METHOD FOR PREDICTING THE USABLE PERIOD OF A CARBONIZATION CHAMBER AND METHOD FOR REPAIRING A CARBONIZATION CHAMBER

Description

1 / 21 METHOD FOR PREDICTING THE USABLE PERIOD OF A CARBONIZATION CHAMBER AND METHOD FOR REPAIRING A CARBONIZATION CHAMBER Technical Field

[001] The present invention relates to a method for predicting the usable period of a carbonization chamber to predict a usable period of a carbonization chamber with an inwardly bulging furnace wall in an aged coke oven, and also relates to a method for repairing the carbonization chamber. Technical Background

[002] In recent years, with the aging of coke ovens, some of the refractories that make up the coke ovens have worn and deformed, and the joints between the refractories have widened. This causes part of the furnace wall of the carbonization chamber, which was flat after the completion of coke oven construction, to bulge inward. In the operation of the coke oven, an increase in the amount of bulging of the furnace wall of the carbonization chamber causes a forward obstruction, which hinders the discharge of coke. If a forward obstruction occurs, the amount of coke produced per unit of time will decrease. If the amount of bulging of part of the furnace wall further increases, a piston head of a forward piston may come into contact with the part, and this will hinder the forward piston from discharging the coke from the carbonization chamber. The contact can lead to the furnace wall refractories collapsing.

[003] To avoid this, the furnace wall refractories of the carbonization chamber must be re-stacked and repaired before the amount of bulging in the carbonization chamber becomes too large. For the repair, it is necessary to know the location of the inner wall to be repaired and when the Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 73 / 96 2 / 21 repair must be made. Patent Literature 1 discloses a method that involves identifying a bulging portion of the inner wall of the carbonization chamber and predicting when repair of the bulging portion will be required, i.e., the usable period of the carbonization chamber. List of Citations Patent Literature

[004] PTL 1: Japanese Patent No. 6107776 Summary of the Invention Technical Problem

[005] Patent Literature 1 states that the relationship between the date and time of measurement of the amount of bulging w is expressed by a linear function. However, after acquiring and verifying many datasets consisting of the date and time of measurement of the amount of bulging w, it was discovered that, once a certain amount of bulging is reached, the relationship between the date and time of measurement of the amount of bulging w no longer fits the linear function, and that the amount of bulging in the carbonization chamber cannot be accurately predicted with the linear function.

[006] The present invention was made in view of such a problem in the related art. The object of the present invention is to provide a method for predicting the usable period of a carbonization chamber that can predict the amount of bulging in a carbonization chamber with high accuracy, regardless of the amount of bulging, and predict the usable period of the carbonization chamber based on the predicted amount of bulging, and also provide a method for repairing a carbonization chamber. Solution to the Problem

[007] The present invention which can solve the problem described above is summarized below. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 74 / 96 3 / 21

[008] [1] A carbonization chamber usable period prediction method to predict a usable period of a carbonization chamber of a coke oven, the carbonization chamber having a furnace wall constructed by stacking bricks with male and female interlocking, includes measuring the furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber with a shape measuring device to identify an inward bulge from an initial position based on the hot state dimensions after completion of coke oven construction;measure the furnace wall shape for bulging multiple times on different dates and measurement times to determine a first regression equation representing a correspondence between time and amount of bulging within a range where the amount of bulging is less than or equal to D1 calculated by the following equation (1) and a second regression equation representing a correspondence between time and amount of bulging within a range where the amount of bulging is greater than or equal to D2 calculated by the following equation (2); and calculate a date and time at which the amount of bulging calculated using the first regression equation or the second regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold to predict a usable period of the carbonization chamber; D1 = g - (dR1+dL1) ··· (1); and D2 = g + (dR2+dL2) ··· (2), where, in equations (1) and (2), g is a distance (mm) from one side of the brick with male and female interlocking to a male and female interlocking, dR1 is a negative manufacturing error value (mm) from the side to the male and female interlocking, dR2 is a positive manufacturing error value (mm) from the side to the male and female interlocking, dL1 is a negative measurement error value (mm) of the format measuring device and dL2 is a positive measurement error value. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, p. 75 / 96 4 / 21 (mm) of the format measuring device.

[009] [2] In the carbonization chamber usable period prediction method according to [1], the threshold is determined based on a gap sd between a piston head of an advance piston and the initial position of the protrusion based on the hot state dimensions after construction completion.

