Claims:We claim:
1. A locking arrangement (200) mounted beneath the bottom of a quenching car for managing a quenching car flap gate (104), the locking arrangement (200) comprising:
a resting shaft (202) fixed along the length of the quenching car; 5
a first holding bracket (204) fixed from its first end to the bottom of the quenching car, wherein second end of the first holding bracket (204) is disposed above and in the proximity of the resting shaft (202);
a counter-weight cum cam (206) connected at its top with the second end of the first holding bracket (204) and resting at its bottom over the 10 resting shaft (202), during a locked condition of a quenching car flap gate (104);
an adjusting lever (208) connected at its first end to the top of the counter-weight cum cam (206) and disposed traverse to the length of the resting shaft (202); and 15
a locking arm (210) connected at its first end to a second end of the adjusting lever (208), connected at its central portion with a second holding bracket (212) fixed in a middle region below the quenching car flap gate (104), and pressed at its second end against an external surface of the quenching car flap gate (104). 20
2. The locking arrangement (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein when hydraulic tilting cylinders (220) disposed beneath the bottom of the quenching car are actuated upward,
the counter-weight cum cam (206) comes down from the resting 25 shaft (202) and rotates anticlockwise as it left the resting shaft (202),
the adjusting lever (208) is pulled backward by the anticlockwise rotation of the counter-weight cum cam (206), and
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the locking arm (210) is pulled downward by the backward pulling of the adjusting lever (208) to open the quenching car flap gate (104).
3. The locking arrangement (200) as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the 5 hydraulic tilting cylinders (220) disposed beneath the bottom of the quenching car are actuated downward,
the counter-weight cum cam (206) rotates clockwise as it touches the resting shaft (202) and pressed by the resting shaft (202),
the adjusting lever (208) is pushed forward by the clockwise 10 rotation of the counter-weight cum cam (206), and
the locking arm (210) is pushed upward by the forward pushing of the adjusting lever (208) to close the quenching car flap gate (104). , Description:LOCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR MANAGING COKE QUENCHING CAR FLAP GATE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure, in general, relates to a coke quenching process, and more particularly, to a locking arrangement mounted beneath the bottom of a 5 quenching car for managing a quenching car flap gate.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the 10 information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed subject matter, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Metallurgical coke plant generally includes four sets of oven machines, for example, pusher-cum-charging car, stamping car, quenching car, and material handling system. 15
[0004] The pusher car inserts a charger plate at the stamping station/car for preparing a coal cake by hydraulically operated pressing hammer. After making 51-52 tons of the coal cake on the charger plate, the pusher car and the quenching car open a pusher side door and a quenching side door of a ready oven by a door opening device. The pusher car then pushes the ready hot coke “as it is” by a pusher 20 ram horizontally on the quenching car, aligned on the quenching side door. After receiving the hot coke, the quenching car closes the quenching side door towards the ready oven and travels toward a quenching tower for water quenching. On the other side, the pusher car realigns the charger plate for charging the ready coal cake inside the empty oven and closes the pusher side door. After quenching, the 25 quenching car dumps the quenched coke on a wharf by tilting a quenching tray with
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the help of two hydraulically operated tilting cylinders mounted beneath the bottom of the quenching car/tray.
[0005] Due to three side open type quenching car/tray, during pushing and quenching, a huge amount of coke spillage happens and hot coke did not quench properly (as the quenching water drained immediately after falling on the hot coke 5 and unable to penetrate coke mass), resulting in high coke moisture, high water consumption and conveyor belt burning (due to hot coke). Due to high coke moisture and high coke rate at the blast furnace, the hot metal cost would increase.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one 10 embodiment herein satisfy, are listed hereinbelow.
[0007] It is a general object of the present disclosure to provide an improved coke quenching process.
[0008] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a locking arrangement mounted beneath the bottom of a quenching car for managing a quenching car flap 15 gate.
