfer tank having exhaust means for waste gas and an opening arranged toward said coke chamher for receiving coke discharged from said coke guide grating,

a first pair of rails supporting said coke transfer tank for displacement toward an oven chamber into a position forming a smoke-tight contact with said oven,

said tank including a floor disposed below the coke oven hearth and having an increased width a compared with the width of the coke oven chamber,

said floor being arranged on an inclined plane which extends downwardly in a direction away from said oven,

said tank having a lockable outlet joined with said floor at the side remote from said oven,

a car supporting said first pair of rails for said coke transfer tank,

a second pair of rails supporting said car for movement along said battery of coke oven chambers,

rail sections for said coke tank arranged remotely from said coke oven chamber and in an alignable relation with said first pair of rails carried by said car,

a quenching chamber for receiving coke discharged from said coke tank while arranged on said rail sections,

means forming a smoke-tight connection between said coke transfer tank and said quenching chamber,

said quenching chamber including a driven coke conveying chute for transporting coke in a layer as discharged from said coke transfer tank,

controlled water sprinklers arranged in said quenching chamber for cooling coke on said conveyor, and

a vibrating conveyor for advancing coke while it is quenched.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said car is further defined as having a fiat bed for supporting said first pair of rails, means for displacing said coke transfer tank in a direction normal to movement of said car.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a flue for each of said quenching chambers for vapors produced during quenching of coke, adjustable louvers arranged in said flue for separating solid particulate matter airborne during quenching of coke, and water sprinkling means associated with said adjustable louvers.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising means for measuring the bed height of coke on said conveying chute, means for measuring the conveying speed of coke by said conveying chute, and control means responsive to said measurement of said bed height of coke and conveying speed of coke for adjusting the water delivered by said sprinklers.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a tiltable bucket arranged in said quenching chamber at the discharge side of said conveying chute.

8. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for forming a smoke-tight connection comprises a door forming part of said lockable outlet in said car, said apparatus further comprising a door for closing an inlet opening to said quenching chamber, and means for displacing each of said doors to form a smoke-tight connection between said coke transfer tank and said quenching chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,580,813 5/1971 Hinchliife 202--230 2,997,427 8/1961 Mansfield 202230 2,975,106 3/1961 Becker 201-39 3,721,609 3/ 1973 Spindeler 202-230 FOREIGN PATENTS 568,713 7/ 1958 Belgium 202230 NORMAN YUDKOF, Primary Examiner DARRELL SANDERS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 20 l39

Claims (1)

1. An apparatus for transporting and quenching coke discharged from a horizontally-arranged battery of coke oven chambers, in combination with a coke guide grating movable along a charging floor in front of the oven and into an aligned relationship with each of said coke oven chambers, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of coke transfer tanks each having an opening arranged toward said coke chamber for receiving coke discharged from said coke guide grating, a first pair of rails supporting at different times each of said coke transfer tanks for displacement into a position forming a smoke-tight contact with said oven, each of said tanks having a coke discharge outlet arranged below the hearth of said oven when supported by said first pair of rails at a position in front of the oven, a car supporting said first pair of rails and one of said coke tanks, a second pair of rails supporting said car for movement along said battery of coke oven chambers, a plurality of third rail sections arranged remotely from said coke oven chamber and in a selectively alignable relation with said first pair of rails supported by said car, a quenching chamber at each of said third rail sections arranged for receiving coke discharged from one of said coke tanks while supported on one of said third rail sections, means forming a smoke-tight connection between a coke transfer tank and a quenching chamber during the discharging of coke into the quenching chamber, a coke conveying chute in each of the quenching chambers for transporting coke discharged from one of said coke transfer tanks when arranged in a smoketight relation with one of the quenching chambers, controlled water sprinklers in each of the quenching chambers for cooling coke, said controlled water sprinklers being arranged above said coke conveying chute, and a vibrating conveyor for advancing coke while it is quenched.

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