Decarbonization of coke ovens, and associated systems and methods

A method for treating carbonaceous material formed over an oven floor of a coke oven, the method comprising:

• providing a coke oven including an oven floor, and carbonaceous material deposited on the oven floor, wherein (i) the coke oven is at a first temperature, (ii) the carbonaceous material has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and (iii) a material of the oven floor has a second CTE different than the first CTE;
• cycling a temperature of the coke oven between a second temperature higher than the first temperature and a first temperature lower than the first temperature, such that a surface of the carbonaceous material contracts and/or expands at a rate differently than that of the material of the coke oven;
• and
• removing at least a portion of the carbanaceous material from the coke oven.

A system for decarbonizing a coke oven, comprising:

• a coke oven including—
• an oven floor, sidewalls extending from the oven floor, and a ceiling attached to the sidewalls and extending over the oven floor, and
• carbonaceous material covering at least a portion of the oven floor;
• a burner coupled to the coke oven and positioned to direct an oxidizing agent toward a chamber of the coke oven;
• a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature in the coke oven;
• and
• a control system coupled to the burner and the temperature sensor and configured to regulate the temperature in the coke oven based at least in part on a signal received from the temperature sensor, the control system being configured to:
• increase the temperature of the coke oven from a first temperature to a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
• reduce the temperature of the coke oven from the second temperature to a third temperature lower than the first temperature;
• and
• control the temperature of the coke oven substantially at the third temperature for a predetermined period of time.