FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a method of oven identification by wireless based coke machine distance measurement and wireless based interlocking in the machine group to achieve highly reliable, safe and efficient wireless automation. More particularly, the invention relates to a wireless distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation in a coke oven batter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A coke oven battery has a plurality of coke ovens with an oven head coal bin for feeding coal into a series of hoppers of the coal charging cars or in short charging cars, in turn deposits coal in the coke ovens. The coal is turned into coke by application of high heat over an extended period of time. After the coal is turned into coke, a door machine opens a door on one side of the coke oven and has guide and hood functions to guide coke into a quench car and capture emissions from the coke exiting the coke oven. Importantly, a pusher is on the side of the coke oven opposite the door machine and functions to push the coke out from the coke oven and into the quench car by way of guide portion of the door machine. The pusher must not begin pushing until the door machine is properly positioned and has opened the door on the coke-oven and performed related functions and the quench car is properly positioned with appositive closure of the bed gate.

The coke-oven by-product plant is an integral part of the by-product coke-making process. In the process of converting coal into coke using the by-product coke oven, the volatile matter in the coal is vaporized and driven off. This volatile matter leaves the coke oven chambers as hot, raw coke-oven gas. After leaving the coke oven chambers, the raw coke oven gas is cooled which results in a liquid condensate stream and a gas stream. The functions of the by-product plant are to take these two streams from the coke ovens, to process them to recover by product coal chemicals and to condition the gas so that it can be used as a fuel gas.

Basics of Coke Oven Process

• Heating and Regulation
• Handling of input raw material
• Scheduling of charging and pushing
• Charging and pushing operation
• Handling of output coke
• Handling of output gas
• Coke cooling/quenching

In a typical automation process in a coke-oven, the control system is broadly divided into ground station and/or on-board stations located on the individual moving units. In case of RF tags and encoder based systems, these stations are linked by Wireless Radios.

Wireless radio plays a vital role in the complete working of the coke-oven as because, the ground station is used by the operator (s) to input operating schedule and the operational conditions for the coke machines, and it automatically compiles the instructions for charging and discharging ovens. The data for these instructions are then transmitted to the on-board stations via data path formed by Wireless Radio Links. The station follows the instructions issued by the ground station while automatically driving and controlling the various operational devices mounted on it via Wireless Radio Link.

RFID system known in the prior art have three major components for example, Antenna, RFID tag and interrogator. RFID tag contains a tiny transponder and an antenna. The transponder is programmed with a unique number or alphanumeric sequence. The tag responds to the signal received from the interrogator antenna. It transmits its unique number back to the interrogator in response. However there is no scope of sending back other data like date time stamp to the interrogator, which are necessary for preparing and checking schedule of operation.

Traditional steel plant also use Inductive coil system which requires an inductive link to be put all along the machine travel path, which get magnetically connected to the moving machine. It also have high induced noise level and high unwanted radiation level because of their construction. Also a part of the transmitted electromagnetic wave energy is propagated along the ground and hence realization of the uniformity in the transmission line is very difficult.

Laser sensors used in some of the older coke oven plant, need to operate in a harsh environment conditions prevailing in the steel plant due to heat, dust, gases, movement of large metal structures. Accumulation of hard metal particles on the lenses causes deterioration of the functionality.

To avoid limitations mentioned in the prior art, it is necessary to co-ordinate the operation of the charging car, the door machine, the pusher car and the quench car accurately, in a coke oven plant. On line oven identification and scheduling is essential to ensure adherence to the scheduled charging and pushing operation with respect to actual charging and pushing schedule. The scheduling also helps in proper shut down planning and takes care of sudden break down. These are achieved in the present invention.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention is to propose a wire-less distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation of a coke oven battery, which eliminates the disadvantages of prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a wire-less distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation of a coke oven battery,, which enables an accurate oven identification.

A still another object of the present invention is to propose a wire-less distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation of a coke oven battery, which initiates grouping and interlocking of the coke-oven machines related to individual coke ovens.

