JP2007039268A - Reforming method and fuel feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for reforming and a fuel feeding device therefor capable of improving reactivity of a reforming reaction of carbon compounds containing hydrogen atoms by enhancing preserving stability of oxidants. <P>SOLUTION: This reforming method comprises mixing a raw material containing a carbon compound and water with an oxidant encapsulated in a microcapsule 11, bringing the mixture into contact with a catalyst, thereby reforming the mixture into a product containing hydrogen as a principal component. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for reforming a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms, and a fuel supply apparatus used in the method.

In recent years, as a clean power source with high energy conversion efficiency, fuel cells that generate electric energy by electrochemical reaction of hydrogen have begun to be applied to automobiles and portable devices. Because hydrogen is difficult to handle, the stored hydrogen is not supplied to the fuel cell, but usually alcohol or hydrocarbons such as methanol are stored, and the stored alcohol or hydrocarbon is reacted in the presence of a catalyst. Thus, a gas mainly containing hydrogen is generated (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and a gas mainly containing hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell. A steam reforming reactor for reforming methanol to hydrogen is as follows.
CH ₃ OH + H ₂ O → 3H ₂ + CO ₂

However, since the steam reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction, energy saving is an issue, and an internal heat type autothermal reforming reaction that combines this endothermic reaction with an exothermic reaction utilizing the combustion heat of oxygen ( The partial oxidation exothermic reaction and the steam reforming reaction) are promising candidates for solving the problem. The exothermic reaction in the autothermal reforming reaction is as shown in the following reaction formula.
CH ₃ OH + 1 / 2O ₂ → 2H ₂ + CO ₂
JP-A-6-24702

However, in the exothermic reaction in the autothermal reforming reaction, oxygen is required for the production system. However, if a predetermined amount of oxygen gas is supplied as a vaporized fluid from an oxygen cylinder or the like to the reaction system, the reaction apparatus is used. In particular, there is a negative effect when the fuel cell system is applied to a small portable device. In addition, if oxygen in the atmosphere is used as an oxygen supply source, there is a problem that the hydrogen concentration is lowered when the generated gas is diluted with nitrogen, which is the main component of the atmosphere, and supplied to the fuel cell.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a reforming method capable of improving the reactivity of a reforming reaction of a carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom by using an oxidizing agent that can be efficiently stored and An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel supply device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the reforming method of the present invention is characterized in that hydrogen is generated by reforming a mixture in which a carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom and an oxidizing agent enclosed in a microcapsule are mixed. .

  According to the modification method of the present invention, since the oxidizing agent is enclosed in the microcapsules, the storage stability can be improved. Therefore, even when left in a high temperature state for a long time, the decomposition reaction of the oxidant can be suppressed, and the reactivity of the oxidation reaction can be increased.

The oxidizing agent preferably includes hydrogen peroxide.
The microcapsule preferably has a property of releasing the oxidizing agent to the outside by contact with the carbon compound.
The carbon compound is preferably methanol.
The catalyst preferably contains a Cu element, and preferably contains a platinum group element.
A fuel supply device that supplies fuel to generate power in the fuel cell of the present invention includes:
A fuel container for storing a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms;
And a microcapsule container for storing microcapsules encapsulating an oxidizing agent.

  According to the present invention, the storage stability of the oxidizing agent can be increased by the microcapsules, and the reactivity of the reforming reaction of the carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom can be improved.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described.
First, the reforming method to which the present invention is applied will be described. A raw material containing a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms and water (H ₂ O) is stored in advance in a fuel container, and a microcapsule (oxidation aid) in which an oxidizing agent is sealed is stored in a microcapsule container. The raw materials and microcapsules are stored separately. Then, the raw material and the microcapsule are taken out from each container and brought into contact with each other to mix the raw material and the oxidizing agent in the microcapsule to obtain a mixture.

