JPH1066858A - Catalyst packing apparatus and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a catalyst packing method capable of sufficiently preventing the powdering of a catalyst and an apparatus therefor. SOLUTION: In packing a reaction column 10 with a catalyst 11 by using a hopper 25 into which the catalyst 11 is injected and a catalyst discharge device 30 discharging the catalyst 11 supplied from the hopper 25 into the reaction column 10, a ball valve 37 is preliminarily provided in the vicinity of the catalyst inlet of the catalyst discharge device 30 and, in such a state that the catalyst discharge device 30 is arranged in the vicinity of the hopper 25 and the ball valve 37 is closed, the catalyst 11 is introduced up to the ball valve 37 from the hopper 25 and, after the catalyst discharge device 30 is allowed to gradually fall to a predetermined catalyst discharge position, the ball valve 37 is opened to start the sprinkling of the catalyst 11. By this constitution, the catalyst 11 is prevented from suddenly falling from the hopper 25 and the powdering thereof is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a catalyst filling apparatus and a catalyst filling method, and can be used when a granular catalyst is filled in a reaction tower used in petroleum refining and petrochemical plants and the like.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART In a reaction tower used in a petroleum refining and petrochemical plant or the like, an appropriate catalyst is filled and used as necessary to promote the reaction of a reaction solution. The catalyst is usually in a granular form in order to enhance the contact with the reaction solution.
In addition, it is desired that the above-mentioned catalyst is uniformly filled in the reaction tower at a predetermined density, and in some cases, it is necessary to pack the catalyst at a high density near the maximum packing density. Conventionally, when charging the catalyst, a hose through which a catalyst is circulated from a hopper provided outside the reaction tower is inserted into the inside of the reaction tower through the upper opening, and the catalyst is introduced into the inside of the reaction tower with the hose. The workers of the above-mentioned have operated the hoses as appropriate to spray the catalyst and to perform the work of leveling the surface and the like. However, such a manual operation not only has a disadvantage that the catalyst cannot be packed at a high density, but also requires a worker to enter the reaction tower to perform the operation. And the packing density of the catalyst becomes non-uniform. If the packing density of the catalyst is non-uniform, the flow of the fluid to be reacted may become uneven during the operation of the reaction tower, causing a problem such as an excessive reaction occurring at a specific location.

In order to increase the packing density of the catalyst, JP-B-53-24910, JP-B-54-6990 and JP-B-56-46893,
Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-16931, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-40133, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-72571 have been proposed. These prior arts
The catalyst release mechanism for dispersing the catalyst is attached to the inside of the reaction tower or a mount provided near the manhole provided in the reaction tower, whereby the catalyst release mechanism is fixed at a predetermined height position of the reaction tower. The present invention relates to a fixed catalyst filling device. According to such a fixed type catalyst filling device, the filling of the catalyst is mechanized, so that the packing density is improved to some extent and the packing density is made uniform compared to the case of manual operation, Simply discharging the catalyst does not allow the catalyst to be packed at the same filling posture, cannot be packed near the maximum packing density, and has unevenness on the top surface of the catalyst that accumulates inside the reaction tower. Can not be filled. Furthermore, if the catalyst dispersing mechanism is installed at a high position and the falling distance of the catalyst is long, if the dropped catalyst collides with the catalyst-filled surface formed by the already filled catalyst, the catalyst is crushed and powder is generated. Powdering may occur. Irregularities on the upper surface of the catalyst deposited inside the reaction tower and the powdered catalyst may cause a problem such as deflecting the flow of the reaction fluid and generating an excessive reaction at a specific location. is there.

