Catalyst loading device

Abstract

To provide a catalyst loading device capable of performing rest angle loading of a catalyst with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A catalytic loading device 10 for loading a catalyst 2 into a reaction tower 1, comprises: a dispersing device 20 that is arranged in the reaction tower 1 so that the catalyst 2 can be dispersed; and a supply device 50 that supplies the catalyst 2 for dispersion to the dispersing device 20. The supply device 50 has a flow pipe 52 through which the catalyst 2 passes. The dispersing device 20 includes: a funnel-shaped guiding part 21 that can expand and contract in a funnel shape in an A direction of the reaction tower 1; and a connecting part 31 that connects the funnel-shaped internal part 21 to the flow pipe 52. The flow pipe 52 is located at a position facing above a central position of the funnel-shaped internal part 21, while a peripheral edge of the funnel-shaped guiding part 21 is positioned at a position below the central position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a catalyst loading device configured to load a catalyst into a reaction tower in an oil refining facility, a chemical industrial facility, or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In oil refineries and chemical industry facilities, various catalysts are used to promote chemical reactions. The catalyst is formed, for example, into granular form and packed into the inside of a reaction tower through which the raw material fluid flows. A catalyst packing device is used to pack such catalysts. For example, the catalyst loading device described in Patent Document 1 includes a spraying device that rotates and sprays the catalyst, and this spraying device rotates and sprays the catalyst into the reaction tower while rotating an agitator blade that stirs the catalyst by operating an agitator drive unit such as an air motor. This catalyst loading device is configured to load the catalyst into the reaction tower as desired by adjusting the rotation speed of the agitator blade while controlling the agitator drive unit with a control device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-059009 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, the flow rate of the raw material fluid flowing inside a reaction tower is higher on the peripheral side than on the central side due to the so-called wall effect, and as the operating time increases, the resistance force in the flow paths on the central side becomes greater than the resistance force in the flow paths on the peripheral side, which may result in a redistribution of the flow rate in the catalyst layer. When this redistribution occurs, the flow rate of the raw material fluid flowing toward the central side of the reaction tower decreases, and reaction heat accumulates in the central side, causing solidified parts of the catalyst (so-called hot spots), which may reduce the catalyst performance. In addition, since the catalyst remains active, the catalyst performance cannot be maximized. In addition, the work of extracting the catalyst that has solidified at high temperatures is difficult, which may result in an extended construction period and huge costs. In order to suppress the deterioration of catalyst performance by uniformizing the flow rate of the raw material fluid throughout the entire reaction tower, it is possible to perform repose angle packing, in which the catalyst is packed higher from the center to the periphery of the reaction tower. By performing this repose angle packing, the catalyst density on the periphery side of the reaction tower during operation can be made higher than the catalyst density on the center side, and the flow rate of the raw material fluid in the radial direction can be made uniform.

