Reactor

Abstract

A reactor according to the present invention comprises: a body extending from one end side to the other end side; a plurality of reaction furnaces each of which is a cylindrical hole provided so that a raw material can pass from the one end side to the other end side of the body; a connection part which is a passage for connecting adjacent two of the reaction furnaces so that the raw material can pass through; screws each of which is rotatably supported on the one end side and on the other end side of the corresponding reaction furnace to convey the raw material; a drive part for driving the screws on the one end side; a temperature control part for heating the body; a fixing supporting part for fixing and supporting the body on an installation surface on the one end side; and a movable supporting part for supporting the body on the installation surface on the other end side so that the body is displaceable in the direction in which the body extends.

Description

Reactor

[0001] The present invention relates to a reactor.

[0002] For example, there are reactors that produce desired products, such as battery materials, by providing a predetermined atmosphere to powdered or granular raw materials. For example, a reactor commonly known as a rotary kiln produces the desired product by heating a hollow reactor that rotates around a central axis and passing the materials through the reactor while rolling them. Another reactor known as a roller hearth kiln produces the desired product by passing the raw materials or workpieces through a tunnel-shaped reactor. Various other reactors have also been developed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the following reactor: The reactor has a catalyst supply section for introducing a catalyst and a lower hydrocarbon supply section for introducing lower hydrocarbons. The reactor also has a screw built into a screw feeder for transporting the produced nanocarbon, a solid delivery section for delivering the catalyst and nanocarbon transported by the screw, and a gas delivery section for delivering the produced hydrogen.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-290682

[0005] However, in order to extend the reaction time in the above-mentioned reaction apparatus, it is necessary to extend the overall length of the apparatus. In other words, it is necessary to extend the components such as the screw feeder and the screw. However, when an apparatus with an extended configuration is heated, the amount of deformation of each component increases with the temperature increase. Therefore, there is a risk that an apparatus with an extended configuration may not operate normally.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a reaction apparatus that suppresses defects caused by temperature rise.

[0007] The reaction apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises a main body, a reactor, a connection part, a screw, a drive part, a temperature control part, a fixed support part, and a movable support part. The main body extends from one end to the other end. The reactor has a plurality of cylindrical holes through which raw materials can pass from one end to the other end of the main body. The connection part is a passage connecting two adjacent reactors so that raw materials can pass through. The screw is rotatably supported on one end and the other end of the reactor to transport raw materials. The drive part drives the screw at one end. The temperature control part heats the main body. The fixed support part fixes and supports the main body to an installation surface at one end. The movable support part supports the main body to the installation surface at the other end so that the main body can be displaced in the extension direction of the main body.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a reaction device that suppresses malfunctions due to temperature rise can be provided.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a reaction apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a reaction apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a first variation of the reaction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a second variation of the reaction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a third variation of the reaction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a reaction apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a variation of the reaction apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of a reaction apparatus according to a third embodiment.

[0010] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0011] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a reaction apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. The reaction apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of each component for ease of understanding.

[0012] For convenience in explaining the positional relationships of the components, FIG. 1 is illustrated using a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system. The positive Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertically upward direction. The XY plane corresponds to the horizontal plane. Furthermore, in FIG. 2 and subsequent figures, when a Cartesian coordinate system is used, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions of FIG. 1 correspond to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions of these Cartesian coordinate systems, respectively.

[0013] The reactor 1 receives raw materials and heats the received raw materials to produce a reaction product. The reactor 1 mainly comprises a main body 100, a reactor furnace 110, a connection part 120, a screw 130, a drive part 140, a temperature control part 150, a fixed support part 160, and a movable support part 170.

[0014] The main body 100 shown in FIG. 1 extends from one end (negative side of the Y-axis) to the other end (positive side of the Y-axis). The main body 100 has heat resistance above a predetermined temperature for reacting raw materials. The predetermined temperature is, for example, 700 degrees Celsius. The main body 100 can be formed by molding a single piece of metal. The main body 100 can also be formed by joining members molded into a predetermined shape. The main body 100 has a reactor 110 and a connection part 120 formed therein. The main body 100 also has a raw material inlet 101 and an outlet 102.

