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Combustion of heating gases in coke battery

Article  in  Coke and Chemistry · March 2007

DOI: 10.3103/S1068364X07030039

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ISSN 1068-364X, Coke and Chemistry, 2007, Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 55–62. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2007.
Original Russian Text © I.A. Sultanguzin, 2007, published in Koks i Khimiya, 2007, No. 3, pp. 11–19.
COKE
Combustion of Heating Gases in Coke Battery
I. A. Sultanguzin
Moscow Power Institute, LAG Engineering Scientific Center
DOI: 10.3103/S1068364X07030039
The hot strength of coke CSR is distributed nonuni-
formly over the cake and depends on the temperature,
as established in [1, 2]. It has been shown that the gas
combustion in the heating channels must be organized
so as to increase the flame length and ensure uniform
heating over the height. By regulating the uniformity of
heating-gas combustion over the channel height, more
uniform hot strength CSR of the coke over the furnace-
chamber height may be ensured. In turn, a more uni-
form distribution of the coke strength improves blast-
furnace smelting and reduces fuel consumption.
Problems with the uniformity of coke heating may
be traced to the structure of the coke battery [3] and are
more acute with the creation of taller coke furnaces
(height 7 m) [4].
Recently, there have been rapid developments in the
theory of gas combustion. However, the new methods
for the analysis and improvement of heating-gas com-
bustion in coke batteries have yet to be fully utilized.
SIMULATION OF COMBUSTION
IN THE COKE-BATTERY HEATING SYSTEM
Analysis of the goal and methods of flame-theory
formulation may be found in [5–8]. An important con-
tribution to the theory of unmixed-gas combustion was
made in [9, 10].
When considering gas combustion in the heating
channels of coke furnaces, in contrast to most thermal
equipment, the goal is not to concentrate the flame, but
to extend it, so as to promote uniform heating of the
coke over the coking-chamber height [3]. The rate of
the chemical reactions is usually disregarded here, and
only the mixing rate of the gases in diffusional combustion
over the flame height is taken into account [3, 9–11].
However, recent research shows that the results are dis-
torted by such simplification and neglect of the reaction
rates of multistage gaseous-fuel combustion [2, 12, 13].
It is very difficult to consider both diffusional and
kinetic processes in combustion; such research is scant
[14]. In this context, it is of interest to review work on
the multistage combustion of hydrocarbon fuel and the
determination of the flame length in unmixed-gas com-
bustion.
55
There are many studies of the multistage combus-
tion of hydrocarbons (present in coke-oven gas) [5, 8,
10, 15–19]; most are based on the chain reactions first
discovered in [20].
Several different generalized oxidation mechanisms
of hydrocarbons have been proposed [15, 21–26].
Three-stage oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons was
proposed in [25]; the intermediate compound here is
ethylene C2H4
CnH2n + 2 C2H4 CO + H2 CO2 + H2O. (1)
However, in the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons
such as C6H6, it is unclear what reactions must be added
to the proposed mechanism.
A branched quasi-global oxidation mechanism of
the hydrocarbons was proposed in [23]. For saturated
hydrocarbons such as isooctane C8H18, the basic inter-
mediate compound is ethylene C2H4; for aromatic
hydrocarbons such as toluene C7H8, it is acetylene
C2H2. However, the radical OH is used in the calcula-
tions, which complicates them. In all, 12 reactions are
used for the intermediate stages. There are another
31 oxidation reactions of CO, H2O2, and CH2O.
A simplified mechanism with 26 hydrocarbon-com-
bustion reactions was adopted in [21]. However, a large
number of radicals is used in both [21] and [23]; mea-
surement and calculation of their concentrations will
pose considerable difficulties. The oxidation of CH4,
CO, and H2 is emphasized in [22, 26]. Here, we will
consider an approach based on [15].
In our view, the mechanism of hydrocarbon com-
bustion proposed in [24] is of practical value.
The motion and combustion of gas in the heating
walls of coke batteries has been extensively studied
[3, 27–33].
GAS COMBUSTION IN HEATING WALL
For most coke batteries, the typical heating fuel is
coke-oven gas or mixed gas (blast-furnace gas with
added coke-oven gas). Table 1 presents the approxi-
mate composition of the heating gas for coke batteries,
in the cases of mixed gas and coke-oven gas.
Around a third of the mixed gas consists of the fuel
components CO and H2, while more than half consists
56 SULTANGUZIN

