Competence and know-how

by tradition
A new dimension in cokemaking technology

ThyssenKrupp

A company
of ThyssenKrupp
Technologies
Uhde
2
Table of contents

Page

1. Company profile 3

2. Competence and know-how by tradition 4

3. Coke oven batteries 6

4. Heating systems 8

5. Heating-up burners 9

6. High stability and gas tightness 10

7. Coke oven doors 11

8. Environmental protection 12

9. Heat-recovery cokemaking 14

10. Coke oven gas treatment 16

11. Condensation and tar separation 17

12. Removal and treating of by-products 18

13. Tar refining 20

14. Alternative use of coke oven gas 21

15. Coke cooling 22

16. Coke plant automation 24

17. Repair, modernisation and services 26

Bird's eye view of the new coke

plant at ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG in
Duisburg-Schwelgern, Germany,
with a production capacity of 2.6
million tonnes of coke per year
1. Company profile 3

Uhde’s head office

in Dortmund, Germany

With its highly specialised workforce of more than 4,100 employees and an
international network of subsidiaries and branch offices, the Dortmund-based
engineering contractor Uhde has successfully designed and built over 2,000
plants throughout the world.

The company's international reputation has been built on the successful application
of Engineering with ideas to yield cost-effective high-tech solutions for its
customers. The ever-increasing demands placed upon process and application
technology in the fields of chemical processing, energy and environmental
protection are met through a combination of specialist know-how, all-round
service packages, top-quality engineering and impeccable punctuality.

In 2004 ThyssenKrupp EnCoke was integrated into Uhde, adding its internationally
renowned coke plant technologies to the company's portfolio. Since then, EnCoke's
customers have benefited from EnCoke being part of a company with international
sales and engineering offices and high competence in executing demanding
projects.
We provide a wide range of solutions in the field of cokemaking technologies,
from complex hot repairs and revamps to completely new plants, and can thus
make a major contribution to cost-effective, environmentally-friendly steel
production. Our latest achievement, the 2.6 million-tonne coke plant in
Schwelgern (near Duisburg, Germany) which came on stream in March 2003,
has set new international standards in cokemaking.
4
2. Competence and know-how by tradition
A global leader for more than 130 years
"Zeche Holland" coke plant in the Ruhr area, Germany, 1895
Uhde's coke plant technologies division, the
former ThyssenKrupp EnCoke, is proud to
offer the entire range of technologies and
know-how from the most famous names in
coke plant engineering.
The origin of the division can be traced back
to the company Dr. C. Otto & Comp. which
was founded in the year 1872. Carl Still and
Heinrich Koppers, both employed as junior
engineers by Dr. C. Otto, then formed their
Dr. C. Otto
own companies in 1898 and 1901, respect-
ively, and enjoyed great success for many
decades. In the 70's and 80's the companies
founded by these cokemaking pioneers were
taken over by the groups Krupp (Koppers)
and Thyssen (Still, Otto and Didier).
Ultimately, the merger of the groups Thyssen
and Krupp resulted in the combination
of all cokemaking technology activities into
ThyssenKrupp EnCoke GmbH in 1999,
followed by the integration into Uhde GmbH.
Heinrich Koppers Carl Still
 5

"Kwangyang" coke plant, South Korea, 1992

Integrated in the ThyssenKrupp group with
its global spectrum of activities Uhde has
assumed the task of continuous improvement,
building on the decades of accumulated
know-how and maintaining the tradition of
quality established by its founders.
building new coke plants, Uhde has a long
history of providing comprehensive technologies
for modernising and repairing entire plants or
individual plant components. We work jointly
with the customer to develop the most cost-
effective solution to satisfy specific needs.

