Systems and methods for controlling air distribution in a coke oven

A method of controlling air distribution within a coke oven, the method comprising:

• inletting air from an air inlet into an oven chamber, the oven chamber comprising a floor, a crown, and a plurality of sidewalls connecting the floor and the crown, wherein at least one of the sidewalls comprises a door;
• using a distributor that extends at least partially into the chamber to alter a pathway of the air in the oven chamber;
• the distributor having an inlet end portion in fluid communication with the air inlet, an outlet end portion opposite the inlet end portion, a fluid pathway extending between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion, an impingement plate generally orthogonal to an axis extending between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion, and at least one outlet aperture adjacent the impingement plate in fluid communication with the fluid pathway between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion;
• the at least one outlet aperture positioned to face away from the oven floor;
• and
• heating the air along the fluid pathway extending between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion of the distributor.

A coke oven system, comprising:

• an oven chamber;
• an air inlet in fluid communication with the oven chamber, the air inlet being configured to supply gas to the oven chamber;
• a distributor having an inlet end portion, in fluid communication with the air inlet, an outlet end portion opposite the inlet end portion, a fluid pathway extending between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion, an impingement plate generally orthogonal to an axis extending between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion, and at least one outlet aperture adjacent the impingement plate in fluid communication with the fluid pathway between the inlet end portion and the outlet end portion;
• the at least one outlet aperture positioned to face away from an oven floor within the oven chamber;
• an inlet damper in fluid communication with at least one of the distributor or the air inlet, the inlet damper being positioned at any one of a plurality of positions including fully opened and fully closed, the inlet damper configured to control an oven draft;
• an actuator configured to alter the position of the inlet damper between the plurality of positions in response to a position instruction;
• and
• a controller in communication with the actuator and configured to provide the position instruction to the actuator.