GB2042445A - Railway coke cars - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a coke conveying car 11 having a drum 21, with its axis horizontal, to receive and contain the coke. The drum is mounted on a chassis 13 that also supports a fume shield 23. The drum has an opening 45 in its cylindrical wall 35 and the drum 21 can be rotated about its axis between a position in which the opening 45 is uppermost, and can receive coke, to a travelling position in which the opening 45 is lower and lies covered by the fume shield <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to coke conveying cars This invention relates to apparatus for use in the discharge of coke from coke ovens. it is known to arrange such ovens in a battey and provide, extending alongside the battery, a track on which runs a coke car by which coke from each of the ovens may be conveyed to a location for further treatment such as, for instance, to a quenching station or a discharge wharf.

The rapid quenching of coke that is effected to prevent oxidation of the coke is liable to produce large amounts of dust and smoke, and steam that can entrain small particles of coke, that can cause objectionable pollution unless properly dealt with.

In the past, extensive equipment has been provided to try to restrict the unwanted discharge of dust, smoke and steam and the present proposal includes an alternative to known arrangements. The present proposal provides on the car a cylindrical coke receiving drum that is rotatable about its axis. The drum has an opening through which it can be charged and from which coke can be discharged. For loading, the opening lies beneath a fume hood that is located by an oven from which the coke is supplied to the drum.

For transit, the drum is rotated about its axis so that the opening is covered by a fume shield carried by the car.

A false bottom is provided in the drum and an effect of this will be to tend to spread the coke in the drum into a more uniform layer as the drum rotates.

By way of example, an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view partly cut away, of a coke quenching car, Figure 2 is a view along line ll-ll of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a view along line Ill-Ill of Fig.

1; Figures 4 and 4a are diagrams illustrating a first operative position of the car shown in Figs. 1 to 3, Fig. 4a being a section on the central plane IVa of Fig. 4; Figures 5 and 5a are diagrams illustrating a second operative position of the car shown in Figs. 1 to 3;Fig. 5a being a section on the central plane Va of Fig. 5; Figures 6 and 6a are diagrams illustrating a third operative position of the car shown in Figs. 1 to 3, Fig. 6a being a section on the plane Vla, displaced from the centre of Fig. 6; Figures 7 and 7a are diagrams illustrating a fourth operative position of the car shown in Figs. 1 to 3, Fig. 7a being a section on the central plane Vlla of Fig. 7; Figure 8 is a view of the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 1 and serves to illustrate a lining provided in a shell forming part of the car illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3; Figure 9 is a view on the line IX-IX of Fig.

10, and serves to illustrate a drainage frame included in a shell forming part of the car illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3; and Figure 10 is a view along line X-X of Fig.

9.

Fig. 1 shows a rotatable cylindrical coke quenching car 11 that includes a elongated flat-bed frame 1 3 mounted to front 1 5 and rear 1 7 wheeled trucks that travel on rails 1 9.

The rails 1 9 run parallel to the direction of alignment of a battery 1 21 of coke chambers; the axis of each individual chamber 11 9 is normal to the line of travel of the frame 1 3. A rotatable cylindrical drum 21 is mounted on the flat-bed frame 1 3 with its axis parallel to the line of travel of the frame 1 3 and parallel with the horizon. A fume shield 23 is mounted to the frame 1 3 and subtends a portion of the drum 21.

The frame 13, movement of which moves the coke quenching car 11, is coupled to and moves with a traction car 25 which is conventional in construction, and on which are located conventional gas cleaning apparatus (not shown).

The drum 21 can rotate about it axis through an arc relative to the flat-bed frame 1 3. To facilitate rotation at the front and rear end portions of the flat bed frame 13, there are respectively support rollers 27, 29 that are journaled to bearing supports 31, 33 fixed to the flat-bed frame 1 3. These rollers 27 and 29 support the rotatable cylindrical drum 21.

The drum 21 comprises a cylindrical hollow shell 35 and solid end plates 37, 39. The hollow shell 35 has two rectangular openings 41, 43 (see Figs. 4-7) for receiving cooling liquid for quenching the coke.