Table 1 MULTISTAGE COMBUSTION

OF HYDROCARBONS

CmHn, %
CH4, %

CO2, %
For hydrocarbons with several carbon atoms in the

CO, %
H2, %

N2, %

O2, %
Heating gas
molecule, the number of possible intermediate oxida-
tion products is relatively large. The complete combus-
Mixed gas 13.0 0.5 0.1 21.8 19.9 43.2 1.5 tion mechanism includes many parallel and successive
Coke-oven gas 55.5 23.1 2.9 7.1 2.5 8.0 1.0 stages in that case. Full kinetic description of the pro-
cess is very complex. Attention must be confined here
to qualitative description of the kinetic mechanism on
the basis of a model. Each reaction in the model repre-
of the inert gases N2 and CO2, with heat of combustion sents a set of elementary processes, while each chemi-
4.32 MJ/m3. When coke-oven gas (heat of combustion cal symbol in the reaction equations corresponds to a
16.9 MJ/m3) is supplied, the fuel components (mainly group of materials that play the same kinetic role. Such
H2, CH4, and CO) account for 90% of the gas. Thus, a model of the oxidation of higher hydrocarbons was
three fuel components have the greatest influence on proposed in [16].
heating-gas combustion in coke batteries: hydrogen, The combustion of higher hydrocarbons is a two-
carbon monoxide, and methane. A smaller contribution stage process [5, 8, 16, 20]. In the initial stage of the
is made by C2H4 and C6H6. On heating by mixed gas, flame, oxidation is not complete: the oxidation products
the gaseous fuel and air are heated to ≥1000°C in the include a large number of aldehydes, organic perox-
coke-battery regenerators. In coke-battery operation ides, and other oxygen-bearing organic compounds.
with coke-oven gas, the air in the regenerators is heated The initial oxidation region gradually gives way to an
to 1100°C, while the coke-oven gas passing through the ordinary flame region. The flame velocity is determined
conduits within the lining pass to the heating wall at by the final stage of the reaction, which occurs at max-
≤800–900°C. imum combustion temperature. The theory of hydro-
carbon combustion is simplified in that the last stage of
The combustion of hydrocarbons is a multistage combustion is the same and consists of final combus-
process, with the formation of many intermediate prod- tion of the carbon monoxide formed at the beginning of
ucts in chain reactions [20]. Accordingly, it is difficult the flame. When hydrocarbons are still present, CO oxi-
to solve the system of differential equations with dis- dation is 5–6 times slower than in a pure carbon-mon-
tributed parameters for the combustion of coke-oven oxide flame. The slowing of CO oxidation by hydrocar-
gas over the height of the flame in the presence of a con- bons is explained in that the hydrogen atoms formed in
CO oxidation are annihilated by hydrocarbon mole-
siderable number of hydrocarbons. Simplifications cules, with the formation of alkyl radicals [16]
must be introduced here.
CnH2n + 2 + H = CnH2n + 1 + H2. (2)
CH4 C2H6
Such exothermal reactions occur with greater prob-
+H, O, ability than the endothermal process
+H OH +CH3 +H, O, OH
+H +O +H, O, OH +M
H + O2 = OH + H, (3)
CH3 C2H5 CH3CHO CH3CO CH3
+CH3 in the chain reaction of CO oxidation. Therefore,
+O +H +M,O2
+CH3 hydrocarbons break the chain of CO oxidation. As a
CH2O C2H4
+O, OH
CH3, CH2O, CHO
result, the CO formed in combustion accumulates until
the initial hydrocarbons have been eliminated.
+H, O, OH +H
The next stage is complete combustion of the carbon
CHO C2H3 monoxide, whose duration determines the total reaction
time in the flame zone. Thus, the velocity of all hydro-
+M,O2, H +H +M, H, +O
O2 carbon flames is determined by the kinetics of a single
CO
+OH
C2H2 CH2CO
+H
CH3 common reaction: the complete combustion of carbon
monoxide. The kinetic characteristics are the same
+O +OH here. The combustion of methane and other hydrocar-
CH
+H
CH2 CH2O, CHO bons occurs in two stages. The first is the combustion of
CH4 and C2H4 to CO and H2; the second is the combus-
+O, O2 +O, O2 tion of CO to CO2 and of H2 to H2O. In Fig. 1, the oxi-
CO CO, CO2
dation of methane in a stoichiometric methane–air mix-
ture is shown [17, 18]. With a well-developed flame
Fig. 1. Oxidation of CH4 in a stoichiometric methane–air
front, the influence of active O, H, and OH radicals on
mixture at p = 1 atm [17, 18]. (The thickness of the arrows combustion is significant, since the concentration of
is proportional to the total reaction rate at the flame front.) these active particles is high.

