Improvements in Coke Furnaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coke Furnaces.
I, FRANCIS JOSEPH COLLIN, of Dortmund, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to coke-furnaces in which the furnace-chambers are
arranged in two rows or tiers between which are provided air and gas collecting
channels. The advantage which this construction offers over the coke furnaces
hitherto known is that it enables the deep foundation work in which up to the
present time the gas conduits have been formed to be dispensed with. The heat
radiated by the furnace chambers and the combustion flues and also from the gas
collecting channels, is in this arrangement utilized to the utmost extent for heating
the air in the air collectors arranged between the two tiers of furnace-chambers;
and these air-collectors are situated at a sufficient distance from the sole-channels
and the gas discharging flues located below the furnace-chambers, to avoid the
danger of the gas and air coming in contact with each other before the poiut is
reached where the air should in controllable quantities enter the flues.
The coking chambers are arranged in an inclined position and tapering towards
the top. The sole or bed-plate especially in its upper part is inclined to such an
extent that when the lower door is opened, the material contained in the furnace
slides down from the furnace of its own account. Towards the lower part,
however, the bed-plate becomes more level with the result that the mass of coke
as it passes the breach or line of division is loosened and is discharged in lumps
or pieces, a sudden rush of the whole of the contents of the furnace being thus
avoided.
In the accompanying drawings the improved coke-furnace arrangement is shown
in various longitudinal and cross sections.
b
The gases generated in the furnace-chamber O (Fig. 1) are first conducted in a
channel or flue V (Fig. 1) situated in front of O, the two chambers or spaces being
connected by flues a which being vertical are not liable to become obstructed. By
opening a connecting passage or port 6 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) by means of an adjustable
sliding door K, the gases are caused to pass into the flues C provided in the side
walls between the chambers (Figs. 2 and 4). The gases then, in a coil-shaped and
inclined current, pass through a side connection 6' (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) into the sole-
flue S (Fig. 1) and thence into the common gas-flue E (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The
slide or door F provided at the lower end of the sole-flue S serves for controlling
the flow of the gas and consequently the whole operation of the furnace.
The gases are not brought into contact with the combustion air until they reach
the point where the maximum heating of the furnace walls is required, i.e. at the
extreme end of the side-wall flue C (Fig. 2). In the walls which close in the
flues C from the outside, openings ff are provided which serve the double. purpose
of enabling the interior to be inspected and of admitting cold air when required.
This latter purpose is also accomplished by the flues s (Fig. 2) in which at the
same time the combustion air admitted from the outside undergoes a preliminary
stage of heating.
When it is required to coke coal containing little gas, intensely heated air is
necessary to produce the required circulation of heat in the furnace. Besides for
obtaining the bye-products it is advantageous to employ highly heated combustion
air capable of inflaming the gases returning from the condensing apparatus. In
this case the flues ff will be of little use. It is well-known however that where hot
combustion air is utilized, thin flames (jet flames) are apt to form, which constitute
a danger even to some of the best fire-proof materials. Now in the present case

page_text: provision is made for avoiding these jet-flames by so arranging the sliding door or
damper i, (Fig. 2), that the hot air in addition to being admitted in predetermined
quantities only, is considerably divided before it mixes with the gases. For this
purpose the plates r (Fig. 2) are perforated and thereby adapted to cause an
immediate and thorough mixture of gas and air.
The air is heated by means of the air-collectors G and H mentioned before, in
the following manner: One of these collectors (in the present case the collector H)
is tightly closed by masonry at both ends and only connected with the other air-
collector by a vertical passage or flue W (Fig. 2) preferably arranged in the centre
of the whole battery of furnaces. The second air-collector communicates with
the external air by means of one or two openings. Owing to their considerable
size in section these two collectors, and especially the collector H interposed
between the gas-flues E form very efficient heat storage chambers.
For each furnace there is provided a branch-conduit (Fig. 2) which enables the
heated air to enter at i through and through the perforated walls r, into the
combustion flue C.
To secure the bye-products, the sliding-door,K is moved to close the opening ↳,
so that all communication between the furnace and the side-fiues C is cut off. The
coking gases are hence conducted direct to the tar and ammonia producing apparatus,
and do not return till afterwards, when they can be admitted into the flues C
through fand if necessary also through ƒ ƒ² and ƒ³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
1. In coke-furnaces the arrangement of coking chambers with an inclined sole
or bed-plate for the purpose of ensuring an automatic discharge of coke
characterized by the employment of a sole or bed-plate rather steeply inclined at
its upper part while at its lower part it forms an angle or breach and becomes more
level, so that at this point the bulk of coke descending is broken up into lumps or
pieces before it leaves the furnace substantially as described.
2. In coke furnaces the arrangement of an auxiliary chamber such as V in front
of each coking chamber into which the coking gases enter through vertical flues a
to be conducted thence through the channels or flues b controlled by sliding doors
or dampers K in controllable quantities into the combustion chambers C provided
in the intermediate walls between the chambers at which point the said gases
thoroughly mix with the combustion air are burned and caused by the vertical
partitions to rise in coil-shaped and inclined currents whereupon they descend again
into the channel or flue S situated below the sole or bed-plate of the coking-chamber
and finally escape through the common gas-channel or flue E substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In coke-furnaces such as set forth in Claims 1 and 2 the arrangement of air-
collectors G and H between the tiers of coke chambers in such a manner that the
air is only admitted in one of the collectors while the other is closed at both ends
and only connected with the first collector by means of a vertical connecting
channel W the combustion air after undergoing a preliminary heating in these
collectors passing through the branch-flues / below into the channel or Hue / and
thence through the perforated slabs or doors r passing in a finely divided condition
into the combustion chambers C so that they may thoroughly mix with the
combustion gases substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 29th day of September 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.