Catalyst regeneration apparatus and catalyst regeneration method

Abstract

The present invention provides a catalyst regeneration apparatus and a catalyst regeneration method that can regenerate a degraded catalyst while suppressing a decrease in production efficiency during the production of a predetermined product. [Solution] A catalyst regeneration device for a reactor 3 that produces a predetermined product by catalytic action of catalysts in each reaction tube 2 using a plurality of reaction tubes 2, each filled with catalyst C, while continuing to introduce the raw material gas, the device comprises a catalyst degradation detection unit for detecting whether or not the catalyst C in each of the plurality of reaction tubes 2 has deteriorated, a regeneration gas supply unit 6 capable of supplying a predetermined regeneration gas to each reaction tube 2 for regenerating the deteriorated catalyst C, and a control unit 7 that controls the regeneration gas supply unit to supply regeneration gas to the reaction tube 2 having a catalyst C that has been detected to have deteriorated based on the detection results from the catalyst degradation detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention is applicable to a production apparatus that introduces a predetermined raw material gas into a reactor containing a catalyst and produces a predetermined product by catalytic action, and relates to a catalyst regeneration apparatus and a catalyst regeneration method for regenerating a catalyst deteriorated due to catalytic action.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, when producing hydrocarbons by the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction, carbon deposits on the surface of the catalyst (hereinafter referred to as "FT catalyst" in this column) for performing the FT reaction, and the so-called coking causes the catalytic performance of the FT catalyst to deteriorate, so that the FT catalyst may deteriorate. In order to eliminate such deterioration of the FT catalyst, conventionally, as a hydrocarbon production apparatus having a regeneration function for enhancing the catalytic performance of the deteriorated FT catalyst, an FT reaction apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. This FT reaction apparatus includes a first reactor and a second reactor, and both reactors contain an FT catalyst.

[0003] In an FT reactor, hydrocarbons are produced by supplying a raw material gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen to the first and second reactors, while the FT reaction occurs in each reactor. Furthermore, when regenerating a degraded FT catalyst in an FT reactor, the supply of raw material gas is continued to one of the first and second reactors, while the supply to the other reactor is stopped to perform a regeneration treatment of the FT catalyst in that reactor. In this regeneration treatment, the reactor containing the FT catalyst to be regenerated is heated to a temperature of 300-400°C, and oxygen is supplied to burn off the carbon deposited on the surface of the FT catalyst. Then, the supply of oxygen is stopped, and hydrogen is supplied to reduce the catalyst. Through this regeneration treatment, the carbon is removed from the degraded FT catalyst, thereby regenerating it. As described above, in an FT reactor, hydrocarbon production continues in at least one of the first and second reactors, while the FT catalyst regeneration treatment is alternately performed between the two reactors to regenerate the FT catalyst in each reactor. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-102703 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] As described above, in the above-described FT reactor, when the FT catalyst is regenerated, the supply of raw material gas continues in one of the first and second reactors to continue hydrocarbon production, but the supply of raw material gas to the other reactor is stopped. As a result, hydrocarbon production in the other reactor stops during this time. Therefore, in the above-described FT reactor, the amount of hydrocarbons produced is halved during the FT catalyst regeneration process, and the production efficiency is greatly reduced.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a catalyst regeneration apparatus and catalyst regeneration method that can regenerate a deteriorated catalyst while suppressing a decrease in the production efficiency during the production of a predetermined product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the invention according to claim 1 is a catalyst regeneration device (product production device 1 in the embodiment (hereinafter the same in this paragraph)) for regenerating catalysts that have deteriorated due to catalytic action while continuing to introduce raw material gas in a reactor 3 which comprises a plurality of reaction tubes 2 each filled with catalyst C, and which produces a predetermined product by catalytic action of catalysts in each reaction tube, the device comprising: a catalyst deterioration detection unit (temperature sensor 4) for detecting whether or not the catalyst in the plurality of reaction tubes has deteriorated, a regeneration gas supply unit 6 capable of supplying a predetermined regeneration gas for regenerating deteriorated catalysts to each reaction tube, and a control unit 7 that controls the regeneration gas supply unit to supply regeneration gas to reaction tubes having catalysts in which deterioration has been detected, based on the detection results by the catalyst deterioration detection unit.

