Catalyst Support Methods and Tools

Abstract

A method for removing a catalyst support 10 engaged with a reactor tube 8 of a tubular reactor 1, comprising the steps of: i) inserting a recovery tool 100 through the open ends 24, 25 of the reactor tube and extending the recovery tool along the reactor tube to contact and engage the catalyst support; ii) thereafter releasing the catalyst support and applying a force to the retrieval tool which attempts to displace the catalyst support towards the open end of the reactor tube; The retrieval tool includes a head portion 101 including a plurality of spring-mounted arms 110, a handle portion 102, and an elongated body 103 extending between the head and handle portions; Engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst carrier includes engaging spring-mounted arms of the head with one or more features 28, 29, 30, 31 formed on the catalyst carrier.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for removing catalyst supports engaged with reactor tubes of a tubular reactor, and a recovery tool for use in the method. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional, so-called fixed-bed tubular reactor includes a reactor shell, which is usually cylindrical and contains multiple tubes directly packed with catalyst particles. During use, a heat transfer medium flows through the reactor shell on the outside of these tubes, thereby regulating the temperature of the catalyst within the tubes by heat exchange across the tube walls. Thus, if the reaction is exothermic, the heat transfer medium removes heat from the catalyst, and if the reaction is endothermic, the heat transfer medium supplies heat to the catalyst.

[0003] For some reactions, the thermal impact of the reaction is moderate and not a problem or can be easily managed. In some cases, the thermal impact is small enough that larger diameter tubes can be used, which has the advantage of a larger catalyst volume within the tube.

[0004] However, for exothermic and endothermic reactions, efficient heat transfer from the tube wall to the heat carrier is necessary to allow the conditions in the reactor to be controlled in order to maintain a stable operating temperature without detrimental effects. In the case of exothermic reactions, these effects may include the occurrence of side reactions, catalyst damage such as sintering of catalytic active sites, and in the worst case, thermal runaway. For endothermic reactions, detrimental effects may include quenching of the reaction.

[0005] To achieve the desired efficiency, it is necessary to maximize the surface area of ​​the tube wall per unit length. This has traditionally been achieved by using a large number of smaller diameter tubes. For some reactions, size limitations limit the internal diameter of the tubes to about 15 to 40 mm. However, using such a large number of tubes increases the cost and complexity of the reactor.

[0006] Therefore, in an attempt to alleviate these problems, particularly for exothermic and endothermic reactions, alternative approaches have been developed in which, rather than packing the catalyst directly into the reactor tube, the catalyst is loaded onto a plurality of catalyst supports configured to be placed within the reactor tube.

[0007] WO2011 / 048361, WO2012 / 136971, WO2016 / 050520 and WO2022 / 064211 describe some examples of catalyst supports configured for use in tubular reactors. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Catalyst supports are useful in a wide range of processes. Suitable applications include processes and reactors for exothermic reactions such as methanol production, ammonia production, methanation, shift reactions, oxidation reactions such as maleic anhydride production, and ethylene oxide reactions. Specific examples where catalyst supports can be used include processes and reactors for Fischer-Tropsch reactions. Catalyst supports can also be used in endothermic reactions such as pre-reforming and dehydrogenation.

[0009] Each reactor tube may contain multiple catalyst supports, and a single tubular reactor may contain multiple reactor tubes. Multiple catalyst supports may need to be removed from the top of the tube, for example, because the catalyst is poisoned. This may require significant force because the supports are tightly attached to the tube wall.

[0010] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for removing a catalyst support engaged with a reactor tube of a tubular reactor is provided, comprising: i) inserting a recovery tool through an open end of the reactor tube and extending the recovery tool along the reactor tube to contact and engage the catalyst support; ii) thereafter releasing the catalyst support and applying a force to the retrieval tool which attempts to displace the catalyst support towards the open end of the reactor tube; The retrieval tool includes a head portion including a plurality of spring-mounted arms, a handle portion, and an elongated body extending between the head portion and the handle portion; Engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes engaging spring-mounted arms of the head with one or more features formed on the catalyst support.

[0011] Advantageously, the present method provides a means for removing catalyst supports that adhere to the walls of the reactor tube and cannot be removed using other means without removing all of the support, thereby allowing the reactor tube to remain in use and resulting in improved operating efficiency of the tubular reactor.

[0012] In some examples, the step of extending the retrieval tool along the reactor tube includes connecting multiple connectable elements of the extended body to increase the distance between the head portion and the handle portion, such that the handle portion remains accessible from outside the reactor tube.