[0009] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the present invention is illustrated. 20
SUMMARY
[0010] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to a locking arrangement mounted beneath the bottom of a quenching car for managing a quenching car flap gate. The concepts are further described below in the detailed 25 description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential
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features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0011] The present disclosure provides a locking arrangement mounted beneath the bottom of a quenching car for managing a quenching car flap gate. The locking arrangement includes a resting shaft fixed along the length of the quenching car; a 5 first holding bracket fixed from its first end to the bottom of the quenching car, wherein the second end of the first holding bracket is disposed above and in proximity of the resting shaft; a counter-weight cum cam connected at its top with the second end of the first holding bracket and resting at its bottom over the resting shaft, during a locked condition of a quenching car flap gate; an adjusting lever 10 connected at its first end to the top of the counter-weight cum cam and disposed traverse to the length of the resting shaft; and a locking arm connected at its first end to a second end of the adjusting lever, connected at its central portion with a second holding bracket fixed in a middle region below the quenching car flap gate, and pressed at its second end against an external surface of the quenching car flap 15 gate.
[0012] In an aspect, when hydraulic tilting cylinders disposed beneath the bottom of the quenching car are actuated upward, the counter-weight cum cam comes down from the resting shaft and rotates anticlockwise as it left the resting shaft, the adjusting lever is pulled backward by the anticlockwise rotation of the 20 counter-weight cum cam, and the locking arm is pulled downward by the backward pulling of the adjusting lever to open the quenching car flap gate.
[0013] In an aspect, when the hydraulic tilting cylinders disposed beneath the bottom of the quenching car are actuated downward, the counter-weight cum cam rotates clockwise as it touches the resting shaft and pressed by the resting shaft, the 25 adjusting lever is pushed forward by the clockwise rotation of the counter-weight cum cam, and the locking arm is pushed upward by the forward pushing of the adjusting lever to close the quenching car flap gate.
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[0014] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
[0015] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure 5 described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.
[0016] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features 10 described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best 15 understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and methods that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein:
[0018] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate various components of a conventional quenching 20 car;
[0019] FIG. 2A illustrates the various components of a locking arrangement managing the flap gates in the locked condition of the flap gates, in accordance with the present disclosure;
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[0020] FIG. 2B illustrates the various components of a locking arrangement managing the flap gates in the unlocked condition of the flap gates, in accordance with the present disclosure;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a slot on the quenching car for movement of a locking arm to lock the flap gate, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 5
[0022] FIGS. 4A-4F illustrate various components of the locking arrangement managing the flap gates, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0023] The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated 10 herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It 15 should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the 20 appended claims.
[0025] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are 25 intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
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[0026] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” and/or 5 “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.
[0027] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the 10 functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may, in fact, be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific 15 terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense 20 unless expressly so defined herein.
[0029] Embodiments explained herein pertain to a locking arrangement mounted beneath the bottom of a quenching car for managing a quenching car flap gate. The quenching car/tray is three-side open type tray (as shown in FIG. 1A) and is simply mounted on the undercarriage and hinged at five sliding shaft brackets 25 (three at wharf 224 / discharge side and two at tilting hydraulic cylinder). Due to continuous hot coke receiving and quenching with water, a coke receiving tray structure also bends due to thermal shock.
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[0030] In continuous improvement, three sides open coke quenching tray was guarded by back wall 102, three flap gates 104 (west side, coke discharge side) (FIG. 1B), and fixed wall 106 (FIG. 1C) at the quenching tower for front side closing during the process of quenching.
[0031] With this improvement, the coke moisture and coke spillage are reduced 5 to some extent but not significantly. For instance, the three flap gates are hanging freely in the quenching tray/car so that during ‘quenched coke’ dumping (with the help of the hydraulic tilting cylinder), the flap gates can open easily. In case of any diversion of hot coke during pushing or during high-pressure quenching, the flap gates used to get open, resulting in coke spillage and improper quenching. Further, 10 the flap gate and the coke tray are also bent because of receiving of thermal shock. As the coke receiving tray & flap gate bend after few months, the coke mass does not break during pushing and ‘too & fro movement’ of the coke tray during hot coke receiving, so reducing the coke moisture by proper quenching was a big challenge. 15
[0032] To resolve the aforementioned issues, the present disclosure provides a mechanism to lock the flap gate 104 by a locking arrangement 200 (FIG. 2A), which will open and close automatically.
[0033] FIGS. 2A-2B, 3, and AA-4F show various components of a locking arrangement 200 mounted beneath the bottom of a quenching car for managing a 20 quenching car flap gate 104, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The locking arrangement 200 includes a resting shaft 202 fixed along the length of the quenching car. Further, a first holding bracket 204 is fixed from its first end to the bottom of a tray of the quenching car. In an aspect, the second end of the first holding bracket 204 is disposed above and in the proximity of the 25 resting shaft 202.
