Control method for flow-type reaction apparatus and control device

Abstract

To improve the control technology of a flow-type reaction apparatus.SOLUTION: A control method for a flow-type reaction apparatus 100 includes multiple reaction fields 120, 130, 140, and 150 that continuously supply two or more chemical substances respectively as raw materials, mix them, and advance chemical reactions, and is characterized by switching between an operating reaction field and a preliminary reaction field. This method includes obtaining a priority associated with each reaction field and determining which reaction field to operate according to the priority, where the priority is determined based on the operating experience data of each reaction field.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for controlling a flow reactor. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, batch processes have been common for manufacturing chemical substances, but they require active mixing (retention vortex diffusion) until molecular diffusion occurs, which means that it takes a long time to advance the chemical reaction. In addition, there is also the problem that the more production volume is increased, i.e., the larger the reactor, the more difficult it becomes to control the chemical reaction.

[0003] In this context, flow reactors, which are manufacturing equipment characterized by higher yields, lower costs, and higher safety than batch reactors, have been attracting attention. Another advantage of flow reactors is that they can be equipped with multiple reaction fields (numbering up), making it easy to scale up and improve equipment redundancy.

[0004] Patent Document 1 reports a microchemical reaction system in which multiple microchemical chips that serve as reaction fields are installed. In this system, when one reaction field becomes abnormal, the supply of raw materials to that reaction field is stopped and raw materials are supplied to a spare reaction field, allowing production to continue without changing the production volume per unit time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-222849 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Switching to a preliminary reaction field is a useful feature of a flow reactor. However, the development of a system for controlling it has not been established. Patent Document 1 reports a reaction system with four reaction fields, in which three of the four reaction fields are operated as stationary reaction fields and one is a preliminary reaction field to improve the redundancy of the device. However, if the device is operated according to the above-mentioned classification, there will be a difference in the operating time of the stationary reaction field and the preliminary reaction field. In addition, if multiple preliminary reaction fields are installed and case distinction is required for switching from the stationary reaction field, the switching pattern becomes complicated and it is necessary to build a control system for accurate control, but this is not described in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0007] In addition, in reaction systems in which solids are precipitated or in which corrosive gases are generated, equipment maintenance (cleaning, replacement of consumables, etc.) may be required at regular intervals. In systems in which the operating reaction sites are predetermined as described in the prior art, it is considered that a difference in cumulative operating time will occur between the operating reaction sites and the standby reaction sites. If equipment maintenance is performed all at once, it will be necessary to deal with reaction sites that are used less frequently, such as cleaning, or that do not require part replacement, which is economically undesirable. In addition, if maintenance is performed for each reaction site, it is undesirable because the equipment will be shut down for a longer period of time, or labor costs will be incurred due to the maintenance periods being dispersed.

[0008] In addition, the switching pattern to the preliminary reaction field is determined by the number of reaction fields installed in the system. For example, in the case of a system equipped with four reaction fields, two of which are used for production, there are 48 switching patterns, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B. Creating a control program that covers all of these requires a great deal of time and effort for production and debugging, and a simpler program format is required. As such, there was room for improvement in the control technology of flow reactors.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology of flow reactor control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Several aspects of the disclosure are set forth below.

[0011] [1] A method for controlling a flow reactor, which has a plurality of reaction fields in which two or more kinds of chemical substances as raw materials are continuously supplied and mixed and chemically reacted, and which switches between an operating reaction field and a preliminary reaction field, Obtaining a priority associated with each of the reaction fields; Determining a reaction field to be operated according to the priority; Including, A control method, wherein the priority is determined based on usage history data of each reaction field.

[0012] [2] The control method according to [1], wherein the usage history data includes at least one of a cumulative usage time and a cumulative number of uses of each reaction field.

[0013] [3] The control method according to [2], further comprising: A control method comprising: updating at least one of the accumulated usage time and the accumulated usage count in accordance with an operating status of a reaction field in operation, and updating the priority.

[0014] [4] The control method according to [1], wherein the priority is further determined based on characteristic data of each reaction field.

[0015] [5] The control method according to [1], further comprising: A control method comprising, when an abnormality is detected in an operating reaction field, stopping operation of the reaction field in which the abnormality is detected and raising the priority of a reaction field in which no abnormality is detected.

