Hydrogen separation device and method for operating same

A hydrogen separation device for separating hydrogen from a mixture hydrogen gas using a membrane separation technique with a hydrogen separation alloy membrane, comprising:

• a hydrogen separator partitioned by the hydrogen separation alloy membrane into a mixture gas chamber and a purified hydrogen chamber;
• a heater for adjusting temperatures of the hydrogen separator;
• a gas supply pipe connected to the mixture gas chamber;
• a mixture gas chamber exhaust pipe connected to the mixture gas chamber;
• a purified hydrogen chamber purge pipe connected to the purified hydrogen chamber;
• a purified hydrogen chamber exhaust pipe connected to the purified hydrogen chamber;
• a mixture hydrogen gas supply pipe connected to the gas supply pipe;
• an oxidizing gas supply pipe connected to the gas supply pipe;
• a plurality of valves individually disposed in each of the pipes;
• and
• a heater/valve controller for controlling the heater and the plurality of valves so that with a temperature of the hydrogen separation alloy membrane within a range from 300 to 600° C., supply of the mixture hydrogen gas is stopped, an oxidizing gas is supplied to the mixture gas chamber and the purified hydrogen chamber for 8 to 55 minutes per 0.1 mm in thickness of the hydrogen separation alloy membrane, and the temperature of the hydrogen separation alloy membrane is lowered to below 200° C. after steam produced by a chemical reaction between hydrogen in the hydrogen separation alloy membrane and the oxidizing gas is exhausted through the mixture gas chamber exhaust pipe and the purified hydrogen chamber exhaust pipe.