[010] [3] A carbonization chamber repair method includes creating a repair plan for a carbonization chamber based on a predicted usable period using the carbonization chamber usable period prediction method according to [1] or [2]; and repairing the carbonization chamber according to the repair plan. Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[011] The present invention predicts the amount of bulging in the carbonization chamber using a first regression equation and a second regression equation, so that the amount of bulging in the carbonization chamber can be predicted with high accuracy, regardless of the amount of bulging in the carbonization chamber. The present invention predicts the usable period of the carbonization chamber based on the predicted amount of bulging, so that the usable period of the carbonization chamber can be predicted with high accuracy. Brief Description of the Drawings

[012] [Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a coke oven.

[013] [Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating a carbonization chamber of the coke oven.

[014] [Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber of the coke oven. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 76 / 96 5 / 21

[015] [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a graph illustrating how the amount of bulging w changes with time.

[016] [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a stack of bricks of a furnace wall viewed from an end duct.

[017] [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a front view of a brick with male and female interlocking joints forming the oven wall.

[018] [Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a graph indicating, in Fig. 4, a range less than or equal to a minimum value D1 and a range greater than or equal to a maximum value D2.

[019] [Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating how the amount of bulging w changes with time.

[020] [Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the carbonization chamber of the coke oven. Description of the Modalities

[021] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention and are not limited by these examples.

[022] Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a coke oven 10. First, the coke oven 10 will be described using Fig. 1. The coke oven 10 includes a regenerative unit 12 constructed of a plurality of regenerative chambers arranged side by side, and a plurality of carbonization chambers 14 and a plurality of combustion chambers 16 arranged within the regenerative unit 12. The carbonization chambers 14 and the combustion chambers 16 are arranged alternately adjacent to each other. A loading car 18 travels over the carbonization chambers 14 and the combustion chambers 16 along a longitudinal direction L of the coke oven 10. A top wall of the carbonization chambers 14 has a plurality of loading holes (not illustrated). Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, p. 77 / 96 6 / 21 arranged along a transverse direction S of the coke oven 10. Coal, which is the raw material for coke, is loaded through the charging holes into the carbonization chambers 14. The carbonization chambers 14 each have end ducts 14a on both sides. The end ducts 14a are closed by being covered with a removable oven lid (not shown). A feeder machine 20 is arranged on the side of one end duct 14a of the carbonization chamber 14, and a guide car 22 is arranged on the side of the other end duct 14a. The feeder machine 20 and the guide car 22 move along the longitudinal direction L of the oven.

[023] In each carbonization chamber 14, the coal is carbonized into a coke cake. To carbonize the coal, fuel gas is supplied from each regenerative chamber of the regenerative unit 12 to the combustion chamber 16 for combustion, and the heat of combustion is transferred to the adjacent carbonization chamber 14 to heat the carbonization chamber 14. This increases the temperature in the carbonization chamber 14 and the coal is carbonized. After the carbonization of the coal is complete, the furnace lid is removed and a forward piston of the forwarding machine 20 is inserted into the carbonization chamber 14. Upon inserting the forward piston, the coke cake obtained by carbonizing the coal is advanced out of the carbonization chamber 14 and received by the guide car 22 on the opposite side of the forwarding machine 20.A tempering car 24 capable of traveling in front of the regenerative unit 12 along the longitudinal direction L of the furnace is arranged below the guide car 22, so that the tempering car 24 receives the coke cake from the guide car 22. The tempering car 24 transports the coke cake to a predetermined location.

[024] The operation of the coke oven 10 involves repeatedly advancing the coke cake out of the carbonization chambers 14 and loading coal into the carbonization chambers 14. Repeating this operation causes wear and Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, p. 78 / 96 7 / 21 Deformation of the furnace walls of the carbonization chambers 14. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber 14 of the coke oven 10. Fig. 2(a) illustrates the carbonization chamber 14 after completion of the construction of the coke oven 10, and Fig. 2(b) illustrates the carbonization chamber 14 with a furnace wall 32 deformed and partially bulging inwards. The carbonization chamber 14 is formed by a pair of opposing furnace walls 32. The furnace walls 32 are produced by the vertical stacking of bricks fitted with male and female joints.