Examples of the carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom include hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers and the like.
A hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting only of carbon and hydrogen. Alcohol is an organic compound in which one or more hydrogen atoms of an aliphatic hydrocarbon are substituted with a hydroxyl group. Examples of the alcohol include methanol (CH ₃ OH) and ethanol (CH ₃ CH ₂ OH), but are not limited thereto. Moreover, although diethyl ether is suitable for ether, it is not restricted to this.
The oxidant can be a primary system (for example, water) required for a reaction caused by a reformer or a fuel cell, which will be described later, or a reaction by a reformer or a fuel cell. It is desirable to be inert or not significantly inhibit the reaction. As the oxidizing agent, hydrogen peroxide is preferably used. Hydrogen peroxide water can also be used as hydrogen peroxide. In this case, since the hydrogen peroxide solution contains water, depending on the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide solution, a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms and a hydrogen peroxide solution It is also possible to only mix with the microcapsules encapsulating. The water obtained by decomposing the hydrogen peroxide solution may be used for an endothermic reaction mixed with a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms. Also, an alcohol aqueous solution may be used for alcohol, and depending on the concentration of the alcohol aqueous solution, a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms and a microcapsule enclosing hydrogen peroxide solution may be mixed.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a modification method using a microcapsule 11 in which an oxidant 12 such as hydrogen peroxide is enclosed. As shown in FIG. 1, the microcapsule 11 in which the oxidant 12 is encapsulated is ruptured by contact with a carbon compound such as alcohol as a hydrogen-producing fuel, and the internal oxidant 12 flows out. Here, hydrogen peroxide that can be used as the oxidant 12 is usually used in an aqueous solution of about 30%. Therefore, the microcapsule 11 is dissolved by the internal water and does not leak hydrogen peroxide outside. It is necessary to have resistance to water (eg sparingly soluble or insoluble). Therefore, a substance that can be used for the microcapsule 11 is preferably a substance that does not easily dissolve in water or acid but softens and dissolves in alcohol, and examples thereof include cellulose acetate.

The microcapsule 11 is formed by encapsulating the oxidizing agent 12 by using, for example, an interfacial polymerization method, an insolubilization reaction, a phase separation method, an interfacial precipitation method, or the like. In the present embodiment, the microcapsule 11 is most preferably spherical, but may have a shape other than a sphere.
As will be described later, in the flow path from the fuel container 2 in which alcohol and water are stored to the reformer 4, the microcapsule 11 in which the oxidant 12 is sealed is supplied with the raw materials of alcohol and water. By contacting the capsule 11 with alcohol, the microcapsule 11 is gradually dissolved or ruptured, and the oxidizing agent 12 flows out. As a result, alcohol, water, and oxidant 12 are mixed, and the mixture is supplied to the reformer 4, whereby a hydrogen generation reaction that combines an endothermic reaction and an exothermic reaction is performed in the reformer 4 (FIG. 2). reference). It should be noted that the degree of dissolution or rupture at this time is supplied, that is, the amount of oxygen released from the microcapsules is determined by the amount of alcohol supplied.

  As described above, after the carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms and water are mixed into the microcapsule 11 in which the oxidant 12 is sealed, this mixture is supplied to the reformer and brought into contact with the catalyst. When the mixture is at least partially liquid, it is preferable to vaporize the liquid component of the mixture and disperse it uniformly. Here, when the mixture is brought into contact with the catalyst, the mixture may be heated with a heater or the like to vaporize the liquid component of the mixture, or the mixture may be vaporized before the mixture is brought into contact with the catalyst. The gas mixture obtained by heating and the like may be brought into contact with the catalyst.

The catalyst of the reformer 4 is a Cu / ZnO-based catalyst, and further may be a Cu / ZnO-based catalyst containing a platinum group element. Here, the Cu / ZnO-based catalyst may be a catalyst in which a Cu component is supported on a ZnO component, or may be a catalyst in which aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) is added to a Cu component and a ZnO component. Platinum group elements include Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt.

  When a mixture of a carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom, water, and an oxidizing agent is brought into contact with the catalyst, a catalytic reaction occurs, but it is desirable to heat the reaction system in order to increase the activity. For example, when methanol is used as the alcohol, the reaction system is preferably heated to 230 ° C. or higher.

