Patent Application
20210371752
The present disclosure relates to coke-making facilities and methods.
Coke is an important raw material used to make steel. Coke is produced by driving off the volatile fraction of coal, which is typically about 25% of the mass. Hot exhaust gases generated by the coke making process are ideally recaptured and used to generate electricity. One style of coke oven which is suited to recover these hot exhaust gases are Horizontal Heat Recovery (HHR) ovens which have a unique environmental advantage over chemical byproduct ovens based upon the relative operating atmospheric pressure conditions inside the oven. HHR ovens operate under negative pressure whereas chemical byproduct ovens operate at a slightly positive atmospheric pressure. Both oven types are typically constructed of refractory bricks and other materials in which creating a substantially airtight environment can be a challenge because small cracks can form in these structures during day-to-day operation. Chemical byproduct ovens are kept at a positive pressure to avoid oxidizing recoverable products and overheating the ovens. Conversely, HHR ovens are kept at a negative pressure, drawing in air from outside the oven to oxidize the coal volatiles and to release the heat of combustion within the oven. These opposite operating pressure conditions and combustion systems are important design differences between HHR ovens and chemical byproduct ovens. It is important to minimize the loss of volatile gases to the environment so the combination of positive atmospheric conditions and small openings or cracks in chemical byproduct ovens allow raw coke oven gas (“COG”) and hazardous pollutants to leak into the atmosphere. Conversely, the negative atmospheric conditions and small openings or cracks in the HHR ovens or locations elsewhere in the coke plant simply allow additional air to be drawn into the oven or other locations in the coke plant so that the negative atmospheric conditions resist the loss of COG to the atmosphere.
Referring to
More structural detail of each oven 105 is shown in
In order to provide the ability to control gas flow through the uptake ducts 225 and within ovens 105, each uptake duct 225 also includes an uptake damper 230. The uptake damper 230 can be positioned at number of positions between fully open and fully closed to vary the amount of oven draft in the oven 105. As used herein, “draft” indicates a negative pressure relative to atmosphere. For example a draft of 0.1 inches of water indicates a pressure 0.1 inches of water below atmospheric pressure. Inches of water is a non-SI unit for pressure and is conventionally used to describe the draft at various locations in a coke plant. If a draft is increased or otherwise made larger, the pressure moves further below atmospheric pressure. If a draft is decreased, drops, or is otherwise made smaller or lower, the pressure moves towards atmospheric pressure. By controlling the oven draft with the uptake damper 230, the air flow into the oven from the air inlets 190, 215, 227 as well as air leaks into the oven 105 can be controlled. Typically, an oven 105 includes two uptake ducts 225 and two uptake dampers 230, but the use of two uptake ducts and two uptake dampers is not a necessity, a system can be designed to use just one or more than two uptake ducts and two uptake dampers.
In operation, coke is produced in the ovens 105 by first loading coal into the oven chamber 185, heating the coal in an oxygen depleted environment, driving off the volatile fraction of coal and then oxidizing the volatiles within the oven 105 to capture and utilize the heat given off. The coal volatiles are oxidized within the ovens over a 48-hour coking cycle, and release heat to regeneratively drive the carbonization of the coal to coke. The coking cycle begins when the front door 165 is opened and coal is charged onto the oven floor 160. The coal on the oven floor 160 is known as the coal bed. Heat from the oven (due to the previous coking cycle) starts the carbonization cycle. Preferably, no additional fuel other than that produced by the coking process is used. Roughly half of the total heat transfer to the coal bed is radiated down onto the top surface of the coal bed from the luminous flame and radiant oven crown 180. The remaining half of the heat is transferred to the coal bed by conduction from the oven floor 160 which is convectively heated from the volatilization of gases in the sole flue 205. In this way, a carbonization process “wave” of plastic flow of the coal particles and formation of high strength cohesive coke proceeds from both the top and bottom boundaries of the coal bed at the same rate, preferably meeting at the center of the coal bed after about 45-48 hours.
Accurately controlling the system pressure, oven pressure, flow of air into the ovens, flow of air into the system, and flow of gases within the system is important for a wide range of reasons including to ensure that the coal is fully coked, effectively extract all heat of combustion from the volatile gases, effectively controlling the level of oxygen within the oven chamber 185 and elsewhere in the coke plant 100, controlling the particulates and other potential pollutants, and converting the latent heat in the exhaust gases to steam which can be harnessed for generation of steam and/or electricity. Preferably, each oven 105 is operated at negative pressure so air is drawn into the oven during the reduction process due to the pressure differential between the oven 105 and atmosphere. Primary air for combustion is added to the oven chamber 185 to partially oxidize the coal volatiles, but the amount of this primary air is preferably controlled so that only a portion of the volatiles released from the coal are combusted in the oven chamber 185 thereby releasing only a fraction of their enthalpy of combustion within the oven chamber 185. The primary air is introduced into the oven chamber 185 above the coal bed through the primary air inlets 190 with the amount of primary air controlled by the primary air dampers 195. The primary air dampers 195 can be used to maintain the desired operating temperature inside the oven chamber 185. The partially combusted gases pass from the oven chamber 185 through the downcomer channels 200 into the sole flue 205 where secondary air is added to the partially combusted gases. The secondary air is introduced through the secondary air inlet 215 with the amount of secondary air controlled by the secondary air damper 220. As the secondary air is introduced, the partially combusted gases are more fully combusted in the sole flue 205 extracting the remaining enthalpy of combustion which is conveyed through the oven floor 160 to add heat to the oven chamber 185. The nearly fully combusted exhaust gases exit the sole flue 205 through the uptake channels 210 and then flow into the uptake duct 225. Tertiary air is added to the exhaust gases via the tertiary air inlet 227 with the amount of tertiary air controlled by the tertiary air damper 229 so that any remaining fraction of uncombusted gases in the exhaust gases are oxidized downstream of the tertiary air inlet 227.
At the end of the coking cycle, the coal has carbonized to produce coke. The coke is preferably removed from the oven 105 through the rear door 170 utilizing a mechanical extraction system. Finally, the coke is quenched (e.g., wet or dry quenched) and sized before delivery to a user.
As shown in
In the HRSG 120, the latent heat from the exhaust gases expelled from the ovens 105 is recaptured and preferably used to generate steam. The steam produced in the HRSGs 120 is routed via steam lines 150 to the cogeneration plant 155, where the steam is used to generate electricity. After the latent heat from the exhaust gases has been extracted and collected, the cooled exhaust gases exit the HRSG 120 and enter the cooled gas duct 125. All of the HRSGs 120 are fluidly connected to the cooled gas duct 125. With this structure, all of the components between the ovens 105 and the cooled gas duct 125 including the uptake ducts 225, the common tunnel 110, the crossover duct 115s, and the HRSGs 120 form the hot exhaust system. The combined cooled exhaust gases from all of the HRSGs 120 flow to the FGD system 130, where sulfur oxides (SO.) are removed from the cooled exhaust gases. The cooled, desulfurized exhaust gases flow from the FGD system 130 to the baghouse 135, where particulates are removed, resulting in cleaned exhaust gases. The cleaned exhaust gases exit the baghouse 135 through the draft fan 140 and are dispersed to the atmosphere via the main gas stack 145. The draft fan 140 creates the draft required to cause the described flow of exhaust gases and depending upon the size and operation of the system, one or more draft fans 140 can be used. Preferably, the draft fan 140 is an induced draft fan. The draft fan 140 can be controlled to vary the draft through the coke plant 100. Alternatively, no draft fan 140 is included and the necessary draft is produced due to the size of the main gas stack 145.