[0005] Incidentally, the catalyst filling device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to rotary-spray the catalyst into the reaction tower while adjusting the rotation speed of the stirring blades based on the control of a control device, so that the above-mentioned angle of repose filling of the catalyst can also be performed. However, electrical components such as a control device are required, which may complicate the configuration and may require time-consuming control by the control device.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst loading device capable of loading a catalyst at an angle of repose with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) A catalyst filling apparatus of the present invention is a catalyst filling apparatus for filling a reaction tower with a catalyst, comprising: a spraying device arranged in the reaction tower so as to be able to spray the catalyst; and a supplying device for supplying the catalyst to the spraying device, wherein the supplying device comprises a circulation pipe through which the catalyst passes, and the spraying device comprises an umbrella-shaped guide portion formed in an umbrella shape so as to be able to expand and contract in the radial direction of the reaction tower, and a connecting portion for connecting the umbrella-shaped guide portion to the circulation pipe, wherein the circulation pipe is arranged at a position opposite to and above the central position of the umbrella-shaped guide portion, and the periphery of the umbrella-shaped guide portion is arranged at a position lower than the central position. According to the catalyst filling device of the present invention, the periphery of the umbrella-shaped guide is located below its center, so that the catalyst supplied from the flow pipe located above the center of the umbrella-shaped guide falls from its center to the periphery while being guided along the umbrella-shaped guide. Therefore, the catalyst can be filled into the reaction tower while being dispersed on the periphery side of the reaction tower with a simple configuration, and the catalyst piled up high beyond the angle of repose of the catalyst filling surface naturally collapses, so that the catalyst is also filled in the center of the reaction tower. In this way, the catalyst can be filled at the angle of repose with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the umbrella-shaped guide portion can be expanded or contracted in diameter, the position where the catalyst falls can be appropriately adjusted, so that the catalyst can be suitably filled with an angle of repose for each reaction tower having various inner diameters. Furthermore, as described above, when filling the catalyst with the angle of repose, the catalyst supplied from the supply device is simply guided along the umbrella-shaped guide portion to the peripheral side of the reaction tower, so that the risk of the catalyst being crushed can be eliminated and the desired catalyst filling can be achieved. In this way, with the catalyst filling device of the present invention, the catalyst can be filled at the angle of repose as described above, and the difference in size of the catalyst can be utilized to cause the larger masses to collapse towards the center, creating a density difference and allowing filling to continue up to the top of the reaction tower.This allows the center to be made sparsely packed and the peripheral side to be made denser by utilizing the angle of repose, thereby suppressing a decrease in catalyst performance.

[0008] (2) In the catalyst loading device of the present invention, a rotary drive unit that rotates the flow pipe about an axis extending in the up-down direction may be connected to the flow pipe. In this configuration, the umbrella-shaped guide rotates when the flow pipe is rotated by the rotary drive unit, and the catalyst can be easily dispersed in the circumferential direction by supplying the catalyst in this state. In addition, since there is no continuous mechanical movement, such as the umbrella-shaped guide rotating continuously relative to the flow pipe, the risk of the catalyst being crushed can be reduced.

[0009] (3) In the catalyst loading device of the present invention, the flow pipe may be configured by a plurality of tubular bodies connected in a nested manner so as to be vertically extendable and non-rotatable with respect to each other. According to this configuration, a plurality of tubular bodies are connected in a nested manner to form a flow tube, and as the catalyst is gradually filled into the reaction tower, the flow tube can be expanded or contracted in the vertical direction according to the position of the filling surface, which becomes higher as the catalyst is gradually filled into the reaction tower, so that the umbrella-shaped guide portion can be positioned at an appropriate position in the vertical direction.Furthermore, since the plurality of tubular bodies are connected so as not to rotate relative to each other, the umbrella-shaped guide portion can also be rotated by rotating the flow tube, and the catalyst can be suitably dispersed circumferentially within the reaction tower.

[0010] (4) In the catalyst loading apparatus of the present invention, the connecting portion may include a base member fixed to the flow pipe, a slide arm connected to the base member so as to be movable back and forth in the radial direction, a pivot arm having one end rotatably connected to the slide arm and the other end rotatably attached to the umbrella-shaped guiding portion, and a drive unit attached to the base member for moving the slide arm back and forth in the radial direction. According to this configuration, for example, the slide arm can be moved forward radially toward the peripheral edge of the reaction tower by driving the drive device, thereby causing the pivot arm to rotate and opening the umbrella-shaped guide portion so as to expand in diameter. Also, for example, by driving the drive device to move the slide arm backward in the radial direction toward the center of the reaction tower, the umbrella-shaped guide part can be closed so as to reduce its diameter while causing the rotating arm to rotate. This makes it possible to more easily and suitably pack the catalyst in terms of the angle of repose for each reaction tower having a variety of inner diameters.