In order to solve such inconveniences, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-15010, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-2807, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-44987, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-44988, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-60102, Japanese Patent Publication No. -60103
And Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 7-60101 and 7-60104 have been proposed. . In these prior arts, a catalyst release mechanism for dispersing a catalyst supplied from a hopper is installed in the reaction tower so as to be able to move up and down, and the distance between the catalyst release mechanism and the catalyst-filled surface is maintained at a predetermined size while raising the catalyst release mechanism. The present invention relates to an elevating type catalyst filling apparatus for spraying a catalyst. According to such an up-and-down type catalyst filling apparatus, the distance from the catalyst filling surface is maintained at a predetermined dimension. Therefore, if the release angle and the release amount of the catalyst are appropriately controlled, the packing density can be further improved.
The upper surface of the catalyst packed in the reaction tower can be flattened.

[0005]

However, in the elevating type filling apparatus described above, after the catalyst release mechanism is once lowered to near the bottom of the reaction tower, the catalyst is transferred from the hopper at the top of the reaction tower to the catalyst release mechanism at the bottom. Since the supply is started, the falling distance of the catalyst that falls when the supply of the catalyst is started is large, and the powder of the catalyst is generated, which causes the drift of the reaction fluid and the powder of the catalyst which causes an excessive reaction and the like. There is a problem that the prevention is insufficient. In addition, in the above-mentioned elevating type filling device, the tension applied to the hose that guides the catalyst from the hopper at the top of the reaction tower to the catalyst release mechanism at the bottom may not be properly adjusted, and the hose may be bent or rupture on the way. There is also a problem that there is a risk of doing so.

An object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst filling apparatus and a catalyst filling method which can sufficiently prevent the catalyst from being powdered.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems A first invention of the present invention is a catalyst filling apparatus for filling a catalyst in a reaction tower by discharging the catalyst from a catalyst discharger provided in the reaction tower, An opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the passage of the catalyst is provided from a catalyst inlet to a catalyst outlet of the catalyst discharger. In the above, it is possible to employ a catalyst discharger that is capable of discharging the catalyst by its centrifugal force while rotating, and that is installed so as to be able to move up and down in the reaction tower. A hose connecting the hopper into which the catalyst is injected and the catalyst discharger; a tension applying means for applying a tension to the hose; and a load applied to the hose when the catalyst flows through the hose. It is desirable to provide tension control means for controlling the tension applying means in accordance with the tension and adjusting the tension applied to the hose.

[0008] The second invention of the present invention is to fill the reaction tower with the catalyst using a hopper into which the catalyst is injected and a catalyst discharger for discharging the catalyst supplied from the hopper into the reaction tower. A catalyst opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the passage of the catalyst from a catalyst inlet to a catalyst outlet of the catalyst ejector in advance, and disposing the catalyst ejector near the hopper and After the catalyst is introduced from the hopper to the opening / closing mechanism with the mechanism closed, the catalyst discharger is gradually lowered to a predetermined catalyst discharge position. In the above, it is desirable that the catalyst discharger once descends to near the bottom of the reaction tower, then rotates while rising, and discharges the catalyst by its centrifugal force.

In the present invention as described above, the catalyst is released by introducing the catalyst from the hopper to the opening and closing mechanism with the opening and closing mechanism closed, and then gradually lowering the catalyst discharger to a predetermined catalyst discharging position. Before this, the sudden drop of the catalyst that moves from the hopper to the opening and closing mechanism is suppressed, and the friction and collision between the catalysts in the hose, the powdering due to the friction and collision between the hose and the catalyst, and the catalyst and the discharger Powdering due to collision with the inside of the dies is prevented. For this reason, if the present invention is applied to an elevating type filling apparatus in which the distance between the catalyst discharger and the catalyst filling surface is maintained at a predetermined dimension, the distance between the catalyst discharger and the catalyst filling surface is not crushed. When the catalyst is released from the catalyst discharger, the catalyst is not crushed, and the powdering of the catalyst is prevented before and after the release of the catalyst by setting the distance to the extent that the spraying state is optimal. Therefore, the optimum spraying state is maintained. If the present invention is applied to a fixed catalyst filling device, when the height of the catalyst discharger is low, the catalyst is not crushed even if the catalyst is discharged from the catalyst discharger. Before and after, powdering of the catalyst is prevented.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an application state of a catalyst filling method and apparatus according to the embodiment.
In FIG. 1, a reaction tower 10 is a large-sized cylindrical reaction tower having a bottom and a catalyst 11 filled therein. An opening 12 is provided at the center of the upper surface, and the bottom is fixedly supported by a foundation 13. . A mount (not shown) is assembled on the upper part of the reaction tower 10, and an upper structure of the catalyst filling device 20 according to the present invention is arranged in the mount.