[0013] In a preferred example, the catalyst support is frictionally engaged with the reactor tube. In other words, there is a sliding seal between the catalyst support and the reactor tube. Advantageously, the method can also allow for removal of stuck catalyst supports from any position along the length of the reactor tube. Thus, a first aspect can be a method for removing stuck catalyst supports in a reactor tube.

[0014] In some examples, the one or more features include one or more openings, one or more lips, or one or more recesses formed in the catalyst support.

[0015] In some examples, the open end of the reactor tube is a lower end of the reactor tube; and engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes engaging a spring-mounted arm of the head portion with the lower end of the catalyst support.

[0016] In other examples, the open end of the reactor tube is an upper end of the reactor tube; and engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes engaging a spring-mounted arm of the head portion with the upper end of the catalyst support.

[0017] In some examples, engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes inserting a spring mounting arm into a skirt portion of the catalyst support that includes one or more openings; and biasing the spring mounting arm radially outward to extend the spring mounting arm outward, thereby engaging the spring mounting arm with the one or more openings. In some examples, the skirt portion is at an upper end of the catalyst support. In other preferred examples, the skirt portion is at a lower end of the catalyst support.

[0018] In some other examples, engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes inserting a spring mounting arm into a lid portion of the catalyst support that includes an opening; and biasing the spring mounting arm radially outward to extend the spring mounting arm outward, thereby engaging the spring mounting arm under a lip of the opening. In some examples, the lid portion is at a lower end of the catalyst support. In other preferred examples, the lid portion is at an upper end of the catalyst support. In particularly preferred examples, the lid portion includes a single central opening, and the spring mounting arm is engaged under the lip of the single opening.

[0019] The method may further comprise releasing the spring mounting arm from one or more features of the catalyst support if the applied force is insufficient to release and displace the catalyst support toward the open end of the reactor tube.

[0020] In some examples, releasing the spring mounting arms includes retracting the spring mounting arms to disengage each spring mounting arm from the feature with which it was engaged.

[0021] In some examples, retracting the spring mounting arms includes pulling a cable directly or indirectly connected to the or each spring mounting arm.

[0022] In some examples, one or more cables extend from the head to the handle, and one or more cables are pulled from the handle end of the retrieval tool. In some examples, the cables connected to the spring-mounted arms may be connected together at the head into a single length of cable extending from the head to the handle. The single length of cable may include a single, uninterrupted cable or may include multiple cables connected in series. For example, the single length of cable may include separate cables interconnected by suitable means, such as carabiner clip connectors.

[0023] In examples where the elongated body of the retrieval tool includes multiple connectable elements that increase the distance between the head and handle portions, the one or more cables extending from the head to the handle portion may preferably comprise a cable of a length that can be wound on and unwound from a reel to decrease and increase its effective length as needed, or may comprise multiple cables that are connectable to each other in series as described above as the length of the elongated body increases and that can be disconnected from each other as the length of the elongated body decreases.

[0024] In some instances, the force to release the catalyst support is applied by an external mechanism coupled to the elongated body and / or handle portion.

[0025] In some instances, the force to release the catalyst support is applied by a slide hammer on the retrieval tool or other suitable external mechanism capable of applying an impact to the elongated body of the retrieval tool.

[0026] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a recovery tool for removing a catalyst support from a reactor tube of a tubular reactor is provided, comprising: a head portion including a plurality of spring-mounted arms configured to engage one or more features formed on the catalyst support; A handle portion, an elongated body extending between the head portion and the handle portion; The elongated body includes a plurality of connectable elements that selectively increase and decrease the distance between the head and handle portions.

[0027] In some examples, the spring mounting arm is configured to be insertable into a skirt portion or a lid portion of the catalyst support that includes one or more openings; the spring mounting arm is biased radially outward to engage the spring mounting arm into and / or through the one or more openings. The skirt portion may be provided at an upper end of the catalyst support, but is more typically provided at a lower end of the catalyst support. The lid portion may be provided at a lower end of the catalyst support, but is more typically provided at an upper end of the catalyst support.

[0028] In some examples, the or each spring mounting arm includes a hook element at a distal end, preferably facing radially outward.

[0029] In some examples, the spring mounting arms include two, three, four or more arms.

[0030] The retrieval tool may further include a release mechanism for disengaging the spring-mounted arm from one or more features of the catalyst support.

[0031] In some examples, the release mechanism includes a retraction element connected to each spring mounting arm and configured to move each spring mounting arm against a bias to disengage each spring mounting arm from an engaged feature.