[0008] In this configuration, a reactor equipped with multiple reaction tubes, each filled with a catalyst, produces a predetermined product through catalytic action by the catalysts in each reaction tube while a predetermined raw material gas is introduced. In this case, the catalysts in each reaction tube may deteriorate as their catalytic performance decreases. In the above reactor, while continuing to introduce the raw material gas, the following regeneration process is performed to regenerate the deteriorated catalysts in order to improve their catalytic performance.

[0009] Specifically, first, a catalyst degradation detection unit detects whether or not the catalyst has degraded in each of the multiple reaction tubes. Then, a regeneration gas supply unit supplies a predetermined regeneration gas to regenerate the catalyst in the reaction tube containing the catalyst in which degradation has been detected. In other words, in a reactor equipped with multiple reaction tubes, the regeneration gas is supplied precisely to the reaction tube containing the catalyst in which degradation has been detected. This allows for the precise regeneration of the degraded catalyst in the catalyst contained in the reactor while continuing the production of the product by continuing the introduction of raw material gas into the reactor. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to regenerate a degraded catalyst while suppressing a decrease in production efficiency during the production of a predetermined product.

[0010] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the catalyst regeneration apparatus described in claim 1, the catalyst degradation detection unit is provided in each of the plurality of reaction tubes and has a plurality of temperature sensors 4 for detecting the temperature of the catalyst in each reaction tube.

[0011] In this configuration, multiple temperature sensors, acting as catalyst degradation detection units, are provided in each of the multiple reaction tubes. Each temperature sensor detects the temperature of the catalyst in the corresponding reaction tube. For example, if the catalyst temperature deviates significantly from the optimal temperature for catalytic action, proper catalytic action cannot be achieved, making it possible to determine that the catalyst has deteriorated. Therefore, by providing temperature sensors in each of the multiple reaction tubes, it becomes possible to detect the temperature of the catalyst in each reaction tube and determine the degradation of that catalyst.

[0012] The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the catalyst regeneration apparatus described in claim 2, each reaction tube is configured to extend between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor, and the temperature sensor has a plurality of sensor elements 4a arranged at predetermined intervals from each other along the longitudinal direction of each reaction tube.

[0013] In this configuration, each reaction tube extends between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor, and the temperature sensor provided in each reaction tube has multiple sensor elements arranged at predetermined intervals along the length of the reaction tube. This allows the temperature of the catalyst to be detected at multiple points along the length of the reaction tube. As a result, it becomes possible to precisely determine the degree of catalyst degradation along the length of the reaction tube, corresponding to the flow direction of the raw material gas.

[0014] The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the catalyst regeneration apparatus described in claim 2, the control unit is configured to adjust the flow rate of the regenerating gas supplied by the regenerating gas supply unit.

[0015] With this configuration, the control unit controls the regeneration gas supply unit, allowing the flow rate of the supplied regeneration gas to be adjusted appropriately according to the degree of degradation of the catalyst to be regenerated.

[0016] The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the catalyst regeneration apparatus described in claim 4, the control unit adjusts the flow rate of the regeneration gas to increase as the deviation Td between the appropriate temperature of the catalyst at the time of product generation (appropriate temperature Ta) and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (detected temperature Tc) becomes larger.

[0017] Generally, the greater the deviation between the optimal temperature of the catalyst during product formation and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the greater the degree of catalyst degradation. Therefore, according to the present invention, by adjusting the flow rate of the regenerating gas to increase as the degree of catalyst degradation increases, the catalyst can be appropriately regenerated according to the degree of catalyst degradation.

[0018] The invention according to claim 6 is a catalyst regeneration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reaction tubes is configured to extend between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor and is arranged radially from the central part of the reactor, and the regeneration gas supply unit is located upstream of the plurality of reaction tubes in the reactor and has a plurality of ring-shaped supply pipes (second supply pipe 32, third supply pipe 33) arranged concentrically with respect to the central part of the reactor, and each of the plurality of ring-shaped supply pipes has a plurality of discharge ports 32a, 33a arranged circumferentially for discharging regeneration gas to the corresponding reaction tube.

