Method of operation of nonrecovery coke oven battery

A method of controlling the operation of an elongated nonrecovery coke oven in a battery including a plurality of such coke ovens constructed in side-by-side relation with each pair of adjacent ovens separated by a common sidewall, a separate system of sole flues located beneath the opposite ends of each of the ovens, a plurality of downcomers in each of the common sidewalls connecting the upper portion of each adjacent oven to one of the sole flue systems beneath that oven, a plurality of uptakes in each of the common sidewalls including at least one uptake connected to one of the sole flue systems beneath that oven, an elongated common exhaust tunnel extending above and transversely of the ovens in the battery, a stack connected to the exhaust tunnel and extending upwardly therefrom, and a duct system connecting the exhaust tunnel to said uptakes to provide a continuous gas flow path from each oven through said downcomers, sole flue systems, uptakes, duct system, exhaust tunnel and stack to the atmosphere, said duct system including separate duct means connecting said exhaust tunnel to said at least one uptake connected to each said sole flue system and draft regulating valve means in each said separate duct means, said draft regulating valve means being operable to control the flow of hot flue gases therethrough, the improvement comprising the steps of

• determining the desired temperature within said oven,
• sensing the temperature within said oven and producing a signal representative of the sensed temperature,
• comparing the sensed temperature in said oven to the desired temperature,
• adjusting the draft to said oven by adjusting the position of the draft regulating valve means connected through said duct means and said uptake means to the sole flue system beneath both ends of said oven in response to a predetermined difference between the sensed temperature and the desired temperature to thereby regulate the temperature in the oven,
• determining the temperature in the sole flue system beneath each end of said oven and comparing the determined sole flue temperatures, and
• adjusting the draft to one of said sole flue systems by adjusting the position of the draft regulating valve means in said duct means connected through said at least one uptake to said one sole flue system in response to a predetermined difference in the temperature in said sole flue systems beneath each end of the oven to thereby equalize the temperature in said sole flue systems beneath each end of said oven.