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[0034] Yet further, a counter-weight cum cam 206 is connected at its top with the second end of the first holding bracket 204 and rests at its bottom over the resting shaft 202, during a locked condition of the quenching car flap gate 104.
[0035] Yet further, an adjusting lever 208 is connected at its first end to the top of the counter-weight cum cam 106 and is disposed traverse to the length of the 5 resting shaft 202.
[0036] Yet further, a locking arm 210 is connected at its first end to a second end of the adjusting lever 208, is connected at its central portion with a second holding bracket 212 fixed in a middle region below the quenching car flap gate 104, and pressed at its second end against an external surface of the quenching car flap 10 gate 104.
[0037] In an aspect, the quenching car flap gate 104 are supported by flap gate holding column 214 which are held in its position by a tie bar 216 connecting the flap gate holding column 214 to side wall 218 of the quenching car.
[0038] Further, there would be a slot 302 (FIG. 3) on the quenching car/tray 15 just behind the flap gate 104 for the locking arm 210 ‘up and down’ movement to lock the flap gate 104.
[0039] With the configuration of the locking arrangement 200 described herein whenever the quenching tray/car tilts with the help of two hydraulic tilting cylinders 220 during dumping of quenched coke, the flap gates 104 get unlocked as the 20 counter-weight cum cam 206 lifts up (leaving the resting shaft 202), and pulling the lever 208 and brings down the locking arm 210. Similarly, when the quenching tray/car sits in its position by pulling with two hydraulic tilting cylinders 220, the counter-weight cum cam 206 rests on the resting shaft 202 and pushes the lever 208 for locking the flap gate 104. 25
Working Principle of the Locking Arrangement during the opening of the Flap gate:
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[0040] At step 1, two hydraulic cylinders (tilting cylinders) 220 actuated upward to tilt/lift the quenching car/tray for discharging quenched coke 222.
[0041] At step 2, as the tilting cylinders 220 started actuating and the quenching tray tilts, the counter-weight cum cam 206 comes down and rotates anticlockwise as it left the resting shaft 202. 5
[0042] At step 3, the counter-weight cum cam 206 pulls the adjusting lever 208 backward.
[0043] At step 4, the adjusting lever 206 pulls the locking arm 210 downwards and open the flap gate 104.
Working Principle of the Locking Arrangement during the closing of the Flap 10 gate:
[0044] At step 1, two hydraulic cylinders (tilting cylinder) 220 actuated downward to bring down the quenching tray in original position.
[0045] At step 2, as the tilting cylinder started actuating downward and pulls the quenching tray down, the counter-weight cum cam 206 rotates upward as it 15 touched and pressed by the resting shaft 202.
[0046] At step 3, the counter-weight cum cam 206 pushes the adjusting lever 208 forward.
[0047] At step 4, the adjusting lever 208 pushes the locking arm 210 upwards and closes the flap gate 104. 20
[0048] This locking arrangement 200 described herein is suitable for non-recovery type coke plant and/or for flatbed type quenching car.
[0049] In an aspect, the locking arm 210 has to be adjusted by the adjusting lever 108 time to time.
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TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[0050] The present disclosure proposes a locking arrangement 200 for managing a quenching car flap gate. With the implementation of such a locking arrangement 200, the water pressure can be increased to break the coke, resulting 5 in proper quenching with less amount of water.
[0051] The proposed locking arrangement 200 also helps to prevent hot coke spillage during pushing as well as during quenching.
[0052] The proposed locking arrangement 200 reduces the burning of a conveyor belt 226 receiving hot coke from the wharf 224. 10
[0053] Thus, the proposed locking arrangement 200 helps to reduce Coke Moisture, water consumption, hot coke spillage, and conveyor belt burning.
[0054] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can appreciate that the above description does not provide specific details of the manufacture or design of the various components. Those of skill in the art are familiar with such details, and 15 unless departures from those techniques are set out, techniques, known, related art or later developed designs and materials should be employed. Those in the art can choose suitable manufacturing and design details.
[0055] It should be understood, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient 20 labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the discussion herein, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “oxidizing,” or “cutting,” or “purifying,” or “dialyzing,” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data 25 represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's
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registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.
[0056] Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. It 5 will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as 10 encompassed by the following claims.
[0057] It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be 15 subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.