Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a sealing structure which enables an insertion member to be removed easily from an inserted member. The sealing structure includes valve body, a mouth ring, an O-ring that is accommodated in an accommodation region formed by an inner peripheral surface of the mouth ring and an outer peripheral surface of the valve body, and prevents the fluid from leaking, and backup rings which are accommodated on both sides of the O-ring in the accommodation region, and restrict a movement of the O-ring. The valve body and the mouth ring are formed with screw parts to be fitted or screwed to each other when they are assembled, and first pressure release grooves are formed in the axial direction so as to extend at least on the inner peripheral surface of the mouth ring between the screw parts and the accommodation region.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a sealing structure which enables an insertion member to be removed easily from an inserted member. The sealing structure includes valve body, a mouth ring, an O-ring that is accommodated in an accommodation region formed by an inner peripheral surface of the mouth ring and an outer peripheral surface of the valve body, and prevents the fluid from leaking, and backup rings which are accommodated on both sides of the O-ring in the accommodation region, and restrict a movement of the O-ring. The valve body and the mouth ring are formed with screw parts to be fitted or screwed to each other when they are assembled, and first pressure release grooves are formed in the axial direction so as to extend at least on the inner peripheral surface of the mouth ring between the screw parts and the accommodation region.

Abstract: A fuel modification apparatus is equipped with evaporators for evaporating a raw fuel as a fuel to be modified, a super heater for elevating the temperature of the above evaporated raw fuel to a temperature required for the modification, a modification vessel for modifying the above raw fuel having an elevated temperature to form a modified gas, and a preheater for preheating a heating fluid for evaporating the above raw fuel in the evaporator. The evaporators are arranged on a concentric circle, surrounding the superheater.

Abstract: A fuel modification apparatus is equipped with evaporators for evaporating a raw fuel as a fuel to be modified, a super heater for elevating the temperature of the above evaporated raw fuel to a temperature required for the modification, a modification vessel for modifying the above raw fuel having an elevated temperature to form a modified gas, and a pre-heater for preheating a heating fluid for evaporating the above raw fuel in the evaporator. The evaporators are arranged on a concentric circle, surrounding the superheater.

Abstract: A residual gas supply means includes a residual gas passage connected to a PSA mechanism and a heater, and a branch passage having opposite ends connected to the residual gas passage and branched from the residual gas passage. The residual gas passage has an opening-adjustable valve having an adjustable opening positioned between the connected opposite ends of the branch passage. The branch passage has a check valve, a chamber for storing the residual gas, and an on-off valve.

Abstract: A PSA mechanism has a plurality of adsorption towers having inlet/outlet ends connected to respective valves that are connected to an off-gas discharge passage. The off-gas discharge passage is connected to an off-gas ejector of a residual gas supply. The off-gas ejector has a function to draw an off gas from the PSA mechanism with compressed air that is caused by an air compressor to flow from an off-gas discharging air supply passage into an off-gas passage.

Abstract: A PSA mechanism has adsorption towers. Cleaning valves and off gas valves are connected to the adsorption towers. Valve positions of at least either the cleaning valves or the off gas valves are determined based on an operation suspension period of the PSA mechanism or internal conditions which vary depending on the operation suspension period.

Abstract: A fuel gas production apparatus includes a vaporization mechanism, a reforming mechanism, a PSA mechanism, a supply passage, a combustion air supply mechanism and an ECU. The vaporization mechanism has a combustion catalyst for vaporizing a fuel. The reforming mechanism reforms the vaporized fuel to obtain a reformed gas. The PSA mechanism refines the reformed gas by removing impurities to produce a fuel gas. The impurities removed by the PSA mechanism are continuously supplied as a heat source fuel to the vaporization mechanism through the supply passage. The combustion air supply mechanism supplies combustion air to the vaporization mechanism. The ECU controls the amount of the combustion air supplied to the vaporization mechanism synchronously with the change in the amount of heat energy of the impurities supplied to the vaporization mechanism.

Abstract: A carbon monoxide converter whose catalyst temperatures can be precisely controlled even under a high load. The carbon monoxide converter includes shift catalyst beds arranged in tandem for conducting a shift reaction for converting CO and H2O to H2 and CO2. The shift catalyst beds are arranged in a gas flow direction such that they are shorter on the upstream side, on which a gas containing CO and H2O is introduced, and longer on the downstream side, on which a gas containing the produced H2 and CO2 is discharged. A heat exchanger is disposed upstream of each shift catalyst bed, and the temperatures of the shift catalyst beds are controlled during the shift reaction. A gas containing CO2 and H2O discharged from the carbon monoxide converter is introduced into a carbon-monoxide-oxidizing unit.

Abstract: The present invention improves the start-up characteristics of a fuel gas generating apparatus for a fuel cell comprising a reformer. In a fuel gas generating apparatus 1 for a fuel cell comprising a vaporizer 22 that generates a fuel vapor by vaporizing a raw liquid fuel, a reformer 11 that generates a reforming gas that includes hydrogen from the raw fuel gas that has been partially oxidized by adding reforming air to the fuel vapor generated by the vaporizer 22, and a CO eliminator 13 that generates a fuel gas having carbon monoxide eliminated by adding a CO eliminating air to the reforming gas generated by the reformer 11, the supplied amount of the reforming air during the warm-up of the fuel gas generating apparatus for a fuel cell is larger than the supplied amount of reforming air during idle operation after completion of the warm-up.