[0016] [6] The control method according to [1], further comprising: A control method, wherein a control program for executing the control method includes a subroutine program.

[0017] [7] A control device for controlling a flow reactor, which is characterized in that it has a control unit, continuously supplies two or more chemical substances as raw materials, has a plurality of reaction fields in which mixing and chemical reactions proceed, and switches between an operating reaction field and a preliminary reaction field, The control unit is Obtain the priority associated with each reaction field, A control device that determines a reaction field to be operated according to the priority, The control device, wherein the priority is determined based on usage history data of each reaction field. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The present disclosure provides an improvement in the control of flow reactors. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1A] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram of a switching pattern. [Figure 1B] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram of a switching pattern. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device included in a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart of a main program. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of a subroutine program. [Figure 7] 13 is an example of a user interface related to priority. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a table to which a subroutine program refers; [Figure 9] 13 is an example showing the contents of usage record data. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0022] The configuration of the system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] The system 1 includes a flow reactor 100 and a controller 200. The flow reactor 100 and the controller 200 are communicatively connected via a network or the like.

[0024] The flow reactor 100 has a plurality of reaction fields that continuously supply two or more chemical substances as raw materials, mix them, and cause chemical reactions, and is characterized by switching between the reaction field to be operated and the preliminary reaction field. The control device 200 is, for example, a computer such as a general-purpose electronic device or a dedicated electronic device. The control device 200 can communicate with the flow reactor 100 via a network. The control device 200 executes control related to the flow reactor 100, i.e., control for switching between the reaction field to be operated and the preliminary reaction field in the flow reactor 100.

[0025] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The control device 200 acquires a priority associated with each reaction field. The control device 200 determines which reaction field to operate according to the priority. Here, the priority is determined based on the usage history data of each reaction field.

[0026] In this manner, according to the present embodiment, the reaction field to be operated is determined according to the priority determined based on the usage history data of each reaction field, and therefore the control technology of the flow type reactor having the reaction field is improved in that the reaction field to be operated and the preliminary reaction field can be appropriately switched in consideration of the usage history data of each reaction field.

[0027] (Configuration of the flow reactor 100) As shown in Fig. 2, the flow type reactor 100 includes a gas cylinder 101, a pressure reducing valve 102, a tank 103, a liquid supply pump 104, a reaction field 120, a reaction field 130, a reaction field 140, a reaction field 150, and a post-reaction fluid junction 160. The reaction fields 120, 130, 140, and 150 are also referred to as reaction field a, reaction field b, reaction field c, and reaction field d, respectively, in this specification. Note that, although an example in which the flow type reactor 100 includes four reaction fields is shown here, the number of reaction fields is not limited thereto. The number of reaction fields may be less than four, or may be five or more.

[0028] The gas cylinder 101 stores the first raw material. Here, the first raw material is a gas, and the following description will be given assuming that the first raw material is a gas. The pressure reducing valve 102 is a valve that supplies the first raw material in the gas cylinder 101 to the reaction field at a desired pressure and flow rate. Instead of the pressure reducing valve 102, an orifice, a needle valve, a bellows valve, a pressure adjustment system combining a pressure gauge and an automatic valve, a cylinder cabinet, or the like may be used.

[0029] The tank 103 stores the second raw material. Here, the second raw material is a liquid, and the following description will be given assuming that the second raw material is a liquid. The liquid-transfer pump 104 is a pump that supplies the second raw material in the tank 103 to the reaction field at a given pressure and flow rate. The liquid-transfer pump 104 may be, for example, a reciprocating pump such as a diaphragm pump, a plunger pump, or a piston pump, a rotary pump, a non-positive-displacement pump, or the like.

[0030] The reaction field 120 (reaction field a) includes a flowmeter 121, a flowmeter 122, a mixing section 123, a reaction section 124, and a shutoff valve 125. The flowmeter 121 can control the flow rate of the first raw material. The flowmeter 121 can be any type capable of controlling the gas flow rate, and may be, for example, a mass flowmeter (mass flow controller, MFC). The flowmeter 122 can control the flow rate of the second raw material. The flowmeter 122 can be any type capable of controlling the liquid flow rate, and may be, for example, a combination of a flow measurement device (Coriolis flowmeter, ultrasonic flowmeter) and a flow control valve (needle valve, bellows valve, ball valve).

