JPH11343101A - Hydrogen generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain both of the reduction of a flow resistance of a combustion gas for heating and an effective heating of a reforming part and to attain both of miniaturization of the whole device and an improvement of heat utilization efficiency in a hydrogen generating device using a catalytic combustion for heating. SOLUTION: The reforming part 5 is disposed in a combustion chamber and a catalyst body 8 for combustion is arranged closely or adhesively to the reforming part to lower the flow resistance of the combustion gas and also to effectively heat the reforming part by using a radiation heat of catalytic combustion. The reforming part and the combustion catalyst body for heating are constituted almost integrally to miniaturize the device, and a heat radiation loss from the device is minimized by a device surface area reducing effect due to the miniaturization.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to natural gas, LP
The present invention relates to a device that generates hydrogen to be supplied to a hydrogen-using device such as a fuel cell, using a hydrocarbon-based compound such as G, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, and methanol, and water as raw materials.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hydrogen has attracted attention as one of the promising candidates for an energy source to replace fossil fuels, but it is necessary to improve social infrastructure such as a hydrogen pipeline for its effective use. One way is to use natural gas,
In addition, a method of generating hydrogen by reforming the fuel at a place where hydrogen is required by utilizing the already established transportation and transportation infrastructure such as fossil fuel and alcohol is being studied.

For example, as on-site power generators for small and medium scale, there are various forms such as a natural gas (city gas) reforming technology for a fuel cell and a methanol reforming technology for a fuel cell for a power source of an automobile. Proposed. A high-temperature catalytic reaction (steam reforming, etc.) is used to reform these raw materials to generate hydrogen, but combustion heat is used for heating to maintain the reforming catalyst at a high temperature. It is common to do.

[0004] At this time, from the viewpoint of effective use of energy, a method is often employed in which hydrogen present in a gas (off gas) discharged from a fuel cell is used as a heating fuel. Normally, the hydrogen concentration in off-gas is low and its concentration changes depending on the conditions.Even if it is combined with other fuels, it is necessary to control the air-fuel ratio etc. within an appropriate range to form a stable flame. , Complicated controls and mechanisms are required. For this reason, a catalytic combustion method capable of performing combustion with a wide air-fuel ratio and performing clean combustion even at a low temperature is sometimes used as a heating method for reforming. For example,
JP-A-5-155602 discloses a method in which a reforming catalyst layer and a combustion catalyst layer are alternately stacked to transfer heat generated by the combustion catalyst to the reforming catalyst.

[0005]

In most cases, a reforming apparatus employing a heating method utilizing catalytic combustion has a structure in which a reforming catalyst and a combustion catalyst are alternately stacked, as in the above-mentioned conventional example. Such a configuration is intended to effectively transmit the heat generated in the combustion catalyst to the reforming catalyst, and is an effective arrangement for improving heat transfer. But,
In particular, when the number of the layers is increased, there is a problem that it is difficult to uniformly distribute gas to the respective catalyst layers, a sealing method for eliminating leakage between the layers is also difficult, and the overall configuration is complicated.

[0006] In addition, since granular catalysts have been often used so far, and they are filled in narrow passages, the ventilation resistance increases, and a special method is required for supplying fuel and air. Sometimes things happened.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has a simple structure, in particular, a catalyst combustion apparatus having a structure in which ventilation resistance in a catalyst combustion section on the heating side is reduced and heat transfer is effectively performed. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen generator using the same.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a hydrocarbon compound supply section and a water supply section, and a raw material containing at least the hydrocarbon compound and the water. In a device that generates hydrogen by contacting the reforming catalyst, a reforming section filled with the reforming catalyst is arranged in a combustion chamber in a passage space of the raw material divided into a plurality, and the reforming catalyst is A catalyst body for combustion is provided in the vicinity of the partition wall, and a fuel supply unit, a combustion air supply unit, and a mixing unit that mixes fuel and air are provided. A hydrogen generator configured to be introduced into a combustion chamber and to cause the temperature of the reforming section to rise by bringing the mixture into contact with the catalyst body for combustion.

At this time, a reforming section in which a reforming catalyst is filled in a plurality of divided tubular material passages and a plurality of fins are provided outside the reforming section, and a combustion catalyst is disposed between the fins. It is effective to do.

[0010] In addition, a reforming section in which a plurality of flat boxes are filled with a reforming catalyst and the boxes are arranged at intervals, and the boxes are connected by a communication passage. It is effective to arrange a catalyst body for combustion in close proximity.

It is also useful to arrange a plurality of combustion catalysts formed by carrying a catalyst layer on a metal plate containing at least Fe, Cr, Al and a rare earth element.

A reforming section in which a reforming catalyst is filled in a plurality of divided tubular raw material passages, and a plurality of fins are provided outside the reforming section, and a catalyst layer is provided on an outer surface of the raw material passage and a surface of the fins. It is effective to form a catalyst for combustion.

[0013] Further, a reforming section in which a plurality of flat boxes are filled with a reforming catalyst, the boxes are arranged at intervals, and the boxes are connected by a communication passage. It is effective to provide a fin, and form a catalyst layer on at least one surface of the box, the communication passage, and the fin to obtain a combustion catalyst.

