Monitoring and modulation system for a coke oven battery

Abstract

A coke oven battery modulation system, including a coke oven battery, a coke oven gas supply fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a first conduit, an exhaust stack fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a second conduit, a mixed gas supply fluidly connected to the first conduit via a third conduit, a nitrogen supply fluidly connected to the first conduit via a fourth conduit, the fourth conduit including a first valve and a first actuator operatively arranged to adjust the first valve, 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 first valve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A coke oven battery modulation system, comprising:
 a coke oven battery;   a coke oven gas supply fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a first conduit;   an exhaust stack fluidly connected to the coke oven battery via a second conduit;   a mixed gas supply fluidly connected to the first conduit via a third conduit;   a nitrogen supply fluidly connected to the first conduit via a fourth conduit, the fourth conduit including a first valve and a first actuator operatively arranged to adjust the first valve;   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 first valve.   
     
     
         2 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a specific gravity sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the specific gravity sensor is operatively arranged to detect a specific gravity of fluid within the first conduit. 
     
     
         4 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the nitrogen supply is fluidly connected to the third conduit via a fifth conduit; and   the fifth conduit comprises a second valve and a second actuator operatively arranged to adjust the second valve.   
     
     
         5 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a specific gravity sensor operatively arranged to detect a specific gravity of the fluid within the third conduit. 
     
     
         6 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the controller is operatively arranged to receive data from the specific gravity sensor and communicate with the second actuator to adjust the second valve. 
     
     
         7 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a supplemental fuel gas supply connected to the first conduit via a fifth conduit, the fifth conduit comprising a second valve and a second actuator operatively arranged to adjust the second valve. 
     
     
         8 . The coke oven battery modulation system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the controller is operatively arranged to receive data from the at least one sensor and communicate with the second actuator to adjust the second valve. 
     
     
         9 . 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 exhaust stack. 
     
     
         10 . A method for monitoring a coke oven battery system including a coke oven battery, a stack, and a fuel supply conduit, the method comprising:
 receiving an input from one or more sensors;   determining that an opacity of the stack is greater than a first predetermined threshold;   determining that a specific gravity of coke oven gas supplied to the coke oven battery in the fuel supply conduit is less than a second predetermined threshold; and   increasing a flow of nitrogen gas to the fuel supply conduit.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the step of determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than the 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.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the step of determining that the specific gravity of the coke oven gas supplied to the coke oven battery in the fuel supply conduit is less than the second predetermined threshold comprises:
 receiving coke oven gas specific gravity data from the one or more sensors; and   calculating the specific gravity of the coke oven gas as a rolling average of the coke oven gas specific gravity data.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the step of determining that the specific gravity of the coke oven gas supplied to the coke oven battery in the fuel supply conduit is less than the second predetermined threshold comprises:
 receiving coke oven gas specific gravity data from a specific gravity sensor; and   calculating the specific gravity of the coke oven gas from the coke oven gas specific gravity data.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the step of increasing a flow of nitrogen gas to the fuel supply conduit comprises:
 sending a signal to an actuator to open a valve to increase the flow of the nitrogen gas.   
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than a third predetermined threshold;   determining that a specific gravity of mixed gas supplied to the coke oven battery in a mixed gas supply conduit is less than a fourth predetermined threshold; and   increasing a flow of nitrogen gas to the mixed gas supply conduit.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the step of determining that the specific gravity of the mixed gas supplied to the coke oven battery in the mixed gas supply conduit is less than the fourth predetermined threshold comprises:
 receiving mixed gas specific gravity data from the one or more sensors; and   calculating the specific gravity of the mixed gas as a rolling average of the mixed gas specific gravity data.   
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the step of determining that the specific gravity of the mixed gas supplied to the coke oven battery in the mixed gas supply conduit is less than the fourth predetermined threshold comprises:
 receiving mixed gas specific gravity data from a specific gravity sensor; and   calculating the specific gravity of the mixed gas from the mixed gas specific gravity data.   
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the step of increasing the flow of nitrogen gas to the mixed gas supply conduit comprises:
 sending a signal to an actuator to open a valve to increase the flow of the nitrogen gas.   
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 before the step of determining that the opacity of the stack is greater than the third predetermined threshold, determining that mixed gas is being supplied to the coke oven battery.   
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold.