US1466215A - System of coking - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1923.

G. W. TRAER ET AL SYSTEM OF COKING Filed Jan. 20 1919 5 Sheet-Sheet 1 Aug. 28, 1923.

G. W. TFEAER ET AL SYSTEM OF COKING Fiied Jan. 20, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 28, W23.

G. W. TRAER ET AL SYSTEM OF comm Filed Jan. 20, 1919 5 Sheeta-Shet 5 Patented Aug. 228, i923.

ester GLENN W. TEASER, AND C UDE M. GARLAliII), OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNURE T0 UNIVERSAL COAL PRO UCTS COMPANY, 02 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MINE.

SYSTEM 03: CURING.

Application filed January 26, 1919. Serial No. 272,t?28.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GLENN W. TRAER and (In-mun M. GARLAND, citizens of the United States, and residents of Qhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Systems of ilolring, of which the following is a description; reference being had to the accompanying driiwings, which form a part of our specification.

Our invention reh tes. more especially to a system of and apparatus for coking; coal at comparatively low temperatures: the system ron'iprising a retort wherein the volatiie hydrocarbons may he distilled from the coal; more especially bituminous coal, temperatures greatly less than are employed in the ordinary gas-house and oy-product' ovens for producing non-volatiie col-:e.

The object of our invention is to provide :1 system comprising: a series of retorts whereby the coking oi" bituminous coal, at comparatively low teniperatures, may he etfooted in a substantially continuous manner, as distinguished from the usual intermittentniethod heretofore employed; the system including means whereby the coal will be maintained in the respective retorts in separnte units, preferably of greater vertical di mensions than the transverse dimensions thereof; the heating; of the coal units being accomplished as the respective coal units progressively travel from one end of the oven to the other through the respective re torts. heated to temperatures of such degree that a portion of the volatile hydrocarlion will he left in the produce namely those hydrocarbons which will not voiatn lize at the maximum degree of temperature proposed in the operation of our in'iprored system; nicsns whereby the coal is conveyed in separate units being di- .vided intocolnmnar sections or sub-units and composed of metal of great heat con ductivity; while the means are adapted'to travel freely through the coking retorts or chambers from end to end thereof.

Our invention contemplates an oven preterably provided with a plurality of retorts of length suilicient to receive aplurality or coal-holding; means 01" containers justreferred to, which are intended to be progressively moved at predetermined intervals through the distillation zone of the retorts,

from What may he termed the charging ends toward the discharging ends thereof. The distilling or coking portions of the retorts are preterehiy formed of metallic shells .se cured together, end to end, aimi heated preferahy by means of gas burners arranged in fines disposed vertically, on opposite sides of the, retort proper; with the various fines communicating with a flue common to all of the heating fines. The various retorts, at fixed points, are all provided with takeoff pipes for removing the distillate gases which rise in the retorts; said take-off pipes preferably communicating with the upper ends or tops of the respective retorts end the tnkeoif pipes in turn conducting the distillate gases'to any suitable place of storage or scrubbing piant.

The system also comprises a series of re torts,- both ends whereof are provided with portions separated from the main or heating portion of the retort by closure means whereby locks are produced at both ends of each retort and the admission of air into the heating or distilling portions of the retorts will be substantiallyprevented; said portions or locks being of length sufiicient to accommodate two of the coal-holding means or containers preferably with said portions divided into separate compartments by an inner closure means or gate disposed at a distance from the outer closure means or gate suilicient to permit a unit or container to be disposed on both sides of the gate beyond the distilling zone.

The invention also contemplates means adapted to compensate for the unequal expansion and contraction of the various parts of the oven so as to maintain a comparative gas and airtight structure; and also means whereby the retorts may be elternately charged and discharged in successive pairs; the ends at the-same side.0f

the oven of a pair of retorts constituting a charging and a discharglng end respectively, 4

The construction and operation of 0111' imother portions shown in section to. show interior construction.

- Figure 2 is a longitudinal diagraminati section of one end of our improved oven Figure 3 is a similar view of the opposite end of the oven.

igure i is a vertical sectional view taken at an intermediate point of the retort between. the ends and. sides thereof, namely at a point through a pairoi retorts and the correlated heating fines. v

Figure 5 is a plan view of the intermediate portion shown in Figure 4, with-parts broken away to more clearly disclose the internal construction. a

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the preferred embodiment of our invention as disclosed in the drawings, in corn prises a horizontally disposed oven provided with a plurality of preferably horizontally aligned retorts arranged in parallel relation with each other and extending lengthwise of the oven.

