Abstract: An energy supply system comprises an energy supply device (1a) for supplying at least one of electric power and heat, and a controller (6) configured to set first maximum operation time which is an upper limit value of operation time of the energy supply device in a first specified period shorter than a guaranteed operation period of the energy supply device such that operation time of the energy supply device does not reach operation time life before the guaranteed operation period lapses, and calculate and set second maximum operation time which is an upper limit value of the operation time of the energy supply device in a second specified period shorter than the first specified period based on the set first maximum operation time such that the operation time of the energy supply device within the first specified period does not exceed the first maximum operation time.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator of the present invention includes: a raw material supplying device (4) configured to supply a raw material; a water supplying device (3) configured to supply water; an evaporator (23) configured to evaporate the water supplied from the water supplying device (3) to generate steam; a reformer (20) having a reforming catalyst which generates a hydrogen-containing gas by a reforming reaction using the raw material and the steam; a valve (12) disposed on a gas passage to cause the reformer (20) to be communicated with an atmosphere and block the reformer (20) from the atmosphere, the gas passage being located downstream of the reformer (20); and a controller (11) configured to stop supplying the water from the water supplying device (3), then continue to supply the raw material from the raw material supplying device (4) with the valve (12) open, and stop supplying the raw material from the raw material supplying device (4) and close the valve (12) before an inside of the reformer (20) is purg

Abstract: A fuel processing apparatus according to the present invention is a fuel processing apparatus 100 including a reformer 111, a raw material supply section 112, a moisture supply section 114, a heating section 116, a reforming temperature detection section 117 for detecting the temperature of a reforming catalyst, a shift converter 121, a shift temperature detection section 123, and a control section 200. When the apparatus is booted, the control section 200 activates the raw material supply section 111 to begin supplying a raw material to the reformer 111, and activates the heating section 116 to begin supplying heat to the reforming catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention is a fuel cell system comprising: a hydrogen generator including a reformer which has a reforming catalyst and carries out a reforming reaction using the reforming catalyst to generate a hydrogen-containing gas from a raw material, a shift converter which has a shift catalyst and carries out a shift reaction using the shift catalyst to decrease carbon monoxide in the hydrogen-containing gas, and a first temperature detector which detects a temperature of the shift converter; a fuel cell which uses the hydrogen-containing gas delivered from the hydrogen generator, to generate electric power; and a control unit, wherein: the control unit does not start delivering the hydrogen-containing gas from the hydrogen generator to the fuel cell when at least the temperature of the shift converter detected by the first temperature detector is not a stable determination temperature or higher; and the stable determination temperature is lower than a control temperature of the shift converter at the tim

Abstract: A hydrogen generation apparatus 1 includes a raw material supply unit 4 for controlling a flow rate of a raw material to be supplied from an external element and containing hydrocarbon and an odorizing component; an odorizing component removing section 5 containing an adsorbing agent for adsorbing the odorizing component contained in the raw material; a combustor 2 for combusting the raw material; a reformer 30 for generating hydrogen-containing gas from the raw material which has passed the odorizing component removing section 5 by a reforming reaction using combustion heat supplied from the combustor 2; and a controller 16 for controlling the raw material supply unit to, during driving after the adsorbing agent or the odorizing component removing section 5 is exchanged or after the adsorbing agent is regenerated, makes the flow rate of the raw material to be supplied from the external element higher than the flow rate during the driving immediately before the exchange or regeneration.