The catalyst filling device 20 includes a catalyst discharger 30 suspended and introduced into the reaction tower 10 for rotating and dispersing the catalyst 11, a hanging device 24 such as a chain for suspending the catalyst discharger 30, and a hanging device 24. A hoisting mechanism 22 having a hoisting mechanism hoisting mechanism 23 for raising and lowering the catalyst ejector 30 by winding up the 24, a hopper 25 for supplying the catalyst 11 to be sprayed, and supplying the catalyst 11 from the hopper 25 to the catalyst ejector 30 And a hose winding mechanism 50 for winding the hose 28 to be wound. At this time, the hose
28 is a zipper (nylon fastener) not shown, for example, a belt-like one divided into a plurality of pieces along the longitudinal direction.
Are connected to each other to form a hose. Then, the divided hoses 28 are wound up by the respective hose hoisting mechanisms 50. Also, the catalyst discharger 30
Is provided with a rotation drive mechanism 35 that can rotate in both forward and reverse directions to rotationally drive the dispersion rotor mechanism 40 of the catalyst discharger 30 disposed in the reaction tower 10, and the catalyst filling device 20 includes this rotation drive mechanism. The control unit 70 includes a control unit 70 that controls the rotation speed of the 35.

The catalyst discharger 30 discharges and scatters the catalyst 11 supplied from the hose 28 at a predetermined initial speed by rotating. Further, the catalyst discharger 30 is
Three holding arms 36 extending in the radial direction are provided, the centers of which are held at the center of the reaction tower 10. Each holding arm 36
Has a pantograph-type expansion / contraction mechanism, the tip of which can abut on the inner surface of the reaction tower 10 and can be rolled up and down by rollers. , And can be freely moved up and down in that state. A ball valve 37, which is an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the passage of the catalyst 11, is provided at the catalyst inlet of the catalyst discharger 30, that is, at the lower end of the hose. The ball valve 37 can be remotely operated with an actuator and a valve positioner (not shown), and can be set to an arbitrary opening degree by a control signal from the control means 70.
Thereby, the flow rate of the catalyst 11 is adjusted.

The control means 70 controls the rotation speed of the suspension mechanism 22 and the rotation drive mechanism 35 of the catalyst discharger 30 based on an externally input command, charging condition setting, and the like. Introduction and removal into the reaction tower 10 and catalyst
11 is controlled so that the filling operation is performed in a desired state. For this reason, the control means 70 is constituted by a computer or the like, and although not shown, an operation unit such as a keyboard for inputting the filling conditions of the catalyst 11 and a display for performing various displays, etc. A discharge control unit that calculates and controls the amount of the catalyst 11 discharged from the catalyst discharger 30 and the number of revolutions at the time of discharge by a predetermined formula, and a lifting tool winding mechanism 23 according to the setting conditions in the operation unit.
And a suspension height control unit for adjusting the suspension height of the catalyst discharger 30 by controlling the suspension height.

The dispersion rotor mechanism 40 of the catalyst discharger 30 is configured by stacking a plurality of disk-shaped dispersion rotors 41 at predetermined intervals in multiple stages. These dispersion rotors 41 have smaller diameters as they move downward. A hole (not shown) for circulating the catalyst 11 is provided in a central portion of each dispersion rotor 41. The catalyst 11 that has reached each dispersion rotor 41 is partially discharged to the outside of the catalyst discharger 30 by the centrifugal force of the rotating dispersion rotor 41, and the remainder flows from the central hole to the next dispersion rotor 41. It has become. Here, the catalyst discharger 30 has a maximum rotation speed (maximum rotation speed Nma).
x) to a minimum value (minimum rotation speed Nmin), and when the particles are discharged from the catalyst discharger 30 and landed, the radial velocity component Ux of the catalyst 11 is always U
It is driven to rotate so that x> 0.