[0031] The mixing unit 123 is a mixer that mixes the first raw material and the second raw material. The mixing unit 123 may be any mixer that can mix a plurality of raw materials, and may be, for example, a T-shaped mixer or a Y-shaped mixer.

[0032] The reaction section 124 is a reactor that reacts the raw materials mixed in the mixer 123. The diameter and length of the reaction section 124 can be changed as desired depending on the type of reaction. For example, in the case of an exothermic reaction, the diameter can be made smaller to promote heat dissipation to the outside. In a reaction system with an extremely short reaction time, it is possible to shorten the length of the reactor or eliminate the reactor.

[0033] The shutoff valve 125 is a valve that separates the reaction section 124 from the post-reaction fluid junction section 160. Any valve that separates fluids can be used as the shutoff valve 125, and a diaphragm valve, a bellows valve, etc. can be used. A ball valve, etc., has a lower closing ability than a diaphragm valve, etc., but can be used to prevent leakage in reactions that produce solids, etc.

[0034] The reaction field 130 (reaction field b) includes a flowmeter 131, a flowmeter 132, a mixing section 133, a reaction section 134, and a shutoff valve 135. The flowmeter 131 can control the flow rate of the first raw material. The flowmeter 131 can be any type capable of controlling a gas flow rate, and may be, for example, a mass flowmeter (mass flow controller, MFC). The flowmeter 132 can control the flow rate of the second raw material. The flowmeter 132 can be any type capable of controlling a liquid flow rate, and may be, for example, a combination of a flow measurement device (Coriolis flowmeter, ultrasonic flowmeter) and a flow control valve (needle valve, bellows valve, ball valve).

[0035] The mixing unit 133 is a mixer that mixes the first raw material and the second raw material. The mixing unit 133 may be any mixer that can mix a plurality of raw materials, and may be, for example, a T-shaped mixer or a Y-shaped mixer.

[0036] The reaction section 134 is a reactor that reacts the raw materials mixed in the mixer 133. The diameter and length of the reaction section 134 can be changed as desired depending on the type of reaction. For example, in the case of an exothermic reaction, the diameter can be made smaller to promote heat dissipation to the outside. In a reaction system with an extremely short reaction time, it is possible to shorten the length of the reactor or eliminate the reactor.

[0037] The shutoff valve 135 is a valve that separates the reaction section 134 from the post-reaction fluid junction section 160. Any valve that separates fluids can be used as the shutoff valve 135, and a diaphragm valve, a bellows valve, etc. can be used. A ball valve, etc., has a lower closing ability than a diaphragm valve, etc., but can be used to prevent leakage in reactions that produce solids, etc.

[0038] The reaction field 140 (reaction field c) includes a flowmeter 141, a flowmeter 142, a mixing section 143, a reaction section 144, and a shutoff valve 145. The flowmeter 141 can control the flow rate of the first raw material. The flowmeter 141 can be any type capable of controlling the gas flow rate, and may be, for example, a mass flowmeter (mass flow controller, MFC). The flowmeter 142 can control the flow rate of the second raw material. The flowmeter 142 can be any type capable of controlling the liquid flow rate, and may be, for example, a combination of a flow measurement device (Coriolis flowmeter, ultrasonic flowmeter) and a flow control valve (needle valve, bellows valve, ball valve).

[0039] The mixing unit 143 is a mixer that mixes the first raw material and the second raw material. The mixing unit 143 may be any mixer that can mix a plurality of raw materials, and may be, for example, a T-shaped mixer or a Y-shaped mixer.

[0040] The reaction section 144 is a reactor that reacts the raw materials mixed in the mixer 143. The diameter and length of the reaction section 144 can be changed as desired depending on the type of reaction. For example, in the case of an exothermic reaction, the diameter can be made smaller to promote heat dissipation to the outside. In a reaction system with an extremely short reaction time, it is possible to shorten the length of the reactor or eliminate the reactor.

[0041] The shutoff valve 145 is a valve that separates the reaction section 144 from the post-reaction fluid junction section 160. Any valve that separates fluids can be used as the shutoff valve 145, and a diaphragm valve, a bellows valve, etc. can be used. A ball valve, etc., has a lower closing ability than a diaphragm valve, etc., but can be used to prevent leakage in reactions that produce solids, etc.

