Monitoring and modulation system for a coke oven battery

Abstract

A coke oven battery modulation system, including a coke oven battery, a combustion air supply fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a first conduit, a fuel supply fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a second conduit, a stack fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a third conduit, the stack forming a fluid flow including a flow rate, a damper arranged in the third conduit, a first actuator operatively arranged to adjust the damper, at least one sensor, and a controller operatively arranged to receive data from the at least one sensor and communicate with the first actuator to adjust the damper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A coke oven battery modulation system, comprising:
 a coke oven battery;   a combustion air supply fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a first conduit;   a fuel supply fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a second conduit;   a stack fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a third conduit, the stack forming a fluid flow including a flow rate;   a damper arranged in the third conduit;   a first actuator operatively arranged to adjust the damper;   at least one sensor; and   a controller operatively arranged to receive data from the at least one sensor and communicate with the first actuator to adjust the damper.   
     
     
         2 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor is operatively arranged to detect a temperature of the fluid flow. 
     
     
         4 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor is operatively arranged to detect a temperature of at least one component of the coke oven battery. 
     
     
         5 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an opacity monitor operatively arranged to detect an opacity of the stack. 
     
     
         6 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a pressure sensor operatively arranged to detect a pressure of the fluid flow. 
     
     
         7 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an oxygen sensor operatively arranged to detect an oxygen level in the fluid flow. 
     
     
         8 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an opacity sensor, a temperature sensor arranged in the third conduit, a pressure sensor arranged in the third conduit, and an oxygen sensor arranged in the third conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second conduit comprises a valve, the valve being connected to a second actuator;   the second actuator is operatively arranged to adjust the valve; and   the controller is operatively arranged to receive data from the at least one sensor and communicate with the second actuator to adjust the valve.   
     
     
         10 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a pressure sensor operatively arranged to detect the pressure of the fuel supply. 
     
     
         11 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow includes exhaust gasses flowing from the coke oven battery to an outlet of the stack. 
     
     
         12 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow includes fluid flowing from the combustion air supply, through the coke oven battery, and to an outlet of the stack. 
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring a coke oven battery system including a coke oven battery, a stack, a fuel supply, and a combustion air supply, comprising:
 receiving an input from one or more sensors;   determining that an opacity of the stack is less than a first predetermined threshold; and   decreasing a flow rate of fluid through the stack and/or increasing the fuel supply to the coke oven battery.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold;   determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being greater than the first predetermined threshold; and   determining if an oxygen level of exhaust fluid from the coke oven battery is less than a third predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining that the oxygen level of exhaust fluid from the coke oven battery is less than the third predetermined threshold; and   decreasing the fuel supply to the coke oven.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold;   determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being greater than the first predetermined threshold; and   determining if a temperature of the exhaust fluid from the coke oven battery is greater than a fourth predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining that the temperature of exhaust fluid from the coke oven battery is greater than the fourth predetermined threshold; and   increasing the fluid flow rate of the fluid through the stack.   
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the step of determining that the opacity of the stack is less than a first predetermined threshold comprises:
 receiving opacity data from the one or more sensors; and   calculating the opacity as a rolling average of the opacity data.   
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the step of determining that the opacity of the stack is less than a first predetermined threshold comprises:
 receiving opacity data from the one or more sensors;   removing opacity readings from the opacity data that exceed a fifth predetermined threshold; and   calculating the opacity as a rolling average of the opacity data without the opacity readings that exceed the fifth predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising calculating:
 a rolling average level of oxygen of exhaust fluid from the coke oven battery; and   a rolling average temperature of exhaust fluid from the coke oven battery.