JP5772676B2 - Reformer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention generates hydrogen by reforming a fuel containing at least hydrogen as a constituent component (hereinafter referred to as a hydrogen-based fuel) in order to generate hydrogen to be supplied to a fuel cell or an intake / exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The present invention relates to a reforming apparatus.

  In recent years, a part of a mixed gas containing hydrogen fuel and air is oxidized by a catalyst (hereinafter referred to as an oxidation catalyst) that performs an oxidation reaction provided on the upstream side of the reformer, and the heat of reaction is used to internalize the gas. Development of a so-called autothermal reforming apparatus that promotes the reforming reaction by raising the temperature of a catalyst that performs the reforming reaction (hereinafter referred to as a reforming catalyst) is underway.

  Here, in such an autothermal reformer, hydrogen-based fuel is taken in as a mixed gas together with air from its inlet, and the modified gas generated by bringing the mixed gas into contact with the oxidation catalyst and the reforming catalyst. When discharging the quality gas from the outlet, the upstream reforming catalyst close to the oxidation catalyst is excessively heated, while the temperature rise of the downstream reforming catalyst far from the oxidation catalyst is delayed. For this reason, the temperature distribution of the reforming catalyst is biased, and this bias of the temperature distribution may adversely affect the reforming reaction. In order to suppress such adverse effects in the reforming reaction, the heat release from both catalysts is suppressed by disposing a heat insulating material around the outer periphery of the oxidation catalyst and the reforming catalyst, and the upstream and downstream portions of the reforming catalyst. A reformer having a configuration for optimizing the temperature difference between the two is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-125313 A

  By the way, in the autothermal reformer as described above, the reformed gas released from the outlet of the reformer is released in a high temperature state, so that the reforming that is continuously operated is performed. When stopping the apparatus without performing sufficient scavenging of the reformed gas generated by the reformer, the apparatus to which the generated reformed gas is supplied and the outlet of the reformer It is conceivable that dew condensation occurs on the inner wall of the passage (hereinafter referred to as the reformed gas passage) that communicates the fluid and the inner wall of the outlet portion of the reformer. That is, when the reformer is stopped, a large temperature gradient is generated in the vicinity of the inner wall of the reformed gas passage and the outlet of the reformer as described above, resulting in condensation on the inner wall. It can be considered that a large amount of liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the outlet of the quality device.

  When liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the outlet of the reformer in this way, the emerged liquid moisture enters the interior of the reformer, resulting in the inside of the reformer. This may lead to a situation where the performance of the catalyst disposed in the battery deteriorates. For example, when considering the configuration of the reformer as shown in the cited document 1, the occurrence of condensation in the catalyst itself can be avoided by disposing a heat insulating material around the outside of the catalyst. Although it is conceivable, for example, when the operation of the reformer is stopped and there is intrusion into the catalyst of liquid moisture that appears due to dew condensation caused on the inner wall of the outlet of the reformer, the A part of the catalyst may be immersed in liquid moisture, which may lead to a situation where the catalyst performance deteriorates.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention can suppress the deterioration of the performance of the catalyst disposed in the exterior casing of the reformer even when liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the outlet of the reformer. An object of the present invention is to provide a reformer having a simple structure.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reforming apparatus for reforming a hydrogen fuel containing at least hydrogen as a constituent component to generate hydrogen, and reforming the hydrogen fuel to generate hydrogen. A reforming catalyst, an oxidation catalyst disposed upstream of the reforming catalyst and performing oxidation in an oxygen atmosphere, and an exterior housing that houses the reforming catalyst and the oxidation catalyst inside, An inlet portion for taking the hydrogen-based fuel together with air as a mixed gas from an upstream passage disposed upstream of the oxidation catalyst, and a generated reformed gas disposed downstream of the reforming catalyst. A reforming apparatus comprising: an outlet portion that discharges to a downstream passage; and an outer casing that includes an outer peripheral wall that surrounds an outer periphery of the reforming catalyst and the oxidation catalyst. A water reservoir that can store liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall. A water storage portion formed on the outer peripheral wall portion of the outer casing, and a guide passage that guides liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion of the outer casing to the water storage portion. There is provided a reforming apparatus having a guide passage formed in an outer peripheral wall portion.