Among the mixture, a carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom and water react with a catalyst to produce a hydrogen (H ₂ ) -rich product (steam reforming reaction). On the other hand, the oxidizing agent in the mixture is decomposed to generate oxygen. The oxygen and the carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom react with each other to produce a hydrogen (H ₂ ) -rich product (exothermic oxidation reaction). At this time, the steam reforming reaction is accelerated by the heat generated by the exothermic oxidation reaction, and the exothermic oxidation reaction is promoted by the endotherm by the steam reforming reaction. Thus, hydrogen can be generated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the exothermic oxidation reaction and the steam reforming reaction of the carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms occur simultaneously without separately introducing oxygen or air into the reaction system. By combining the exothermic oxidation reaction and the steam reforming reaction, the reaction heat of the exothermic oxidation reaction is used for the steam reforming reaction, and the heat energy supplied to the reaction system can be reduced. Therefore, even if the temperature of the reaction system is low, the conversion rate of the carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms is improved, and carbon monoxide (CO) contained in the hydrogen-rich product can be reduced.
In addition, the raw material of water or carbon compound and the oxidizing agent are not directly mixed to form a mixture, but the microcapsule 11 encapsulating the oxidizing agent and the raw material are stored separately and then mixed. The storage stability of the oxidizing agent 12 can be improved.

Next, a reformer used in the reforming method and a power generation apparatus including the reformer will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the power generation apparatus 100 in which the reformer 4 is mounted. Here, a case where methanol is used as the carbon compound and hydrogen peroxide is used as the oxidizing agent is taken as an example.
As shown in FIG. 2, the power generation apparatus 100 includes a fuel container 2 that stores a raw material for methanol and water and a microcapsule container 1 that stores a microcapsule in which hydrogen peroxide is sealed. And a vaporizer 3 that mixes methanol, water, and oxidant supplied from the fuel supply device 10 to vaporize a liquid component of a mixed fluid in which oxygen and water are generated from the oxidant, and is supplied from the vaporizer 3. An autothermal reformer 4 that reforms the mixed gas into a hydrogen-rich product gas using a catalyst, and carbon monoxide that causes deterioration of the fuel cell from the product gas supplied from the reformer 4 A carbon monoxide remover 5 to be removed and a fuel cell 6 that produces electric energy by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen gas in the product gas supplied from the carbon monoxide remover 5 are provided.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the microcapsule container 1 and a state change of the microcapsule 11 in the microcapsule container 1.
When the fuel container 2 is attached to the power generation device main body, one end of a fuel pipe 21 that discharges the raw material in the fuel container 2 is connected to the fuel container 2, and the other end of the fuel pipe 21 is connected to the fuel container 2. It is connected to the microcapsule container 1. Further, the microcapsule container 1 is a fuel that discharges a mixture in which the microcapsules 11 stored in the microcapsule container 1 and the raw material supplied into the microcapsule container 1 through the fuel pipe 21 are mixed. One end of the tube 22 is connected, and the other end of the fuel tube 22 is connected to the carburetor 3. The fuel pipes 21 and 22 are provided with a pump (not shown) for sucking the mixed liquid.
The microcapsule container 1 is detachably provided from the fuel pipes 21 and 22. That is, when the microcapsule container 1 is removed from the fuel pipes 21 and 22, the fuel pipes 21 and 22 can be connected at their respective ends, and by connecting these ends, the fuel container 2 and the vaporizer can be connected. 3 is communicated by the fuel pipes 21 and 22 and can be used as the power generation device 100 even when the microcapsule container 1 is not used. Meshes may be provided inside the fuel pipes 21 and 22 so that the microcapsules 11 and the residue thereof do not enter the vaporizer 3 and the fuel container 2.

  Here, the power generation device 100 is used for a mobile phone, a personal computer, a PDA, an electronic notebook, a wristwatch, a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a game device, a game machine, a household electric device, and other electronic devices. In this case, the power generator main body including the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4, the carbon monoxide remover 5, and the fuel cell 6 is mounted on the electronic device main body, and the microcapsule container attached to the fuel container 2 and the fuel container 2. 1 is detachably attached to the power generator main body through the electronic device main body. When the fuel container 2 is attached to the power generation device main body via the electronic device main body, the liquid mixture is supplied from the fuel container 2 to the vaporizer 3. The electrical energy generated by the fuel cell 6 is used to drive the electronic device body.

  The fuel cell 6 includes a fuel electrode (hydrogen electrode) containing or adhering catalyst fine particles, an oxygen electrode (air electrode) containing or adhering catalyst fine particles, and a solid sandwiched between the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode. A polymer electrolyte membrane.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4, and the carbon monoxide remover 5 each having a structure called a microreactor.
As shown in FIG. 4, the vaporizer 3 includes two substrates 3 a and 3 b formed in a plate shape from materials such as ceramic, silicon, aluminum, and glass (preferably inexpensive glass). It has a joined structure. A convoluted groove is formed in a concave surface on the joint surface between one substrate 3a and the other substrate 3b. By joining the substrate 3a to the substrate 3a so as to cover this groove, The groove becomes the micro flow path 3c provided at the joint portion between the two substrates 3a and 3b. Here, the substrates 3a and 3b are the main body of the vaporizer 3, and the micro flow path 3c is an internal space formed in the main body.