[0019] In this configuration, multiple reaction tubes, each extending between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor, are arranged radially from the center of the reactor. The regeneration gas supply unit has multiple ring-shaped supply tubes located upstream of the multiple reaction tubes within the reactor, and these ring-shaped supply tubes are arranged in concentric circles centered on the reactor's center. In addition, each ring-shaped supply tube has multiple outlets along its circumference for discharging regeneration gas to the corresponding reaction tube. When raw material gas is introduced into a reactor with reaction tubes arranged as described above, the degree of degradation of catalysts in multiple reaction tubes at the same distance from the reactor's center may be similar. Therefore, by flowing regeneration gas through the ring-shaped supply tubes, regeneration gas can be simultaneously supplied to multiple reaction tubes located at equal distances from the reactor's center via the multiple outlets of the ring-shaped supply tubes, allowing for efficient regeneration of the catalysts in those reaction tubes.

[0020] The invention according to claim 7 is a catalyst regeneration method for a reactor 3 comprising a plurality of reaction tubes 2, each filled with catalyst C, which generates a predetermined product by catalytic action of the catalysts in each reaction tube, while continuing to introduce the raw material gas, the method comprising: a catalyst degradation determination step of determining whether or not the catalysts in the plurality of reaction tubes have deteriorated; and a catalyst regeneration step of supplying a predetermined regeneration gas for generating deteriorated catalysts to the reaction tubes having catalysts that have been determined to be deteriorated.

[0021] According to this configuration, while continuously introducing the raw material gas into the reactor, the catalyst deteriorated due to catalysis is regenerated. Specifically, first, it is determined whether there is deterioration of the catalyst in a plurality of reaction tubes in the reactor (catalyst deterioration determination step). Then, a predetermined regeneration gas is supplied to the reaction tube having the catalyst determined to be deteriorated (catalyst regeneration step). That is, in a reactor provided with a plurality of reaction tubes, the regeneration gas is supplied pinpoint to the reaction tube having the catalyst in which deterioration has been detected. Thereby, while continuing the production of the product by continuously introducing the raw material gas into the reactor, the deteriorated catalyst in the catalyst accommodated in the reactor can be regenerated pinpoint. Thus, according to the present invention, at the time of producing a predetermined product, the deteriorated catalyst can be regenerated while suppressing a decrease in the production efficiency.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a diagram for explaining a reactor of a product production apparatus to which a catalyst regeneration apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, (a) is a longitudinal sectional view of the reactor, and (b) is a transverse sectional view of the reactor. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of a product production apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart at the time of producing a product in a product production apparatus. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining a regeneration mode of a catalyst in a reactor at the time of producing a product. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the supply of the regeneration gas. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a supply pipe for the regeneration gas.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a reactor in a product manufacturing apparatus to which a catalyst regeneration device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, where (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the reactor and (b) is a transverse cross-sectional view of the reactor. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the product manufacturing apparatus.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the product manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a reactor 3 equipped with a plurality of reaction tubes 2, each filled with a predetermined catalyst C; a plurality of temperature sensors 4 provided for each reaction tube 2 to detect the temperature of the catalyst C in each reaction tube 2; a raw material gas introduction unit 5 for introducing a predetermined raw material gas into the reactor 3; a regeneration gas supply unit 6 for supplying a predetermined regeneration gas to each reaction tube 2; and a control unit 7 for controlling the raw material gas introduction unit 5, the regeneration gas supply unit 6, and the like.

[0025] In the reactor 3 described above, a predetermined raw material gas (for example, a mixed gas of H2 (hydrogen) and CO (carbon monoxide) or CO2 (carbon dioxide)) is introduced, and useful products such as hydrocarbons and alcohols are produced while an exothermic reaction occurs inside.

[0026] Catalyst C employs materials that promote the reaction during the production of the product, depending on the source gas and product (such as Fe (iron), Zr (zirconium), Ga (gallium), and / or Na (sodium)). Furthermore, catalyst C is formed into pellets or other shapes of a predetermined size.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), the reactor 3 is equipped with a cylindrical casing 11 that extends vertically, and the above-mentioned multiple reaction tubes 2 are arranged inside this casing 11. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1(b), a single reaction tube 2 is located in the center of the casing 11, and multiple reaction tubes 2 are arranged radially from the center of the casing 11. Although not shown in the illustration, a control refrigerant flows between adjacent reaction tubes 2, 2 to control the temperature of the reaction occurring in each reaction tube 2.