Under normal operating conditions, the entire system upstream of the draft fan 140 is maintained at a draft. Therefore, during operation, there is a slight bias of airflow from the ovens 105 through the entire system to the draft fan 140. For emergency situations, a bypass exhaust stack 240 is provided for each oven block 235. Each bypass exhaust stack 240 is located at an intersection 245 between the common tunnel 110 and a crossover duct 115. Under emergency situations, hot exhaust gases emanating from the oven block 235 associated with a crossover duct 115 can be vented to atmosphere via the related bypass exhaust stack 240. The release of hot exhaust gas through the bypass exhaust stack 240 is undesirable for many reasons including environmental concerns and energy consumption. Additionally, the output of the cogeneration plant 155 is reduced because the offline HRSG 120 is not producing steam.
In a conventional HHR coke plant when a HRSG is offline due to scheduled maintenance, an unexpected emergency, or other reason, the exhaust gases from the associated oven block can be vented to atmosphere through the associated bypass exhaust stack because there is nowhere else for the exhaust gases to go due to gas flow limitations imposed by the common tunnel design and draft. If the exhaust gases were not vented to atmosphere through the bypass exhaust stack, they would cause undesired outcomes (e.g., positive pressure relative to atmosphere in an oven or ovens, damage to the offline HRSG) at other locations in the coke plant.
In the HHR coke plant 100 described herein, it is possible to avoid the undesirable loss of untreated exhaust gases to the environment by directing the hot exhaust gases that would normally flow to an offline HRSG to one or more of the online HRSGs 120. In other words, it is possible to share the exhaust or flue gases of each oven block 235 along the common tunnel 110 and among multiple HRSGs 120 rather than a conventional coke plant where the vast majority of exhaust gases from an oven block flow to the single HRSG associated with that oven block. While some amount of exhaust gases may flow along the common tunnel of a conventional coke plant (e.g., from a first oven block to the HRSG associated with the adjacent oven block), a conventional coke plant cannot be operated to transfer all of the exhaust gases from an oven block associated with an offline HRSG to one or more online HRSGs. In other words, it is not possible in a conventional coke plant for all of the exhaust gases that would typically flow to a first offline HRSG to be transferred or gas shared along the common tunnel to one or more different online HRSGs. “Gas sharing” is possible by implementing an increased effective flow area of the common tunnel 110, an increased draft in the common tunnel 110, the addition of at least one redundant HRSG 120R, as compared to a conventional HHR coke plant, and by connecting all of the HRSGs 120 (standard and redundant) in parallel with each other. With gas sharing, it is possible to eliminate the undesirable expulsion of hot gases through the bypass exhaust stacks 240. In an example of a conventional HHR coke plant, an oven block of twenty coke ovens and a single HRSG are fluidly connected via a first common tunnel, two oven blocks totaling forty coke ovens and two HRSGs are connected by a second common tunnel, and two oven blocks totaling forty coke ovens and two HRSGs are connected by a third common tunnel, but gas sharing of all of the exhaust gases along the second common tunnel and along the third common tunnel from an oven block associated with an offline HRSG to the remaining online HRSG is not possible.
Maintaining drafts having certain minimum levels or targets with the hot exhaust gas sharing system is necessary for effective gas sharing without adversely impacting the performance of the ovens 105. The values recited for various draft targets are measured under normal steady-state operating conditions and do not include momentary, intermittent, or transient fluctuations in the draft at the specified location. Each oven 105 must maintain a draft (“oven draft”), that is, a negative pressure relative to atmosphere. Typically, the targeted oven draft is at least 0.1 inches of water. In some embodiments, the oven draft is measured in the oven chamber 185. During gas sharing along the common tunnel 110, the “intersection draft” at one or more of the intersections 245 between the common tunnel 110 and the crossover ducts 115 and/or the “common tunnel draft” at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 must be above a targeted draft (e.g., at least 0.7 inches of water) to ensure proper operation of the system. The common tunnel draft is measured upstream of the intersection draft (i.e., between an intersection 245 and the coke ovens 105) and is therefore typically lower than the intersection draft. In some embodiments the targeted intersection draft and/or the targeted common tunnel draft during gas sharing can be at least 1.0 inches of water and in other embodiments the targeted intersection draft and/or the targeted common tunnel draft during gas sharing can be at least 2.0 inches of water. Hot exhaust gas sharing eliminates the discharge of hot exhaust gases to atmosphere and increases the efficiency of the cogeneration plant 155. It is important to note that a hot exhaust gas sharing HHR coke plant 100 as described herein can be newly constructed or an existing, conventional HHR coke plant can be retrofitted according to the innovations described herein.
In an exhaust gas sharing system in which one or more HRSG 120 is offline, the hot exhaust gases ordinarily sent to the offline HRSGs 120 are not vented to atmosphere through the related bypass exhaust stack 240, but are instead routed through the common tunnel 110 to one or more different HRSGs 120. To accommodate the increased volume of gas flow through the common tunnel 110 during gas sharing, the effective flow area of the common tunnel 110 is greater than that of the common tunnel in a conventional HHR coke plant. This increased effective flow area can be achieved by increasing the inner diameter of the common tunnel 110 or by adding one or more additional common tunnels 110 to the hot exhaust system in parallel with the existing common tunnel 110 (as shown in
Hot exhaust gas sharing also requires that during gas sharing the common tunnel 110 be maintained at a higher draft than the common tunnel of a conventional HHR coke plant. In a conventional HHR coke plant, the intersection draft and the common tunnel draft are below 0.7 inches of water under normal steady-state operating conditions. A conventional HHR coke plant has never been operated such that the common tunnel operates at a high intersection draft or a high common tunnel draft (at or above 0.7 inches of water) because of concerns that the high intersection draft and the high common tunnel draft would result in excess air in the oven chambers. To allow for gas sharing along the common tunnel 110, the intersection draft at one or more intersections 245 must be maintained at least at 0.7 inches of water. In some embodiments, the intersection draft at one or more intersections 245 is maintained at least at 1.0 inches of water or at least at 2.0 inches of water. Alternatively or additionally, to allow for gas sharing along the common tunnel 110, the common tunnel draft at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 must be maintained at least at 0.7 inches of water. In some embodiments, the common tunnel draft at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 is maintained at least at 1.0 inches of water or at least at 2.0 inches of water. Maintaining such a high draft at one or more intersections 245 or at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 ensures that the oven draft in all of the ovens 105 will be at least 0.1 inches of water when a single HSRG 120 is offline and provides sufficient draft for the exhaust gases from the oven block 235 associated with the offline HRSG 120 to flow to an online HSRG 120. While in the gas sharing operating mode (i.e., when at least one HRSG 120 is offline), the draft along the common tunnel 110 and at the different intersections 245 will vary. For example, if the HRSG 120 closest to one end of the common tunnel 110 is offline, the common tunnel draft at the proximal end of the common tunnel 110 will be around 0.1 inches of water and the common tunnel draft at the opposite, distal end of the common tunnel 110 will be around 1.0 inches of water. Similarly, the intersection draft at the intersection 245 furthest from the offline HRSG 120 will be relatively high (i.e., at least 0.7 inches of water) and the intersection draft at the intersection 245 associated with the offline HRSG 120 will be relatively low (i.e., lower than the intersection draft at the previously-mentioned intersection 245 and typically below 0.7 inches of water).
Alternatively, the HHR coke plant 100 can be operated in two operating modes: a normal operating mode for when all of the HRSGs 120 are online and a gas sharing operating mode for when at least one of the HRSGs 120 is offline. In the normal operating mode, the common tunnel 110 is maintained at a commontunnel draft and intersection drafts similar to those of a conventional HHR coke plant (typically, the intersection draft is between 0.5 and 0.6 inches of water and the common tunnel draft at a location near the intersection is between 0.4 and 0.5 inches of water). The common tunnel draft and the intersection draft can vary during the normal operating mode and during the gas sharing mode. In most situations, when a HRSG 120 goes offline, the gas sharing mode begins and the intersection draft at one or more intersections 245 and/or the common tunnel draft at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 is raised. In some situations, for example, when the HRSG 120 furthest from the redundant HRSG 120R is offline, the gas sharing mode will begin and will require an intersection draft and/or a common tunnel draft of at least 0.7 inches of water (in some embodiments, between 1.2 and 1.3 inches of water) to allow for gas sharing along the common tunnel 110. In other situations, for example, when a HRSG 120 positioned next to the redundant HRSG 120R which is offline, the gas sharing mode may not be necessary, that is gas sharing may be possible in the normal operating mode with the same operating conditions prior to the HRSG 120 going offline, or the gas sharing mode will begin and will require only a slight increase in the intersection draft and/or a common tunnel draft. In general, the need to go to a higher draft in the gas sharing mode will depend on where the redundant HRSG 120R is located relative to the offline HRSG 120. The further away the redundant HRSG 120R fluidly is form the tripped HRSG 120, the higher the likelihood that a higher draft will be needed in the gas sharing mode.
Increasing the effective flow area and the intersection draft and/or the common tunnel draft to the levels described above also allows for more ovens 105 to be added to an oven block 235. In some embodiments, up to one hundred ovens form an oven block (i.e., are associated with a crossover duct).
The HRSGs 120 found in a conventional HHR coke plant at a ratio of twenty ovens to one HRSG are referred to as the “standard HRSGs.” The addition of one or more redundant HRSGs 120R results in an overall oven to HRSG ratio of less than 20:1. Under normal operating conditions, the standard HRSGs 120 and the redundant HRSG 120R are all in operation. It is impractical to bring the redundant HRSG 120R online and offline as needed because the start-up time for a HRSG would result in the redundant HRSG 120R only being available on a scheduled basis and not for emergency purposes. An alternative to installing one or more redundant HRSGs would be to increase the capacity of the standard HRSGs to accommodate the increased exhaust gas flow during gas sharing. Under normal operating conditions with all of the high capacity HRSGs online, the exhaust gases from each oven block are conveyed to the associated high capacity HRSGs. In the event that one of the high capacity HRSGs goes offline, the other high capacity HRSGs would be able to accommodate the increased flow of exhaust gases.
In a gas sharing system as described herein, when one of the HRSGs 120 is offline the exhaust gases emanating from the various ovens 105 are shared and distributed among the remaining online HRSGs 120 such that a portion of the total exhaust gases are routed through the common tunnel 110 to each of the online HRSGs 120 and no exhaust gas is vented to atmosphere. The exhaust gases are routed amongst the various HRSGs 120 by adjusting a HRSG valve 250 associated with each HRSG 120 (shown in
In general, a larger common tunnel 110 can correlate to larger allowable mass flow rates relative to a conventional common tunnel for the same given desired pressure difference along the length of the common tunnel 110. The converse is also true, the larger common tunnel 110 can correlate to smaller pressure differences relative to a conventional common tunnel for the same given desired mass flow rate along the length of the common tunnel 110. Larger means larger effective flow area and not necessarily larger geometric cross sectional area. Higher common tunnel drafts can accommodate larger mass flow rates through the common tunnel 110. In general, higher temperatures can correlate to lower allowable mass flow rates for the same given desired pressure difference along the length of the tunnel. Higher exhaust gas temperatures should result in volumetric expansion of the gases. Since the total pressure losses can be approximately proportional to density and proportional to the square of the velocity, the total pressure losses can be higher for volumetric expansion because of higher temperatures. For example, an increase in temperature can result in a proportional decrease in density. However, an increase in temperature can result in an accompanying proportional increase in velocity which affects the total pressure losses more severely than the decrease in density. Since the effect of velocity on total pressure can be more of a squared effect while the density effect can be more of a linear one, there should be losses in total pressure associated with an increase in temperature for the flow in the common tunnel 110. Multiple, parallel, fluidly connected common tunnels (dual, multiple, or hybrid dual/multiple configurations) may be preferred for retrofitting existing conventional HHR coke plants into the gas sharing HHR coke plants described herein.
Although the sample gas-sharing HHR coke plant 100 illustrated in
As shown in
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An oven draft sensor or oven pressure sensor 310 detects a pressure that is indicative of the oven draft and the oven draft sensor 310 can be located in the oven crown 180 or elsewhere in the oven chamber 185. Alternatively, the oven draft sensor 310 can be located at either of the automatic uptake dampers 305, in the sole flue 205, at either oven door 165 or 170, or in the common tunnel 110 near above the coke oven 105. In one embodiment, the oven draft sensor 310 is located in the top of the oven crown 180. The oven draft sensor 310 can be located flush with the refractory brick lining of the oven crown 180 or could extend into the oven chamber 185 from the oven crown 180. A bypass exhaust stack draft sensor 315 detects a pressure that is indicative of the draft at the bypass exhaust stack 240 (e.g., at the base of the bypass exhaust stack 240). In some embodiments, the bypass exhaust stack draft sensor 315 is located at the intersection 245. Additional draft sensors can be positioned at other locations in the coke plant 100. For example, a draft sensor in the common tunnel could be used to detect a common tunnel draft indicative of the oven draft in multiple ovens proximate the draft sensor. An intersection draft sensor 317 detects a pressure that is indicative of the draft at one of the intersections 245.
An oven temperature sensor 320 detects the oven temperature and can be located in the oven crown 180 or elsewhere in the oven chamber 185. A sole flue temperature sensor 325 detects the sole flue temperature and is located in the sole flue 205. In some embodiments, the sole flue 205 is divided into two labyrinths 205A and 205B with each labyrinth in fluid communication with one of the oven's two uptake ducts 225. A flue temperature sensor 325 is located in each of the sole flue labyrinths so that the sole flue temperature can be detected in each labyrinth. An uptake duct temperature sensor 330 detects the uptake duct temperature and is located in the uptake duct 225. A common tunnel temperature sensor 335 detects the common tunnel temperature and is located in the common tunnel 110. A HRSG inlet temperature sensor 340 detects the HRSG inlet temperature and is located at or near the inlet of the HRSG 120. Additional temperature sensors can be positioned at other locations in the coke plant 100.
An uptake duct oxygen sensor 345 is positioned to detect the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gases in the uptake duct 225. An HRSG inlet oxygen sensor 350 is positioned to detect the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gases at the inlet of the HRSG 120. A main stack oxygen sensor 360 is positioned to detect the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gases in the main stack 145 and additional oxygen sensors can be positioned at other locations in the coke plant 100 to provide information on the relative oxygen concentration at various locations in the system.
A flow sensor detects the gas flow rate of the exhaust gases. For example, a flow sensor can be located downstream of each of the HRSGs 120 to detect the flow rate of the exhaust gases exiting each HRSG 120. This information can be used to balance the flow of exhaust gases through each HRSG 120 by adjusting the HRSG dampers 250 and thereby optimize gas sharing among the HRSGs 120. Additional flow sensors can be positioned at other locations in the coke plant 100 to provide information on the gas flow rate at various locations in the system.