Openings 41 and 43 are arranged axially on opposite sides of a larger rectangular opening 45 that receives the coke from the coke oven 119. All of the openings 41, 43 and 45 provide an exit for steam during the quench and, also, for the discharge of cooled coke at the coke wharf 1 69 (indicated only in Fig.

7a).

The interior of the drum is subjected to large temperature differentials. The inner surface of the hollow cylindrical shell 35, and the inner surface of each end plate 37, 39 is lined, respectively, with a plurality of metallic liner plates 47 on the shell and 49 on the end plates. Fig. 8 illustrates a typical joint between two adjacent shell liner plates 47, and a similar joint exists between adjacent end liner plates 49. The edges 51 of adjacent liner plates 47 are scarfed so that the plates overlap, leaving a gap between the overlapping plates to allow for thermal expansion. Adjacent each scarf edge 51 there is a countersunk bolt 53 that extends through a spacer 55 and through an oversize hole 57 in the cylindrical shell 35. A nut 59 is threaded onto the end of the bolt 53, and a washer 61 is disposed between the nut 59 and the shell 35.Thus, because of the oversize hole 58 in the cylindrical shell 35, the shell liner plates 47 (and, in a similar way, end liner plates 49 also) can expand and contract thermally.

At the quenching station (not shown) an excess of water is used to cool the coke.

Thus, not all the water is converted to steam.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate schematically one of a plurality of drainage frames 63 in the liner plates 47 and cylindrical shell 35 by which excess water can escape. The drainage frames 63 are aligned axially parallel to the iongitudinal axis of the cylindrical shell 35. Each drainage frame 63 comprises a rectangular cast frame 65 to which are integrally connected, grate-type bars 67. The cast frame 65 is secured to the liner plates 47 and to the outer shell 35. As is apparent from Fig. 3 and Fig. 6a, the drainage frames 63 are located almost diametrically opposite the aligned openings 41, 45 and 43 in the cylindrical shell 35 and liner plates 47.

A planar bottom 69, on which the coke rests during motion of the car 11 but which is shown tilted in Fig. 3 as a result of rotating the shell 35 is provided within the shell 35 to increase the movement of the coke in the shell upon the rotation of the shell 35. As a result of this movement, the depth of the coke pile in the drum 21 is reduced, and the layer of coke tends to be uniform in depth along the length of the shell 35, so that quenching at the quenching station station (not shown) can be faster and more uniform and therefore more complete. The planar bottom 69 is supported within the shell by struts 71 so that, in any cross-section perpendicular to the axis, it forms a chord. The planar bottom 69 also is covered with liner plates 47, similar to those described heretofore.As is indicated by a broken line in Fig. 3, the planar bottom is inclined at an angle of about 105' to the axis of the opening 45.

The fume shield 23 is effective to cover the openings 41, 43 and 45 during the time in which the car is transporting coke in the shell 35 to the quenching station (not shown) and the coke wharf (not shown). The fume shield 23 is mounted to the frame 13, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, by a pair of vertical stanch ions 73, 75 that are fixed to the flatbed frame 1 3 adjacent the ends thereof and near the left hand longitudinal edge (as viewed in Fig. 2). The stanchions 73, 75 are fixed at their top ends to a longitudinally extending I-beam 77. Between ends of the beam 77 is one or more bent support column 79. These bent support columns 79 are secured at their bottom ends to the flat-bed frame 13, and at their top ends to a longitudinally extending beam 81, arranged in spaced apart, parallel relation to the beam 77. The beam 81 is preferably also an I-beam.Between the parallel beams 77, 81 are intercostal I-beams 83. One metallic sheet 85 of the fume shield 23 is disposed horizontally, as shown in Fig. 2. Another metallic sheet 87 is disposed angularly between the beams 77, 81 and is secured to the intercostal beam 83.