[0042] The reaction field 150 (reaction field d) includes a flowmeter 151, a flowmeter 152, a mixing section 153, a reaction section 154, and a shutoff valve 155. The flowmeter 151 can control the flow rate of the first raw material. The flowmeter 151 can be any type capable of controlling the gas flow rate, and may be, for example, a mass flowmeter (mass flow controller, MFC). The flowmeter 152 can control the flow rate of the second raw material. The flowmeter 152 can be any type capable of controlling the liquid flow rate, and may be, for example, a combination of a flow measurement device (Coriolis flowmeter, ultrasonic flowmeter) and a flow control valve (needle valve, bellows valve, ball valve).

[0043] The mixing unit 153 is a mixer that mixes the first raw material and the second raw material. The mixing unit 153 may be any mixer that can mix a plurality of raw materials, and may be, for example, a T-shaped mixer or a Y-shaped mixer.

[0044] The reaction section 154 is a reactor that reacts the raw materials mixed in the mixer 153. The diameter and length of the reaction section 154 can be changed as desired depending on the type of reaction. For example, in the case of an exothermic reaction, the diameter can be made smaller to promote heat dissipation to the outside. In a reaction system with an extremely short reaction time, it is possible to shorten the length of the reactor or eliminate the reactor.

[0045] The shutoff valve 155 is a valve that separates the reaction section 154 from the post-reaction fluid junction section 160. Any valve that separates fluids can be used as the shutoff valve 155, and a diaphragm valve, a bellows valve, etc. can be used. A ball valve, etc., has a lower closing ability than a diaphragm valve, etc., but can be used to prevent leakage in reactions that produce solids, etc.

[0046] The post-reaction fluid junction 160 assembles the fluids discharged from the shutoff valves 125, 135, 145, and 155 of the respective reaction fields. For example, the post-reaction fluid junction 160 may be a tube piping, a tank, or the like.

[0047] (Configuration of control device 200) As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 200 includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 203, an input unit 204, and an output unit 205.

[0048] The control unit 201 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 201 executes processes related to the operation of the control device 200 while controlling each part of the control device 200.

[0049] The storage unit 202 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 202 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 202 stores data used in the operation of the control device 200 and data obtained by the operation of the control device 200.

[0050] The communication unit 203 includes at least one external communication interface. The communication interface may be either a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation), or an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 203 receives data used in the operation of the control device 200, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the control device 200.

[0051] The input unit 204 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, or a touch screen integrally provided with a display. The input interface may also be, for example, a microphone that accepts voice input, or a camera that accepts gesture input. The input unit 204 accepts an operation to input data used for the operation of the control device 200. The input unit 204 may be connected to the control device 200 as an external input device instead of being provided in the control device 200. As a connection method, any method such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0052] The output unit 205 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display that outputs information as a video, or a speaker that outputs information as a sound. The display is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (electro luminescence) display. The output unit 205 displays and outputs data obtained by the operation of the control device 200. The output unit 205 may be connected to the control device 200 as an external output device instead of being provided in the control device 200. As a connection method, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0053] The functions of the control device 200 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor equivalent to the control device 200. That is, the functions of the control device 200 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the control device 200, thereby causing the computer to function as the control device 200. That is, the computer functions as the control device 200 by executing the operations of the control device 200 in accordance with the program.

[0054] In this embodiment, the computer temporarily stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transmitted from a server in a main storage device. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main storage device with a processor, and executes processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may read the program directly from the portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer may execute processing according to the received program each time it receives a program from an external server. The external server may not transmit a program to the computer, but may execute processing by a so-called ASP (application service provider) type service that realizes functions only by execution instructions and result acquisition. Programs include information used for processing by an electronic computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has a nature that specifies computer processing corresponds to "something equivalent to a program."

[0055] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The program is distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) on which the program is recorded. The program may also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0056] A part or all of the functions of the control device 200 may be realized by a dedicated circuit corresponding to the control unit 201. In other words, a part or all of the functions of the control device 200 may be realized by hardware.

[0057] (System 1 operation) The operation of the system 1 according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control executed by the control device 200 according to this embodiment.