[025] The coke cake is advanced outward by a forward piston 26. The forward piston 26 includes a piston head 28 and a piston beam 30 to which the piston head 28 is attached. The forwarding machine 20 includes the forward piston 26 and a forward piston drive device (not shown) connected to the piston beam 30 of the forward piston 26. When the piston beam 30 is driven by the forward piston drive device, the piston head 28 is inserted into the carbonization chamber 14, and the coke cake in the carbonization chamber 14 is advanced outward from the carbonization chamber 14 by the piston head 28.

[026] In the carbonization chamber 14 illustrated in Fig. 2(a), there is no occurrence of coke cake advance obstructions caused by irregularities in the furnace wall 32. In the carbonization chamber 14 illustrated in Fig. 2(b), however, the furnace wall 32 has a protrusion 34 and the coke cake can come into contact with the protrusion 34 when it is advanced outwards by the piston head 28. This can increase the resistance encountered during the advancement of the coke cake and cause an advance obstruction. The protrusion 34 is formed when part of the furnace wall 32, which was flat, becomes bulged inwards as some of the refractories wear and deform or the joints between the refractories widen, due to Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 79 / 96 8 / 21 aging of the coke oven 10.

[027] If the protrusion 34 additionally becomes bulged inward and the piston head 28 comes into contact with part of the protrusion 34, the furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber that constitute the furnace wall 32 within and around the contact area may collapse or the advance piston 26 may stop functioning. As the collapse of the furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber, in particular, often takes a long time to repair, contact between the piston head 28 and the protrusion 34 should be avoided.

[028] Therefore, before the amount of bulging of the protrusion 34 becomes wide enough to cause obstructions by advancing coke cake or the collapse of furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber, the furnace wall 32 of the carbonization chamber 14 must be repaired, for example, by re-stacking the refractories. In a method of predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber according to the present embodiment, the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14 is predicted by steps 1 to 4 listed below.

[029] 1. The furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 is measured with a shape measuring device to identify a protrusion.

[030] 2. The furnace wall shape of the bulge is measured multiple times at different dates and measurement times to acquire a plurality of data sets, each consisting of the date and measurement time te and the amount of bulge w.

[031] 3. A first regression equation representing the correspondence between time and the amount of bulging within a range where the amount of bulging w is less than or equal to D1 calculated by Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 80 / 96 9 / 21 following equation (1) and a second regression equation representing a correspondence between time and the amount of bulging w within a range where the amount of bulging w is greater than or equal to D2 calculated by the following equation (2) are determined; D1 = g - (dR1+dL1) ··· (1); and D2 = g + (dR2+dL2) ··· (2), where, in equations (1) and (2), g is the distance (mm) from one side of the brick with male and female interlocking to a male and female interlocking, dR1 is a negative manufacturing error value (mm) from the side of the brick with male and female interlocking to the male and female interlocking, dR2 is a positive manufacturing error value (mm) from the side of the brick with male and female interlocking to the male and female interlocking, dL1 is a negative measurement error value (mm) of the shape measuring device and dL2 is a positive measurement error value (mm) of the shape measuring device.

[032] 4. A date and time at which the amount of bulging w calculated using the first regression equation or the second regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold are calculated. The period up to this date and time is a usable period of the carbonization chamber 14.

[033] First, a method will be described in which the furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 is measured with a shape measuring device to identify a protrusion. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the carbonization chamber 14 of the coke oven 10. The furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 is measured under hot conditions, for example, by a three-dimensional laser-based shape measuring device 36. It is observed that the three-dimensional laser-based shape measuring device 36 is an exemplary shape measuring device that measures the furnace wall shape of the chamber. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 81 / 96 10 / 21 carbonization 14 under hot conditions. The laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 is installed in front of an end duct 14a on the side of the carbonization chamber 14 from which the coke cake is discharged. The laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 measures the furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 as a point cloud by obliquely irradiating the furnace wall 32 with a laser through a laser irradiation hole and receiving reflected light from the furnace wall 32 at a detection hole. The hot-state dimensions of the furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 can then be acquired.

