Distillation: apparatus – Apparatus – Elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-01
2001-07-03
Knode, Marian C. (Department: 1764)
Distillation: apparatus
Apparatus
Elements
C202S242000, C202S246000, C048S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254733
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drum deheading devices and associated systems involving containments for receiving materials from said drums. The invention has particular applicability to the removal of covers on chutes or pits or other containments for receiving coke from coke drums and is particularly suited for association with apparatuses and methods for remote deheading of coke drums.
2. Brief Description of Relevant Art
In the typical delayed coking process, high boiling petroleum residues are fed to a large upright vessel called a coke drum, where they are thermally cracked into light products and a residue, petroleum coke. This residue varies in consistency depending on the quality and composition of feedstock. The coke may be solid, spongy, shot or pellet-like, or even viscous liquid. When the drum is fill, the feed is diverted to an empty drum and the coke filled drum is steam purged and cooled with quench water. The drum is then drained of water and the top and bottom heads of the drum are removed for removing the coke from the drum. After the coke is removed, the drum is ready to be placed back in service to repeat the cycle.
How the coke is removed from the drum varies with the type and consistency of the coke. For example, solid coke may have to be drilled out whereas shot and liquid coke may fall out when the drum bottom head is removed. Even with steam purging and cooling with quench water, the coke is at a high temperature, typically exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit, when the drum heads are opened. The drum is also under pressure. When the drum is opened, hot steam and some hot coke typically pour out with force. For safety, the drum heads are opened remotely and the drum has a head or cover assembly suited for remote operation. An example of a suitable remotely operable vessel cover particularly useful for a coke drum is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,019, assigned to Hahn and Clay in Houston, Tex.
In the typical coking process, the coke falling from the drum, or otherwise removed from the drum, goes into a chute where it is carried to a pit or other container for the coke. During the coking process, the opening to the chute is covered, typically with a cover, such as, for example, a grate, until the drum is ready for decoking. Removal of the cover is typically done manually. However, working in the vicinity of the bottom head of the coke drum is potentially hazardous. A typical chute can be many feet deep. There exists a need for safer processes that would not require manual removal of the chute cover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A system is provided for covering and uncovering the opening of a chute, pit, containment vessel or other container or receiver for receiving material from a large vessel for industrial purposes, such as a drum or more particularly, for example, a coke drum used in petroleum refining processes. The drum is generally positioned above this receiver and is fitted with a remotely operable deheading device for opening the drum above the receiver, preferably automatically. An example of such a deheading device particularly suitable for use with the system of this invention is sold by Hahn and Clay in Houston, Tex. and is described in their “FACT System®” brochure. The system of this invention is particularly useful for association with drums that have limited space between the drum and the receiver, which, due to their uses or contents, beg remote operation for the safety of the personnel working in the vicinity of the drum.
In the system of the invention, a cover for the receiver is provided with a flexor, preferably, for example, a hinge, to enable the cover to bend or otherwise reduce its size, and particularly its horizontal width. Connectors attach the cover to extendible or retractable legs, which may be telescopic in nature. The legs preferably have pivots to accommodate changes in position of the cover caused by the flexor and the legs.
Connectors, which may be the same type or a different type from the connectors attaching the cover, attach the extendible legs to the head of the drum. The connection of the legs to the drum, and to the cover, is such that the legs retract and the flexor flexes the cover when the deheading device on the drum head is in operation to remove the drum head or dehead the drum. That is, the system of the invention preferably operates automatically, in association with the drum head as the drum head is removed from the drum by the deheading device. Thus, preferably, the legs retract as the flexor flexes the cover such that the cover is lifted and moved away from the opening of the receiver as the drum head is moved away from the opening of the drum, so material may fall from the drum into the receiver. This conjunctivity of operation between the drum head and the receiver cover is effected by attachment of the legs to the cover and to the drum (or drum head or drum deheading device). The system of this invention is thus preferably powered or controlled by operation of the drum deheading device.
The legs extend and the flexor straightens to replace the cover over the receiver as the drum head is returned to the drum. Preferably, a stop for the flexor helps determine the angle of flexion of the cover. The stop is attached to the drum head and stops the cover when the legs are retracted. The angle of flexion of the cover depends on the point or time in the retraction of the legs that the stop stops the flexor. The earlier the stop stops the flexor the less acute the angle the cover will bend or flex. The desired or necessary angle of flexion will depend on the a-mount of space between the drum and the receiver and also the size of the receiver cover. The larger the cover and the narrower the space between the drum and the receiver, generally the greater the flexion or bend of the cover will be needed. The effect of the flexion is to make the cover smaller in the sense that it can be lifted and swung away beneath the drum in conjunction with the drum head being swung away by a swing away drum deheading device.
In an alternative embodiment of the system of the invention, the cover is lifted and moved over instead of being swung away with the drum head.
Optionally or alternatively, the system may have its own individual controls, but preferably such controls should be set to work in conjunction with the operation of the drum head, so that, as the drum is opened and the drum head swings away or is otherwise removed or the drum is otherwise opened, the receiver cover is removed from the receiver and similarly swung away or moved. Such operation should be done remotely, and preferably automatically, rather than manually.
The system of this invention is useful with coke drums and a method is provided for facilitating coke removal from a coke drum into a coke receiver such as a chute, pit, or other containment vessel. As used herein, the term “chute” or “receivers” shall be understood to encompass all containers, receivers, or containment vessels or apparatuses for receiving and/or containing coke or other material from drums. The system and method are particularly useful as well for other large drums that may contain hot and /or hazardous materials, where the opening of the drum is best done remotely. Thus, as used herein, reference to“coke” drum shall be understood to include such other industrial drums that may contain hot and /or hazardous materials or any large industrial vessel whose contents are typically deposited into an underlying container.
In the method of this invention, a drum is fitted with a remotely operable drum head. The drum is positioned over the receiver for the drum's contents. The space between the drum and the receiver is large or wide enough to allow the drum head to be remotely opened and closed above the receiver. The drum head is connected to the cover of the receiver such that removal of the drum head causes removal of the cover from the receiver. The drum head is remotely operable, and as it is opened and swung away from the d
Lu Jinyang
Schroeder Charles
Doroshenk Alexa A.
Hahn & Clay
Knode Marian C.
Tripp Karen B.
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