[0058] Step S1: The control unit 201 of the control device 200 acquires a priority associated with each reaction field (here, reaction field a, reaction field b, reaction field c, and reaction field d). Here, the priority is determined based on the usage history data of each reaction field. The usage history data includes, for example, the cumulative usage time of each reaction field. That is, for example, the shorter the cumulative usage time, the higher the priority is determined. The usage history data may also include, for example, the cumulative number of times each reaction field has been used. In this embodiment, the usage history data will be described as including the cumulative usage time and cumulative number of times each reaction field has been used.

[0059] Any method can be adopted for acquiring the priority. For example, the memory unit 202 may store information on the priority of each reaction field, and the control unit 201 may acquire the priority from the memory unit 202. Alternatively, an external device may store information on the priority of each reaction field. In this case, the control unit 201 may acquire the priority from the external device via the communication unit 203.

[0060] Step S2: The control unit 201 determines which reaction fields to operate based on the acquired priorities. That is, the control unit 201 determines which reaction fields have higher priorities (here, the reaction fields with the first and second priorities) as the reaction fields to operate. On the other hand, the reaction fields with lower priorities than the higher priority reaction fields are determined as spare reaction fields. The control unit 201 then uses the determined reaction fields to carry out the target reaction process.

[0061] Step S3: The control unit 201 updates the usage history data of each reaction field. That is, it updates the usage history data of the reaction field determined and operated in step S2. Specifically, for example, the control unit 201 updates the usage history data by adding the actual usage time to the cumulative usage time of each reaction field. In addition, for example, the control unit 201 updates the usage history data by adding the cumulative number of times each reaction field is used. In addition, the control unit 201 updates the priority based on the updated usage history data. For example, the control unit 201 updates the priority of each reaction field based on the cumulative usage time of each reaction field in the usage history data, so that the shorter the cumulative usage time, the higher the priority.

[0062] According to the present embodiment, the reaction field to be operated is determined according to the priority determined based on the usage history data of each reaction field, and therefore the control technology of the flow reactor is improved in that the reaction field to be operated and the preliminary reaction field can be appropriately switched in consideration of the usage history data of each reaction field.

[0063] (Example of control program configuration) In order to carry out the above control method, any control program configuration may be adopted. For example, the control program for carrying out the above control method may include a main program and a subroutine program. The main program mainly controls devices other than devices related to the reaction field a, the reaction field b, the reaction field c, and the reaction field d. That is, in this embodiment, the main program mainly controls the pressure reducing valve 102 and the liquid sending pump 104. On the other hand, the subroutine program controls the reaction field a, the reaction field b, the reaction field c, and the reaction field d. That is, in this embodiment, the subroutine program controls the flowmeter 121, the flowmeter 122, the shutoff valve 125, the flowmeter 131, the flowmeter 132, the shutoff valve 135, the flowmeter 141, the flowmeter 142, the shutoff valve 145, the flowmeter 151, the flowmeter 152, and the shutoff valve 155.

[0064] Figures 5 and 6 show flowcharts of the main program and the subroutine program, respectively. As shown in Figure 5, the main program is divided into three steps, step I to step III. Step I includes the processes from step S100 to step S500. Step II includes the processes of step S600 and step S700. Step III includes the process of step S800. An example of the operation of the main program and the subroutine program will be described below.

[0065] (Example of main program operation) Step S100: The main program causes the control unit 201 of the control device 200 to execute a process of prompting the user to input the priority of the reaction field to be used (hereinafter also referred to as the production reaction field). FIG. 5 shows, for example, a case where the priorities of reaction field a and reaction field b are 1 and 2, respectively. Here, the priority is, for example, a numerical value of 1, 2, 3, or 4, and the smaller the numerical value, the higher the priority. Note that the priority input here is treated as an initial value. In other words, regardless of the usage history data, a default priority is set by the user input.

[0066] Step S200: The main program causes the control unit 201 to execute a process of prompting the user to input the priority of the preliminary reaction field (hereinafter also referred to as the switching reaction field). In FIG. 5, for example, the priorities of reaction field c and reaction field d are shown as 3 and 4, respectively. Note that the priority input here is treated as an initial value. In other words, regardless of the usage history data, the default priority is set by the user input.

