Production unit, production method for ammonia, and catalyst material

A production unit configured to produce ammonia, comprising:

• a production apparatus including
• N (N is a natural number of 2 or more) reaction tubes in which a catalyst material containing noble metal is housed,
• N first supply paths configured for respectively supplying exhaust gas containing NOx and oxygen to the N reaction tubes,
• N second supply paths for respectively supplying a reducing gas not containing NOx to the N reaction tubes, and
• N recovery paths configured for respectively recovering produced ammonia from the N reaction tubes;
• and
• a control apparatus configured to control the production apparatus, wherein for each of the N reaction tubes,
• the control apparatus makes the production apparatus repeatedly perform a production process including:
• a first step of supplying the exhaust gas to the reaction tube to store NOx in the exhaust gas in the catalyst material;
• and
• a second step of stopping supply of the exhaust gas and then supplying the reducing gas to the reaction tube to produce and recover ammonia from NOx stored in the catalyst material, the second step is performed for (N−K) reaction tubes while the first step is performed for K (K is a natural number less than N) reaction tubes among the N reaction tubes, and
• the first step is performed for the (N−K) reaction tubes while the second step is performed for the K reaction tubes.

A production method for producing ammonia, wherein

• a production apparatus comprising N (N is a natural number of two or more) reaction tubes each containing a catalyst material containing noble metal performs repeatedly a production process including:
• a first step of supplying exhaust gas containing NOx and oxygen to each of the N reaction tubes to store NOx in the exhaust gas in the catalyst material;
• and
• a second step of stopping supply of the exhaust gas, and then supplying a reducing gas not containing NOx to the reaction tube to produce and recover ammonia from NOx stored in the catalyst material,
• the second step is performed for (N−K) reaction tubes while the first step is performed for K (K is a natural number less than N) reaction tubes among the N reaction tubes, and
• the first step is performed for the (N−K) reaction tubes while the second step is performed for the K reaction tubes.