Systems and methods for maintaining a hot car in a coke plant
The present technology describes various embodiments of systems and methods for maintaining a flat push hot car. In some embodiments, the flat push hot car includes an at least partially enclosed hot box having an interior portion, an exterior portion, a base, and a plurality of sidewalls extending upward from the base. The hot box can be coupled to or integrated with a fluid distribution system. The fluid distribution system can include a spray manifold having one or more inlets configured to release a fluid directed toward the sidewalls of the interior portion so as to provide regional cooling to the hot box.
1. A hot car for use in a coke plant, the hot car comprising:
an at least partially enclosed hot box having an interior portion, an exterior portion, a base, a pair of opposing sidewalls extending upward from the base; and a ceiling extending between the opposing sidewalls and
a fluid distribution system coupled to the hot box, the fluid distribution system comprising a plurality of fluid inlets configured to release a fluid toward and at least partially onto at least one of the sidewalls of the interior portion and at least one fluid inlet positioned outside of the interior portion of the hot box and configured to release fluid directly onto an exterior of at least one of the sidewalls; at least a portion the fluid distribution system being positioned along the ceiling so that a plurality of the fluid inlets depend from the ceiling above the base and are positioned in a spaced-apart relationship with the ceiling and the at least one of the sidewalls onto which the fluid will be released;
at least some of the inlets being aimed to direct the fluid onto at least one of the sidewalls and the base.
2. The hot car of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid distribution system and configured to contain fluid.
3. The hot car of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the fluid distribution system is positioned within at least one of the sidewalls.
4. The hot car of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the fluid distribution system is positioned within the base.
5. The hot car of claim 1 wherein the interior portion comprises a peripheral portion adjacent the sidewalls and a central portion spaced inwardly from the peripheral portion, and wherein the fluid inlets are positioned in the peripheral portion, in a spaced-apart relationship with at least one of the sidewalls.
6. The hot car of claim 1 wherein individual fluid inlets comprise a nozzle configured to direct fluid toward the sidewalls.
7. The hot car of claim 1 wherein the hot box comprises a top portion at least partially covering the interior portion of the hot box, wherein the plurality of fluid inlets are spaced apart from the top portion.
8. The hot car of claim 1 wherein at least one fluid inlet is coupled to a sidewall.
9. The hot car of claim 1 , further comprising an elevation and translation mechanism having a plurality of support arms pivotably coupled with the hot car and the hot box; the support arms configured to alter the elevation and position of the hot box with respect to structures adjacent the hot car.
10. The hot car of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises water.
11. The hot car of claim 1 wherein the fluid inlets are evenly spaced along two substantially parallel rows along a longitudinal axis of the hot box.
12. The hot car of claim 1 wherein the fluid inlets are positioned along a crosspiece extending along a width of the hot box.
13. The hot car of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid source operably connected to the fluid distribution system.
14. A system for cooling a hot box, wherein the hot box has an interior surface comprising a floor and at least two sidewalls, the system comprising:
a fluid source;
a supply conduit coupled to the fluid source;
a spray manifold carried by the hot box and in fluid communication with the supply conduit; and
a plurality of dispensers coupled to the spray manifold, adjacent to and depending from a ceiling of the hot box above a base of the hot box, wherein at least one of the dispensers is positioned in a spaced-apart relationship with, and configured to direct a fluid onto, an interior surface of at least one of the sidewalls of the hot box and at least one of the dispensers is positioned outside of the interior portion of the hot box, in a spaced-apart relationship with, and configured to dispense a fluid directly onto an exterior surface of at least one of the sidewalls.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of dispensers comprises one or more of a flat fan nozzle, flood nozzle, raindrop nozzle, hollow-cone nozzle, full-cone nozzle, or directional or bi-directional nozzle.
16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a fluid collection system comprising a filter configured to collect the fluid for at least one of reuse and disposal.
17. The system of claim 14 wherein the hot box is coupled to at least one of a hot car and a hot train.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the fluid collection system further comprises a pump in fluid communication with the filter and the spray manifold and configured to deliver the collected fluid from the filter to the spray manifold for reuse.