Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COKE OVEN
This invention relates to a coke oven.
More particularly, the invention relates to novel coke oven wall structures
and methods
for making coke oven walls.
Coke ovens traditionally comprise massive refractory brick structures in which
there
are batteries of adjacent parallel walls made up from a large variety of
differently shaped
refractory bricks. The bricks must be able to withstand high temperatures and
strong
mechanical loading. At the same time, the interior of the walls contains flue
ducts, burners,
flue gas control passages and the like. The detailed design of the oven is
usually quite
complicated in order to obtain the necessary heat distribution within the oven
and gas flows
through the walls.
It follows from the above that coke ovens are relatively costly structures and
any
downtime for servicing and repairs can represent a significant economic loss
for an operator.
Further, the production of ceramic bricks from which the walls are made is
relatively
costly and there is accordingly a need to generally reduce the number of
different types of
bricks which are used in a wall. It is undesirable, however, to have a design
concept which
utilises relatively large ceramic bricks in the construction. Excessively
large bricks cannot be
handled without the use of mechanical lifting devices. Further, bricks having
a dimension
greater than 650mm machined pressed to form a fused silica product are
generally unavailable.
Bricks greater than this size can be hand cast but these are much more
expensive. Large
bricks can be machine pressed from conventional silica, but conventional
silica bricks would
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have a very serious disadvantage in that a wall made therefrom would need a
heat up time
which is many times greater than that for fused silica bricks.
The object of the invention is to provide a new coke oven wall construction
which
overcomes a. number of disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the present invention there is provided a coke oven wall
comprising a
plurality of bricks laid so as to define first and second wall faces, and a
plurality of flue
cavities extending therein characterised in that at least part of the wall is
made first, second
and third bricks which are laid together and define in part the first and
second faces and said
flue cavities wherein the first brick comprises a first body portion and an
inwardly projecting
first leg the second brick comprises a second body portion and an inwardly
projecting second
leg the third brick comprises a flue wall brick which is located between and
aligned with the
first and second legs.
Preferably, one end of the flue brick includes a first interlocking formation
and the end
of the second leg includes a second, complementary formation.
Preferably further, the other end of the flue wall brick is shaped so that it
can be
trimmed to length so as to abut the end of the first leg whereby the walls
taper depending on
the amount trimmed from the other ends of the flue bricks.
Preferably, the first and second bricks include upper and lower formations on
upper and
lower faces thereof whereby successive courses of bricks interlock with one
another.
Preferably the upper and lower formations are shaped so that they can be used
in an existing
expanded battery.
Preferably further, the first and second body portions have the same length
and the first
leg is offset by a predetermined amount relative to the length of the first
body portion and the
second leg is offset by the same predetermined amount relative to the length
of the second
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body portion but in the opposite direction, the arrangement being such that
the first face of the
wall has alternate courses of first and second bricks whereby a bond pattern
is formed.
Preferably further, the flue brick includes a third interlocking formation on
its upper
face and a fourth generally complementary formation on its lower face, said
third and fourth
formations having a relatively loose fit when said flue bricks are laid on top
of each other to
thereby accommodate said trimming.
Preferably further, the third and fourth formations do not extend to the edges
of the
upper and lower faces.
The invention also provides a coke oven wall comprising a plurality of bricks
which
are laid to define flue cavities in the wall, said oven wall including burners
in the flue cavities,
said burners comprising a stack of burner bricks said burner bricks including
interlocking
formations which interlock with complementary formations on the bricks which
define the flue
cavities whereby the burners are supported or restrained in the cavities.
The present invention also provides a refractory brick having an outer face,
an upper
face and a lower face, there being provided on the upper face a first
interlocking formation
which does not extend to the side edges of the upper face of the brick, the
lower face of the
brick including a second interlocking formation which does not extend to the
side edges of the
lower face of the brick, the arrangement being such that when the bricks are
laid the
interlocking formations interlock and wherein one of the first and second
formations is of
greater width (as measured in the direction towards said outer face) whereby
the outer faces
of the bricks can define two generally parallel walls of the coke oven which
taper and wherein
the wider formation accommodates different positions of the narrower
formation.
Preferably, the bricks which are laid to define the flue cavities comprise
said first,
second and third bricks defined above.
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Preferably further, side faces of the flue bricks include the formations which
interlock
with the interlocking formations on the burner bricks.
The invention also includes in combination, first, second, third and burner
bricks as
defined above.
The invention also provides a coke oven wall having a novel horizontal flue or
hairpin
therein. In this arrangement, the course or courses of bricks immediately
beneath the
horizontal flue or hairpin include flue ports which are supported by bridging
bricks which
extend between faces of the walls above the flue cavities therein.
Preferably, the flue ports are made from a pair of similar interlocking
shells.
Preferably further, blocking bricks are located laterally of the flue ports.
Preferably further, the horizontal flue or hairpin includes cover tiles which
are laid over
said blocking bricks so as to minimise flow of flue gases between gaps
therein.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method for
building a wall for an oven, said method comprising forming the wall using a
plurality of
modules, said modules being arranged so that adjacent modules of the wall can
be interlocked,
and placing mortar between adjacent modules to provide a seal therebetween.