The oven is shown provided with a suit able foundation preferably comprising a plurality of columns or piers 20, of concrete or other suitable material, arranged in spaced relation as shown in Figures 1, 6 and 7, so as to provide suitable support at spaced intervals apart for the respective retorts of the oven.

The spaces intermediate of the columns or piers 20, 20 are provided with transversely disposed lines, of suitable masonry, as shown at 21 in igures 1 4-, 6 and 'Z and theseilues all communicate with a common flue, not shown, for conveying the burnt gases or products from the respective transversely disposed flues 2]. and also provide suitable draft in the various heating fines superimposed on the transversely disposed lines 2t which are arranged on opposite sides of the arious retorts of the oven. I

The main portion of the oven is shown constructed of suitable masonry with the heating flues shown at 22 in Figures 4 and 1, formed of suitable refractory material. The fluos 22 are arranged in series lengthwise oi? the oven, on both sides of the retort as shown in the diagrammatic plan views in Figures 2 and 3; with the fines extending vertically throughout the height of the retort 23, see Figure 4. The heating lines 22 prei'j erably converge slightly toward the bottoms and each communicates with a passage 24% all of which communicate with their respective transverse lines 21. The connections bctween the heating flues 2'2 and the passages i mosaic inents shown in the nature of the metallic cylinder or opeireuded casting 25, flanged at the upper end, as at 26, so as to be suitably supportedby or embedded in the masonry of theoven, as shown in Figure 4t; while the lower end of the cylinder 25 extends into the metallic cup member 27 which. is provided with the vertically disposed flanges arranged in spaced relation and adapted to contain sand or other suitable sealing inatcrial, as shown in Figure l; the lower end of the element 25 extending into the sand or scaling material so as to provide an air-seal between the elements 25 and 27 and therefore for the connection between the heatingflues and their respective transversely disposed fiues E31 and at the same time compensate for any unequal expansion and corn traction. In order to provide suitable sup; port for the refractory material of the heating lines 22, the metallic member 25 is shown provided with an internal flange or projection 28 on. which the brick of the heatingfiues may rest and at the same time permitany difi'erenees in expansion or contraction.

The sides of the retorts 23 are preferably each formed of a series of metallic sections 29; the tops being formed of metallic sections 30, see Figures 4 and 6'; while the bottoms of the retorts are formed of the metallic channel members or sections 31. The bottoms of the retorts are supported by metallic 3 all shown provided with outwardly disposed.

flanges, see Figures 4t and 6, which enable the respective sections to have close abut relation with each other and be bolted together, shown for example at 33 in Figure 6. The joints hot-ween the respectiv metallic sections, constituting" the inner walls of the retorts, in y be filled with any suitable substance adapted to provide gastight joints throughout the lengths the retorts. The side' sections of the retorts are adapted to rest on ledges formed by the masonry of the heating Hues, as shown in Figure l; and the bottom sections 31 of the retorts have longitudinal sides preferably formed into the inverted J-shape, shown in Figure l, thereby providing a suitable track or run-way for the Wheeled coal carriers or containers while the channels or intermediate portions of the bottom sections are adapted to receive the steam-conduits 35 disposed lengthwise of the rotor-ts and provided with a plurality of upwardly diverg ing jets tips 36 whereby superheated steam may be injected into the retorts at points centrally beneath the coal-carriers or containers steam conduits 35 of the respective retorts communicate with vert' caliy disposed conduits 3? which extend inl weenie the respective transversely disposed flues 21. and communicate with a main steam conduit 38.

The support for theretorts on the columns or piers 20 is preferably formed by means of suitable roller-bearings shown M139, which rest on and are adapted to move alhng the metallic pedestals or castings 32; the bottom castings 31 of the retort at points coincident wit'h'the bearings 39 being preferably pro vided with steel plates as at so, see Figures .4 and 6, and thus permit longitudinal more meat, due to expansion and contraction, of the retorts on. the piers or columns 20.

The top of the oven at points coincident with the heating flucsQzZ priwidedwith gas-burner receiving openings -11; preferably arranged in pairs, as shown in Figure 5, so as to suitably heat the respective coal containing portions of the rctorts intermediate of the ends thereof. The products of combustion are caused to pass downwardly through the heatin lines and therefore throughout the entire height of the retorts.