[0011] (5) In the catalyst loading device of the present invention, the flow pipe may have a supply port that supplies the catalyst toward the central position of the umbrella-shaped guide portion, and the supply port may be provided with a radial baffle plate in the radial direction. With this configuration, the catalyst is separated in the circumferential direction of the reaction tower by the straightening vane and supplied to the central position of the umbrella-shaped guide section, thereby making it possible to configure a catalyst loading device in which the supplied catalyst is easily dispersed evenly in the circumferential direction along the umbrella-shaped guide section. In addition, by replacing the flow plate with one of a different thickness, it can function as an orifice (flow rate adjustment). If the filling flow rate is too high, it is possible to adjust the flow rate by replacing the flow plate.

[0012] (6) In the catalyst loading device of the present invention, the umbrella-shaped guide portion includes a radial bone member that can be opened and closed in the radial direction, and a guide sheet attached to the bone member, and the bone member may be arranged along the vertical direction when the umbrella-shaped guide portion is in its most contracted state. According to such a configuration, since the frame members are arranged along the vertical direction, the spraying device can be easily removed from the opening of the reaction tower, for example. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a catalyst loading device capable of loading a catalyst at an angle of repose with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a catalyst loading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a main part of the catalyst filling device according to the embodiment is opened. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a main part of the catalyst filling device according to the embodiment is opened. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a closed state of a main part of the catalyst filling device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a rotation drive unit of the catalyst loading device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a supply port of the catalyst loading device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] [Configuration of this embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the inside of the reaction tower 1 is filled with a catalyst 2. When the catalyst 2 is filled into the reaction tower 1, a catalyst filling device 10 according to this embodiment is introduced into the inside of the reaction tower 1 from the upper opening. The catalyst filling device 10 is for spraying the catalyst 2 into the reaction tower 1, and is provided with a spraying device 20 arranged in the reaction tower 1 so as to be able to spray the catalyst 2, and a supplying device 50 for supplying the catalyst 2 to be sprayed to the spraying device 20. At the top of the reaction tower 1, there is a tray 4 in which a flow pipe 52 of the supplying device 50, which will be described later, is inserted into a through hole 401 formed at the center, and this tray 4 is provided to disperse the raw material fluid. In addition to the above, the tray 4 also plays a role as a scaffold (manway). In the following description, the left-right direction of the catalyst loading device 10 is the X-axis direction, the up-down direction of the catalyst loading device 10 is the Z-axis direction, and the front-rear direction of the catalyst loading device 10 is the Y-axis direction. The X, Y, and Z-axis directions are perpendicular to each other. The circumferential direction of the reaction tower 1 is the R-direction, and the radial direction of the reaction tower 1 is the A-direction.

[0016] The spraying device 20 is connected to the lower part of the supplying device 50, and is a device that sprays the catalyst 2 supplied from the supplying device 50 into the reaction tower 1 as a material to be sprayed. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the spraying device 20 includes an umbrella-shaped guide section 21 formed in an umbrella shape that can expand and contract in the A direction, a connecting section 31 that connects the umbrella-shaped guide section 21 to the flow pipe 52, and a rotation driving section 41 that drives the flow pipe 52 to rotate.

[0017] The umbrella-shaped guide section 21 includes a plurality of rib members 22 arranged radially and capable of opening and closing in the direction A, and a flexible guide sheet 23 attached to the rib members 22.

[0018] Each of the bone members 22 is arranged radially at equal intervals in the R direction as shown in FIG. 2, and is arranged to extend obliquely downward from the center C side of the reaction tower 1 toward the A direction when the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is in an open state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0019] The guide sheet 23 is formed in a substantially circular shape by a sheet member stretched between the frame members 22. The guide sheet 23 may be formed from a material that allows the catalyst 2 to slide or roll down along its upper surface 211, and examples of the material for the guide sheet 23 include thick canvas-like fabrics such as polyester canvas (fireproofed) and soft polyethylene sheet (fireproofed). The center position 26 of the guide sheet 23 (the center position of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21) is located at the center C of the reaction tower 1.

