Carbon monoxide concentration reducing apparatus and method for driving the same

A carbon monoxide concentration reducing apparatus for reducing a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas, wherein the carbon monoxide has a lower concentration than hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich gas, by oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas, the apparatus comprising:

• a selective oxidizer unit, containing both a first catalyst and a second catalyst, that lowers a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas by selective oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gases;
• at least one inlet that introduces the hydrogen-rich gas and the oxygen-containing oxidative gas into the selective oxidizer unit;
• a first catalyst comprising a plurality of first catalyst particles provided in the selective oxidizer unit, the first catalyst selectively facilitating oxidation of carbon monoxide;
• and
• a second catalyst comprising a plurality of second catalyst particles provided in the selective oxidizer unit having an active temperature at a normal room temperature, the second catalyst facilitating an exothermic oxidation reaction of at least one component of the hydrogen-rich gas with the oxygen contained in the oxygen-containing oxidative gas,
• wherein the first catalyst particles (i) have a higher active temperature than the active temperature of the second catalyst particles and (ii) become active at a lowest temperature that is above the normal room temperature.

A carbon monoxide concentration reducing apparatus for reducing a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas, wherein the carbon monoxide has a lower concentration than hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich gas, by oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas, the apparatus comprising:

• a selective oxidizer unit, containing both a first catalyst and a second catalyst, that lowers a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas by selective oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas;
• an inlet that introduces the hydrogen-rich gas and the oxygen-containing oxidative gas into the selective oxidizer unit;
• and
• a temperature raiser that raises a temperature of the hydrogen-rich gas to a predetermined temperature by using an exothermic reaction, promoted at a normal room temperature, before the hydrogen-rich gas is introduced into the selective oxidizer unit
• wherein the first catalyst, provided in the selective oxidizer unit, (i) has an active temperature that is higher than a normal room temperature and (ii) becomes active at a lowest temperature that is above the normal room temperature, and the first catalyst selectively facilitates oxidation of carbon monoxide and the second catalyst has an active temperature at room temperature.

A carbon monoxide concentration reducing apparatus for reducing a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas, wherein the carbon monoxide has a lower concentration than hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich gas, by oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas, the apparatus comprising:

• a selective oxidizer unit, containing both a first catalyst and a second catalyst, that lowers a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas by selective oxidation and an exothermic oxidation reaction promoted at a normal room temperature using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas;
• an introducing passage that introduces the hydrogen-rich gas and the oxygen-containing oxidative gas into the selective oxidizer unit;
• and
• a moisture controller that controls an amount of moisture contained in the hydrogen-rich gas introduced into the selective oxidizer unit,
• wherein at least at a time when the apparatus is started, the moisture controller reduces the amount of moisture contained in the hydrogen-rich gas to a predetermined amount
• wherein the first catalyst provided in the selective oxidizer unit selectively facilitates oxidation of carbon monoxide and the second catalyst has an active temperature at room temperature.

A carbon monoxide concentration reducing apparatus for reducing a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas, wherein the carbon monoxide has a lower concentration than hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich gas, by oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas, the apparatus comprising:

• a selective oxidizer unit, containing both a first catalyst and a second catalyst, that lowers a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-rich gas by selective oxidation using oxygen contained in an oxygen-containing oxidative gas;
• an inlet that introduces the hydrogen-rich gas and the oxygen-containing oxidative gas into the selective oxidizer unit;
• a first catalyst comprising a plurality of first catalyst particles provided in the selective oxidizer unit, the first catalyst selectively facilitating oxidation of carbon monoxide;
• and
• a second catalyst comprising a plurality of second catalyst particles provided in the selective oxidizer unit, the second catalyst facilitating an exothermic oxidation reaction of hydrogen contained in the hydrogen-rich gas with the oxygen contained in the oxygen-containing oxidative gas,
• wherein the second catalyst particles have an active temperature at a normal room temperature and the first catalyst particles (i) have an active temperature that is higher than the active temperature of the second catalyst particles and (ii) become active at a lowest temperature that is above the normal room temperature.

A carbon monoxide concentration reducing apparatus, comprising:

• means for introducing a hydrogen-rich gas containing carbon monoxide into a reaction chamber containing a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the first catalyst selectively facilitates oxidation of carbon monoxide;
• means for reducing a carbon monoxide concentration in a hydrogen-rich gas by oxidizing carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen-rich gas by using the first catalyst;
• means for discharging the hydrogen-rich gas in which the carbon monoxide concentration has been reduced, from the reaction chamber;
• and
• means for raising a temperature of the reaction chamber to or above a predetermined temperature at least when the apparatus is started, the means for raising including a second catalyst,
• wherein the second catalyst has an active temperature at a normal room temperature and the first catalyst (i) has an active temperature that is higher than the active temperature of the second catalyst and (ii) becomes active at a lowest temperature that is above the normal room temperature.