[0015] The raw material receiving port 101 is an opening provided in the upper part of the main body 100, and receives raw materials from outside the main body 100 and supplies the received raw materials to the reaction furnace 110. The delivery port 102 is an opening for delivering the reaction product produced in the reaction furnace 110 to the outside of the main body 100.

[0016] The reactors 110 are a plurality of cylindrical holes that are provided to allow the raw material to pass through from one end side to the other end side of the main body 100. The reactors 110 shown in Figure 1 include a first reactor 110A and a second reactor 110B.

[0017] The first reactor 110A rotatably houses the first screw 130A. One end of the first reactor 110A is connected to the raw material receiving port 101, and the other end is connected to the connecting part 120. As the first screw 130A rotates, the raw material supplied from the raw material receiving port 101 is transported to the connecting part 120 while undergoing a reaction.

[0018] The second reactor 110B rotatably accommodates the second screw 130B. The second reactor 110B is connected at the other end to the connection part 120 and at one end to the delivery port 102. As the second screw 130B rotates, the raw material supplied from the connection part 120 to the second reactor 110B is transported to the delivery port 102 while undergoing a reaction.

[0019] The connection part 120 is a passage that connects two adjacent reactors 110 so that raw materials can pass through. Specifically, the connection part 120 connects the first reactor 110A and the second reactor 110B at the other end of the main body 100. The connection part 120 is also formed so that raw materials can pass from the first reactor 110A to the second reactor 110B.

[0020] The screw 130 is rotatably supported at one end and the other end of the reactor 110 to transport the raw material. The screw 130 has heat resistance sufficient to perform its function at the above-mentioned predetermined temperature. That is, the screw 130 can be made of a metal containing nickel or chromium, for example.

[0021] The main body 100 and the screw 130 are heated to approximately the same high temperature. Therefore, it is preferable that the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the main body 100 is approximately the same as the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the screw 130. In the reaction apparatus 1, the screw 130 includes a first screw 130A and a second screw 130B.

[0022] The first screw 130A is rotatably housed in the first reactor 110A. The first screw 130A is connected to the drive unit 140 so as to follow the operation of the drive unit 140. As a result, the first screw 130A transports the raw material supplied from the raw material receiving port 101 to the connection unit 120.

[0023] The second screw 130B is rotatably housed in the second reactor 110B. The second screw 130B is connected to the drive unit 140 so as to follow the operation of the drive unit 140. As a result, the second screw 130B transports the raw material supplied from the connection unit 120 to the delivery port 102.

[0024] The drive unit 140 drives the screw 130 at one end. The drive unit 140 is provided near the fixed support unit 160. The drive unit 140 includes a motor and a power transmission mechanism for rotating the screw 130. The power transmission mechanism, for example, branches the driving force of one motor into multiple parts and connects them to the multiple screws 130. In other words, the drive unit 140 has a power branching mechanism for driving the multiple screws 130 from a single driving force. This allows the drive unit 140 to drive the first screw 130A and the second screw 130B using a single motor.

[0025] The temperature control unit 150 is provided outside the main body 100 and heats the main body 100 to the above-mentioned predetermined temperature. The temperature control unit 150 includes any temperature-controllable heater, such as a sheath heater, a coil heater, or a ceramic heater. The temperature control unit 150 may set different temperatures for each region of the reactor 110 along the axial direction of the screw 130, for example. The temperature control unit 150 may also set different temperatures for each of the multiple reactors 110.

[0026] The temperature control unit 150 may be configured to perform heating or cooling by circulating water or oil, for example. In this case, a circulation path for circulating the water or oil may be formed in the main body 100. The temperature control unit 150 may also be configured to perform cooling using, for example, a Peltier element.

[0027] The fixed support part 160 supports the main body part 100 by fixing it to the installation surface at one end side. The fixed support part 160 also has a fixed platen 161 that stands upright from the part fixed to the installation surface. The fixed platen 161 is fixed to one end side of the main body part 100. The fixed support part 160 including the fixed platen 161 is preferably made of a metal member that is not easily affected by vibrations, heat, etc. generated by the reaction apparatus 1.