[0020] The periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is located at a position lower than its central position 26. When the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is in an open state in the A direction as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the diameter of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is larger than when the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is in a closed state in the A direction as shown in Fig. 4, and the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is inclined obliquely downward from the central position 26 toward the position of the periphery 25. The inclination angle is, for example, about 40 degrees with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis directions, but the inclination angle may be shallower or deeper than the above angle as long as the catalyst 2 can slide or roll down along the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21. In addition, the umbrella-shaped guide part 21, in the most closed state as shown in Fig. 4, has a smaller diameter than the open state shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, and is arranged along the Z-axis direction. The umbrella-shaped guide part 21 in this closed state has a smaller diameter than the through hole 401 at the center position of the tray 4 and the opening 11 at the top of the reaction tower 1, so that the spraying device 20 can be easily removed from the reaction tower 1.

[0021] The connecting part 31 has a circular shape in a plan view and includes a base member 32 fixed to the lower end of the flow pipe 52, a plurality of slide arms 33 along the Z axis whose upper ends are connected to the base member 32 so as to be movable back and forth in the A direction, a rotating arm 34 whose one end is rotatably connected to the lower end of the slide arm 33 and whose other end is rotatably attached to the umbrella-shaped guiding part 21, and a driving device 35 that is attached to the base member 32 and moves the slide arm 33 back and forth in the A direction. The driving device 35 is configured to be able to transmit rotation of an electric motor or the like to the slide arm 33 as a sliding movement force in the A direction via a transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0022] The base member 32 is formed with a plurality of slide grooves 321 extending in the A direction for guiding a guide pin 331 provided at the upper end of the slide arm 33 in the A direction. The slide arms 33 are each arranged around the flow pipes 52, and when driven by the drive unit 35, the guide pins 331 are guided by the slide grooves 321 to move forward (slide toward the periphery of the reaction tower 1) or backward (slide toward the center C of the reaction tower 1) in the direction A.

[0023] The rotating arm 34 is connected to the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 at a position spaced apart in the direction A from the center position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide part 21. The forward movement of the slide arm 33 causes the rotating arm 34 to rotate and pull the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 upward, and by being pulled upward, the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 is opened. On the other hand, the rotating arm 34 causes the rotating arm 34 to rotate and lower the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 downward, and by being lowered downward, the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 is closed.

[0024] 1 and 5, the rotation drive unit 41 includes a hydraulic motor 42 with a reducer mounted on a base 12 installed on the opening 11 of the reaction tower 1, and a gear mechanism 43 as a transmission mechanism that connects the hydraulic motor 42 to the flow pipe so as to be able to transmit a rotational driving force, and the gear mechanism 43 is composed of a gear 431 attached to the output rotating shaft of the hydraulic motor 42, and a driving gear 432 fixed to the circumferential surface at the upper end of the flow pipe 52 and meshed with the gear 431. The rotation drive unit 41 drives the flow pipe 52 to rotate through the gear mechanism 43 by the operation of the hydraulic motor 42, and rotates the flow pipe 52 around an axis along the Z-axis direction and also rotates it in the reverse direction.

[0025] The supply device 50 includes a funnel-shaped hopper 51 disposed above the reaction tower 1, and a flow pipe 52 (chute pipe) whose upper end is connected to the hopper 51 and extends along the Z-axis direction.

[0026] The flow pipe 52 is configured by a plurality of tubular bodies 53 connected in a nested manner so as to be extendable and retractable in the Z-axis direction. The plurality of tubular bodies 53 are connected to each other so as not to rotate with each other in the R direction. The above-mentioned driving gear 432 is fixed to the uppermost tubular body 53A among the plurality of tubular bodies 53. Therefore, the flow pipe 52 is rotated in the R direction by the rotation drive unit 41, and the umbrella-shaped guide section 21 attached to the flow pipe 52 is also rotated in the same manner. In addition, a supply port 55 shown in FIG. 6 is provided at the lower end opening of the flow pipe 52, i.e., the lower end opening of the lowest tubular body 53B among the plurality of tubular bodies 53, on which a radial straightening plate 54 is formed in the A direction. The supply port 55 is disposed at a position facing upward with respect to the center position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide section 21, and supplies the catalyst 2 passing through the flow pipe 52 toward the center position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide section 21. At this time, the catalyst 2 passing through the supply port 55 is supplied to the center position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 while being separated in the R direction by the straightening plate 54, so that the supplied catalyst 2 is dispersed more evenly and suitably in the R direction along the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 than in the case where there is no straightening plate 54. In addition, by replacing the straightening plate 54 with one of a different thickness, it can function as an orifice (for adjusting the flow rate). If the filling flow rate is too high, the flow rate can be adjusted by replacing the straightening plate 54.

