Carbon Baking Furnace

Abstract

A carbon baking furnace has at least one vertical baking shaft with a system and method for positioning green carbon bodies to be baked at the top of the vertical baking path and ringing the green carbon bodies with a sacrificial medium such as packing coke. The disclosure provides a system and method for controlling the delivery and removal of the sacrificial medium used to surround the carbon bodies within the baking paths. A volatile extraction system and method are provided. A system and method for unloading baked carbon bodies is disclosed.

1 . A vertical path carbon baking furnace for baking green carbon articles; the furnace comprising:
 a furnace body defining a substantially vertical baking path adapted to receive the carbon article; the vertical baking path having a volatile extraction zone disposed above a baking zone;   the furnace body defining a volatile extraction inlet in communication with the baking path; the volatile extraction inlet being disposed in the volatile extraction zone of the baking path;   the furnace body defining baking fume channels disposed on opposite sides of the baking path to receive baking fumes;   a burner that provides baking fumes to the baking fume channel;   the volatile extraction inlet in fluid communication with burner such that volatile fumes extracted from the baking path through the volatile extraction inlet can be selectively delivered to the burner for combustion; and   a valve that allows the extracted volatile fumes to be selectively delivered to the burners.   
     
     
         2 . The carbon baking furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon article is a carbon anode used for the product of aluminum. 
     
     
         3 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 1  wherein said furnace includes an unloading device that substantially continuously moves the carbon article through the baking path. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 1  wherein the furnace body defines a plurality of volatile extraction inlets disposed at a plurality of vertical levels within the volatile extraction zone along the baking path. 
     
     
         6 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 5  wherein the furnace body defines a plurality of volatile extraction inlets disposed on different sides of the baking path. 
     
     
         7 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 1  wherein the volatile extraction inlet is sloped upwardly away from the baking path. 
     
     
         8 . A vertical path carbon baking furnace for baking green carbon articles; the furnace comprising:
 a furnace body defining a substantially vertical baking path adapted to receive the carbon article; the vertical baking path having a volatile extraction zone disposed above a baking zone;   the furnace body defining a volatile extraction inlet in communication with the substantially vertical baking path; the volatile extraction inlet being disposed in the volatile extraction zone of the baking path;   a liner carried by the furnace body; the liner defining a volatile extraction channel in communication with the volatile extraction inlet;   the furnace body defining baking fume channels disposed on opposite sides of the baking path to receive baking fumes;   a burner that provides baking fumes to the baking fume channels; and   the volatile extraction inlet in fluid communication with the burner through the liner such that volatile fumes extracted from the baking path through the volatile extraction inlet and the liner can be selectively delivered to the burner for combustion.   
     
     
         9 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 8  wherein:
 the furnace body defines a plurality of substantially vertical baking paths adapted to receive carbon articles; each of the vertical baking paths having a volatile extraction zone disposed above a baking zone; 
 the furnace body defining a plurality of volatile extraction inlets in communication with the substantially vertical baking paths; the volatile extraction inlets being disposed in the volatile extraction zone of the baking path; 
 the liner defining a segmented channel for each volatile extraction inlet so that each volatile extraction inlet may be individually controlled. 
 
     
     
         10 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 8  wherein
 the furnace body defines a plurality of substantially vertical baking paths adapted to receive carbon articles; each of the vertical baking paths having a volatile extraction zone disposed above a baking zone; 
 the furnace body defining a plurality of volatile extraction inlets in communication with the substantially vertical baking paths; the volatile extraction inlets being disposed in the volatile extraction zone of the baking path; 
 the liner defining a segmented channel for a group of volatile extraction inlets so that that group of volatile extraction inlets may be individually controlled. 
 
     
     
         11 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 8  wherein the liner is removable and replaceable. 
     
     
         12 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 8  wherein the liner is made from stainless steel. 
     
     
         13 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 8  wherein the baking fume channel is generally serpentine and having substantially parallel runs; the furnace body defining a volatile extraction channel sandwiched between portions of the substantially parallel runs of the baking fume channel. 
     
     
         14 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 8  wherein the furnace body defines guides for locating the liner. 
     
     
         15 . A vertical path carbon baking furnace for baking green carbon articles; the furnace comprising:
 a furnace body defining a plurality of substantially vertical baking paths adapted to receive the carbon article; the vertical baking paths having a volatile extraction zone disposed above a baking zone;   the furnace body defining a plurality of volatile extraction inlets disposed at each of the baking paths in the volatile extraction zone of the baking paths;   the furnace body defining a plurality of volatile extraction channels in communication with a plurality of volatile extraction inlets;   the furnace body defining baking fume channels disposed on opposite sides of the baking paths to receive baking fumes;   burners that provide the baking fumes to the baking fume channels; and   a plurality of the volatile extraction channels being in fluid communication with a common volatile extraction header that selectively delivers the extracted volatile fumes to one of the burners.   
     
     
         16 . The carbon baking furnace according to  claim 15  wherein the baking fume channels are generally serpentine and having substantially parallel runs; the furnace body defining the volatile extraction channels sandwiched between portions of the substantially parallel runs of the baking fume channel. 
     
     
         17 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 16  further comprising a removable and replaceable liner carried by the furnace body within the volatile extraction channel. 
     
     
         18 . The carbon baking furnace  claim 17  wherein each of the volatile extraction inlets is at least partially defined by a lower wall that slopes upwardly from the baking path. 
     
     
         19 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The carbon baking furnace of  claim 8 , wherein the carbon article is a carbon anode used for the product of aluminum. 
     
     
         45 . The carbon baking furnace of  claim 15 , wherein the carbon article is a carbon anode used for the product of aluminum. 
     
     
         46 . The carbon baking furnace of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a removable and replaceable liner carried by the furnace body;   the liner defining a volatile extraction channel having an inlet in fluid communication with the volatile extraction inlet; and   the furnace body including guides that each have an angled leading end.