The maximum value Nmax of the rotation speed is determined by the catalyst discharger
When the 30 dispersion rotors 41 are rotated at the maximum number of revolutions Nmax, the catalyst 11 discharged from the uppermost dispersion rotor 41 just hits the inner wall of the reaction tower 10. On the other hand, the minimum value Nmin is the maximum rotation speed Nmax of the dispersion rotor 41.
At the position where the catalyst 11 discharged from the second-stage dispersion rotor 41 from above hits,
The number of revolutions is such that the catalyst 11 released from 41 lands. That is, the impact position of the catalyst 11 discharged from the uppermost dispersion rotor 41 by the centrifugal force at the rotation speed Nmin, and the catalyst 11 discharged from the second stage dispersion rotor 41 by the centrifugal force at the rotation speed Nmax. Is set to be equal to the landing position. In addition, the diameter of each of the dispersion rotors 41 in the third and subsequent stages is set to be equal to the minimum rotation speed Nmin
And the landing position of the catalyst 11 discharged from the lower dispersion rotor 41 during operation at the maximum rotational speed Nmax substantially coincides with the landing position of the catalyst 11 discharged from the upper dispersion rotor 41 during the operation at It is set to such dimensions. As a result, the catalyst 11 discharged from the catalyst discharger 30
Are deposited such that the deposition surface is at a uniform height (flat).

The hose winding mechanism 50 is a tension applying means for applying a tension to the hose 28. As shown in FIG. 2, the hose winding mechanism 50 has a belt-shaped hose.
A drum 51 around which the hose 28 is wound, a roller 52 supporting an intermediate portion of the hose 28 fed from the drum 51, a spring device 53 as a drive source for winding the hose 28 against the weight of the hose 28, and a spring device An air motor 54 for assisting the hoisting torque of 53 is provided. The spring device 53 utilizes the elastic force of an elastically deformable body such as a helical spring, and when the catalyst ejector 30 is lowered, the hose 28 loses the weight of the catalyst ejector 30 and drums the hose 28.
When the catalyst discharger 30 is lifted, the excess length of the hose 28 is wound up, and at the same time, an appropriate tension is automatically applied to the hose 28 at all times. The air motor 54 is a rotary machine powered by compressed air, and its output shaft 54A is connected to the output shaft 53A of the mainspring device 53.
, And its torque is controlled by a tension control means 71 provided in the control means 70.

The tension control means 71 includes a rotating shaft 52A of the roller 52.
The load applied to the hose 28 is detected by a load sensor 55 attached to the motor, and the output torque of the air motor 54 is adjusted in accordance with the load. For example, when the flow rate of the catalyst 11 passing through the inside of the hose 28 increases, the load applied to the hose 28 also increases, and the increased load
Is further extended, and the entire length of the extended hose 28 is longer than the distance to the catalyst discharger 30.
The hose 28 will bend in the middle. The bending of the hose 28 not only increases the flow resistance of the hose 28 but also causes the hose 28 to burst. Therefore,
When the load applied to the hose 28 increases, the tension control means 71 increases the output torque of the air motor 54, prevents the hose 28 from being further extended from the drum 51, and increases the tension applied to the extended hose 28. The hose 28 is prevented from being bent in the middle. Note that the tension control means 71 is
When the air motor 54 descends, the compressed air supplied to the air motor 54 is shut off, whereby the output shaft 54A of the air motor 54 is made rotatable, and the catalyst discharger 30 is controlled to be easily lowered.

