Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02815931 2013-04-25
EXPANSION-FREE STATIONARY OVEN DOOR CONTROLLER FOR A COKE OVEN
PLANT TYPE "HEAT-RECOVERY"
[0001] The invention refers to an expansion-free stationary oven door
controller for a
coke oven plant type "Heat-Recovery", by means of which vertical opening of
the coke oven
chamber doors is possible without the use of a coke oven operating machine,
whereby the
deviations of the tension members of the oven door controller from the
reference configura-
tions resulting from the expansions of the transmission devices, and
undesirable traction
force amplification arising from the differences in the adhesion forces of the
coke oven
chamber doors during closing can be avoided by the use of low-expansion
transmission de-
vices and tension members. The invention also applies to a method for the
expansion-free
stationary oven door operation of a coke oven plant of type "Heat-Recovery"
using rigid ten-
sion members and expansion-free transmission devices for the automatic opening
and clos-
ing of coke oven chamber doors.
[0002] The manufacture of coke usually takes place cyclically, whereby the
coal is first
loaded into the coke oven chamber for coking, the coal is turned into coke and
the produced
coke is then evacuated out of the coke oven chamber. In order to implement
this cyclic pro-
duction method, the coke oven chamber doors must be opened after loading and
closed
again after evacuation. As this procedure is time-consuming and the
temperatures applied
during coking are demanding from a safety-related point of view, there are
several state-of-
the art technologies that mechanically implement the process of opening and
closing coke
oven chamber doors.
[0003] Usually, the procedure of opening the coke oven chamber doors is
adopted by
the coke oven evacuation machine, which removes the door and moves it in
horizontal direc-
tion away from the coke oven prior to the evacuation procedure. After emptying
and loading
of the coke oven chamber, the coke oven chamber door is put back again into
the opening
provided. The disadvantage of this procedure is that a large space requirement
exists in front
of the coke oven chamber doors for the coke oven operating machine, which
initiates the
procedure of lifting off and re-inserting the door, in order to enable the
horizontal moving
away of the coke oven chamber door.
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[0004] For this reason there are several state-of-the-art methods enabling
the opening of
the coke oven chamber door by direct vertical lifting. Hence, no room is
required in front of
the coke oven chamber doors for opening and closing devices.
[0005] The WO 01/18150 A2 describes a system of coke oven chambers,
secondary
heating rooms, cooling air ducts underneath the coke oven chambers, air supply
ducts, regu-
lating devices for the intake of air into the air supply ducts, exhaust
collecting ducts, coal loa-
ding machines, which are loaded from the roof of the coke oven chambers,
evacuation ma-
chines, which evacuate from one side of the coke oven chambers, and quenching
trolleys,
which pick up the coke on the opposite side of the coke oven chambers, coke
oven chamber
doors, door opening and closing mechanisms, coke storage devices, a quenching
tower and
an exhaust collecting duct to the boiler facilities. This principle reveals an
opening and clos-
ing mechanism for coke oven chamber doors, which opens the doors vertically by
means of
tensile force with a hydraulic drive unit, whereby the tensile force is
transferred by cables,
which is converted into a horizontal tensile force via deflection pulleys,
such that the tension
device can transport the cable horizontally and against a counterweight. No
reference to the
automated actuation of the coke oven chamber doors is made, by means of which
individual
activation of the coke oven chamber doors is possible, and reliable opening
and closing of
individual coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven battery is possible.
[0006] DE 144947 C describes a device for the lifting and lowering of coke
oven cham-
ber doors, in particular of coke ovens by means of a power cylinder
automatically connected
with a rod, a frame or an equivalent type of device and a tensioning device
guided by rollers
and contacting the oven doors, whereby the movable rod or similar in the front
direction of
the ovens is equipped with several tensioning devices, such that several oven
doors can be
lifted simultaneously as required. This device also has the disadvantage that
the automated
operation of an entire coke oven bench with the individual coke oven chambers
is not possi-
ble, as an actuating device for an individual power transmission mechanism is
not available,
and that the transmission of the tensile force takes place with one single
cable.