[0032] In some examples, each retraction element includes a cable connected to a spring-mounted arm.

[0033] Preferably, each cable is connected at or near the distal end of the spring-mounted arm.

[0034] As described above, the cables connected to the spring-mounted arms may be connected together at the head portion into a single length of cable extending from the head portion to the handle portion. The single length of cable may include a single, uninterrupted cable or may include multiple cables connected in series. For example, the single length of cable may include separate cables interconnected by suitable means, such as carabiner clip connectors.

[0035] In some instances, at least one cable extends from the head to the handle, allowing a user to activate a release mechanism from the handle end of the retrieval tool. Preferably, the at least one cable extends through the interior of the elongated body.

[0036] In some examples, the handle portion includes a handle that is coupled to a cable or cables extending from the head portion.

[0037] In some examples, the connectable elements of the elongated body include threaded or bayonet connections, although other suitable means may be used.

[0038] In some examples, the elongated body includes an anchor point for block and tackle or other manual means of applying force or impact to the elongated body.

[0039] In some examples, the elongated body includes a slide hammer that applies impact to the head portion.

[0040] The catalyst supports of the present disclosure may be loaded or partially loaded with any catalyst suitable for the intended reaction. For example, a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst may be used for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction. Cobalt-containing Fischer-Tropsch catalysts are preferred. The catalyst may be provided as catalyst particles or catalyst monoliths. The catalyst may be provided as a single bed or multiple beds. The catalyst support may be configured to promote axial and / or radial flow through the catalyst. In some embodiments, the catalyst support may be configured to preferentially promote radial flow through the catalyst.

[0041] The catalyst supports of the present disclosure may be formed from any suitable material. Such materials are generally selected to withstand the operating conditions of the tubular reactor. The catalyst supports may be made from carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, other alloys, or any material that can withstand the reaction conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0042] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0043] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a tubular reactor. [Figure 2] Catalyst support is shown. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a retrieval tool in use according to the present disclosure; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of a retrieval tool according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged (close-up) view of the head portion of the retrieval tool of FIG. 4 in a first configuration. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the head portion in the second configuration. [Figure 7] 5 is an enlarged view of the head portion of the retrieval tool of FIG. 4 engaged with the catalyst support of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the handle portion of the retrieval tool of FIG. 4. [Figure 9] 10A-10C are schematic diagrams illustrating a second embodiment of a retrieval tool according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view of a head portion of a third embodiment of a retrieval tool according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 3 is a view of the lid portion of the catalyst carrier of FIG. 2. [Figure 12] 12 is a view of the head portion of the retrieval tool of FIG. 10 engaged with the lid portion of the catalyst carrier of FIG. 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] In the following, aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are described, by way of example only, with reference to a vertically oriented tubular reactor having a plurality of vertical reactor tubes extending between an upper tube sheet and a lower tube sheet, although it will be understood that the present disclosure may also be applied to tubular reactors of other configurations in which other orientations are possible.

[0045] Additionally, any references herein to orientation, e.g., terms such as top, bottom, upper, lower, upper, underside, etc., are used with respect to the orientation of a part as illustrated in the referenced drawings, but are not to be considered as limiting the potential orientation of such part in actual use. For example, a part described as being vertically oriented may also be horizontally oriented.

[0046] 1 shows a typical layout of a tubular reactor 1 of the present disclosure. The tubular reactor 1 includes a housing 2. The interior of the housing may be divided into a head space 3, a heat exchange zone 4, and a footer space 5 by two tube sheets—an upper tube sheet 6 and a lower tube sheet 7. The upper tube sheet 6 separates the head space 3 from the heat exchange zone 4. The lower tube sheet 7 separates the footer space 5 from the heat exchange zone 4.

[0047] A plurality of reactor tubes 8 extend between the upper tube sheet 6 and the lower tube sheet 7. A large number of reactor tubes 8 may be provided, for example, there may be between 20 and 5000 reactor tubes 8. Each reactor tube 8 may have an inner diameter of, for example, between 20 and 150 mm. In some embodiments, the inner diameter may be about 85 mm.

[0048] Each reactor tube 8 is intended to be filled or substantially filled with a stacked arrangement of catalyst supports 10. In particular, it is typically desired that the catalyst supports 10 cover all or substantially all of the length of the reactor tube 8 between the upper tube sheet 6 and the lower tube sheet 7, i.e., cover all or substantially all of the length of the heat exchange zone 4.