Yet another object of the present invention is to propose a wire-less distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation of a coke oven battery, which provides equipment protection by ensuring anti-collision.

A further object of the present invention is to propose a wire-less distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation of a coke oven battery, which allows advance distribution of pushing schedule.

A still further object of the present invention is to propose a wire-less distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation of a coke oven battery, which enables reliable data transfer between the control-room and different on board station disposed on moving units to improve work efficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the process includes:
- Oven number identification
- Distance measurement for moving machines
- Anti-collision system implementation
- establishing communication from the control room to group and group to moving machines.

According to the invention, RF wireless is used for Position and interlocking control of Coke oven Machines in Coke Battery. Due to RF technology for oven identification and Positioning non contact way of distance measurement and data communication is achieved hence reducing maintenance.

Each oven number is identified by computing the position of individual oven. Firstly the distance of individual oven with respect to known locations are measured by wireless trans-receiver using a microwave (5.8 GHz/61 GHz) frequency under the 'Principle of Radio'. Distance calculation is based on "Time-of-Flight" for received reflected waves. The position with regard to the control room is deduced by computing these measurements at the control room. As the oven's are stationary these positions will remain fixed.

Using the same wireless process, distance of the moving machines are measured. As the oven are stationary, a schedule for any oven can be prepared by making the oven position as the target position.

The movement of the moving machines are also regulated as per the target oven number.

As the oven identification is done without any contact devices, also the antennas used for the transceivers are immune to the changes in the environment condition, the process provides an effective and accurate measurement through¬out the year irrespective of changes in the environment.

Anti-collision is achieved by identifying directional inhibits, slowdown zones and all motion stop protection interlocks. This is done by computing the position of all the ovens including the moving machines by using mathematical modeling for known machine geometry evaluator.

As the positions calculated by the wireless process is having accuracy of ±10 mm, a precise anti-collision measures can be achieved by the evaluator.

In IR system mentioned in the prior art, control room interacts with individual moving machines for forwarding the instructions as well as getting the feed back. However in the present invention, the control room communicates only with the pusher car for passing the schedule and also for getting a feed back. The Pusher car in turn communicates with the other moving machines i.e. coal charging car, electric loco, quenching car for passing the data and collecting data regarding completions.

All the activities are time stamped for obtaining real time value for any given point of time. This allows the evaluator for accurate calculation of anti-collision data.

The transreceiver used for these communication operates in UHF band.

Also the data transmitted through the transreceivers are encrypted. Hence these data are secured and this band is interference free, unlike wi-fi communication. Also UHF band transreceivers have longer range compared to microwave and is able to communicate in the non-line-of-sight areas.

The control room starts its operation by self checking the already available data. It gets input from the remote machines for obtaining their availability. Analyzing the last schedule executed, the next schedule is prepared.

The control room communicates the new schedule to the Pushing Car and tge Pushing Car in turn communicates to other moving machines.

The inventive wireless distance measurement process, calculates the target oven distance. Target oven position information is sent to the Pusher Car. The Pusher Car further transmits the information to the other moving machines like-coal charging car, loco machine and quenching car.

Pushing operation starts as per schedule, after pushing, coal charging and leveling gets competed. Data regarding all these activities are reported back to the control room along with time stamp.

After charging and leveling of the data, the heating starts. Control room collates all data and prepare next pushing schedule. The control room server also generates reports for the last schedule completion activity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

Figure 1 - shows a process chart according to the invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in fig-1, the process starts at step 200, and after initialization and shelf-check the process moves to step 203 is acquire inputs on moving machines through the servers disposed on each. At step 204, the control room server process the acquired data by applying a logic rule and update the stored data (205). At steps 206 and 207, the I/P status and I/O status respectively to remote machines and CCR. The data relating to door opening, door closing, and pushing current as acquired is stored (208) at main server. Next pushing schedule is thereafter transmitted (209) to the charging cars (CCR), pusher car, quenching car, and loco machines. The distance measurement unit calculates the distance of a target oven and the pusher car instructed to move (210, 211). The position of the pusher car communicated to moving machines and which correspondingly move (212, 213). Operation of pushing/leveling is carried-out (214) and operation time data is stamped and stored (215,216). The process ends at step 219, after generating new pushing schedule and M/S (217, 218),