[0007] The DE 98545 C describes a device for the opening and losing of coke
oven
chamber doors, by means of which pulling up and lowering of the coke oven
chamber doors
is enabled mechanically and from a joint position, in which a winch travelling
in front direction
is installed in a coke oven bench or coke oven battery above the coke oven
chamber doors,
whose tensioning devices are on the one hand a set power source, and on the
other hand
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can be connected to one of the coke oven chamber doors with the purpose of
being able to
pull up each individual door of adjacent doors from one point. The invention
does not enable
the automatic activation of an individual coke oven chamber door, but only the
manual acti-
vation of the individual coke oven chamber doors. The automated operation of
an entire coke
oven bench with the individual coke oven chambers is therefore not possible.
Another prob-
lem is that a power transmission system is used, which does not meet the
mechanical re-
quirements of a modern coke oven chamber door opening mechanism.
[0008] The WO 2009068183 Al describes a drive mechanism for the
vertical opening
and closing of coke oven chamber doors and of horizontal coke oven chambers,
which lifts
the doors to open position via a chain or cable, and the cable or chain is
connected to an ac-
tuating lever via deflection pulleys, such that the cable or chain is
horizontally pulled and the
doors are vertically pulled up via deflection pulleys, whereby the actuating
lever is connected
to a pulling lug, which reaches into the gripper cam of a gripper trolley
after actuation of the
actuating lever, and the gripper trolley is driven via a cable pull, and the
door is pulled into
opened position after actuation of the actuating lever, and is also locked in
opened position
via a suitable mechanism. The mechanism however does not enable a centimetre-
accurate
actuation of the movement mechanism, as the chains or cables used can be
expanded and
are expanded during actuation due to the high tensile forces. The gripper cam
used on the
gripper trolley is also exposed to high tensile forces.
[0009] These inventions enable the vertical opening and closing of coke
oven chamber
doors, by means of which the chamber doors can be positioned during the
evacuation and
loading via the come oven chamber door opening. Opening and closing take place
by means
of flexible cables, which are exposed to high tensile and extension forces.
This causes the
length of the cables to change, depending on the tensile force applied and the
expansion co-
efficient of the cable material used. The exact position of the doors can
therefore not be ex-
actly determined over the entire use due to the changing length of the cables.
This frequently
leads to difficulties during controlling the opening procedure. Furthermore,
the cables may
break due to the high tensile forces, which represents a great danger for the
operating per-
sonnel. The course of the cables must therefore be extensively protected by
corresponding
protective guards. The coke oven chamber doors also stick during the course of
the coking
process due to coking products deposited in the doors, such that a high
tensile force needs
to be applied for opening, which differs according to the degree of adhesion.
This required
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the correspondingly strong dimensions of the cables used, which involves high
investment
and operating costs accordingly.
[0010] It would therefore be of advantage to provide a tensile force
transmission for the
vertical opening and closing of coke oven chamber doors, which is no longer
subject to ex-
pansion and which cannot tear as a result of expansion forces. This enables
the exact calcu-
lation of the course of the tensile and relief process for opening and closing
the coke oven
chamber doors, and extra effort in the control of the installations can be
avoided. There is al-
so no need for guards for the operating team for the limitation of cable
breakage. After all,
expansion-free tensile force transmission devices can be permanently designed
substantially
cheaper and more sustainably, which also contributes to the improvement of the
economy of
the entire process.
[0011] Therefore there is the task of providing a method or mechanism,
which can relia-
bly operate the door locking mechanisms of coke oven chambers, and which does
not use
expandable cables for the transmission of tensile forces, and the expandable
or tear-prone
cables are to be replaced not only for the traction of a traction trolley, but
also for the trans-
mission of the tensile force of a traction trolley to the coke oven chamber
door. Finally, the
traction trolley should be designed such that breakage-prone gripper cams are
not required.
[0012] The invention solves this task by means of a device, which
vertically opens or
closes coke oven chamber doors locking the coke oven chambers at the front,
with a tension
member equipped with a break-proof and expansion-resistant draw hook, whereby
a traction
trolley, which runs horizontally on a guiding device along the front of the
coke oven chamber,
through a transmission device, which is firmly connected to the traction
trolley, is connected
via a connecting mechanism to the tension member upon request, and the
traction trolley
with the transmission device is firmly connected via deflection pulleys to the
coke oven
chamber doors, and the tension member as well as the transmission device is
rigid and free
from expansion, such that the coke oven chamber doors open or close vertically
upon a hori-
zontal movement of the tension member upon request of the connecting
mechanism. This
request can take place manually; it is, however, preferably initiated
automatically via remote
control.