[034] Although the furnace wall shapes on the right and left sides of the carbonization chamber 14 can be measured simultaneously using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36, it is preferable to measure the furnace wall shapes on the right and left sides of the carbonization chamber 14 separately. The carbonization chamber 14 is about 6 m high, about 400 mm wide and about 16 m deep at the top, and the end duct 14a has a narrow, elongated structure about 400 mm wide and about 6 m high. When the laser irradiates from outside the carbonization chamber 14, the angle of incidence of the laser on the furnace wall 32 is shallow if the furnace wall shapes on the right and left sides are measured simultaneously.When the laser strikes at such a shallow angle, if furnace wall 32 becomes bulged inward, a shaded area that the laser cannot reach may be created behind the bulged portion, and the furnace wall shape cannot be measured. On the other hand, when the furnace wall shapes on the right and left sides are measured separately, the angle of incidence of the laser on furnace wall 32 can be increased, so that... Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 82 / 96 11 / 21 oven wall format can be measured even if the oven wall 32 becomes bulged inward.

[035] The right and left inner wall shape data measured by the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36 can be evaluated separately, or these two pieces of inner wall shape data can be combined based on a reference object around the carbonization chamber 14 and evaluated as a single piece of composite furnace wall shape data. The furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 in the coke oven 10 can thus be measured using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36.

[036] Returning to Fig. 2(b), the furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber 14 is measured using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36, and the furnace wall shape data acquired by this measurement are compared with hot-state measurement data of the carbonization chamber 14 acquired immediately after completion of construction to obtain differential shape data. A portion of the differential shape data bulging inward from an initial position based on the hot-state dimensions obtained after completion of the construction of the coke oven 10 is the bulge 34. The position of the bulge 34 can thus be identified.

[037] If there is a plurality of inward-bulging protrusions from the initial position, it is preferable to identify a portion with the widest bulging amount w as the protrusion. This is because the bulging amount w of a protrusion with the widest bulging amount w is considered to be the one that increases most rapidly. The protrusion position simply needs to be identified at least once before predicting the usable period of the Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 83 / 96 12 / 21 carbonization chamber 14. However, after the position of the bulging protrusion is initially identified, the most bulging area may gradually change. In this case, the position of another protrusion may be identified instead of, or in addition to, the protrusion initially identified.

[038] Next, the furnace wall shape is measured multiple times on different dates and measurement times to acquire a plurality of data sets, each consisting of the date and measurement time te on the amount of bulging w of the identified protrusion. A dashed line in Fig. 2(b) indicates the initial position of furnace wall 32 based on the hot-state dimensions obtained after completion of coke oven construction 10, and a black dot on the dashed line indicates the initial position of the protrusion 34 based on the hot-state dimensions obtained after completion of coke oven construction 10. A solid line in Fig. 2(b) is a line parallel to the dashed line and tangent to the most bulging area of ​​the protrusion 34. The initial position of the protrusion 34 is a point where a line extending perpendicularly from the most bulging area of ​​the protrusion 34 to the dashed line intersects the dashed line.The amount of bulging w is the distance from the initial position of the protrusion 34 to the dotted line. As described above, once the protrusion 34 is identified, the initial position of the protrusion 34 is also identified. Therefore, the amount of bulging w of the protrusion 34 can be determined by acquiring furnace wall shape data measured by the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device 36.

[039] Although the measurement interval for the amount of bulging w is not particularly limited, it is preferable to regularly measure the amount of bulging wa every few days, weeks or months to check how the Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 84 / 96 13 / 21 The amount of bulging w changes over time. For example, during the operation of the coke oven 10, the amount of bulging w is unlikely to change significantly over six hours or a day. However, the amount of bulging w may change, for example, over a few days. Therefore, it is preferable to set the measurement period as two weeks or one month and measure the amount of bulging w in each defined measurement period. For a carbonization chamber where the amount of bulging w is wide, the measurement interval can be reduced to, for example, one week. This can improve the accuracy in predicting the amount of bulging w using a regression equation. Specifically, if the difference between the distance from the initial position of the protrusion 34 to the piston head 28 and the amount of bulging w is less than or equal to 10 mm, it is preferable to increase the frequency of measuring the amount of bulging w.

[040] Fig. 4 is a graph illustrating how the amount of bulging w changes over time. In Fig. 4, the horizontal axis represents year / month, and the vertical axis represents the amount of bulging w (mm). The graph illustrated in Fig. 4 is a plot of 16 data sets, each consisting of the date and time of the measurement te of the amount of bulging w, acquired by measuring the furnace wall shape of the coke oven carbonization chamber 16 times with the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device at different dates and measurement times and using the measurement data. It can be observed in Figure 4 that the amount of bulging w per unit of time changes significantly when the amount of bulging is in the range of 30 mm to 40 mm. This means that, with a regression equation determined from data points in the range where the amount of bulging is small, the amount of bulging w in the range where the Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 85 / 96 14 / 21 The amount of bulging is wide and cannot be predicted accurately.

