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 refractory material furnace body defining a substantially vertical baking path adapted to receive the green carbon articles; the vertical baking path having a volatile extraction zone disposed above a baking zone;   the refractory material 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 within the refractory material furnace body; the liner defining a liner channel in fluid communication with the volatile extraction inlet;   the refractory material furnace body defining serpentine baking fume channels disposed on opposite sides of the baking path to receive baking fumes; portions of the serpentine baking fume channels being disposed within the volatile extraction zone;   each of the serpentine baking paths has substantially parallel runs within the volatile extraction zone; the refractory material furnace body defining a volatile extraction channel sandwiched between portions of the substantially parallel runs of the baking fume channel; the liner being carried by the refractory material furnace body within the volatile extraction channel;   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 channel such that volatile fumes extracted from the baking path through the volatile extraction inlet and the liner channel can be selectively delivered to the burner for combustion.   
     
     
         2 . 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 baking path having upper and lower ends;   a sacrificial medium delivery system disposed at the top of the baking path;   the sacrificial medium delivery system including a pair of channels disposed on opposite sides of the baking path; each of the channels defining outlets adapted to deliver sacrificial medium from the channel to the baking path; and   a sacrificial medium conveyor disposed in the channels; the conveyor having movable elements that deliver sacrificial medium to the channel outlets along the length of the channels.   
     
     
         3 . 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 articles in a stacked column wherein the stacked column has a lowermost article and a second lowermost article; the baking path having upper and lower ends;   an unloading device disposed under the baking path to control the movement of the column through the baking path;   a holding mechanism associated with the baking path; the holding mechanism having elements that selectively support the second lowermost article independent of the lowermost article; and   the holding mechanism including a plurality of grabs that selectively rotate downwardly and inwardly relative to the article from a disengaged position to an engaged position; the plurality of grabs including grabs disposed on opposite sides of the article such that the weight of the article causes the article to be pinched and held by the opposed grabs.