Additionally, one or more draft or pressure sensors, temperature sensors, oxygen sensors, flow sensors, and/or other sensors may be used at the air quality control system 130 or other locations downstream of the HRSGs 120.
It can be important to keep the sensors clean. One method of keeping a sensor clean is to periodically remove the sensor and manually clean it. Alternatively, the sensor can be periodically subjected to a burst, blast, or flow of a high pressure gas to remove build up at the sensor. As a further alternatively, a small continuous gas flow can be provided to continually clean the sensor.
The automatic uptake damper 305 includes the uptake damper 230 and an actuator 365 configured to open and close the uptake damper 230. For example, the actuator 365 can be a linear actuator or a rotational actuator. The actuator 365 allows the uptake damper 230 to be infinitely controlled between the fully open and the fully closed positions. The actuator 365 moves the uptake damper 230 amongst these positions in response to the operating condition or operating conditions detected by the sensor or sensors included in the automatic draft control system 300. This provides much greater control than a conventional uptake damper. A conventional uptake damper has a limited number of fixed positions between fully open and fully closed and must be manually adjusted amongst these positions by an operator.
The uptake dampers 230 are periodically adjusted to maintain the appropriate oven draft (e.g., at least 0.1 inches of water) which changes in response to many different factors within the ovens or the hot exhaust system. When the common tunnel 110 has a relatively low common tunnel draft (i.e., closer to atmospheric pressure than a relatively high draft), the uptake damper 230 can be opened to increase the oven draft to ensure the oven draft remains at or above 0.1 inches of water. When the common tunnel 110 has a relatively high common tunnel draft, the uptake damper 230 can be closed to decrease the oven draft, thereby reducing the amount of air drawn into the oven chamber 185.
With conventional uptake dampers, the uptake dampers are manually adjusted and therefore optimizing the oven draft is part art and part science, a product of operator experience and awareness. The automatic draft control system 300 described herein automates control of the uptake dampers 230 and allows for continuous optimization of the position of the uptake dampers 230 thereby replacing at least some of the necessary operator experience and awareness. The automatic draft control system 300 can be used to maintain an oven draft at a targeted oven draft (e.g., at least 0.1 inches of water), control the amount of excess air in the oven 105, or achieve other desirable effects by automatically adjusting the position of the uptake damper 230. The automatic draft control system 300 makes it easier to achieve the gas sharing described above by allowing for a high intersection draft at one or more of the intersections 245 and/or a high common tunnel draft at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 while maintaining oven drafts low enough to prevent excess air leaks into the ovens 105. Without automatic control, it would be difficult if not impossible to manually adjust the uptake dampers 230 as frequently as would be required to maintain the oven draft of at least 0.1 inches of water without allowing the pressure in the oven to drift to positive. Typically, with manual control, the target oven draft is greater than 0.1 inches of water, which leads to more air leakage into the coke oven 105. For a conventional uptake damper, an operator monitors various oven temperatures and visually observes the coking process in the coke oven to determine when to and how much to adjust the uptake damper. The operator has no specific information about the draft (pressure) within the coke oven.
The actuator 365 positions the uptake damper 230 based on position instructions received from a controller 370. The position instructions can be generated in response to the draft, temperature, oxygen concentration, or gas flow rate detected by one or more of the sensors discussed above, control algorithms that include one or more sensor inputs, or other control algorithms. The controller 370 can be a discrete controller associated with a single automatic uptake damper 305 or multiple automatic uptake dampers 305, a centralized controller (e.g., a distributed control system or a programmable logic control system), or a combination of the two. In some embodiments, the controller 370 utilizes proportional-integral-derivative (“PID”) control.
The automatic draft control system 300 can, for example, control the automatic uptake damper 305 of an oven 105 in response to the oven draft detected by the oven draft sensor 310. The oven draft sensor 310 detects the oven draft and outputs a signal indicative of the oven draft to the controller 370. The controller 370 generates a position instruction in response to this sensor input and the actuator 365 moves the uptake damper 230 to the position required by the position instruction. In this way, the automatic control system 300 can be used to maintain a targeted oven draft (e.g., at least 0.1 inches of water). Similarly, the automatic draft control system 300 can control the automatic uptake dampers 305, the HRSG dampers 250, and the draft fan 140, as needed, to maintain targeted drafts at other locations within the coke plant 100 (e.g., a targeted intersection draft or a targeted common tunnel draft). For example, for gas sharing as described above, the intersection draft at one or more intersections 245 and/or the common tunnel draft at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 needs to be maintained at least at 0.7 inches of water. The automatic draft control system 300 can be placed into a manual mode to allow for manual adjustment of the automatic uptake dampers 305, the HRSG dampers, and/or the draft fan 140, as needed. Preferably, the automatic draft control system 300 includes a manual mode timer and upon expiration of the manual mode timer, the automatic draft control system 300 returns to automatic mode.
In some embodiments, the signal generated by the oven draft sensor 310 that is indicative of the detected pressure or draft is time averaged to achieve a stable pressure control in the coke oven 105. The time averaging of the signal can be accomplished by the controller 370. Time averaging the pressure signal helps to filter out normal fluctuations in the pressure signal and to filter out noise. Typically, the signal could be averaged over 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, or over at least 10 minutes. In one embodiment, a rolling time average of the pressure signal is generated by taking 200 scans of the detected pressure at 50 milliseconds per scan. The larger the difference in the time-averaged pressure signal and the target oven draft, the automatic draft control system 300 enacts a larger change in the damper position to achieve the desired target draft. In some embodiments, the position instructions provided by the controller 370 to the automatic uptake damper 305 are linearly proportional to the difference in the time-averaged pressure signal and the target oven draft. In other embodiments, the position instructions provided by the controller 370 to the automatic uptake damper 305 are non-linearly proportional to the difference in the time-averaged pressure signal and the target oven draft. The other sensors previously discussed can similarly have time-averaged signals.
The automatic draft control system 300 can be operated to maintain a constant time-averaged oven draft within a specific tolerance of the target oven draft throughout the coking cycle. This tolerance can be, for example, +/−0.05 inches of water, +/−0.02 inches of water, or +/−0.01 inches of water.
The automatic draft control system 300 can also be operated to create a variable draft at the coke oven by adjusting the target oven draft over the course of the coking cycle. The target oven draft can be stepwise reduced as a function of the elapsed time of the coking cycle. In this manner, using a 48-hour coking cycle as an example, the target draft starts out relatively high (e.g. 0.2 inches of water) and is reduced every 12 hours by 0.05 inches of water so that the target oven draft is 0.2 inches of water for hours 1-12 of the coking cycle, 0.15 inches of water for hours 12-24 of the coking cycle, 0.01 inches of water for hours 24-36 of the coking cycle, and 0.05 inches of water for hours 36-48 of the coking cycle. Alternatively, the target draft can be linearly decreased throughout the coking cycle to a new, smaller value proportional to the elapsed time of the coking cycle.