An embodiment of the method of a further aspect is advantageous because it
enables
use of less than 10°l0 of the number of module shapes used in prior art
oven wall constructions.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method of
adjusting the spacing between first and second side walls of an oven wall,
said method
comprising building said oven wall using a plurality of modules, said
plurality of modules
comprising at least a plurality of first modules arranged to extend in a
direction across the
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width of the oven wall and to be located substantially between a plurality of
second and
third modules, said plurality of second modules forming a portion of said
first side wall
of said oven wall and said plurality of third modules forming a portion of
said second
side wall of said oven wall, and wherein the spacing between said first and
second side
walls of said oven wall can be varied along the length thereof by trimming the
first
modules in length without loss of interlocking.
An oven made in accordance with an embodiment of the further aspect of the
invention is advantageous because it maintains the thermodynamic aspects of
the oven's
design while enabling the oven wall to be built faster and more cost
effectively than prior
art walls.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
battery
comprising a plurality of ovens, each oven being defined by oven walls made in
1 S accordance with the further aspect of the present invention.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a
coke
oven wall which is constructed from a plurality of bricks laid so as to define
first and
second wall faces, and a plurality of flue cavities extending therein the wall
including a
plurality of alternating first and second courses and wherein the first and
second courses
are defined by first, second and third bricks and wherein: each first brick
includes a first
body portion and an inwardly projecting first leg which has a first inner end
face; each
second brick includes a second body portion and an inwardly projecting second
leg
which has a second end face, the length of the second leg being shorter than
the length of
the first leg; and each third brick comprises a flue wall brick having a third
body portion
which has third and fourth end faces; and wherein each first course includes:
a plurality
of the first bricks laid side by side with the body portions thereof defining
part of the first
wall face; a plurality of the second bricks laid side by side with body
portions thereof
defining part of the second wall face; and a plurality of the third bricks;
and wherein each
of the third body portions is interposed between opposed pairs of first and
second legs
with its third and fourth end faces abutting the first and second end faces
respectively
whereby the first and second body portions define part of the first and second
wall faces
respectively; and wherein each second course is the same as the first course
except that
the positions of the first and second bricks are reversed so that body
portions of the first
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and second bricks in the second course define parts of the second and first
wall faces
respectively.
The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic plan of a coke oven battery;
Figure 2 shows a more detailed plan view of the coke oven battery;
Figure 3 is a schematic vertical section through one of the oven walls;
Figure 4 is a schematic vertical section through an oven wall of a twin flue
oven;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of part of the horizontal flue;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the end oven wall of a horizontal flue
battery;
Figure 7 is a schematic exploded view showing the various courses of an oven
wall constructed in accordance with the invention;
Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of an upper course in an oven wall;
Figure 9 is a side view of a horizontal flue with a bridging brick above;
Figure 10 is an end view of a horizontal flue battery at the horizontal flue;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of one type of brickwork course in the wall,
showing burner positioning;
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Figure 12 is a perspective view of the adjacent course of brickwork showing
alternation
of the joints;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of another type of brickwork course above the
burner
courses;
Figure 14 is a perspective view of another type of brickwork course showing
the
bridging brick;
Figure 14a is a perspective underside view of two bridging bricks;
Figure 15 is a perspective view of another type of brickwork course for gas
flow
control;
Figure 16 is a perspective view of the brickwork course at the horizontal
flue;
Figures 17 and 18 show perspective views of alternating brickwork in the walls
through
to the oven roof;
Figures 19 and 20 are sectional schematic views showing interlocking of flue
wall
bricks;
Figure 21 is a perspective view of part of a twin flue oven wall;
Figure 22 is a fragmentary exploded view of the twin flue oven wall;
Figure 23 shows a plan view of the hairpin course of a twin flue oven wall;
Figure 24 is a side view of the wall shown in Figure 23;
Figure 25 shows a plan view of another course in the twin flue oven wall above
the
hairpin;
Figure 26 is an isometric view of a large hammer head brick;
Figure 27 is a plan view of the large hammer head brick;
Figure 28 is an isometric view of a small hammer head brick;
Figure 29 is a plan view of the small hammer head brick;
Figure 30 is a side view of a burner wall brick;
Figure 31 is a plan view of the burner wall brick;
Figure 32 is a sectional view along the line 32-32;
Figure 33 is an isometric view of an oven roof brick;
Figure 34 is a side view of the oven roof brick;
Figure 35 is a plan view of the oven roof brick;
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Figure 36 is an isometric view of a burner block;
Figure 37 is a side view of the burner block;
