Abstract: A body (50) of a hydrogen generator of the present invention includes a reformer (10) configured to generate a reformed gas mainly containing hydrogen, a reforming material passage (1) configured to supply a reforming material, which is a material for a reforming reaction, to the reformer, a CO shifter (15) configured to convert CO contained in a reformed gas obtained from the reformer (10) into CO2, a reformed gas passage (2) configured to supply the reformed gas obtained from the reformer (10) to the CO shifter (15), and a passage (3) for the shifted gas obtained from the CO shifter (15). The shifted gas passage (3) and the reforming material passage (1) are adjacent to each other with a shared horizontal wall (31) interposed therebetween, and thereby, heat from the shifted gas and radiant heat from the downstream end face (15b) of the CO shifter are transferred to the reforming material that travels in the reforming material passage (1).

Abstract: A hydrogen generator of the invention includes: a reformer for generating a hydrogen-rich gas from a feed gas and water by a reaction using a reforming catalyst body and sending it out from an outlet port; a material feed system for feeding the feed gas to the reformer; a burner for supplying, to the reforming catalyst body, heat generated by mixing a fuel gas with air and burning it; and an air supply system for supplying air to the burner; wherein, when purging an interior of the reformer using the feed gas in shutting down the hydrogen generator, an amount of the air supplied is increased to put out a flame of the burner, and a purge gas sent out from the outlet port by the purging is mixed and diluted with the air in the burner and is discharged outside.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator comprises a controller configured to control supply of a material from a material supply portion and supply of water from a water supply portion. The controller monitors a temperature of a water evaporator and a temperature of a reforming catalyst layer, and based on this monitored result, the controller properly controls water supply from the water supply portion to the water evaporator.

Abstract: A fuel cell power generation system includes a reforming catalyst body configured to generate a reformed gas containing hydrogen from a feed gas and water, a fuel cell configured to generate electric power by consuming the reformed gas, and a burner configured to combust an off gas containing hydrogen from the fuel cell as a fuel gas to generate the combustion gas used for heating the reforming catalyst body. The off gas from which steam has been separated is heated, and the heated off gas is fed to the burner as the fuel gas, the separated steam being condensed into water which is discharged outside the system.

Abstract: An apparatus of removing carbon monoxide, has: a hydrogen gas supply unit of supplying a hydrogen gas, a catalytic reaction unit provided with a catalyst body carrying a platinum group metal catalyst, a hydrogen gas introducing unit which introduces a hydrogen gas containing carbon monoxide from the hydrogen gas supply unit to the catalytic reaction unit, and an oxidizing gas supply unit of supplying an oxidizing gas containing oxygen to the catalytic reaction unit, wherein the catalyst body is brought into an oxidizing atmosphere for a period of time during operation according to a predetermined condition or when the apparatus is stopped. Thus, carbon monoxide can be eliminated sufficiently.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator comprises therein a reformer, a Shifter, a material flow passage with first evaporator through which a material is supplied to the reformer, a reformed gas flow passage for leading the reformed gas derived from the reformer to the Shifter, a shifted gas flow passage through which a shifted gas derived from the Shifter is taken out, and second steam flow passage formed adjacent to the reformed gas flow passage to be located at upstream side of the Shifter. The second evaporator is provided within the second steam flow passage. Apart of heat of the reformed gas is recovered as latent heat by the second evaporator. Thereby, temperature of the Shifter is controlled.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a fuel generator for generating a fuel gas from a feedstock; a fuel supplying conduit for supplying the fuel gas produced by the fuel generator to the fuel cell; a fuel exhausting conduit for introducing a remaining fuel gas, which has not been consumed by the fuel cell, to a combustion chamber of the fuel generator; a first bypass conduit for connecting the fuel supplying conduit with the fuel exhausting conduit; a second bypass conduit for supplying the feedstock to the fuel exhausting conduit. The fuel cell system further comprises: either one of (1) a gas pathway switching device A installed at a junction of the fuel supplying conduit and the first bypass conduit; and (2) a gas pathway switching device B installed at a junction of the fuel exhausting conduit and the first bypass conduit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric power generator and its operation method, which electric power generator is equipped with a hydrogen generator, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell for generating electric power using hydrogen rich gas from the hydrogen generator, a burner for heating the hydrogen generator, a flow rate controller for controlling the supply amount of a burning fuel to the burner, a communicating pathway connecting the flow rate controller and the burner, a joint where at least a residual fuel gas from a fuel electrode of the fuel cell and/or an incompletely generated gas from the hydrogen generator are combined into the communicating pathway, and a pressure-transferring pipe for releasing the pressure between the joint and the flow rate controller into the flow rate controller; the flow rate controller controls the supply amount of the burning fuel on the basis of the above-mentioned pressure.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator comprises a burner for generating a combustion gas, a reformer provided around the burner to generate a reformed gas containing hydrogen by a steam reforming reaction based on a feed material comprising a compound containing at least carbon and hydrogen and a steam, using heat transmission from a combustion gas generated by the burner, and an evaporator having an inner tube provided around the burner, an outer tube provided around the inner tube, and a bottom plate that closes a lower portion of a tubular space formed between the inner tube and the outer tube, the evaporator being configured to evaporate water supplied to the tubular space to generate a steam to be supplied to the reformer, wherein a water absorbing member having a water absorbing capability is provided in the tubular space.