With state-of-the-art technologies and know-

how proven through the construction of over
100,000 coke ovens and associated gas
treatment facilities and service machines
worldwide, Uhde offers its customers a
palette of systems and processes from which
the optimum solution to their operational
requirements can be provided.
Along with know-how and experience in
6
3. Coke oven batteries
More than 100,000 times worldwide
Battery front of 8.3 m ovens at the Schwelgern coke plant, Germany
Uhde has been designing and building coke
oven plants for more than 130 years, making it
the longest established coke plant engineering
company in the world. Our competence and
know-how – gained through the construction
of more than 100,000 coke ovens worldwide
– are embodied in numerous inventions and
developments which are today recognised
standards in modern cokemaking technology:
for example multi-stage heating. Uhde has
always been a front runner in the technical
development of coke oven plants.
Among these inventions and developments
are the principle of regenerative heating, the
GLD, Detroit, USA Top view of the battery at Schwelgern, ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG, Germany
introduction of compound ovens and the
gradual enlargement in chamber height to
well over 8 m and in oven volume to over
90 m3.
The principle of multi-stage heating –
nowadays standard technology for heating
coke ovens – was introduced by Carl Still as
early as 1926. Uhde can now supply the
optimum heating concept to meet any
specific demand: COMBIFLAME® and
TWINFLUE for compound ovens of either the
gun-flue or underjet type, and MULTISTAGE
for purely rich gas ovens.

Battery front of 6.2 m ovens at the GLD coke plant, Detroit, USA
Coke side
Coal charging car
Coke transfer car
Battery
Quench car
Coke wharf
The increasing heights of oven chambers and
the associated stability requirements for main-
taining the refractory materials demand fully
effective oven bracing systems. Over the
course of approximately 30 years Uhde has
developed the CONTROLPRESS® system based
on intensive research and development,
accompanied by data from practical experience.
Fugitive emissions at coke oven batteries
have been drastically reduced by well proven
7
Pusher side
Pusher maschine
Battery cross-section
sealing systems for oven doors and other
oven closures. Depending on the application,
Uhde offers either FLEXZED® or FLEXIT®
oven doors.
The newly developed PROven® system for the
individual control of oven chamber pressure
provides a new generation with virtually
emission-free battery operation during coking
and charging.
8
4. Heating systems
Optimised heat distribution – low NOx

The COMBIFLAME® heating system for

low-NOx combustion, which was specially
designed for large ovens, is equipped with a
two or three-stage air supply system. About
half the combustion air enters the bottom of
the heating zone through the air duct, while
the other half enters the heating zone through
air ports positioned at higher elevations in the
binder wall. The regenerator chambers are
divided longitudinally in order to permit
individual control of the bottom air and wall
air flows. In combination with an internal flue
gas recirculation system this results in an
optimum vertical temperature distribution
over the heating walls while reducing the NOx
content of the exhaust gas to a very low level.

Lean gas
Air
Waste gas

COMBIFLAME® heating system with internal

waste gas recirculation and staged air supply
 5. Heating-up burners 9

Smooth and perfect commissioning

Heating-up burners alongside a battery

Uhde has developed a new procedure for
heating-up batteries by means of external
fan burners. These are proven standard
industrial units, specially selected and
equipped for the task.
The high overall volume flow of flue gas
produced by the fan burners generates a
positive pressure in the entire oven block from
the very beginning of heat-up, accompanied
by optimum heat transfer throughout the
system. Since the hot flue gas is generated
outside of the coke oven chamber, local
overheating in the area behind the coke oven
door is ruled out. Dutch ovens are no longer
needed to protect the brickwork. Flame safety
is provided by automatic burner management
systems, eliminating the manpower formerly
required for this purpose.
The increased flow of heating gas from the
start allows the heating-up time to be redu-
ced by 2 - 3 weeks.
These burners are not only applied for the hea-
ting-up of new batteries. They have also been
successfully used in refractory hot repairs,
where certain areas of the batteries have to be
kept at a minimum temperature level.