[0067] Step S300: The main program causes the control unit 201 to execute a process of selecting a reaction field to be used based on priority. In Fig. 5, reaction fields a and b are selected as source reaction fields, and reaction fields c and d are selected as destination reaction fields.

[0068] In steps S100 and S200, any method can be used to input the priority. For example, a user interface may be displayed by the output unit 205, and an input by a user may be accepted by the input unit 204. An example of such a user interface is shown in Fig. 7. The example in Fig. 7 shows a case where reaction fields a and b are used at the start of production, and reaction fields c and d are set as reaction fields to be switched to.

[0069] Step S400: The main program causes the control unit 201 to execute a process to determine whether there is a problem with the input and processed values. If there is no problem and the selection of the manufacturer is complete, the process proceeds to step S500. On the other hand, if there is a problem and the selection of the manufacturer is not complete, the process returns to S100. If there is a problem, for example, the process may be in a case where there is overlap in the specified reaction fields, or where priority is not specified, etc.

[0070] Step S500: The main program causes the control unit 201 to start controlling the pressure reducing valve 102 and the liquid sending pump 104. At this stage, the control of any of the reaction fields has not been started, and therefore no raw material fluid is supplied to any of the reaction fields.

[0071] Step S600: The main program causes the control unit 201 to execute a subroutine program. As a variable n (hereinafter also referred to as argument n) related to the subroutine program, a variable corresponding to the reaction field selected as the production destination reaction field in step S300 is passed. Here, the variables corresponding to reaction field a, reaction field b, reaction field c, and reaction field d are a, b, c, and d, respectively. In step S300 of FIG. 5, since reaction field a and reaction field b are selected as the production destination reaction field, a and b become argument n of the subroutine program. By inputting a and b as argument n, the subroutine program is operated, and production is performed in each reaction field (here, reaction field a and reaction field b). The subroutine program will be described later.

[0072] Step S700: The main program causes the control unit 201 to monitor the operation status of the subroutine program. If the operation of the subroutine program has ended, the process proceeds to step S800. On the other hand, if the operation of the subroutine program has not ended, the process waits for the operation of the subroutine program to end.

[0073] Step S800: The main program causes the control unit 201 to stop controlling the pressure reducing valve 102 and the liquid sending pump 104. Then, the manufacturing process is completed.

[0074] (Example of subroutine program operation) The subroutine program is a program that controls equipment for each reaction field. By referring to the value input to the argument n in step S600 of the main program, the subroutine program executes control of the target equipment. Here, the subroutine program may refer to a table that associates the argument n with each equipment of each reaction field. FIG. 8 shows an example of the table that the subroutine program refers to. As shown in FIG. 8, the table associates the value of the argument corresponding to the reaction field with the equipment related to each reaction field (here, a flow meter and a shutoff valve). m1, m2, and l are local variables within the subroutine program. Specifically, m1, m2, and l are variables indicating the first flow meter, the second flow meter, and the shutoff valve, respectively. In this embodiment, the variables m1 corresponding to the flow meter 121, the flow meter 131, the flow meter 141, and the flow meter 151 are 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. Furthermore, variables m2 corresponding to flowmeter 122, flowmeter 132, flowmeter 142, and flowmeter 152 are 2, 4, 6, and 8, respectively. Variables l corresponding to shutoff valve 125, shutoff valve 135, shutoff valve 145, and shutoff valve 155 are 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. For example, when the argument is a, the subroutine program sets flowmeter 121, flowmeter 122, and shutoff valve 125 as devices to be controlled.

[0075] 8 is stored, for example, in the storage unit 202 of the control device 200. Each operation of the subroutine program will be described below. Here, the description will be given on the assumption that a and b are input to the argument n.

[0076] Step S601: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to start controlling the flow meters corresponding to the local variables m1 and m2. Specifically, the control of the flow meters 121 and 122, and the flow meters 131 and 132 is started here. When the control of each flow meter is started, the first raw material is supplied to the mixing unit 123 and the mixing unit 133.

[0077] Step S602: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to count the accumulated operating time. Specifically, the control unit 201 starts accumulating the operating time of reaction field a and reaction field b, which are the reaction fields input to the argument n. The contents of the usage history data (here, the accumulated number of uses and the accumulated operating time) may be displayed by an interface such as a management screen. An example of the contents of the usage history data is shown in FIG. 9.