COKE AND CHEMISTRY Vol. 50 No. 3 2007

 COMBUSTION OF HEATING GASES IN COKE BATTERY
The hydrocarbon-fuel molecules first react with H,
O, and OH, as shown in [17, 18]. The hydrocarbon rad-
icals CH3 and C2H5 formed here rapidly break down:
CH3 to formaldehyde CH2O, CHO, and CO; C2H5 first
to ethylene C2H4, C2H2 and then to CH3, CH2O, CHO,
and CO (Fig. 1). Most of the combustion of a stoichio-
metric methane–air mixture proceeds by the basic
chain combustion of CH4
CH4 CH3 CH2O CHO CO
CO2.
This chain includes both stable hydrocarbon materi-
als (such as CH2O, CO) and short-lived radicals in the
flame (such as CH3, CHO) [15, 19]. If the radicals are
removed from this chain, the remaining molecules may
remain stable for a long time
CH4 CH2O CO CO2.
Thus, the combustion of methane may be written in
simplified form as a three-stage process.
Comparison of this sequence with Fig. 1 indicates
that Eq. (5) is a simplified description of the oxidation
of methane in Fig. 1.
The reaction of methane with oxygen consists of
four stages, as shown in [15]. This follows from the sto-
ichiometry of the reaction
CH4 + 2O2 = CO2 + 2H2O,
when four oxygen atoms participate and each one is able
to complete a definite stage of methane combustion.
Consider the combustion of a gaseous fuel of initial
composition
0 0
CH4 = C H 4 , CO = CO0, H2 = H 2 ,
0
CO2 = C O 2 , H2O = H2O0, CH2O = 0.
The fuel combustion may be represented by the
kinematic system in Fig. 2.
The corresponding formulas of stage-by-stage com-
bustion for the specified gas are
1. (4) CH4 + O2 = CH2O + H2O,
2. (5) CH2O + 1/2O2 = CO + H2O,
2. (6) CH2O = CO + H2,
3. CO + 1/2O2 = CO2,
7. H2 + 1/2O2 = H2O.
As is evident, the chain of combustion reactions
may be branched. The CH2O molecule may be oxidized
by O2 to CO and H2O, with rate constant k5, or may
undergo thermal decomposition to CO and H2 through
the chain k6. The first reaction predominates with
excess oxygen, and the second with a lack of oxygen.
COKE AND CHEMISTRY Vol. 50 No. 3 2007
57
k1 k2 = k5 + k6 k3
CH4 CH O CO CO
k4 = k1 k k6
k7
H2O H2
Fig. 2. Kinetic diagram of gaseous-fuel combustion: ki
(i = 1, …, 7) are the reaction rate constants.
(4)
SYSTEM OF FIRST-ORDER
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
The coefficient characterizing the excess of air in the
combustion of gaseous fuel is larger than one. Assum-
(5) ing that there is a considerable excess of oxygen, the
reactions considered will be of first order. Correspond-
ingly, a system of first-order differential equations may
be written. We will obtain an analytical solution of this
system [13].
The velocity of the combustion products in the heat-
ing channels is 0.8–1.2 m/s or, on average, v ≈ 1 m/s.
For most coke furnaces, the path length of the flue gases
from the burners in the ascending heating channel, in
the transfer window (or in the discharge channels), and
(6) in the downward heating channel to the transverse
channel is 8–12 m or, on average, Lp ≈ 10 m. On aver-
age, the time for the combustion products to traverse
the upward and downward gas lines in the heating
walls, including the gas-combustion time, is about τp =
Lp/v ≈ 10 s. Switching from one coordinate to another
for steady combustion is fairly straightforward, on the
basis of [5, 9, 16]. (This approach was first adopted by
the Russian scientist V. A. Mikhel’son [34].)
There is little pressure variation in the heating chan-
nel; the mass flow rate of gas in any cross section is
constant. Hence, the gas velocity in the channel varies
in proportion to the gas temperature, which, in turn,
depends on the gas combustion rate and is 1500–1800 K.
Consequently, the gas velocity deviates from the mean
by no more than 10% over the ascending and descend-
ing heating channels. Correspondingly, the coordinates
of the gas in terms of the time and position over the
(7) channel length will differ by no more than 10%. The
temperature variation of the gases and the walls may be
determined if the heat transfer in the gas–wall–coal sys-
tem is taken into account.
The rate constants k1–k7 must be determined. The
decomposition of formaldehyde CH2O to CO is the
fastest reaction [15, 17]. Assume that the corresponding
reaction constant k2 = 1. The constants k1 and k3 will be
considerably smaller, according to [15]. Analysis of the
experimental data yields an exponential temperature
58 SULTANGUZIN

