Hydrogen generating apparatus

A hydrogen generating apparatus comprising a reforming system including a reformer and a shift converter connected in series, each incorporating a catalyst;

• a material gas supply system for supplying reactant gas to said reforming system, means for supplying a combustible gas to a combustion zone of said reformer;
• said gas supply system including a desulfurization reactor incorporating a catalyst for treating the reactant gas prior to supplying the treated gas to said reforming system;
• steam generating means for supplying steam to said reforming system;
• an air supply system for supplying air to effect combustion of the combustible gas in the combustion zone to heat the catalyst in said reformer;
• a product hydrogen transporting system operatively associated with the reforming system for discharging hydrogen product from the apparatus;
• and a reformer combustion gas exhaust system for discharging a reformer combustion exhaust gas from the reformer;
• said apparatus further comprising:
• a desulfurization reactor jacket surrounding the catalyst within said desulfurization reactor;
• a branch pipe branching from said former combustion gas exhaust system and leading to said desulfurization reactor jacket;
• and
• a change-over valve provided at a portion of said reformer combustion gas exhaust system where said branch pipe branches off from said reformer combustion gas exhaust system;
• said change-over valve comprising valve means for alternately changing over flow of reformer combustion exhaust gas between a flow in the direction of said reformer combustion gas exhaust system and a flow in the direction of said desulfurization reactor jacket so that said reformer combustion gas passes through said jacket.

A hydrogen generating apparatus comprising a reforming system including a reformer and a shift converter connected in series, each incorporating a catalyst;

• a material gas supply system for supplying a reactant gas to said reforming system, means for supplying a combustible gas to a combustion zone of said reformer;
• a steam generating means for supplying steam to said reforming system;
• a gas supply system for supplying air to effect combustion of the combustible gas in the combustion zone to heat the catalyst in said reformer;
• a product hydrogen transporting system operatively associated with the reforming system for discharging hydrogen product from the apparatus;
• and a reformer combustion gas exhaust system for discharging reformer combustion exhaust gas from the reformer;
• said apparatus further comprising:
• a shift converter jacket surrounding the catalyst in said shift converter;
• a branch pipe branching from said reformer combustion gas exhaust system and leading to said shift converter jacket;
• and
• a change-over valve provided at a portion of said reformer combustion gas exhaust system where said branch pipe branches off from said reformer combustion gas exhaust system;
• said change-over valve comprising valve means alternately changing over flow of said reformer combustion exhaust gas between a flow in the direction of said reformer combustion gas exhaust system and a flow in the direction of said shift converter jacket so that the reformer combustion exhaust gas flows through said jacket;
• said change-over valve further comprising valve means connected to a cooling water line so that cooling water is introduced into said branch line when said change-over valve is switched to introduce the reformer combustion gas to a downstream side of said reformer combustion gas exhaust system.