JP2009249209A - Apparatus for treating fuel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus 1 for treating fuel, in the reformer 203 of which the stream of combustion gas is uniformized and a reforming catalyst 204 is uniformly heated to improve heat efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus 1 for treating fuel is provided with: a burner 103 in which fuel is burned to produce the combustion gas; a nearly cylindrical combustion cylinder 104 in which a baffle plate 105 extending to the inside of the combustion cylinder in the radial direction is arranged at the tip of one opening and the combustion gas is made to flow therein from the other opening, pass through the opening 106 where the baffle plate 105 is arranged, and flow out from the inside thereof to the outside; and the reformer 203 in which the reforming catalyst 204 to be used for subjecting a raw material and water to a steam reforming reaction is arranged and a combustion gas circulation route 207 is formed in a space between an inner cylinder 205 and the combustion cylinder 104. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel processing apparatus that generates a hydrogen-containing gas by subjecting a raw material containing an organic compound and water to a steam reforming reaction.

  Fuel cells use hydrogen-containing gas as the anode gas, but the infrastructure for hydrogen-containing gas has not been developed. Therefore, in general, a fuel processing apparatus that generates a hydrogen-containing gas from a raw material supplied from an existing infrastructure such as city gas is additionally provided.

  The fuel processing apparatus includes a reformer provided with a reforming catalyst that generates a hydrogen-containing gas from raw material and water by a steam reforming reaction, and a heater that supplies heat required for the steam reforming reaction to the reformer. . Then, hydrocarbons such as natural gas, LPG, naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, and alcohol-based raw materials such as methanol and water are supplied from the external infrastructure to the reformer, and the reformer is steam-reformed by the heater. Heating is performed to a temperature suitable for a quality reaction (reforming reaction temperature), and a hydrogen-containing gas is delivered from the reformer.

  In general, the above-mentioned heater is a method of heating with combustion gas, hydrocarbon gas such as natural gas, LPG, naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol fuel such as methanol, or power generation in a fuel cell. A combustion section is used in which the anode off gas that has not been used for the combustion is burned by a burner. Further, a combustion cylinder is provided around the burner so that the flame formed by the burner does not directly touch the container containing the reforming catalyst. That is, it is configured between the combustion cylinder and the reformer by installing the combustion cylinder and the reformer concentrically, allowing the combustion gas to flow out from the tip of the combustion cylinder and turning back the flow of the combustion gas. In many cases, it is configured to flow through a gap.

  When installing the combustion cylinder and reformer concentrically, in order to distribute the combustion gas uniformly in the circumferential direction, create the combustion cylinder and reformer in a shape close to a perfect circle, and the combustion cylinder and reformer. It is desirable to make the gap between and uniform in all circumferential directions. However, it is difficult to create a perfect circle and make the gap uniform as described above, and the distribution in the circumferential direction in which the combustion gas emitted from the combustion cylinder flows through the gap between the combustion cylinder and the reformer is uniform. It is difficult to make. Therefore, since the temperature distribution in the reforming catalyst varies in the circumferential direction, a large amount of heat is required before heating to a state suitable for the reaction, which causes a decrease in thermal efficiency.

Thus, in order to reduce the variation in temperature distribution in the reforming catalyst, a configuration in which the diameter of the combustion cylinder is gradually reduced toward the tip portion has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, a configuration in which spiral blades are provided in a space between a combustion cylinder and a cylinder (reformer) containing a reforming catalyst has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2006-32175 A JP 2000-26101 A

  However, the configuration in which the diameter of the combustion cylinder is reduced stepwise toward the tip portion requires skill in the processing and increases the processing cost. Further, the configuration in which the spiral blades are provided requires skill in the processing, and the processing cost increases.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel processing apparatus that generates a hydrogen-containing gas with a simple configuration.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a fuel processing device according to the present invention has a combustion portion that generates combustion gas by combustion of fuel and a substantially cylindrical shape, and is obstructed radially inward at the tip of one opening portion. A combustion tube that is provided with a plate, allows combustion gas to flow inward from the other opening portion, and flows out from the inside to the outside through the opening portion provided with the baffle plate, and the raw material containing the organic compound and water are steamed It has a reforming catalyst that has a reforming reaction, and includes a reformer that is provided so as to constitute a flow path of the combustion gas in a space between the inner wall surface and the combustion cylinder.