Table 2
Quantity,
Working medium H2, % CmHn, % CO, % CO2, % N2, % O2, % H2O, %
m3/m3 of gas
Without flue-gas recirculation
Gaseous fuel 53.82 25.19 6.84 2.41 7.78 0.96 3.00 1.00
Air 78.03 20.74 1.23 4.61
Gas + air 9.59 4.49 0.43 1.22 65.51 17.22 1.54 5.51
Flue gases 6.49 69.26 3.00 21.25 5.31
With flue-gas recirculation (30%)
Recirculated gases 6.49 69.26 3.00 21.25 1.59
Gas + air + recirculated gases 7.47 3.50 0.95 1.77 66.34 14.08 5.90 7.10

dependence of k1 and k3, analogous to the Arrhenius The gas temperature in the heating channels may be
equation represented by a polynomial dependence on the time of
gas transit (or the path length)
2509
– ------------ 2
Tg
k 1 = 0.6106e T g = 1673 + 67.5τ – 9τ , (11)
(8)
816.7
------------- where τ = 0–10.
Tg
k 3 = 0.02217e . For convenience of comparison, we assume con-
stant initial gas composition, including gaseous fuel
where Tg is the gas temperature, K. Curves of k1calc and and air with an air-excess coefficient α = 1.2 (Table 2).
k3calc may be calculated from Eq. (8) (Fig. 2). All the hydrocarbons that are based on methane are rep-
resented as CH4, so as to simplify the kinetic depiction
The rate constants of hydrogen combustion and CO of gaseous-fuel combustion. First consider the case
oxidation are related approximately as follows, accord- without recirculation of the flue gases.
ing to [24, 26] Substituting numerical values of the initial data into
the formulas for analytic solution of the system of first-
k 7 = 8k 3 . (9) order equations [13], we obtain results for the combus-
tion of coke-oven gas, say (Fig. 3). It is evident that,
On the basis that the air-excess coefficient is greater according to these results, most of the heat in gas com-
than one, we assume that the combustion in the formalde- bustion is liberated in the lowest part of the ascending
hyde chain corresponds predominately to the reaction heating channel, which is not correct [3, 33].
Hence, the use of first-order differential equations
CH2O + 1/2O2 = CO + H2O (10) cannot provide correct results. This may be explained
in that, although there is an excess of oxygen during gas
with rate constant k2 = k5 = 1; k6 = 0. combustion in the heating walls, the air-excess coeffi-
cient only slightly exceeds one and is usually 1.1–1.5.
Therefore, the quantity of oxygen remaining over the
25 1.0 channel height in combustion must be taken into
Proportion of heat liberated Q

CH4
account.
20 0.8 CH2O
Components, %

CO
15 0.6 CO2 SYSTEM OF SECOND-ORDER EQUATIONS
H2 To take account of the limited quantity of oxygen in
H2O
10 0.4 Q
combustion, we must write a system of second-order
equations for bimolecular reactions [13].
5 0.2 The parameters of the basic reactions of fuel combus-
tion must be determined: the preexponential factor Ai and
0 the activation energy Ei in the Arrhenius equation [35]
0 1 2 3 4
Time, s k i = A i exp ( – E i /RT ). (12)

Fig. 3. Combustion of gaseous fuel in heating channel Here, R = 1.98 cal/mol K = 8.314 J/mol K is the univer-
according to a system of first-order differential equations. sal gas constant.