Another metallic sheet 89 is disposed vertically and is supported by the vertical upper portion of the bent columns 79. The lower end of the vertical metallic sheet 89 lies at a horizontally disposed angle 91 extending intercostally between the bent columns 79, as shown in Fig. 1. The end pieces (of which only one, 93, appears in the drawings) that connect to the several metallic sheets 85, 87, 89 are supported by the vertical stanchion 75 and the bent stanchion 79 at the ends of the fume shield 23. As indicated in Fig. 2, the end pieces have an arcuate edge 97 that is concentric with the cylindrical drum 21.

To facilitate the removal of gases and dust from inside the drum 21, the drum 21 is fitted internally with a rectangular shaped exhaust duct 99 that has an open top 101 and is mounted to the inner surface of the leading end plate 39. The exhaust duct 99 communicates with a horizontal cylindrical tubular exhaust duct 103 that extends outwardly from the end plate 39 in axial alignment with the cylindrical drum 21. The horizontal cylindrical tubular exhaust duct 103 has a flanged end 105 that coacts with a flanged end 107 of a duct 109 carrying dirty gases from the coke quenching car 11 to the gas cleaning and scrubbing apparatus (not shown) on the traction car 25.

To enable the drum 21 to be rotated relative to the frame 13, a large bull gear 111 is mounted externally and fixed to the end plate 39 of the shell 35. The bull gear 111 is driven by a coacting pinion 11 3 on the end of the output shaft of an electric motor 114 and speed reducer 11 5 that is mounted on a support structure 11 7 attached to the flat-bed frame 13.

The coke receiving car 11 of the present invention operates with conventional equipment that is conventionally associated with coke ovens. Fig. 3 shows the coke quenching car 11 at an operative position, ready to receive the coke that is to be pushed from chamber 119 of a coke oven battery 121.

Fig. 3 shows a conventional coke guide car 1 23 that travels on rails 125, and a coke guide 1 27 is carried on the coke guide car 123, The coke guide 1 27 is supported by structure 1 29 on the car 1 23 so that the coke guide 1 27 can be racked in and out in a conventional manner. This coke guide car 1 23 carries a fume hood 1 31 that extends outwardly over the coke quenching car, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.As shown in Fig. 2, the fixed fume hood 131 carries at its bottom a movable hood portion 1 33 that is provided with elongate siots 1 35. Pins 1 37 fixed to the side of the fixed hood 131 coact with the slots and guide the movable hood portion 1 33 from the operative position shown in solid outline to the retracted position shown in dotted outline.The movable hood portion 1 33 is actuated by a wire rope 1 39 secured to it, and the wire rope 1 39 cooperates with an hydraulic rotary actuator 141, mounted onto the side of the fixed hood 1 31. The wire rope 1 39 passes over a pulley 143 mounted to the coke guide supporting structure 1 29 and is connected to a counterweight 145 operating in a tubular conduit 147.

A pivotable coke distributor trough 149, such as is described in U.S. application Serial No. 718,595, filed August 30, 1976, is supported on arms T51 (see Fig. 3) that carry a shaft 1 53 that is journaled in bearings 1 55 mounted to the coke guide supporting structure 1 29. Shaft 153, as can be seen in Fig.

2, carries a crank 1 57 fixed thereto that is pin-connected to the piston rod portion of a cylinder-piston assembly 1 59, pivotally mounted, as at 161, to the coke guide supporting structure 129.

The manner in which the coke quenching car that has been described is to be used can best be explained with special reference to Figs. 3, 4-7 and 4a-7a.

The traction car 25 locates the coke quenching car 11 at the oven chamber 11 9 which is ready to be pushed. The longitudinal axis of the drum 21 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the oven chamber 11 9.

The coke guide 1 27 is then racked toward the face of the oven chamber 11 9 from the extended position 127a, in which it is shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, to the position 1 27 in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and 4a. The coke distributor trough 149 is then pivoted downwardly from the position 1 27a to the position 127. The trough 149 fits into the large rectangular opening 45 in the cylindrical shell 21. A pivoting tailgate 163 pivots downward from the retracted position, shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, to the operative position shown in solid outline. The movable portion 1 33 of the hood is then lowered to coact with the cylindrical shell 21, which is ready to receive hot coke.

