Abstract: A lower olefin producing catalyst which has high olefin production efficiency and maintains its activity for a long period of time when lower olefins are produced from an oxygen-containing compound, which is a solid catalyst used in producing lower olefins from an oxygen-containing compound, includes a solid-state catalyst component containing an MFI-type zeolite, in which, at a position where the shortest distance to the outer surface is maximum among all positions inside a structure of the solid catalyst, the thickness defined as a distance twice the shortest distance from the point to the outer surface is in a range of from 0.1 to 2.0 mm, and a method for producing lower olefins.

Abstract: To achieve efficient use of enzyme in obtaining a sugar solution through a reaction of the enzyme and biomass containing cellulose. In obtaining a sugar solution through a reaction of enzyme and biomass containing cellulose, the biomass and the enzyme are caused to react in a first reaction tank, whereby a sugar solution in which the enzyme is dispersed and a residue containing the unreached biomass adsorbing the enzyme are generated, these sugar solution and residue are next separated, a pH adjusting solution is supplied to the residue in a second reaction tank to prepare a dilute solution whose sugar concentration is lower than that of the sugar solution, and in this dilute solution, a sugar solution is generated through a reaction between the residue and the enzyme adsorbed to the residue.

Abstract: A process for removing carbon dioxide from a fluid comprises the steps of: (a) treating the fluid by bringing it into countercurrent contact with a liquid absorbent in a first absorption zone and thereafter in a second absorption zone to absorb at least part of the carbon dioxide contained in the fluid into the absorbent; (b) depressurizing the loaded absorbent to release a first stream of carbon dioxide and yield a partially regenerated absorbent; (c) recycling a first stream of the partially regenerated absorbent into the first absorption zone; (d) heating a second stream of the partially regenerated absorbent to release a second stream of carbon dioxide and yield a regenerated absorbent; (e) recycling the regenerated absorbent into the second absorption zone; (f) condensing water vapour entrained in the second stream of carbon dioxide by cooling the second stream of carbon dioxide and transferring at least part of the heat recovered to the partially regenerated absorbent by indirect heat exchange.

Abstract: A method for treating a radioactive liquid waste containing a sodium salt is described, including: a liquid waste reducing step of partially reducing sodium nitrate contained in a radioactive liquid waste to convert the radioactive liquid waste into a reduced solution containing at least one of sodium hydroxide, sodium hydrogencarbonate, and sodium carbonate; and an electrodialysis step of performing electrodialysis of the reduced solution by supplying the reduced solution to an anode chamber of an electrolytic cell, the electrolytic cell including an anode and a cathode disposed on both sides of a permeable membrane which a sodium ion selectively permeates.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the powder dispersibility including dispersing a powder allowed to stand inside a closed container by mechanical vibration applied quantitatively to the powder; collecting the dispersed powder on a quartz crystal element or a piezo element; and measuring the mass of the collected powder using a quartz crystal microbalance or a piezo element mass meter to thereby measure the airborne powder concentration in air inside the closed container; a method for evaluating airborne powder concentration at work place using the method for evaluating the powder dispersibility; and a method for designing a powder containment facility using the method for evaluating airborne powder concentration.

Abstract: This method of upgrading a biomass comprises: an upgrading step for performing upgrading treatment of a cellulose based biomass with an oxygen/carbon atomic ratio of at least 0.5, in presence of water and under a pressure of at least saturated water vapor pressure, and reducing said oxygen/carbon atomic ratio of said biomass to no more than 0.38, and a separation step for separating an upgraded reactant obtained from said upgrading step into a solid component and a liquid component.