Figure 38 is a plan view of the burner block (pusher side);
Figure 39 is a plan view of the burner block (coke side);
Figure 40 shows an isometric view of a flue wall brick;
Figure 41 is a side view of the flue wall brick;
Figure 42 is a plan view of the flue wall brick;
Figure 43 is an isometric view of a pusher side quoin brick;
Figure 44 is a side view of the quoin brick;
Figure 45 is a plan view of the quoin brick;
Figure 46 is an isometric view of a coke side quoin brick;
Figure 47 is a side view of the coke side quoin brick;
Figure 48 is a plan view of the coke side quoin brick;
Figure 49 is a side view of a pusher side face brick;
Figure 50 is a plan view of the pusher side face brick;
Figure 51 is an isometric view of a horizontal flue cover tile;
Figure 52 is an end view of the horizontal flue cover tile;
Figure 53 is a plan view of the horizontal flue cover tile;
Figure 54 is a side view of an outer flue port block;
Figure 55 is an end view of the outer flue port block;
Figure 56 is a plan view of the outer flue port block;
Figure 57 is a side view of an inner flue port block;
Figure 58 is an end view of the inner flue port block;
Figure 59 is a plan view of the inner flue port block;
Figure 60 is a perspective view of a flue port sleeve (half segment);
Figure 61 is a side view of the flue port sleeve;
Figure 62 is a plan view of the flue port sleeve;
Figure 63 is an isometric view of a horizontal flue brick;
Figure 64 is a side view of the horizontal flue brick;
Figure 65 is an isometric view of a liner brick;
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Figure 66 is a plan view of the liner brick;
Figure 67 is a side view of a bridging brick;
Figure 68 is a plan view of the bridging brick;
Figure 69 is an underside view of the bridging brick;
Figure 70 is a side view of a coke side face brick; and
Figure 71 is a plan view of the coke side face brick.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a coke oven battery 2 comprising
four
coke oven walls 4 defining therebetween three coke ovens 6. The battery may
comprise a
typical horizontal flue battery (Wilputte) or a typical twin flue battery
(Otto Simon Carves)
or the like. Figure 1 shows the ends of the walls 4 being braced by buckstays
8, in the usual
way. The adjacent faces of the walls 4 taper slightly from a pusher side 10 to
a coke side
12, which is opposite to the pusher side 10, in the usual way. Usually the
taper is typically
in the range: 70mm taper/17 metre wall to 76mm taper/13-15 metre wall.
Figure 2 illustrate in more detail some of the courses of brick work of the
battery 2 of
the imrention. Generally speaking, all of the walls 4 arc of the same
construction and therefore
only one need be described. The wall is made from a number of different
refractory bricks
which are interlocked and mortared together, as will be described below. In
accordance with
the invention, the walls are made from a limited number of machine pressed
fused silica
bricks, all of which are small enough to be handled manually without the use
of a crane or
other lifting device. In the preferred embodiments, only the flue port sleeve
of Figure 60
weighs more than 20kg. The most frequently used bricks in a wall are the large
and small
hammer head bricks of Figures 27 and 28 and the flue wall brick of Figure 40
and these bricks
typically have weights of l9kg, l3kg and lOkg respectively. As seen in Figures
2 and 3, the
walls 4 include a plurality of vertically extending flue cavities 14 within
which are
alternatively located low and high burners 16 and 18.
In the arrangement of Figure 3, a horizontal flue 20 is included as in a
typical Wilputte
battery construction. Located above the horizontal flue 20 are a plurality of
inspection cavities
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22 formed in the upper oven wall 24. In use, combustion gases enter the burner
16 and 18
from below and air is introduced to the lower ends of the flue cavities 14 so
that combustion
takes place in a somewhat distributed manner within the walls. Combustion
gases pass
upwardly through the flue cavities 14 and enter the horizontal flue 20 through
flue ports 26.
The effective opening of the flue ports 26 can be controlled by the dimensions
of the
components which make up the flue ports 26 as well as by means of movable
slide bricks 28,
the positions of which can be adjusted by access through the inspection
cavities 22. Normally
in a Wilputte battery, the burners on one side of a wall are operated whilst
those on the other
side of the wall are not and flue gases are arranged to pass upwardly through
the cavities with
active burners along the horizontal duct and then downwardly through the flue
cavities 14 of
the non-operative banners. Operation of the banners is sequenced so as to
achieve generally
uniform heating throughout the battery, in the usual way. Other sequencing
variations are
possible to achieve uniform heating.
Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates a twin flue arrangement which is typical
in an
Otto Simon Carves type battery. In this arrangement, baffles 30 are formed in
the flue so that
the flue gases pass upwardly through the flue cavity 14, over the short
horizontal flue or
hairpin segment 32 and then down the next adjacent flue cavity, the operation
of the burners
being altenaated so as to provide generally uniform heating. The principles of
the invention
can be incorporated into both types of battery, as will be apparent from the
description below.
In Figures 3 and 4, there are a multiplicity of courses of refractory bricks
which are
used to make the walls 4. These courses are labelled A, B, C, D, E, F, G and
H. In a typical
configuration, the first ten courses alternate between courses A and B and in
these courses the
burners 16 and 18 are located. Above the courses A and B are approximately
thirteen C
courses which essentially define the flue cavities 14. Courses D and E are
located on top of
the C courses and these provide for effective control of flue gases into the
horizontal flue 20.
