Flow Reactor

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a flow type reactor with which a reactor unit can be replaced safely and easily. This flow type reactor includes: a vessel having an upper opening portion; a lid for closing the opening portion; a reactor unit which is detachably attached to the lid and which is accommodated in the vessel; and a raising and lowering device which moves the lid and / or the vessel between a closed position in which the vessel is closed by the lid, and an open position in which an upper edge of the vessel is positioned lower than a lower edge of the reactor unit attached to the lid.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flow reactor. [Background technology]

[0002] A flow reactor is a chemical reaction device in which the flow channel diameter of a microflow reactor is enlarged to the order of millimeters or centimeters, and which has improved operability and increased throughput compared to a microflow reactor while maintaining the high-speed mixing, precise temperature controllability, precise residence time controllability, etc. This flow reactor is composed of a raw material delivery section and a reactor section in which the raw materials are reacted, and the reactor section is housed in a container such as a jacket (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 026425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It would be convenient to be able to replace the reactor section when it becomes necessary to change the diameter or length of the reactor section, or when it becomes difficult to remove dirt from inside the reactor section, etc. However, flow reactors are larger than microflow reactors, and in particular in facilities that produce large amounts of target products in plants, the jacket (container) that houses the reactor section can be as large as 100 L or more, making replacement difficult and even dangerous. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flow reactor in which the reactor part can be replaced safely and easily. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention, which has solved the above problems, is as follows. [1] A container having an opening at the top; a lid that closes the opening; a reactor section detachably attached to the lid and accommodated in the container; A flow reactor having a lifting device that moves the lid and / or the container between a closed position in which the container is closed with a lid and an open position in which the upper end of the container is positioned lower than the lower end of the reactor section attached to the lid. [2] A fixing device for positioning the lid body is provided, The flow reactor according to [1], wherein the lifting device has a support that supports the vessel so that the height of the vessel can be changed. [3] The flow reactor according to [1] or [2], further comprising a frame attached to the lid to fix the reactor section. [4] A partition plate is provided to separate the reactor section and the vessel when in the open position, The flow reactor according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the partition plate can be retracted from a route for raising and lowering the lid and / or the container when the lid and / or the container is raised and lowered. [5] A method for replacing or maintaining a reactor part in the flow reactor according to any one of [1] to [4], comprising moving the lid and / or the container to the open position, performing replacement or maintenance of the reactor part, and then moving the lid and / or the container to the closed position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flow reactor in which the reactor part can be replaced safely and easily. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the flow reactor of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the line configuration of the flow reactor of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a procedure for replacing the reactor part of the flow reactor of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a procedure for replacing the reactor part of the flow reactor of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the flow reactor of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the illustrated examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples below, and appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention, and all such modifications are included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow reactor 1 employed in the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the line configuration of the flow reactor 1. The illustrated flow reactor 1 is used to synthesize a target product (compound C) by contacting two types of raw materials (compound A and compound B). The raw materials are mixed in a mixing section 13 connected to a supply line 11 for compound A and a supply line 12 for compound B, and then a reaction takes place in a linear reactor section 14 connected to the mixing section 13. The reaction product, compound C, is discharged outside the reactor through a discharge line 15. The reactor section 14 in the illustrated example has a compact spiral shape and can be housed in a container 20. Housed in the container 20, this prevents contamination of the surrounding area even if a reaction solution or the like leaks from the reactor section 14. Furthermore, placing a quenching agent or the like in the container 20 can enhance safety in the event of such a leak. Furthermore, placing a gaseous or liquid temperature-controlling medium in the container 20 facilitates adjustment of the reaction temperature.

[0010] In the present invention, the vessel 20 has an opening 21 at the top. The presence of the opening 21 allows the reactor section 14 to be removed, replaced, and maintained (repaired, cleaned, etc.) through the opening 21. For example, by changing the diameter and / or length of the reactor section 14, the flow reactor 1 can be easily used for multiple purposes. It also makes it easier to clean the reactor section 14 when dirt has accumulated, or to replace the reactor section 14 when it has become difficult to remove dirt. When the flow reactor 1 is in use, the opening 21 is closed with a lid 22, which allows safety to be maintained when the flow reactor 1 is in use.