900

800 Design temperature

Actual temperature
700
Temperature in °C

600

500

400

300

200

100

10 20 30 40 50 60

Heating-up day

Heating-up curve: excellence compliance between set point and actual values
10
6. High stability and gas tightness
Prerequisites for safe operation and long service life

The refractory construction, oven bracing,

heating equipment, oven door design and
every individual detail bear out the extensive
experience gained by our engineers over the
years. Heating walls are designed and built
so as to safely withstand the lateral coking
pressure. The CONTROLPRESS® bracing
system provides the required pre-stressing of
heating walls, thus protecting the refractory
block from uncontrolled forces. This system
was developed especially for application in
tall coke ovens with large chamber volumes
and is today standard cokemaking technolo-
gy. The high level of wall stability and bracing
system reliability in all stages of operation
provide for the long service life of our coke
ovens.
Heating flue arrangement during bricking-up

Oven roof
protection
plate

Oven roof
protection
plate
Wall
protection
plate Oven roof bracing

COMBIFLAME®
heating wall Buckstay

Wall protection plate

Pressure springs for

wall protection plate

Regenerator
protection plate

Pressure elements
for regenerator
protection plate

Regenerator bracing

Sliding joint

Bottom cross tie rods

CONTROLPRESS® bracing system

 7. Coke oven doors 11

Lasting tightness

The FLEXIT® and FLEXZED® coke oven doors suitable for coke ovens with a large chamber
developed by Uhde ideally suit today's height and chamber width. Its high elasticity
requirements for an environmentally results in a excellent capacity to compensate
responsible and for the bending of sealing surfaces,
low-maintenance ensuring maximum gas tightness.
door system. Hence it comes as no surprise that
the tallest and largest coke ovens
The large gas worldwide are equipped with FLEXIT®
escape channels coke oven doors.
at the door plug
reduce the gas The standard door for all oven sizes
pressure at the is the FLEXZED® door, which has
door seal – an been installed in thousands of coke
important ovens worldwide over the decades.
prerequisite for With its adjustable Z-sealing strip
the avoidance of door and its robust cast-iron door body this door
emissions. The seals of these coke oven has proved extremely reliable in withstanding
doors automatically adapt to the door jamb the severe requirements of coke oven
contour, with the required sealing forces operation. Its special features are a high
being provided by springs acting on the sea- level of gas tightness, a robust structure
ling strips. The FLEXIT® coke oven door with and low maintenance requirements.
its flexible stainless steel membrane and door
body made of ductile cast iron is particularly
Installed oven doors

Cross section of a coke oven door.

12
8. Environmental protection
Innovation at the battery

Single-chamber pressure control

The innovative PROven® system for single-

chamber pressure control allows the pressure
in each individual oven chamber to be adjusted
as a function of the actual raw gas generation
rate, thus providing the optimum pressure level
for the given coking condition. The gas collecting
main itself is operated under suction, and the
pneumatically actuated PROven® valve controls
the back-pressure in the chamber. The control
system is based on adjustment of the water
level inside the PROven® valve, providing
variation of the valve port area through which
the raw gas flows.

PROVen® system under construction

mmWG

Pressure at foot of door

30

Pressure in collecting main

20

10 Pressure in standpipe Pressure at foot of door

0
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Suction during charging

Coking time
-25
Collecting main under suction
-30

Lines in red = conventional raw gas system

Lines in blue = PROven® system

Pressures in the conventional raw gas and PROVen® system

A low chamber pressure is set at the beginning
of the coking time so that the large raw gas
quantities generated in this phase are
discharged without high gas pressures at the
oven doors. Door and oven top emissions are
thus prevented almost entirely.
As coking proceeds, the chamber pressure is
gradually increased in line with the reduction
in the gas generation rate inside the oven.
When the amount of generated gas declines
at the end of the coking process, the pressure
in the oven is raised to the point where no air
can be drawn in at the doors. This protects
the refractory walls from combustion in the
end zone of the chambers, thus prolonging
the service life of the ovens.
 13

Reduction of charging-gas emissions

The PROven® system also ensures that

the charging gases are retained within the
raw gas system because the standpipes
and, consequently, the oven chambers are
under suction when charging takes place.
Coke oven doors with an efficient sealing
system and water-sealed standpipe lids
are further safety measures for preventing
battery emissions.

