Chemical product manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique which can deal with variation in a demand amount of a chemical product and variation in a generation amount of raw material gas, without requiring much cost.SOLUTION: A chemical product manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a chemical product from raw material gas includes: a plurality of reactors which are arranged side by side and store a catalyst for promoting a synthetic reaction of a chemical product using the raw material gas; a raw material gas supply line capable of supplying the raw material gas to each of the reactors; a supply flow rate adjustment part which is provided on the raw material gas supply line, and can adjust a supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors; and a delivery gas assembly line for collecting delivery gas delivered from each of the reactors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemical product manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, chemical products such as hydrocarbons and ammonia are produced using one large reactor or multiple reactors. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of synthesizing ammonia in multiple reactors arranged in parallel by alternately introducing nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas as raw material gases into each of the parallel reactors. Patent Document 2 discloses an ammonia synthesis system in which nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas as raw material gases are supplied to multiple reactors connected in series to synthesize ammonia in each of the parallel reactors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-213533 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-66573 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the manufacture of chemical products, the scale of production may be required to be adjusted according to fluctuations in the demand for the chemical products. In addition, when the raw material gas used as the raw material for the chemical products is generated using renewable energy that varies depending on the season, weather, etc., the scale of production may also be required to be adjusted according to fluctuations in the amount of raw material gas produced. In order to meet such demands, it would be very costly to prepare various chemical product manufacturing devices with different production scales. For this reason, there has been a demand for a chemical product manufacturing device that can respond to fluctuations in the demand for chemical products and fluctuations in the amount of raw material gas produced without incurring a large cost. Note that the methods and systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not take into consideration the case where the scale of production is required to be adjusted.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can respond to fluctuations in demand for chemical products and fluctuations in the production amount of raw material gas without incurring significant costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following forms.

[0007] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chemical production apparatus for producing a chemical product from a raw material gas, the chemical production apparatus comprising: a plurality of reactors arranged in parallel and accommodating a catalyst for promoting a synthesis reaction of the chemical product using the raw material gas; a raw material gas supply line capable of supplying the raw material gas to each of the reactors; a supply flow rate adjustment unit provided in the raw material gas supply line capable of adjusting the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors; and a delivery gas collection line for collecting delivery gases delivered from each of the reactors.

[0008] According to this configuration, the supply flow rate adjusting unit adjusts the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each reactor, thereby adjusting the number of reactors in which the synthesis reaction of the chemical product is carried out, and therefore the scale of production of the chemical product by the chemical product production apparatus can be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, a single chemical product production apparatus can be used to deal with fluctuations in the demand for the chemical product without requiring a large cost for preparing various chemical product production apparatuses with different production scales. In addition, when the raw material gas is produced using renewable energy, a single chemical product production apparatus can be used to deal with fluctuations in the production amount of the raw material gas without requiring a large cost. In addition, according to this configuration, the delivery gas collected from each reactor is collected by the delivery gas collecting line. Therefore, even if the synthesis performance of the chemical product varies in each reactor, the variation is leveled by collecting the delivery gas by the delivery gas collecting line, and therefore the effect of the variation in the synthesis performance of each reactor on the synthesis performance of the entire chemical product production apparatus can be reduced.

[0009] (2) The chemical product manufacturing apparatus of the above embodiment may further include a separator that separates the discharge gas containing the chemical product into the chemical product and the unreacted raw material gas, and an unreacted raw material gas circulation line that circulates the unreacted raw material gas separated by the separator to the raw material gas supply line. According to this configuration, the unreacted raw material gas can be circulated to the raw material gas supply line, and therefore the unreacted raw material gas can be reused in the synthesis reaction of chemical products in the reactor.

[0010] (3) The chemical product manufacturing apparatus of the above embodiment may further include a control unit that controls the chemical product manufacturing apparatus, and the control unit may control adjustment of the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors by the supply flow rate adjustment unit based on a set synthesis rate of the chemical product and a temperature of the catalyst in each of the reactors. There is a strong correlation between the temperature of the catalyst and the synthesis rate of the chemical product. With this configuration, the control unit can adjust the synthesis rate of the chemical product to a set synthesis rate by controlling the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to adjust the temperature of the catalyst.

[0011] (4) The chemical product manufacturing apparatus of the above embodiment may further include at least one of a raw material gas storage unit that stores the raw material gas to be circulated through the raw material gas supply line and is capable of detecting the amount of the raw material gas stored, and a chemical product storage unit that stores the chemical product separated in the separator and is capable of detecting the amount of the chemical product stored, and the control unit may set the set synthesis rate based on at least one of the amount of the raw material gas stored, the amount of the chemical product stored, and the demand amount of the chemical product. According to this configuration, an appropriate set combined speed can be set.

[0012] (5) The chemical production apparatus of the above aspect may further include a heat exchange line through which the discharge gas can flow, at a position where heat exchange with at least one of the catalyst and the raw material gas supply line can be performed. The discharge gas is at a relatively high temperature due to heat generated by the synthesis reaction of chemical products in the reactor. According to this configuration, the temperature of at least one of the catalyst and the raw material gas supply line can be increased by circulating such a relatively high-temperature discharge gas through the heat exchange line. As a result, the reaction efficiency of the synthesis reaction of chemical products in the reactor can be improved. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the discharge gas is used to heat the catalyst and the raw material gas supply line, so that the energy consumed by a heater or the like for heating the catalyst and the raw material gas supply line can be reduced.

