Safety system and method for a coking facility
OwnerRick TerWisscha, Guy Maakadinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A safety system for a coking facility where there is a coke drum and a drill assembly. When the coke accumulates in the drum, a drill head of the drill assembly is lowered into the coke drum to emit high pressure water jets to remove the coke from the coke drum. There is a enclosing structure with an access door which is fixedly mounted at a location above an upper opening of the coke drum, so that when the drill head is moved out of the coke drum and there is an accidental jet water discharge, it will be redirected at a location within the enclosing structure. Interlock systems are provided.
Claims20
A safety system for use in a coking facility where there is a coke drum having an upper end opening defined by a surrounding opening structure of the coke drum, and a drill assembly comprising a drill stem, a drill head at a lower end portion of the drill stem, and a liquid discharge system to provide high pressure liquid for a liquid discharge section of the liquid discharge system at said drill head, said drill assembly being arranged to raise and lower said drill head between a lower operating location where the liquid discharge section is positioned to emit a liquid jet discharge in said coke drum for removal of coke material in the drum, and having an upper retracted position at a retracted location where said drill head is located above said drum, said system comprising:
- a) an enclosing structure which is located above the upper end opening of the coke drum so as to enclose the retracted location in a manner that if the drill head is in the retracted location and emits a jet discharge therefrom, said enclosing structure causes the jet discharge to be redirected in the enclosing structure;
- b) an access system which comprises an opening structure in said enclosing structure to provide access to said drill head in its retracted position, and a door which is movable between a closed position and an open position, with the door in its closed position blocking the jet discharge from passing out through the access opening, and with the door in its open position permitting access to the drill head inside said enclosing structure.
A method for providing increased safety and reducing personnel exposure in a coking facility where there is a coke drum having an upper end opening defined by a surrounding opening structure of the coke drum, and a drill assembly comprising a drill stem, a drill head at a lower end portion of the drill stem, and a liquid discharge system to provide high pressure liquid for a liquid discharge section of the liquid discharge system at said drill head, said drill assembly being arranged to raise and lower said drill head between a lower operating location where the liquid discharge section is positioned to emit a liquid jet discharge in said coke drum for removal of coke material in the drum, and having an upper retracted position at a retracted location where said drill head is located above said drum, said method comprising:
- a) positioning an enclosing structure above the upper end opening of the coke drum so as to enclose the retracted location in a manner that if the drill head is in the retracted location and emits a jet discharge therefrom, the enclosing structure functions to redirect the jet discharge;
- b) providing access through said enclosing structure to said operating head in its retracted position by providing an access opening in the enclosing structure and also providing a door which is movable between a closed position and an open position, with the door in its closed position blocking the jet discharge from passing out through the access opening, and with the door in its open position permitting access to the drill head inside said enclosing structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.