As an example, if the oven draft of an oven 105 drops below the targeted oven draft (e.g., 0.1 inches of water) and the uptake damper 230 is fully open, the automatic draft control system 300 would increase the draft by opening at least one HRSG damper 250 to increase the oven draft. Because this increase in draft downstream of the oven 105 affects more than one oven 105, some ovens 105 might need to have their uptake dampers 230 adjusted (e.g., moved towards the fully closed position) to maintain the targeted oven draft (i.e., regulate the oven draft to prevent it from becoming too high). If the HRSG damper 250 was already fully open, the automatic damper control system 300 would need to have the draft fan 140 provide a larger draft. This increased draft downstream of all the HRSGs 120 would affect all the HRSG 120 and might require adjustment of the HRSG dampers 250 and the uptake dampers 230 to maintain target drafts throughout the coke plant 100.
As another example, the common tunnel draft can be minimized by requiring that at least one uptake damper 230 is fully open and that all the ovens 105 are at least at the targeted oven draft (e.g. 0.1 inches of water) with the HRSG dampers 250 and/or the draft fan 140 adjusted as needed to maintain these operating requirements.
As another example, the coke plant 100 can be run at variable draft for the intersection draft and/or the common tunnel draft to stabilize the air leakage rate, the mass flow, and the temperature and composition of the exhaust gases (e.g. oxygen levels), among other desirable benefits. This is accomplished by varying the intersection draft and/or the common tunnel draft from a relatively high draft (e.g. 0.8 inches of water) when the coke ovens 105 are pushed and reducing gradually to a relatively low draft (e.g. 0.4 inches of water), that is, running at relatively high draft in the early part of the coking cycle and at relatively low draft in the late part of the coking cycle. The draft can be varied continuously or in a step-wise fashion.
As another example, if the common tunnel draft decreases too much, the HRSG damper 250 would open to raise the common tunnel draft to meet the target common tunnel draft at one or more locations along the common tunnel 110 (e.g., 0.7 inches water) to allow gas sharing. After increasing the common tunnel draft by adjusting the HRSG damper 250, the uptake dampers 230 in the affected ovens 105 might be adjusted (e.g., moved towards the fully closed position) to maintain the targeted oven draft in the affected ovens 105 (i.e., regulate the oven draft to prevent it from becoming too high).
As another example, the automatic draft control system 300 can control the automatic uptake damper 305 of an oven 105 in response to the oven temperature detected by the oven temperature sensor 320 and/or the sole flue temperature detected by the sole flue temperature sensor or sensors 325. Adjusting the automatic uptake damper 305 in response to the oven temperature and or the sole flue temperature can optimize coke production or other desirable outcomes based on specified oven temperatures. When the sole flue 205 includes two labyrinths 205A and 205B, the temperature balance between the two labyrinths 205A and 205B can be controlled by the automatic draft control system 300. The automatic uptake damper 305 for each of the oven's two uptake ducts 225 is controlled in response to the sole flue temperature detected by the sole flue temperature sensor 325 located in labyrinth 205A or 205B associated with that uptake duct 225. The controller 370 compares the sole flue temperature detected in each of the labyrinths 205A and 205B and generates positional instructions for each of the two automatic uptake dampers 305 so that the sole flue temperature in each of the labyrinths 205A and 205B remains within a specified temperature range.
In some embodiments, the two automatic uptake dampers 305 are moved together to the same positions or synchronized. The automatic uptake damper 305 closest to the front door 165 is known as the “push-side” damper and the automatic uptake damper closet to the rear door 170 is known as the “coke-side” damper. In this manner, a single oven draft pressure sensor 310 provides signals and is used to adjust both the push- and coke-side automatic uptake dampers 305 identically. For example, if the position instruction from the controller to the automatic uptake dampers 305 is at 60% open, both push- and coke-side automatic uptake dampers 305 are positioned at 60% open. If the position instruction from the controller to the automatic uptake dampers 305 is 8 inches open, both push- and coke-side automatic uptake dampers 305 are 8 inches open. Alternatively, the two automatic uptake dampers 305 are moved to different positions to create a bias. For example, for a bias of 1 inch, if the position instruction for synchronized automatic uptake dampers 305 would be 8 inches open, for biased automatic uptake dampers 305, one of the automatic uptake dampers 305 would be 9 inches open and the other automatic uptake damper 305 would be 7 inches open. The total open area and pressure drop across the biased automatic uptake dampers 305 remains constant when compared to the synchronized automatic uptake dampers 305. The automatic uptake dampers 305 can be operated in synchronized or biased manners as needed. The bias can be used to try to maintain equal temperatures in the push-side and the coke-side of the coke oven 105. For example, the sole flue temperatures measured in each of the sole flue labyrinths 205A and 205B (one on the coke-side and the other on the push-side) can be measured and then corresponding automatic uptake damper 305 can be adjusted to achieve the target oven draft, while simultaneously using the difference in the coke- and push-side sole flue temperatures to introduce a bias proportional to the difference in sole flue temperatures between the coke-side sole flue and push-side sole flue temperatures. In this way, the push- and coke-side sole flue temperatures can be made to be equal within a certain tolerance. The tolerance (difference between coke- and push-side sole flue temperatures) can be 250° Fahrenheit, 100° Fahrenheit, 500 Fahrenheit, or, preferably 250 Fahrenheit or smaller. Using state-of-the-art control methodologies and techniques, the coke-side sole flue and the push-side sole flue temperatures can be brought within the tolerance value of each other over the course of one or more hours (e.g. 1-3 hours), while simultaneously controlling the oven draft to the target oven draft within a specified tolerance (e.g. +/−0.01 inches of water). Biasing the automatic uptake dampers 305 based on the sole flue temperatures measured in each of the sole flue labyrinths 205A and 205B, allows heat to be transferred between the push side and coke side of the coke oven 105. Typically, because the push side and the coke side of the coke bed coke at different rates, there is a need to move heat from the push side to the coke side. Also, biasing the automatic uptake dampers 305 based on the sole flue temperatures measured in each of the sole flue labyrinths 205A and 205B, helps to maintain the oven floor at a relatively even temperature across the entire floor.
The oven temperature sensor 320, the sole flue temperature sensor 325, the uptake duct temperature sensor 330, the common tunnel temperature sensor 335, and the HRSG inlet temperature sensor 340 can be used to detect overheat conditions at each of their respective locations. These detected temperatures can generate position instructions to allow excess air into one or more ovens 105 by opening one or more automatic uptake dampers 305. Excess air (i.e., where the oxygen present is above the stoichiometric ratio for combustion) results in uncombusted oxygen and uncombusted nitrogen in the oven 105 and in the exhaust gases. This excess air has a lower temperature than the other exhaust gases and provides a cooling effect that eliminates overheat conditions elsewhere in the coke plant 100.
As another example, the automatic draft control system 300 can control the automatic uptake damper 305 of an oven 105 in response to uptake duct oxygen concentration detected by the uptake duct oxygen sensor 345. Adjusting the automatic uptake damper 305 in response to the uptake duct oxygen concentration can be done to ensure that the exhaust gases exiting the oven 105 are fully combusted and/or that the exhaust gases exiting the oven 105 do not contain too much excess air or oxygen. Similarly, the automatic uptake damper 305 can be adjusted in response to the HRSG inlet oxygen concentration detected by the HRSG inlet oxygen sensor 350 to keep the HRSG inlet oxygen concentration above a threshold concentration that protects the HRSG 120 from unwanted combustion of the exhaust gases occurring at the HRSG 120. The HRSG inlet oxygen sensor 350 detects a minimum oxygen concentration to ensure that all of the combustibles have combusted before entering the HRSG 120. Also, the automatic uptake damper 305 can be adjusted in response to the main stack oxygen concentration detected by the main stack oxygen sensor 360 to reduce the effect of air leaks into the coke plant 100. Such air leaks can be detected based on the oxygen concentration in the main stack 145.
