Hydrocarbon production equipment, hydrocarbon production system, controller for hydrocarbon production device, and method for producing hydrocarbon

A controller of a hydrocarbon production device including a first reaction device configured to receive a source gas including hydrogen and carbon and cause the source gas to react by using a first catalyst heated to a predetermined temperature to generate a first intermediate gas including hydrocarbon, and a second reaction device configured to cause the first intermediate gas to react by using a second catalyst heated to a predetermined temperature to generate a second intermediate gas including hydrocarbon, the controller of a hydrocarbon production device comprising:

• a hydrogen amount acquisition unit configured to obtain data on an amount of the hydrogen included in the source gas;
• a heat amount comparison unit configured to compare a reaction beat amount including a heat amount generated by the reaction of the first reaction device and a heat amount generated by the reaction of the second reaction device with a required heat amount required to maintain the reaction of the first reaction device and the reaction of the second reaction device, when the hydrocarbon production device receives the source gas including the hydrogen in the amount indicated by the data on the amount of the hydrogen;
• and
• a signal output unit configured to output a control signal for supplying heat to only one of the first reaction device and the second reaction device to a heat supplier capable of supplying heat for heating the first catalyst to the first reaction device and also supplying heat for heating the second catalyst to the second reaction device, when the reaction heat amount is smaller than the required beat amount.

A method for producing hydrocarbon by using a hydrocarbon production device including a first reaction device configured to receive a source gas including hydrogen and carbon and cause the source gas to react by using a first catalyst heated to a predetermined temperature to generate a first intermediate gas including hydrocarbon, and a second reaction device configured to cause the first intermediate gas to react by using a second catalyst heated to a predetermined temperature to generate a second intermediate gas including hydrocarbon, the method comprising:

• a step of obtaining data on an amount of the hydrogen included in the source gas;
• a step of comparing a reaction heat amount including a heat amount generated by the reaction of the first reaction device and a heat amount generated by the reaction of the second reaction device with a required heat amount required to maintain the reaction of the first reaction device and the reaction of the second reaction device, when the hydrocarbon production device receives the source gas including the hydrogen in the amount indicated by the data on the amount of the hydrogen;
• and
• a step of outputting a control signal for supplying heat to only one of the first reaction device and the second reaction device to a heat supplier configured to supply heat for heating the first catalyst to the first reaction device and also supply heat for heating the second catalyst to the second reaction device, when the reaction heat amount is smaller than the required heat amount.