[0013] (6) The chemical production apparatus of the above embodiment further includes a control unit for controlling the chemical production apparatus, a catalyst regeneration gas line capable of supplying a catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors, a gas supply switching unit capable of switching between supplying the raw material gas and supplying the catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors, and a delivery gas flow switching unit capable of switching between discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical production apparatus and circulating the delivery gas to the downstream side of the delivery gas collection line, and when there is a reactor containing the catalyst at a temperature lower than a regeneration reference temperature determined based on the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor and the gas ratio in the raw material gas, the control unit may control the gas supply switching unit and the delivery gas flow switching unit to perform a regeneration process in which the catalyst regeneration gas is supplied to the reactor and the delivery gas delivered from the reactor is discharged to the outside of the chemical production apparatus. According to this configuration, when the temperature of the catalyst is lower than the regeneration reference temperature, it is deemed that the catalyst is highly likely to be degraded, and a catalyst regeneration gas can be supplied to the reactor containing the catalyst, and an output gas containing the supplied catalyst regeneration gas can be discharged to the outside of the chemical production equipment. In other words, a regeneration process can be carried out to regenerate the catalyst deemed to be degraded.

[0014] (7) The chemical product manufacturing apparatus of the above embodiment may further include a control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus, and each of the reactors may be configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply line and the delivery gas collection line, and the control unit may issue an alert to encourage replacement of a reactor when a reactor containing the catalyst at a temperature lower than a replacement reference temperature determined based on a supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor and a gas ratio in the raw material gas is present. According to this configuration, when the temperature of the catalyst is lower than the replacement reference temperature, it is considered that the catalyst is highly likely to be deteriorated, and a notification can be issued to encourage the replacement of the reactor containing the catalyst. Also, according to this configuration, since each reactor is configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply line and the delivery gas collecting line, the reactor notified as the replacement target can be removed from the raw material gas supply line and the delivery gas collecting line, and a new reactor can be attached to the raw material gas supply line and the delivery gas collecting line.

[0015] The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a system including a chemical product manufacturing apparatus, a control method for the chemical product manufacturing apparatus and system, a computer program for causing these apparatus and systems to carry out the manufacture of chemical products, a server device for distributing this computer program, and a non-transitory storage medium on which the computer program is stored. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the production of chemical products using a chemical product production apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the double-tube structure and heat exchange line of the reactor. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a regeneration process for a reactor. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a replacement process for a reactor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing a chemical product from a raw material gas. In this embodiment, the raw material gas is hydrogen or carbon dioxide, and the chemical product is a hydrocarbon or alcohol. When ammonia is synthesized as the chemical product, the raw material gas may be hydrogen or nitrogen. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 5, raw material gas storage units 11 and 12, raw material gas delivery lines La1 and La2, a mixer 20, a raw material gas supply line Lb, reactors R1 to R3, a delivery gas collection line Ld, a separator 30, a chemical product storage unit 40, an unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le, an unreacted raw material gas storage unit 50, and an unreacted raw material gas pressure boosting mechanism 60.

[0018] The control unit 5 is a computer including a ROM, a RAM, and a CPU, and performs various controls of the chemical production apparatus 1. The raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 store raw material gas. In this embodiment, hydrogen is stored in the raw material gas storage unit 11, and carbon dioxide is stored in the raw material gas storage unit 12. The raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 are provided with pressure gauges P1 and P2, respectively. The amount of raw material gas stored in the raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 can be detected by the measured values ​​indicated by the pressure gauges P1 and P2.

[0019] The raw material gas delivery lines La1 and La2 are pipes that connect the raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 to the mixer 20 and define a flow path for delivering the raw material gas from the raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 to the mixer 20. The raw material gas delivery lines La1 and La2 are provided with raw material gas delivery rate adjustment units A1 and A2. The raw material gas delivery rate adjustment units A1 and A2 are adjustment valves that can adjust the delivery rate of the raw material gas. The mixer 20 mixes the raw material gas (hydrogen and carbon dioxide) supplied from the raw material gas storage units 11 and 12.

[0020] The raw gas supply line Lb is a pipe that connects the mixer 20 and the reactors R1 to R3 and defines a flow path capable of supplying the raw gas to each of the reactors R1 to R3. The raw gas supply line Lb is connected to each of the reactors R1 to R3 as the raw gas supply lines Lb1 to Lb3. The reactors R1 to R3 are arranged in parallel and contain catalysts C1 to C3 that promote the synthesis reaction of chemical products using the raw gas. The reactors R1 to R3 are provided with thermocouples T1 to T3 that measure the temperature of the catalysts C1 to C3. The supply flow rate adjustment units B1 to B3 are provided on the raw gas supply lines Lb1 to Lb3 and are adjustment valves that can adjust the supply flow rate of the raw gas to each of the reactors R1 to R3. The raw gas supplied to the reactors R1 to R3 is a gas in a state in which hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which are raw gases, are mixed. In addition, hereinafter, the reactors R1 to R3 and the catalysts C1 to C3 may be collectively referred to as the reactor R and the catalyst C.