[0028] Each reaction tube 2 has a predetermined diameter and is formed in a cylindrical shape that extends a predetermined length between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor 3 (in the vertical direction in Figure 1(a)), and is filled with catalyst C. In addition, the above-mentioned temperature sensor 4 is arranged in each reaction tube 2 so as to extend along the length of the reaction tube 2. Each temperature sensor 4 has a plurality (five in this embodiment) of sensor elements 4a arranged at predetermined intervals from one another in the length direction, and each sensor element 4a detects the temperature of the catalyst C in the length direction inside the reaction tube 2.

[0029] Furthermore, the reactor 3 has an upper wall portion 12 at the upper end of the casing 11 that closes it off. In the center of this upper wall portion 12, there is a raw material gas inlet 12a for introducing raw material gas into the reactor 3.

[0030] Furthermore, the reactor 3 has a lower wall portion 13 at the lower end of the casing 11 that closes it off. This lower wall portion 13 is provided with a post-reaction gas outlet 13a in its center for discharging the post-reaction gas, and a product outlet 13b for transporting the product is provided at a predetermined position radially offset from the center and different from the post-reaction gas outlet 13a.

[0031] Furthermore, a supply pipe 21 for the regeneration gas supply unit 6 is provided upstream of the reaction tubes 2 within the reactor 3. This supply pipe 21 supplies regeneration gas, supplied from outside the reactor 3, to each reaction tube 2. The supply pipe 21 has multiple outlets 22 for discharging regeneration gas, each corresponding to one of the multiple reaction tubes 2. Each outlet 22 is also provided with a valve 23, which is opened and closed by the control unit 7 mentioned above.

[0032] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the production process of a product in the product production apparatus 1, which includes a regeneration mode for regenerating the degraded catalyst C during production. As shown in the figure, when producing a predetermined product (e.g., hydrocarbons) in the product production apparatus 1, first in step 1 (indicated as "S1"; the same applies hereafter), the introduction of a predetermined raw material gas, specifically a mixed gas of H2 and CO2, into the reactor 3 is started. In this case, the raw material gas is introduced into the reactor 3 through the raw material gas inlet 12a of the reactor 3. The introduced raw material gas flows from the upper end to the lower end of each reaction tube 2. In this case, the raw material gas flowing inside the reaction tube 2 comes into contact with the catalyst C, and hydrocarbons are produced by its catalytic action. The generated hydrocarbons are then transported to the outside through the product outlet 13b provided on the lower wall 13 of the reactor 3. The post-reaction gas remaining in the reactor 3 is discharged to the outside through the post-reaction gas outlet 13a provided on the lower wall 13 of the reactor 3.

[0033] Next, in step 2, it is determined whether or not it is possible to determine the degradation of catalyst C. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the conditions for determining the degradation of catalyst C are met, such as the temperature of catalyst C in each reaction tube 2 being above a predetermined temperature. If the result of this determination is NO, and the conditions for determining the degradation of catalyst C are not met and it is not possible to determine the degradation of catalyst C, steps 3 to 8 described later are skipped and the process proceeds to step 9, in which case the degradation of catalyst C is not determined and the supply of raw material gas continues (step 9: NO).

[0034] On the other hand, if the determination result in step 2 is YES and it is possible to determine the degradation of catalyst C, the process proceeds to step 3 to determine the degradation of catalyst C. In this determination of catalyst C degradation, based on the detection results of the temperature sensor 4 in each reaction tube 2, it is determined which reaction tube 2's catalyst C is degraded and the degree of degradation of the degraded catalyst C.

[0035] Specifically, if the deviation Td (=Ta-Tc) between the appropriate temperature of catalyst C at the time of product formation in reaction tube 2 (hereinafter referred to as "appropriate temperature Ta") and the temperature of catalyst C detected by the temperature sensor 4 in reaction tube 2 (hereinafter referred to as "detected temperature Tc") exceeds a predetermined threshold, or if the ratio of the deviation Td to the appropriate temperature Ta (Td / Ta) exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that catalyst C is degraded.