The horizontal flue itself comprises course F. Above course F are alternating
courses G and
H which provide for structural rigidity in these parts of the wall as well as
the inspection
cavities 22.
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Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary perspective views of parts of the wall 4.
Figure 7 is
a schematic exploded view showing how various courses overlie one another.
Figures 11 to
18 show parts of the courses A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H respectively which are
used at different
parts of the wall from a lower position up to the roof structure.
Course A shown in Figure 11 includes a course of large hammer head bricks 38
which
are located along one face 40 of the wall. The course A includes a course of
small hammer
head bricks 42 which define the opposite face 44 of the wall. Located between
the bricks 38
and 42 are burner wall bricks 46.
The large hammer head brick 38 is illustrated in Figures 27 and 28. It will be
seen that
the brick is of generally T-shaped configuration having a body portion 48 and
an inwardly
projecting leg 50. The outer face of the body portion 48 forms part of the
face 40 (or 44) of
the wall 4. The top face of the brick 38 includes a longitudinally extending
groove 52 and the
1 S leg 50 includes a longitudinally extending groove 54. The lower face of
the brick 38 includes
a longitudinally extending n'b 56 and the leg 50 includes a longitudinally
extending rib 58. As
best seen in Figure 27, one end of the body portion 48 includes a vertically
extending rib 60
and the other end includes a groove 62. As can be seen in Figure 11, the
bricks 38 in the
course A are laid side by side so that the ribs 60 are located within the
groove 62 of adjacent
bricks. On the other face 44 of the wall, a plurality of small hammer head
bricks 42 are laid
side by side. These bricks are of generally similar construction to the large
hammer head
bricks but there are some important differences which will be explained below.
Figures 28 and 29 show the small hammer head brick 42. These bricks comprise a
body portion 64 and a leg 66, the leg 66 being shorter than the leg 50 of the
large brick 38. In
addition, the end face 68 of the leg 66 includes a vertically extending groove
70. The top,
bottom and side faces of the body portion 64 include the same grooves 52 and
62 and ribs 56
and 60 as the large hammer head tile. As can best be seen from Figures 27 and
29, the legs
50 and 66 are offset from the centre by the same amount but in a different
direction. Thus, the
legs 50 and 66 are aligned in the course A, as seen in Figure 11 because they
are on opposite
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faces 40 and 44 of the wall.
The burner wall brick 46 is illustrated in more detail in Figures 31 to 32.
Generally
speakings it fits neatly between the opposed end faces of the legs SO and 66.
The burner brick
- 5 46 is generally rectangular but has a longitudinally extending groove 72
on its top face and a
longitudinally extending rib 74 on its bottom face. One end face is provided
with a vertical
rib 76. The top end face includes a concealed recess 78, that is to say a
recess which does not
extend to the side edges of the brick 46. Located beneath the recess 78 is a
projection 80
which again does not extend to the sides of the brick, as best seen in Figure
32. As best seen
in Figure 8, the rib 76 is received within the groove 70 of the brick 42 and
the opposite end
face 82 of the burner wall brick abuts the adjacent end face 84 of the leg 50
of the brick 38.
The end face 82 can be cut to length so that the effective spacing between the
bricks 38 and
42 can be adjusted to accommodate tapering of the walls as diagrammatically
illustrated in
Figure 1. It is envisaged that the end face 82 would be sawn onsite according
to size. The
various bricks 38, 42 and 46 in the course A would be held together by
interlocking and
mortaring the joints.
Figures 7, 8 and 11 also show the preferred way of forming an end of the wall
4. In this
arrangement, the end bricks 38 and 42 have part of the body portion thereof
removed so that
these bricks become generally L-shaped. A quoin brick 100 is then interlocked
with the bricks
38 and 46. A quoin brick 100 is diagrammatically shown in Figures 43 to 45,
this brick being
suitable for use at the pusher side 10 of the battery. It will be seen that
the brick 100 includes
dovetail projections 102 which interlock with the dovetail groove 88 of the
brick 46 and the
dovetail groove 90 of the brick 38 so as to interlock therewith. The quoin
brick 100 includes
rebates 104 adjacent to the projections 102 so as to receive end face tiles
106, as shown in
Figure 11. The quoin bricks 100 abut the buckstays 8 and any gaps therebetween
are filled
with mortar. Figures 46, 47 and 48 illustrate a narrower quoin brick 101 which
is suitable for
use at the coke side 12 of the oven. It otherwise functions in a similar
manner to that
illustrated in Figure 11.
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The end flue cavity 14 includes an end face brick 108 which lines the end face
of the
cavity 14 so as to assist in preventing entry of air into the cavity 14 and to
also improve
thermal insulation at the end of the wall. The end face brick 108 has on one
side face thereof
dovetail projections 110. The projections 110 can interlock with the dovetail
grooves 88 and
90 of the bricks 46 and 38. The top face of the brick 108 preferably includes
a concealed
recess 112 but this has been omitted in Figures 49 and S0. The end face brick
108 is shown
in more detail in Figures 70 and 71.
