Reforming apparatus for fuel cell
AssigneesNippon Oil Co., Ltd., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorsAkira FUJU, Masataka Kadowaki, Kazumi Kobayashi, Kazuaki Nakajima, Yasushi Sato, Ken Samura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, a reformer generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel. A shift reactor reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction. A selective oxidation unit reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through the shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide. A reforming reaction tube houses linearly the reformer, the shift reactor and the selective oxidation unit in this order.
Claims7
1-20. (canceled)
A reforming apparatus, for use in a fuel cell, for reforming a raw fuel into a hydrogen-rich reformed gas, the apparatus comprising:
- a reformer which generates the reformed gas from the raw fuel;
- a shift reactor which reduces carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas through a shift reaction;
- a selective oxidation unit which reduces the carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas that has passed through said shift reactor by performing selective oxidation on the carbon monoxide;
- a reforming reaction tube which houses linearly said reformer, said shift reactor and said selective oxidation unit in this order;
- a combustion means which produces combustion exhaust gas by combusting the raw fuel;
- and
- an outer casing, disposed around said reforming reaction tube, having a larger diameter than that of said reforming reaction tube,
- wherein said reforming reaction tube is arranged vertically such that a reformer side thereof is arranged at a lower position thereof and a selective oxidation unit side thereof is arranged at an upper position thereof, and
- wherein at least one of said shift reactor and said selective oxidation unit includes:
- a divider member which divides the interior of said reforming reaction tube into an upper portion and a lower portion;
- and a catalyst supported by the divider member from below.
26-38. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.