[0027] [Catalyst spraying procedure] The catalyst loading device 10 described above loads the catalyst 2 into the reaction tower 1 as follows. The tray 4 in the reaction tower 1 is always installed to disperse the raw material fluid, and the catalyst loading device 10 is temporarily installed on a base 12 installed on an opening 11 of the reaction tower 1. The catalyst loading device 10 is removed after loading of the catalyst 2 is completed.

[0028] First, the flow pipe 52 is set to be extended in the Z-axis direction, and the slide arm 33 is slid by the drive device 35 to open and close the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 so that the opening angle is appropriate for the diameter dimension inside the reaction tower 1. Here, the distance in the A direction between the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide part and the inner circumferential surface of the reaction tower 1 is set to 100 mm.

[0029] Next, the hydraulic motor 42 is operated to rotate the gear 431, and the drive gear 432 meshing with the gear 431 is rotated in the R direction, thereby rotating the flow pipe 52 to which the drive gear 432 is fixed in the R direction about its axis along the Z axis direction. This causes the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 connected to the flow pipe 52 by the connecting part 31 to also rotate in the R direction.

[0030] Next, in the supply device 50, the catalyst 2 placed in a hopper 51 is passed through a flow pipe 52, and while being separated by a straightening plate 54, it is discharged from a supply port 55 and supplied to the central position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide section 21. The flow pipe 52 is filled with the catalyst 2 to prevent uneven flow. The straightening plate 54 also plays a role in adjusting the flow rate depending on its thickness dimension, as described above.

[0031] The catalyst 2 supplied to the central position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 is dispersed in the R direction by the upper surface 211 of the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 rotating in the R direction, slides or rolls down the upper surface 211 toward the peripheral edge 25, drops from the peripheral edge 25, and is filled into the reaction tower 1.

[0032] Here, the catalyst 2 falls from the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 in the open state, so that it is filled on the periphery side of the reaction tower 1, and the catalyst 2 piled up high on the periphery side naturally collapses toward the center C of the reaction tower 1, so that the filling surface 2A of the catalyst 2 has an angle of repose (an angle of about 34 degrees to 40 degrees). In this way, the catalyst filling device 10 fills the catalyst 2 at the angle of repose, making use of the difference in size between the catalysts 2, so that the catalysts with larger masses collapse toward the center C, forming a density difference, and filling can be continued while forming a density difference, making the center side sparse and the periphery side dense by utilizing the angle of repose.

[0033] Next, as the position of the filling surface 2A of the catalyst 2 gradually rises, the flow pipe 52 is contracted in the Z-axis direction to raise the umbrella-shaped guide part 21, thereby maintaining a constant distance in the Z-axis direction between the position of the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 and the position of the filling surface 2A. In this embodiment, the constant distance in the Z-axis direction between the position of the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide part 21 and the center position in the A direction of the filling surface 2A is set to about 200 mm.

[0034] In this embodiment, the position adjustment of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 in the Z-axis direction is performed in several stages. That is, when the position of the packed surface 2A is raised to a predetermined position, the flow pipe 52 is contracted in the Z-axis direction to raise the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 (for example, 50 mm), and then, when the position of the packed surface 2A is raised to a higher predetermined position, the flow pipe 52 is further contracted to further raise the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 (for example, 50 mm), and this is repeated to fill the catalyst 2 in the reaction tower 1 at an angle of repose. Note that the Z-axis distance between the position of the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 and the center position of the packed surface 2A in the A direction is preferably set to less than 3 m. In this embodiment, the angle of repose is preferably set to 34 degrees to 40 degrees.

