Method and apparatus for compacting coal for a coal coking process

A relatively high speed method for increasing the bulk density of coal particles without impacting the coal particles to provide an elongate bed of dry, compacted coal for charging to a coking oven, the method comprising the steps of:

• depositing coal particles onto a charging plate external to a coking oven, the charging plate having side walls, and at least one movable end wall to provide an elongate bed of dry, uncompacted coal having an upper surface on the charging plate;
• and
• compacting the uncompacted coal by rolling a vibratory cylindrical compactor along a length of the uncompacted coal for a number of passes sufficient to decrease a thickness of the bed of coal to less than about 80 percent of an original thickness of the uncompacted coal, wherein the vibratory cylindrical compactor has a length to diameter ratio ranging from about 1.4:1 to about 2:1 and a compaction energy output ranging from about 2 to about 5 kilograms-force meter per second.