[0078] Step S603: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to count the cumulative number of uses. Specifically, the control unit 201 increments the cumulative number of uses of the reaction fields a and b, which are the reaction fields input to the argument n.

[0079] Step S604: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to start controlling the shutoff valve corresponding to the local variable 1. Specifically, the control of the shutoff valve 125 and the shutoff valve 135 is started here. That is, the shutoff valve 125 and the shutoff valve 135 are opened, and the reacted fluid flows through the reacted fluid junction 160 and is transported to the subsequent stage. FIG. 10 shows the state of the system 1 at this time. As shown in FIG. 10, the control of the flowmeter 141 and the flowmeter 142, and the flowmeter 151 and the flowmeter 152 has not been started. Therefore, the raw material is not supplied to the reaction field c and the reaction field d.

[0080] Step S605: The subroutine program monitors the end of production state and abnormal state of the flow reactor 100. When an abnormal state occurs in the reaction field, the reaction field where the abnormality occurred is stopped and switched to the target reaction field, thereby continuing production. For example, the subroutine program can detect the end of production state using the following values ​​as triggers. -Loss of the first ingredient -Loss of second ingredient - A certain period of time has passed since production Further, for example, the subroutine program can detect an abnormal state using the following values ​​as triggers. - Flow meter failure or flow rate abnormality of local variable m1 · Flow meter failure or flow rate abnormality of local variable m2 Pressure and temperature anomalies in the reaction field indicated by the argument n If the end of the production of the reaction field is detected, the process proceeds to step S606. On the other hand, if an abnormality in the reaction field is detected, the process proceeds to step S609.

[0081] Step S606: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to stop controlling the shutoff valve corresponding to the local variable 1. Specifically, here, the control of the shutoff valve 125 and the shutoff valve 135 is stopped.

[0082] Step S607: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to stop the control of the flowmeters corresponding to the local variables m1 and m2. Specifically, the control of the flowmeters 121 and 122, and the flowmeters 131 and 132 is stopped here, and the production in the operating reaction field is stopped.

[0083] Step S608: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to stop integrating the operation time of the reaction field corresponding to the argument n. Specifically, the integration of the operation time of the reaction field a and the reaction field b is stopped here, and the subroutine program ends.

[0084] Step S609: When an abnormality is detected in step S605, the subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to execute a process of raising the priority. For example, when an abnormal state occurs in the reaction field a, the priority value of the reaction field a where the abnormality occurred is deleted. When the priority value is deleted, the priority of the reaction field where no abnormality occurs is raised. Specifically, the priorities of the reaction fields with priorities 2, 3, and 4 are raised to priorities 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Here, the switching destination reaction field c, which had a priority of 3, becomes the manufacturing destination of priority 2. The process then proceeds to steps S601 and S610. That is, for the reaction field whose priority has been raised, the process proceeds to step S601, where control is performed on the manufacturing destination reaction field. On the other hand, for the reaction field whose priority has been deleted, the stop process from step S610 onwards is performed. In other words, the reaction field whose priority has been deleted is treated as the lowest priority reaction field after the abnormality is restored, and can be continuously manufactured.

[0085] Step S610: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to stop the control of the shutoff valve corresponding to the local variable 1 related to the abnormal reaction field. For example, when the reaction field a is the abnormal reaction field, the control of the shutoff valve 125 is stopped.

[0086] Step S611: The subroutine program causes the control unit 201 to stop the control of the flowmeters corresponding to the local variables m1 and m2 related to the reaction field of the abnormal object. Specifically, the control of the flowmeters 121 and 122, and the flowmeters 131 and 132 is stopped here. This stops the production in the reaction field of the abnormal object.

[0087] Fig. 11 shows the state of the system 1 when an abnormality occurs in the reaction field a. As shown in Fig. 11, the control of the flowmeter 141 and the flowmeter 142 is started, and the control of the flowmeter 121, the flowmeter 122, and the shutoff valve 125 is stopped, so that raw materials are supplied to the reaction field b and the reaction field c, and production is performed in the reaction field c instead of the reaction field a.

