Dry coke cooling plant

A dry coke cooling apparatus comprises an antechamber with a bottom hole for charging coke into a cooling chamber which accommodates vertical outer cooling walls and inner cooling walls which extend within the coke charge. The lower part accommodates coke discharge equipment and conduits for supplying circulated cooling gas which passes upwardly through the charge, to be exhausted at the top. The inner cooling walls are supported on hollow beams which are cooled by the circulated cooling gas directly or indirectly.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to coke treating devices and in 
particular to a new and useful dry coke cooler in which the cooling walls 
of the cooler are supported on hollow beams which are cooled by the 
cooling gases. 
A plant of this kind is described in the German periodical "Technische 
Mitteilungen", (Technical Reports) vol. 75, No. 9 1982, pages 434 to 439. 
FIGS. 2 on page 435 of the publication shows that the cooling walls are 
supported on a beam which extends transversely to the cooling walls and is 
fixed to the outer walls of the cooling chamber. In view of the large size 
of the cooling chamber, and their regularly wide span, these beams must be 
amply dimensioned. In addition, experience has shown that minimizing the 
cooling gas amount easily raises the temperature of these beams to levels 
endangering the strength of the beams. 
Further known again from FIG. 2 on page 435 of the above reference, are 
tipping dischargers by means of which cooled coke is removed in metered 
amounts at the bottom of the cooling space. These dischargers are about 3 
meters long and are actuated by hydraulic cylinders mounted outside the 
cooling space, and they extend over half the length of the space. 
Intermediate the dischargers, an inspection passage is provided for 
maintaining and repairing the discharger bearings. This passage requires 
relatively much space and the cooled coke must flow therearound, which may 
cause distribution problems. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is directed to an improved support of the cooling walls and 
the tipping dischargers in the cooling chamber, resulting in a further 
reduction of the circulated gas amount, and a more uniform discharge of 
the coke. 
In accordance with the invention, a dry coke cooler comprises a vessel 
which has an upper coke charge receiving portion in the form of an 
antechamber which has a lower discharger which discharges into a lower 
cooling chamber until the coke accumulates into substantially the upper 
end of the cooling chamber. A plurality of substantially vertical cooling 
walls which are spaced apart extend across the cooling chamber and they 
are adapted to extend within the coke charge. At least one hollow beam 
extends below the cooling walls and supports the walls either directly or 
through intermediate T-beams or eye beams positioned therebetween. The 
cooling chamber has an outlet for the cooling gases at the upper end and 
an inlet for the cooling gas directed into the cooling chamber in the 
vicinity of the hollow beams and advantageously through the hollow beam 
for discharge for openings at the lower end of the beam for upward flow 
through the cooling chamber. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved dry 
coke cooler which includes a cooling chamber having vertical cooling walls 
which are supported on hollow beams which are cooled by the cooling gas 
flow. 
The invention idea is to support the cooling walls in the cooling chamber 
with beams which are hollow, and thus to simplify this support due to the 
obtained possibility of cooling these beams and thus keeping them 
permanently at low temperatures. 
A higher temperature of the coke can then be allowed in the zone of the 
hollow beams and, consequently, the inner cooling walls can be extended 
downwardly by a considerable length, as compared to prior art designs, 
whereby the heat amount transferred through the inner cooling walls to the 
circulated coolant is considerably augmented and the amount of circulating 
gas can be reduced. It has been found that even with such a reduction of 
cooling gas amounts, surprisingly, the temperature of the coke leaving the 
cooling chamber, for example at locations adjacent the dischargers, 
changes insignificantly. 
It has further been found advisable to dimension the coke cooling apparatus 
in a way such as to have the hollow beams disposed in a zone where the 
coke has temperatures between about 200.degree. C. and 300.degree. C. 
Within this temperature zone, especially with an inner cooling of the 
hollow beams, the strength of the hollow beams is not endangered. 
In view of the optimum distribution of the cooling gas over the entire 
length of the cooling chamber, it has proved advantageous to provide 
within the hollow beams another duct for supplying the cooling gas, which 
tapers in the flow direction toward its end. 
A differnce in levels between the hollow beams supplying cooling gas and 
the lower edge of the cooling walls may be bridged, in accordance with the 
invention, by providing additional beams or supports extending in the 
longitudinal direction of each individual cooling wall, between the hollow 
beams and the cooling walls proper. More particularly, these additional 
beams or supports may be provided beneath the coke deflecting sheets of 
the coke chutes, so that they are entirely protected from being 
mechanically loaded by the coke and the coke can be discharged through the 
chute without any obstacle. 