Abstract: A fuel cell power generation system 100 includes a mechanism for detachably holding an adsorptive desulfurization section 5 for adsorbing a sulfur component in a hydrocarbon-based raw material; a reformer for generating hydrogen-containing gas from the raw material which has passed the adsorptive desulfurization section 5; a fuel cell 8 for generating power using the hydrogen-containing gas as a fuel; a raw material supply section 4 for controlling a flow rate of the raw material to be supplied to the adsorptive desulfurization section 5; and an operating control section for controlling a behavior of the raw material supply section 4 and a behavior of the fuel cell 8.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by a reforming reaction using a material and water. A fuel cell generates power by electrochemical reaction using the hydrogen and an oxidizing agent. A cooling water circulation portion circulates water for cooling the fuel cell. A water condenser condenses water discharged from the hydrogen generator or the fuel cell and the condensed water is stored in a water storage portion. A water supply portion moves the water from the water storage portion to the hydrogen generator, the fuel cell, or the cooling water circulation portion. A water replenishment portion replenishes water in the water storage portion from the cooling water circulation portion. A controller discards the water from the water storage portion through a discharge port and the water replenishment portion causes the cooling water circulation portion to replenish the water storage portion.

Abstract: A desulfurizer includes an outer container having an outer-container inlet and an outer-container outlet, and an inner container that has a desulfurizing section filled with a desulfurizing agent removing an odor component in material, and is removably disposed in the outer container, wherein the inner container has an inner-container inlet communicated to the outer-container inlet, an inner-container outlet communicated to the outer-container outlet, and seal members provided in the inner-container inlet and the inner-container outlet respectively, and when the inner container is disposed in the outer container, each of the seal members is deformed by an effect of each of the outer-container inlet and the outer-container outlet, so that communication is made between the outer-container inlet and the inner-container inlet, and between the inner-container outlet and the outer-container outlet.

Abstract: The hydrogen generator includes: a reformer 101 having a reforming catalyst configured to cause a source material and water to react with each other to generate a hydrogen-rich reformed gas; a reformer heater 104 configured to heat the reformer; a carbon monoxide reducing portion 111,121 having a carbon monoxide reducing catalyst configured to reduce carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas; a carbon monoxide reduction heater 112,123 configured to heat at least one of the carbon monoxide reducing portion, the carbon monoxide reducing catalyst and the reformed gas passing through the carbon monoxide reducing portion; and a controller 200 capable of control such that the carbon monoxide reduction heater is caused to operate in a stop operation period.

Abstract: A hydrogen generating device including a temperature adjustment section 8 for controlling a temperature of a hydrogen-containing gas to be introduced from a reforming section 1 into carbon monoxide reducing sections 2 and 3, the temperature adjustment section 8 including: a heat exchange section 26 having an air path 11 for allowing a cooling air to pass therethrough; an air intake portion 10 having an opening for taking the cooling air into the air path 11; and an air discharging portion 12 having an opening for discharging the cooling air out of the air path 11, wherein the opening of the air intake portion 10 and that of the air discharging portion 12 are facing in a same direction, and the same direction is a vertically upward direction or a vertically downward direction.

Abstract: A hydrogen purifying apparatus and method are provided for oxidizing and removing carbon monoxide (CO) in a modified gas containing CO in addition to a main component hydrogen gas. The apparatus and method use comprises a catalyst reaction segment having a catalyst layer for oxidizing CO, a material gas supplying segment for supplying the modified gas to the reaction segment via a material gas supply pathway, and an oxidant gas supplying segment for supplying an oxidant gas on the path of the material gas supply pathway. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means for cooling the catalyst layer at the upstream side and means for heating the catalyst layer at the downstream side.

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 (4) includes: a reformer (5) which is supplied with a raw material to generate a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction; a first gas supplying unit (1) which supplies a gas containing a nitrogen-containing compound to the reformer; a CO remover (7) which has an oxidation catalyst containing a metal to be poisoned by ammonia and uses the oxidation catalyst and an oxidation gas to remove carbon monoxide in the hydrogen-containing gas through an oxidation; a second gas supplying unit (3) which supplies the oxidation gas to the CO remover; and a control unit (10), wherein the gas containing the nitrogen-containing compound is supplied from the first gas supplying unit to the reformer during the reforming reaction, a fuel cell system (100) includes the hydrogen generator (4), and the control unit is configured to control to carry out a regeneration operation of the oxidation catalyst if a parameter regarding a cumulative amount of ammonia supplied to the CO remover has reached a