Abstract: [Technical Problem] A contactor is provided which is capable of making fluids of two phases contact each other under a good dispersion state and which can be easily multi-staged. [Means for Solving the Problems] The inside of a contactor 1 is divided into a plurality of cells 22, 32 by partition walls (a vertical wall 10, horizontal walls 21, 31) and the respective cells 22, 32 become countercurrent contacting spaces of an upflow fluid flowing up in the contactor 1 and a downflow fluid flowing down in the contactor 1. A downflow fluid injection hole 52 provided in the vertical wall 10 of each stage makes the downflow fluid blocked by the partition wall and residing inject into the neighboring cells 22, 32 of a lower stage side, while an upflow fluid flow-in port 51 provided in an upper side of the injection hole 2 makes an upflow fluid from the cells 22, 32 of the lower stage side flow in.

Abstract: One object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an alcohol which can produce a target alcohol containing a remarkably low content of the sulfur compound(s), and the present invention provides a method for producing an alcohol comprising a separation process which reduces the content of sulfur compound(s) in a crude alcohol containing at least the sulfur compound(s) through desulfurization treatment in which the crude alcohol is contacted with a separation membrane based on a pervaporation method, thereby a content of the sulfur composition in the crude alcohol is decreased.

Abstract: [Task] To provide a crude treatment system capable of treating crude containing a comparatively large content of a corrosive material. [Means for Resolution] A primary distillation tower 11 fractionates first crude into a target fraction. A secondary distillation tower 21 which fractionates second crude having a corrosive material content greater than that of the first crude into a light fraction of which the content of the corrosive material is an amount not causing corrosion in the primary distillation tower 11 and a heavy fraction as the remainder thereof. Also, a light fraction supply line supplies the light fraction from the secondary distillation tower 21 to the primary distillation tower 11 so as to treat the light fraction in the primary distillation tower 11.

Abstract: [Task] To provide a crude treatment system which treats crude containing a comparatively large content of nickel, vanadium, or carbon residue so as to supply a raw material to a downstream catalytic cracking process. [Means for Resolution] A primary distillation tower 11 fractionates first crude into a residue fraction partly used as raw oil of a catalytic cracking process and other fractions. A secondary distillation tower 21 fractionates second crude containing a larger content of a catalytic poison with respect to catalysts used in the catalytic cracking process than the first crude into a light fraction included in a distillation temperature range of the other fractions and a heavy fraction as a rest thereof. A light fraction supply line supplies the light fraction to the primary distillation tower 11 so as to be treated in the primary distillation tower 11.

Abstract: A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon includes a conversion device which converts a mercury component in a raw liquid hydrocarbon into elemental mercury to obtain a first liquid hydrocarbon containing the elemental mercury. The apparatus also includes a first stripping device which brings the first liquid hydrocarbon into counter-current contact with a first stripping gas, thereby transferring the elemental mercury in the first liquid hydrocarbon to the first stripping gas to obtain (i) a second liquid hydrocarbon in which the amount of the elemental mercury decreases and (ii) a first gaseous hydrocarbon containing the elemental mercury.

Abstract: A catalytic reactor including: a reaction container filled with a catalyst having ruthenium; and an introduction part for introducing a material fluid to the reaction container. The reaction container is supplied with a mixed gas as material fluid to produce synthetic gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the presence of the catalyst. The introduction part is connected to the reaction container in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined downward from above a horizontal plane, and a height of the catalyst filled in the reaction container is adjusted above a height at which the material fluid is fed from the introduction part to the reaction container. Also, a method of using the catalytic reactor including monitoring a molar ratio of carbon and oxygen contained in the material fluid and stopping the supply of an oxygen-containing gas to the reaction container before the molar ratio becomes excessively low.

Abstract: A crystallization method includes: actually measuring a particle number of the crystals precipitated from the saturated solution and a concentration of the saturated solution, while cooling the solution according to a cooling temperature profile; calculating an absolute particle number of crystals precipitated from the saturated solution according to a mass balance, based on an actual measurement value of the particle number and an actual measurement value of the concentration; heating the saturated solution when the absolute particle number exceeds a threshold to perform heating control so that the absolute particle number becomes a set value; and cooling the saturated solution again according to a preset cooling temperature profile after controlling to dissolve excessive crystals in the solution so that the absolute particle number returns to the set value.

