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 CO removal catalyst of inducing CO shift reaction for allowing water and carbon monoxide to react to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide, comprising a catalyst carrier having a cerium-zirconium composite oxide and a zirconium oxide and a predetermined noble metal supported on the catalyst carrier, wherein the average particle diameter of the particulate cerium-zirconium composite oxide is greater than the average particle diameter of the particulate zirconium oxide, the average particle diameter of the particulate zirconium oxide is greater than the average particle diameter of the predetermined particulate noble metal and the predetermined noble metal is supported on the catalyst carrier more in the outer part thereof.

Abstract: When a hydrogen producing apparatus is stopped, the flow rates of a hydrocarbon-type fuel feedstock, water and an oxygen-containing oxidant gas are decreased respectively. A random decrease of the flow rates, however, invites a rapid increase in the temperature of a catalyst beyond the limit of thermal resistance, resulting in deactivation of the catalyst. Further, this poses a danger, for example, that the residual hydrocarbon-type fuel in the apparatus may be mixed with the oxidant gas after the stopping of the apparatus.

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: A hydrogen generating apparatus having a fuel feeding part, a water feeding part for fuel reforming, an oxidant gas feeding part, a reforming catalyst body, a heating part for the reforming catalyst, a CO shifting catalyst body and a CO purification catalyst body is provided wherein the reforming catalyst body, the CO shifting catalyst body and the CO purification catalyst body are sequentially ordered from the fuel feeding part toward the downstream side, and wherein a shifting catalyst of the shifting catalyst body contains as one component at least a platinum group-type catalyst.

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 clarifying catalyst body in an apparatus of hydrogen purification is such that a first catalyst containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ru and Rh and a second catalyst containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Pd, Ru, Rh and Ni are mixed or integrated, The purifying catalyst body in the apparatus of hydrogen purification consists of (1) an oxide containing at least either Al or Si, (2) at least one kind of transition metal and/or a transition metal oxide and (3) at least one kind of noble metal and/or noble metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Pt, Ru, Pd and Rh.

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: Many organic raw materials contain sulfur components, and the sulfur component is a catalyst poisoning component for their catalysts to decrease steam reforming reactivity.

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: Conventional hydrogen purification apparatuses cannot be used satisfactorily for applications in which much time is required for startup of the apparatus, and the apparatus is repeatedly started and stopped at frequent intervals because of complicated handling.

Abstract: A hydrogen generation apparatus has

Abstract: The present specification discloses a hydrogen generator for generating a hydrogen gas, comprising at least a fuel supply part for supplying a hydrocarbon type fuel, a fuel combustion part, a water supply part, a gas, mixing part for mixing the fuel and a water, and a reforming part filled with the reforming catalyst, wherein at least one of the gas mixing part and the reforming part is heated by an exhaust gas generated in the combustion part. The hydrogen generator according to the present invention aims to improve the heat efficiency, reducing the heat loss from the apparatus with a simple constitution and collecting the waste heat for an effective use thereof.

Abstract: In order to provide a step capable of reliably detecting a CO concentration in a reformed gas at low cost and a hydrogen purifier capable of fully exerting a function of a CO purifying catalyst, a gas concentration detector comprising a reaction chamber which has a catalyst layer and a gas temperature detector and capable of detecting the concentration of carbon monoxide in the gas by means of a signal of the temperature detector referring to a reformed gas passing along through the reaction chamber.

Abstract: It was difficult to acquire a good CO cleanup efficiency in a hydrogen refining apparatus, for instance, when the start-up and stop operations are frequently repeated.

Abstract: Since carbon monoxide is generated as subcomponent in a water vapor reforming reaction, in many cases, a shifter for conducting a shift reaction on water and carbon monoxide is used in combination. Generally, in the case of a stable operation, a concentration of carbon monoxide hardly increases. However, when using conditions of a catalyst are changed due to external factors in the shifter, a concentration of carbon monoxide increases.

Abstract: A hydrogen generating apparatus comprising a reformer, a heating section, a fuel supply section, a water supply section, a shift reactor with a shift catalyst layer, a first heat exchanger on the downstream side of the shift catalyst layer, and a temperature detector for the shift catalyst layer. The temperature of the downstream portion of the shift catalyst layer is raised by the action of the heat exchanger compared with the temperature of the same before the amount of the reformed gas is increased. And, the temperature of the downstream portion is lowered compared with the temperature of the same before the amount of the reformed gas is reduced when reducing the amount of the reformed gas. Accordingly, regardless whether the generation amount of hydrogen is large or small, the hydrogen generating apparatus can supply a constant concentration hydrogen gas while keeping the concentration of byproduct carbon monoxide low.

Abstract: A fuel cell electric power generating system is provided which does not occupy a large space, which requires a lower initial cost for equipment than the prior art, and of which the running cost is low. The system includes a reformer 1 producing hydrogen-rich gas by utilizing a source gas, source gas supplying means 3a of supplying the source gas to the reformer 1, air supplying means 5 of supplying purging air to the reformer, and a fuel cell 9 generating electric power by utilizing the hydrogen-rich gas produced at the reformer 1 and air for electric power generation supplied from outside, wherein in stopping the operation of the fuel cell 9, the supply of the source gas to the reformer 1 is stopped and the hydrogen-rich gas remaining within the fuel cell electric power generating system, steam and the purging air are passed in this order.

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: A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising: a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water; a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to the reforming section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reforming section; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst; a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from the reforming section; and a purifying section having a purifying catalyst which causes oxidation or methanation of carbon monoxide contained in a gas supplied from the shifting section, wherein the shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal and a metal oxide.