[0049] The head space 3 may provide access to the upper end of the reactor tube 8 to allow catalyst support 10 to be loaded into the reactor tube 8. An access opening 11 may be provided in the housing 2 to allow access to the head space 3. The access opening 11 may be, for example, a manhole or other access panel that can be selectively opened and closed.

[0050] The footer space 5 may provide access to the lower end of the reactor tube 8 to allow the catalyst support 10 to be unloaded from the reactor tube 8 .

[0051] To better understand the present disclosure, an example of the general configuration of catalyst support 10 will be described with reference to Figure 2. However, it will be understood that catalyst support 10 may take a variety of forms. For example, as well as the examples described herein, catalyst support 10 may take other general configurations, including but not limited to those disclosed in WO2011 / 048361, WO2012 / 136971, WO2016 / 050520, and WO2022 / 064211, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0052] Each catalyst support 10 may generally comprise a container 20 having dimensions smaller than the interior dimensions of the reactor tube 8 in which it will be placed during use. Typically, a seal 22 is provided sized to interact with the interior wall of the reactor tube 8 when the catalyst support 10 is in place therein. Parameters such as the length and diameter of the support may be selected to accommodate different reactions and configurations in the reactor tube 8.

[0053] 2, container 20 includes an elongated body 21 having an outer wall 23 extending between an upper end 24 and a lower end 25. A lid portion 26 is provided at upper end 24 and at least partially closes elongated body 21 at upper end 24. A skirt portion 27 is provided at lower end 25. Seal 22 is disposed toward upper end 24, preferably near, e.g., directly below, lid portion 26.

[0054] Lid portion 26 has a central opening 28 which, during use, allows the ingress of fluid, i.e., gas or liquid, typically gas, into container 20. Central opening 28 may be surrounded by a lip 29 that extends inwardly into the interior of container 20, as most easily seen in FIG.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2 , the outer wall 23 may have a plurality of openings configured to permit fluid movement across the outer wall 23. At the lower end 25 of the outer wall 23, the skirt portion 27 may include a plurality of bottom openings 30. The bottom openings 30 may be spaced around the circumference of the elongated body 21. Each bottom opening 30 may be, for example, square or rectangular in shape. Similarly, at the upper end 24 of the outer wall 23, a plurality of top openings 31 may be provided. The top openings 31 may be spaced around the circumference of the elongated body 21. Each top opening 31 may be, for example, square or rectangular in shape.

[0056] Catalyst support 10 may define an annular vessel that holds the catalyst during use. The annular vessel may include a perforated (mesh-like, surface-perforated) inner vessel wall 35 (visible in FIG. 11 ) that defines an inner flow passage, and a perforated outer vessel wall disposed concentrically with the perforated inner vessel wall within outer wall 23. An upper annular surface defined by a portion of lid portion 26 may close the upper end of the annular vessel, and a lower annular surface may close the lower end of the annular vessel.

[0057] The seal 22 may be sufficiently compressible to accommodate the smallest diameter of the reactor tube 8. The seal 22 may generally be a flexible sliding seal. The seal 22 may engage, e.g., frictionally engage, the inner surface of the reactor tube 8, such that liquids and gases passing along the reactor tube 8 preferentially flow through the interior of the catalyst support 10. The seal 22 may be configured, for example, to form a sliding seal, i.e., frictionally engage, the inner surface of the reactor tube 8.

[0058] 2, the seal 22 may include a deformable flange extending from the outer wall 23. The flange may have a size larger than the inner diameter of the reactor tube 8 so that it deforms to fit within and interact with the reactor tube 8 when the catalyst support 10 is inserted into the reactor tube 8.

[0059] Further details of the structure of such catalyst supports 10 can be found in WO2011 / 048361, WO2012 / 136971 and WO2016 / 050520, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0060] According to the present invention, a recovery tool 100 may be provided to aid in the removal of the catalyst support 10 from the reactor tube 8 .

[0061] 3, the retrieval tool 100 includes a head portion 101, a handle portion 102, and an elongated body 103 extending between the head portion 101 and the handle portion 102. The head portion 101 includes a plurality of spring-mounted arms 110 configured to engage one or more features formed on the catalyst support 10.

[0062] A first embodiment of the retrieval tool 100 is shown in more detail in Figures 4-8. In this embodiment, the elongated body 103 has a fixed length. The head 101 is shown in more detail in Figure 5. The head 101 includes a base portion 105 having four spring mounting arms 110 attached to it. The base portion 105 includes a central opening 106 that communicates with the elongated body 103. The spring mounting arms 110 are disposed about the central opening 106.

