Patent ID: 7037408

Claim:
A process for repetitively producing and removing coke from a delayed coker vessel, wherein the coker vessel has a top portion defining an aperture through which a coke cutting drill is vertically inserted to cut and remove coke from the vessel, comprising: a) Sealing an aperture closure unit to the top portion of the coker vessel wherein said aperture closure unit comprises a closure housing with a horizontal plate closure member laterally movable therein and a means to maintain a steam blocking pressure therein; b) Sealing a cutting head enclosure to the aperture closure housing wherein said cutting head enclosure comprises a hollow cylinder having a closable cutting head access portal and a blowback/cutting guide assembly mounted within a top portion of the cylinder; c) Inserting a cutting head into said enclosure between a top portion of the closure housing and the blowback/cutting guide wherein said cutting head is attached to the distal end of a vertically rotatable shaft extending axially through the blowback/cutting guide; d) moving a horizontal closure member within the closure housing to open the aperture of the coker vessel top; e) rotatably lowering the cutting head by means of the shaft through the vessel aperture into and through coke contained in the vessel; f) injecting a fluid through a plurality of nozzles attached to the cutting head at a pressure sufficient to cut and dislodge coke from the vessel; g) raising the cutting head to the position of step (c); h) moving the horizontal closure member within the closure housing to close the aperture to the coker drum; and i) repeating steps (c) through (h) through successive coking/decoking cycles.