The lower portions oi the rct-orts, as shown in Figure 4, are preferably made of somewhat greater lateral dimensions in order to accommodate the wheeled portions of the carriers or containers 3% which are (l1S" posed beyond the m.a1n sides of the carriers,

as shown in Figure 4; and the retoits, at

predetermined points, coincident with the positioning of the carriers in the rotor-ts, are provided with suitable outlets or take-oil pipes 42 for the purpose of conveying' the distillates from the retorts to any suitable place of storage; the take-oil pipes 42 of the various retorts connecting with a conduit or header common to all and shown at 3 in the drawings' Each metallic section of the retorts is shown provided with a flange or rib disposed lengthwise of the section and preferably T- shape in cross-section, as shown ate-41 in Figure 5; said ribs 44 providing a suitable hearing and interlocking point for the brick lining of the heating fines 22, nauicl the por tion which extend trunsve sely and separates one flue from the other, shown at 22*, see Figure 7. v

The sides of the oven, namely at both ends of the retort, for a predelermincd distance, are not provided with l siting tines,

see Figures 2 and 3. where the relorts are shown to continue and. extend beyond the heating Hues, to an extent slightly greater till ' been introduced into the. coking or than the length of a pair oi coal carriers which are shown a't 3 t and 34, thereoy iroviding zones or locks at the ends of the retorts adapted to contains coal containers which, in the one instance, nave not yet distillation zone of the retort and in the other instance carriers which have asscd lhrou h the distillation zone and contain the coke.

These vided nres 1., 2 and 3; which are suitably-operated, as for example hydraulically, as contemplated in Figure l, where double acting water-cylinders are illustrated at -16, the pistons whereof connect with the inner doors 45 and cause the latter to be lifted into the casings 47 secured .to suitable metallic frames in which the doors 45 slide. The outer ends of the retorts are also provided with metallic doors 4-8 operated in any suitable manner, as for example by similar double acting water-cylinders 49 which cause the outer doors to move upwardly into the casings 5i) when it is desired to open the doors. It is thus apparent that both ends of each retort are provided with what may be termed a lock, which enables the insertion of a coal container at the charging end and the withdrawal of a coke container or carrier at the discharging end, without admitting any substantial amount of air to the distillation zone or portions of the ovens; the inner and outer doors being spaced apart a distance greater than. the length of a container or carrier.

The containers or carriers. shown at 34,- consist of suitable metallic receptacles or boxes of predetermined height, width and length and open at the top; the containers or carriers being preferably of the type described in mus; iiillies Lelia-rs Patent No. l,2t 7,-'l-Tl, of ll'iay 28, lillb. The containers are inserted into thorelorts at suitable intervals oi time at the charging ends thereof; each successive container forcing those which have preceded it until the distillation extended ends of the retorts are proaoncs of the reiorls have been filled as well as the zones just beyond the inner doors at the charging ends. It is apparent, that after this has been accomplished, a. further charging o'l the retorls will cause the first inserted container to be moved into the zone bcyond the healing;' lines, at the discharging end of the retort. in the ope-r :ition of our improved system, in order to facilitate operation. each alternate retort will be charged at the one cud ol' the oven, llll the adjacent",rcloi'ls will be charged at the opposite end of the oven; for exiinn pic in Figures 2 and 3. the retort marked will .lll charged at. the loft hand-end in l igure 2, and dischargeal. the right hand end in l igure 3: while the adjacent retorls l) and T will discharge at the left in Figure 2 and be charged at the right hand end, as suown in Figure Cl; ll ilh this arrange ment, the carriers or containers indicated niarlied i-l l in retorls A, B and (l in Figures i3 and 3, have passed through the distillation zone and tilierefore contain coke and are in with inner doors, as at 4-5, see Fig i Mil condition to be moved into the locks o zones intermediate of the inner and outer doors. as soon as the inncrdoors at said ends of the retorts are opened.