In a development of the invention the support of the bearings of the 
tipping dischargers in the lower part of the cooling chamber is improved. 
According to this development, the dischargers are mounted in the central 
zone of the cooling chamber on a narrow beam which extends parallel to the 
cooling walls, transversely through the entire cooling chamber. An 
inspection passage in the central zone of the cooling chamber, for 
maintaining and repairing the discharger bearings, is omitted, and the 
inner bearings of the dischargers are designed as dry running 
high-temperature bearings requiring no maintenance. With this design, only 
a small cover sheet need be provided above the high-temperature bearings, 
to direct the coke flow. This deflects the coke in the zone of the chutes 
much less than with the prior art design of an inspection passage, so that 
the discharge is smoother. It has further proved advantageous to dispose 
the row of the inner high temperature bearings on the narrow beam exactly 
in the central zone of the cooling chamber below a central cooling wall. 
This necessarily requires an odd number of inner cooling walls, instead of 
an even number as before. This again assists the undisturbed discharge of 
the coke in the central zone, without larger deflections. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a dry coke cooler which is 
simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture. 
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are 
pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part 
of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its 
operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference 
is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a 
preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings in particular the invention embodied therein 
comprises a coke cooler which includes a vessel having an upper coke 
charge receiving portion or antechamber 1 and a lower cooling chamber 2 
disposed below the charge receiving portion in a position to receive a 
charge of coke therein discharged for example to a level indicated in 
dotted oblique lines as a charging cone 5 in FIG. 1. 
In accordance with the invention, a plurality of substantially vertical 
cooling walls 4, 4a which are spaced apart extend across the cooling 
chamber and are adapted to extend within the coke charge. At least one 
hollow beam 10 or three such beams as indicated in FIG. 2 extend through 
the lower portion of the cooling chamber below the cooling walls and they 
provide means for supporting the cooling walls through intermediate walls 
8 and support beams 9. An outlet for the cooling gases at the upper end of 
the cooling chamber 2 leads to a waste heat boiler 6. The cooling gases 
are directed inwardly into the cooling chamber through a conduit 11. These 
gases first pass into and along the hollow beams 10 and may in fact cool 
beam 10. The gases then flow to an outlet 13 which is indicated in each of 
the beams 10 and upwardly through the coke charge to the discharge which 
connects through the waste heat boiler 6. 
In the coke cooling process, hot coke is directed through an antechamber 1 
and a charge hole 3 thereof into a cooling chamber 2 having inner cooling 
walls 4. The coke is removed from the cooling chamber at the bottom 
through coke chutes 12 and tipping dischargers 14. The circulated cooling 
gas is supplied through a conduit 11 and, at the lower end of the coke 
chutes 12, through outlets 13 of horizontal ducts designed as hollow beams 
10 and into the cooling chamber as shown by the arrows where it flows, 
upwardly to leave the chamber at the upper end thereof, outside the coke 
charge cone 5. The cooling gas then flows to a waste heat boiler 6 and a 
following fine dust separator 7, which, with the interposition of some 
further equipment, is connected to the supply conduit 11. Chutes 12 form 
coke charge-free spaces for the support and hollow beams 9, 10 which 
spaces are downwardly open. 
Below the individual cooling walls 4, 4a, spaced-apart supports or beams 9 
are provided, which are secured to the hollow beams 10 extending 
therebeneath. The space between the deflecting sheets of the coke chutes 
and the hollow beams 10 may be substantially filled with an insulating 
material, but it may also be cooled by the incoming cooling gas. The 
cooling walls 4 in cooling chamber 2 are provided in an odd number, to 
position the central wall 4a at the center of the chamber. The central 
wall bears through one of the supports 9 against a hollow beam 10. Exactly 
vertically below the central cooling wall 4a, a bearing beam 16 extends in 
the same direction, on which the inner high temperature bearings 15 of 
dipping dischargers are mounted. 
The coke which gradually flows downwardly through the two compartments 
formed adjacent the inner cooling wall 4a, is only insignificantly 
deflected in the zone of the coke chutes 12 by the sheet covering of the 
high temperature bearings 15. Therefore, the coke discharge is no longer 
retarded above these inner bearings. 
While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described 
in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the 
invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied 
otherwise without departing from such principles.