[0036] Furthermore, as a result of the detection by the temperature sensor 4 described above, it is also possible to determine the degree of degradation of the catalyst C by using the detection value of one of the multiple sensor elements 4a, or by using the average value or deviation of those detection values.

[0037] If the degradation determination described above indicates that the catalyst C in any of the reaction tubes 2 is degraded (Step 4: YES), the regeneration mode for catalyst C is started. Specifically, a predetermined regeneration gas is supplied to the reaction tube 2 having the catalyst C that has been determined to be degraded (Step 5).

[0038] Figure 4 illustrates the regeneration mode of catalyst C in reactor 3 during product production. As shown in the figure, in the regeneration mode, regeneration gas is supplied from outside reactor 3 to supply piping 21. Then, valve 23 of the discharge port 22 corresponding to the reaction tube 2 containing the degraded catalyst C is opened, and the regeneration gas is discharged from the discharge port 22.

[0039] Figures 5(a) to 5(d) illustrate the discharge patterns of regenerated gas from multiple outlets 22 of the supply piping 21. For example, Figure 5(a) shows a state in which regenerated gas is discharged from a single outlet 22 located in the center of the supply piping 21 and supplied to the upper end of the reaction tube 2 located in the center of the reactor 3. Figure 5(b) shows a state in which regenerated gas is discharged from two outlets 22, 22 adjacent to the central outlet 22 of the supply piping 21 and supplied to the upper ends of the corresponding reaction tubes 2, 2. Figure 5(c) shows a state in which regenerated gas is discharged from two outlets 22, 22 located on the outermost side of the supply piping 21 and supplied to the upper ends of the corresponding reaction tubes 2, 2. Furthermore, Figure 5(d) shows a state in which regenerated gas is discharged from three outlets 22, 22, 22 located to the left of the center of the supply piping 21 and supplied to the upper ends of the corresponding reaction tubes 2, 2, 2.

[0040] It should be noted that the discharge patterns of the regenerated gas described above are merely examples, and the discharge patterns of the regenerated gas in regeneration mode are not limited to these.

[0041] The above-mentioned regeneration gas is supplied to the reaction tube 2 having degraded catalyst C in order to remove carbon deposited on the surface of catalyst C in each reaction tube 2, and gases such as the following are used.

[0042] For example, when an oxidizing gas containing oxygen (O2) is used as the regenerating gas, the carbon (C) deposited on the surface of catalyst C reacts as follows and is removed from catalyst C. C + O2 → CO2 Furthermore, when a reducing gas containing hydrogen (H2) is used as the regenerating gas, the carbon deposited on the surface of catalyst C is removed from catalyst C by the following reaction. However, n in the following equation is an integer. nC + (n+1)H2 → C n H 2n+2 Furthermore, when a vapor gas containing water vapor (H2O) is used as the regenerating gas, the carbon deposited on the surface of catalyst C is removed from catalyst C by the following reaction. C + H2O → CO + H2

[0043] Furthermore, the regeneration gas supplied to the reaction tube 2 containing the degraded catalyst C is set to increase in flow rate as the deviation Td between the appropriate temperature Ta of catalyst C during product formation in the reaction tube 2 and the detected temperature Tc of catalyst C detected by the temperature sensor 4 in the reaction tube 2 increases. The larger the deviation Td, the greater the degree of degradation of catalyst C. Therefore, the greater the degree of degradation of catalyst C, the greater the flow rate of regeneration gas, allowing for appropriate regeneration of catalyst C according to its degree of degradation.

[0044] Returning to Figure 3, in step 6 following step 5, the regeneration of catalyst C is determined. This determination of catalyst C's regeneration is based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 4 of the reaction tube 2 to which the regeneration gas is supplied.

[0045] Specifically, the catalyst C is determined to have regenerated when the detection temperature Tc of catalyst C, which had decreased due to degradation, rises to a predetermined temperature near the appropriate temperature Ta, or when the detection temperature Tc rises above the appropriate temperature Ta and then falls back down to the appropriate temperature Ta, or when the deviation Td falls below a predetermined threshold, or when the ratio of the deviation Td to the appropriate temperature Ta falls below a threshold.