[0035] According to the above-mentioned procedure for filling the catalyst 2 by the catalyst filling device 10, the catalyst 2 can be easily filled at an angle of repose so that the catalyst density of the catalyst 2 gradually becomes denser from the center side to the periphery side in the radial direction of the reaction tower 1. Therefore, it is possible to suppress stagnation of the raw material fluid flowing on the center C side of the reaction tower 1, and to suppress the formation of hot spots and solidified parts where the catalysts 2 are solidified on the center C side, and the flow rate of the raw material fluid on the center C side can be increased. On the other hand, on the periphery side of the reaction tower 1, the flow rate of the raw material fluid tends to increase due to the wall effect (the effect from the peripheral wall (inner peripheral surface) of the reaction tower 1), so the flow rate of the raw material fluid is reduced by increasing the catalyst density on the periphery side. This makes it possible to uniformize the flow rate of the raw material fluid throughout the reaction tower 1, fully exerting the catalytic performance throughout the entire reaction tower 1 in the A direction, and extending the catalyst replacement cycle, thereby reducing the effort required for catalyst replacement.

[0036] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 and the flow pipe 52 are configured to be rotated in the R direction based on the operation of the hydraulic motor 42, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured to be rotated manually. For example, an operator standing on the tray 4 may rotate the flow pipe 52 in the R direction, thereby rotating the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 in the R direction.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the flow pipe 52 is configured to be extendable and contractable in the Z-axis direction by connecting multiple tubular bodies 53 in a nested manner, but other configurations may be used as long as they allow the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 to move up and down in the Z-axis direction. For example, the tubular bodies 53 may be connected in a flange-connected manner at predetermined distances, such as every 2 m, in which case the internal pipes do not overlap multiple times as in the nested type. In addition, attachments such as hydraulic hoses arranged along the tubular bodies 53 may also be connected at predetermined distances to be extendable.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the connecting portion 31 is composed of the base member 32, the slide arm 33, the pivot arm and the drive unit 35 as described above, but is not limited to this and other configurations may be adopted as long as they are capable of opening and closing the umbrella-shaped guiding portion 21.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the supply port 55 is provided with a radial straightening plate 54, but for example, in the case where the catalyst 2 discharged from the supply port 55 is sufficiently separated in the R direction even without the straightening plate 54, the configuration of the straightening plate 54 may be omitted.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the flow pipe 52 is supported on the base 12 provided on the opening 11 at the top of the reaction tower 1 via the rotation drive unit 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the flow pipe 52 may be supported on the tray 4 via a support member (not shown) instead of the above-mentioned location.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the guide sheet 23 is circular, but this is not limited thereto, and any shape that is approximately circular and capable of guiding the catalyst 2 to the peripheral side inside the reaction tower 1 may be used. For example, the peripheral edge 25 of the guide sheet 23 may be polygonal.