COKE AND CHEMISTRY Vol. 50 No. 3 2007

 COMBUSTION OF HEATING GASES IN COKE BATTERY 59

The activation-energy values in Table 3 for the oxi- Table 3

dation of methane to formaldehyde, the decomposition
of formaldehyde to CO and H2O, and the combustion of i Reaction Ai Ei, cal/mol
CO to CO2 and of H2 to H2O are obtained for the high- 1 CH4 + O2 = CH2O + H2O 505.8K 27600
temperature region (1250–2500 K), on the basis of the
5 CH2O + 1/2O2 = CO + H2O 780K 22400
analysis of [15, 24, 36].
3 CO + 1/2O2 = CO2 18.36K 21000
Given that there is no universal method of determin-
ing the activation energy of gas combustion, the value 7 H2 + 1/2O2 = H2O 146.9K 21000
obtained depends on the experimental conditions and
on the method employed. Therefore, the discrepancy in
the combustion parameters found in different experi- There is no fundamental difference in the calcula-
ments may be considerable [15, 17, 18]. In flame simu- tion results for systems of first- and second-order dif-
lation, the rate constants over a broad temperature ferential equations. The only difference is that the vari-
range are measured with an accuracy no greater than ation in CO, CO2, and CH4 concentration is smoother in
±25%, as a rule [18]. the second case. In both cases, the heat liberation is
The combustion of CO to CO2 is assumed to be the equally pronounced at the beginning of gas combustion.
slowest reaction, i.e., the limiting reaction; accordingly,
the determination of its parameters will have most
influence on the combustion process. This reaction has DEVELOPING A MODEL
been relatively well studied, and the spread in its exper- OF UNMIXED-GAS COMBUSTION
imental data is slight. The second (fifth) reaction of
CH2O combustion is faster [15]. Correspondingly, less The solution of the second-order differential equa-
accuracy is required here, since it has less influence on tions assumes that the gaseous fuel and air are rapidly
the accuracy of the results for combustion as whole. mixed and form a gas of uniform composition. In real-
Calculating Ai on the basis of the Ei values adopted, ity, however, the gas and air are supplied separately and
with a mean gas temperature t = 1700 K, we obtain may not be fully mixed until the end of the ascending
channel. In simulating the combustion of unmixed
2509 27600
– ------------ – ----------------------------
1700 1.98 × 1700 gases (a diffusional flame), it is generally assumed that
A 1 = 0.6106e e K = 505.8K; the reaction rate is several orders of magnitude greater
816.7 21000 than the rate of gas mixing. On that basis, it is assumed
------------- – ----------------------------
A 3 = 0.02217e
1700
e
1.98 × 1700
K = 18.36K; that the reaction occurs instantaneously, at an infinite
(13) rate, as soon as the fuel and oxidant encounter at the
22400 flame front, with gradual mixing of the gases [3, 10].
– ----------------------------
1.98 × 1700
A 5 = 1e K = 780K;
However, multistage combustion of hydrocarbons is
A 7 = 8 A 3 = 146.9K. inconsistent with this approach. It is difficult to assume
that the combustion of methane, say, to CO2 and H2O
Here, K is the conversion coefficient, which depends on occurs instantaneously at the point where the CH4 and
the scale adopted in the measurements.
O2 molecules meet. Thus, simultaneous kinetic and dif-
If the components are measured as percentages, K = 50. fusion processes must be considered.
For bimolecular reactions, generally, the rate constants
are measured in cm3/mol s or l/mol s. In the latter case
25 1.0
K = ( 22.4 l/1 mol ) × 50 = 1.12 × 10 .
3
(14)
Proportion of heat liberated Q

