Fuel reforming apparatus and method of controlling the fuel reforming apparatus
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKoichi Numata, Satoshi Iguchi
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Abstract
A fuel reforming apparatus includes a reforming catalyst, a filtering member, a raw material supply flow passage and a processed gas flow passage. The filtering member has a plurality of cells. A reforming catalyst is carried on a surface of a partition on the side of the processed gas flow passage. If raw gas including hydrocarbon fuel is supplied to the fuel reforming apparatus and filtered by the filtering member, soot included in the raw gas is trapped by gaps in the partition, and the hydrocarbon fuel is reformed into reformed gas including hydrogen and carbon monoxide on the reforming catalyst. By increasing the amount of air supplied from a blower at intervals of time, the soot trapped by the partition is removed by combustion.
Claims13
A fuel reforming apparatus comprising:
- a reforming catalyst that reforms raw gas including hydrocarbonic fuel into reformed gas including hydrogen;
- and
- a honeycomb filter comprising a plurality of partitions that are made of a first material and that are structured to form:
- a raw material supply flow passage that causes the raw gas to flow along a first face of the plurality of partitions and that supplies the raw gas to the filter;
- and
- a processed gas flow passage that causes reformed and filtered gas to flow along a second face of the plurality of partitions, wherein:
- the plurality of partitions are comprised of an interstitial material including a plurality of gaps having an effective diameter from 10 to 100 μm for trapping soot that is generated in the raw gas due to the hydrocarbonic fuel,
- the reforming catalyst is carried by the plurality of partitions on the second face on the side of the processed gas flow passage, and
- the first face of the plurality of partitions on the side of the raw material supply flow passage is only coated by an inactive second material.
A fuel reforming apparatus comprising:
- reforming means for reforming raw gas including hydrocarbonic fuel into reformed gas including hydrogen using a reforming catalyst;
- and
- soot trapping means that are made of a first material for trapping soot generated in the raw gas, wherein:
- the soot trapping means includes a plurality of gaps having an effective diameter from 10 to 100 μm for trapping soot that is generated in the raw gas due to the hydrocarbonic fuel,
- a first face of the soot trapping means is only coated by an inactive second material,
- the reforming means is carried by the soot trapping means on a second face of the soot trapping means, and
- the soot trapping means comprises a honeycomb filter.
A fuel reforming apparatus comprising:
- a reforming catalyst that reforms raw gas including hydrocarbonic fuel into reformed gas including hydrogen;
- a filter comprising a plurality of partitions that are made of a first material and that are structured to form:
- a raw material supply flow passage that causes the raw gas to flow along a first face of the plurality of partitions and that supplies the raw gas to the filter;
- and
- a processed gas flow passage that causes reformed and filtered gas to flow along a second face of the plurality of partitions, wherein:
- the reforming catalyst is carried by the plurality of partitions on the second face on the side of the processed gas flow passage,
- the plurality of partitions are comprised of an interstitial material including a plurality of gaps for trapping soot that is generated in the raw gas due to the hydrocarbonic fuel, and
- the first face of the plurality of partitions on the side of the raw material supply flow passage is only coated by an inactive second material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.