  That is, the invention described in claim 1 is a reformer that reforms a hydrogen-based fuel containing at least hydrogen as a constituent component to generate hydrogen, and includes an oxidation catalyst and a reforming catalyst. In the reformer, the water storage part that stores liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet part of the outer casing, which is a part that releases the generated reformed gas, and the inner wall of the outlet part of the outer casing appear. An oxidation catalyst and a reformer disposed inside the outer casing of the reformer by forming a guide passage for guiding liquid moisture to the water storage section on the outer peripheral wall of the outer casing. It is possible to induce liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion of the outer casing to the water storage portion while avoiding contact between the catalyst and both catalysts, and the reforming catalyst and the oxidation catalyst with such liquid moisture. It is possible to avoid a situation where a part of the product becomes immersed To. In the present invention, the oxidation catalyst and the reforming catalyst are not limited to being formed independently of each other, but also include an integrally formed catalyst that exhibits an oxidation reaction on the upstream side and a reforming reaction on the downstream side. .

  According to invention of Claim 2, the said water storage part is formed as a protrusion part which protrudes in the radial direction outer side of the said exterior housing | casing in the part which is a part of the said outer peripheral wall part, and adjoins the said oxidation catalyst, The guide passage is an inclined surface formed in the outer peripheral wall portion, and is inclined so that liquid moisture that appears on the inner wall of the outlet portion can be guided to the water storage portion along the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion. A reformer according to claim 1 is provided which is formed as an inclined surface.

  According to invention of Claim 3, in order to suppress the backflow of the reformed gas from the said water storage part to the said inlet part via the said guidance path, the said reformed gas of a predetermined part of the said water storage part is carried out. The reformer according to claim 2, wherein a heat insulating material capable of suppressing permeation is provided.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the inner wall of the outlet portion is provided so as to provide a space that allows liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion to move from the inner wall of the outlet portion to the guide passage. The reforming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an additional heat insulating material is disposed at a boundary portion between the outer peripheral wall portion and the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, the reformer according to claim 3 or 4 is provided, wherein the water storage section communicates with the upstream side of the oxidation catalyst.

  According to the invention described in each claim, it is a reforming device that reforms a hydrogen-based fuel containing at least hydrogen as one component to generate hydrogen, and includes an oxidation catalyst and a reforming catalyst. In the reformer, a part of the reforming catalyst and the oxidation catalyst disposed inside the outer casing in the reformer is caused by the appearance of liquid moisture on the inner wall of the outlet portion of the outer casing. It is possible to avoid a situation where the liquid moisture is immersed, and even when liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the reformer outlet, the interior of the outer casing of the reformer There is a common effect that it is possible to suppress the performance deterioration of the arranged catalyst.

It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the reforming apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing in AA in FIG. It is sectional drawing in BB in FIG. It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the reforming apparatus in a prior art.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a reformer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the reforming apparatus of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1 to 3, 1 is a reformer, 2 is a reforming catalyst, 3 is an oxidation catalyst, 4 is an outer casing, 5 is an inlet portion, 6 is an outlet portion, 7 is an outer peripheral wall portion, 8 Is an upstream passage, 9 is a downstream passage, 10 is a water reservoir, 11 is a guide passage, 12 to 14 are heat insulating materials, 15 is a heater, and 16 is an inclined surface.

  A reformer 1 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a reformer that reforms a hydrogen-based fuel containing at least hydrogen as a constituent component to generate hydrogen, and reforms the hydrogen-based fuel to produce hydrogen. A reforming catalyst 2 that generates NO, an oxidation catalyst 3 that is disposed upstream of the reforming catalyst 2 and performs oxidation such as partial oxidation or complete oxidation in an oxygen atmosphere, and the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 And an exterior housing 4 to be housed. The outer casing 4 includes an inlet portion 5 for taking in the hydrogen-based fuel as a mixed gas together with air from an upstream passage 8 disposed upstream of the oxidation catalyst 3, and the generated reformed gas as a reforming catalyst. 2, an outlet portion 6 that discharges to a downstream passage 9 disposed on the downstream side of 2, and an outer peripheral wall portion 7 that surrounds the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the temperature of the oxidation catalyst 3 is promoted by heating the mixed gas introduced from the inlet portion 5 inside the outer casing 4 and upstream of the oxidation catalyst 3. A heater 15 is provided.