Figure 11 also diagrammatically illustrates the manner in which burner blocks
86 are
supported in the flue cavities 14 defined between the bricks 38, 42 and 46. It
will be noted that
the side faces of the burner wall bricks 46 include dovetail grooves 88. Also,
the end face 84
of the leg 50 includes dovetail grooves 90. The burner blocks 86 include
dovetail projections
92 which are received within opposed dovetail grooves 88 and 90, as best seen
in Figures 7
and 8. In order to accommodate the tapering of the walls, the burner blocks 86
are moulded
with eight shapes which have incrementally decreasing spacing between the
dovetail
projections 92. Figure 38 diagrammatically shows a pusher side burner block
where the
projections 92 are widely spaced whereas Figure 39 shows a coke side burner
block 87 where
the projections 92 are relatively narrowly spaced. These blocks can be hand
cast in a single
mould with sliding plates to give the correct spacing for the projections 92.
Figures 36 to 38 diagrammatically illustrate the burner block 86 in more
detail. It will
be seen that it is of generally rectangular configuration having a central
passage 94 through
which combustion gases can pass. A rebate 96 is formed adjacent to the passage
94 at the top
face of the block. A projecting boss 98 is formed on the lower face of the
block so that when
the blocks are laid one on top of the other, the boss 98 of the uppermost
block will be located
within the rebate 96 of the lowermost block. The blocks 86 are double the
height of the bricks
38 and 42 so that they extend across two courses. Figure 39 shows a narrower
burner block
87 which is suitable for use in the narrower parts of the wall, that is to say
those parts of the
wall closer to the coke side 12. It will be seen that its projections 92 are
more closely spaced
that those of the brick 86.
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As mentioned previously, all joints between the bricks are mortared. In the
arrangement described above, the recess 78 is relatively wide so that the
projection 80 can be
accommodated therein, notwithstanding adjustments made in the relative
positions. Because
the recess 78 and projection 80 do not extend to the sides of the top face of
the burner wall
brick 46, there is substantially less opportunity for escape of gas or mortar
loss through these
interlocking parts. The concealed rebate is important to ensure mortar stays
in the groove.
Any loss of mortar negates the interlocking characteristics of the wall.
Further mortar that
may fall out of these joints may lodge in the burner risers or flue ports and
block the passage
of air or gas. This is a disadvantage in known arrangements. It will be
further appreciated that
the interlocking of the grooves 52 and ribs 56, as well as the interlocking
between grooves 54
and ribs 74, are not subject to the same constraints because these are always
aligned by virtue
of the fact that they are at fixed spacings relative to the faces 40 and 44 of
the wall.
Accordingly, misalignments are not likely to occur at these points.
Course B is illustrated in Figure 12. It is essentially the same as course A
except that
the small hammer head bricks 42 are located above the large hammer head bricks
38 and vice
versa. It will be appreciated that because the legs 50 and 66 are offset by
the same amount but
in opposite centres when their positions are alternated in courses A and B,
the body portions
will be vertically aligned. Further, the body portions 48 and 64 will form a
bond pattern on the
wall faces 40 and 44, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figures S and 6. The
bond pattern
enhances stability of the wall.
It will also be appreciated from Figures 11 and 12, that the ribs 56 on the
lower faces
of the bricks 42 will be received within the grooves 52 of the bricks 38 and
the same
interlocking will occur on the other side of the wall. Further, the rib 74
will be received within
the groove 54 of the brick 38 and the projection 80 will be received within
the recess 78. Also,
the rib 58 of the brick 38 will be received in the groove 72 on the top face
of the brick 46. In
this way there is good interconnection between the burner wall bricks 46 and
the bricks 38 and
42. The recess 78 is much wider than the projection 80, as best seen in
Figures 30 and 31 so
that the projection 80 can be received in the recess 78, notwithstanding
changes in the effective
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length of the brick 46, as mentioned above. This is diagrammatically
illustrated in Figures 19
and 20. Figure 19 shows relatively narrow spacing of the wall faces as occur
at the coke side
12. On the other hand, Figure 20 shows the relatively wider spacing of the
wall faces at the
pusher side 10 of the battery. The relative positions of the projection 80
within the recesses
78 is adjusted accordingly.
As diagrammatically shown in Figure 3, the wall is built up using alternate
courses A
and B with the burner blocks 86 being located as appropriate to requirements.
Figure 13 diagrammatically illustrates course C which is typical of the wall
structure
above the level of the burners. The illustrated course C is essentially the
same as course A
except that flue wall bricks 120 are used instead of the burner wall bricks
46. The flue wall
brick 120 is illustrated in more detail in Figures 40 to 42. It is generally
the same as the burner
wall brick 46 except that it is of generally uniform thickness along its
length and need not
include the dovetail projcdions 88. The same reference numerals have been used
to denote
corresponding parts to the brick 46. Its interlocking function is essentially
the same as that of
the bricks 46, except that it does not need to interlock with the burner
blocks 86. At the end
of the wall, a burner wall brick 46 is used so that its dovetail projection 88
can interlock with
the projection of the quoin brick 100 as well as those of the end face brick
108. In alternate
courses C, the locations of the bricks 38 and 42 on the sides of the wall are
reversed so as to
continue the bond pattern on the outer faces 40 and 44 of the walls, as
described above in
relation to courses A and B.