Charging with PROven®

Pressure
Pressure measurement line controller
NH3 - water Pneumatic
cylinder

Control valve

Standpipe

Fix cup-valve:
Oven roof ∆h~∆P

Gas collecting space

GC-main

PROven® arrangement schematic

 14
9. Heat-recovery cokemaking
Coke, power, environmental protection
The Uhde heat-recovery cokemaking techno-
logy provides an interesting alternative to
conventional coke production in those cases
in which demand is predominantly for coke.
It dates back to a technology that was wide-
spread in Europe and America prior to the
introduction of by-product coke ovens.
In heat-recovery ovens, the complete gas
produced from coal carbonisation is combu-
sted directly in the oven space, thus creating
the heat needed for carbonisation. In contrast
to the horizontal chamber oven, the coal
charge in the heat-recovery oven lies in an
approx.
1 m thick layer on the approx. 4 m wide and
15 m long oven sole.
As the coal charge is not restrained between
heating walls, the lateral coking pressure of
the coal blend plays a much less important
role than in horizontal chamber ovens. Coals
Positive pressure
Indirect
heat transfer
from sides
By-product Heat-recovery
coke oven coke oven
Pushed coke from heat-recovery oven
which develop a higher coking pressure and
are thus unsuitable for carbonisation in hori-
zontal chamber ovens can therefore be carbo-
nised safely in heat-recovery ovens.
The crude gas produced from the coal is first
partially combusted in the free space above
the coal charge. The generated mixture of
waste gas and crude gas is led through verti-
cal ducts in the side walls (downcomers) into
the heating flue system under the oven sole.
Here the combustion is completed with the
staged supply of air so that the coal layer is
evenly heated from top and bottom.
Assuming an annual coke production of
1,000,000 t, approx. 90 MW electric power
can be generated from the hot waste gas,
depending on the properties of the coal.
Negative pressure
(suction)
Direct heat
transfer
from top
Indirect heat
transfer
from bottom
Comparison of heat transfer

As the ovens are operated under suction,
there are no battery emissions during
carbonisation and almost no emissions
during charging. The waste gas from the
ovens is dedusted, desulphurised and then
discharged into the atmosphere through
suction fans and a stack.
A proven technology is used to charge the
ovens with compacted coal. The coal blocks
are of a uniform height and do not require
levelling. The increased density of the coal
charge improves the oven throughput. Fewer
ovens are required for a given coke produc-
tion rate and the desired coke quality can be
improved in using a wider range of feed
coals.
A flat bed quench car minimises coke
pushing emissions by maintaining the coke
Air
Coal
Sole flue
Illawarra non-recovery coking plant, Australia
15
cake in a cohesive mass. A moveable cover
can be provided over the coke mass in the
car in cases where more stringent emission
limits must be observed. This system elimin-
ates the need for coke side pollution control
systems and their associated baghouses.
It has been adapted from the flatbed pushing
system used successfully for many years at
the Illawarra non-recovery coke plant in
Australia.
The heat-recovery cokemaking technology
is a virtually emission-free process with
comparably low demands on operating crews.
It represents a technically and economically
lucrative alternative to classical coke making.
Flue gas
Air channel
Arrangement of a heat-recovery oven with stamp charging
16
10. Coke oven gas treatment
Profitable and environmentally responsible

The significance of coke oven gas and its
constituents has changed substantially over
the past decades. Today, the foremost task of
a modern coke oven gas treatment facility is
to convert crude gas into an environmentally
compatible fuel as economically as possible.
To this effect crude gas is cooled, compres-
sed and freed from constituents that might
entail hazards to the environment or plant.
Apart from the cleaned coke oven gas, the
only by-products produced in modern plants
are crude tar, crude benzol, and sulphur.
The necessary process steps and equipment
are chosen to eliminate gaseous emissions
and minimise the level of contaminants in the
waste water.
Uhde offers the full palette of possible process
steps for the economical cleaning of coke
oven gas and the environmentally responsible
processing of by-products and waste water
streams.
and our proven detailed know-how make us
the global leader in this field.
A few examples are:
CYCLASULF® process for the desulphurisation
of coke oven gas and removal of ammonia
VACASULF® process for the desulphurisation
of ammonia-lean coke oven gas
COMBICLAUS®, MONOCLAUS® and COMBACID®
processes for the production of elementary sul-
phur or sulphuric acid in simultaneous combina-
tion with ammonia cracking
The many types, combinations and configura-
tions of available by-product recovery proces-
ses mean that we can provide a flexible solu-
tion to meet specific requirements.