As the pusher machine extends the pusher ram into and through the oven chamber, the coke passes through the coke guide 1 27 and discharges from the distributor trough 149, though opening 45, into the cylindrical drum 21. As the coke falls into the cylindrical drum 21, the gas cleaning apparatus on the traction car is actuated to induce gases and fumes in the cylindrical drum to flow through the exhaust duct and the duct 1 09. When the pushing is completed, by which time the pusher ram will have approached the line 1 64 shown in Fig. 3, the distributor trough 149 is raised to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3 and in full line in Fig. 5a and the pusher ram is retracted.Then the coke guide 1 27 is racked away from the face of the oven chamber to the position 1 27a and the tailgate 163 is raised.

Motor 144 is now actuated to drive the bull gear 111 to turn the cylindrical shell counterclockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, to the position shown in Fig. 5a. As the cylindrical drum 21 rotates counterclockwise, the piled chunks of hot coke in the drum 21 move from being supported on the arcuate portion 1 64 of the drum 21 to being supported on the planar bottom 69. In the process, the coketends to level itself and form a layer of uniform depth. The openings 41, 43 and 45 in the shell are now covered by the fume shield 23 and the movable hood portion 1 33 is raised. The coke quenching car 11 is now ready to travel to a conventional coke quenching station (not shown).

When the coke quenching car reaches the quenching station, motor 11 4 is again actuated and the cylindrical drum 21 is rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 5a, to bring the openings 41, 43 and 45 to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 6a. As the cylindrical drum rotates, the coke in the drum tumbles from the planar bottom 69 back onto the arcuate portion 1 64 and tends further to achieve a level load condition. At the coke quenching station, the water is turned on and, as shown in Fig. 6a, the coke is quenched by water sprays or streams 1 67 directed onto the coke through the openings 41, 43 and 45.

The water drains from the cylindrical drum 21 through the plurality of drainage frames 63 and the drained water is conducted by conduits (not shown) to a sump of conventional construction.

When the quenching operation has been completed, the water flow from the spray 1 67 is stopped, the cylindrical drum is rotated counterclockwise from the quenching position of Fig. 6a to the position shown in Fig. 5a, as the coke quenching car 11 moves from the quenching station (not shown) to a coke wharf 169, indicated in Figs. 3 and 7a.

When the car 11 reaches the coke wharf, the motor 11 4 is activated yet again to rotate the drum 21 still further in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 7a in which the planar bottom 69 is aligned with a coke guide plate 1 71 mounted angularly to the flat-bed frame 13, so that the coke will discharge from the cylindrical drum 21 and be directed by the coke guide plate 1 71 onto the surface of the coke wharf. After the coke has been discharged onto the coke wharf 169, motor 114 is activated again to turn the cylindrical drum 21 in a clockwise direction to the catch position, in which it is shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 4a. The car is then moved to site the drum 21 opposite the next oven to be pushed and the sequence previously de scribed is repeated.

It will be apparent from what has been described that the inventors have provided apparatus by which coke may be transported from a coke oven to, say, a quenching station and a coke wharf. It is especially suitable for use with a battery of coke ovens and includes a drum mounted on a chassis, the axis of the drum being horizontal and extending in the direction of alignment of the ovens and perpendicular to the length of each oven. The drum is rotatable about its axis on the chassis and the chassis is movable on rails extending parallel to the axis of the drum.

The cylindrical drum is provided with a loading opening through which it can be charged and, after rotation of the drum about its axis, through which coke in the drum can be discharged. Other openings may be axially aligned with that opening to facilitate the admission of quenching liquid to the drum.

Diametrically opposed to the openings are drainage frames providing gratings which, when the openings are uppermost, lie at the lowest part of le drum.