[0021] The catalyst regeneration gas line Lf is a pipe that connects a regeneration gas supply source (not shown) and the raw gas supply line Lb and defines a flow path capable of supplying the catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors R1 to R3. The catalyst regeneration gas line Lf is connected to the raw gas supply line Lb via gas supply switching units F1 to F3 described later. The catalyst regeneration gas line Lf is provided with a catalyst regeneration gas output adjustment unit F0. The catalyst regeneration gas output adjustment unit F0 is a regulation valve capable of adjusting the output amount of the catalyst regeneration gas. The parts of the catalyst regeneration gas line Lf that are connected to each of the gas supply switching units F1 to F3 are catalyst regeneration gas lines Lf1 to Lf3. The gas supply switching units F1 to F3 are provided in the raw gas supply lines Lb1 to Lb3 and are three-way valves capable of switching between the supply of the raw gas and the supply of the catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors.

[0022] The delivery gas collecting line Ld is a pipe that connects the reactors R1 to R3 and the separator 30 and defines a flow path for collecting the delivery gas delivered from each of the reactors R1 to R3. The parts of the delivery gas collecting line Ld that are connected to each of the reactors R1 to R3 are delivery gas collecting lines Ld1 to Ld3. The delivery gas flow switching units D1 to D3 are three-way valves provided in the delivery gas collecting lines Ld1 to Ld3 and capable of switching between discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical manufacturing apparatus 1 and circulating the delivery gas to the downstream side of the delivery gas collecting line Ld.

[0023] In this embodiment, each of the reactors R1 to R3 is configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply lines Lb1 to Lb3 and the delivery gas collection lines Ld1 to Ld3. In this embodiment, a female thread is formed on one of the connection parts of the reactors R1 to R3 that are connected to the raw material gas supply lines Lb1 to Lb3 and the delivery gas collection lines Ld1 to Ld3, and a male thread is formed on the other connection part, so that each of the reactors R1 to R3 is configured to be detachable. Note that as long as one connection part and the other connection part are detachable from each other, any structure (for example, a structure that can be fitted to each other) may be formed on one connection part and the other connection part.

[0024] The separator 30 separates the discharge gas containing the chemical product, which is sent via the discharge gas collection line Ld, into the chemical product and the unreacted raw material gas. The chemical product storage section 40 stores the chemical product separated by the separator 30 in a liquid state. The chemical product storage section 40 is provided with a storage amount detection section 45. The storage amount detection section 45 measures the liquid level position of the chemical product in the chemical product storage section 40. The storage amount of the chemical product in the chemical product storage section 40 can be detected by the measurement value indicated by the storage amount detection section 45.

[0025] The unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le is a pipe that defines a flow path for circulating the unreacted raw material gas separated in the separator 30 to the raw material gas supply line Lb. The unreacted raw material gas storage unit 50 is provided in the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le and stores the unreacted raw material gas separated in the separator 30. The unreacted raw material gas storage unit 50 is provided with a pressure gauge P3. The pressure gauge P3 measures the pressure in the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le. The unreacted raw material gas pressure boosting mechanism 60 is provided in the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le and is a compressor that boosts the pressure of the unreacted raw material gas flowing through the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le. In addition, the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le is provided with an unreacted gas circulation amount adjustment unit E. The unreacted gas circulation amount adjustment unit E is an adjustment valve that can adjust the circulation amount of the unreacted raw material gas to the raw material gas supply line Lb.

[0026] When manufacturing a chemical product, the control unit 5 sets a set synthesis rate of the chemical product. The set synthesis rate is a synthesis rate (g / min) of the chemical product per unit time that is set in advance when manufacturing the chemical product. The control unit 5 sets the set synthesis rate based on the storage amount of the raw material gas, the storage amount of the chemical product, and the demand amount of the chemical product. The control unit 5 acquires the storage amount of the raw material gas and the storage amount of the chemical product by referring to the respective measured values ​​indicated by the pressure gauges P1, P2 and the storage amount detection unit 45. In addition, the control unit 5 acquires the demand amount of the chemical product inputted by the user of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 through an interface (not shown) provided in the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1. Among the elements that are the criteria for setting the set synthesis rate, the storage amount of the raw material gas and the storage amount of the chemical product are limiting factors when setting the set synthesis rate. In other words, the greater the demand for chemical products, the higher the set synthesis rate is set, while the smaller the storage amount of raw material gas and the greater the storage amount of chemical products, the lower the set synthesis rate is set, in order to override the influence of the demand for chemical products on the setting of such set synthesis rate.