  According to the fuel processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to easily process the combustion cylinder and to configure it at a low cost. In addition, since the processing accuracy can be improved, uneven heating of the reforming catalyst in the circumferential direction in the reformer can be reduced, and a fuel processing device with high thermal efficiency can be provided.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The fuel processing apparatus 1 includes a burner 103 that is a combustion unit and a reformer 203.

  A fuel supply path 101 and an air supply path 102 are connected to the burner 103. Fuel for combustion is supplied from the fuel supply path 101, and air necessary for combustion is supplied from the air supply path 102 to the burner 103, and the burner 103 burns to generate flame and combustion gas. Moreover, the combustion cylinder 104 is arrange | positioned so that the flame produced | generated with the burner 103 may be covered. The combustion cylinder 104 is provided with a baffle plate 105 having an outlet portion 106 which is a radially inner portion and an outlet hole 106 at the center of the opening portion facing the burner. The hole diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the cylinder 104.

  The reformer 203 is connected to a raw material supply path 201 that supplies a raw material used for the reforming reaction and a water supply path 202 that supplies water used for the reforming reaction. Further, the inner cylinder 205, the middle cylinder 206, and the outer cylinder 207 are provided, and the reforming catalyst 204 is stored in a space formed by the inner cylinder 205 and the middle cylinder 206. A space formed by the middle cylinder 206 and the outer cylinder 207 is a space through which the reformed gas (hydrogen-containing gas) after the reforming catalyst 204 passes. As the reforming catalyst 204, for example, a catalyst carrier such as alumina carrying a metal such as nickel or ruthenium can be used. The inner cylinder 205, the middle cylinder 206, and the outer cylinder 207 are appropriately joined to constitute a reformer (detailed description thereof is omitted).

  In the reformer 203, an inner cylinder 205, an intermediate cylinder 206, and an outer cylinder 207 are arranged with the combustion cylinder 104 as a substantial center, and combustion gas is burned in a space between the combustion cylinder 104 and the inner cylinder 205. A gas distribution path 107 is configured. Further, a combustion gas cover 208 is provided outside the outer cylinder 207 so as to cover the reformer 203, and the combustion gas distribution path of the combustion gas is also provided in the space between the outer cylinder 207 and the combustion gas cover 208. 107 is configured.

Next, a characteristic operation of the fuel processor 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. In addition, description about the general operation | movement as a fuel processing apparatus is abbreviate | omitted.

  In order to supply the amount of heat necessary for the reforming reaction, fuel is burned by the burner 103 and the reformer 203 is heated. As the fuel, natural gas, hydrocarbons such as LPG, naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, etc., alcohol such as methanol, etc. (or anode off gas not used for power generation in the fuel cell) are used. Air necessary for combustion is supplied at an air ratio at which combustion is stable (for example, an excess air ratio λ of 1.5). A flame is formed inside the combustion cylinder 104, and combustion gas generated by the combustion of the fuel exits from the outlet portion 106 of the baffle plate 105, passes through the combustion gas flow path 107, and is discharged from the fuel processing apparatus 1. The reforming catalyst 204 stored in the reformer 203 receives heat from the combustion gas mainly through the inner cylinder and is heated. At this time, the fuel and air are detected so that the temperature detected by a temperature detector (not shown in detail) provided at an arbitrary downstream portion with respect to the raw material gas flow of the reforming catalyst 204 is about 650 ° C. Is heated by adjusting the supply amount of hydrogen, and a steam reforming reaction between the raw material supplied to the reformer 203 and water is advanced to generate a reformed gas (hydrogen-containing gas) containing hydrogen.

  Next, effects obtained by the configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is provided in the combustion cylinder 104 will be described.

  2 shows a configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is provided in the combustion cylinder 104 as shown in FIG. 1 and a configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is not provided in the combustion cylinder 104 (from the combustion cylinder 104 shown in FIG. 1 to the baffle plate). In the configuration excluding 105, the details are not shown), the reforming is performed under an arbitrary condition in which a temperature detecting unit (not shown in detail) for measuring the temperature at an arbitrary position of the reforming catalyst 204 is about 650 ° C. The result of having measured the maximum temperature distribution width of the temperature distribution of the circumferential direction of the catalyst 204 in the catalyst height direction is shown. The most downstream side of the reforming catalyst 204 in the direction in which the raw material flows is defined as a reference plane (0 mm), and the temperature in the height direction is measured at intervals of 90 degrees with respect to the circumferential direction. It is the result of arranging the maximum temperature width with respect to the distance from the reference plane.