The automatic draft control system 300 can also control the automatic uptake dampers 305 based on elapsed time within the coking cycle. This allows for automatic control without having to install an oven draft sensor 310 or other sensor in each oven 105. For example, the position instructions for the automatic uptake dampers 305 could be based on historical actuator position data or damper position data from previous coking cycles for one or more coke ovens 105 such that the automatic uptake damper 305 is controlled based on the historical positioning data in relation to the elapsed time in the current coking cycle.
The automatic draft control system 300 can also control the automatic uptake dampers 305 in response to sensor inputs from one or more of the sensors discussed above. Inferential control allows each coke oven 105 to be controlled based on anticipated changes in the oven's or coke plant's operating conditions (e.g., draft/pressure, temperature, oxygen concentration at various locations in the oven 105 or the coke plant 100) rather than reacting to the actual detected operating condition or conditions. For example, using inferential control, a change in the detected oven draft that shows that the oven draft is dropping towards the targeted oven draft (e.g., at least 0.1 inches of water) based on multiple readings from the oven draft sensor 310 over a period of time, can be used to anticipate a predicted oven draft below the targeted oven draft to anticipate the actual oven draft dropping below the targeted oven draft and generate a position instruction based on the predicted oven draft to change the position of the automatic uptake damper 305 in response to the anticipated oven draft, rather than waiting for the actual oven draft to drop below the targeted oven draft before generating the position instruction. Inferential control can be used to take into account the interplay between the various operating conditions at various locations in the coke plant 100. For example, inferential control taking into account a requirement to always keep the oven under negative pressure, controlling to the required optimal oven temperature, sole flue temperature, and maximum common tunnel temperature while minimizing the oven draft is used to position the automatic uptake damper 305. Inferential control allows the controller 370 to make predictions based on known coking cycle characteristics and the operating condition inputs provided by the various sensors described above. Another example of inferential control allows the automatic uptake dampers 305 of each oven 105 to be adjusted to maximize a control algorithm that results in an optimal balance among coke yield, coke quality, and power generation. Alternatively, the uptake dampers 305 could be adjusted to maximize one of coke yield, coke quality, and power generation.
Alternatively, similar automatic draft control systems could be used to automate the primary air dampers 195, the secondary air dampers 220, and/or the tertiary air dampers 229 in order to control the rate and location of combustion at various locations within an oven 105. For example, air could be added via an automatic secondary air damper in response to one or more of draft, temperature, and oxygen concentration detected by an appropriate sensor positioned in the sole flue 205 or appropriate sensors positioned in each of the sole flue labyrinths 205A and 205B.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
In some applications, portions of the tunnel 404 are bent or otherwise not straight. For example, as illustrated in
Due to high temperatures, continuous operation, and/or other operational and/or environmental factors, it may be desirable or necessary to repair or replace certain portions of the common tunnel 404. Replacement of damaged portions can allow for cost-effective repair of the common tunnel 404 without overhaul of large portions of the tunnel 404. In some cases, replacement of a length of tunnel may be desired or necessary. In other cases, replacement of only a portion of a tunnel wall (e.g., less than an entire annulus) may be desired or necessary.
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the replacement tunnel portion 426 includes a backer board 432 positioned radially inward from the outer wall portion 428. In some applications, a layer of low thermal conductivity material is used instead of or in addition to one or more layers of backer board 432. For example, bricks, insulating fire bricks (IFBs), Kaowool® batting, paper, fiber, and/or other insulating and/or flexible insulating materials may be used. The insulating materials may be used with or without anchors. The backer board 432 can be constructed from a refractory material or other material (e.g., 60-M refractory material or Rescocast 8 material). Preferably, the backer board 432 has a low thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, the replacement tunnel portion 424 includes a plurality of backer boards 432 positioned adjacent each other. The backer board(s) 432 can be scored (e.g., on a radially-outward surface) to increase flexibility of the backer board(s) 432. Increasing flexibility of the backer board(s) can allow for better fit between the backer board(s) 432 and the outer wall portion 428. In some embodiments, a second layer of backer board is used. In some embodiments, the backer board(s) are either provided as or cut into strips prior to installation. The second layer of backer board can be positioned radially-inward from the illustrated backer board(s) 432. As with the backer board(s) 432, the second layer of backer board may include multiple pieces of backer board, may be scored, may be constructed from a refractory material or other material (e.g., 60-M refractory material or Rescocast 8 refractory material), and/or has a low thermal conductivity.
The replacement tunnel portion 426 can include anchors 430 extending radially inward from the outer wall portion 428. In embodiments where backer board 432 is used, the anchors 430 can extend through the backer board 432. As explained below with respect to
The anchor 430 can have an overall length L1, as measured along a radius of the tunnel 404 and/or normal to the surface of the outer wall 428 to which the anchor 430 is attached. The length L1 includes the length of the prong(s) 436. As illustrated, the length of the anchor 430 extends beyond an inner surface of the refractory board 432. In some embodiments, the length L1 of the anchor 430 is between 2-6 inches, between 3-8 inches, between 1-14 inches, between 2.5-9 inches, and/or between 4-10 inches. In some embodiments, some anchors have lengths longer than other anchors. For example, it may be preferred to use longer anchors at or near seams between sections of the tunnels and ducts of a given system, as failures in the refractory and/or other insulative material occur more frequently at or near seams. Using longer anchors at or near seams in the tunnel/duct can reduce the risk of rebound of gunned insulative material at or near the seams.
In some embodiments, an overall thickness T1 of the refractory material (e.g., the backer board 432 (or multiple layers of backer board) and/or the gunned/shotcrete refractory material 440) is approximately 6 inches. In some embodiments, the overall thickness T1 of the refractory material is between 1-8 inches, between 2-10 inches, between 5-9 inches, and/or between 4-15 inches.
The thickness T2 of the backer board 432, if used, can be approximately 2 inches. In some embodiments, the thickness T2 of the backer board 432 is between 1-5 inches, between 0.5-6 inches, between 3-5 inches, and/or between 2.5-7.5 inches.
The thickness T3 of the gunned/shotcrete refractory material 440 can be approximately 4 inches. In some embodiments, the thickness T3 of the refractory material 440 is between 1-8 inches, between 2-5 inches, between 3-7 inches, and/or between 1.5-15 inches. In some applications, replacement tunnel portions 426 are installed without backer boards. In such applications, the thickness T3 of the gunned/shotcrete refractory material 440 may be increased as compared to applications where backer board(s) are utilized. In some applications, whether with or without backer board(s), multiple layers of gunned/shotcrete materials may be used. For example, a first (e.g., outer) gunned/shotcrete layer may comprise a first material and a second (e.g., inner) gunned/shotcrete layer may be deposited on an inner surface of the first material. In some applications, wherein bricks, IFBs, or other materials are used instead of or in addition to the backing board(s) 432, it may be preferable to have a thin layer of gunned/shotcrete refractory material 440.