[0027] After setting the set synthesis rate, the control unit 5 controls the adjustment of the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors R1-R3 by the supply flow rate adjustment units B1-B3 based on the set synthesis rate of the chemical product and the temperature of the catalysts C1-C3 in each of the reactors R1-R3. The control unit 5 acquires the temperature of the catalysts C1-C3 by referring to the measured values ​​indicated by the thermocouples T1-T3. The control unit 5 stores an individual performance map when each of the reactors R1-R3 produces a chemical product alone. In this embodiment, since each of the reactors R1-R3 is the same reactor, one type of individual performance map is stored. When each of the reactors R1-R3 is a different reactor, each individual performance map may be stored. In the individual performance map, the correspondence relationship between the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor, the H2 / CO2 ratio in the raw material gas supplied to the reactor, the temperature of the catalyst, and the synthesis rate of the chemical product is shown. That is, by using the independent performance map, the synthesis rate of the chemical product can be estimated from three parameters, namely, the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor, the H2 / CO2 ratio in the raw material gas supplied to the reactor, and the temperature of the catalyst. The control unit 5 refers to the independent performance map and causes the supply flow rate adjustment units B1 to B3 to adjust the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors R1 to R3, thereby bringing the synthesis rate of the chemical product closer to the set synthesis rate. Instead of or in addition to adjusting the supply flow rate of the raw material gas, the control unit 5 may bring the synthesis rate of the chemical product closer to the set synthesis rate by causing the raw material gas delivery rate adjustment units A1 and A2 to adjust the H2 / CO2 ratio in the raw material gas supplied to each of the reactors R1 to R3, causing the unreacted gas circulation rate adjustment unit E to adjust the circulation rate of the unreacted raw material gas, and adjusting the temperature of a heater (not shown) for heating the raw material gas supplied to each of the reactors R1 to R3 and a heater (not shown) for heating the catalyst.

[0028] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the production of chemical products using the chemical product production apparatus 1. The control unit 5 sets the set synthesis rate of the chemical products, and then determines the number of reactors R to be operated for the production of the chemical products according to the set synthesis rate. FIG. 2 shows the chemical product production apparatus 1 in a state in which the reactors R1 and R2 are operated but the reactor R3 is not operated. In FIG. 2, the black-filled parts indicate that they are closed, and the dashed parts indicate lines through which gas cannot flow. The black-filled parts and dashed parts are the same in the following FIGS. 3 to 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the supply flow rate adjustment unit B3 is closed, so that the raw material gas cannot flow through the raw material gas supply line Lb3, and therefore the reactor R3 is not operating.

[0029] In addition, because the catalyst regeneration gas delivery rate adjustment unit F0 is closed, the catalyst regeneration gas cannot flow through the catalyst regeneration gas line Lf. Furthermore, the direction in which the catalyst regeneration gas flows from the catalyst regeneration gas lines Lf1, Lf2 to the raw gas supply lines Lb1, Lb2 of the three-way gas supply switching units F1, F2 is closed. In the three-way gas supply switching unit F3, all gas flow directions through the gas supply switching unit F3 are closed.

[0030] In addition, the three-way valves of the delivery gas flow switching units D1 and D2 are closed in the direction for discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical production apparatus 1. In the delivery gas flow switching unit D3, all flow directions of the gas through the delivery gas flow switching unit D3 are closed.

[0031] In the state shown in FIG. 2, the raw material gas (hydrogen and carbon dioxide) sent from the raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 through the raw material gas delivery lines La1 and La2 is mixed in the mixer 20 and then supplied to the reactors R1 and R2 through the raw material gas supply lines Lb1 and Lb2. The delivery gas (including chemical products and unreacted raw material gas) sent from the reactors R1 and R2 through the delivery gas collection lines Ld1 and Ld2 is separated into chemical products and unreacted raw material gas in the separator 30. The chemical products separated in the separator 30 are sent to the chemical product storage unit 40 and stored. The unreacted raw material gas separated in the separator 30 is circulated to the raw material gas supply line Lb through the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le. The circulated unreacted raw material gas is mixed with the raw material gas sent from the raw material gas storage units 11 and 12 in the mixer 20 and then supplied to the reactors R1 and R2.

[0032] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the double-tube structure of the reactors R1 to R3 and the heat exchange line HL. Fig. 3 shows the flow of the discharge gas discharged from each of the reactors R1 and R2 in a state similar to that of the chemical production apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 2 (a state in which the reactors R1 and R2 are operated while the reactor R3 is not operated). In Fig. 3, thermocouples T1 to T3 are omitted for ease of understanding.

[0033] The heat exchange line HL is connected to the discharge gas collecting line Ld and is a pipe that defines a flow path through which the discharge gas can flow at a position where heat exchange with the catalysts C1 to C3 can be performed. The heat exchange line HL is connected to the discharge gas collecting line Ld via discharge gas flow path switching units D4 to D7 described later. The discharge gas flow path switching units D4 to D7 are three-way valves provided in the discharge gas collecting line Ld and capable of switching the flow direction of the discharge gas flowing through the discharge gas collecting line Ld and the heat exchange line HL.

[0034] The reactor R1 has a double-tube structure having an inner pipe Ri1 that houses the catalyst C1 and an outer pipe Ro1 that covers the inner pipe Ri1. The reactor R2 (R3) has a double-tube structure having an inner pipe Ri2 (Ri3) that houses the catalyst C2 (C3) and an outer pipe Ro2 (Ro3) that covers the inner pipe Ri2 (Ri3), similar to the reactor R1.