  The reforming catalyst 2 plays a role of reforming the hydrogen-based fuel taken in from the upstream flow path 8 to generate hydrogen, and catalyst particles for reforming the hydrogen-based fuel are arranged. . The reforming catalyst 2 in the present embodiment is formed in a honeycomb structure and has a plurality of flow paths formed along the direction in which the introduced mixed gas flows. The catalyst particles of the reforming catalyst 2 are assumed to be carried on a carrier, and the carrier is formed of, for example, aluminum oxide. In addition, examples of the metal of the catalyst particles for reforming the incorporated hydrogen fuel can include noble metals such as platinum and ruthenium, or base metals such as nickel and cobalt, but are not limited thereto. Rather, it can be composed of any metal that can result in reforming of the incorporated hydrogen-based fuel.

  On the other hand, the oxidation catalyst 3 is disposed upstream of the reforming catalyst 2 and oxidizes in an oxygen atmosphere. The oxidation catalyst 3 is hydrogen-based using oxygen in the air taken in together with the hydrogen-based fuel from the inlet portion 5. A part of the fuel is combusted, and the heat generated by the combustion is used to promote the temperature rise of the reforming catalyst 2 arranged on the downstream side to the reformable temperature. Catalyst particles for oxidizing a part of the hydrogen-based fuel taken from the passage 8 such as partial oxidation or complete oxidation are arranged. The oxidation catalyst 3 in the present embodiment is formed in a honeycomb configuration like the reforming catalyst 2, and has a plurality of flow paths formed along the direction in which the introduced mixed gas flows. The catalyst particles of the oxidation catalyst 3 are also carried on a carrier as in the reforming catalyst 2, and the carrier is made of, for example, aluminum oxide. Examples of the metal of the catalyst particles for oxidizing the incorporated hydrogen-based fuel include noble metals such as platinum and base metals such as iron, but are not limited thereto, and oxidation of the incorporated fuel is not limited thereto. It can be composed of any metal that can result.

  In the reformer in the present embodiment, a heater that accelerates the temperature rise of the oxidation catalyst 3 by heating the mixed gas introduced from the inlet 5 inside the outer casing 4 and upstream of the oxidation catalyst 3. 15 is disposed. In this embodiment, an electric heating catalyst (EHC) is provided as such a heater. This electrically heated catalyst comprises a carrier base material on which a catalyst coat layer is formed, and heating means for electrically heating the carrier base material, and is in the air taken together with the hydrogen-based fuel from the inlet portion 5. A part of the hydrogen-based fuel is burned using the oxygen, and the mixed gas is heated using the heat generated by the combustion, so that each of the oxidation catalyst 3 and the reforming catalyst 2 arranged on the downstream side is predetermined. Plays a role in promoting temperature rise.

  In this embodiment, the electrically heated catalyst 15 is used auxiliary until the temperature of the oxidation catalyst 3 is raised to a predetermined temperature that is an oxidizable temperature. After the temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature, energization is stopped and its use is stopped. Further, in the present embodiment, the electrically heated catalyst 15 is disposed as a temperature increase promoting means until the oxidation catalyst 3 is heated to a predetermined temperature. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inlet 5 is provided. Any heater may be used as long as it has a function capable of heating the air-fuel mixture taken in through electric current. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, for the purpose of quickly raising the temperature of the oxidation catalyst 3 to a predetermined temperature, a temperature increase promotion means such as an electrically heated catalyst is disposed upstream of the oxidation catalyst 3. Such temperature increase promotion means may not be arranged, and the necessity of such temperature increase promotion means is generally determined according to the performance of the oxidation catalyst 3.

  A heat insulating material 12 is disposed around the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3. By disposing the heat insulating material 12 around the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3, it is possible to suppress heat radiation from these catalysts. In view of the design specifications and performance specifications of the reforming catalyst 2, the oxidation catalyst 3, or the outer casing 4, the heat insulating material 12 disposed around the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 is a main material. It may be excluded from the components of the reformer.

  In the reforming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment configured to include the reforming catalyst 2, the oxidation catalyst 3, and the heater 15 as described above, a low temperature state in which the temperature of the oxidation catalyst 3 is lower than the oxidizable temperature. In such a case, the heater 15 is energized and the temperature of the oxidation catalyst 3 is quickly raised to the oxidizable temperature. Then, using the heat of reaction due to the oxidation reaction in the oxidation catalyst 3 that has been heated to an oxidizable temperature, the reforming catalyst 2 that performs the reforming reaction is heated to promote the reforming reaction. The reforming control is executed.