[0042] [Effects of this embodiment] (1) The catalyst filling apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is a catalyst filling apparatus 10 for filling a reaction tower 1 with a catalyst 2, and includes a spraying device 20 arranged in the reaction tower 1 so as to be able to spray the catalyst 2, and a supplying device 50 for supplying the catalyst 2 to the spraying device 20 for spraying. The supplying device 50 includes a flow pipe 52 through which the catalyst 2 passes, and the spraying device 20 includes an umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 formed in an umbrella shape so as to be able to expand and contract in the A direction of the reaction tower 1, and a connecting portion 31 for connecting the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 to the flow pipe 52. The flow pipe 52 is arranged at a position facing upward the central position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21, and the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is arranged at a position lower than the central position 26. Therefore, the periphery 25 of the umbrella-shaped guide 21 is located at a position lower than the central position 26, so that the catalyst 2 supplied from the flow pipe 52 located at a position facing upward from the central position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide 21 falls while being guided from the central position 26 to the periphery 25 along the umbrella-shaped guide 21. Therefore, the catalyst 2 can be filled into the reaction tower 1 while being dispersed on the peripheral side in the reaction tower 1 with a simple configuration, and the catalyst 2 piled up high beyond the angle of repose of the packed surface 2A of the catalyst 2 naturally collapses, so that the catalyst 2 is also filled on the center C side of the reaction tower 1. In this way, the catalyst 2 can be filled at the angle of repose with a simple configuration. In addition, since the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 can be expanded and contracted in diameter, the position where the catalyst 2 falls can be adjusted appropriately, so that the angle of repose of the catalyst 2 can be suitably filled into each reaction tower having various inner diameter dimensions. Furthermore, as described above, when performing repose angle packing, continuous mechanical movement such as continuously rotating an agitator blade that agitates the catalyst 2 is not required in the path of the catalyst 2, so there is no risk of the catalyst 2 being crushed, and the desired catalyst packing can be performed. In this manner, in the catalyst filling device 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the catalyst 2 can be filled at the angle of repose, and therefore, by utilizing the difference in size between the catalysts 2, the catalysts with larger masses collapse toward the center, forming a density difference, and filling can be continued up to the top of the reaction tower 1. As a result, by utilizing the angle of repose, the center side of the reaction tower 1 can be made sparsely packed and the peripheral side can be made densely packed, thereby suppressing a decrease in catalyst performance.

[0043] (2) In the catalyst loading device 10 of this embodiment, the flow pipe 52 is connected to the rotation drive unit 41 that rotates about an axis along the Z-axis direction. Therefore, by rotating the flow pipe 52 by the rotary drive unit 41, the umbrella-shaped guide unit 21 also rotates, and by supplying the catalyst 2 in this state, the catalyst 2 to be filled in the reaction tower 1 can be easily dispersed in the R direction. In addition, since no continuous mechanical movement, such as continuous rotation of the umbrella-shaped guide unit 21 relative to the flow pipe 52, occurs, the risk of the catalyst 2 being crushed can be reduced.

[0044] (3) In the catalyst loading apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the flow pipe 52 is configured by a plurality of tubular bodies 53 that are connected in a nested manner so as to be extendable and contractible in the Z-axis direction and unable to rotate relative to each other. Therefore, by expanding or contracting the flow pipe 52 in the Z-axis direction according to the position of the filling surface 2A, which becomes higher as the catalyst 2 is gradually filled into the reaction tower 1, the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 can be positioned at an appropriate position in the Z-axis direction.In addition, since the multiple tubular bodies 53 are connected to each other in the R direction so that they cannot rotate relative to each other, the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 can also be rotated in the R direction by rotating the flow pipe 52 in the R direction, and the catalyst 2 can be suitably dispersed in the R direction within the reaction tower 1.

[0045] (4) In the catalyst loading apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the connecting portion 31 includes a base member 32 fixed to the flow pipe 52, a slide arm 33 connected to the base member 32 so as to be movable back and forth in direction A, a pivot arm 34 having one end rotatably connected to the slide arm 33 and the other end rotatably attached to the umbrella-shaped guiding portion 21, and a drive unit 35 attached to the base member 32 and moving the slide arm 33 back and forth in direction A. Therefore, for example, by driving the drive unit 35 to move the slide arm 33 forward in direction A toward the peripheral side of the reaction tower 1, the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 can be opened so as to expand in diameter in direction A while causing the pivot arm 34 to rotate. Also, for example, by driving the drive unit 35 to move the slide arm 33 backward in direction A toward the center C of the reaction tower 1, the umbrella-shaped guiding portion 21 can be closed so as to reduce its diameter in direction A while causing the pivoting arm 34 to rotate. This makes it possible to more easily and suitably pack the catalyst 2 in terms of the angle of repose for each reaction tower 1 having various inner diameter dimensions.