[0035] The heat exchange line Hn1 of the heat exchange line HL connects the delivery gas flow path switching unit D4 and the inlet En1 of the outer pipe Ro1. The heat exchange line Hn2 (Hn3) connects the delivery gas flow path switching unit D5 (D6) and the inlet En2 (En3) of the outer pipe Ro2 (Ro3) in the same manner as the heat exchange line Hn1. The heat exchange line Hx1 of the heat exchange line HL connects to the outlet Ex1 of the outer pipe Ro1, and sends out the delivery gas that has entered the space between the inner pipe Ri1 and the outer pipe Ro1 from the inlet En1 from the outlet Ex1. The heat exchange line Hx2 (Hx3) connects to the outlet Ex2 (Ex3) of the outer pipe Ro2 (Ro3) in the same manner as the heat exchange line Hx1, and sends out the delivery gas that has entered the space between the inner pipe Ri2 (Ri3) and the outer pipe Ro2 (Ro3) from the inlet En2 (En3) from the outlet Ex2 (Ex3). The junction line Hc, which is the downstream portion of the heat exchange lines Hx1 to Hx3, is connected to the delivery gas flow path switching unit D7 provided in the delivery gas collection line Ld. The delivery gas flow path switching unit D7 is provided in the delivery gas collection line Ld at a position downstream of the delivery gas flow path switching units D4 to D6.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 3, the three-way valves of the delivery gas flow switching units D1 and D2 are closed in the direction for discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical manufacturing apparatus 1, and the delivery gas flow switching unit D3 is closed in all flow directions of the gas through the delivery gas flow switching unit D3. The three-way valves of the delivery gas flow switching units D4 and D5 are closed in the direction for distributing the delivery gas to the heat exchange line HL (Hn1, Hn2). On the other hand, the three-way valve of the delivery gas flow switching unit D6 is closed in the direction for distributing the delivery gas to the downstream side of the delivery gas collecting line Ld. The three-way valve of the delivery gas flow switching unit D7 is closed in the direction for distributing the delivery gas to the upstream side of the delivery gas collecting line Ld.

[0037] In the state shown in FIG. 3, the delivery gas (including chemical products and unreacted raw material gas) delivered from the reactors R1, R2 through the delivery gas collection lines Ld1, Ld2 reaches the delivery gas flow path switching unit D6 without flowing through the heat exchange line Hn1 (Hn2). Next, the delivery gas enters the space between the inner pipe Ri3 and the outer pipe Ro3 from the inlet En3 through the heat exchange line Hn3, and is delivered to the heat exchange line Hx3 from the outlet Ex3. Then, the delivery gas returns to the delivery gas collection line Ld through the merging line Hc, which is the downstream part of the heat exchange line Hx3, and then reaches the separator 30. When the delivery gas, which has become relatively hot due to the heat generated by the synthesis reaction of the chemical products in the reactors R1, R2, flows through the space between the inner pipe Ri3 and the outer pipe Ro3, the temperature of the catalyst C3 is increased by heat exchange between the catalyst C3 contained in the inner pipe Ri3 and the delivery gas.

[0038] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the regeneration process for the reactor R. The control unit 5 performs the regeneration process when there is a reactor R containing a catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the regeneration reference temperature determined based on the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor R and the gas ratio in the raw material gas (H2 / CO2 ratio in this embodiment). The regeneration reference temperature is determined using a map showing the correspondence between the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor R, the H2 / CO2 ratio in the raw material gas, and the regeneration reference temperature. Each of the regeneration reference temperatures shown in the map is set to a temperature value that is somewhat lower than the maximum temperature of each catalyst C that is assumed when the raw material gas with each H2 / CO2 ratio is supplied to the reactor R at each supply flow rate. In other words, it is preferable to set the regeneration reference temperature to a value that can be considered to be deteriorated when the catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the regeneration reference temperature. When each of the reactors R1 to R3 is made to produce chemical products, the control unit 5 periodically determines whether there is a reactor R containing a catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the regeneration reference temperature.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows the state of the chemical manufacturing apparatus 1 when the regeneration treatment for the reactor R1 is performed. As shown in FIG. 4, the supply flow rate adjustment unit B1 is closed, so the raw material gas cannot flow through the raw material gas supply line Lb1, and therefore the reactor R1 is not operating to manufacture chemical products. On the other hand, the supply flow rate adjustment units B2 and B3 are open, and the direction of the gas supply switching units F2 and F3, which are three-way valves, for flowing the raw material gas to the raw material gas supply lines Lb2 and Lb3 is also open, so that the reactors R2 and R3 are operating to manufacture chemical products. In addition, the direction of the gas supply switching units F2 and F3 for flowing the catalyst regeneration gas from the catalyst regeneration gas lines Lf2 and Lf3 to the raw material gas supply lines Lb2 and Lb3 is closed, and the direction of the delivery gas flow switching units D2 and D3, which are three-way valves, for discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical manufacturing apparatus 1 is closed.

