Remotely controlled decoking tool used in coke cutting operations

• US 7,473,337 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US11/245,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20060081456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 202/239, 202/241, 202/262, 202/261, 202/270, 201/3, 201/2, 408/1.R, 408/80, 408/61
• US Class Current: 202/239
• 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 coke cutting drill stem and coke cutting head including cutting nozzles and boring nozzles which includes passages through said cutting head through which fluid flows alternatively through said cutting nozzles or boring nozzles;

a flow diversion apparatus in fluid connection with said drill stem and cutting head comprising a rotatable main body coupled to flow diversion caps;

and a shifting apparatus coupled to the flow diversion apparatus which rotates the flow diversion apparatus alternatively blocks the fluid flow through one set of passages while opening the fluid flow through the other set of passages within the cutting head, wherein said shifting apparatus is actuated when fluid pressure within the drill stem and cutting head is decreased.

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 water pressure within the cutting head 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.

9. The system of claim 1, where in the shifting apparatus comprises a helical spline.

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

A drill stem and coke cutting drill stem and cutting head including cutting nozzles and boring nozzles which includes fluid passages through said cutting head through which fluid flows alternatively through said cutting nozzles or boring nozzles;

a flow diversion apparatus in fluid connection with said drill stem and cutting head comprising a rotatable main body coupled to flow diversion caps;

and a shifting apparatus coupled to the flow diversion apparatus which rotates the flow diversion apparatus via a sleeve constructed with external helical splines and vertical internal splines said internal splines functioning in sliding cooperation with a vertically splined internal 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 water pressure within the cutting head is decreased.

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

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, wherein 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 thrust 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 coupled 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 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 including a drill stem and cutting head comprising boring means and cutting means which include fluid passages communicating within said cutting head;

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

allowing fluid to enter a cutting head;

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 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.