[0063] Each spring-mounted arm 110 includes an elongated body 111 having a proximal end 112 and a distal end 113. The distal end 113 of each elongated body 111 includes a hook element that may include a radially outwardly facing catch 115. Additionally, an opening 118 is provided for receiving a cable 120. Each catch 115 includes a catch surface 116 that faces toward the handle portion 102 of the retrieval tool 100 and an angled, ramped surface 117 that faces generally away from the handle portion 102.

[0064] The proximal end 112 of each elongated body 111 is pivotally attached to the base portion 105 at pivot point 107. A biasing mechanism, such as a torsion spring acting at pivot point 107, is provided on each elongated body 111 to bias the spring-mounted arms 110 radially outwardly into the configuration shown in Figure 5, in which the elongated body 111 is generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongated body 103 of the retrieval tool 100.

[0065] The cables 120 of each spring-mounted arm 110 are gathered together and connected to a main cable 121 that runs within the length of the extended body 103 to the handle portion 102, where it is connected to the handle 140, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0066] 6, the spring mounting arms 110 can be pivoted about pivot point 107 against the bias to move distal ends 113 of the spring mounting arms 110 radially inward. This movement can be achieved by pulling on handle 140 to pull main cable 121 against extended body 103, which in turn pulls four cables 120 acting on spring mounting arms 110. Cables 120 and main cables 121 thus provide a release mechanism for disengaging spring mounting arms 110 from catalyst support 10.

[0067] In use, as illustrated generally in Figure 3 and shown in Figure 7, the spring mounting arm 110 can be inserted into the skirt portion 27 of the catalyst support 10, causing the catch 115 of the spring mounting arm 110 to engage the bottom opening 30 of the catalyst support 10. The angled ramp 117 contacts the lower rim of the bottom end 25 of the catalyst support 10, causing the spring mounting arm 110 to swing inward as the head portion 101 penetrates the skirt portion 27, so that the connection of the head portion 101 to the bottom end 25 of the catalyst support 10 is accommodated by the inward flexing / swinging of the spring mounting arm 110. Once fully engaged with the skirt portion, the spring mounting arm 110 is moved radially outward, causing the catch 115 to protrude from the bottom opening 30.

[0068] 9 illustrates a variation of retrieval tool 100 in which elongated body 103 may include multiple connectable elements 103a-103d that selectively increase and decrease the distance between head portion 101 and handle portion 102. Connectable elements 103a-103d of elongated body 103 may include, for example, threaded or bayonet connections.

[0069] A second embodiment of the retrieval tool 100 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 10-12. In this embodiment, a head portion 101 engages the upper end 24 of the catalyst carrier 10, specifically the lid portion 26. As shown in FIG. 10, the head portion 101 has a modified configuration in which the spring mounting arms 110 are positioned closer to the center of the base portion 105 and closer to the central opening 106. As a result, in the remaining configuration shown in FIG. 10, the lateral span of the catch 115 is smaller than in the first embodiment. In this manner, the head portion 101 is configured to engage the central opening 28 of the lid portion 26 rather than the skirt portion 27. As with the first embodiment, the spring mounting arms 110 are biased radially outward.

[0070] In use, the spring mounting arm 110 is inserted into the central opening 28 of the lid portion 26. During insertion, the angled ramp 117 contacts the rim of the central opening 28, causing the spring mounting arm 110 to swing / deflect radially inward, causing the spring mounting arm 110 to swing inward as the head portion 101 penetrates the central opening 28. Once fully engaged with the central opening 28, the spring mounting arm 110 is moved radially outward and the catch 115 catches (captures) the lip 29 of the central opening 28.

[0071] Optionally, any embodiment of the retrieval tool 100 may include an anchor point for a block and tackle or an integrated slide hammer 150 for impacting the head 101 and / or extended body 103.

[0072] In use, to remove the catalyst support 10, the recovery tool 100 is first inserted into the open end of the reactor tube 8. The open end may be the upper or lower end of the reactor tube 8.

[0073] The retrieval tool 100 extends along the reactor tube 8 to contact and engage the catalyst support 10. As described above, engaging the retrieval tool 100 with the catalyst support 10 includes engaging the spring-mounted arms 110 of the head portion 101 with one or more features formed on the catalyst support 10, such as the bottom opening 30 of the skirt portion 27 or the lip 29 of the lid portion 26.