[0088] Fig. 12 shows the state of the system 1 when an abnormality occurs in reaction field b in addition to reaction field a. As shown in Fig. 12, the control of flowmeter 151 and flowmeter 152 is started, and the control of flowmeter 131, flowmeter 132, and shutoff valve 135 is stopped. As a result, raw materials are supplied to reaction field c and reaction field d, and production is performed in reaction field c and reaction field d instead of reaction field a and reaction field b.

[0089] (Example) An example of operation using the control method according to this embodiment in a gas / liquid reaction flow reactor having five reaction fields (hereinafter also referred to as reaction field a, reaction field b, reaction field c, reaction field d, and reaction field e) is shown below. Of the five reaction fields, two reaction fields were operated, and production was carried out with the remaining three reaction fields as spare reaction fields. The status of the operating reaction fields was monitored using a gas flow meter / liquid flow meter and a pressure gauge installed around the mixing section. Production was carried out five times using the above program, and the reaction field switching control and device stability were evaluated. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1. A for device stability indicates good, and B indicates poor.

[0090] [Table 1]

[0091] As shown in Table 1, by controlling the flow reactor using the control method according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately switch between the reaction field to be operated and the preliminary reaction field in consideration of the usage data of each reaction field. It is also possible to maintain the stability of the flow reactor.

[0092] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0093] For example, in this embodiment, the usage history data includes the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses of each reaction field, but is not limited to this. The usage history data may be only one of the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses of each reaction field. In this case, the priority is determined by one of the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses. For example, the shorter the cumulative usage time or the smaller the cumulative number of uses, the higher the priority is set. In other words, the usage history data includes at least one of the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses of each reaction field. And the priority may be determined based on at least one of the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses of each reaction field. Here, when the priority is determined based on both the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses, the priority may be determined by a value obtained by multiplying the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses by a weighting coefficient, respectively. In this case, the weighting coefficient may be adjusted so that the cumulative usage time is prioritized. Furthermore, in this case, at least one of the cumulative usage time and the cumulative number of uses is updated according to the operating status of the reaction field in operation.

[0094] In the present embodiment, the priority is determined based on the usage record data of each reaction field, but this is not limited to the above. The priority may also be determined based on the characteristic data of each reaction field. The characteristic data may include, for example, the durability, size, past abnormal stop history, and cause of abnormal stop of the reaction field. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1. System 1 100 Flow reactor 100 200 Control device 101 Gas Cylinder 101 102 Pressure reducing valve 103 Tank 104 Liquid delivery pump 120, 130, 140, 150 reaction field 160 Post-reaction fluid junction 121, 131, 141, 151 flowmeter 122, 132, 142, 152 flowmeter 123, 133, 143, 153 Mixing section 124, 134, 144, 154 Reaction section 125, 135, 145, 155 Shut-off valve 201 Control section 202 Storage section 203 Communications Department 204 Input section 205 Output section

Claims

1. A method for controlling a flow reactor, which has a plurality of reaction fields in which two or more kinds of chemical substances as raw materials are continuously supplied and mixed and chemically reacted, and which switches between an operating reaction field and a preliminary reaction field, comprising the steps of: Obtaining a priority associated with each of the reaction fields; Determining a reaction field to be operated according to the priority; Including, A control method, wherein the priority is determined based on usage history data of each reaction field.

2. 2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the usage history data includes at least one of an accumulated usage time and an accumulated number of uses of each reaction field.

3. The control method according to claim 2, further comprising: A control method comprising: updating at least one of the accumulated usage time and the accumulated usage count in accordance with an operating status of a reaction field in operation, and updating the priority.

4. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the priority is further determined based on characteristic data of each reaction field.

5. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: A control method comprising, when an abnormality is detected in an operating reaction field, stopping operation of the reaction field in which the abnormality is detected and raising the priority of a reaction field in which no abnormality is detected.

6. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: A control method, wherein a control program for executing the control method includes a subroutine program.

7. A control device for controlling a flow reactor, which is characterized in that the control device has a control unit, and has a plurality of reaction fields in which two or more kinds of chemical substances as raw materials are continuously supplied, mixing and chemical reactions are carried out, and the control device switches between an operating reaction field and a preliminary reaction field, The control unit is Obtain the priority associated with each reaction field, A control device that determines a reaction field to be operated according to the priority, The control device, wherein the priority is determined based on usage history data of each reaction field.

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