Palette of possible processes for coke oven gas treatment

Raw gas
The array of processes developed in-house

Primary cooling Technical oils

Flushing liquor Flushing liquor Tar distillation Special pitch

Tar removal Pure C10H8

Steam Partial oxidation Desulphurisation

Ammonium
Sulpur production Ammonium sulphate
production sulphate
Desulphurisation Ammonia removal Ammonia recovery Ammonia
H2SO4 production
Ammonia destruction

Methanol HT-CO Steam Benzol removal

synthesis conversion
Benzol recovery Benzol
C10H8 removal
Methanol Ammonia H2 separation
distillation synthesis

Methanol Ammonia Hydrogen Clean gas

 11. Condensation and tar separation 17

Sound basis for further process steps

The condensation system, which consists of simplify the handling of the tar sludge, a com-
the primary coolers and electrostatic tar preci- pletely closed system has been developed. A
pitators, frees the coke oven gas from tar and centrifuge separates out the tar sludge, which
condensate. The exhausters then compress is then pumped back to the feed coal of the
the gas to the pressure needed for the down- batteries by a high-pressure pump.
stream process units. In most gas treatment
plants the disposal of tar sludge is carried out
manually using equipment that is more or
less open to the atmosphere.

COG from ovens Downcomer COG to primary cooling

Centrifuge
In order to reduce environmental pollution and

Coal water
tank
Tar
decanter

Tar sludge

Solid pump

Crude tar
Gorator

Flushing liquor Coal water

Tar separation with tar sludge removal

Primary coolers and electrostatic precipitators at Schwelgern coke plant, Germany

18
12. Removal and treating of by-products
Comprehensive cleaning processes
Removal of H2S, NH3 and BTX
The well-known CYCLASULF® process for the
removal of H2S and NH3 has undergone many
detailed improvements. By using structured
packing, instead of expanded metal packing,
for the scrubbers and parts of the desorber,
the dimensions of the columns have been
reduced significantly. This allows the H2S and
the NH3 scrubbers, as well as the deacifier
and the fixed and free ammonia stills, to be
combined into single columns. The amount
of mechanical equipment and associated
investment costs can therefore be reduced
drastically. The coke oven gas processed in
these purification units can be used as
underfiring gas for the coke oven batteries
or for applications in the blast furnace.
Gas treatment unit at Schwelgern coke plant, Germany
VACASULF® process
The standard process for the desulphurisation
of ammonia-lean coke oven gas is the
VACASULF® process, which uses potash
solution as an absorbent. The absorbed
hydrogen sulphide is recovered as sour gas
through regeneration under partial vacuum.
The partial vacuum in the H2S stripper allows
the use of very low-temperature heating
media. The heat required for regeneration of
the potash solution is supplied indirectly.
The heat requirement can be provided either
by sensible heat from the hot water generated
at the top of the primary cooler, by sensible
heat from the flushing liquor before it enters
the collecting main of the coke oven battery
or by latent heat using low-pressure steam.
Most of the equipment is fabricated from
carbon steel, with a negligible portion of
stainless steel.
VACASULF® coke plant, Fürstenhausen, Germany