[0013] The tension member is typically a rigid steel tension rod. A chain
is typically used
as a transmission device, the segments of which are low in expansion, whereby
a hard steel
is particularly suitable for the manufacture of the segments. The tension rod
as the tension
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member is therefore tear-resistant, and the chain made of low-expansion steel
segments is
no longer subject to elongation. Therefore the control of the opening and
closing process can
be made much easier.
[0014] In particular, a expansion-free stationary oven door controller for
a coke oven
plant type "Heat-Recovery" is indicated, comprising
= a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery with a quantity of in-line coke
oven
chambers,
= coke oven chamber doors, which are vertically movable and close the coke
oven
chambers at the front,
= a horizontally displaceable tension member, which runs along the front of
the
coke oven chamber at least in parts, and which is equipped with a drive unit,
and
which is equipped with at least one draw hook,
= a traction trolley, which runs along the front of the coke oven chamber
at least in
parts and is horizontally movable,
= a transmission device, which is firmly connected to the traction trolley,
and which
is firmly connected to the coke oven chamber doors via deflection pulleys, and
which must be at least temporarily connected to the traction trolley with the
rigid
tension member,
and which is characterised in that
= the tension member is rigid and expansion-free, and
= the transmission device is low in expansion, and
= a connecting mechanism connects the traction trolley to the rigid tension
member
upon request.
[0015] The device is preferably used on both sides of the coke oven chamber
front,
meaning not only on the machine side but also on the coke side. The rigid
tension member is
preferably a tension rod. The transmission device is low in expansion or
almost expansion-
free in a preferred version. The low-expansion transmission device is
preferably a chain
made of low-expansion steel segments. Low-expansion is understood to mean that
the chain
only changes by a few millimetres in its entire length during the opening or
closing process.
[0016] The connection mechanism, which connects the traction trolley to the
tension
member upon request for the transmission of the tensile force can be of any
type. This can
be brought from resting to working position by a tilt, swivel or lift
movement, for example.
CA 02815931 2013-04-25
[0017] The connecting mechanism is preferably a stirrup fastened to the
traction trolley
via a joint, and which can be pivoted using a lever on request, by means of
which the draw
hook of the tension rod engages in a retainer provided in the stirrup when the
tension rod is
moved, which enables trouble-free passing of the draw hook when the stirrup is
not pivoted.
[0018] However, the connecting mechanism can also be a slide, which is
fastened to the
traction trolley via a bearing such that this can be moved transversely to the
direction of
movement of the traction trolley, and which can be pushed on request using a
lever, by
means of which the draw hook of the tension rod engages into the hole provided
for this pur-
pose on request when the tension rod moves, or presses a draw hook against a
protrusion of
the slide. Therefore the stirrup is no longer required. Hence, a pulling
gripper cam as taught
in state-of-the-art technology, with a potentially breakable hook is no longer
necessary.
[0019] It is advantageous to provide a traction trolley respectively for
each coke oven
chamber with a coke oven chamber door to be opened. On the opposite side of
the coke ov-
en chamber with the coke oven chamber door to be operated it is advantageous
to provide
an additional traction trolley, which is pulled by the respective tension rod,
such that both op-
posite coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven chamber can be operated
independently or
simultaneously.
[0020] The tension rod have any type of drive unit. Due to the drive unit,
the tension rod
or the tension member is moved in horizontal direction along the front of the
coke oven
chamber. The drive unit is preferably provided with a hydraulic cylinder at
least at one end.
This is driven by the hydraulic pump of a hydraulic unit. In a further
preferred version, the
tension rod is equipped at least at one end with a geared motor unit. This
drive unit can be
positioned in any position as long as a reliable transmission of the tensile
force to the tension
rod is possible. If this is a geared motor unit, it is preferably positioned
on the roof of the coke
oven chamber next to the tension member. This enables short force transmission
paths.
[0016] The tension rod or the tension member can be equipped with any draw
hooks or
protrusions for the transmission of the tensile force. The draw hooks can for
example be hor-
izontally adjustable in longitudinal direction in the suspension position on
the tension mem-
ber. The tension rod is typically mounted on rollers for the improvement of
mobility.