[0028] 1, the fixed support part 160 is fixed to a stand 180 placed on a mounting surface. That is, the fixed support part 160 is fixed to the installation surface of the stand 180. As a result, the fixed support part 160 fixes one end side of the main body part 100.

[0029] The movable support part 170 supports the main body part 100 on the installation surface so as to be displaceable at the other end side in the extension direction of the main body part 100. The movable support part 170 is interposed between the supported part 103 of the main body part 100 and the stand 180.

[0030] When the reaction apparatus 1 is operated, the main body 100 rises to the above-mentioned predetermined temperature. The main body 100 is fixed to the fixed platen 161 by the fixed support part 160. Therefore, when the main body 100 is heated, it expands in the extension direction (Y-axis direction). Therefore, the movable support part 170 that supports the main body 100 at the supported part 103 supports the main body 100 while allowing displacement due to this expansion. The movable support part 170 shown in FIG. 1 has wheels that can be displaced in the extension direction.

[0031] For example, when the main body 100 has a length of about 3 meters in the extension direction and the reaction device 1 is heated from room temperature to 320°C or higher, the average thermal expansion coefficient of the main body 100 under this condition is 11×10 －６ (1 / ° C.), the main body 100 will expand by about 10 millimeters at the other end. In this case, the movable support part 170 supports the main body 100 while allowing this 10 millimeter displacement.

[0032] Next, the movable support member 170 will be further described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reaction apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reaction apparatus 1 taken along the cross section II shown in Fig. 1. Note that the screw 130 is omitted in Fig. 2.

[0033] The movable support part 170, which supports the main body part 100 at the other end, has a wheel part 171 and a support base 172. The wheel part 171 supports the underside of the main body part 100 so as to be movable in the extension direction of the main body part 100. The rotation axis C71 of the wheel part 171 extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the main body part 100 and parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the wheel part 171 can move while rolling in the extension direction. The wheel part 171 is installed on the support base 172 and supports the supported part 103. The support base 172 is placed on the stand 180 and supports the wheel part 171. With this configuration, the movable support part 170 allows the main body part 100 to be displaced when heated.

[0034] Next, a modified example of the main body 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a first variation of the reaction apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. In the main body 100 shown in FIG. 2 , the reactors 110 are arranged vertically. In the main body 100 shown in FIG. 3 , the reactors 110 are arranged horizontally in parallel. In this case, the first reactor 110A and the second reactor 110B may or may not be aligned in height. For example, the first reactor 110A, which is located upstream in the process, may be positioned relatively higher than the second reactor 110B, which is located downstream. Furthermore, the first reactor 110A and the second reactor 110B may or may not be aligned in radial size or shape. For example, the first reactor 110A, which is located upstream in the process, may be smaller in radial size than the second reactor 110B, which is located downstream. This allows for optimal control of the time required to transport the raw material.

[0035] The first reactor 110A and the second reactor 110B may or may not be arranged parallel to each other in the extension direction. For example, the first reactor 110A may be inclined downward from one end on the upstream side to the other end on the downstream side, and the second reactor 110B may be inclined downward from the other end on the upstream side of the second reactor 110B to one end on the downstream side.

[0036] With this configuration, the reaction apparatus 1 can suppress problems caused by temperature rise, reduce the height dimension, and efficiently transport raw materials.

[0037] Next, a modified example of the main body 100 will be further described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a second variation of the reaction device 1 according to the first embodiment. The reaction device 1 shown in Fig. 4 has an adjustment hole 111 in the main body 100.

[0038] The adjustment hole 111 is a hole provided in the main body 100. There may be a plurality of adjustment holes 111. The adjustment holes 111 are provided for the purpose of efficiently transferring heat from the temperature control unit 150 to the reactor 110. Therefore, the heat medium present inside the adjustment hole 111 may be configured to circulate. In this case, the heat medium may be a gas such as air, or a liquid. When the heat medium is a fluid such as a gas or a liquid, the adjustment hole 111 may be cooled or heated by a heat exchanger to a predetermined temperature. By circulating the fluid through the adjustment hole 111, the reaction apparatus 1 can easily adjust the temperature of the reactor 110.