[0011] Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the lid 22 is attached to and positioned by a beam member 26 serving as a fixture, and the reactor section 14 is attached to this positioned lid 22 via the mixing section 13, so that the position of the reactor section 14 is also fixed. Meanwhile, during use (reaction) of the flow reactor 1, the vessel 20 is closed by the lid 22 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the closed position). When replacement or maintenance of the reactor section 14 becomes necessary, the vessel 20 can be separated from the lid 22 and lowered. Furthermore, because the position of the reactor section 14 is fixed, the reactor section 14 is exposed as the vessel 20 is lowered, and the entire reactor section 14 can be removed from the vessel 20 by lowering the vessel 20 until the upper end 31 of the vessel 20 is lower than the lower end 32 of the reactor section 14 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the open position). This makes replacement and maintenance of the reactor section 14 easier. After replacing or maintaining the reactor section 14, the vessel 20 can be raised to the closed position, allowing the flow reactor 1 to be used (i.e., a reaction can be carried out in the reactor section 14). A known lifting device can be used to lower and raise the vessel 20. In the illustrated example, the lifting device is a rod or pillar (guide rod or support) 24 that guides the vessel's lifting route 23 and serves as a support that supports the vessel 20 so that the height of the vessel 20 can be changed, and a motor 25 that serves as a power generating means for lifting the vessel 20. The support may be located on the side of the vessel 20 and connected to the side of the vessel 20, as in the illustrated example, or may be located on the side of the vessel 20 and connected to the bottom of the vessel 20, or may be located below the vessel 20 and connected to the bottom of the vessel 20.

[0012] In the illustrated example, the procedure for replacing the reactor section 14 after the vessel 20 has moved to the open position is roughly as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper reactor section 14 and the lower vessel 20 are separated by a partition plate 27. When the vessel 20 is raised or lowered, this partition plate 27 is retracted from the lifting route (FIG. 1). After the vessel 20 has moved to the open position, the partition plate 27 is inserted into a position across the lifting route (FIG. 3). In the illustrated example, the partition plate 27 is composed of a single plate. The vessel 20 is lowered with this plate removed from the lifting route. After the vessel 20 has moved to the open position, the plate can be aligned flush with the scaffolding (such as a work floor) in the upper space, allowing the partition plate 27 to be used as a platform for the upper space. One end of the partition plate 27 may be fixed to the scaffolding in the upper space. Furthermore, the partition board 27 may be made up of multiple plates, for example, two to five plates with a foldable structure, or six or more plates with a rollable structure. If the partition board 27 is foldable or rollable, the device can be made compact. When the partition board 27 is made up of multiple plates, one end of at least one plate may be fixed to the scaffolding in the upper space. When the partition board 27 is used to block the ascent / descent route, it is desirable that the blockage be tight. Blocking the route tightly can prevent people or objects from falling.

[0013] 4, a suitable transport device for moving the reactor section 14 (in the illustrated example, a dolly 44 equipped with a platform 41 for placing the reactor section 14, an elevator 42 for changing the height of the platform 41, and wheels 43 for movement) is installed above the partition plate 27. The reactor section 14 is detached from the lid 22 at the flange 34, and the transport device 44 is used to move the reactor section 14 to another location and replace it with another reactor section 14. The spiral-shaped reactor section 14 in the illustrated example is fitted with a frame 35 that surrounds the outside of the spiral. This frame 35 is detachably attached to the lid 22. The frame 35 is effective in preventing the reactor section 14 from shaking within the vessel 20 when the flow reactor 1 is in use. Furthermore, even if the reactor section 14 has a spiral shape that makes it difficult to place it on the platform 41, the lower end of the frame 35 is on the same horizontal plane, so that the frame 35 and the reactor section 14 can be placed on the platform 41.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 5, the flow reactor 2 of the present invention may not have a partition plate, and multiple reactor sections may be housed within the vessel 20. In the example of FIG. 5, three reactor sections, a first reactor section 16a, a second reactor section 16b, and a third reactor section 16c, are housed. In the first reactor section 16a and the second reactor section 16b, reactions are carried out using raw materials supplied from the outside, respectively, and in the third reactor section 16c, a reaction is carried out using the products from the first reactor section 16a and the second reactor section 16b as raw materials. When multiple reactor sections are housed, the number of reactor sections may be, for example, 2 or more, 3 or more, or 4 or more, or may be, for example, 8 or less, 7 or less, or 6 or less. Furthermore, the multiple reactor sections may be related in such a way that the product of one reactor section is used as the raw material for another reactor section, or may be mutually independent (i.e., the multiple reactor sections are each a reactor section that reacts raw materials supplied from the outside and discharges the product to the outside). The flow reactor 2 illustrated in FIG. 5 uses a compressor 28 as a driving power source and an elevator device having guide rods or supports 24 as supports. The vessel 20 moves to the open position by descending, allowing replacement or maintenance of the reactor sections 16a, 16b, and 16c. After replacement or maintenance of the reactor sections 16a, 16b, and 16c, the vessel 20 can be raised to the closed position to use the flow reactor 2 (i.e., reactions can be performed in the reactor sections 16a, 16b, and 16c).

[0015] As described above, in the illustrated example, the lid body 22 is positioned with a fixture and the container 20 is raised and lowered, but the container 20 may also be positioned with a fixture and the lid body 22 may be raised and lowered, or both the container 20 and the lid body 22 may be raised and lowered.

