Fuel reforming system and control therefor

A fuel reforming system having a reformer for reforming fuel to produce a reformate gas containing hydrogen (H2) gas and carbon monoxide (CO) gas;

• a shift converter for reacting carbon monoxide contained in the reformate gas with water (H2O) to produce hydrogen;
• a CO oxidizer which removes CO gas from the reformate gas discharged from the shift converter and supplies the reformate gas to equipment using hydrogen gas;
• a startup combustor for supplying combustion gas to the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer so as to warm-up the fuel reforming system;
• and a gas passage allowing flow of combustion gas/reformate gas, the gas passage extending to the equipment using hydrogen gas from the startup combustor through the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer;
• the fuel reforming system comprising:
• a first fuel supply device for supplying fuel to the startup combustor;
• a second fuel supply device for supplying fuel to the reformer;
• an air supply device for supplying air to the startup combustor;
• a spark plug for igniting fuel supplied to the startup combustor;
• an NOx trap disposed between the startup combustor and the equipment using hydrogen gas, the NOx trap adsorbing nitrogen oxides in the combustion gas;
• and
• a controller for controlling a warm-up operation of the fuel reforming system, the controller having functions of:
• commanding the air supply device to supply air to the startup combustor;
• commanding the first fuel supply device to supply fuel to the startup combustor;
• commanding the spark plug to ignite fuel in the startup combustor so as to initiate combustion in the startup combustor;
• controlling a flow amount of air supplied to the startup combustor from the air supply device and a flow amount of fuel supplied to the startup combustor from the first fuel supply device, in response to the elapsed time after initiation of combustion in the startup combustor;
• and
• commanding the first fuel supply device to stop supplying fuel to the startup combustor after a first predetermined time has elapsed after initiating combustion, and then commanding the second fuel supply device to supply fuel to the reformer.

A control method for controlling a fuel reforming system, the fuel reforming system having a reformer for reforming fuel to produce a reformate gas containing hydrogen (H2) gas and carbon monoxide (CO) gas;

• a shift converter for reacting carbon monoxide contained in the reformate gas with water (H2O) to produce hydrogen;
• a CO oxidizer which removes CO gas from the reformate gas discharged from the shift converter and supplies the reformate gas to equipment using hydrogen gas;
• a startup combustor for supplying combustion gas to the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer so as to warm-up the fuel reforming system;
• an NOx trap disposed between the startup combustor and the equipment using hydrogen gas;
• and a gas passage allowing flow of combustion gas/reformate gas;
• the NOx trap adsorbing nitrogen oxides in the combustion gas, the gas passage extending to the equipment using hydrogen gas from the startup combustor through the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer;
• the control method comprising:
• supplying fuel to the startup combustor;
• supplying air to the startup combustor;
• igniting fuel supplied to the startup combustor;
• controlling a flow amount of air supplied to the startup combustor from the air supply device and a flow amount of fuel supplied to the startup combustor from the first fuel supply device, in response to a temperature of the NOx trap;
• stopping supplying fuel to the startup combustor after a first predetermined time has elapsed after initiating combustion;
• and
• supplying fuel to the reformer.

A fuel reforming system having a reformer for reforming fuel to produce a reformate gas containing hydrogen (H2) gas and carbon monoxide (CO) gas;

