Mathematical models of the thermal decomposition of coal. 5. Distribution of gas flow in a coke oven charge

One of the main uncertainties in analysing the coking process is the path followed by the volatile gases as they leave the oven. The objective of this study was to make a first attempt at developing a model for determining the gas flow distribution within an oven during carbonization. The model reported in this Paper consists of a combination of a coke-oven temperature history model together with a numerical implementation of a theory to describe compressible gas flow through porous media in the presence of sources and sinks. The use of the model is illustrated in the prediction of steam flow paths, together with an assessment of the influence of the bed voidage on the gas flow. Although the model involves a number of simplifying assumptions, the predictions compare well, in a qualitative sense, with earlier descriptions of gas flow in coke ovens.