The actual value of K may be determined by analy- 20 CH4

0.8
sis of the gas-concentration distribution in the ascend- CH2O
Components, %

ing and descending heating channels, in the regenera- CO

15 0.6 CO2
tor, and in the horizontal flue, on the basis of experi-
ments on existing coke batteries. H2
10 H2O
Table 3 presents values of Ai and Ei for Eq. (12). 0.4 Q
The slowest (and limiting) stages are the combus-
tion of CO, which is the third reaction in Eq. (7) (rate 5 0.2
constant k3, Fig. 2), and the initial stage of CH4 com-
bustion, which is the first reaction in Eq. (7) (rate con- 0
0 1 2 3 4
stant k1). Time, s
It is impossible to obtain an analytical solution of a
system of second-order differential equations, and so Fig. 4. Combustion of gaseous fuel in heating channel accord-
numerical methods are employed (Fig. 4). ing to a system of second-order differential equations.

COKE AND CHEMISTRY Vol. 50 No. 3 2007

60 SULTANGUZIN

Degree of mixing and combustion 25 0.5

Proportion of heat liberated Q

1.0
CH4
0.9 20 0.4 CH2O

Components, %
0.8 Degree of mixing M CO
0.7 Degree of 15 0.3 CO2
0.6 combustion H2
0.5 H2O
10 0.2 Q
0.4
0.3
5 0.1
0.2
0.1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 Time, s
Relative height of flame
Fig. 5. Variation in the degree of mixing and combustion of Fig. 6. Combustion of gaseous fuel in heating channel, tak-
the gas and air over the flame height. ing account of the available fuel gases and oxygen.

To reconcile the chemical processes and the gas-
mixing processes, we introduce the concepts of the
available oxygen and the available fuel gases.
This means that the gaseous-fuel molecules leaving
the burners will gradually be exposed to an ever greater
number of oxygen molecules, which become available for
stage-by-stage combustion. In order to use this approach,
the mixing conditions of the air and gaseous fuel must be
determined over the whole combustion path.
Experimental data for the mixing rate of gas fuel
and air issuing into a long closed combustion chamber
and for the degree of combustion were presented in [14]
(Fig. 5). The gaseous fuels employed were municipal
gas and hydrogen, which are sufficiently close in com-
position to the gases considered here. The curves of the
degree of mixing and combustion of the gaseous fuel
and air should coincide if the reactions are instanta-
neous, while the mixing is finite. However, it is evident
that the path length of complete mixing is ~30% shorter
than the distance of complete gas combustion; this is
important evidence that the chemical processes and dif-
fusion processes are of comparable speed and must be
considered together.
For the calculations, we now assume that the degree
of gas mixing corresponds to an M = f (L) plot analo-
gous to that for the municipal gas. The path length of
complete mixing is assumed to be Lmix = 4 m; i.e., at
this distance, M = 1. The time axis is assumed to run
along the spatial coordinate in the direction of gas flow,
i.e., τmix = 4 s. The time dependence of the degree of gas
mixing is written in the form M = f (τ).
In this case, the quantity of available (diffusing)
oxygen depends on the height or the time to complete
mixing as follows
O 2 ( τ ) = M ( τ )O 2 ( τ ),
dif
(15)
where O2(τ) is the current (mean over the cross section)
oxygen content in the mixture of gas and air; O2(0) =
17.22% is the oxygen content in the mixture of the ini-
tial components (gaseous fuel and air).
In the course of combustion, O2(τ) gradually
declines, in accordance with the solution of a system of
second-order differential equations for bimolecular
reactions. In the differential equations, O2(τ) is replaced
by O 2 (τ) [13].
dif
The availability not only of the oxygen but also of
the fuel components must be taken into account since
they do not engage in combustion all at once, but grad-
ually, as they approach the flame front
CH 4 ( τ ) = M ( τ )CH 4 ( τ ),
dif
H 2 ( τ ) = M ( τ )H 2 ( τ ),
dif
(16)
CO ( τ ) = M ( τ )CO ( τ ).
dif
The proposed mechanism based on available oxy-
gen and fuel components permits the formulation of a
one-dimensional problem and essentially reflects the
gas diffusion in the cross section of the heating channel.
As a result, we obtain a system of differential equations
for gas combustion [13].
Results for the combustion of gaseous fuel on the
basis of this system of differential equations are shown
in Fig. 6.
Taking account of both the combustion kinetics and
the growth rate of the available oxygen and fuel gases
significantly influences the extent of the flame, as is evi-
dent from the variation of CH4, CO, and H2. The heat
liberation from combustion is also extended over a
greater distance.
The preceding calculations disregard the recircula-
tion of flue gases. Most coke batteries operate with flue-
gas recirculation in the lower part of the ascending
heating channel, through a recirculation window.
Assuming 30% recirculation, the corresponding com-
position of the initial gases (fuel gas, air, and recirculat-