The overall thickness T1 of the insulating materials used in the tunnel may be limited by the resulting inner diameter of the insulating materials, which forms the inner diameter of the tunnel. For example, reducing the inner diameter of the tunnel (e.g., the common tunnel or other tunnel) can reduce the amount of draft through the tunnel and thereby reduce the flow rate of gases through the tunnel. Reducing the draft through the tunnel can cause stagnation of gases (e.g., hot, corrosive, and/or otherwise harmful gases) within the tunnel, thereby damaging the insulating materials and/or other portions of the tunnel. Increasing the thickness of the insulating material can also decrease the temperature of the outer shell of the tunnel, which can lead to condensation of the corrosive gases on the outer shell. In some embodiments, increasing the thickness T1 of the insulating material can allow for use of cheaper/lower performance insulating materials (e.g., materials with a lower insulative value), as the thickness of those materials can offset the inefficiencies of the materials. In some embodiments, reducing the thickness T1 of the insulating materials can increase the temperature of the outer shell, thereby leading to breakdown of the outer shell material. Accordingly, a balance between thickness and performance is desirable. Such desirable balances are described above with respect to
It is preferable that there be a distance D1 (e.g. a radial distance) between the innermost end of the anchors 430 and the inner surface of the refractory material 440. In other words, is it preferably to have some thickness of refractory material 440 between the anchor 430 and the open, hot tunnel. In some embodiments, the distance D1 between the anchors 430 and the open tunnel is at least 1 inches, at least 2 inches, at least 3 inches, at least 4 inches, at least 5 inches, and/or at least 8 inches. Insulating the anchors 430 from the hot gases in the tunnel 404 can reduce the likelihood that the anchors 430 are damaged by heat, chemical reaction, or otherwise. While the wall and anchor structure of
In some embodiments, the perimeter and/or ends of the replacement wall portion 426 includes a flexible seal/joint 406F. The flexible seal 406F can allow for expansion, contraction, tilting, bending, and/or other relative movement between adjacent tunnel portions. As illustrated in
In some embodiments, cyclic temperature variation in the common tunnel or other tunnel/duct can cause relative movement between adjacent tunnel portions. For example, when first installed, the tunnel portions can be at or near ambient temperature. During operation, the temperature of the tunnel portions can vary over a large temperature range. For example, maximum temperatures between 1800-2600° F. may be realized in the tunnels during operation. During repairs or other shutdowns, the temperature in the tunnel may return to ambient/near ambient. These changes in temperature can vary the length/alignment of the tunnel portions via expansion/contraction of various tunnel components.
The flexible joint 443 can be configured to accommodate longitudinal (e.g., in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tunnel), lateral (e.g., in a direction oblique or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tunnel) movement, and/or tilting of the tunnel or conduit portions 444a, 444b with respect to each other. For example, the seal portion 456 of the flexible joint 443 can straighten when the conduit portions 444a, 444b move away from each other and bend/curve when the conduit portions 444a, 444b move toward each other. The fill portion 452 and layers thereof can also straighten and bend/curve upon movement of the conduit portions 444a, 444b away from and toward each other, respectively. The seal portion 456 and fill portion 452 can also be configured to bend/flex/slide to accommodate lateral movement of the conduit portions 444a, 444b with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the fill portion 452 and/or other portions of the flexible joint 443 are surrounded by a mesh material (e.g., a stainless steel mesh, a ceramic mesh, a composite mesh, an Inconel® mesh, and/or other material or combination of materials).
In operation, draft through the tunnel/conduit can create a vacuum within the tunnel/conduit which can exert a pulling force on the flexible joint 443 or some portion thereof toward the interior of the conduit. Preferably, the pillows portion(s) 450 can inhibit or prevent movement and/or dislodgement of the flexible joint 443 into the conduit. The fill portion 452 can be installed in a compressed configuration to inhibit or prevent leakage of gases and/or escape of heat through the flexible joint 443. In some embodiments, the fill portion 452 has a wedge-shape to further inhibit movement of the flexible joint 443 into the conduit. In some embodiments, the fill portion 452 exerts pressure on surrounding refractory and/or other insulating material within the conduit to reduce the risk of gaps between the fill portion 452 and the insulating material. In some embodiments, the refractory or other insulative material on the interior of the tunnel can be beveled, filleted, or otherwise shaped to induce a compressive force from the fill portion 452 onto the surrounding insulative material. In some embodiments, insulating material is gunned or otherwise applied over the fill portion 452 from within the conduit.
The flexible assembly 462 can include a pillow 468. The pillow 468 be constructed from, for example, a ceramic, flexible, low-thermal conductivity, and/or composite material. In some embodiments, the pillow 468 is constructed from a ceramic material with a silica casing. In some embodiments, the pillow 468 is filled with silica material. The flexible assembly 462 can include a fill portion 469 extending radially inward from the pillow 468. All or some of the fill portion 469 can be configured to fit between the adjoining tunnel portions. In some embodiments, the fill portion 469 is configured to expand and contract as the adjoining tunnel portions move toward and/or away from each other and/or tilt with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the fill portion 469 and/or other portions of the flexible joint 460 are surrounded by a mesh material (e.g., a stainless steel mesh, a ceramic mesh, a composite mesh, an Inconel® mesh, and/or other material or combination of materials).
The pillow portion 468 can be maintained in place by the belt 466. In some embodiments, the pillow portion 468 and/or fill portion 469 provide thermal insulation between the belt 466 and the interior of the tunnel 404. In some embodiments, the belt is a laminate structure including insulation 470. The insulation 470 can be, for example, ceramic material (e.g., zirconia ceramic mat). In some embodiments, the insulation 470 is constructed from a chrome ceramic fiber material. The insulation 470 can be at least partially bounded by one or more cuffs (e.g., fiberglass cuffs) 472a, 472b. The belt 466 can include one or more fluid-impervious layers. For example, an outer layer 474 can cover at least a radially-outward surface of the belt 466. The outer layer 474 can be, for example, a gas-impermeably material such as PTFE. In some embodiments, the belt 466 includes an inner layer 476 constructed from, for example, aluminized silica. Other materials (e.g., metals, ceramics, composites, polymers, and/or combinations thereof) can be used to form the belt 466. Example layer materials are described in co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/786,096 (e.g., in
The belt 466 can be configured to reduce or eliminate ingress and egress of gasses or liquids into or out from the tunnel 404. The belt 466 can be connected to the brackets 464a, 464b via bolts, adhesives, staples, rivets, and/or other attachment methods/mechanisms. In some embodiments, the brackets 464a, 464b include slotted apertures for receiving fasteners and permitting sliding movement of the fasteners with respect to the brackets 464a, 464b. The belt 466 can be configured to bend as the adjoined sections of the tunnel 404 move toward each other and to flatten as the adjoined sections of the tunnel 404 move apart. In some embodiments, anchors (e.g., anchors 430′ and/or 430′ described above) are positioned adjacent the seal 460 near the junction between two tunnel portions.
The various components of the flexible joint 460 can have varying heights and widths, as measured in the plane and perspective of
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
The flexible assembly 482 can include a pillow portion 488. The pillow portion 488 can have a material composition and/or size similar to that described above with respect to the pillow portion 468. For example, the height H2 of the pillow portion 488 can be similar to or the same as the height H1 of the pillow portion 468. In some embodiments, the width W3 of the pillow portion 488 is the same as or similar to the width W2 of the pillow portion 468. Positioned radially inward from the pillow portion 488, the flexible assembly 482 can include a seal (e.g. a fly ash seal) 490. The seal 490 can be, for example, a fiberglass rope seal with a wire mesh casing. In some embodiments, the flexible assembly 482 includes a clamp or flap 491 configured to hold the seal 490 in place. In some embodiments, the seal 490 is welded or otherwise affixed to one or both of the conduit and the flap 491. The flap 491 can be formed form a portion of the outer wall of the tunnel adjacent the joint 480. In some embodiments, the flap 491 functions as a baffle to direct ash and other harmful materials away from the seal 490. The flexible seal 480 can include a shelf 494 or other structure configured to inhibit or prevent the pillow portion 488 from moving radially-inward past the outer wall of the tunnel. Pillow portions 488 can be wrapped in a mesh (e.g., a metal mesh, stainless steel mesh, ceramic mesh, composite mesh, and/or some other mesh). In some embodiments, the flexible seal 480 is used in the HRSG or other portions of the HHR coke-making facility 400. In some embodiments, all or portions of the flexible seal 480 are coated with a mastic material or other acid-resistant material.