  A thin film heater 3d is formed on the surface opposite to the bonding surface of the substrate 3a. The thin film heater 3d is an electrothermal film that generates heat by electric energy. Specifically, the thin film heater 3d is formed by forming an electric resistance heating element and a semiconductor heating element into a thin film. Lead wires (not shown) extending to the outside are connected to both ends of the thin film heater 3d, respectively, and electric energy is supplied to the thin film heater 3d through the lead wires.

Similar to the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4 has a structure in which two substrates 4a and 4b are joined, and a micro flow path 4c is provided at a joint between the two substrates 4a and 4b. A thin film heater 4d is formed on the surface opposite to the bonding surface. A catalyst 4e is formed on the wall surface of the microchannel 4c. The catalyst 4e is a Cu / ZnO-based catalyst (Cu / ZnO / Al ₂ O ₃ compound) in which Cu and ZnO are supported on Al ₂ O ₃ as a support. Further, at least one of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt may be supported on the catalyst 4e.

  A method for producing the catalyst 4e will be described. First, a copper / zinc aqueous solution containing a copper salt (for example, copper nitrate) and a zinc salt (for example, zinc nitrate) is prepared. Further, an alkaline alkaline solution (for example, an aqueous sodium carbonate solution) is prepared, and a suspension of aluminum oxide containing aluminum (a mixed solution in which aluminum oxide is suspended in pure water) is also prepared. Thereafter, an aqueous copper / zinc solution and an alkaline solution are simultaneously added dropwise to the stirring aluminum oxide suspension to form a precipitate in the mixed solution. Next, the mixed liquid containing the precipitate is filtered, and the precipitate remaining after the filtration is washed by stirring in distilled water, and this filtration step and washing step are repeated once or a plurality of times. After the final washing, distilled water containing the precipitate is filtered again to obtain a precipitate. Before joining the two substrates 4a and 4b, a dispersion in which the obtained precipitate is dispersed in a solvent is applied to the wall surface of the groove serving as the microchannel 3c, and a thin film is formed on the wall surface. And the two board | substrates 4a and 4b are joined, the board | substrates 4a and 4b are heated, and the thin film formed in the wall surface of the microchannel 3c is dried and baked. Next, in a state where the two substrates 4a and 4b are heated, hydrogen (a mixed gas containing hydrogen) may be circulated from one end to the other end of the microchannel 3c to form a thin film formed on the wall surface. The thin film subjected to the hydrogen reduction treatment becomes the catalyst 4e.

  Similarly to the vaporizer 3, the carbon monoxide remover 5 has a structure in which two substrates 5a and 5b are joined, and a micro flow path 5c is provided at the joint between the two substrates 5a and 5b. A thin film heater 5d is formed on the surface opposite to the bonding surface 5a. A catalyst 5e is formed on the wall surface of the microchannel 5c. The catalyst 5e is a catalyst that selectively oxidizes carbon monoxide.

  And the one end part of the micro flow path 3c of the vaporizer | carburetor 3 is connected with the microcapsule container 1 of the fuel supply apparatus 10 via the pump. The other end of the micro flow path 3 c of the vaporizer 3 is connected to one end of the micro flow path 4 c of the reformer 4. The other end of the micro flow path 4 c is connected to one end of the micro flow path 5 c of the carbon monoxide remover 5. Moreover, the air containing the oxygen which oxidizes carbon monoxide is supplied to the one end part of the microchannel 5c. Since the hydrogen concentration is lowered by using air, oxygen generated in the microcapsule container 1 may be used for a part or all of the oxygen required for the carbon monoxide remover 5. The other end of the micro flow path 5 c is connected to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell 6. Air is supplied to the oxygen electrode of the fuel cell 6.