COKE AND CHEMISTRY Vol. 50 No. 3 2007

 COMBUSTION OF HEATING GASES IN COKE BATTERY 61

25 0.5 ing case. We assume that the temperature distribution

Proportion of heat liberated Q

CH4 will be less steep
20 0.4 CH2O
Components, %

2
CO T g = 1673 + 53.83τ – 7τ . (17)
15 0.3 CO2
H2
H2O
For the given conditions, simulation of gaseous-fuel
10 0.2 Q combustion gives the results in Fig. 7. Analysis shows
that flue-gas recirculation affects the combustion pro-
5 0.1 cesses and the flame elongation.
We now compare the results with some curves of
0 heat liberation over the heating-channel height for var-
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Time, s ious coke batteries [3, 11, 33].
Two curves for the rate of variation in heat liberation
Fig. 7. Combustion of gaseous fuel in heating channel, tak-
ing account of gas diffusion and recirculation. over the heating-channel height are plotted on the basis
of data in [3] (Fig. 8): (1) in the combustion of coke-
oven gas; (2) in an experimental heating channel (for
Height of heating channel, m which, regrettably, the type of fuel was not recorded).
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 The variation in the proportion of burning gases
0.25
over the heating-channel height is plotted in Fig. 9 on
Proportion of heat liberated Q

Experimental vertical channel the basis of [11, 33]. The high-capacity coke batteries
0.20 Coke-oven gas at the Bethlehem Steel plant (USA), with a heating-
channel height of 5.5 m, burn a mixture of coke-oven
0.15 gas and blast-furnace gas in a 50 : 50 ratio (by volume),
with a heat of combustion of 11 MJ/m3 [33]. In that
0.10 case, gas combustion is complete even in the lower part
of the channel. Two other graphs are presented in [33]:
0.05 for coke batteries at the Fuji Steel plant (Japan) and the
Bergbau Forschung plant (Germany). The heat libera-
tion over the height of a heating channel of length 5.5 m is
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 also plotted in Fig. 9, on the basis of [11]; the burner is
Height of heating channel, rel. units raised by 0.42 m here. In the last three cases, no data
were given on the type of fuel.
Fig. 8. Variation of the heat liberation in gas combustion over
the height of the heating channel, for the conditions in [3]. Comparison of the calculation results (Fig. 7) with
experimental data (Figs. 8 and 9 [3, 11, 33]) indicates that
the heat liberation over the heating-channel height depends
Height of heating channel, m on the type of fuel and the combustion conditions.
0 1 2 3 4 5 We may also assume that there is a relation between
0.5
the combustion rate of the gas components, the rate of
Proportion of burning gas

Fuji Steel
heat liberation, the radiant and convective heat transfer
0.4 Mixture (coke-oven between the combustion products and the wall, and the
Barr + blast-furnace gas) distribution of the gas and wall temperature over the
0.3 heating-channel height.
Bergbau Forschung
0.2
CONCLUSIONS
0.1 Thus, the mechanism based on the available oxygen
and fuel gases in a one-dimensional model yields a
physically sound picture of gas combustion in the heat-
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Height of heating channel, rel. units ing channels of a coke battery. Experiments are
required to determine the characteristics of the model.
Fig. 9. Variation of the proportion of burning gases over the
heating-channel height [11, 33].
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COKE AND CHEMISTRY Vol. 50 No. 3 2007