[0046] Based on the regeneration determination described above, if it is determined that regeneration is complete in catalyst C of reaction tube 2 to which regeneration gas has been supplied (Step 7: YES), the supply of regeneration gas is stopped and the regeneration mode ends (Step 8).

[0047] Next, in step 9, it is determined whether or not to terminate the production of the product in the product production apparatus 1. If the result of this determination is NO and product production is to continue, the degradation determination and regeneration mode of catalyst C are repeated by executing steps 2 to 8 described above. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step 9 is YES and product production is to be terminated, the introduction of raw material gas into reactor 3 is stopped (step 10), and product production is stopped.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, when a predetermined product is produced by the catalytic action of catalyst C in each reaction tube 2 by introducing a predetermined raw material gas into the reactor 3, the deterioration of catalyst C is determined, and a predetermined regeneration gas is supplied precisely to the reaction tube 2 having the deteriorated catalyst C. This allows for the production of the product to continue by continuing to introduce the raw material gas into the reactor 3, while simultaneously regenerating the deteriorated catalyst C in the catalyst C contained in the reactor 3. Thus, during product production, the deterioration of catalyst C can be regenerated while suppressing a decrease in production efficiency.

[0049] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various forms. For example, in the embodiments, a mixed gas of H2 and CO or CO2 was exemplified as the raw material gas, Fe, Zr, Ga and / or Na were exemplified as the catalyst C, and oxidizing gas, reducing gas and water vapor were exemplified as the regenerating gas. However, the raw material gas, catalyst and regenerating gas of the present invention are not limited to these, and raw material gas and catalyst can be used according to the product to be manufactured, as well as regenerating gas can be used according to the degradation of the catalyst.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the temperature of catalyst C in each reaction tube 2 was used to determine the degradation and regeneration of catalyst C. However, it is also possible to use other appropriate indicators during the production of the product by the reactor 3 instead of, or in conjunction with, this. For example, the gas flow rate, gas composition, gas temperature, gas specific gravity, gas specific heat, gas viscosity, or temperature after gas cooling of the post-reaction gas discharged from the reactor 3 can be used as indicators, or the composition, production rate, viscosity, or specific gravity of the product transported out of the reactor 3 can be used.

[0051] Furthermore, depending on the arrangement of the multiple reaction tubes 2 within the reactor 3, it is also possible to install a supply pipe 21 for supplying regenerated gas. Figure 6 shows an example of a supply pipe 21 installed within the reactor 3. The figure shows three supply pipes 31, 32, and 33. Specifically, the supply pipe 21 comprises a first supply pipe 31 which is located in the center of the cross-section of the reactor 3 and has a circular plan shape with a predetermined diameter, a second supply pipe 32 (ring-shaped supply pipe) which is located radially outside the first supply pipe 31 and has a ring-shaped plan shape with a predetermined diameter, and a third supply pipe 33 (ring-shaped supply pipe) which is located radially outside the second supply pipe 32 and has a ring-shaped plan shape with a predetermined diameter. In the first to third supply pipes 31 to 33 described above, the second supply pipe 32 and the third supply pipe 33 are configured concentrically with the first supply pipe 31 as the center. Furthermore, the first supply pipe 31 has a single discharge port 31a as the discharge port 22 for discharging regenerated gas, while the second supply pipe 32 and the third supply pipe 33 each have multiple discharge ports 32a and 33a, respectively (eight in Figure 6). The first to third supply pipes 31 to 33 are connected to each other, and regenerated gas is supplied from the outside.

[0052] On the other hand, the multiple reaction tubes 2 arranged radially within the reactor 3 are also arranged concentrically around the central reaction tube 2, corresponding to the multiple discharge ports 31a to 33a of the first to third supply pipes 31 to 33 described above. When raw material gas is introduced into the reactor 3 having reaction tubes 2 arranged as described above, the degree of deterioration of the catalyst C in multiple reaction tubes 2 at the same distance from the center of the reactor 3 may be similar. Therefore, by flowing regenerating gas through the second supply pipe 32 or the third supply pipe 33, it is possible to simultaneously supply regenerating gas to multiple reaction tubes 2 arranged at equidistant from the center of the reactor 3, thereby efficiently regenerating the catalyst C in those reaction tubes 2.