In this embodiment, the catalyst 11 is sprayed into the reaction tower 10 in the following procedure. First, the catalyst discharger 30 is put into the reaction tower 10, and the catalyst discharger 30 is arranged near the hopper 25. In this state, the ball valve 37 is closed as shown in FIG.
After the catalyst 11 injected into the hose 28 is introduced into the hose 28 and reaches the ball valve 37, the catalyst discharger 30 is gradually lowered (for example, at a descent speed of about 1 m / min). Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the catalyst discharger 30 descends,
While the hose 28 is being extended, the hopper 25
Then, the catalyst 11 is gradually introduced into the inside of the hose 28, and the state in which the catalyst 11 is filled over the entire length of the drawn out hose 28 is maintained. Then, when the catalyst discharger 30 is lowered to a catalyst discharge position A which is lower than the normal catalyst discharge position and has a fall distance that does not crush the catalyst 11, the catalyst discharger 30 is operated as shown in FIG. Let it. After this, the catalyst discharger 30
When reaches the predetermined number of revolutions, open the ball valve 37,
Spraying of the catalyst 11 from the catalyst discharger 30 is started, and the catalyst 11 is sprayed in the reaction tower 10 in multiple concentric circles.

Here, if the spray height according to the desired packing density is set in advance by the operation unit, the appropriate spray height is automatically maintained, and the catalyst discharger 30 is adjusted so as to have this spray height.
The suspension height is adjusted. That is, as the spraying proceeds, the surface position of the catalyst 11 in the reaction tower 10 rises, so that each time this rise exceeds a predetermined amount, the lifting device winding mechanism 23
To control the catalyst discharger 30 to maintain the set spray height. The spraying of the catalyst from the predetermined height and the adjustment of the height of the catalyst discharger 30 are repeated, and when the catalyst discharger 30 reaches the upper limit in the reaction tower 10, the catalyst 11
The number of rotations of the catalyst spraying is increased in accordance with the decrease in the spray height due to the rise of the surface to secure a spray area, and when the surface of the catalyst 11 reaches a predetermined height, the spraying operation is completed. If there is a pipe or other obstacle in the reaction tower 10 during the spraying operation, the motor of the rotary drive mechanism 35 is switched between normal rotation and reverse rotation at predetermined intervals. As a result, the catalyst 11 is evenly spread around the obstacle.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, the ball valve 37 is provided near the catalyst inlet of the catalyst discharger 30, the catalyst discharger 30 is disposed near the hopper 25, and the catalyst 11 is moved from the hopper 25 to the ball valve 37 with the ball valve 37 closed. After the introduction, the catalyst release device 30 was gradually lowered to a predetermined catalyst release position.
Abrupt fall of the catalyst 11 that moves from the pressure to the ball valve 37 is suppressed, and powdering of the catalyst 11 can be effectively prevented. Further, the catalyst discharger 30 is lowered to the catalyst discharge position A, which is lower than the normal catalyst discharge position and has a fall distance that does not cause the catalyst 11 to be crushed. Since the catalyst 11 is released while maintaining the distance (spray height) from the surface of the catalyst 11 to the catalyst discharger 30 at a predetermined distance, the catalyst 11 is not crushed even when the catalyst 11 is released. Powdering of the catalyst 11 can be effectively prevented even after the release of the catalyst. Since powdering of the catalyst 11 is effectively prevented, gas-liquid flows in the reaction tower 10 on average, so that the catalyst 11
Is prevented, so-called hot spots can be prevented, and the life of the catalyst 11 can be extended.

Furthermore, since the opening of the ball valve 37 provided near the catalyst inlet of the catalyst discharger 30 is adjustable,
The flow rate of the catalyst 11 can be adjusted, and the amount of the catalyst 11 released from the catalyst discharger 30 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount.

