Remotely controlled decoking tool used in coke cutting operations

• US 20060081456A1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DeltaValve, LLC (Circor International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Lah, Ruben F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,473,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 202/262
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 33/006 Decoking tools, e.g. hydraulic coke removing tools with boring or cutting nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 41/02 for discharging coke
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/46 including nozzle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system that allows an operator to remotely switch between cutting and boring while removing solid carbonaceous residue from large cylindrical vessels called coke drums comprising a cutting head for ejecting high pressure fluids into the coke bed; a flow diversion apparatus; and a shifting apparatus.

Claims

1. A system for removing coke from a coking vessel comprising:

a cutting head;

a flow diversion apparatus comprised of a main body and flow diversion caps; and

a shifting apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow diversion apparatus further comprises force applicators biased between the main body of the flow diversion and the flow diversion caps.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the force applicators are springs.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow diversion caps have beveled edges.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the shifting apparatus comprises a rotational ratchet mechanism.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the shifting apparatus comprises a force applicator for moving the shifting apparatus vertically when the water pressure within the cutting tool is decreased.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the force applicator comprises more than one spring.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the force applicator is a spring.

9. The system of claim 9, where in the rotating means is comprised of a helical spline.

10. A system for removing coke from a coking vessel comprising:

a cutting head;

a flow diversion apparatus; and

a shifting apparatus, comprising a helical spline and a vertically splined post, for rotating said flow diversion apparatus.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a force applicator for moving the shifting apparatus vertically when the water pressure within the cutting tool is decreased.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the force applicator is more than one spring.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the force applicator is two springs, where in the first spring is wrapped around the outside of the second spring.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a trust bearing.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a rotational ratchet mechanism.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a second rotational ratchet mechanism.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a shifting apparatus collar which couples the shifting apparatus to the interior of the cutting tool.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the collar comprises small channels which allow fluid to flow though the collar and contact the top of the helical spline

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises an indexing key.

21. A system for removing coke from a coking vessel comprising:

means for cutting coke within a coke drum, comprising boring means and cutting means;

means for diverting the flow of fluid exclusively into said boring means or exclusively into said cutting means; and

means for remotely shifting said diverting means between cutting and boring modes.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein flow diversion mean comprises a main body, flow diversion caps and force applicators biased between the main body and the flow diversion caps.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the force applicators are springs.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the flow diversion caps have beveled edges.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the shifting means comprises rotational ratchet means.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein shifting means comprises a force applicator for moving shifting means vertically when the water pressure within the cutting means is decreased.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the force applicator comprises more than one spring.

29. The system of claim 28, where in the rotating means is comprised of a helical spline.

30. A method for remotely switching between cutting and boring while removing coke from a coking drum comprising:

allowing fluid to enter a cutting tool;

preventing said fluid from being ejected through cutting nozzles, where in said blocking is accomplished by utilizing a flow diversion apparatus;

ejecting high pressure fluid from a boring nozzle coupled to said cutting head;

decreasing the flow of fluid to the cutting head;

allowing force applicator to move a shifting apparatus vertically upward;

allowing vertical motion of shifting apparatus to rotate said flow diversion apparatus, wherein said flow diversion apparatus subsequently prevents high pressure fluid from reaching the boring nozzles;

increasing the flow of fluid to the cutting head;

ejecting high pressure fluid form a cutting nozzle coupled to said cutting head.