[041] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a stack of furnace wall bricks 32 viewed from the end duct. Fig. 5(a) illustrates furnace wall 32 before it becomes inwardly bulged (towards the carbonization chamber), and Fig. 5(b) illustrates furnace wall 32 after it becomes inwardly bulged (towards the carbonization chamber). The furnace wall 32 of carbonization chamber 14 is manufactured by vertical stacking of tongue-and-groove bricks 40. The tongue-and-groove bricks 40 are supported by tie bricks (not shown).

[042] Before the furnace wall 32 becomes inwardly bulged, the weight of each tongue-and-groove brick 40 is supported by the tongue-and-groove brick 40 located below it, as illustrated in Fig. 5(a). However, it has been found that when the amount of bulging w of the furnace wall 32 becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, the tongue-and-groove bricks 40 are no longer supported by the tie bricks and the additionally inwardly bulged tongue-and-groove bricks 40 due to their weight, as illustrated in Fig. 5(b).As a result of verifying the amount of bulging w caused by the weight of the male and female interlocking bricks 40, it was found that when the amount of bulging w becomes greater than or equal to the distance from a male and female interlocking brick 42 to the side of the brick, the male and female interlocking bricks 40 additionally bulge inward due to their weight.

[043] The distance from the male and female interlocking joint 42 of the brick with male and female interlocking joint 40 to the side of the brick has a manufacturing error. Therefore, the minimum value Di of the distance from the side of the brick to the male and female interlocking joint 42, including the manufacturing error, is g - dR1, where g is the distance Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 86 / 96 15 / 21 from the side of the brick with male and female interlocking joint 40 to the male and female interlocking joint 42, and dR1 is a negative manufacturing error value from the side to the male and female interlocking joint 42. Similarly, the maximum value D2 of the distance from the side of the brick to the male and female interlocking joint 42, including the manufacturing error, is g + dR2, where g is the distance from the side of the brick with male and female interlocking joint 40 to the male and female interlocking joint 42, and dR2 is a positive manufacturing error value from the side to the male and female interlocking joint 42.

[044] Furthermore, a measurement error occurs when measuring the furnace wall shape using a shape measuring machine. Therefore, the minimum value D1 and the maximum value D2 of the distance ga from the brick side with male and female interlocking 40 to the male and female interlocking 42 are g - (dR1+dL1) and g + (dR2+dL2), respectively, where dL1 is a negative measurement error value and dL2 is a positive measurement error value.

[045] Fig. 6 is a front view of the male and female interlocking brick 40 constituting the furnace wall. In the present embodiment, the distance from the male and female interlocking brick 42 to the side of the male and female interlocking brick 40 is 33 mm, a manufacturing error in this area of ​​the male and female interlocking brick 40 is ± 2 mm, and the measurement error in measuring the furnace wall shape using the laser-based three-dimensional shape measuring device is ± 5 mm. Therefore, in furnace wall 32, the minimum value D1 of the distance ga from the side of the male and female interlocking brick 40 to the male and female interlocking brick 42 is 26 mm, and the maximum value D2 of the distance ga from the side of the brick to the male and female interlocking brick 42 is 40 mm.

[046] Fig. 7 is a graph indicating, in Fig. 4, a range less than or equal to the minimum value D1 (26 mm) and a range greater than or equal to the maximum value D2 (40 mm). In Fig. 7, the data points within the range less than or equal to the minimum value D1 are indicated in white, the data points within the range greater than the minimum value D2 are indicated in white. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 87 / 96 Data points 16 / 21 or equal to the maximum value D2 are indicated in black, and data points within the range greater than the minimum value D1 and less than the maximum value D2 are indicated in gray. The regression line of the first regression equation determined from the data points within the range less than or equal to the minimum value D1 is indicated by a solid line, and the regression line of the second regression equation determined from the data points within the range greater than or equal to the maximum value D2 is indicated by a dashed line.

