Remotely controlled decoking tool used in coke cutting operations

• US 8,679,298 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US12/348,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20090200152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: 202/241, 202/242, 202/262, 134/22.18, 134/39, 134/167.R, 134/167.C, 175/67, 175/215, 239/446, 201/2
• US Class Current: 202/241
• 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

Abstract

The present a system structured to allows an operator to remotely switch between cutting and boring while removing solid carbonaceous residue from large cylindrical vessels called coke drums utilizing—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, said cutting head comprising a cutting nozzle, and a boring nozzle;

a flow diversion apparatus structured to block the flow of fluid to one of the cutting nozzles and the boring nozzles; and

a shifting apparatus structured to rotate the flow diversion apparatus coupled to the flow diversion apparatus, wherein the shifting apparatus is actuated when water pressure within the cutting head is decreased.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said shifting apparatus is structured to actuate when fluid pressure within cutting head is changed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow diversion apparatus comprises a main body and a flow diversion cap.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the flow diversion apparatus further comprises a force applicator biased between the main body of the flow diversion apparatus and the flow diversion cap.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the force applicators are springs.

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

7. 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 changed.

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

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

11. The system of claim 9, 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.

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

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

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the force applicator comprises two springs, wherein the first spring is wrapped around the outside of the second spring.

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

a cutting head;

a flow diversion apparatus; and

a shifting apparatus, wherein the shifting apparatus is actuated when water pressure within the cutting head is decreased, comprising a helical spline and a vertically splined post, for rotating said flow diversion apparatus.

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 15, wherein the shifting apparatus further comprises a second rotational ratchet mechanism.

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

19. The system of claim 10, 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:

a cutting head, wherein said cutting head comprises a boring nozzle and a cutting nozzle;

a flow diversion apparatus structured to allow flow of fluid exclusively into one of said boring nozzle and into said cutting nozzle; and

a shifting apparatus structured to switch said flow diversion apparatus between cutting and boring modes, wherein the shifting apparatus is actuated when water pressure within the cutting head is decreased.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein flow diversion apparatus comprises a main body, a flow diversion cap and force applicator biased between the main body and the flow diversion cap.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the force applicators comprises a spring.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the shifting apparatus comprises a rotational ratchet.

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

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the force applicator comprises a spring.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the force applicator comprises more than one spring.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the shifting apparatus comprises a helical spline.