Project Synopsis
Perform a process evaluation and provide recommendations for design enhancements for the quench towers used in a metallurgical coke manufacturing facility.
Project Summary
COKE FACILITIES QUENCH TOWERS EVALUATION and SPRAY SYSTEM PRELIMINARY DESIGN
The client, the corporate engineering group of a large independent producer of high-quality metallurgical coke, contacted Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) to provide an evaluation of their current quench tower design. One portion of the coke production process involves quenching the hot coke after its being removed from an oven in a tower. The client has particulate issues related to this quench tower, and they needed a method to reduce particulate emissions using a water spray. PROCESS was contracted and assigned the following project responsibilities:
- Onsite review of one existing U.S. plant process and compilation of current operation and process parameters for the quench towers.
- Examined literature to find data of relevance to the process and method to calculate the effectiveness of general sprays system for particulate removal.
- Determined minimum droplet size diameters with a terminal velocity higher than the maximum air draft velocity in the quench tower.
- Developed a spreadsheet for calculating the efficiency of particulate removal based on air properties, particulate sizes, and droplet diameters.
- Estimated the maximum pressure drop the spray will cause in the quench tower and the pressure available in the tower.
- Identified a spray nozzle from a manufacturer that was capable of producing the large droplets the process required and that was capable of operating with relatively high total dissolved solids / total suspended solids (TDS/TSS) feed water.
- Specified nozzle configuration, spray diameters, and droplet sizes based on the analysis.
- Developed a pump specification for a slurry pump to deliver quench water to the spray nozzles.
- Documented the findings of the study and presented suggestions for approaches to operation as well as documented potential risks in operating the quench tower with a spray system.
The client is considering this approach to reduce particulate emissions in several of its facilities. Further work may be required to complete the quench tower design (baffles, etc).
Industry Type
- Metallurgical Coke Manufacturing
Utilized Skills
- Process evaluation
- Process improvement design