  By the way, in the above-described autothermal reforming apparatus 1, the reformed gas released from the outlet portion 6 of the reforming apparatus 1 is released in a high temperature state. When stopping the reforming apparatus 1 that is stopped without sufficient scavenging of the reformed gas generated by the reforming apparatus 1, an apparatus (not shown) to which the generated reformed gas is supplied ) And the reformer 1 may be condensed on the inner wall of the downstream passage 9 and the inner wall of the outlet 6 of the reformer 1, that is, the inner wall of the outlet 6 of the exterior casing 4 of the reformer 1. It is possible. That is, when the reformer 1 is stopped, a large temperature gradient is generated in the vicinity of the inner wall of the downstream passage 9 serving as the reformed gas passage as described above and in the vicinity of the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the reformer 1. It is conceivable that a large amount of liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the reformer 1 due to the above.

  When such liquid water appears on the inner wall of the outlet of the reformer, that is, when such liquid water appears on the inner wall of the outlet of the outer casing of the reformer, FIG. In the configuration of the reforming apparatus 101 according to an embodiment of the prior art as shown in FIG. 2, since the heat insulating material 112 is disposed around the reforming catalyst 102 and the oxidation catalyst 103, these catalysts themselves It is thought that the occurrence of condensation in can be avoided. However, in the case where liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion 106 of the exterior casing 104 of the reformer 101 may intrude into these catalysts due to condensation or the like, these A part of the catalyst may be immersed in liquid moisture, which may lead to a situation where the catalyst performance deteriorates. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 105 denotes an inlet portion, 107 denotes an outer peripheral wall portion, 108 denotes an upstream side passage, 109 denotes a downstream side passage, and 112 denotes a heat insulating material.

  In order to avoid such a situation, the reformer of the present invention is disposed inside the outer casing of the reformer even when liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the outlet of the reformer. It has a structure that can suppress the performance deterioration of the catalyst.

  Specifically, in the reforming apparatus 1 of the present invention, a water storage unit 10 that stores liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet 6 of the exterior housing 4 that is a part that discharges the generated reformed gas; The outer peripheral wall portion 7 of the outer casing 4 is connected to the guide passage 11 that guides the liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the outer casing 4 to the water storage section 10 along the outer peripheral wall portion 7 of the outer casing 4. It forms so that it may form. By configuring the reforming apparatus 1 in this way, the exterior casing is avoided while avoiding contact between the oxidation catalyst 3 and the reforming catalyst 2 disposed inside the exterior casing 4 of the reforming apparatus 1. It is possible to guide the liquid water that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 to the water storage section 10, and a part of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 is immersed in such liquid water. It is possible to avoid such a situation.

  In one embodiment of the reforming apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, water storage for storing liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet 6 of the outer casing 4 that is a part for discharging the generated reformed gas. The part 10 is formed as a protruding part that protrudes outward in the radial direction of the outer casing 4 in a part of the outer peripheral wall part 7 and adjacent to the oxidation catalyst 3. In the present embodiment, a water reservoir 10 is formed on the outer periphery of the oxidation catalyst 3. The water reservoir 10 communicates with the upstream side of the oxidation catalyst 3 via a first additional heat insulating material 13. In addition, the guide passage 11 that guides liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the exterior housing 4 to the water storage portion 10 is an inclined surface 16 formed in the outer peripheral wall portion 7, and is formed on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6. It is formed as an inclined surface 16 that is inclined so that the emerging liquid moisture can be guided to the water storage portion 10 along the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7.

  According to such a configuration of the water storage unit 10 and the guide passage 11, even when liquid moisture appears on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the exterior housing 4, the liquid water is stored along the inclined surface 16. Can be led to 10. That is, the liquid water that appears on the inner wall of the outlet 6 of the outer casing 4 is brought into contact with both the oxidation catalyst 3 and the reforming catalyst 2 disposed inside the outer casing 6 of the reformer 1. This makes it possible to guide liquid water that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the exterior housing 4 to the water storage portion 10.

  Furthermore, the water storage part 10 is disposed in a part of the outer peripheral wall part 7 and adjacent to the oxidation catalyst 3, so that the liquid catalyst stored in the water storage part 10 is activated next time when the liquid water stored in the water storage part 10 is started. It is possible to evaporate by using the heat generated in the oxidation reaction of this, and it is possible to discharge from the outlet 6 to the outside. Further, when the hydrogen-based fuel to be taken in is a water-soluble fuel, the fuel component can be evaporated together with the liquid moisture, and the fuel component dissolved in water can be reused. Further, since the water storage unit 10 communicates with the upstream side of the oxidation catalyst 3, the evaporated fuel component can be reformed again. Further, for example, it is conceivable to provide a drain hole in the water storage unit 10 for discharging liquid water, but there is a risk that gas may leak during normal operation. On the other hand, in this embodiment, liquid moisture can be discharged without providing a drain hole.