Integrated Solution for automation according to the invention

STAGE -1 (EXISTING)
• Machine to machine connectivity
• Oven identification REVIEW AND
• Grouping of machines UPGRADE
• Working with disparate automation systems.
• Equipment protection (Anti-collision)

STAGE II (EXISTING)
• Control room to machine connectivity
• Pushing schedule distribution REVIEW
• Grouping of machines AND
• Retrofitting/Integrating with existing automation UPGRADE
• Systems

STAGE - III
Technology solution proposed by the invention

Solution 1: Oven Identification with Radio Distance Measurement
Solution 2 : Hardware Interlocking Between Machines.
Solution 3 : Solution 1 + Solution 2
Solution 4 : Solution 3 + Data Communication between CCR to Machines
Solution 5 : Solution 4 + Pushing and Charging Schedule Generation and MIS
Reports.

Main features of the invention
• Auto oven identification without any contact devices over 5.8/61 Ghz Link
• Data communication between different machines over UHF Wireless Link
• Grouping of Machines of the Batteries of Coke Oven
• Anti collision (Machines)
• Storage of a huge quantity of data
• Multiple interfaces (Ethernet/Rs232/Rs485/PPP)
• I/O's (Digital/Analog) Interfaces
• Supports Protocols (Ftp, Modbus-TCP/IP,SMTP)
• Internal Memory uptp 1 GB)

Communication between Control Room to Pusher car
- sending a pushing schedule to a pusher car;
- logging Pushing Time with time stamp;
- logging pushing current;
- logging time with time stamp;
- logging charging time with time stamp;
- monitoring the locations from control room of the pusher car, charging car, Coke Guide Car;
- quenching Car and Gas Collecting Car machines;
- implementing I/O interlocking between different machines; and
- Sending Next charging schedule to charging car.

Communication between Pusher car to Electric Loco, Charging Car and Quenching Car

- sending current Pushing Car to Coke Guide Car, Charging and
Quenching Car;

- getting acknowledgement from the coke guide car and Quenching Car, and commencing operation;
- after getting command from the pusher car aligning the coke guide car to specified Oven and sending acknowledgment to pusher car on door opening; and
- after getting command from the pusher car aligning the quenching car to specified oven and sending acknowledgment to the pusher car.

Advantages

Operational Cost is saved as non contact measurement Principal is used Accidents are avoided as Proper Positioning is known Improve reliability as All the machines in Group know about exact Position of Each other.

WE CLAIM

1. a wireless distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation in coke oven batteries, the process comprising the steps of :-

i) - initializing the machine apositioning under controlled communication between a central server in the control room and a local sever disposed on the pusher car of the coke oven battery; and

ii) - implementing the process under controlled communications between the pusher car server and the local server disposed on the moving machines of the battery namely the charging car, electric loco, and quenching car,
wherein the step (i) comprises :-

- sending a pushing schedule to a pusher car;
- logging Pushing Time with time stamp;
- logging pushing current;
- logging time with time stamp;
- logging charging time with time stamp;
- monitoring the locations from control room of the pusher car, charging car, Coke Guide Car;
- quenching Car and Gas Collecting Car machines;
- implementing I/O interlocking between different machines; and
- Sending Next charging schedule to charging car,
and wherein step (ii) comprises:-
- sending current Pushing Car to Coke Guide Car, Charging and Quenching Car;
- getting acknowledgement from the coke guide car and Quenching Car, and commencing operation;
- after getting command from the pusher car aligning the coke guide car to specified Oven and sending acknowledgment to pusher car on door opening; and
- after getting command from the pusher car aligning the quenching car to specified oven and sending acknowledgment to the pusher car.

2. A wireless distance measurement process of oven identification and collision-prevention for reliable operation in Coke oven batteries, as substantially described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.