[0022] The request mechanism for the stirrup or the slide can be of any
design. This
may be equipped with a simple lever for permanent or auxiliary manual
actuation. However,
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this is preferably equipped with an automatic mechanism, by means of which the
stirrup or
slide is moved into the position required for the tensile force.
[0014] A method for the expansion-free stationary oven door control of a
coke oven
plant type "Heat-Recovery" is also indicated, in which
= the coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery
with a
quantity of in-line coke oven chambers must be periodically opened and closed,
and
= a traction trolley equipped with a connecting mechanism, which is movable
along
the front of the coke oven chamber via a guiding device remains in resting
posi-
tion without request,
and which is characterised in that
= a rigid and expansion-free tension member, which is equipped with a draw
hook,
moves upon request longitudinally along the coke oven chamber front, and
= the connecting mechanism connects the traction trolley and the tension
member
upon request via the draw hook, such that the traction trolley with the
tension
member is moved longitudinally along the coke oven chamber front, and
= the traction trolley opens the coke oven chamber door via a low tension
transmis-
sion device and closes the coke oven chamber door upon the return of the trac-
tion trolley.
[0024] The tension member or the tension rod can have any type of drive for
horizontal
displacement, which is used as a force after deflection in vertical direction
for the opening
and closing of the coke oven chamber doors. The tension member can for example
be
moved by a hydraulic cylinder driven by a hydraulic pump of a hydraulic unit.
The tension
member can also be moved by a geared motor unit positioned at the end of the
tension rod,
and which for example transmits the tensile force and pulling movement to the
tension rod by
pinion or lantern gear force transmission. The hydraulic element or the geared
motor can be
of any design. They can be powered by a combustion engine, electrically or by
steam, for
example. The drive units can for example be located at the end of the tension
rod, where
they transmit the traction force and pulling movement to the tension rod.
[0025] The transmission device is of low expansion or preferably expansion-
free, which
is expressed by the length only changing by a few millimetres during opening
and closing.
This can be measured above all at the overstroke facility of the hydraulic
cylinder on the ten-
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sion member, which is for example set to a maximum overstroke of 150 mm. Not
only the dif-
ferent door lift but also the chain expansion are compensated by this
overstroke.
[0026] The drive unit can run temporarily or permanently, depending on the
duration of
the coking procedure and number of coke oven chambers to be operated. If it
runs tempo-
rarily, it can for example be requested or started by a remote control
mechanism. It can also
run permanently and be coupled in for the displacement procedure.
[0020] The connecting mechanism can also be requested as required. This may
take
place manually or by remote control. It is therefore thinkable that the
connecting mechanism
is requested by radio remote control. Remote control via cable is also
conceivable. In one
version of the invention it is also possible to operate the connecting
mechanism from the
coke oven operating machine as, for example, a coke evacuation machine.
[0028] The invention -related procedure is used preferably not only in coke
oven bench-
es of type "Non-Recovery" but also of type "Heat-Recovery". But all types of
coke oven
plants in which the application of coke oven chamber doors to be opened and
closed vertical-
ly are of advantage are possible for this.
[0029] The invention-related device and the thus performed method have the
advantage
that the coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery
can be indi-
vidually opened or closed without requiring space in front of the coke oven
chamber, where-
by expandable cables that may lead to less accuracy in the opening and closing
procedure
are not used for the transmission of the driving force. Due to the invention-
related device it is
also no longer necessary to provide the usually used cables with guards as
protection
against cable breakage. This contributes to an improved efficiency of the
entire process.