[0016] The flow reactors 1 and 2 may also be provided with blades (stirring blades) for stirring the liquid (temperature control medium, quenching agent, etc.) contained in the vessel 20. The stirring blades may be attached via a shaft fixed to the lid 22 and may be configured to be non-detachable from the lid 22, or may be configured to be detachable from the lid 22 via a connector provided midway along the shaft. Configuring the stirring blades to be removable is preferable because it allows not only the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c but also the stirring blades to be replaced as needed.

[0017] Instead of or together with the stirring blades, an appropriate fluid flow generating device, such as a jet nozzle, may be provided inside the vessel 20. Nozzles can be easily made small and can be installed anywhere, which is effective in facilitating replacement and maintenance of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c.

[0018] The equivalent diameter of the flow path of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, 16c is, for example, 1 mm or more, preferably 2 mm or more, more preferably 3 mm or more, and for example, 100 mm or less, preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less. The equivalent diameter refers to the diameter of a circular pipe that is considered equivalent to the cross section of the flow path. That is, the equivalent diameter De of the flow path is expressed by the following formula (i): De=4Af / Wp …(i) (In the formula, Af is the cross-sectional area of the flow path, and Wp is the wetted perimeter (the length of the wall at the cross section).)

[0019] The length of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, 16c is, for example, 0.5 m or more, preferably 1 m or more, more preferably 5 m or more, and for example, 500 m or less, preferably 300 m or less, more preferably 100 m or less.

[0020] When the reactor section 14 is wound into a spiral shape, the apparent volume of the spiral (S × H), calculated from the length (H) of the axis of spiral movement and the area (S) of the spiral projected onto a plane perpendicular to the axis of spiral movement, is, for example, 0.5 L or more, preferably 2 L or more, and more preferably 10 L or more, and for example, 1000 L or less, preferably 800 L or less, and more preferably 600 L or less. Furthermore, when there are multiple reactor sections 16a, 16b, and 16c, each of which is wound into a spiral shape, as illustrated in Fig. 5, it is preferable to calculate the apparent volumes (Sa × Ha), (Sb × Hb), and (Sc × Hc) of the spirals of the reactor sections 16a, 16b, and 16c, respectively, and to determine the sum of these volumes within the numerical range of the apparent volume (S × H) of the spiral. Even if the apparent volume of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c becomes large, by using the flow reactor of the present invention, the vessel 20, the lid 22, etc. can be raised and lowered, making it easy to perform replacement and maintenance of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c.

[0021] The material of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include metals such as stainless steel, Hastelloy, titanium, copper, nickel, and aluminum; inorganic materials such as glass and ceramics; and resins such as PEEK resin, silicone resin, and fluororesin. Metals and inorganic materials are preferred, and metals are more preferred. Metals and inorganic materials have a large weight per unit volume, and require a great deal of effort when used in the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c. However, by using the flow reactor of the present invention, the vessel 20, lid 22, and other components can be raised and lowered, facilitating the replacement of the reactor sections 14, 16a, 16b, and 16c.

[0022] This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-237412, filed on December 26, 2019. The entire content of the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-237412, filed on December 26, 2019, is incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1, 2 Flow reactor 11, 12 Supply lines 13 Mixing section 14, 16a, 16b, 16c Reactor section 15 Discharge line 20 containers 21 Opening 22 Lid 23 Ascending and Descending Route 24 Guide rod or support (support) 25 motor 26 Beam member (fixture) 27 Partition 28 Compressor 31 Top of container 32 Bottom of reactor 34 Flange 35 slots 41 units 42 Lifting section 43 wheels 44 Cart (transport device)

Claims

1. A flow reactor having a container, a lid, a reactor section, and an elevator device, the container has an upper opening; the lid is a lid for closing the opening, the lifting device is a device that moves the lid and / or the container between a closed position in which the opening of the container is closed with a lid and an open position in which the opening of the container is not closed with the lid and the upper end of the container is positioned lower than the lower end of a reactor section attached to the lid, the reactor unit is detachably attached to the lid and is housed in the container in a closed position; a partition plate that separates the reactor section from the container when in the open position; A flow reactor, wherein the partition plate can be retracted from a route along which the lid and / or the container is raised and lowered when the lid and / or the container is raised and lowered.

2. A flow reactor as described in Claim 1, wherein the lifting device is a device that moves the container between the closed position and the open position.

3. a fixture for positioning the height of the lid body; The flow reactor according to claim 2, wherein the lifting device has a support that supports the vessel so as to change the height of the vessel.

4. 4. The flow reactor according to claim 1, further comprising a frame attached to the lid to fix the reactor section.

5. 2. A method for replacing or maintaining a reactor part in a flow reactor according to claim 1, comprising moving a lid and / or a vessel to the open position, performing replacement or maintenance of the reactor part, and then moving the lid and / or the vessel to the closed position.

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