[0039] In the adjustment hole 111, the heat medium present inside the hole may be solid. If the heat medium is solid, it is desirable that the heat medium be rod-shaped and inserted so that at least a portion of the heat medium is in contact with the inner wall of the adjustment hole 111. In this case, the material of the solid heat medium may have a higher thermal conductivity than the material of the main body 100. The solid heat medium is, for example, a metal such as copper or aluminum, or a material containing carbon. The length, shape, number, and arrangement of the heat medium inserted into the adjustment hole 111 may be changed depending on the type of raw material and the position of the reactor 110. This makes it possible to adjust the ease of heat transfer to the raw material.

[0040] When the reaction furnace 110 is heated via the main body 100 by the temperature control unit 150 arranged around the main body 100, the heat from the temperature control unit 150 may not be easily transmitted to an area far from the temperature control unit 150, which is the heat source. With the configuration shown in Figure 4, the reaction apparatus 1 can suitably control the temperature of the reaction furnace 110.

[0041] Next, a modified example of the movable support part 170 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a third variation of the reaction apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The reaction apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 5 differs from the reaction apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 2 in the configuration related to the movable support part 170. The main body part 100 according to Fig. 5 has a supported part 103 and a guided part 104. The movable support part 170 also has a support base 172 and a guide part 173.

[0042] 5 is a rib-like portion that stands on both side surfaces of the main body 100 so that the lower surface is parallel to the horizontal plane. The lower surface of the supported portion 103 contacts the support base 172 of the movable support part 170. The lower surface of the supported portion 103 and the support base 172 are set to be slidable. Therefore, when the main body 100 is heated and deformed in the extension direction, the supported portion 103 moves while sliding on the support base 172.

[0043] The guided portion 104 is a rib-like member provided on the lower surface of the main body portion 100, and engages with the guide portion 173 of the movable support portion 170. This causes the main body portion 100 to displace along the extension direction.

[0044] The support base 172 of the movable support unit 170 slidably supports the lower surface of the supported unit 103 in the region of both side surfaces of the main body unit 100. In other words, the support base 172 of the movable support unit 170 has a sliding portion that slidably supports the lower surface of the supported unit 103 of the main body unit 100.

[0045] To achieve the above function, at least one of the lower surface of the supported portion 103 and the upper surface of the support base 172 may be surface-treated to have a relatively small coefficient of friction. Alternatively, a resin sheet containing silicon, Teflon (registered trademark), or the like may be interposed between the supported portion 103 and the support base 172.

[0046] The guide portion 173 of the movable support portion 170 guides the guided portion 104 along the extension direction of the main body portion 100. At least one of the guided portion 104 and the guide portion 173 may be surface-treated or may be provided with freely rotatable wheels, balls, or the like so that the guided portion 104 can move smoothly when they come into contact with each other.

[0047] The configuration of the reactor 1 has been described above. With the above configuration, the reactor 1 has a plurality of main bodies 100 whose length in the extension direction is reduced. That is, the reactor 1 is formed by dividing a long cylindrical reactor into a plurality of reactors 110, and arranging the divided reactors 110 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction. More specifically, the reactor 1 arranges a plurality of reactors 110 in parallel. This reduces the dimension of the reactor 1 in the extension direction. With the above configuration, the reactor 1 can reduce the footprint of the entire apparatus.

[0048] In addition, when the diameter of the reactor 110 is D and the length of the reactor 110 is L, the ratio of the length to the diameter, L / D, is, for example, 25 or less. Furthermore, L / D is preferably 20 or less. More preferably, L / D is 10 or less.

[0049] Furthermore, with the above-described configuration, the reactor 1 can minimize the amount of deformation in the extension direction caused by heating the main body 100. Furthermore, the reactor 1 supports the main body 100, which deforms when heated to the predetermined temperature, at the other end so that the main body 100 can be displaced. Therefore, the reactor 1 can suppress problems caused by temperature rise.