[0030] The process flow of the invention-related procedure is exclaimed in
more detail
on the basis of five drawings, whereby the invention-related procedure is not
restricted to
these versions. FIG. 1 shows a coke oven bench with six coke oven chambers,
which are
equipped with the invention-related device for the lifting and lowering of the
coke oven
chamber doors. FIG. 2 shows a coke oven bench with six coke oven chambers in a
vertical
view from above. FIG. 3 shows a stirrup-type invention-related connecting
mechanism from a
side view. FIG. 4 shows a stirrup-type invention-related connecting mechanism
from the
front. FIG. 5 shows a slide-type invention-related connecting mechanism from
the front.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a coke oven bench (1) with six coke oven chambers (2a-
f), which
are equipped with frontal coke oven chamber doors (3a-f), whereby the doors
(3a-f) are
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opened by vertical lifting, such that the coke oven chambers (2) are ready for
loading, and
closed by vertical lowering. The coke oven chamber doors (3a-f) are connected
by a chain
(4) made of low-expansion segments (4a), which in turn are connected to a
traction trolley
(5). The traction trolley (5) consists of the actual trolley, which is
fastened on a tension rod
situated above it (6) with a rollable suspension (7), and a connecting
mechanism (8), which is
connected to the trolley (5). Upon request, the connecting mechanism (8)
closes, such that
the traction trolley (5) is mechanically firmly connected to the tension rod
(6). The tension rod
(6) is displaced in horizontal direction (here to the right), such that the
left-hand come oven
chamber door (3a) opens by being lifted. This exposes the coke cake (9) in the
coke oven
chamber. The driving unit (10) for the tension rod (6) can also be seen, which
consist of a
hydraulic cylinder (10a). The connecting mechanism (8) consists of a stirrup
(8a), which by
folding up and locking engages in a protrusion (11) or draw hook of the
tension rod (6), thus
carrying along or relieving the tension rod (6) during horizontal
displacement.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a coke oven bench (1) consisting of six coke oven
chambers (2a-f)
in a vertical view from above. The coke oven chambers (2a-f) are carried at
the front of the
coke oven chamber in lateral direction by (12) buckstays. The tension rod (6)
can be seen,
which is displaceable in horizontal direction. This preferably takes place via
a drive (10) of
hydraulic cylinder (10a) design. By means of the horizontal displacement of
the tension rod
(6), a traction trolley (5) is connected to the tension rod (6) upon request,
such that the trac-
tion trolley (5) is carried along. This opens the coke oven chamber door below
(3).
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the connecting mechanism (8). The
connecting
mechanism (8) is designed here as a stirrup (8a) seated in a bracket (13) with
a joint (13a).
The stirrup (8a) is folded upwards on request, by means of which the stirrup
(8a) engages via
a bar (14) into the draw hook (11) of the tension rod (6). In case of a
horizontal displacement
of the tension rod (6) the stirrup (8a) is taken along with it. The stirrup
(8a) is in turn connect-
ed to the traction trolley (5), such that upon the horizontal displacement of
the tension rod (6)
the traction trolley (5) is also displaced. This again is connected via chains
(4) to the coke
oven chamber door (3), such that the coke oven chamber door (3) is opened or
closed by the
horizontal displacement movement. The folded back stirrup (8b) with bar (14a)
can also be
seen, which enables the passing of the draw hook (11).
[0033] FIG. 4 shows the same connecting mechanism (8) in a view along the
tension rod
(6). On the traction trolley (5), which is mounted on a roller device (5a), a
carrying facility is
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installed (15), to which a stirrup (8a) with bar (14) is fastened. This is
also folded down here
and is swivelled upwards upon request with a lever (15a), such that a draw
hook (11) mount-
ed on the tension rod (6) can engage into the bar (14) of the stirrup (8a). As
a result, the trac-
tion trolley (5), on which the chain (4) with the coke oven chamber door (3)
is suspended, is
carried along. Upon pulling back of the tension rod (6) the stirrup (8a) is
relieved, such that
the coke oven chamber door (3) falls back into the coke oven chamber door
opening due to
the dead weight.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows a connecting mechanism (8), which is designed as a
slide (8c).
This has a protrusion (8d), which is pressed by lateral displacement of the
slide (8c) against
the draw hook (11) of the tension rod (6). When the tension rod (6) is moved
(vertically to the
paper level), the traction trolley (5) is carried along and relieved when the
tension rod (6) is
pulled back. This opens and closes the coke oven chamber doors (3). The slide
is mounted
in a carrying device (15) and operated by a lever (15a).
[0036] Reference symbol list
1 Coke oven bench or coke oven battery
2a-f Coke oven chambers
3a-f Coke oven chamber doors
4 Chain
4a Chain segment
Traction trolley
5a Roller device
5b Guiding device
6 Tension rod
7 Suspension
8 Connecting mechanism
8a Stirrup
8b Folded back stirrup
8c Slide
8d Protrusion on the slide
9 Coke cake
Driving unit
10a Hydraulic cylinder
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11 Bracket or draw hook
12 Buckstay
13 Bracket
13a Bracket hinge
14 Bar
14a Folded back bar
15 Carrying device for stirrup or slide
15a Lever on carrying device
11
