The present invention relates to a device for inserting at least one packing section into a cylindrical shell, comprising a base provided with gripping means configured to grip hold of a packing section and arranged at regular intervals around a main axis, wherein the insertion device comprises at least two telescopic devices secured to the base and at least one pushing means secured to one end of each of the two telescopic devices, the telescopic devices being configured to extend and cause the pushing means to move.

The invention relates to a support device for a rigid chain (401) composed of links (402) that are connected in pairs by rollers (403). The movement of the rigid chain is guided by an internal housing (406) of a support casing (405). One or more support pins (404) project from one side of the chain, parallel to the axis of the link rollers. Furthermore, a face (411) of the casing extending substantially perpendicularly to the axes of the rollers has a through-groove (412) communicating with the internal housing (406). This groove (412) extends along the entire length of the housing and has dimensions, in a plane perpendicular to the axes of the rollers (403), that are sufficient to allow through only the support pin(s) (404), which pass through the groove (412) and protrude from the support casing (405) by a predetermined length allowing the fastening of one or more functional elements.

An air lance for removing pellets from tubes includes a conduit body having an inlet end and a bottommost discharge opening, and a poker fixed relative to the conduit body and projecting beyond the bottommost discharge opening to serve as a spacer and poker; wherein a rigid member extends along said conduit body, such that that a hammering force applied to said rigid member where it extends outside of the tube will be transmitted through said rigid member to said poker for dislodging and breaking pellets.

A method of producing a composite product is provided. The method includes providing a fluidized bed of metal oxide particles in a fluidized bed reactor, providing a catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor, providing a carbon source in the fluidized bed reactor for growing carbon nanotubes, growing carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube growth zone of the fluidized bed reactor, and collecting a composite product comprising metal oxide particles and carbon nanotubes.

The present invention includes a method for emptying a reactor containing at least one bed of spent catalyst particles and that comprises at least one dump tube, which opens into the reactor in the bottom portion of the bed of particles or underneath the latter. The method comprises the following: a first step of causing a proportion of the catalyst bed to flow out of the reactor via said dump tube; then a second step of expelling out of the reactor the catalyst remainder, by driving towards the opening of the dump tube the catalyst particles remaining in the reactor at the end of the first step, this step being performed by means of a removable device introduced into the reactor via the dump tube,
and is characterised in that said removable device comprises an articulated arm bearing one or more protuberances spirally disposed about a rotary axis.

A methane production system includes: a raw material gas supply part configured to store and supply a raw material gas; a catalyst supply part configured to store and supply a catalyst; a methanation reaction part connected to the raw material gas supply part and the catalyst supply part and configured to generate a reaction gas by performing a methanation reaction using the raw material gas and the catalyst supplied from the raw material gas supply part and the catalyst supply part; a temperature measurement part connected to the methanation reaction part and configured to measure a temperature of the methanation reaction part; a temperature maintaining part connected to the raw material gas supply part; and a raw material gas injection part connected to the raw material gas supply part to receive the raw material gas from the raw material gas supply part.

A catalyst carrier for insertion into a reactor tube of a tubular reactor that comprises a container containing particles of catalyst. The container further contains a compacting element for reducing fluidisation of the particles of catalyst.

A reactor tube for a tubular reactor and a retaining device associated with the reactor tube; the reactor tube comprising an elongate tube defining a bore for receiving in use a catalyst and having an outlet at one end of the bore for discharging the catalyst out of the bore; the retaining device being configured to be rotatable between a first position and a second position; wherein in the first position the retaining device at least partially obstructs the outlet for retaining the catalyst within the bore; and in the second position the outlet is unobstructed sufficiently for permitting discharge of the catalyst out of the outlet.

The present application discloses a molecular sieve-based catalyst modification apparatus. The apparatus comprises a feed unit 1, a modification unit 2 and a cooling unit 3 connected in sequence; the feed unit comprises a catalyst feed unit 11 and a modifier feed unit 12, a catalyst and a modifier are introduced into the modification unit 2 respectively by the catalyst feed unit and the modifier feed unit and are discharged from the modification unit after sufficient reaction in modification unit, and then enter the cooling unit 3 for cooling. The present application further discloses a use method for the molecular sieve-based catalyst modification apparatus. The use method comprises: introducing a catalyst and a modifier into the modification unit 2 respectively through the feed unit 1; wherein the catalyst is modified by the modifier in the modification unit 2, and then discharged to the cooling unit 3 to cool until the temperature is lower than 50° C., and then the cooled modified catalyst is transferred to any storage device.

A method of installing a temperature measuring device inside a reactor tube while filling the tube with catalyst is provided. The method includes inserting a positioning system, including a single inflatable bladder connected at a central location to a centering ring, into a reactor tube, the reactor tube comprising a distal end and a proximal end. Then inserting the centering ring around the temperature measurement device. Then locating the positioning system at a first predetermined distance from the distal end, and inflating the single inflatable bladder, thereby centering the centering ring and the temperature measurement device within the SMR tube. Then introducing catalyst into the SMR tube, thereby enclosing the temperature measurement device in catalyst.