In courses A and B where burner blocks 86 are not located in cavities 14, the
flue wall
bricks 120 can be used in place of the burner wall bricks 46.
Courses D and E are illustrated in Figures 14 ~d 15 respectively. These
courses are
chiefly concerned with control of admission of flue gases into the horizontal
flue 20. These
courses are also strucxured so as to provide additional structural integrity
at the horizontal flue
20 which is traditionally a weak area in the brick work structure.
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The course D includes liner bricks 122 which are illustrated in Figures 65 and
66
together with bridging bricks 124 which are illustrated in Figures 66, 67 and
68. The liner
brick 122 is similar to the body portion 48 of the large or small hammer head
brick 38 or 42
except that it is somewhat shorter in length. It is provided with a
longitudinally extending
- 5 groove 126 on its top face. It is also provided with a longitudinally
extending rib (not shown)
on its lower face which is received within the aligned grooves 52 of the
uppermost course C.
The liner brick 122 also includes a vertically extending groove 128 and rib
130 on its end
faces. The bridging brick is shown in more detail in Figures 66 to 68. It will
be seen that the
bridging brick 124 is long enough so that it can span substantially across the
width of the wall.
It is provided with an end face 132 which forms part of the exterior face 40
or 44 of the wall.
It has an inner face 134 which can be trimmed or cut to length so as to bear
against an inside
face 136 of the liner brick 122. The top face of the bridging brick 124
includes a
longitudinally extending groove 138 and three recesses 140, 142 and 144. The
recesses 140,
142 and 144 extend to one side of the brick as best seen in Figure 67. The
lower face of the
brick 124 includes projections 146 and 148 which are generally complementary
to and are
located beneath the recesses 140 and 142 respectively. The lower face of the
brick also
includes a transverse rib 150, the rib 150 being transverse to the brick 124
but extending
longitudinally relative to the wall. One side face of the brick includes a
vertically extending
rib 152 and the other face includes a vertically extending groove 154. The
course D has liner
bricks 122 interlocking with the bricks 38 and 42 in the course below. Pairs
of bridging bricks
124 are then laid such that their faces 132 form part of the respective walls
40 and 44. The
ribs 152 are received within the grooves 52 in the course beneath. In
addition, the ribs 152 of
the bricks 124 are received in the grooves 128 of the bricks 122 in the
course. Similarly, the
ribs 130 of the bricks 122 are received in the grooves 154 of the bridging
bricks. As best seen
in Figures 8, 10 and 14, the width of the bridging brick 124 and the length of
the liner brick
122 are such that their combined lengths is the same as the lengths of the
head portions of the
bricks 38 and 42. This enables a general continuation of the bond pattern in
the faces 40 and
44 of the walls.
It will also be seen from Figure 14 that the pairs of opposed bridging bricks
124 are
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arranged such that the recesses in their top faces are aligned. The central
recesses 142 are
aligned with each other but the recesses 140 and 144 are oppositely aligned.
The aligned
recesses enable interlocking with ribs in the bricks of course E above which
will be described
later.
The pairs of bridging bricks 124 are located above and are supported by the
legs of the
bricks 38 and 42 and the flue wall bricks I20. The widths of the bridging
bricks 124 are
somewhat narrower than the widths of the flue wall bricks 120 so that each
brick 124 can be
supported. In addition, the projections 146 and 148 on the bottom face of the
bridging bricks
cooperate with the grooves and recesses formed in the top faces of the legs of
the hammer
head bricks and the flue wall bricks 120. More particularly, the projections
148 will be
received within the recesses 78 of the bricks 120. The bricks 124 on the right
hand side of the
pairs thereof (as seen in Figure 14) will have their projections 146 received
in the grooves 54
of the bricks 38. The bricks 124 on the left hand side of the pairs will have
their projections
146 received within the grooves 72 of the flue wall bricks 120. This provides
for good
interlocking. As mentioned above, the face 134 of the bricks 124 can be
trimmed or cut to take
into account the tapering of the walls. This does not present any problem for
interlocking of
the projections 146 in the grooves 54 or 72 but the variation of position of
the projection 148
can be accommodated because of the relatively large size of the recesses 78.
Thus, variations
can readily be accommodated in an analogous manner to that illustrated in
Figures 19 and 20.
The relative location of the projections 146 and 148 in the pair of bridging
bricks 124 is
diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 14a.
As can also be seen from Figure 14, course D includes flue cavities 158 which
communicate with the flue cavities 14 but are of smaller cross-sectional
dimensions. These
cavities are filled in part by bricks from Course E as will be described
below.