  It can be seen that the configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is provided can reduce the maximum temperature distribution width compared to the configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is not provided. This is because the combustion gas after the combustion cylinder 104 circulates uniformly in the radial direction in the combustion gas circulation path 107 formed by the space between the combustion cylinder 104 and the inner cylinder 205 to heat the reforming catalyst 204. Because. More specifically, in the configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is provided, the resistance when the combustion gas flows from the inside to the outside of the combustion cylinder 104 becomes larger than in the configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is not provided. The gas flow is stagnated to facilitate the convection of the combustion gas in the vicinity of the outlet 106 in the combustion cylinder 104. Further, by making the hole diameter of the outlet portion 106 smaller than the outer diameter of the combustion cylinder 104, an effect of rectifying the flow of the combustion gas can be obtained, and the combustion gas can be made uniform with respect to the circumferential direction of the combustion cylinder 104. Since it can be made to circulate, the reforming catalyst 204 can be heated uniformly. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the baffle plate 105 is not provided, for example, when the flame is formed out of the center of the burner 103, the combustion gas flows in a biased manner with respect to the circumferential direction in the combustion cylinder 104 and remains biased. The combustion gas flows out from the inside of the combustion cylinder 104 to the outside, and the combustion gas flow path 107 formed by the space between the combustion cylinder 104 and the inner cylinder 205 also flows while being biased. As a result, the reforming catalyst 204 is heated non-uniformly, and the maximum temperature distribution width increases in the circumferential direction as shown in FIG.

  In addition, when the reforming catalyst 204 is uniformly heated in the circumferential direction, the following effects can be obtained.

As for the heating state of the reforming catalyst 204, for example, a temperature detection unit is provided at an arbitrary position in the reforming catalyst 204 as in the first embodiment, and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is 650 ° C. The combustion state of the burner 103 is adjusted and controlled by adjusting the supply amounts of fuel and air. When the flow of the combustion gas is not uniform with respect to the circumferential direction of the combustion gas flow path 107 constituted by the space between the combustion cylinder 104 and the inner cylinder 205, the temperature of the reforming catalyst 204 with respect to the circumferential direction. Becomes non-uniform. For example, when the temperature detection unit is provided in a portion located on the most downstream side with respect to the raw material gas flow of the reforming catalyst 204, it is assumed that the maximum temperature distribution width may be 80 ° C. as shown in FIG. The That is, even if the heating state is controlled so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is 650 ° C., the temperature of the reforming catalyst at the opposing position may be 730 ° C. In the above case, the reforming catalyst 204 is heated more than necessary, leading to a decrease in thermal efficiency. Further, there is a possibility that the temperature of the reforming catalyst 204 at the position where the temperature detection unit faces is 570 ° C. In the above case, the reforming reaction does not proceed sufficiently, leading to the inability to secure the necessary amount of hydrogen. On the other hand, when the flow of combustion gas is uniform in the circumferential direction, the reforming catalyst 204 can be heated uniformly in the circumferential direction, so that the amount of fuel burned by the burner 103 can be reduced. Since the hydrogen-containing gas can be generated efficiently, the effect of improving the thermal efficiency can also be obtained.

  Furthermore, by using the processing method described below, the combustion cylinder 104 of the fuel processing apparatus 1 shown in the first embodiment can be easily created.

  First, the combustion cylinder 104 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Next, a disc-shaped baffle plate 105 having an outlet 106 at the center is installed at the tip of the opening of the combustion cylinder 104, and the periphery is welded. Since this processing method does not require skill, the processing cost can be reduced. In addition, since it is simple, dimensional management is easy and variation during production can be suppressed, so that the outlet portion 106 of the baffle plate 105 can be reliably installed at the center portion of the combustion cylinder 104, and the combustion gas is directed in the circumferential direction. It is possible to ensure that it is distributed uniformly.