It is effective to provide a combustion auxiliary catalyst body on at least one of the upstream side and the downstream side in the direction in which the air-fuel mixture flows in the reforming section.

It is effective that the auxiliary catalyst forms a catalyst layer on the surface of a honeycomb-shaped carrier having a metal or ceramic material containing at least Fe, Cr, Al and a rare earth element.

Further, it is effective to provide a heating device for heating the auxiliary catalyst in proximity to the auxiliary catalyst.

A first auxiliary catalyst for combustion and a second auxiliary catalyst for combustion are provided on the upstream and downstream sides of the reforming section in the direction in which the air-fuel mixture flows, respectively. It is effective to make it smaller than the substantial surface area of the second auxiliary catalyst body.

Further, an evaporating section or a preheating section for a raw material to be supplied for reforming is provided at at least one position on the upstream side or the downstream side in the direction in which the combustion air-fuel mixture flows, and at least a part of the reforming raw material is It is effective to supply to the reforming section via the preheating section and the evaporating section.

In addition, an auxiliary catalyst is provided on the downstream side with respect to the direction in which the air-fuel mixture flows in the reforming section, and an oxidizing agent containing an oxygen amount equal to or less than a stoichiometric ratio required for fuel combustion, An air-fuel mixture is supplied from the upstream side of the reforming section, and an oxidizing agent is added between the reforming section and the auxiliary catalyst body so that the total amount of oxygen becomes equal to or more than the stoichiometric ratio required for combustion of the fuel. It is effective to provide a supply unit for supplying the pressure. At this time, it is useful that the oxidizing agent is air.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

[0021]

(Embodiment 1) A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
Will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of a main part of an embodiment of the hydrogen generator of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a raw material supply unit having a hydrocarbon compound, which includes a flow control device and the like. The hydrocarbon compounds are selected from methane, natural gas, LPG, naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, methanol, etc., and, if necessary, a device for removing sulfur compounds in these raw materials or, when using a liquid substance, their vaporization. Equipment is provided.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a water supply unit for supplying water as another raw material. Reference numeral 3 denotes a raw material mixing section of a hydrocarbon compound and water, and 5 denotes a tubular reforming section, which is branched into a plurality of tubes, each of which is filled with a reforming catalyst. The reforming catalyst depends on the hydrocarbon compound used as the raw material.
It is appropriately selected from a noble metal such as ruthenium or a metal such as nickel, copper, zinc or the like.

The reforming section is provided with a plurality of fins 7,
During that time, the combustion catalyst 8 is installed. The reforming section 5, the fins 7, and the catalyst body 8 for combustion are substantially integrally formed, and the combustion chamber wall 16 is formed.
Are housed in the combustion chamber 11. The mixed gas of the raw materials is sent to the reforming unit 5 via the raw material mixing unit 3, the raw material mixed gas inlet 9, and the supply chamber 4. 6 is an outlet chamber and 10 is a reformed gas outlet. 12 is for heating the reforming section 5;
Reference numeral 13 denotes a fuel supply unit for supplying fuel, 13 denotes a blower for supplying air for combustion, 14 denotes a fuel mixing unit, and 15 denotes a mixing unit 1.
4 is an outlet of the air-fuel mixture generated in Step 4.

As the fuel, usually, the same fuel as the hydrocarbon-based raw material for reforming is selected. Therefore, when liquid fuel is selected, it is necessary to install a vaporizer in the fuel mixing section 14. Further, the off-gas from the fuel cell may be used alone or in combination with the fuel here. Reference numeral 17 denotes a combustion gas exhaust port. In this embodiment, the catalyst 8
Was prepared by forming a catalyst layer on a plate-like heat-resistant metal carrier. The catalyst layer was formed by dispersing and supporting a noble metal on an inorganic layer mainly composed of alumina powder. In addition, the catalyst bodies are arranged two by two between the fins 7. However, by using a plurality of the catalyst bodies, mutual thermal interference becomes appropriate and an effect of stabilizing the combustion reaction is exhibited. This number can be appropriately determined according to the purpose and conditions.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing details of the periphery of the reforming section 5 in FIG. Reference numeral 20 denotes a reforming catalyst filled in the tubular reforming section 5. Insert the catalyst body 8 between the fins 7
It was installed one by one.

Next, an operation method of the embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described. Here, an example in which methanol is used as a hydrocarbon-based raw material and a fuel will be described. First, combustion is started. At this time, it is preferable to flow an inert gas such as nitrogen into the reforming catalyst. The combustion is started by supplying a mixture of methanol and air to the combustion chamber 11.

In this case, it is necessary to install a heater or the like in the fuel mixing chamber and vaporize methanol at a predetermined temperature in advance. When the air-fuel mixture containing the fuel methanol comes into contact with the combustion catalyst 8, the combustion reaction starts, and the temperature of the combustion catalyst 8 starts to rise. The heat of combustion is transmitted to the reforming catalyst in the reforming section 5 via the adjacent fins 7, and the temperature of the reforming catalyst rises. When the reforming catalyst reaches an appropriate temperature (200-300 ° C.), the raw material supply unit 1
Water is supplied from the water supply unit 2 at an appropriate ratio.