  As can be understood from FIG. 1, in an embodiment in which the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 is surrounded by a heat insulating material, the heat insulating material 12 surrounding these catalysts and the outer casing are formed. It is effective to take some means for positively providing a space through which liquid moisture passes between the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7 of the body 4.

  As one means for providing a space for allowing such liquid moisture to pass therethrough, a space for allowing liquid moisture to pass therethrough is formed by cutting out part of the heat insulating material 12 surrounding the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3. It is possible. However, notching part of the heat insulating material 12 that surrounds the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 may cause some problems in terms of heat insulating properties.

  Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst are formed at the boundary between the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 and the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7 from the viewpoint of maintaining heat insulation. The second additional heat insulating material 14 is disposed between the heat insulating material 12 surrounding the outer periphery of the outer surface 3 and the inclined surface 16 of the guide passage 11 to form a space through which liquid moisture passes. According to such a configuration, the heat insulating material 12 surrounding the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 and the outer peripheral wall portion 7 of the outer casing 4 while maintaining the heat insulating properties of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3. Allows the passage of liquid moisture between the inner walls of

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, that is, disposed between the heat insulating material 12 surrounding the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 and the inclined surface 16 of the guide passage 11. It is a figure which shows the structure and arrangement | positioning of the 2nd additional heat insulating material. As can be understood from FIG. 2, the second additional heat insulating material 14 in this embodiment is a heat insulating material that surrounds the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 so as to form a space that allows liquid moisture to pass therethrough. 12 are arranged at equal intervals around the outer periphery.

  It should be noted that the arrangement and shape of the second additional heat insulating material 14 are not limited to the form as shown in FIG. 2 and are appropriately determined according to the design specifications and the like. For example, an opening that allows liquid water to pass through only in the lower side in the vertical direction may be provided, and the other part may be closed with the second additional heat insulating material 14. Further, the assembly of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 and the heat insulating material 12 arranged around the outer periphery of these catalysts is arranged suspended inside the outer casing by a support member or the like. In the case where a space exists between the assembly and the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7, the means for providing the space through which the liquid moisture passes as described above may be unnecessary.

  Further, as can be understood from FIG. 1, the water storage portion 10 is formed in a part of the outer peripheral wall portion 7 of the outer casing 4, and the liquid moisture that appears on the inner wall of the outlet portion 6 of the outer casing 4 is removed from the outer peripheral wall portion. In the embodiment in which the guide passage 11 is formed on the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7 so as to guide along the inner wall, the reverse flow of the reformed gas from the water storage portion 10 to the inlet portion 5 through the guide passage 11 or During the operation of the reformer 1, it is necessary to take some means to suppress the unreformed gas from flowing through the water storage unit 10 → the guide passage 11 → the outlet unit 6.

  Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, heat insulation that surrounds the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 in a predetermined portion determined by design specifications and the like on the inlet portion 5 side in the water storage portion 10. The first additional heat insulating material 13 is disposed between the material 12 and the inner wall of the exterior housing 4, and the first additional heat insulating material 13 can suppress the permeation of the reformed gas. It shall be formed of a simple material. According to such a configuration, even when the generated reformed gas enters the water storage section 10 along the guide passage 11, the reformed gas inlet section 5 is provided by the first additional heat insulating material 13. It is possible to suppress the backflow to the. It is also possible to suppress a bypass flow in which the unreformed gas flows. That is, since the first additional heat insulating material 13 is sufficiently smaller than the cell passages of the oxidation catalyst 3 and the reforming catalyst 2, the flow resistance of the first additional heat insulating material 13 is large, and the flow of gas is suppressed. However, liquid moisture can pass through.

  3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1, that is, the heat insulating material 12 surrounding the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 and the inner wall of the exterior housing 7 in a predetermined portion of the water storage unit 10. It is a figure which shows the structure and arrangement | positioning of the 1st additional heat insulating material 13 arrange | positioned between. As can be understood from FIG. 3, the first additional heat insulating material 13 in the present embodiment stores water in order to suppress the backflow of the reformed gas from the water storage section 10 to the inlet section 5 through the guide passage 11. In a predetermined portion on the inlet portion 5 side in the portion 10, it is disposed between the heat insulating material 12 surrounding the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3 and the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7 over the entire circumference of the inner wall of the water storage portion 10. Is done.