Next, the operation of the power generation apparatus 100 will be described.
The thin film heaters 3d, 4d, and 5d generate heat by electricity, and the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4, and the carbon monoxide remover 5 are heated to a predetermined temperature. When the pump is operated in this state, the raw materials (methanol and water) stored in the fuel container 2 are supplied to the microcapsule container 1. When the raw material is supplied to the microcapsule container 1, the microcapsule 11 is softened by methanol and is ruptured, and hydrogen peroxide flows out of the microcapsule 11. The microcapsule 11 that has been ruptured may have a residue remaining in the microcapsule container 1, but does not flow into the vaporizer 3. Even if a small amount flows, since the microcapsule 11 is made of cellulose acetate, it is decomposed into a carbon compound (mainly carbon dioxide) by heat and oxygen generated by hydrogen peroxide, so that the hydrogen generation reaction is affected. There is nothing.
In this way, after alcohol, water, and hydrogen peroxide are mixed in the microcapsule container 1, these mixed solutions are supplied to the microchannel 3 c of the vaporizer 3. When the liquid mixture is flowing through the microchannel 3c, it is heated, and methanol and water are vaporized, and hydrogen peroxide is decomposed into water and oxygen to be vaporized. Is done. The gas mixture that has been vaporized to a high pressure is supplied to the micro flow path 4c of the relatively low pressure reformer 4, and the gas mixture flows in the micro flow path 4c so that the gas mixture contacts the catalyst 4e. As a result, methanol and water are subjected to the action of the catalyst 4e, and a steam reforming reaction like the chemical reaction formula (1) occurs.
CH ₃ OH + H ₂ O → 3H ₂ + CO ₂ (1)

In the microchannel 4c, hydrogen peroxide in the air-fuel mixture is decomposed to generate oxygen. And methanol and oxygen react and an exothermic oxidation reaction like Chemical Reaction Formula (2) occurs.
CH ₃ OH + 1 / 2O ₂ → 2H ₂ + CO ₂ (2)

In the micro flow path 4c, methanol and water may not be completely reformed to carbon dioxide and hydrogen. In this case, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water vapor are generated as in the chemical reaction formula (3). The
2CH ₃ OH + H ₂ O → 5H ₂ + CO + CO ₂ (3)

  In the microchannel 4c, the exothermic oxidation reaction of methanol and the steam reforming reaction occur together, so that the heat of reaction of the exothermic oxidation reaction is used for the steam reforming reaction, and the heat generation energy of the thin film heater 4d can be reduced. . Therefore, even if the temperature of the reformer 4 is lower than 280 ° C. (for example, 250 ° C.), the conversion rate of methanol can be improved and the amount of carbon monoxide produced can be reduced. Moreover, since air is not supplied to the reformer 5, the product produced by the reformer 4 does not contain nitrogen gas, and a reduction in the content of hydrogen gas can be prevented.

The product gas generated by the reformer 4 is supplied to the micro flow path 5c, and air is further supplied to the micro flow path 5c. In the microchannel 5c, carbon monoxide is specifically oxidized by the action of the catalyst 5e. Then, the generated gas is supplied from the micro flow path 5 c to the fuel electrode of the fuel cell 6, and air is supplied to the air electrode of the fuel cell 6. At the fuel electrode, as shown in the electrochemical reaction formula (4), hydrogen in the product gas is separated into hydrogen ions and electrons by the action of the catalyst fine particles of the fuel electrode. Hydrogen ions are conducted to the oxygen electrode through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and electrons are taken out by the fuel electrode.
H ₂ → 2H ⁺ + 2e ⁻ (4)

At the oxygen electrode, as shown in the electrochemical reaction formula (5), oxygen in the air, hydrogen ions that have passed through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and electrons taken out by the fuel electrode react to generate water. Is done.
2H ⁺ + 1 / 2O ₂ + 2e ⁻ → H ₂ O (5)

  As described above, in the power generation apparatus 100, an autothermal reforming reaction (exothermic oxidation reaction) occurs in the reformer 4 without a mechanism for supplying oxygen or air to the reformer 4 or the vaporizer 3. Therefore, the thermal energy supplied by the thin film heater 4d of the reformer 4 can be reduced. In particular, when a gas having a low oxygen concentration such as air is taken from outside the apparatus and heated, it is necessary to heat up to nitrogen in the air unnecessary for the reforming reaction, which is inefficient. Since air is not taken into the gas generator 4 or the vaporizer 3, a more efficient reforming reaction can be performed, and the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell 6 can be improved. Further, since there is no mechanism for supplying oxygen or air to the reformer 4 or the vaporizer 3, the power generation apparatus 100 can be simplified.