Abstract: A burner comprises a fuel distributor having a plurality of fuel injection holes through which a fuel gas is injected into a combustion space 3, an air injector 2 placed to surround the fuel distributor and having a plurality of air injection holes through which air is injected into the combustion space 3, a temperature detector placed such that a temperature detecting portion at a tip end thereof is located within the air injection hole, a body portion thereof is contained within the air injector, and an air layer is formed between the temperature detector and an inner wall of the air injector 9, and a flame detector connected to the temperature detector, for detecting a flame condition based on temperature information within the combustion space which is obtained from the temperature detector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hydrogen generator capable of preventing emission of CO and hydrogen, generating hydrogen in a clean and safe manner with high reforming efficiency and accelerating water vaporization immediately after the start-up to reduce the start-up time, the hydrogen generator including: a raw material supply part for supplying a raw material containing a compound formed of at least carbon and hydrogen; a water supply part for supplying water; a water vaporization part for vaporizing water supplied from the water supply part; a reforming part including a reforming catalyst for generating reformed gas from the raw material and the water by steam reforming; a burner for heating the reforming part; a fuel supply part for supplying fuel to the burner; a first air supply part for supplying air for combustion to the burner; and a combustion catalyst arranged in a combustion gas flow path for passing combustion gas discharged from the burner.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising: a reforming section; a feedstock supply section for the reforming section; a water supply section for the reforming section; a fuel cell; a burner for the reforming section; an air supply section for the burner; a fuel supply section for the burner; a fuel supply conduit for supplying the fuel and an off-gas from the fuel cell to the burner; and a flame trap section provided to the fuel supply conduit, wherein heating means for heating the flame trap section is further provided in order to stop a backfire without clogging the fuel supply conduit.

Abstract: To provide a hydrogen generation system with which thermal efficiency increases, the CO level in a reformed gas stabilizes, and a supply amount of the reformed gas stabilizes, and a fuel cell system having the same.

Abstract: A hydrogen generating part is provided for reacting water and a raw material composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms to generate hydrogen gas, a raw material supply part is provided for supplying a raw material to the hydrogen generating part, a water supply part is provided for supplying water to the hydrogen generating part, a catalyst combustion part is provided, an air supply part is provided for supplying air to the catalyst combustion part, a path switching part is provided for switching raw material supply paths between the raw material supply part and the hydrogen generating part, a bypass path is provided for supplying a raw material to the catalyst combustion part from the path switching part, and a combustion gas path is provided for supplying combustion gas after the catalyst combustion part to the hydrogen generating part. The control part switches the path switching part, and the inside of the hydrogen generating part is replaced with combustion gas after the catalyst combustion part.

Abstract: To provide a fuel cell power generator capable of reliably recognizing ignition and misfire of a burner for heating a fuel gas generator and operating safely, a fuel cell power generator comprising, a fuel gas generator for generating a fuel gas composed mainly of hydrogen from a raw material for power generation and water, a water feeder for feeding water to the fuel gas generator, and a fuel cell for performing power generation using the fuel gas and oxidant gas is provided with: a burner for heating the fuel gas generator by combusting at least one combustion fuel selected from the group consisting of the raw material for power generation, the fuel gas, and an off-gas discharged from a fuel cell; and a flame detector for detecting the state of a flame formed in the burner.

Abstract: A hydrogen generation system comprises are former 1 that contains a reforming catalyst, an evaporator 4 that supplies steam to the reformer 1, a heater 3 that heats the reformer 1 and the evaporator 4, a material feed portion 5 that feeds a feed material containing hydrocarbon compound to the reformer 1 through the evaporator 4, and a water supply portion 6 that has a flow rate switch 6a and supplies water to the reformer 1 and the evaporator 4.

Abstract: To provide a burner for a hydrogen generation system having an excellent combustion stability which can be achieved at low costs, and a hydrogen generation system having such a burner.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a fuel generator for generating a fuel gas from a feedstock; a fuel supplying conduit for supplying the fuel gas produced by the fuel generator to the fuel cell; a fuel exhausting conduit for introducing a remaining fuel gas, which has not been consumed by the fuel cell, to a combustion chamber of the fuel generator; a first bypass conduit for connecting the fuel supplying conduit with the fuel exhausting conduit; a second bypass conduit for supplying the feedstock to the fuel exhausting conduit. The fuel cell system further comprises: either one of (1) a gas pathway switching device A installed at a junction of the fuel supplying conduit and the first bypass conduit; and (2) a gas pathway switching device B installed at a junction of the fuel exhausting conduit and the first bypass conduit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric power generator and its operation method, which electric power generator is equipped with a hydrogen generator, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell for generating electric power using hydrogen rich gas from the hydrogen generator, a burner for burning the hydrogen generator, a flow rate controller for controlling the supply amount of a burning fuel to the burner, a communicating pathway connecting the flow rate controller and the burner, a joint where at least a residual fuel gas from a fuel electrode of the fuel cell and/or an incompletely generated gas from the hydrogen generator are combined into the communicating pathway, and a pressure-transferring pipe for releasing the pressure between the joint and the flow rate controller into the flow rate controller; the electric power generator being characterized in that the flow rate controller controls the supply amount of the burning fuel on the basis of the above-mentioned pressure.

Abstract: In a hydrogen generator comprising a reforming unit having a material supply unit and a water supply unit, and a burner for heating the reforming unit, having a fuel supply unit and an air supply unit, a control unit is arranged for controlling the amount of air to be supplied from the air supply unit to the burner, based on the temperature of the reforming unit and the amount of a raw material supplied to the reforming unit, in order to make the combustion state of the burner stable so as to improves the operation and convenience thereof.