Abstract: A combined power generation unit includes a gasification unit with a gasification furnace that is used to produce fuel gas, and a gas turbine that uses the fuel gas to generate power. To produce the fuel gas required in the combined power generation unit according to a required power load, a feed-forward control of the gasification unit is performed. Also, a dead time compensator compensates for a lag and a dead time occurring while the fuel gas is fed from the gasification unit to the combined power generation unit. The gasification unit is operated using a zero flare process. The dead time compensator delays the power load required in the combined power generation unit on the basis of the lag and the dead time of the gasification unit so that the combined power generation unit is operated while a follow-up is performed with a predetermined delay.

Abstract: A method for producing a synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen from a source gas containing light hydrocarbons, includes the steps of: performing low temperature steam reforming by adding steam to the source gas and converting hydrocarbons of carbon numbers of 2 or higher in the source gas to methane; and performing a catalytic partial oxidation by adding oxygen after the low temperature steam reforming.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method in which grades of oil are refined according to their object from a feed oil. This method has a solvent extraction process that obtains an extracted oil, and a hydrogenation process that subjects the obtained extracted oil to hydrogenation process in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst to obtain a hydrorefined oil. The solvent extraction conditions are selected by using the poly-aromatic concentration as an index for calculating the concentration of heptane insoluble components in the residue of the extracted oil obtained by the solvent extraction process that cannot be fractionally distilled.

Abstract: A gasification unit provided with a gasification furnace 23 to produce fuel gas production is provided. A combined power generation unit 25 which generates power by rotating a gas turbine and a steam turbine using fuel gas produced in the gasification unit is provided. The combined power generation unit 25 is made operable while fuel change over between fuel gas and an auxiliary fuel as the fuel. A control system is provided in which the degree of opening of a control valve 37 for a flare stack 28 provided in a fuel gas feed line is controlled depending upon the pressure of the fuel gas from the gasification unit when fuel change over from the fuel gas to the auxiliary fuel so as to allow the fuel gas supplied to the combined power generation unit 25 to gradually flare from a flare stack 28 until a flared status that total amount of the fuel gas is reached.

Abstract: A method for producing an alcohol of the present invention provides an alcohol having the total sulfur content of 10 ppm by weight or less, by subjecting an alcohol having the total sulfur content of 30 ppm by weight or more and the propanols content of 200 ppm to at least one desulfurization treatment selected from at least one of a desulfurization treatment by a reaction process, a desulfurization treatment with a physical adsorbent, and a desulfurization treatment with a chemical adsorbent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for production of lower olefins from a raw material containing dimethyl ether (DME), which can produce lower olefins (e.g. propylene) with good yield and in an economically advantageous manner by prolonging the time until the reversible deactivation of a zeolite catalyst and preventing the irreversible deactivation of the catalyst, can reduce the amount of water to be recycled to increase the thermal efficiency of the process, and can simplify the facilities and operations. Also disclosed is a method for improving the yield of propylene with good efficiency under practical operating conditions. A feed gas which comprises a DME-containing feedstock gas and an additive gas and further contains steam at a specific proportion is introduced into an olefin synthesis reactor to contact the feed gas with a zeolite catalyst, thereby producing a hydrocarbon product containing C2-C5 olefins.

Abstract: There is provided a method for producing a raw gas for ammonia synthesis in which light hydrocarbons from a tube 3, steam from a tube 6 and oxygen-enriched air having an oxygen concentration of 40 to 60% by volume from an oxygen-enriched air supply source 7 are heated and are then introduced to a one-step reforming reactor 5 to thereby carry out a steam reforming reaction and an air partial oxidation reaction at the same time, and the resultant is subsequently passed through a shift reactor 12, a decarbonating device 14 and a methanation reactor 16 to remove carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, thereby yielding a raw gas suitable for ammonia synthesis having a hydrogen to nitrogen molar ratio of about 3:1.