Remotely Controlled Decoking Tool Used in Coke Cutting Operations

• US 20090145460A1
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Published: 06/11/2009
• 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 8,197,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/8
• 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

1-29. -29. (canceled)

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;

utilizing a flow diversion apparatus to prevent said fluid from being ejected through cutting nozzles;

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

decreasing the flow of fluid to the cutting head;

allowing force applicator to move a shifting apparatus vertically;

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 from said cutting nozzles.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said flow diversion apparatus comprises flow diversion caps structured to block the flow of high pressure fluid to one of the boring nozzles and the cutting nozzles.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the flow diversion apparatus further comprises a force applicator biased between the main body of the flow diversion apparatus and a flow diversion cap.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the flow diversion cap comprise beveled edges.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the shifting apparatus comprises a rotational ratchet mechanism.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the force applicator comprises more than one spring.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the shifting apparatus comprises a helical spline.

39. A method for removing coke from a coking vessel comprising:

allowing fluid to enter a cutting head, said cutting head comprising cutting nozzles and boring nozzles and fluid passages through said cutting head;

blocking the flow of fluid to one of the cutting nozzles and the boring nozzles utilizing a flow diversion apparatus, wherein said flow diversion apparatus comprises a rotatable main body coupled to a flow diversion cap; and

utilizing a shifting apparatus coupled to the flow diversion apparatus to rotate the flow diversion apparatus.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the flow diversion apparatus comprises a sleeve constructed with external helical splines and vertical internal splines said internal splines functioning in sliding cooperation with a vertically splined internal post.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a force applicator for moving the shifting apparatus vertically when water pressure within the cutting head is decreased.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the force applicator comprises more than one spring.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the force applicator comprises two springs, wherein the first spring is wrapped around the outside of the second spring.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a thrust bearing.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a rotational ratchet mechanism.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a second rotational ratchet mechanism.

48. The method of claim 39, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a shifting apparatus collar coupled to the interior of the cutting tool.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the collar comprises small channels structured to allow fluid to flow though the collar and contact top of the helical spline

50. The method of claim 39, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises an indexing key.

51. A method for removing coke from a coking vessel comprising:

allowing fluid to flow into a cutting head, wherein said cutting head comprises a boring nozzle and a cutting nozzle;

diverting flow of fluid exclusively into one of said boring nozzle and into said cutting nozzle; and

shifting said diverting apparatus between cutting and boring modes.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein diverting flow is accomplished by utilizing a flow diversion apparatus, wherein said flow diversion apparatus comprises a main body, flow diversion cap and force applicator biased between the main body and the flow diversion cap.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the force applicator is a spring.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the shifting is accomplished utilizing a shifting apparatus, which comprises a rotational ratchet.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein shifting apparatus comprises a force applicator for moving shifting apparatus vertically when water pressure within the cutting head is decreased.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the force applicator comprises more than one spring.

58. The method of claim 55, where in the shifting apparatus comprises a helical spline.