[0050] In the reaction apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1, the main body 100 is a block-shaped member, and the reactors 110 are a plurality of holes provided in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the block-shaped main body 100. More specifically, the reactors 110 are a plurality of holes provided in parallel in the block-shaped main body 100. However, the plurality of reactors 110 do not have to be parallel as long as the screws 130 are supported on one end and the other end.

[0051] 1, the first reactor 110A and the second reactor 110B are arranged in parallel above and below, but the arrangement of the reactors 110 is not limited to this. The multiple reactors 110 may be arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, for example.

[0052] <Embodiment 2> Next, embodiment 2 will be described. Fig. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a reaction apparatus 2 according to embodiment 2. The reaction apparatus 2 according to this embodiment has four reaction furnaces 110. That is, the reaction furnaces 110 include a first reaction furnace 110A, a second reaction furnace 110B, a third reaction furnace 110C, and a fourth reaction furnace 110D. Correspondingly, the reaction apparatus 2 includes a first screw 130A, a second screw 130B, a third screw 130C, and a fourth screw 130D as screws 130. Furthermore, the reaction apparatus 2 includes a first connection portion 120A, a second connection portion 120B, and a third connection portion 120C as connection portions 120.

[0053] The first reactor 110A rotatably houses the first screw 130A. One end (negative side of the Y-axis) of the first reactor 110A is connected to the raw material receiving port 101, and the other end (positive side of the Y-axis) is connected to the first connecting part 120A.

[0054] The second reactor 110B rotatably houses a second screw 130B. The second reactor 110B is connected to the first connector 120A at the other end and to the second connector 120B at one end.

[0055] The third reactor 110C rotatably houses a third screw 130C. One end of the third reactor 110C is connected to the second connector 120B, and the other end is connected to the third connector 120C.

[0056] The fourth reactor 110D rotatably houses a fourth screw 130D. The fourth reactor 110D is connected to the third connector 120C at the other end and to the delivery port 102 at one end.

[0057] With the above-described configuration, the reactor 2 receives raw materials at the raw material receiving port 101, transports the raw materials sequentially to the first reactor 110A, the second reactor 110B, the third reactor 110C, and the fourth reactor 110D, and discharges the reaction product generated from the raw materials from the discharge port 102. The arrow R100 indicated by the thick line in the figure shows the flow of raw materials. As indicated by the arrow R100, in the reactor 2, the multiple reactors 110 are connected in a chain shape via multiple connectors 120 from the first reactor 110A having the raw material receiving port 101 as the starting point to the fourth reactor 110D having the discharge port 102 as the end point. As a result, the reactor 2 receives raw materials through the raw material receiving port 101, passes them through the first reactor 110A, the second reactor 110B, the third reactor 110C, and the fourth reactor 110D, which are connected in a chain, and then discharges the reaction product from the discharge port 102.

[0058] 6, details of the drive unit 140 are omitted, but the drive unit 140 may have a motor corresponding to each of the plurality of screws 130, or, for example, the drive force of one motor may be branched into four and transmitted to each of the screws 130. When driven by the drive unit 140, the plurality of screws 130 rotate in each of the plurality of reactors 110 so as to transport the raw material in the transport direction from the raw material receiving port 101 toward the delivery port 102 along the transport direction of the series of reactors 110.

[0059] Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a variation of the reaction apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the reaction apparatus 2 observed along the extension direction (Y-axis direction) of the main body 100. The reaction apparatus 2 shown in Fig. 7 differs from the reaction apparatus 2 shown in Fig. 5 in the arrangement of the reaction furnace 110.

[0060] In the reactor 110 shown in FIG. 7 , the second reactor 110B is disposed to the left of the first reactor 110A. A first connector 120A is interposed between the first reactor 110A and the second reactor 110B, extending horizontally (left-right). A third reactor 110C is disposed below the second reactor 110B. A second connector 120B extends vertically between the second reactor 110B and the third reactor 110C. A fourth reactor 110D is disposed to the right of the third reactor 110C. A third connector 120C extends horizontally (left-right) between the third reactor 110C and the fourth reactor 110D.