[0053] The first to third supply pipes 31 to 33 described above are just examples of supply pipes 21 for supplying regenerated gas, and various shapes can be used as long as they can properly supply regenerated gas to each reaction tube 2 in the reactor 3. For example, the second supply pipe 32 and the third supply pipe 33 described above have a ring-shaped planar shape, but it is also possible to use a C-shaped planar shape instead of a perfect ring shape.

[0054] Furthermore, the detailed configurations of the reaction tube 2, reactor 3, temperature sensor 4, raw material gas introduction unit 5, regenerated gas supply unit 6, and control unit 7 shown in the embodiment are merely illustrative examples and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1 Product manufacturing equipment 2 reaction tubes 3 Reactor 4. Temperature Sensor 4a Sensor element 5. Raw material gas introduction section 6. Regenerative Gas Supply Department 7 Control Unit 11 Casing 12 Upper wall 12a Raw material gas inlet 13 Lower wall part 13a Post-reaction gas outlet 13b Product outlet 21 Supply piping 22 Discharge port 23 valves 31 1st supply piping 32. Second supply piping (ring-shaped supply piping) 33. Third supply piping (ring-shaped supply piping) C catalyst

Claims

1. A catalyst regeneration device for a reactor comprising a plurality of reaction tubes, each filled with a catalyst, which generates a predetermined product by catalytic action of the catalysts in each reaction tube using a predetermined raw material gas introduced into the reactor, wherein the catalysts deteriorated due to catalytic action are regenerated while the introduction of the raw material gas is continued, A catalyst degradation detection unit for detecting whether or not the catalyst has deteriorated in each of the plurality of reaction tubes, A regeneration gas supply unit capable of supplying a predetermined regeneration gas for regenerating a degraded catalyst to each of the reaction tubes, A control unit controls the regenerative gas supply unit to supply the regenerative gas to the reaction tube having the catalyst in which degradation has been detected, based on the detection results from the catalyst degradation detection unit. A catalyst regeneration device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The catalyst regeneration apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the catalyst degradation detection unit is provided in each of the plurality of reaction tubes and has a plurality of temperature sensors for detecting the temperature of the catalyst in each reaction tube.

3. Each of the reaction tubes is configured to extend between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor. The catalyst regeneration apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the temperature sensor has a plurality of sensor elements arranged at predetermined intervals from one another along the longitudinal direction of each reaction tube.

4. The catalyst regeneration apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit is configured to adjust the flow rate of the regenerating gas supplied by the regenerating gas supply unit.

5. The catalyst regeneration apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit adjusts the flow rate of the regenerating gas to increase as the deviation between the appropriate temperature of the catalyst during the generation of the product and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes larger.

6. Each of the aforementioned plurality of reaction tubes is configured to extend between the upstream and downstream sides of the reactor and is arranged radially from the central part of the reactor. The aforementioned regenerated gas supply unit is A plurality of ring-shaped supply tubes are arranged upstream of the plurality of reaction tubes within the reactor and are configured in a concentric circle with respect to the central part of the reactor, Each of the plurality of ring-shaped supply tubes has a plurality of discharge ports arranged circumferentially for discharging the regenerated gas to the corresponding reaction tube, The catalyst regeneration apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by having the following features.

7. A catalyst regeneration method for a reactor comprising a plurality of reaction tubes, each filled with a catalyst, which generates a predetermined product by catalytic action of the catalysts in each reaction tube using a predetermined raw material gas introduced into the reactor, wherein the introduction of the raw material gas is continued, and the catalyst has deteriorated due to catalytic action, A catalyst degradation determination step for determining whether or not the catalyst has deteriorated in the plurality of reaction tubes, A catalyst regeneration step involves supplying a predetermined regeneration gas to the reaction tube having a catalyst that has been determined to be degraded, in order to generate a degraded catalyst. A catalyst regeneration method characterized by comprising the following features.

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