[0046] (5) In the catalyst loading device 10 of this embodiment, the flow pipe 52 has a supply port 55 that supplies the catalyst 2 toward the central position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21, and the supply port 55 is provided with a radial straightening plate 54 in the A direction. As a result, the catalyst 2 is separated in the R direction by the straightening plate 54 and supplied to the central position 26 of the umbrella-shaped guiding portion 21, making it possible to configure the supplied catalyst 2 to be easily dispersed evenly in the R direction along the umbrella-shaped guiding portion 21. In addition, by replacing the flow straightening plate 54 with one of a different thickness, it can function as an orifice (flow rate adjustment). If the filling flow rate is too high, the flow rate can be adjusted by replacing the flow straightening plate 54.

[0047] (6) In the catalyst filling device 10 of this embodiment, the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 includes a radial bone member 22 that can be opened and closed in the A direction, and a guide sheet 23 attached to the bone member 22, and the bone member 22 is arranged along the Z-axis direction when the umbrella-shaped guide portion 21 is in its most contracted state. Therefore, by arranging the frame member 22 along the Z-axis direction, the spraying device 20 can be easily removed from the opening 11 of the reaction tower 1, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1... reaction tower, 10... catalyst filling device, 11... opening, 12... base, 2... catalyst, 20... spraying device, 21... umbrella-shaped guide portion, 22... frame member, 23... guide sheet, 211... upper surface, 25... periphery, 26... central position, 2A... filling surface, 31... connecting portion, 32... base member, 321... slide groove, 33... slide arm, 331... guide pin, 34... rotating arm, 35... drive device, 4... tray, 401... through hole, 41... rotation drive portion, 42... hydraulic motor, 43... gear mechanism, 431... gear, 432... drive gear, 50... supply device, 51... hopper, 52... flow pipe, 53 (53A, 53B)... tubular body, 54... straightening plate, 55... supply port, C... center.

Claims

1. A catalyst filling device for filling a catalyst into a reaction tower, a spraying device that is arranged in the reaction tower so as to be able to spray the catalyst; and a supplying device that supplies the catalyst to be sprayed to the spraying device, The supply device includes a flow pipe through which the catalyst passes, The spraying device includes an umbrella-shaped guide portion formed in an umbrella shape so as to be expandable and contractable in a radial direction of the reaction tower, and a connecting portion connecting the umbrella-shaped guide portion to the flow pipe, The flow pipe is disposed at a position facing upward with respect to a center position of the umbrella-shaped guide portion, A catalyst loading device in which the periphery of the umbrella-shaped guide portion is positioned at a position lower than the central position.

2. The catalyst loading device according to claim 1 , wherein a rotary drive unit that rotates the flow pipe about an axis extending in a vertical direction is connected to the flow pipe.

3. 2. The catalyst loading device according to claim 1, wherein the flow pipe is configured by a plurality of tubular bodies connected in a nested manner so as to be vertically extendable and non-rotatable with respect to each other.

4. The catalyst loading device of claim 1, wherein the connecting portion comprises a base member fixed to the flow pipe, a slide arm connected to the base member so as to be movable back and forth in the radial direction, a pivot arm having one end rotatably connected to the slide arm and the other end rotatably attached to the umbrella-shaped guide portion, and a drive device attached to the base member and moving the slide arm back and forth in the radial direction.

5. the flow pipe has a supply port through which the catalyst is supplied toward the central position of the umbrella-shaped guide portion, The catalyst loading device according to claim 1 , wherein the supply port is provided with radially extending flow straightening plates in the radial direction.

6. The umbrella-shaped guide portion includes a radial bone member that can be opened and closed in the radial direction, and a guide sheet attached to the bone member, The catalyst loading device according to claim 1 , wherein the rib member is disposed along the vertical direction when the umbrella-shaped guide portion is in a state where its diameter is most reduced.

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