[0040] On the other hand, the catalyst regeneration gas discharge rate adjustment unit F0 is open, and in the raw gas supply line Lb1, the gas supply switching unit F1, which is a three-way valve, is open in the direction that allows the catalyst regeneration gas to flow from the catalyst regeneration gas line Lf1 to the raw gas supply line Lb1, so that the catalyst regeneration gas is supplied to the reactor R1. Also, in the delivery gas collection line Ld1, the delivery gas flow switching unit D1, which is a three-way valve, is open in the direction that allows the delivery gas to be discharged to the outside of the chemical production apparatus 1, so that the catalyst regeneration gas supplied to the reactor R1 is discharged as the delivery gas from the delivery gas flow switching unit D1 to the outside of the chemical production apparatus 1. In this way, when a reactor R containing a catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the regeneration reference temperature exists, the control unit 5 controls the gas supply switching unit (any of F1 to F3) and the delivery gas flow switching unit (any of D1 to D3) corresponding to the reactor R to supply catalyst regeneration gas to the reactor R and to perform a regeneration process in which the delivery gas delivered from the reactor R is discharged to the outside of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1. In the state shown in Fig. 4, the reactor R1 is not operating for the production of chemical products, but instead a regeneration process is being performed, while the reactors R2 and R3 are operating for the production of chemical products. That is, the regeneration process for the reactor R1 and the production of chemical products by the reactors R2 and R3 are performed simultaneously.

[0041] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the replacement process for the reactor R. When there is a reactor containing a catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the replacement reference temperature determined based on the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor R and the gas ratio in the raw material gas, the control unit 5 issues a notification to encourage the replacement of the reactor R. The notification is made through at least one of a voice and an image via an interface (not shown) provided in the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1. The replacement reference temperature is determined using a map showing the correspondence between the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor R and the H2 / CO2 ratio in the raw material gas, and the replacement reference temperature, as with the regeneration reference temperature. Each of the replacement reference temperatures shown in the map is set to a temperature value that is somewhat lower than the regeneration reference temperature when the H2 / CO2 ratio and supply flow rate of the raw material gas are under the same conditions. In other words, a value that can be considered to be such that the catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the replacement reference temperature is degraded to an extent that it cannot be regenerated by the regeneration process is set as the replacement reference temperature. When the control unit 5 is causing each of the reactors R1 to R3 to produce a chemical product, the control unit 5 periodically determines whether there is a reactor R containing a catalyst C whose temperature is lower than the replacement reference temperature. When a notification is issued to prompt the user to replace the reactor R, the user of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 replaces the reactor R.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows the state of the chemical manufacturing apparatus 1 when replacing the reactor R1. In FIG. 5, the open / close states of the supply flow rate adjusting units B1-B3, the gas supply switching units F2, F3, and the delivery gas flow switching units D2, D3 are the same as those in FIG. 4. On the other hand, the open / close states of the gas supply switching unit F1 and the delivery gas flow switching unit D1 are different from those in FIG. 4. In the state shown in FIG. 5, all gas flow directions through the gas supply switching unit F1 and the delivery gas flow switching unit D1 are closed. In this state, the user of the chemical manufacturing apparatus 1 removes the reactor R1, which is configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply line Lb1 and the delivery gas collection line Ld1, from the raw material gas supply line Lb1 and the delivery gas collection line Ld1, and attaches a new reactor to the raw material gas supply line Lb1 and the delivery gas collection line Ld1.

[0043] According to the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment described above, the supply flow rate adjusting units B1 to B3 adjust the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactors R1 to R3, thereby adjusting the number of reactors R in which the synthesis reaction of the chemical product is carried out, and therefore the scale of production of the chemical product by the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 can be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 can handle fluctuations in the demand for the chemical product without incurring a large cost for preparing various chemical product manufacturing apparatuses with different production scales. In addition, when the raw material gas is generated using renewable energy, the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 can handle fluctuations in the production amount of the raw material gas without incurring a large cost. In addition, according to the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the delivery gas sent from the reactors R1 to R3 is collected by the delivery gas collecting line Ld. Therefore, even if there is variation in the synthesis performance of chemical products in the reactors R1 to R3, the variation is leveled out by the collection of the delivery gas by the delivery gas collection line Ld, and it is possible to reduce the effect of the variation in the synthesis performance of the reactors R1 to R3 on the synthesis performance of the entire chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1. The variation in the synthesis performance of chemical products in the reactors R1 to R3 is caused by differences in the initial state of the reactors R1 to R3, differences in the degree of deterioration due to differences in the operation frequency, or differences in the distance from a heating source such as a heater to the reactors R1 to R3.

[0044] In the chemical production apparatus 1, the raw material gas supply lines Lb1-Lb3 and the delivery gas collection lines Ld1-Ld3 are individually connected to the parallel-arranged reactors R1-R3, but the raw material gas storage units 11, 12, the raw material gas delivery lines La1, La2, the mixer 20, the separator 30, the chemical product storage unit 40, the unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le, etc. are shared among the reactors R1-R3. If these shared configurations were prepared individually for each of the reactors R1-R3, the increase in the number of parts would lead to an increase in the size of the chemical production apparatus and an increase in the assembly cost, and the control of the chemical production apparatus would also become complicated. In this regard, according to the chemical production apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the shared use suppresses the increase in the number of parts and the complication of control, and as described above, the effect of the variation in the synthesis performance of the reactors R1-R3 on the synthesis performance of the chemical production apparatus 1 as a whole can be reduced.