[0061] With the above-described configuration, the reaction apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 7 receives raw materials from the raw material receiving port 101, as indicated by the arrow R101, passes the raw materials through the first reactor 110A, the second reactor 110B, the third reactor 110C, and the fourth reactor 110D, which are connected in a chain, and then discharges the reaction product from the discharge port 102.

[0062] The reaction apparatus 2 shown in Fig. 7 differs from the movable support unit 170 shown in Fig. 5 in the configuration of the movable support unit 170. The movable support unit 170 shown in Fig. 7 has a support base 172 and a guide unit 173 at the bottom of the main body unit 100. The support base 172 supports the main body unit 100 so that the supported unit 103 provided at the bottom of the main body unit 100 can slide. The guide unit 173 is a rib-shaped member protruding upward from the support base 172, extends in the extension direction (Y-axis direction), and guides the guided unit 104 in the extension direction.

[0063] This embodiment has been described above. In the reactor 2, for example, when a relatively long reaction time is required, multiple reactors 110 can be arranged in parallel, which makes it possible to prevent the device from becoming too long, particularly in the extension direction. Furthermore, the reactor 2 can distribute the load to each of the multiple screws 130. Therefore, the structure of the screws 130 can be made relatively small. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a reactor that prevents problems caused by temperature rise. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a reactor with a small footprint.

[0064] <Embodiment 3> Next, embodiment 3 will be described. Fig. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of a reaction apparatus 3 according to embodiment 3. The reaction apparatus 3 according to this embodiment has a main body 200 including a plurality of connectable unit blocks.

[0065] The main body 200 includes a first unit block 200A to a fifth unit block 200E. Adjacent unit blocks are connected to each other by connecting portions 201. Specific means for connection include, for example, screws, bolts, rivets, clampers, etc. By connecting the first unit blocks 200A to the fifth unit blocks 200E, a first reactor 210A and a second reactor 210B are formed inside the main body 200. Note that each of the first unit blocks 200A to the fifth unit blocks 200E may be formed by combining divided blocks.

[0066] The first reactor 210A and the second reactor 210B have a convex portion 202 in the middle. The convex portion 202 is a portion that protrudes evenly toward the inside of the cylindrical first reactor 210A and the second reactor 210B. In other words, the first reactor 210A and the second reactor 210B have a narrowed portion due to the convex portion 202.

[0067] More specifically, for example, main body 200 has convex portion 202B at one end (left side in the figure) close to raw material receiving port 101, and has convex portion 202D at the other end (right side in the figure) far from raw material receiving port 101. Main body 200 also has reaction region 211 sandwiched between convex portions 202B and 202D.

[0068] A first screw 230A is rotatably provided in the first reactor 210A along the extension direction. The first screw 230A has a flight with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner wall of the first reactor 210A. That is, the flight of the first screw 230A has a relatively small outer diameter at the portion of the convex portion 202. The first screw 230A may be formed by combining separate pieces.

[0069] A second screw 230B is rotatably provided in the second reactor 210B along the extension direction. The second screw 230B has a flight with an outer diameter corresponding to the inner wall of the second reactor 210B. The second screw 230B may be formed by combining divided pieces.

[0070] With the above-described configuration, the reaction apparatus 3 temporarily blocks the raw material received from the raw material inlet 101 at the upstream side of the convex portion 202B. Therefore, the spatial filling rate of the raw material is high upstream of the convex portion 202B. Then, a predetermined amount of the raw material stored upstream of the convex portion 202B is sequentially transported to the reaction region 211. Therefore, the reaction apparatus 3 can suppress variation in the amount of raw material transported to the reaction region 211. In this case, the reaction apparatus 3 can adjust the amount of raw material transported to the reaction region 211 by adjusting the height of the convex portion 202B.

[0071] The third unit block 200C located in the reaction region 211 has a gas inlet 240. The first unit block 200A located upstream of the convex portion 202 has a gas outlet 241. The fifth unit block 200E located downstream of the convex portion 202D has a gas outlet 242. With this configuration, the main body 200 supplies a predetermined gas from the gas inlet 240 to the reaction region 211, and discharges the gas after contacting the raw material from the gas outlets 241 and 242 to the outside of the main body 200.

