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 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 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.

Abstract: The fuel reforming apparatus according to the present invention comprises a reforming unit having a reforming catalyst for steam-reforming a raw material of a hydrocarbon and a heater for heating the reforming unit to generate a hydrogen gas by heating the reforming unit while supplying the raw material and water to the heated reforming unit. This fuel reforming apparatus can recover the activity of the reforming catalyst by heating the reforming catalyst in a reducing atmosphere and, therefore, the present invention eliminates the need for replacing the poisoned reforming catalyst and makes it possible to recover with ease the decreased activity of the reforming catalyst.

Abstract: The present specification disclosed a hydrogen refinement apparatus comprising a reformed gas feeding part containing at least a hydrogen gas and water vapor, and a reaction chamber equipped with a carbon monoxide shifting catalyst body downstream said reformed gas feeding part, wherein said carbon monoxide shifting catalyst body comprises a carrier supporting Pt, the carrier being composed of at least one metal oxide having a BET specific surface area of 10 m2/g or more, and a method for operating the apparatus. The present invention provides improved heat-resistance of the CO shifting catalyst body, and can operate stably even if the apparatus is activated and stopped repeatedly.

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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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.

Abstract: This specification discloses 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. It is the most notable feature of the hydrogen generating apparatus of the present invention that 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.

Abstract: A data operating circuit in which a logic combinatorial circuit and a transfer gate are built, and a controller for controlling the data operating circuit are disposed. The controller includes a drive unit for applying a drive signal to a gate of an N-channel transistor included in the transfer gate, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the drive unit. The data operating circuit is supplied with a first voltage via a first power supply line, and the controller is supplied with a second voltage that has a higher voltage value than the first voltage. A signal line for transferring an output signal of the data operating circuit to the controller is provided with a level converter for increasing the level of the output signal of the data operating circuit to a level required for the operation of the control unit. As a result, a timing skew of the transfer gate can be retained small while minimizing power consumption of the data operating circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a first-order delta-sigma AD converter adapted to conduct noise shaping and having a quantizer arranged such that, when the amplitude of an input signal entered into the quantizer is small, the amplitude of a difference signal between the input signal entered into the quantizer and an output signal therefrom, is small. It is therefore possible to achieve an efficient AD- or DA-converter reduced in power consumption, which satisfies the transmission characteristics of the specifications of CCITT G.714 based on a method of PCM-encoding an audio frequency band signal stipulated in the specifications of CCITT G.711.

Abstract: A lithium ion sensor includes a FET, a redox layer having a redox function covering a gate isolating membrance of the FET, and a lithium ion-sensitive layer selectively sensing lithium ion covering the redox layer.

Abstract: Bis-crown-ether derivatives having such configuration that the two crown rings may easily overlap spatially, holding a potassium or the like ion between them, and ion-selective membranes used for said bis-crown-ether derivatives as neutral carrier, which are useful as an ion sensor and are superior to the ion-selective membrane containing valinomycin.

Abstract: Bis-crown-ether derivatives having such configuration that the two crown rings may easily overlap spatially, holding a potassium or the like ion between them, and ion-selective membranes used for said bis-crown-ether derivatives as neutral carrier, which are useful as an ion sensor and are superior to the ion-selective membrane containing valinomycin.