[0045] The chemical production apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is also provided with an unreacted raw material gas circulation line Le. This allows the unreacted raw material gas to be circulated to the raw material gas supply line Lb. This allows the unreacted raw material gas to be reused in the synthesis reaction of chemical products in the reactors R1 to R3.

[0046] In the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the control unit 5 controls the adjustment of the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors R1 to R3 by the supply flow rate adjustment units B1 to B3 based on the set synthesis rate of the chemical product and the temperature of the catalysts C1 to C3 in each of the reactors R1 to R3. There is a strong correlation between the temperature of the catalyst C and the synthesis rate of the chemical product. Therefore, the control unit 5 can adjust the synthesis rate of the chemical product to the set synthesis rate by adjusting the temperature of the catalyst C by controlling the adjustment of the supply flow rate of the raw material gas.

[0047] In the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the control unit 5 sets the set synthesis rate based on the storage amount of the raw material gas, the storage amount of the chemical product, and the demand amount of the chemical product. Therefore, the control unit 5 can set an appropriate set synthesis rate.

[0048] Moreover, the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is provided with a heat exchange line HL through which the delivery gas can flow at a position where heat exchange with the catalyst C is possible. The delivery gas has a relatively high temperature due to heat generated by the synthesis reaction of the chemical product in the reactor R. Therefore, by flowing such a relatively high-temperature delivery gas through the heat exchange line HL, the temperature of the catalyst C can be increased. As a result, the reaction efficiency of the synthesis reaction of the chemical product in the reactor R can be improved. In addition, since the delivery gas is used to heat the catalyst C, the energy consumed by a heater or the like for heating the catalyst C and the raw material gas supply line Lb can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, in the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, when the temperature of the catalyst C is lower than the regeneration reference temperature, it is deemed that the catalyst C is highly likely to be degraded, and a catalyst regeneration gas can be supplied to the reactor R accommodating the catalyst C, and an output gas containing the supplied catalyst regeneration gas can be discharged to the outside of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1. In other words, a regeneration process can be carried out to regenerate the catalyst C deemed to be degraded.

[0050] Furthermore, in the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, when the temperature of the catalyst C is lower than the replacement reference temperature, it is assumed that the catalyst C is highly likely to be deteriorated, and a notification can be issued to encourage replacement of the reactor R containing the catalyst C. Furthermore, in the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the reactors R1 to R3 are configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply line Lb and the delivery gas collecting line Ld, so that the reactor R notified as a replacement target can be removed from the raw material gas supply line Lb and the delivery gas collecting line Ld, and a new reactor R can be attached to the raw material gas supply line Lb and the delivery gas collecting line Ld.

[0051] <Modifications of this embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0052] The above embodiment includes the raw material gas storage units 11, 12 and the chemical product storage unit 40, but is not limited thereto. For example, the chemical product manufacturing apparatus 1 may include only one of the raw material gas storage units 11, 12 and the chemical product storage unit 40. In such a case, the control unit 5 may set the set synthesis rate based on only one of the storage amount of the raw material gas and the storage amount of the chemical product. The control unit 5 may set the set synthesis rate based on the demand amount of the chemical product in addition to one of the storage amount of the raw material gas and the storage amount of the chemical product. Alternatively, the control unit 5 may set the set synthesis rate based on only the demand amount of the chemical product.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the heat exchange line HL is a pipe that defines a flow path through which the output gas can flow at a position where heat exchange with the catalysts C1 to C3 is possible, but is not limited to this. For example, instead of or in addition to the catalysts C1 to C3, the heat exchange line HL may be a pipe that defines a flow path through which the output gas can flow at a position where heat exchange with the raw material gas supply line Lb is possible. In such a case, the raw material gas flowing through the raw material gas supply line Lb can be preheated before reaching the catalysts C1 to C3, so that the reaction efficiency of the synthesis reaction of chemical products in the reactors R1 to R3 can be improved.

[0054] Although the present aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the above-mentioned embodiment of the aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of the present aspect and does not limit the present aspect. The present aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents are included in the present aspect. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it may be deleted as appropriate.