Further, since the catalyst filling device 20 sprays the catalyst from a lower position than in the prior art, the catalyst
Rolls in the radial direction of the reaction tower 10 and deposits in a fixed arrangement, in other words, in a posture in which the major axis direction of the catalyst 11 is oriented substantially in the circumferential direction, so that the packing density increases and the surface can be flatly packed. Becomes Moreover, since the number of revolutions of the catalyst discharger 30 is periodically changed, peaks and valleys generated at a constant one number of revolutions can be equalized.
Can be filled in a flat plane. Therefore, the reaction tower
Since gas-liquid flows in the inside of the catalyst 10 evenly, the catalyst 11 is used evenly, a partial abnormal reaction of the catalyst 11 is prevented, and from this point, a hot spot can be prevented.
The life of the catalyst 11 can be extended.

Further, the catalyst discharger 30 having a structure in which the concentric dispersion rotors 41 are combined in multiple stages is employed, and the diameter of the dispersion rotor 41 in each adjacent stage is adjusted to the upper stage, that is, the minimum rotation speed of the large-diameter dispersion rotor 41-. Since the landing distance of the catalyst 11 during operation and the landing distance of the catalyst 11 during the maximum rotation speed operation of the lower stage, that is, the maximum rotation speed of the small-diameter dispersion rotor 41, were substantially the same, the catalyst 11 sprayed by each stage was And a uniform (flat) filling can be achieved.

Further, since the catalyst discharger 30 can be rotated forward and backward, even if there is an obstacle such as a pipe in the reaction tower 10, the catalyst discharger 30 is rotated forward and reverse around the reaction tower 10 to thereby allow the catalyst 11 to rotate. By spraying, the catalyst 11 can be uniformly filled in the surrounding area.

Further, a spring device 53 for winding the hose 28 and an air motor 54 for assisting the winding torque of the spring device 53 are combined to detect the load applied to the hose 28, and the output torque of the air motor 54 is determined in accordance with the load. Since the adjustment is performed, even if the load applied to the hose 28 increases, the output torque of the air motor 54 increases in accordance with the increased load, and the tension applied to the hose 28 is appropriately adjusted. Of the hose 28 and rupture of the hose 28 can be prevented.

[0026]

EXAMPLES Next, the effects of the present invention will be described based on more specific examples. [Examples 1 to 3] Examples 1 to 3 are experiments in which the rotary catalyst discharger 30 described in the above embodiment is used and the catalyst is charged in accordance with the procedure according to the present invention. In the first embodiment, with the ball valve 37 closed, the catalyst
After dropping at a speed of / min, the catalyst is sprinkled from a filling height of 20 m. In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the catalyst discharger 30 is moved down at a speed of 1.1 m / min with the ball valve 37 closed, and then the catalyst is sprayed from a filling height of 10 m. In the third embodiment, similarly to the first and second embodiments, the catalyst discharger 30 is lowered at a speed of 1.1 m / min with the ball valve 37 closed, and then the catalyst is discharged from the filling height of 5 m. Spray.

[Comparative Examples 1 and 2] In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, in order to confirm the effects of the present invention, the same procedure as in Examples 1 to 3 above was carried out using the same catalyst as the above-mentioned rotary catalyst discharger. This is an experiment of filling. In Comparative Example 1, after lowering the catalyst discharger 30 to a predetermined height position, supply of the catalyst from the hopper to the catalyst discharger 30 was started, the catalyst was dropped to the catalyst discharger 30, and the filling height of 20 m was reached. Then spray the catalyst. Comparative Example 2
Then, similarly to Comparative Example 1, after lowering the catalyst discharger 30 to the predetermined height position, the supply of the catalyst from the hopper to the catalyst discharger 30 is started, and the catalyst is dropped to the catalyst discharger 30,
Spray the catalyst from a filling height of 10 m. Example 1
In Examples 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the same catalyst (catalyst for a heavy oil desulfurization unit) is used as the catalyst.