[0074] A force is then applied to the retrieval tool 100 which, once engaged, attempts to release the catalyst support 10 and displace the catalyst support 10 towards the open end of the reactor tube 8 .

Claims

1. 1. A method for removing a catalyst support engaged with a reactor tube of a tubular reactor, comprising: i) inserting a recovery tool through an open end of the reactor tube and extending the recovery tool along the reactor tube to contact and engage the catalyst support; ii) thereafter releasing the catalyst support and applying a force to the retrieval tool which attempts to displace the catalyst support towards the open end of the reactor tube; the retrieval tool includes a head portion including a plurality of spring-mounted arms, a handle portion, and an elongated body extending between the head portion and the handle portion; The method, wherein engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes engaging the spring-mounted arms of the head with one or more features formed on the catalyst support.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein extending the retrieval tool along the reactor tube comprises connecting multiple connectable elements of the elongated body to increase the distance between the head portion and the handle portion, whereby the handle portion remains accessible from outside the reactor tube.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features comprise one or more openings, one or more lips, or one or more recesses formed in the catalyst support.

4. the open end of the reactor tube is a lower end of the reactor tube; The method of claim 1 , wherein engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst carrier comprises engaging the spring-mounted arms of the head portion with a lower end of the catalyst carrier.

5. the open end of the reactor tube is the upper end of the reactor tube; The method of claim 1 , wherein engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst carrier comprises engaging the spring-mounted arms of the head portion with an upper end of the catalyst carrier.

6. Engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes: inserting the spring mounting arm into a skirt portion of the catalyst support that includes one or more openings; 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: biasing the spring mounting arms radially outward to extend the spring mounting arms outward, thereby engaging the spring mounting arms with one or more of the openings.

7. Engaging the retrieval tool with the catalyst support includes: inserting the spring mounting arm into a lid portion of the catalyst carrier that includes an opening; 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: biasing the spring mounting arms radially outward to extend the spring mounting arms outwardly, thereby engaging the spring mounting arms under a lip of the opening.

8. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the spring-mounted arm from one or more of the features of the catalyst support if the applied force is insufficient to release and displace the catalyst support toward the open end of the reactor tube.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein releasing the spring mounting arms comprises retracting the spring mounting arms to disengage each spring mounting arm from the feature with which it was engaged.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein retracting the spring mounting arm comprises pulling a cable directly or indirectly connected to the or each spring mounting arm.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein one or more cables extend from the head portion to the handle portion, and the one or more cables are pulled from a handle end of the retrieval tool.

12. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the force to release the catalyst support is applied by an external mechanism coupled to the elongated body and / or the handle portion.

13. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the force to release the catalyst support is applied by a slide hammer of the recovery tool.

14. 1. A recovery tool for removing catalyst supports from reactor tubes of a tubular reactor, comprising: a head portion including a plurality of spring-mounted arms configured to engage one or more features formed on the catalyst support; A handle portion, an elongated body extending between the head portion and the handle portion; the elongated body including a plurality of connectable elements for selectively increasing and decreasing the distance between the head portion and the handle portion; Recovery tool.

15. the spring mounting arm is configured to be insertable into a skirt or lid portion of the catalyst support that includes one or more openings; 15. The retrieval tool of claim 14, wherein the spring-mounted arms are biased radially outward to engage the spring-mounted arms into and / or through one or more of the openings.

16. The retrieval tool of claim 14 , wherein the or each spring mounted arm includes a hook element at a distal end.

17. The retrieval tool of claim 14 , wherein the spring-mounted arms include two, three, four or more arms.

18. 18. A retrieval tool according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising a release mechanism for disengaging the spring-mounted arm from one or more of the features of the catalyst support.

19. 20. The retrieval tool of claim 18, wherein the release mechanism includes a retraction element connected to each spring-mounted arm and configured to move each spring-mounted arm against a bias to disengage each spring-mounted arm from the feature with which it was engaged.

20. The retrieval tool of claim 19 , wherein each retraction element includes a cable connected to the spring-mounted arm.

21. 21. The retrieval tool of claim 20, wherein each cable is connected at or near the distal end of the spring-mounted arm.

22. 21. The retrieval tool of claim 20, wherein at least one cable extends from the head portion to the handle portion, allowing a user to activate the release mechanism from the handle end of the retrieval tool.

23. The retrieval tool of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the cables extends through an interior of the elongated body.

24. 18. The retrieval tool of any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the connectable element of the elongated body comprises a threaded connection or a bayonet connection.

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