  It should be noted that the arrangement and shape of the first additional heat insulating material 13 are not limited to the form as shown in FIG. 3, and are appropriately determined according to the design specifications and the like. Further, if there is an existing contact portion over the entire circumference of the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion 7 with the assembly of the reforming catalyst 2 and the oxidation catalyst 3, and the contact portion can perform the function of suppressing backflow, Such a means for suppressing the backflow of the reformed gas from the water storage unit 10 to the inlet unit 5 through the guide passage 11 may be unnecessary. Further, in the present embodiment, the space between the water storage unit 10 and the heater 15 and the oxidation catalyst 3 is provided with the first additional heat insulating material 13, but the first additional heat insulating material 13 is provided. Further, the water storage unit 10 and the space between the heater 15 and the oxidation catalyst 3 may be communicated with each other by being arranged on the outlet unit 6 side. In this case, since the first additional heat insulating material 13 is not interposed, the liquid water stored in the water storage unit 10 is evaporated using the heat generated by the oxidation reaction of the oxidation catalyst 3 when it is started next time. Can be made more efficient and can be discharged to the outside from the outlet portion 6, and when the hydrogen-based fuel to be taken in is a water-soluble fuel, the fuel component is evaporated together with the liquid moisture, The fuel component dissolved in water can be introduced from the front stage of the oxidation catalyst 3. Furthermore, the heat from the heater 15 can also be used effectively for evaporation.

  As can be understood from the above description, according to the reforming apparatus of the present invention as described above, due to the appearance of liquid moisture on the inner wall of the outlet portion of the outer casing, the outer casing of the reforming apparatus This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which a part of the reforming catalyst or oxidation catalyst disposed inside is immersed in liquid moisture, thereby allowing liquid to be formed on the inner wall of the outlet portion of the reformer. Even when water-like moisture appears, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the performance of the catalyst disposed inside the exterior casing of the reformer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reforming apparatus 2 Reforming catalyst 3 Oxidation catalyst 4 Exterior casing 5 Inlet part 6 Outlet part 7 Outer peripheral wall part 8 Upstream side path 9 Downstream side path 10 Water storage part 11 Guidance path

Claims (5)

A reformer that reforms a hydrogen-based fuel containing at least hydrogen as one component to generate hydrogen,
A reforming catalyst for reforming the hydrogen-based fuel to produce hydrogen;
An oxidation catalyst that is disposed upstream of the reforming catalyst and oxidizes in an oxygen atmosphere;
An exterior housing that houses the reforming catalyst and the oxidation catalyst inside, and an inlet portion that takes in the hydrogen-based fuel as a mixed gas together with air from an upstream passage disposed upstream of the oxidation catalyst If the outlet for releasing the generated reformed gas to the downstream passage disposed downstream of the reforming catalyst, and an outer peripheral wall portion surrounding the outer periphery of the reforming catalyst and the oxidation catalyst In the reformer comprising the exterior casing provided,
A water storage part that can store liquid moisture that has appeared on the inner wall of the outlet part of the outer casing, and a water storage part formed on the outer peripheral wall part of the outer casing, and an inner wall of the outlet part of the outer casing appearing a liquid water an induction passage leading to the reservoir possess an induction passage formed in the outer peripheral wall of the outer housing, a liquid moisture stored in the reservoir portion of the oxidation catalyst A reformer characterized in that it is evaporated by heat generated by an oxidation reaction and discharged from the outlet portion to the outside . The water storage part is a part of the outer peripheral wall part and is formed as a protruding part that protrudes radially outward of the outer casing in a part adjacent to the oxidation catalyst,
The guide passage is an inclined surface formed in the outer peripheral wall portion, and is inclined so that liquid moisture that appears on the inner wall of the outlet portion can be guided to the water storage portion along the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion. The reformer according to claim 1, wherein the reformer is formed as an inclined surface.   In order to suppress the backflow of the reformed gas from the water storage section to the inlet section via the guide passage, a first additional that can suppress the permeation of the reformed gas to a predetermined portion of the water storage section. The reformer according to claim 2, wherein a heat insulating material is disposed.   A boundary portion between the inner wall of the outlet portion and the inner wall of the outer peripheral wall portion in order to provide a space that allows the liquid moisture appearing on the inner wall of the outlet portion to move from the inner wall of the outlet portion to the guide passage. The reformer according to claim 3, wherein a second additional heat insulating material is disposed.   The reforming apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the water storage section communicates with the upstream side of the oxidation catalyst.

Images