[0055] The present invention can also be realized in the following forms. [Application example 1] A chemical product manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a chemical product from a raw material gas, A plurality of reactors arranged in parallel and containing a catalyst for promoting a synthesis reaction of the chemical product using the raw material gas; a raw material gas supply line capable of supplying the raw material gas to each of the reactors; a supply flow rate adjusting unit provided in the raw material gas supply line and capable of adjusting a supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors; and a gas discharge assembly line that collects the gas discharged from each of the reactors. [Application example 2] The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to Application Example 1, further comprising: a separator for separating the discharge gas containing the chemical products into the chemical products and the unreacted raw gas; a raw material gas supply line for supplying the unreacted raw material gas separated in the separator to the raw material gas supply line; [Application example 3] The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to Application Example 1 or Application Example 2, further comprising: A control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus is provided, The control unit controls adjustment of the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors by the supply flow rate adjustment unit based on a set synthesis rate of the chemical product and a temperature of the catalyst in each of the reactors. [Application example 4] The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, further comprising: a raw material gas storage unit that stores the raw material gas to be circulated through the raw material gas supply line and is capable of detecting the amount of the raw material gas stored therein, and a chemical product storage unit that stores the chemical product separated in the separator and is capable of detecting the amount of the chemical product stored therein, The control unit sets the set synthesis rate based on at least one of a storage amount of the raw material gas, a storage amount of the chemical product, and a demand amount of the chemical product. [Application example 5] The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, further comprising: a heat exchange line through which the discharged gas can flow, at a position where heat exchange with at least one of the catalyst and the raw material gas supply line can be performed; [Application Example 6] The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, further comprising: A control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus; a catalyst regeneration gas line capable of supplying a catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors; a gas supply switching unit capable of switching between supplying the raw material gas and supplying the catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors; a delivery gas flow switching unit capable of switching between discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus and circulating the delivery gas to the downstream side of the delivery gas collection line; The control unit, when there is a reactor containing the catalyst at a temperature lower than a regeneration standard temperature determined based on the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor and the gas ratio in the raw material gas, controls the gas supply switching unit and the delivery gas flow switching unit to supply the catalyst regeneration gas to the reactor and perform a regeneration process in which the delivery gas delivered from the reactor is discharged outside the chemical product manufacturing apparatus. [Application Example 7] The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6, further comprising: A control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus is provided, Each of the reactors is configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply line and the delivery gas collection line, The control unit, when a reactor containing the catalyst whose temperature is lower than a reference temperature for replacement, which is determined based on a supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor and a gas ratio in the raw material gas, issues an alert to prompt replacement of the reactor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1...Chemical product manufacturing equipment 5. Control section 11, 12… Raw gas storage section 20…Mixer 30...Separator 40…Chemical product storage section 45...Storage amount detection section 50: Unreacted raw gas storage section 60...Unreacted raw gas pressure boosting mechanism A1, A2…raw material gas delivery amount adjustment section B1~B3…Supply flow rate adjustment section C1~C3…Catalyst D1 to D3: Gas outlet switching section D4~D7…Outlet gas flow path switching section E…Unreacted gas circulation amount adjustment section En1~En3…Entrance Ex1~Ex3…Exit F0: Catalyst regeneration gas output adjustment unit F1~F3…Gas supply switching section HL…Heat exchange line Hc…Merge line Hn1~Hn3…Heat exchange lines Hx1~Hx3…Heat exchange line La1, La2: Raw gas delivery line Lb, Lb1 to Lb3: Raw gas supply lines Ld, Ld1~Ld3... Gas delivery collection lines Le: Unreacted raw gas circulation line Lf, Lf1 to Lf3: Catalyst regeneration gas line P1~P3…Pressure gauge R, R1 to R3: Reactor Ri1~Ri3…Inner piping Ro1~Ro3…Outside piping T1~T3…Thermocouple

Claims

1. A chemical product manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a chemical product from a raw material gas, A plurality of reactors arranged in parallel and containing a catalyst for promoting a synthesis reaction of the chemical product using the raw material gas; a raw material gas supply line capable of supplying the raw material gas to each of the reactors; a supply flow rate adjusting unit provided in the raw material gas supply line and capable of adjusting a supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors; and a gas discharge assembly line that collects the gas discharged from each of the reactors.

2. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a separator for separating the discharge gas containing the chemical products into the chemical products and the unreacted raw gas; a raw material gas supply line for supplying the unreacted raw material gas separated in the separator to the raw material gas supply line;

3. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus is provided, The control unit controls adjustment of the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to each of the reactors by the supply flow rate adjustment unit based on a set synthesis rate of the chemical product and a temperature of the catalyst in each of the reactors.

4. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a raw material gas storage unit that stores the raw material gas to be circulated through the raw material gas supply line and is capable of detecting the amount of the raw material gas stored therein, and a chemical product storage unit that stores the chemical product separated in the separator and is capable of detecting the amount of the chemical product stored therein, The control unit sets the set synthesis rate based on at least one of a storage amount of the raw material gas, a storage amount of the chemical product, and a demand amount of the chemical product.

5. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a heat exchange line through which the discharged gas can flow, at a position where heat exchange with at least one of the catalyst and the raw material gas supply line can be performed;

6. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus; a catalyst regeneration gas line capable of supplying a catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors; a gas supply switching unit capable of switching between supplying the raw material gas and supplying the catalyst regeneration gas to each of the reactors; a delivery gas flow switching unit capable of switching between discharging the delivery gas to the outside of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus and circulating the delivery gas to the downstream side of the delivery gas collection line; The control unit, when there is a reactor containing the catalyst at a temperature lower than a regeneration standard temperature determined based on the supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor and the gas ratio in the raw material gas, controls the gas supply switching unit and the delivery gas flow switching unit to supply the catalyst regeneration gas to the reactor and perform a regeneration process of discharging the delivery gas delivered from the reactor to the outside of the chemical product manufacturing apparatus.

7. The chemical product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A control unit for controlling the chemical product manufacturing apparatus is provided, Each of the reactors is configured to be detachable from the raw material gas supply line and the delivery gas collection line, The control unit, when a reactor containing the catalyst whose temperature is lower than a reference temperature for replacement, which is determined based on a supply flow rate of the raw material gas to the reactor and a gas ratio in the raw material gas, issues an alert to prompt replacement of the reactor.

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