The drum is provided internally with a lining that is spaced from the walls of the drum and formed from components that are scarfed at their edges to accommodate relative thermal expansion. The drum is provided internally with a plane false bottom which, when the loading opening is uppermost, is inclined to the vertical. When the drum has been charged with coke, the drum may be rotated so that the false bottom becomes more-or-less horizontal. This will cause the coke within the drum to be redistributed to a more uniform layer than the heap that it formed on being discharged into the drum. Such rotation can be effected before moving the car to a quenching station. Rotation in the reverse sense may be effected at the quenching station to bring the openings uppermost for the ready admission of quenching liquid.This movement will, again, distribute the coke into a more uniform layer. Once the coke has been quenched, and the car moved to a discharge wharf, the drum can be rotated to bring the loading opening to its lowermost position, in which the coke in the drum can fall out of the drum, sliding down a coke guide plate on the chassis into the discharge wharf.

A fume shield is carried on the chassis to cover the opening when the drum is in side a position that the false bottom is more-or-less horizontal. A fume extractor extends axially from an end of the drum, being powered by means carried on a traction car by which the chassis can be moved. By use of the fume extractor, dust, gases, steam and particulate matter resulting from the quenching of the coke can be extracted and retained by the tractor. The extractor can also be operated during discharge of the coke into the car and at other times.

Mounted on rails extending along side the battery of coke ovens, there is fume hood mounted on rails so that it can be aligned with any oven that is to be pushed, or emptied. When the oven is being emptied, the fume hood is positioned beside the oven and the drum is then positioned beneath the hood whilst being charged. Movable parts of the hood can be lowered to make a more effective seal between the hood and the drum and a distributor trough can be lowered from an inoperative position within the hood to one in which it serves to conduct coke from the oven to the drum. The fume hood inhibits the release of fumes to atmosphere whilst the drum is being loaded and the fume shield inhibits the release of fumes to atmosphere whilst the drum is in transit. The single fume hood device is used whichever oven is being pushed whilst the single fume shield moves with the drum.

Since the drum is rotated during use, the rotation will tend to spread the discharged coke into a uniform layer, thus, effectively increasing the capacity of the drum, and the false bottom will enhance the distributive effect of the rotation. Thus, the capacity of a drum of given size is effectively increased.

Claims (11)

1. A coke conveying car having a drum of which the axis is horizontal and which is mounted for rotation about its axis on a chassis by which it can be moved in the direction of the axis, the drum having in its periphery an opening and being rotatable between a charging position in which the opening is exposed and coke may be discharged into the drum and a travelling position in which the opening lies covered by a fume shield that is fixed to the chassis.

2. A coke conveying car as claimed in claim 1 in which the drum may be rotated between the travelling position and a discharging position in which the opening lies below the fume shield and coke in the drum may slide out through the opening.

3. A coke conveying car as claimed in either of the preceding claims in which a flat wall within the drum is so disposed as to act as the floor on which coke within the drum will rest when the drum is in the travelling position.

4. A coke conveying car as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which one or more additional openings through which quenching liquid may be admitted to the drum are aligned with the opening specified in claim 1 and lie covered by the fume shield when the drum is in the travelling position.

5. A coke conveying car as claimed in any of the preceding claim in which the drum is provided with a drain through which liquid can escape from the drum, the drain being disposed diametrically opposite the opening specified in claim 1.

6. A coke conveying car as claimed in any of the preceding claims and provided with a fume escape duct leading co-axially from one end of the car.

7. A coke conveying car as claimed in claim 6 and coupled to a tractor by which the car may be moved and carrying exhaust means associated with the fume escape duct.

8. A coke conveying car as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the drum is provided internally with a lining that is spaced apart from the drum.

9. A coke conveying car as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which rotation of the drum may be effected by co-operation between a roothed wheel mounted concentrically on the drum and one or more drive gear wheels mounted on the chassis.

10. A coke conveying car as claimed in claim 3 or any of claims 4 to 9 when appendant to claim 3 and included in a system providing a discharge site into which the car may be moved, the discharge site including a guide plate with which the car may be aligned and being such that when the drum is in its discharging position, the guide plate is coplanar with, and effectively an extension of, the flat wall within the drum that acts as the floor.

11. A coke conveying car substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.