What are the consequences of insufficient suction in coke oven flues?

Insufficient draught in the coke oven flue can have multifaceted effects, primarily including the following:

Impact on vertical flue temperature: Inadequate draught causes flue gas to linger excessively within the oven, preventing efficient heat utilisation and consequently lowering vertical flue temperatures. This reduction directly impacts the coking process, potentially diminishing coke quality.

Impact on Gas Flow Velocity and Direction within the Coke Oven: Variations in flue draught affect gas flow velocity and direction within the oven. Insufficient draught may cause sluggish or unstable gas flow, impairing heat transfer and distribution, and consequently affecting the thermal performance of the entire coke oven.

Impact on combustion efficiency: Insufficient flue draught leads to incomplete combustion within the combustion chamber, increasing emissions of harmful substances such as black smoke. This not only pollutes the environment but may also damage coke oven equipment.

Safety concerns: In extreme cases, if inadequate flue draught allows significant quantities of combustible gases to enter the flue and chimney, reaching explosive limits could trigger an explosion. Such safety hazards pose a severe threat to the operational safety of coke oven production. Indeed, coking plants have experienced explosions due to inadequate flue draught, resulting in severe chimney damage.

In summary, insufficient flue draught significantly impacts both the normal operation and safe production of coke ovens. Therefore, during coke oven operation, close monitoring of flue draught variations is essential, with timely adjustments made according to actual conditions to ensure stable operation and safe production.