[047] The data points for the date and time of measurement t versus the amount of bulging w were divided into the range less than or equal to the minimum value D1 and the range greater than or equal to the maximum value D2, and the first regression equation and the second regression equation were determined using the data points in each range. As a result, the regression lines representing the first regression equation and the second regression equation were located close to the data points within the corresponding range, and the first regression equation and the second regression equation were regression equations, each having a high correlation with the data points within the range.This result shows that the state of the art, which predicts the amount of bulging w using a regression equation, cannot predict the amount of bulging w with high accuracy in the range where the amount of bulging of furnace wall 32 is wide, while the method of predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber according to the present embodiment predicts the amount of bulging w using the first regression equation and the second regression equation, so as to predict the amount of bulging w of furnace wall 32 with high accuracy, regardless of the amount of bulging of furnace wall 32.

[048] Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating how the amount of bulging Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 88 / 96 17 / 21 w in other carbonization chambers changes with time. Figures 8(a) to (c) illustrate data points of measurement date and time t versus the amount of bulging w acquired by measuring the furnace wall shapes of three carbonization chambers that have furnace walls constructed from the tongue-and-groove bricks 40 illustrated in Figure 6, but are different from the carbonization chamber for which the amount of bulging is illustrated in Figure 7.

[049] As illustrated in Figures 8(a) to (c), significant changes in the range from the minimum value D1 to the maximum value D2 were also observed in the other three carbonization chambers, similarly to Figure 7. Therefore, as in Fig. 7, the data points were divided into the range less than or equal to the minimum value D1 and the range greater than or equal to the maximum value D2, and the first regression equation and the second regression equation were determined using the data points in each range. Thus, the first regression equation and the second regression equation were regression equations, each having a high correlation with the data points within the range.

[050] These results showed that, for carbonization chamber 14, with furnace wall 32 constructed of tongue-and-groove bricks 40, the amount of bulging w can be predicted with high accuracy, regardless of the amount of bulging, by determining the first regression equation representing the correspondence between time and the amount of bulging w within the range where the amount of bulging is less than or equal to the minimum value D1 calculated by the following equation (1), and the second regression equation representing the correspondence between time and the amount of bulging w within the range where the amount of bulging is greater than or equal to the maximum value D2 Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 89 / 96 18 / 21 calculated by the following equation (2), and predicting the amount of bulging w using the regression equations: D1 = g - (dR1+dL1) ··· (1); and D2 = g + (dR2+dL2) ··· (2), where, in equations (1) and (2), g is a distance (mm) from one side of a brick to a male and female fitting, dR1 is a negative manufacturing error value (mm) from the side of the brick to the male and female fitting, dR2 is a positive manufacturing error value (mm) from the side of the brick to the male and female fitting, dL1 is a negative measurement error value (mm) of the shape measuring device and dL2 is a positive measurement error value (mm) of the shape measuring device.

[051] Next, a method for predicting a useful life of the carbonization chamber 14 using the first regression equation or the second regression equation will be described. When the amount of bulge w of the furnace wall 32 increases, the coke cake comes into contact with the bulge, which increases the resistance encountered during the advancement of the coke cake and causes an obstruction by advancement. If the bulge 34 comes into contact with the piston head 28, the furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber collapse. Therefore, an experiment or something similar is first carried out to determine the amount of bulge w of the furnace wall 32 at which an obstruction by advancement or collapse of the furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber occurs.This amount of bulging w is determined as a threshold in advance, and the date and time at which the amount of bulging w reaches the threshold is calculated using the first regression equation if the threshold is less than or equal to the minimum value D1 and using the second regression equation if the threshold is greater than or equal to the maximum value D2. These dates and times indicate the usable period of the carbonization chamber. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 90 / 96 19 / 21 14. The usable period of carbonization chamber 14 can therefore be predicted using either the first regression equation or the second regression equation.

[052] The threshold for the amount of bulging w can be determined based on a gap sd between the initial position of the protrusion 34 and the piston head 28 of the advance piston 26. Fig. 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the carbonization chamber of the coke oven. The gap sd will now be explained using Fig. 9.

[053] The gap sd is a gap between the piston head 28 and the initial position of the protrusion 34 at a position where the piston head 28 is closest to the protrusion 34. A dashed line in Fig. 9 indicates the side position of the piston head 28, and a black dot on a dashed line indicates the initial position of the protrusion 34 based on the hot state dimensions obtained after completion of the construction of the coke oven 10. The gap sd is the distance from the initial position of the protrusion 34 to the dashed line.

