IP Library Granted Patent US 11,597,881
Granted Patent B2
US 11,597,881 · App. 17/320,343 · Granted Mar 7, 2023

Coke plant tunnel repair and flexible joints

Inventors: John Francis Quanci (Haddonfield, NJ); Gary Dean West (Lisle, IL); Daniel C. Charles (Barkerville, IL); Ryan L. Yates (Lisle, IL); Andrew Michael Butor (Cranberry Township, PA)
Assignee: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
C10B29/06B23P6/04C10B5/02C10B25/16C10B41/00C10B45/00C23D5/08G01M3/20G01M3/202G01M3/207C10B15/02C10B29/02C10B31/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,597,881
App. No.
17/320,343
Granted
Mar 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A coke plant includes multiple coke ovens where each coke oven is adapted to produce exhaust gases, a common tunnel fluidly connected to the plurality of coke ovens and configured to receive the exhaust gases from each of the coke ovens, multiple standard heat recovery steam generators fluidly connected to the common tunnel where the ratio of coke ovens to standard heat recovery steam generators is at least 20:1, and a redundant heat recovery steam generator fluidly connected to the common tunnel where any one of the plurality of standard heat recovery steam generators and the redundant heat recovery steam generator is adapted to receive the exhaust gases from the plurality of ovens and extract heat from the exhaust gases and where the standard heat recovery steam generators and the redundant heat recovery steam generator are all connected in parallel with each other.

Claims (25)

1. A flexible seal for positioning between a replacement outer wall portion and a surrounding wall of a high temperature tunnel, the flexible seal comprising:

a pillow portion overlapping an interface between the replacement outer wall portion and the surrounding wall of the tunnel;

a fill portion radially inward from the pillow portion;

a first bracket contacting a first side of the pillow portion, the first bracket connected to the replacement outer wall portion;

a second bracket contacting a second side of the pillow portion opposite the first side of the pillow portion, the second bracket connected to the surrounding wall of the tunnel; and

a belt portion disposed over at least part of the pillow portion and connected to the first bracket and to the second bracket.

2. The flexible seal of claim 1 , wherein the belt portion is connected to the first and second brackets via one or more bolts.

3. The flexible seal of claims 1 , wherein the belt portion comprises one or more fluid-impervious layers.

4. The flexible seal of claim 3 , wherein the belt comprises a gas-impermeable outer layer and an insulative inner layer.

5. The flexible seal of claim 4 , wherein the inner layer of the belt comprises aluminized silica.

6. A mechanical assembly configured to be installed between a first conduit defining a radial dimension and a second conduit spaced apart from the first conduit, the assembly comprising:

a first bracket configured to be coupled to an end region of the first conduit;

a second bracket configured to be coupled to an end region of the second conduit;

a first portion disposed (i) between the first bracket and the second bracket and (ii) radially outward of the radial dimension; and

a second portion comprising a flexible material and disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket, wherein at least part of the second portion is radially inward of the first portion and radially inward of the radial dimension.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a member coupled to the first bracket and the second bracket and biasing the first bracket and the second bracket toward one another.

8. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a member disposed radially outward of the first portion and the second portion and connected to the first bracket and the second bracket.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the member is a belt that, when connected to the first bracket and the second bracket, has a convex outermost surface.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first bracket has a first region, and a second region extending from the first region and angled relative to the first region such that the second region is laterally peripheral to the first region, wherein the member is connected to the first bracket via a bolt extending through the second region of the first bracket.

11. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein a lateral terminus of the first portion comprises a tab configured to receive a fastener.

12. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first portion comprises at least one of a ceramic or a composite material.

13. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the second portion comprises a material configured to expand and/or contract with movement of the first conduit and the second conduit.

14. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first portion is a pillow portion and the second portion is a fill portion.

15. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a refractory material disposed laterally outward of the at least part of the second portion that is radially inward of the radial dimension.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , further comprising an anchor extending through the first conduit and the refractory material.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2025
From: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 072254/0272 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2021
From: QUANCI, JOHN FRANCIS; WEST, GARY DEAN; CHARLES, DANIEL C.; YATES, RYAN
To: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 056958/0594 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2021
From: BUTOR, ANDREW MICHAEL
To: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 056958/0788 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2021
From: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056846/0548 →
Cited By (10)
US 12,215,289 US 12,286,591 US 12,305,119 US 12,319,976 US 12,331,367 US 12,410,369 US 12,600,915 US 12,673,348 US 12,692,453 US 12,692,562