Hydrogen peroxide is encapsulated in the microcapsule 11, and after such microcapsule 11, water, and a raw material containing methanol are mixed to generate oxygen, the mixture is brought into contact with a catalyst to make an autothermal system. Causing hydrogen production reaction. Since hydrogen peroxide is relatively easily decomposed, the microcapsule 11 can enhance the storage stability of hydrogen peroxide as compared with the case where it is stored in an exposed aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution without being encapsulated.
Moreover, since the raw material containing water and methanol is supplied to the microcapsule container 1 and mixed with the hydrogen peroxide in the microcapsule 11, this mixed liquid is supplied to the vaporizer 3. Since the hydrogen peroxide and the raw material enclosed in the gas are mixed just before being supplied to the vaporizer 3 to generate high-concentration oxygen, the fuel container 2 is swollen by oxygen or deteriorated due to oxidation of the fuel or the like. The reactivity of the hydrogen generation reaction in the reformer 4 can be increased without the occurrence of.

In the above embodiment, the raw materials stored in the fuel container 2 are methanol and water, but other carbon compounds containing hydrogen atoms may be stored in the fuel container 2 instead of methanol.
Although the thin film heaters 3d, 4d, and 5d are applied, the reformer 4 that reacts at the highest temperature is provided with the thin film heater 4d, and the vaporizer 3 and the carbon monoxide remover 5 are provided with the thin film heaters 3d and 5d, respectively. A reaction may be caused by the propagation of heat from the reformer 4 without being provided, and a thin film heater may be formed in the reformer 4 and the carbon monoxide remover 5 that causes a high-temperature reaction next. .
Moreover, you may provide the exothermic chemical reaction furnace which burns the carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms, such as hydrocarbon mentioned above, alcohol, and ether, as an alternative of a thin film heater. Such a chemical reaction furnace preferably has a microreactor structure like the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4, and the carbon monoxide remover 5, and is singular for any one of the substrates 3a and 3b, the substrates 4a and 4b, and the substrates 5a and 5b. Alternatively, it is possible to provide a plurality, and furthermore, the temperature may be controlled by heating both in combination with a thin film heater. Further, unreacted hydrogen remaining in the hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell 6 is used as fuel for the exothermic chemical reactor, and this hydrogen is burned with oxygen to remove the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4, and carbon monoxide. At least one of the vessels 5 may be heated.

  In the above embodiment, a raw material containing methanol and water is supplied from the fuel container 2 into the microcapsule container 1, and the oxidant and the raw material sealed in the microcapsule 11 are mixed together, and the mixed liquid However, on the contrary, for example, the microcapsule 11 is supplied from the microcapsule container 1 into the fuel container 2, the oxidant and the raw material are mixed, and the mixed liquid is supplied to the vaporizer 3. It may be a mechanism for supplying to the motor.

It is the schematic diagram which showed the principle of the modification | reformation method using the microcapsule 11 with which the oxidizing agent 12 was enclosed. It is a block diagram of the electric power generating apparatus 100 carrying the reformer 4. FIG. The schematic diagram of the microcapsule container 1 and the state change of the microcapsule 11 in the microcapsule container 1 are shown. It is sectional drawing of the vaporizer 3, the reformer 4, and the carbon monoxide remover 5 of the structure called a microreactor.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microcapsule container 2 Fuel container 4 Reformer 4e Catalyst 6 Fuel cell 11 Microcapsule 12 Oxidant 100 Power generator

Claims (5)

  A reforming method characterized in that hydrogen is generated by reforming a mixture in which a carbon compound containing a hydrogen atom and an oxidizing agent sealed in a microcapsule are mixed.   The reforming method according to claim 1, wherein the microcapsule has a property of releasing the oxidizing agent to the outside by contacting the carbon compound.   The reforming method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent contains hydrogen peroxide. In a fuel supply device for supplying fuel to generate power in a fuel cell,
A fuel container for storing a carbon compound containing hydrogen atoms;
A fuel supply device comprising: a microcapsule container for storing a microcapsule encapsulating an oxidant.   5. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the microcapsule has a property of releasing the oxidant to the outside by contacting the carbon compound.

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