It will also be seen from Figure 14 that the end construction of the wall is
analogous
to the other courses. It may, however, be necessary to cut some of the liner
bricks to length
at the end, as indicated by cut liner bricks 160.
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Course E is illustrated in Figure 15. The outer bricks of this course comprise
hammer
head bricks 38 and 42 arranged in generally the same way as course C shown in
Figure 13.
There are, however, additional bricks located in the cavity regions as will be
described below.
In particular, course E includes outer flue port blocks 162, inner flue port
blocks 164, flue port
sleeves 166 and horizontal flue cover tiles 168. The outer flue port block 162
is illustrated in
more detail in Figures 54 to 56. As can be seen, the block 162 is generally T-
shaped having
a head 170 and leg 172. Outer vertical corners 174 are rounded so as to be
generally
complementary to the rounded edges between the head portions and legs of the
bricks 38 and
42.
The inner flue port block 164 is illustrated in more detail in Figures 57, 58
and 59. It
too is T-shaped having a head 176 and leg 178. As best seen in Figure 58, the
leg 78 is wider
than the head 176 so as to define a shoulder 180.
As best seen in Figure 15, two pairs of port blocks 162 and 164 are located
between the
flue wall bricks 120. The heads 170 and 176 of the blocks engage and are
supported by the
pairs of bridging bricks 124 in the course below. The legs 172 and 178,
however, extend into
the cavities 158 between the bridging blocks in course D. A pair of the flue
port sleeves 166
are located between the port blocks. The flue port sleeves 166 are illustrated
in more detail
in Figures 60 to 62. It will be seen that these blocks are generally C-shaped
and the ends of
the legs of the C are provided with a rib 182 and groove 184 respectively.
Pairs of the sleeves
166 can be aligned so as to define a generally hollow block including a flue
port 186 therein.
The rib and groove 182 and 184 of the pair of sleeves interlock, as shown. The
sleeves 166
are supported on the shoulders 180 of the inner flue port blocks 164 and the
overhang of the
bridging brick 124. This bridging brick is not only narrow such that the brick
underneath can
support two of them, but when two are placed together the pair forms exactly
the right shoulder
width to support the flue port sleeves 166. It will be seen from Figure 15
that substantially all
of the course E is brick work, the only opening being provided by the flue
ports 186.
Course E also includes horizontal flue cover tiles 168. These are illustrated
in more
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detail in Figures S1 to 53. It will be seen that these generally comprise a
rectangular tile
having a projection 188 located generally in the centre of the lower face of
the tile. In the
illustrated arrangement, the projections 188 are received within the grooves
72 of the flue wall
bricks 120 or brick 46 at the ends of the wall. Course E also includes flue
cover tiles 168 on
the other side of the cause but these are omitted for clarity of illustration.
The projections 188
on the opposite side would be received within~the grooves 54 of the bricks 38.
The tiles 168
on the opposite side are shown in the exploded view of Figure 7. The inner
edges 189 of the
tiles 168 can be trimmed to size so as to define between the opposing tiles a
wide channel in
which the slide bricks 28 can move.
Course F constitutes the lower wall structure of the horizontal flue 20. The
side walls
of the horizontal flue 20 arc constituted by course F which is shown in Figure
16. In this
arrangement, course F is approximately twice the height of the other courses.
It is made up
from a plurality of horizontal flue bricks 190. The flue bricks 190 are oblong
in shape and arc
laid in a generally vertical manner as shown in Figure 16. The bricks 190
include ribs 192 on
the lower facts and grooves 194 on their upper faces. The side faces of the
bricks 190 arc
provided with grooves 196 and ribs 198 respectively. The flue bricks 190 are
laid such that
the ribs 192 are received within the grooves 52 of the bricks 38 and 42 in
course E. The ribs
and grooves 192 and 194 on the sides of the bricks interlock with one another
as shown and
the grooves 194 on the top faces of the bricks 190 are aligned for further
interlocking with the
roof structure of the horizontal flue 20.
Figure 16 also illustrates the end wall constmction of the horizontal flue 20.
It can be
seen that it is similar to that of course B shown in Figure 12 and therefore
need not be
described further. The top wall of the horizontal flue 20 is defined by course
G as shown in
Figure 17. Course G is the same as course D shown in Figure 14 and therefore
need not be
described in detail. The ribs of the liner bricks 122 are receivcfi in the
grooves 194 of the
horizontal flue bricks 190. Further, the ribs 150 of the bridging bricks 124
arc also received
in the grooves 194 of the horizontal flue bricks 190. The ends of the bridging
bricks 124 which
lie inwardly adjacent to the lining bricks 122 are supported on the top faces
200 of the
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horizontal flue bricks 190.
The upper wall structure is completed by course H which is shown in Figure 18.
Most
of course H is generally similar to the arrangement of course E shown in
Figure 15 except that
the tiles 168 are not required. In this arrangement, the legs of the flue port
blocks 162 and 164
will project into and substantially fill the cavities 158 between the bricks
124 and 46. Again,
flue port sleeves 166 are provided and these open into the top wall of the
horizontal flue 20.