[0072] It is preferable that the reactor 3 continuously transports the raw materials without leaving any residue in the reaction region 211. Therefore, it is desirable that the gap G1 between the first screw 230A and the inner wall of the main body 200 in the reaction region 211 is small. Specifically, the gap G1 is, for example, 5 millimeters or less, and preferably 2 millimeters or less. Furthermore, the gap G1 is more preferably 0.5 millimeters or less. With this configuration, the reactor 3 can suppress variations in the transport amount in the reaction region 211 and efficiently carry out the desired reaction.

[0073] The third embodiment has been described above. With the above-described configuration, the reactor 3 can continuously react a constant amount of raw material with a constant amount of gas in the reaction region 211. Therefore, the reactor 3 can stably react the raw material. Furthermore, by having the supported portion 103 and the movable support portion 170, the reactor 3 can suppress problems caused by temperature rise. That is, according to this embodiment, a reactor can be provided that can stably react the raw material while suppressing problems caused by temperature rise.

[0074] 8, the combination of unit blocks constituting the main body 200 is not limited to the above. For example, by combining various shapes set for each unit block, the main body 200 can efficiently react, mix, stir, knead, disperse, and pulverize the raw materials according to the heating time or transport time of the raw materials.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the invention.

[0076] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-112366, filed July 12, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0077] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 100 Main body 101 Raw material receiving port 102 Delivery port 103 Supported portion 104 Guided portion 110 Reactor 110A First reactor 110B Second reactor 110C Third reactor 110D Fourth reactor 111 Adjustment hole 120 Connection portion 120A First connection portion 120B Second connection portion 120C Third connection portion 130 Screw 130A First screw 130B Second screw 130C Third screw 130D Fourth screw 140 Drive unit 150 Temperature control unit 160 Fixed support portion 161 Fixed platen 170 Movable support portion 171 Wheel portion 172 Support base 173 Guide portion 180 Stand 200 Main body 200A First unit block 200B Second unit block 200C Third unit block 200D Fourth unit block 200E Fifth unit block 201 Connecting portion 202 Convex portion 210A First reactor 210B Second reactor 211 Reaction region 230A First screw 230B Second screw 240 Gas inlet 241 Gas outlet 242 Gas outlet

Claims

1. A reaction apparatus comprising: a main body extending from one end to the other end; reactors which are a plurality of cylindrical holes provided from one end to the other end of the main body to allow raw materials to pass therethrough; a connection section which is a passage connecting two adjacent reactors to allow the raw materials to pass therethrough; a screw which is rotatably supported at one end and the other end of the reactor to transport the raw materials; a drive section which drives the screw at the one end; a temperature control section which heats the main body; a fixed support section which fixes and supports the main body to an installation surface at the one end; and a movable support section which supports the main body on the installation surface at the other end so that the main body can be displaced in the extension direction of the main body.

2. The reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body is a block-shaped member, and the reactors are a plurality of holes arranged in parallel in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction in the block-shaped main body.

3. The reaction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reaction furnace is a plurality of holes provided in parallel in the block-shaped main body.

4. The reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable support portion has a slide portion that slidably supports the lower surface of the supported portion of the main body portion.

5. The reaction device according to claim 1, wherein the movable support portion has a guide portion that guides the guided portion of the main body portion along the extension direction.

6. The reaction device according to claim 1, wherein the movable support portion has a wheel portion that supports the lower surface of the main body portion so that the lower surface can be displaced in the extension direction.

7. A reaction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of reactors are connected in a chain via the connecting parts from the reactor having a raw material receiving port as a starting point to the reactor having a discharge port as an end point, so that the raw materials are received from the raw material receiving port, passed through the reactors connected in a chain, and then the reaction product is discharged from the discharge port.

8. The reaction apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of screws rotate in each of the plurality of reactors so as to transport the raw material in a transport direction from the raw material receiving port toward the delivery port along a transport direction of the series of reactors.

9. The reaction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drive unit has a power splitting mechanism for driving a plurality of screws from a single driving force.

Images