The system, as exemplified'in the drawings, discloses suitable sub-structures at both sides of the oven, namely at opposite ends of the respective retorts, on which are mounted suitable rams, as shown at 51 and 52, which may be used for pushing and pol ing, that is for pushing the coal tilled containers into the retorts and for pulling the coke-holding containers out of the retorts; the rams being operated by any suitable motive power and so mounted that they may be moved transversely of the ends of the retorts to enable them to be brought immedia-tely opposite the respective ends of the various retorts of the oven,

The containers which are moved into the zones intermediate of the inner doors and main portions of the retorts are beyond the distilling effect of the heating fines and -therefore are enabled to slightly cool, permitting the contents or coke to contract so that by the time the container has passed through the lock, intermediate of the inner and outer doors, and has been withdrawn from said lock to the exterior of the retort, the contents will readily discharge there from upon unlocking the bottoms of the con tainer The containers may then be re charged with coal and forced into the charg ing' end of an adjacent retort, As will. be understood from the operation, each con tainer is progressively advanced through the heating or distillation Zone of the re tort before it reaches the non-heated por tion of the retort in advance of its entry into the look ot the discharging end, so that each container remains in the heating or distillation zone a given predetermined length of time commensurate witi'ii the low temperature coking process to which our improved system is edapted.

in order to enable the containers be forced out of the looks into the main portion of the retorts, that is beyond the inner doors after the latter are lifted, We prefer to provide the outer doors 48 with openings oif size just sufiicient for the passage of the rams 52; the openings being provided with slidingcovers, or other suitable closing means, to permit movement of the container from the lock beyond the inner door atten the latter has been, raised ithout necessitating the opening oi the outer door and thereby permitting ingress of air. In operation, it will be understood that after a container has been inserted into a look at the :harging end of the retort, the outer door is closed before the inner door is opened and the container is then forced beyond the inner door, after the latter has been raised, by inserting the ram 52 through the opening in the closed outer Lose 21o door. Boring this operation, the inner door at the opposite end oi said retort is opened, while the outer door at said end remains 'closed, thus permitting the container in proximity to the discharging end ot the retort, to be "forced. by the train of containers in the retort, into the lock intermediate 15'' the rains are mounted. The. plattorms 5% v are adapted to move along the sub-structure 53 transversely of the retortends; such. operation being; induced by any suitable pow er-driven mechanism in order that the can rier 34, which has been discharged from the retort, after having the coke discharged therefrom and having again been filled with coal, may be moved into alignment with an adjacent retort.

The substructure 53 is shown provided with a suitable coke-receiving chute, as at 5.5,Wl1ich may be provided with any snitalole drag conveyor, as at 56, wherebythe coke may be conveyed. to a suitable coke cutter or place of storage,-

lhe coal handling portion of the system comprises a super-structure consisting of any suitable framework, as shown at 5? in Figure l, which is provided with belt or other suitable conveyors, not shown, where by the coal which has been elevated or brought into the trough of the super-structure is conveyed into the suspended bunkers onhopp- ers 58, 58 arranged transversely of the retorts at both sides of the oven.

The bunkers or hoppers 58, at predetermined points throughout their lengths, are provided with discharge as at 52 pivotally suspended to the bottoms of the hnnlters or hoppers at points Where the latter are provided with discharge openings, as illustrated for example at 60 in Figure l, The discharge spouts are preferably so pivoted that they may be swung to a certain extent from side to side and thus enable the coal to be charged into all portions or compartments of a contaii'zer or carrier without necessitating movement of the carrier, The spouts are provided at their ends with snitahle closure means or valves as at $1, so that the discharge of coal. through them may be controlled and shut oii'.

At points coincident with the discharge spout so, we prefer to provide means in the nature of guards, as shown at 32, fit the upper ends of the containers 3%,,to guide the'coal and prevent spilling thereof duringthe charging process. The gosrds adapted to i 62 are preferably made to conform with the cross-sectional configuration of the upper ends of the carriers 34 and are suitably suspended from the super-structure 57 by means of tie rods 63.

" In our improved system, the retorts prefwhere the heating lines are located, so as to provide a'zone or space at each end of all retorts, suilicientto receive at least a' single container'or carrier prior-to the entry of the container into the heating or distillation zone, at the charging end of the retort, or subsequent to its: eriod in the heating or distillation zone and just prior to its entry into the lock intermediate of the inner and outer doors at the discharge end of the reably or slidably supported on the various piers of the sub-structure, except possibly to the center piers located intermediate of the ends of the respective retorts, where the retort-shells are preferably securely bolted or otherwise secured to said'piers.