Abstract: A fuel cell system having a reforming reactor is disclosed, in which condensed water generated in the reforming reactor is drained during the warming-up of the system, so as to quickly complete the warming-up. The system comprises a fuel cell for generating power by using a supplied fuel gas and oxidizing gas; a reforming reactor for reforming original fuel gas so as to produce a reformed fuel gas which is supplied to the fuel cell; and a drain for condensed water stored in the reforming reactor. A water-collecting portion is formed by a plurality of sloped portions and is attached to the bottom of the reforming reactor, and the drain is connected to the water-collecting portion.

Abstract: A PSA mechanism has adsorption towers. Cleaning valves and off gas valves are connected to the adsorption towers. Valve positions of at least either the cleaning valves or the off gas valves are determined based on an operation suspension period of the PSA mechanism or internal conditions which vary depending on the operation suspension period.

Abstract: An ECU detects various conditions of a home fuel gas refining system before starting operation of the home fuel gas refining system using pressure sensors and temperature sensors. Then, it is determined whether the detected conditions are abnormal or not. If abnormal conditions are determined, a self-repair process is performed for a predetermined abnormal condition among the conditions determined as abnormal.

Abstract: There is provided a less expensive carbon monoxide converter whose catalyst temperatures can be precisely controlled even under a high load, with excellent catalyst durability. The carbon monoxide converter comprises shift catalyst beds arranged in tandem for conducting a shift reaction for converting CO and H2O to H2 and CO2.

Abstract: A residual gas supply means includes a residual gas passage connected to a PSA mechanism and a heater, and a branch passage having opposite ends connected to the residual gas passage and branched from the residual gas passage. The residual gas passage has an opening-adjustable valve having an adjustable opening positioned between the connected opposite ends of the branch passage. The branch passage has a check valve, a chamber for storing the residual gas, and an on-off valve.

Abstract: A PSA mechanism has a plurality of adsorption towers having inlet/outlet ends connected to respective valves that are connected to an off-gas discharge passage. The off-gas discharge passage is connected to an off-gas ejector of a residual gas supply. The off-gas ejector has a function to draw an off gas from the PSA mechanism with compressed air that is caused by an air compressor to flow from an off-gas discharging air supply passage into an off-gas passage.

Abstract: Air for reforming used in the reformation reaction in a reformer 3 of a fuel cell system FCS is supplied into an evaporator 2. In the evaporator 2, raw fuel liquid is evaporated to produce raw fuel gas. The reforming air and the raw fuel gas are well admixed within the evaporator 2 and a conduit 8C connecting the evaporator 2 to the reformer 3. At the starting of the fuel cell system FCS, a large amount of the air is introduced into the evaporator 2 via an air inlet port 14B for starting. The fuel cell system having such a configuration can appropriately mix the fuel gas in the reformer with the reforming air and can rapidly operate the evaporator and the reformer at the time of starting without enlarging the total size of the fuel cell system.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell in which a first reactant gas and a second reactant gas are supplied to generate electricity. An evaporator evaporates a raw fuel, which combustor exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell and uses the exhaust gas to evaporate and volatile a raw material for the first reactant gas. A reformer reforms the evaporated and volatilized raw fuel vapor of the raw material by a reforming catalyst to produce the first reactant gas. An air-introducing device introduces the air that is used to be reformed into the evaporator or the reformed in a manner wherein the flow rate of the air is controlled depending upon the output from the fuel cell and upon the temperature of the raw fuel vapor.

Abstract: A reformer comprises first and second reforming catalyst layers arranged in a reforming chamber, and a supply mechanism for supplying reformable fuel gas, steam, and oxygen to the reforming chamber to simultaneously perform an oxidation reaction and a reforming reaction in the first and second reforming catalyst layers. Each of the first and second reforming catalyst layers is designed to have a hollow plate-shaped configuration with its surface direction perpendicular to a gas flow direction in the reforming chamber. Accordingly, a compact fuel-reforming apparatus having a good thermal efficiency is obtained, in which the start-up operation is smoothly effected.

Abstract: The present invention improves the start-up characteristics of a fuel gas generating apparatus for a fuel cell comprising a reformer. In a fuel gas generating apparatus 1 for a fuel cell comprising a vaporizer 22 that generates a fuel vapor by vaporizing a raw liquid fuel, a reformer 11 that generates a reforming gas that includes hydrogen from the raw fuel gas that has been partially oxidized by adding reforming air to the fuel vapor generated by the vaporizer 22, and a CO eliminator 13 that generates a fuel gas having carbon monoxide eliminated by adding a CO eliminating air to the reforming gas generated by the reformer 11, the supplied amount of the reforming air during the warm-up of the fuel gas generating apparatus for a fuel cell is larger than the supplied amount of reforming air during idle operation after completion of the warm-up.