Method and system for dynamically charging a coke oven
Systems and methods of dynamically charging coal in coke ovens related to the operation and output of coke plants including methods of automatically charging a coke oven using a charging ram in communication with a control system to increase the coke output and coke quality from coke plants. In some embodiments, the control system is capable of moving the charging ram in a horizontal first direction, a horizontal second direction and a vertical third direction while charging coal into the oven. In some embodiments, the coal charging system also includes a scanning system configured to scan an oven floor to generate an oven floor profile and/or oven capacity. The scanning system used in combination with the control system allows for dynamic leveling of the charging ram throughout the charging process. In some embodiments, the charging ram includes stiffener plates and support members to increase the mechanical strength of the charging ram and decrease the sag of the charging ram at a distal end.
1. A method for dynamically charging a coal system, the method comprising:
positioning a charging ram at an initial charging position of a coke oven, wherein the oven includes a pusher side opening, a coke side opening opposite the pusher side opening, opposite side walls, and an oven floor defined by the pusher side opening, the coke side opening, and the opposite side walls, and wherein the initial charging position is adjacent to the pusher side opening;
charging coal into the oven at the initial charging position via a conveyer system operably coupled to the charging ram, wherein the conveyer system in operation experiences a charging pressure;
using a control system, automatically moving the charging ram while simultaneously charging coal into the oven via the conveyer system, wherein automatically moving the charging ram is based at least in part on the charging pressure; and
maintaining the charging pressure within a preset operating range until the oven is charged.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically moving the charging ram further includes automatically moving a proximal end of the charging ram in a rotatable fifth direction around an x-axis, such that when the charging ram is moved in the fifth direction, the charging ram is angled upwards or downwards and the proximal end of the charging ram is lower or higher than a distal end of the charging ram.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial charging position includes an initial charging height, and wherein automatically moving the charging ram includes automatically moving the charging ram in a vertical third direction to maintain the initial charging height.
4. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising fullying charging the coke oven, wherein the fully charged coke oven includes a coal bed having a constant thickness.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oven further includes a plurality of downcommer openings positioned proximate to the opposite side walls of the oven, the method further comprising:
charging coal into the oven at a first area to create a first layer of coal having a first thickness; and
charging coal into the oven at a second area to create a second layer of coal having a second thickness greater than the first thickness;
wherein the first area is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of downcommer openings and the second area is spaced apart from the plurality of downcommer openings.
6. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising fully charging the coke oven, wherein the fully charged coke oven includes a coal bed having a uniform density throughout.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
locking the charging ram in the initial charging position until a preset charging pressure is reached.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scanning the oven to determine at least one of an oven profile or an oven floor profile.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein scanning the oven floor occurs before charging coal into the oven at the initial charging position; the method further comprising:
retracting the charging ram from the oven after the oven is charged; and
re-scanning the oven after charging the coal into the oven and charging additional coal into the oven.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein scanning the oven floor to determine an oven profile occurs after the oven is fully charged, and wherein the oven profile includes a height of the charged oven.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein charging coal into the oven at the initial charging position includes charging coal into the oven at an initial charging height, the method further comprising:
automatically adjusting the charging ram in a vertical direction to maintain the initial charging height.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
extruding at least a portion of the coal being charged into the oven by engaging the at least a portion of the coal with an extrusion plate operatively coupled with the charging ram, such that the at least a portion of the coal is compressed beneath a coal engagement face of the extrusion plate.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retracting the charging ram from the oven after the oven is charged; and
using the control system, automatically moving the charging ram during the retraction in a vertical third direction along a y-axis away from the oven floor.
14. A method of dynamically charging a coal system, the method comprising:
positioning a charging ram at an initial charging position of a coke oven, wherein the oven includes a pusher side opening, a coke side opening opposite the pusher side opening, opposite side walls, and an oven floor defined by the pusher side opening, the coke side opening, and the opposite side walls, and wherein the initial charging position is adjacent to the pusher side opening;
charging coal into the oven at the initial charging position via a conveyer system opeerably coupled to the charging ram, wherein the conveyer system in operation experience a charging pressure;
using a control system, automatically moving the charging ram white simultaneously charging coal into the oven via the conveyer system; and
maintaining the charging pressure within a present operating range until the oven is charged,
wherein automatically moving the charging ram includes automatically moving the charging ram in both a horizontal first direction and a horizontal second direction, wherein the horizontal first direction is along a z-axis toward the coke side opening of the oven, and wherein the horizontal second direction is along an x-axis toward one of the opposite side walls of the oven.
15. A method for dynamically charging a coal system, the method comprising:
positioning a charging ram at an initial charging position of a coke oven, wherein the oven includes a pusher side opening, a coke side opening opposite the pusher side opening, opposite side walls, and an oven floor defined by the pusher side opening, the coke side opening, and the opposite side walls, and wherein the initial charging position is adjacent to the pusher side opening;
charging coal into the oven at the initial charging position via a conveyer system operably coupled to the charging ram, wherein the conveyer system in operation experiences a charging pressure;
using a control system, automatically moving the charging ram while simultaneously charging coal into the oven via the conveyer system, wherein automatically moving the charging ram further includes automatically moving the charging ram in a vertical direction away from the oven floor.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising utilizing a drive system to automatically move the charging ram in the vertical direction, wherein the drive system includes at least one of a hydraulic drive, an electrical drive or a screw drive.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein automatically moving the charging ram further includes automatically moving the charging ram in a rotatable fourth direction around a z-axis.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the charging ram comprises a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and opposite sides that define a length of the charging ram, and wherein the initial charging position includes an initial charging height, the method further comprising:
maintaining the distal end portion of the charging ram at the initial charging height while moving the charging ram towards the coke side opening.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
scanning the oven floor to determine an oven floor profile;
in response to scanning the oven floor, assigning a location to any carbon material included on the oven profile; and
automatically adjusting the charging ram in the vertical direction.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein automatically adjusting the charging ram includes adjusting the charging ram in the vertical direction to achieve a generally constant thickness throughout the oven.