In practice, the supporting piers are preferably so spaced as to provide suitable sup port, throughout the lengths of the retorts, at points apart substantially equal to the length of the containers, in order that a pier or support will be disposed approximately beneath every container when the retorts have been completely charged.

The outer tops of the retorts are prefer-- ably formed of bricks which are supported or carried in a layer of sand or other suitable insulating material, as shown at 64 in Figure 4.

In a low temperature system, the volume of volatile hydrocarbon distilled is materially less than is the case with other types of ovens or systems and therefore the flow or outward passage of the gases, by their own expansion, through the take ofi' conduits 42, would be comparatively slow, thus permitting the distillates to remain in the retorts for a greater period than desired, with the result that the gases would be in contact with the heated walls of the retorts as well as with the metallic containers, which would induce a cracking effect on the distillates. In order to overcome this. undesired effect, I provide the superheated steam conduits 35 centrally at the bottom of: the retorts and beneath the containers, w1th the result that the rising steam induces a, current to be set up in the retorts and.

therefore provides a medium whereby the distillates are quickly carried off through the various conduits 42. Furthermore, with the superheated steam introduced centrally' beneath the containers, it not only comes into direct contact with the bottoms of the containers, but also with the side walls of the coal which is being coked in the retorts. VVrth thebrick of the heating flues kerfed' and dove-tailed with the vertically disposed ribs 46lof the retort-shells, as previously described,.unequal expansion and contraction will be taken care of and. expansion in the heating iiues will be practically confined to the respective fines between the flanges 44; in other words, the tendency toward cumulative expansion throughout the entire lengths of the heating flues'will be substantially eliminated.

' life have shown and described what We believe to be the simplest exempli'fica'tion of our improved system, but alterations may be made in certain details of construction, without, however, departing from the spirit of our invention.

. "What we claim is a 1. In a, system ofthe class described, an oven prolvided with a-plurality of longitudinally disposed retorts composed of metallic sections secured together, the side members of said metallic sections being provided with vertically disposed ribs, heating flues arranged on both sides of the retorts and composed of refractory material, the heat.-. a

ing llues being divided into independent sections with the refractory material of the heating flues arranged in interlocking re-,

lation withthe vertically disposed ribs of the metallic sections so as to'confine expansion and contraction to the respective flue sections, and a sub-structure for said oven provided with means whereby the retorts and heating fines are supported and expansion and contraction, independent of said sub-structure, permitted.

2. In a system of the class described, an oven having a plurality of retorts compose of metallic sections-secured together, the

side members of the sections being provided with outwardly disposed vertical llbS, andheating flues composed of refractory mate-' rial arranged onboth sides of each retort,

said heating fines being divided into a series of sections by means of transversely disposed refractory material, said refractory material havin interlocking relation with the vertically disposed ribs of the retort- -sectionsfihereby expansion and. contraction torts composed of metallic sections and a plurality of vertically disposed heating fines formed of refractory material disposed on both sides of the i'etorts, the refractory material of the heating fines being arranged in interlocking relation with the metallic sect-ions of the retorts, with a sub-structure comprising a series of fines disposed transversely of the super-structure and in communication With the heating fines thereof, said sub-structure including a series of ac tort-supporting portions, air-sealing means intermediate of the sub-structure and the heating fines of the super-structure, and leterall'y movable means intermediziteiof the sub-structure and the retorts of the superstructure said air-sealing means and laterally movable means permit-ting the retorts and the heating fines to have expansion and contraction independent of that of the substructure.

4i a! system of the character described, the combination of a superstructure having a plurality of retorts composed of metallic sections secured together and provided at both ends with inner and outer closure means, operable independently from the retort exterior and arranged in spaced relation to provide chambers therebetween, a plurality of heating fines, on both sides of the retorts, composed of refractory material arranged in interlocking relation with the metallic sections of the retorts at points intermediate of the ends thereof, with a snb-stimcture comprising a plurality of piers and fines common to all of the heating fines of the superstructure, telescopically arranged members intermediate of the sub struetnre and the heating fines ofthe superstructnre whereby said heating fines may haveexpansion and contraction independent of the sub-structure, said members being provided with an air-sealing medium, and

laterally movable means disposed on thepiers of the substructure for supporting the retorts of the super-structure and to permit expansion and contraction of said retorts.

GLENN W. TRAER,

CLAUDE M. GARLAND.

lilitnesses G. l'li'l-IDMAN,

A. Fromm,

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