Sulphur recovery
The sour gas vapours released from the H2S
and NH3 desorption system are further treated
in the sulphur recovery unit. Many coke plants
have adopted the CLAUS process with
simultaneous NH3 destruction to produce
liquid sulphur. In order to reduce investment
and operating costs, a modified MONOCLAUS®-
process has been developed by Uhde.
Contrary to the usual CLAUS-process the kiln
is positioned horizontally, the process gas
cooler and sulphur condenser are combined in
a common unit and only one CLAUS reactor is
used for the catalytic conversion. In this way
the costs for piping, steelwork and
instrumentation can be reduced by about
30%. The tail gas is recycled to the raw coke
oven gas so that no emissions occur.
Depending on specific requirements other
H2S processing technologies can be provided,
such as conversion to sulphuric acid for use
in combination with ammonium sulphate
production.
H2S/NH3 vapors
Claus kiln
Air
19
BTX recovery
BTX and/or naphthalene components can be
removed from the coke oven gas using two
main types of wash oil. The normal degradation
of petroleum-based wash oil makes it more
suited to once-through operation, whereas
tar-based wash oil can be successfully
regenerated and recirculated to the BTX
removal process. The recovered BTX fraction
has a typical boiling range of 95% at 180°C.
Biological treatment
The waste water effluent from the H2S/NH3
regeneration unit comprises the water present
as the coal moisture, the water released
during coking and the condensed direct
stripping steam. The total concentration of
NH3 in the waste water is less than 100 mg/l.
Biological treatment can be used to condition
the waste water before it is discharged
from the plant if this is required by local
regulations.
LP-steam
Claus reactor
Process gas cooler
Sulfur condenser
Tail gas
Sulfur
MONOCLAUS® process
 20
13. Tar refining
Huge variety of products

The feedstock of the tar refining plant is
typically the crude tar recovered in the coke
oven by-product plant. A wide range of
products can be separated from the crude tar.
The state of the art for primary distillation
consists of two alternative systems. The first
is complete vacuum distillation, the second a
combination of atmospheric and vacuum
distillation.
a centrifuge. This is followed by neutralisation
to reduce the corrosion hazard. The separation
of tar fractions with individual boiling ranges
uses a system of distillation columns with
direct heaters and an efficient heat recovery
system. The main products of the primary
distillation are the light oil, naphthalene oil,
wash oil and anthracene oil-fractions and
a normal pitch as the residue.

In order to reduce operational problems,

solids are separated from the crude tar using

Light-/Carbolic oil Phenol Phenole

extraction

Naphthalene Pure naphthalene

crystallisation
Primary distillation

Special oils
Oil mixing
Crude tar

Anthraquinone
Anthracene Anthraquinone
crystallisation oxidation

Special pitch
Pitch
reforming

Tar distillation process

Typical tar distillation Methanol plant

14. Alternative use of coke oven gas 21

Hidden treasures

With the emphasis on increasing coke hydrogen-content of coke oven gas makes
production and less on by-products, the use it suitable for direct use as a synthesis gas
of coke oven gas for alternative purposes is (see table below).
becoming more and more attractive. The high

Vol.-% Coke oven Direct Methanol- NH3-

gas reduction synthesis synthesis H2-gas
gas gas gas
H2 63 66 69 75 >99,5
CO 8 27 22 - < 0,1
CO2 3 3 8 - -
CH4 21 - 0,5 0,1 -
N2 5 3,6 0,5 25 < 0,4
H2S < 0,02 <0,02 - - -
Synthesis gas composition

Proven technologies can be applied, such as of the synthesis processes, Uhde has
methanol or ammonia synthesis or H2 developed and diversified the standard gas
separation. In order to meet the requirements treatment process.

Raw Collecting Partial Waste-heat

gas main oxidation recovery

Tar +
Water
Desulfuri-
H2S sation
Tar Tar
separation

Composition %
H2 : 63.26%
CO : 29.22%
CO2 : 5.17%
Tail gas
H2O : tr.
Flushing CH4 : 0%
Claus
liquor plant N2 : 2.35%

Sulfur Methanol,
Ammonia, H2

Treatment of coke oven raw gas and tar for generation of synthesis gas
 22
15. Coke cooling
Trend-setting for wet and dry quenching

Coke Stabilisation Quenching (CSQ)

The CSQ wet quenching process Stabilisation

developed by Uhde is characterised by a very
high water feed rate and a very short quen-
ching time. The specially developed one-spot
coke quenching car has a coke bed depth of
approx. 4 m. The quench water is fed into the
coke from the bottom so that the develop-
ment of flash steam agitates the coke inten-
sively, ensuring even coke moisture for the
entire coke charge.