Abstract: A hydrogen generator according to the invention comprises: a combustion gas passage (5) configured to flow combustion gas coming from a combustor; a preheat-evaporator (6) which is supplied with a material gas and water and configured to evaporate the water and heat the material gas by heat transmitted from the combustion gas passage and a carbon monoxide reducer (10) through partition a wall; a reformer (7) configured to generate reformed gas from the material gas and steam fed from the preheat-evaporator by using a reforming catalyst (8) and heat transmitted from the combustion gas passage through the partition wall; the carbon monoxide reducer (10) configured to remove carbon monoxide from the reformed gas fed from the reformer by a carbon monoxide removing catalyst (9); a cylindrical body (3) closed at both ends thereof having an internal space is divided by the partition walls (1), (2), (30), (47) to form the combustion gas passage, preheat-evaporator, reformer and carbon monoxide reducer within the cyli

Abstract: A hydrogen generator (100a) includes: a heater (1) which combusts a mixture gas of combustion fuel and combustion air to generate a combustion gas; a preheat evaporator (6) which heats a raw material and water by the combustion gas generated by the heater to generate a mixture gas of the raw material and the water; a reformer (2) which generates a hydrogen-containing gas by causing the mixture gas generated by the preheat evaporator to pass through a reforming catalyst (2a) heated by the combustion gas; and a shift converter (3) which incorporates a shift catalyst (3a) which reduces, by a shift reaction, carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen-containing gas generated by the reformer, and further includes a water trapping portion (7) which traps liquid water discharged from the preheat evaporator, and the hydrogen generator (100a) is configured to carry out heat exchange between the hydrogen-containing gas supplied from the reformer to the shift converter and the water in the water trapping portion.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator (100) includes: a desulfurizer (4) having a desulfurizing agent which removes by adsorption a sulfur compound in a raw material; a reformer (1) having a reforming catalyst which generates a hydrogen-containing gas from the raw material; a combustor (5) which heats the reformer (1); and an ignitor (103) which ignites the raw material in the combustor (5), is configured to start combustion of the combustor (5) by using the raw material passed through the desulfurizer (4), and further includes: an upper limit changing device (8) which changes an upper limit of an ignition confirmation time of the ignitor (103); and a change instruction receiving device (101) which receives a signal related to an instruction of the change.

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: A method for operating a fuel cell system having a fuel cell equipped with an anode and a cathode includes the steps of generating electric power by allowing hydrogen gas supplied to the anode and oxygen gas supplied to the cathode to react electrochemically with each other, recovering water from water vapor discharged from at least one of the anode and cathode, storing recovered water in a water storing portion equipped with a tank having a closable drain opening, through which opening water stored in the tank is dischargeable to outside the fuel cell system, supplying water stored in the tank to a water utilizing means by a water supply portion, and making a decision whether or not to discharge the stored water to outside the fuel cell system through the drain opening in view of an increase in an amount of undesirable germs contained in water stored in the water storing portion.

Abstract: The hydrogen generator includes: a reformer 101 having a reforming catalyst configured to cause a source material and water to react with each other to generate a hydrogen-rich reformed gas; a reformer heater 104 configured to heat the reformer; a carbon monoxide reducing portion 111,121 having a carbon monoxide reducing catalyst configured to reduce carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas; a carbon monoxide reduction heater 112,123 configured to heat at least one of the carbon monoxide reducing portion, the carbon monoxide reducing catalyst and the reformed gas passing through the carbon monoxide reducing portion; and a controller 200 capable of control such that the carbon monoxide reduction heater is caused to operate in a stop operation period.

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 producing hydrogen-rich gas by utilizing a source gas, source gas supplying means of supplying the source gas to the reformer, air supplying means of supplying purging air to the reformer, and a fuel cell generating electric power by utilizing the hydrogen-rich gas produced at the reformer and air for electric power generation supplied from outside, wherein in stopping the operation of the fuel cell, the supply of the source gas to the reformer 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.