As described above, by configuring the fuel processing apparatus 1 as in the first embodiment, it is possible to provide an apparatus that can suppress the temperature distribution in the circumferential direction of the reforming catalyst and improve the thermal efficiency with a simple configuration. Can do.
(Embodiment 2)
Next, the structure of the fuel processor 2 in Embodiment 2 of this invention is demonstrated.

  In FIG. 3, the schematic block diagram of the fuel processing apparatus 2 in Embodiment 2 of this invention is shown. Since the fuel processing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment has almost the same configuration as the fuel processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, only the differences will be described. The difference lies in the configuration of the baffle plate 105, and the baffle plate 105 of the fuel processing device 2 of the second embodiment is drawn to the outlet portion 106 with respect to the baffle plate 105 of the fuel processing device 1 of the first embodiment. And an outlet guide 109 is provided toward the outside of the combustion cylinder 104.

  During operation, the combustion cylinder 104 exposed to a high temperature by the flame formed by the burner 103 is cooled from the high temperature state when the apparatus is stopped, and heat distortion occurs. The thermal strain is generated every time the start and stop of the apparatus is repeated, and the possibility of deformation increases as the number of start and stop increases. If the baffle plate 105 is deformed by this thermal strain, the outlet portion 106 is deformed, the center of the outlet portion 106 is deviated, and the like, causing a deviation in the flow of combustion gas, and the reforming catalyst 204 cannot be heated uniformly. Therefore, it is important to suppress the deformation of the baffle plate 105.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the outlet portion guide 109 is configured by drawing the outlet portion 106 of the baffle plate 105. By this exit portion guide 109, the baffle plate 105 can be made strong against heat distortion. That is, in the configuration in which the outlet portion 106 of the baffle plate 105 is subjected to drawing processing and the outlet portion guide 109 is provided, the combustion gas inside the combustion cylinder 104 can be convected and the start and stop can be repeated for a long time. Sometimes, it is possible to ensure the uniformity of the circulation of the combustion gas in the circumferential direction.

  The structure of the outlet guide 109 is not limited to the above-described structure. As shown in FIG. 4, the outlet guide 109 is folded inside the combustion cylinder 104. As shown in FIG. You may make it the structure given in reverse taper shape. In the configuration in which the outlet guide 109 is folded back inside the combustion cylinder 104 or in a reverse tapered configuration, the resistance when the combustion gas flows from the inside to the outside of the combustion cylinder 104 can be increased, so that the convection of the combustion gas is further increased. The effect to cause can be acquired. As a result, the combustion gas can flow more uniformly in the combustion gas flow path 107 formed by the space between the combustion cylinder 104 and the inner cylinder 205, and the reforming catalyst 204 can be heated more uniformly. And

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for a fuel processing apparatus that is required to have a high thermal efficiency and durability, in which a raw material containing an organic compound and water are subjected to a steam reforming reaction to generate a hydrogen-containing gas.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The figure which plotted the reforming catalyst distribution width of the combustion cylinder radial direction in Embodiment 1 of this invention to the flow direction The schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the fuel processing apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the modification of the fuel processing apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the modification of the fuel processing apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 Fuel processing apparatus 101 Fuel supply path 102 Air supply path 103 Burner 104 Combustion cylinder 105 Baffle plate 106 Outlet part 107 Combustion gas distribution path 108 Combustion gas outlet hole 109 Outlet part guide 201 Raw material supply path 202 Water supply path 203 Reformation Vessel 204 reforming catalyst 205 inner cylinder 206 middle cylinder 207 outer cylinder 208 combustion gas cover

Claims (4)

A combustion section for generating combustion gas by combustion of fuel;
An opening portion in which a baffle plate is provided radially inward at the tip of one opening portion, and the baffle plate is provided by allowing the combustion gas to flow inward from the other opening portion. Through which the combustion gas flows out from the inside to the outside,
A reformer provided with a reforming catalyst for performing a steam reforming reaction between a raw material containing an organic compound and water, and configured to constitute a flow path of the combustion gas in a space between an inner wall surface and the combustion cylinder; A fuel processing apparatus comprising: The fuel processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the baffle plate has an outlet portion that becomes an outlet hole for the combustion gas and opens with a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the combustion cylinder. The fuel processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the baffle plate is configured by drawing a distal end portion radially inward. The fuel processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the baffle plate is formed by further drawing back inward in the length direction.

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