[Experimental Results] The experimental results were evaluated by taking out the charged catalyst and sifting through a sieve having a mesh size of # 20.
The value obtained by dividing the weight of the fine catalyst dropped from the sieve by the weight of all the filled catalysts is defined as the powdering rate, and the powdering rate is compared. In Examples 1 to 3, the powdering rate was 0.1% by weight.
In contrast, in Comparative Example 1, the powdering ratio was 1.3.
%, In Comparative Example 2, the powdering ratio was 0.6% by weight,
This indicates that powdering can be sufficiently prevented by the present invention.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes the following modifications as long as the object of the present invention is achieved. That is, the number of stages of the catalyst discharger 30, especially the dispersion rotor mechanism 40,
The number of stages is not limited to the number of stages in the above embodiment, and may be appropriately determined according to other conditions such as the shape of the reaction tower, the type and particle size of the catalyst, the number of rotations of the spraying, and the amount of spraying.

Further, the opening / closing mechanism is not limited to a ball valve, but may be a slide valve used in a powder process,
Other types of valves such as gate valves, globe valves, diaphragm valves and butterfly valves may be used,
Further, a damper provided in the passage of the catalyst,
As shown in (A) and (B), a conical member 37A which is provided in the passage 28A of the catalyst 11 and can be opened and closed like an umbrella by compressed air or the like may be used. The structure can be appropriately selected. Also, the mounting position of the opening and closing mechanism is not limited to the catalyst inlet of the catalyst discharger,
It may be inside the catalyst discharger or at the catalyst outlet of the catalyst discharger. In the case where the catalyst outlet is provided at the catalyst outlet of the catalyst discharger, for example, a rotatable stopper is provided on the periphery of the dispersion rotor, and the catalyst outlet of the catalyst discharger, which is a part of the passage through which the catalyst flows, is connected to the stopper described above. Open and close. In addition, the present invention is not limited to an elevating type catalyst filling device in which the catalyst release mechanism is provided so as to be able to move up and down inside the reaction tower, and a fixed type catalyst in which the catalyst release mechanism is fixed at a predetermined height position of the reaction tower. It can also be applied to filling devices.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Powdering of the catalyst can be sufficiently and effectively prevented, and furthermore, the flow of the fluid in the column can be made uniform and the catalyst life can be prolonged. In addition, hot spots and the like can be effectively prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing one step of filling a catalyst in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a modification of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Reaction tower 11 Catalyst 20 Catalyst filling device 25 Hopper 28 Hose 30 Catalyst discharger 37 Ball valve as opening / closing mechanism 37A Conical member as opening / closing mechanism 50 Hose winding mechanism as tension applying means 71 Tension control means

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A catalyst filling device for filling a catalyst into a reaction tower by discharging the catalyst from a catalyst discharger installed in the reaction tower, wherein a catalyst is filled from a catalyst inlet to a catalyst outlet of the catalyst discharger. An opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the passage of the catalyst is provided. 2. The catalyst filling device according to claim 1, wherein
The catalyst discharging device is characterized in that the catalyst discharger is configured to discharge the catalyst by its centrifugal force while rotating, and to be installed in the reaction tower so as to be able to move up and down. 3. The catalyst filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a hose connecting the hopper into which the catalyst is injected and the catalyst discharger, a tension applying means for applying a tension to the hose, And a tension control unit that controls the tension applying unit according to a load applied to the hose when the catalyst is passed through the hose, and adjusts a tension applied to the hose. Filling device. 4. A catalyst filling method for filling the reaction tower with a catalyst using a hopper into which the catalyst is injected and a catalyst discharger for discharging the catalyst supplied from the hopper into the reaction tower. An opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the passage of the catalyst is provided in advance from the catalyst inlet to the catalyst outlet of the catalyst ejector, and the catalyst ejector is arranged near the hopper and the opening / closing mechanism is closed. And introducing the catalyst from the hopper to the opening / closing mechanism, and then gradually lowering the catalyst discharger to a predetermined catalyst discharge position. 5. The method for charging a catalyst according to claim 4, wherein
The catalyst discharger, which once descends to near the bottom of the reaction tower, discharges the catalyst by its centrifugal force while rotating, and discharges the catalyst while rising. Filling method.