Because of its uniform grain size, its high

stabilisation, and reduced moisture down to
approx. 2%, coke quenched by the CSQ
process is particularly suitable for tall blast
furnaces run on high pulverised coal or oil
injection rates.

CSQ - quenching tower, Schwelgern plant, Germany

Fresh water

CSQ - quenching tower, schematic

CSQ - quenching car

Coke Dry Quenching (CDQ)
In addition to environmental aspects, energy
savings may make CDQ plants the preferred
option at certain locations. The main high-
lights of Uhde's technology in this field are
as follows:
The cross-sectional area of the cooling shaft
is rectangular in shape instead of circular as
in traditional CDQ plants and permits the
installation of swing discharge units located
at the bottom end of the cooling chamber.
The sequential operation of these discharge
units means that, apart from adjustment of
the throughput rate, the coke flow in the coo-
ling chamber can also be influenced. This
leads to more even coke cooling correspon-
ding to the actual conditions inside the coo-
ling chamber.
Because of the rectangular design of the
cooling shaft a coke-free region is created in
the upper zone of the cooling chamber just in
front of the cooling gas outlets. Hence, the
coke-free gas collection space acts as a dust
separator for the hot cooling gas emerging
Hot coke
Hot gas
Cold gas
Cross-section
of a CDQ system Cold coke
23
slowly from the coke. As a result the burden
of coarse dust particles in the cooling gas is
appreciably smaller, thereby obviating the
need for the additional coarse particle separator
normally required in plants with a circular coke
cooling shaft. A compact plant design is thus
possible.
The insulating brick lining of conventional
coke cooling shafts is encased in a metal skin
and designed to be self-supporting. In contrast
to this arrangement the Uhde cooling shaft is
designed as a vessel, with the heat insulating
brickwork suspended in a steel framework
anchored to the vessel walls. Hence, the statical
load of the shaft is not borne by the brickwork,
providing relief especially in the area of the
cooling gas outlets where openings in the
shaft wall must necessarily be provided. This
transfer of statical load allows the Uhde
design to focus on the demands of the cooling
process without being restricted by considera-
tions of brick strength.
CDQ at coking plant Pohang, South Korea
24
16. Coke plant automation
®
Flexible solutions with COKEMASTER
The challenge
To be able to operate a coke oven plant at
optimum efficiency, it has to be equipped with
state-of-the-art automation technology. The aim
of automating the process sequences is to
facilitate the long term adjustments required to
meet environmental protection requirements.
The engineering
Uhde has been successfully engaged in the
automation of coke oven plants since 1980.
The automation systems are tailored to the
customer's specific requirements in each case.
The modular design of the automation systems
favours this approach.
The results
To meet the challenge, the following system
structure has been developed under the
umbrella of the COKEMASTER® automation
architecture:
The AutoTherm measuring system uses its six
TM
infrared sensor heads to measure the surface
temperatures of the two heating walls at three
different levels during each coke pushing
operation. In other words, the heating walls are
thermally scanned, allowing an exact overview
of the temperature distribution in each heating
wall. The aim is to keep the temperature
distribution in the heating walls as uniform as
possible and to detect any changes.
Level 2 process computer/battery
ManuThermTM PushSchedTM
Heating flue Scheduling of
temperatures oven maschines
Operator
station
oven maschines
controlroom
Coal
Handhold charging
pyrometer
car
Heating flue
temperatures
Automation system for battery operation
The ManuThermTM system is an infrared pyro-
meter with integral data memory for taking manual
measurements at the heating flues. Its main
job is to measure heating flue temperatures
when no AutothermTM measurements are
available, for instance when no coke-pushing
is taking place for operational reasons. Also,
detailed spot measurements can be taken where
heating problems have been detected by
AutoThermTM. These temperature measurements
are fed into the computer system and can be
used for further calculations and evaluations.
The BatControlTM system calculates the amount
of heat required for the battery, taking into
account all relevant operating parameters such
as coal quality, coal moisture, coke pushing
schedule, etc. The heating situation is controlled
automatically and the heat input is corrected
immediately upon detecting a fault, such as a
delay in production or a change in temperature.
The PushSchedTM system is an automatic
pushing and charging schedule calculation
program designed to assist operating crews.
The production plan is recalculated continuously
after every coke pushing operation, taking into
account special operating conditions such as
"oven with extended coking time" or "oven out
of service". The resulting production schedule is
transmitted to the machines. Confirmations
received from the oven machines are forwarded
to the BatControlTM system so that the heating
can be corrected automatically.
AutoThermTM RamForceTM BatControlTM
Oven wall Pushing Heat quantity
temperatures forces control
Scheduling of
Coordination PLC for oven maschines DCS
Heat quantity
control
Coke Coke
Pusher maschine transfer quench
car car Process
Oven wall Pushing data
temperatures forces
 25