• a shift converter for reacting carbon monoxide contained in the reformate gas with water (H2O) to produce hydrogen;
• a CO oxidizer which removes CO gas from the reformate gas discharged from the shift converter and supplies the reformate gas to equipment using hydrogen gas;
• a startup combustor for supplying combustion gas to the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer so as to warm-up the fuel reforming system;
• and a gas passage allowing flow of combustion gas/reformate gas, the gas passage extending to the equipment using hydrogen gas from the startup combustor through the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer;
• the fuel reforming system comprising:
• an NOx trap disposed between the startup combustor and the equipment using hydrogen gas, the NOx trap adsorbing nitrogen oxides in the combustion gas;
• first means for supplying fuel to the startup combustor;
• second means for supplying fuel to the reformer;
• third means for supplying air to the startup combustor;
• fourth means for igniting fuel supplied to the startup combustor;
• and
• fifth means for commanding the third means to supply air to the startup combustor;
• sixth means for commanding the first means to supply fuel to the startup combustor;
• seventh means for commanding the fourth means to ignite fuel in the startup combustor so as to initiate combustion in the startup combustor;
• eighth means for controlling a flow amount of air supplied to the startup combustor from the air supply device and a flow amount of fuel supplied to the startup combustor from the first fuel supply device, in response to a temperature of the NOx trap;
• ninth means for commanding the first means to stop supplying fuel to the startup combustor after a first predetermined time has elapsed after initiating combustion, and
• tenth means for commanding the second means to supply fuel to the reformer.

A control method for controlling a fuel reforming system, the fuel reforming system having a reformer for reforming fuel to produce a reformate gas containing hydrogen (H2) gas and carbon monoxide (CO) gas;

• a shift converter for reacting carbon monoxide contained in the reformate gas with water (H2O) to produce hydrogen;
• a CO oxidizer which removes CO gas from the reformate gas discharged from the shift converter and supplies the reformate gas to equipment using hydrogen gas;
• a startup combustor for supplying combustion gas to the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer so as to warm-up the fuel reforming system;
• an NOx trap disposed between the startup combustor and the equipment using hydrogen gas;
• and a gas passage allowing flow of combustion gas/reformate gas;
• the NOx trap adsorbing nitrogen oxides in the combustion gas, the gas passage extending to the equipment using hydrogen gas from the startup combustor through the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer;
• the control method comprising:
• supplying fuel to the startup combustor;
• supplying air to the startup combustor;
• igniting fuel supplied to the startup combustor;
• controlling a flow amount of air supplied to the startup combustor from the air supply device and a flow amount of fuel supplied to the startup combustor from the first fuel supply device, in response to the elapsed time after initiation of combustion in the startup combustor;
• stopping supplying fuel to the startup combustor after a first predetermined time has elapsed after initiating combustion;
• and
• supplying fuel to the reformer.

A fuel reforming system having a reformer for reforming fuel to produce a reformate gas containing hydrogen (H2) gas and carbon monoxide (CO) gas;

• a shift converter for reacting carbon monoxide contained in the reformate gas with water (H2O) to produce hydrogen;
• a CO oxidizer which removes CO gas from the reformate gas discharged from the shift converter and supplies the reformate gas to equipment using hydrogen gas;
• a startup combustor for supplying combustion gas to the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer so as to warm-up the fuel reforming system;
• and a gas passage allowing flow of combustion gas/reformate gas, the gas passage extending to the equipment using hydrogen gas from the startup combustor through the reformer, the shift converter and the CO oxidizer;
• the fuel reforming system comprising:
• an NOx trap disposed between the startup combustor and the equipment using hydrogen gas, the NOx trap adsorbing nitrogen oxides in the combustion gas;
• first means for supplying fuel to the startup combustor;
• second means for supplying fuel to the reformer;
• third means for supplying air to the startup combustor;
• fourth means for igniting fuel supplied to the startup combustor;
• and
• fifth means for commanding the third means to supply air to the startup combustor;
• sixth means for commanding the first means to supply fuel to the startup combustor;
• seventh means for commanding the fourth means to ignite fuel in the startup combustor so as to initiate combustion in the startup combustor;
• eighth means for controlling a flow amount of air supplied to the startup combustor from the air supply device and a flow amount of fuel supplied to the startup combustor from the first fuel supply device, in response to the elapsed time after initiation of combustion in the startup combustor;
• ninth means for commanding the first means to stop supplying fuel to the startup combustor after a first predetermined time has elapsed after initiating combustion, and
• tenth means for commanding the second means to supply fuel to the reformer.