Reforming apparatus and scavenging method for the same

A scavenging method for the reforming apparatus comprising a reformer that generates a hydrogen rich reformed gas from a fuel stream by a reforming reaction using a reforming catalyst, a fuel introducing device that can introduce said fuel stream into said reformer, and an air introducing device that can introduce air into said reformer, and in which the reforming catalyst of said reformer is a noble metal catalyst carried by a metallic oxide, comprises the steps of:

• stopping the introduction of said fuel stream from said fuel introducing device;
• and
• starting the introduction of air from said air introducing device after stopping the introduction of said fuel stream

A scavenging method for a reforming apparatus comprising a reformer that generates a hydrogen rich reformed gas from a fuel stream by a reforming reaction using a reforming catalyst, a fuel introducing device that can introduce said fuel stream into said reformer, and a selective oxidizing apparatus that oxidizes the carbon monoxide in said reformed gas to carbon dioxide by a selective oxidizing reaction using a selective oxidizing catalyst, and an air introducing device that can introduce air into said reforming apparatus and/or into said selective oxidizing apparatus, and in which the reforming catalyst of said reformer is a noble metal catalyst carried by a metallic oxide, and the selective oxidizing catalyst of said selective oxidizing apparatus is a catalyst that incorporates platinum, comprises the steps of:

• stopping the introduction of said fuel stream from said fuel introducing device;
• and
• starting the introduction of air from said air introducing device after stopping the introduction of said fuel stream.