The GasControlTM system is a process model for
gas treatment plants. The process model
consists of the CHEMCAD commercial simulator
for chemical plants plus extension modules
developed by Uhde for individual coke-oven-
specific machinery and equipment. The
GasControlTM process model uses chemical and
thermodynamic mass equilibria and streams to
rate each individual gas treatment unit and
determines the input and output streams,
interlinking them in accordance with the plant
flowsheet. The model is supplied with the
relevant on-line process variables from the plant
instrumentation in real-time mode (via the
process control system) and the process model
is calculated dynamically. By varying the control
parameters (e.g. steam rate, water rate, etc.)
in this virtual plant it is possible to optimise the
operating results. The control parameters that
deliver the best operating results are retransmit-
ted to the plant instrumentation to set the local
controllers in the "real" plant. All important data
can be displayed on screens, reports and trend
charts. This model is not only a powerful tool for
plant optimisation and automation - it can also
be used in an off-line simulation mode as a
training tool for operators.

Level 2 process computer/gas treatment

exchange of data

Gas TreatmentTM SimuGasTM Process

Process Process simulator data base
optimisation model copying of actual data

Operator set simulation

station DCS Laboratory
scenario data
controlroom

Process control

Process
data
Automation system for gas treatment plant operation

GasControl TM BatControl TM CoalControl TM

SimuGasTM PushSched TM CokeControl TM

AutoThermTM

ManuTherm TM

MaintControl TM
SimuCoke TM

COKEMASTER®
26
17. Repair, modernisation and services
The world’s best references

Uhde can not only boast extensive know-how in

the construction of new plants, but also many
years of experience in the modernisation and
repair of existing coke plants. Our comprehensive
list of references for successful battery repair and
rehabilitation projects is impressive proof of our
capabilities in this field.

Even under difficult circumstances and severe

conditions, Uhde's engineers successfully
develop the optimum technical and economic
solutions for repair and modernisation.

Installation of new buck stays

 27

Here are some typical examples of our cap-

abilities in repair and modernisation:

• Coke oven batteries • Gas treatment plants

- refractory repairs in end heating flues or
entire heating walls
- replacement or modernisation of bracing
systems
- installation of gas-tight oven doors
- revamp of the gas collecting system
Revamping aimed at:
- complying with more stringent emission
control requirements
- increasing operating efficiency
- reducing the consumption of energy
- implementing process automation

• Coke oven service machines Our engineers consider it their challenge to

- implementation of smokeless charging and modernise and adapt existing plants to meet
pushing current requirements.
- retrofitting of automatic door and jamb
cleaners
- modernisation of electrics, hydraulics,
and control equipment

Repair/ Retrofitting of water-

Typical battery rehabilitation measures renewal sealed lids
of stanpipes
Repair/renewal
Renewal of charging Renewal of of collecting main
Repair/renewal hole and inspection cross tie rods
of oven roof hole frames and lids and springs
Renewal of buckstays,
retrofitting of Installation of new
CONTROLPRESS® coke oven doors
bracing system

Cleaning/replacement
Silica welding of of regenerator
wall damage checker bricks

Renewal of oven quoins

and end heating flues Renewal of regenerator
face walls
Oven sole
Repair of oven sole
PDF 06.04.2006