[054] Once the position of the protrusion 34 is identified by measuring the furnace wall shape, the initial position of the protrusion 34 is also identified. The side position of the piston head 28 can be determined by actual measurement of the side position of the piston head 28 moving through the carbonization chamber 14, or by calculation from the dimensions of the piston head 28, assuming that the center of the piston head 28 passes through the center of the carbonization chamber 14. The gap sd between the initial position of the protrusion 34 and the piston head 28 is then determined from the initial position of the protrusion 34 and the side position determined by actual measurement or calculation.

[055] As described above, if the amount of bulging w of protrusion 34 exceeds the gap sd, protrusion 34 comes into contact with Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 91 / 96 20 / 21 the piston head 28 and this increases the possibility that the furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber will collapse. Therefore, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the gap sd by a predetermined safety factor can be determined as the threshold. By thus determining the threshold based on the gap sd, it is possible to reduce the possibility of contact between the protrusion 34 and the piston head 28 and the collapse of the furnace wall bricks of the combustion chamber.

[056] As described above, in the carbonization chamber usable period prediction method according to the present embodiment, the amount of bulging w is predicted using the first regression equation and the second regression equation. This makes it possible to predict the amount of furnace wall bulging w with high accuracy, regardless of the amount of furnace wall bulging 32, and to predict the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14 with high accuracy, using the amount of bulging w. By predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber 14, the carbonization chamber can be repaired at the appropriate time. By repairing the carbonization chamber at the appropriate time, it is possible to use the carbonization chamber 14 to its full extent, while reducing the occurrence of forward obstructions in the carbonization chamber 14 and furnace wall collapse.

[057] A repair plan for the carbonization chamber can be created based on the usable period of the carbonization chamber predicted by the carbonization chamber usable period prediction method according to the present embodiment. Specifically, a repair plan to repair the furnace wall of the carbonization chamber is created before the usable period of the carbonization chamber expires. By predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber before creating a repair plan, the creation of the plan Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 92 / 96 Repairing the carbonization chamber in a 21 / 21 configuration is made easier. List of Reference Signs: coke oven, regenerative unit, carbonization chamber 14a end duct combustion chamber loading car advance machine guide car tempering car advance piston piston head piston beam furnace wall protrusion three-dimensional laser-based measuring device brick with male and female fitting male and female fitting Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pages 93 / 96

Claims

1 / 2 CLAIMS 1. Method for predicting the usable period of a carbonization chamber to predict the usable period of a carbonization chamber of a coke oven, the carbonization chamber having a furnace wall constructed by stacking bricks with male and female interlocking joints, the method characterized in that it comprises: measuring a furnace wall shape of the carbonization chamber with a shape measuring device to identify an inward bulge from an initial position based on the hot-state dimensions after completion of coke oven construction;measure the furnace wall shape for bulging multiple times on different dates and measurement times to determine a first regression equation representing a correspondence between time and amount of bulging within a range where the amount of bulging is less than or equal to D1 calculated by the following equation (1) and a second regression equation representing a correspondence between time and amount of bulging within a range where the amount of bulging is greater than or equal to D2 calculated by the following equation (2); and calculate a date and time at which the amount of bulging calculated using the first regression equation or the second regression equation reaches a predetermined threshold to predict a usable period of the carbonization chamber, D1 = g - (dR1+dL1) ··· (1);and D2 = g + (dR2+dL2) ··· (2), where, in equations (1) and (2), g is a distance (mm) from one side of the brick with male and female interlocking to a male and female interlocking, dR1 is a negative manufacturing error value (mm) from the side to the male and female interlocking, dR2 is a positive manufacturing error value (mm) from the side to the male and female interlocking, dL1 is a negative measurement error value (mm) of the shape measuring device and dL2 is a positive measurement error value (mm) of the shape measuring device.; 2. Method for predicting the usable period of the carbonization chamber, according to claim 1, characterized in that the threshold is determined based on a gap sd between a piston head of an advance piston and the initial position of the protrusion based on the hot-state dimensions after completion of construction.

3. Carbonization chamber repair method, the method characterized in that it comprises: creating a repair plan for a carbonization chamber based on a predicted usable period using the carbonization chamber usable period prediction method defined in claim 1 or 2; and repairing the carbonization chamber in accordance with the repair plan. Petition 870250078622, dated 03 / 09 / 2025, pp. 64 / 96

Images