In some embodiments, a method of repairing the common tunnel 404 or some other conduit can include identifying damaged portions of the tunnel 404. For example, external damage may be visible to the naked eye. In some cases, warping, bubbling, bowing, and/or other imperfections are formed on the wall of the tunnel 404. Thermal imaging may be used in conjunction with external observation to identify hot spots and other areas of potential damage. In some cases, the anchors of the tunnel are viewable via infrared. Anchors with elevated temperature can indicate damaged refractory material or other damage to the tunnel.
Upon identification of the damaged portion of the tunnel 404, an operator may choose to remove a portion of the tunnel wall larger than the observed damaged area. Removal of the damaged portion may include cutting, drilling, sawing, chain-sawing, and/or other methods of removal. A crane of other instrument may be used to lift the damaged portion from the tunnel.
A replacement tunnel portion, similar to or the same as the replacement tunnel portions described above, may be sized and shaped to replace the damaged portion. In some embodiments, the desired size and shape is an axial length of annular tunnel. In some embodiments, the desired size and shape is a portion of a wall. Preferably, the outer wall portion of the replacement tunnel portion is sized to be slightly larger than the removed outer wall portion of the damaged tunnel. Using a slightly larger outer wall can allow for complete perimeter welding between the replacement tunnel portion and the adjacent tunnel.
Upon placement of the replacement tunnel portion at the desired location, the outer wall of the replacement tunnel portion can be spot-welded or fully welded to the adjoining tunnel portions. Refractory material can be gunned or shotcrete onto the inner surface of the outer wall portion or refractory board. Gunning the refractory material can include mixing the material with water at the outlet of the dispenser. Shotcreting, on the other hand, includes mixing the water with the refractory material before the outlet of the dispenser. If the outer wall was only spot-welded prior to dispensing the refractor material, the outer wall of the replacement tunnel portion can then be welded to the adjacent tunnel around an entire perimeter of the replacement tunnel portion.
In some embodiments, the gunning/shotcrete is performed through openings 408 (
In some embodiments, the method of repair includes marking the tunnel (e.g., the outer surface of the tunnel) to define the portion of the wall to be replaced (step S3). Marking the tunnel can include painting, etching, and/or other methods of marking. Preferably, the marked area has four sides, with one or more sides parallel to the length of the tunnel and one or more sides perpendicular to the length of the tunnel. The portion of the wall to be replaced can be marked such that the markings are outside of the damaged area (e.g., six to nine inches outside the damaged area) near anchors in an undamaged portion of the tunnel wall. In some embodiments, the method of repair includes cutting a replacement outer wall from a metal stock piece (step S4). The replacement piece can be rolled or otherwise shaped to match the contours of the surrounding tunnel.
In some embodiments, the method of repairing the tunnel includes cutting out (e.g., laser cutting, drilling, sawing, chain-sawing, or other cutting) the portion of wall to be replaced (step S5). The cutting can be performed along the markings previously made on the outer wall of the tunnel. Preferably, the cutting is performed on an area larger than the damaged area to reduce the likelihood that the repair process fails to capture some portion of damaged tunnel. In some embodiments, the method of repairing the tunnel optionally includes cutting an access port or window in another portion of the common tunnel (step S6). For example, it may be advantageous to cut an access port in a portion of the tunnel opposite the repair site. In some embodiments, the access port is cut in a lower portion of the tunnel near the repair site. Cutting the access port in a lower portion of the tunnel can allow for easier cleaning of the tunnel (e.g., removal of debris from cutting the damaged portion of tunnel). Removing debris/excess or damaged insulation can increase draft within the tunnel. In some embodiments, an uptake duct, stack, or other pathway is used in addition to instead of cutting an access port. The access port can allow the repair personnel to install the replacement tunnel portion (step S7). For example, insulation can be gunned or otherwise deposited onto the inner surface of the replacement wall portion through the access port. In some embodiments, portions of the internal insulation of the tunnel are removed or repaired via the access port during or before installation of the replacement wall portion. In some embodiments, the replacement wall portion is welded (e.g., tack welded) from one or both of the inside of the tunnel via the access port and from outside of the tunnel.
In some embodiments, braces or other supports are installed (e.g., temporarily or permanently) on the tunnel upstream and/or downstream of the repair site. The supports can reduce the likelihood of damage to the tunnel during and/or after cutting of the damaged portion and/or cutting of the access port(s).
In some embodiments, insulation and/or mastic material is deposited on the inner surface of the replacement wall portion before or after welding the replacement wall portion to the surrounding tunnel. For example, refractory can be attached to the inner surface of the replacement wall portion. The refractory can be scored to increase flexibility and conformance with the curvature of the inner surface of the replacement wall portion. In some embodiments, anchors are installed on the replacement wall portion before or after attachment of the refractory material and/or other insulating material. The anchors can be drilled through the outer wall or the replacement wall portion or connected to an inner surface of the outer wall. The anchors can be arranged in a pattern similar to or the same as the pattern observed in step S2. For repair of cold portions of tunnel (e.g., tunnel portions colder than 500° F.), insulation may be used on an outer surface of the tunnel instead of or in addition to insulation on an inner surface of the outer wall of the tunnel.
In some embodiments, exhaust stacks (e.g., bypass exhaust stacks) on one or both side of the repair site are opened to permit repair of the tunnel at the repair site. Opening the exhaust stacks can lower the temperature of the repair site and/or remove harmful gases from the repair site. Upon completion of the repair, the exhaust stacks can be returned to a closed configuration.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is also important to note that the constructions and arrangements of the apparatus, systems, and methods as described and shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, while many aspects of the present technology are described in the context of HHR/heat recovery systems, many or most of the devices, systems, and methods described herein can be implemented in non-recovery applications (e.g., horizontal non-recovery coke ovens, beehive/non-recovery coke plants, and/or other non-recovery systems).
As used herein, the terms “coke plants”, “coking plants”, “coke systems,” “coking systems,” “systems for coking coal,” and their variants collectively refer to any type of coke plant, including byproduct coke plants, heat recovery coke plants, horizontal heat recovery coke plants, non-recovery coke plants, and horizontal non-recovery coke plants. Moreover, certain aspects of the present disclosure are described in the context of a specific oven type. However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, such aspects may be readily adapted for use with any type of coke plant. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure is not limited to a specific type of coke plant, unless explicitly noted otherwise.
The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.
The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/729,129, filed Dec. 27, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/786,157, filed Dec. 28, 2018, to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/786,194, filed Dec. 28, 2018, to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/786,096, filed Dec. 28, 2018, and to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/785,728, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made part of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62786157 | Dec 2018 | US | |
| 62786194 | Dec 2018 | US | |
| 62786096 | Dec 2018 | US | |
| 62785728 | Dec 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16729129 | Dec 2019 | US |
| Child | 17320343 | US |