As shown in Figure 3, the upper wall structure of the battery has six
alternating courses of
courses G and H. The cavities within the sleeves 166 constitute the inspection
cavities 22.
The uppermost course in the wall which comprises an H course can support oven
roof brick
tiles 202. The tiles 202 are generally elongate and extend across the gap
between adjacent
walls. The oven roof brick 202 is illustrated in more detail in Figures 33 to
35. It will be seen
that it includes a rib 204 adjacent to one edge thereof. The ribs 204 are
engagable and
interlockable with the grooves 52 in the bricks 38 and 42 of course H. The
side faces of the
roof bricks 202 include projections 206 and 208 as well as concealed recesses
210 and 212.
When the roof bricks 202 are laid side by side, the projections and recesses
interlock with one
another. The recesses 210 and 212 are much larger in the longitudinal
direction than the
projections 206 and 208 so as to accommodate changing in the lengths of the
bricks 202. The
end face 214 of the bricks 202 can be trimmed to length to accommodate
tapering of the walls.
The roof structure of the battery can be completed by placing comparatively
large
blocks of refractory material (not shown) on top of the uppermost course H
between the
opposed ends of the roof bricks 202 (as originally constructed).
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the horizontal flue 90
is a source
of weakness in coke oven walls. In the wall of the invention, the provision of
interlocking to
courses D and E as well as course G significantly stabilises the horizontal
flue bricks 190. The
interlocking of the various bricks, particularly the influence of the bridging
bricks 124, is
important in achieving significantly increased stability in this region.
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Because the battery wall construction of the invention is made from
comparatively
small components, it is possible to effect a repair, partial or full rebuild
of a wall without
necessarily interfering with the operation of adjacent walls. Where a repair
is to be made, the
damaged bricks would be removed and the appropriate bricks of the invention
would be '
mortared into place. It is envisaged that the bricks of the invention could be
used in batteries
where the walls were constructed of other components. Because the interlocking
of the
various components of the invention can take place with allowances for
misalignment, the
components of the invention can be used in situations where an oven wall has
moved
somewhat from its original position. This feature therefore affords
considerable flexibility and
yet a high level of interlocking is still achievable.
The principles of the invention can be used to construct a twin flue battery
diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 4. An example of this arrangement is
diagrammatically
illustrated in Figures 21 to 25. Figure 22 shows an exploded view and it will
be seen that there
are four courses which are the same as course C of Figure 13. Above the
uppermost course
C is a course I which will be described below. Above course I are courses G
and H which are
essentially the same as those shown in Figures 17 and 18. The course I is,
generally speaking,
made up from horizontal flue wall bricks 190, bridging bricks 124, large and
small hammer
head bricks 38 and 42, and flue wall bricks 120. Generally speaking, a
predetermined number
of say five of the horizontal flue wall bricks 190 are laid on course C in a
similar manner to
that illustrated in Figure 16. Pairs of bridging bricks are then interposed
between the groups
of bricks 190 to define the transversely extending baffles 30. The baffles 30
are made from
three pairs of the bridging bricks 124 which are vertically stacked. The end
faces 132 of the
bricks 124 define in part the wall faces 40 and 44. The inner end faces 134 of
the bricks 124
lay adjacent to the inner faces of the horizontal flue bricks 190 and are cut
to length to suit
oven taper. The bricks 124 are, however, located above the flue wall bricks
120 of the course
C immediately beneath course I. Interlocking occurs between the various bricks
in the same
way as described with reference to Figures 8 to 15. The top of the twin flue
arrangement is
constituted by courses G and H, as indicated in Figure 22. These are the same
as courses G
and H shown in Figures 17 and 18 and therefore need not be described in
detail. As seen in
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Figure 4, a number of courses G and H can be alternated so as to complete the
roof structure
- with inspection cavities 22.
Other advantages of embodiments of the invention are:
i) Dovetail grooves in bricks 46 and 86 enable positive engagement of the
burner
blocks 86. The dovetail projections 92 formed in the burner blocks decrease
in width from pusher side 10 to coke side 12 and burner blocks are selected
from preferably eight incremental sizes accordingly.
ii) Only one brick, namely the flue port sleeve 166, weighs in excess of 20kg.
This represents a significant reduction in the weight of the bricks when
compared to the prior art and improves workers occupational health and safety.
iii) Reduced number of brick shapes suitable for either pusher side or coke
side
results in reduced inventory value.
iv) Design of bricks is independent of generic product types or qualities.
v) Original combustion thermodynamics of repaired oven walls and ovens can be
maintained.
vi) Bricks can be readily integrated into existing oven walls during partial
repairs.
vii) Embodiments enable construction of walls into existing ovens with
significant
expansion without loss of any of the abovementioned benefits.
viii) Reduced number of construction joints leading to improved gas tightness
and
lower stack emissions.
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ix) Embodiments of the invention lend themselves to making patch type repairs
in
existing wall sections or full rebuilds.
x) Better interlocking of horizontal flue components when compared to prior
art
arrangements leading to better wall stability.
Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without
departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.
