Method and apparatus for selective after-quenching of coke on a coke bench

Method for selective after-quenching of prequenched hot coke during the time it is lying on a coke bench for final cooling prior to being discharged onto a coke bench draw-off belt or the like, and which has been previous produced in a coke oven and thereafter prequenched prior to reaching the coke bench for such final cooling, which comprising the steps of

• (a) sensing and recording the temperature of such prequenched hot coke lying on the coke bench with reference to a desired temperature value, such that the sensing and recording are substantially continuously carried out over the entire area of the hot coke on the coke bench for detecting locally occurring individual red hot pockets in the hot coke having a temperature above said desired value,
• (b) upon each such detection automatically after-quenching with a water spray selectively only such detected locally occurring individual red hot pocket in controlled manner in dependence upon the sensed and recorded temperature and only for the minimum time of spraying sufficient for decreasing the temperature of such red hot pocket to below said desired value, wherein the individual red hot pockets of coke are selectively detected and quenched by respective at least one temperature sensor and at least one quench nozzle, both movable over the hot coke.