The raw material mixture is reformed into a hydrogen-rich gas by contacting the reforming catalyst in the reforming section 5, discharged from the reformed gas outlet 10 and sent to the next step to increase the hydrogen purity. After being equalized, the fuel cell is used. During that time, the reforming catalyst is maintained at an appropriate temperature while adjusting the combustion amount so that the reforming reaction is sufficiently performed.

In the reforming section 5 having a plurality of branches, the heat generated by the large number of catalyst bodies 8 having a sufficient surface area is transmitted to the fins 7 having a sufficient surface area. It will be heated. As a result, the reforming catalyst is maintained at a constant temperature, and can receive a sufficient amount of heat required for the endothermic reaction of the reforming.

The operation using methanol has been described above. However, when fuel is used for city gas, kerosene, etc., an operation for raising the catalyst to an activation temperature in advance is required. For example, as one method, the outlet 15 is formed in a burner shape, and an igniter is installed. First, the burner is ignited to form a flame, and the heat is used to preheat the catalyst body 8 and the like to increase the activation temperature. Thereafter, the flame can be extinguished and a transition can be made to catalytic combustion.

As another method, a heater such as an electric heater is installed near the catalyst 8 to heat the catalyst 8. Then, when the catalyst body 8 reaches the activation temperature, the catalytic combustion can be started by introducing the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber 11. In the case of heat transfer at high temperatures, it is advisable to use radiation. In particular, in the case of catalytic combustion, heat radiation from the combustion surface is active. Therefore, it is effective to process the fins 7 serving as the heat receiving surface so as to easily absorb the radiant heat. Since it is the black body that absorbs heat rays most easily, heat conductivity is improved by a method of substantially blackening the surface. In addition, since catalytic combustion has good reactivity even at low temperatures and has a lower temperature than flame combustion, clean combustion is continued with extremely small amounts of harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in exhaust gas.

(Embodiment 2) Next, FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a main part of a second embodiment according to the present invention. Detailed description of the same parts as those in FIG. 1 will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the reforming section 35 is constituted by a plurality of flat box bodies. 3
Reference numeral 6 denotes a communication passage connecting them, and reference numeral 38 denotes a catalyst provided in the communication passage 36 between the boxes. The catalyst body 8 used the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but here, 3
It was configured to be installed one by one. With this configuration, the volume of the reforming section,
In other words, since the volume of the reforming catalyst filled therein can be sufficiently ensured, a small-sized hydrogen generator having a high reforming ability can be configured.

Another embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 48 denotes a catalyst body. Here, a catalyst layer was directly formed on the outer surfaces of the fin 7 and the tubular reforming section 5.

Similarly, another embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 20 denotes a reforming unit 3 formed of a flat box.
The reforming catalyst filled in 5, the fin 57 provided in the communication passage 36, and the catalyst body 58 are provided directly on the surfaces of the reforming portion 35, the fin 57 and the communication passage 36 as in the embodiment of FIG. A layer was formed to be a catalyst. By thus forming the catalyst layer directly on the surface to be heated, the heating efficiency can be improved, the configuration is simplified, and the cost reduction effect is increased.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a third embodiment according to the present invention. In addition to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a first auxiliary catalyst body 61 and a second auxiliary catalyst body 63 for combustion are provided upstream and downstream of the reforming section, and each auxiliary catalyst body is brought to an activation temperature. A first preheater 62 and a second preheater 64 are provided. The first and second auxiliary catalysts are obtained by dispersing and supporting a noble metal catalyst on a ceramic honeycomb carrier.

It is effective to use a heat-resistant metal as well as a ceramic carrier. The description of the same parts as those in FIG. 1 is omitted. The start of the catalytic combustion in the present embodiment starts by operating the first and second preheaters 62 and 64. By the operation, the first and second auxiliary catalysts 6
In a state where 1, 63 are preheated to a sufficient activation temperature, a fuel mixture is introduced into the combustion chamber 11 from the outlet 15. Catalytic combustion is first started on the surfaces of the first and second auxiliary catalysts, and when each reaches a sufficient temperature, radiation from the surface causes the catalyst body 8 provided in the vicinity of the reforming section 5 to move on both the upstream and downstream sides. Heated from. At this time, as the temperature rises, catalytic combustion starts on the surface. Then, when all the fuel is burned on the surface of the first auxiliary catalyst 61, no combustion reaction occurs on the catalyst body 8, radiation cannot be used for heating the reforming catalyst, and the heating effect is reduced by half. For this reason, the first auxiliary catalyst has a substantially reduced surface area so that the fuel does not burn out in the same part. Specifically, this was addressed by making the honeycomb coarser.

On the other hand, it is desirable to use as fine a honeycomb as possible for the second auxiliary catalyst in order to keep the exhaust gas clean. By doing so, it is possible to cope with the case where the fuel is not completely burned by the catalyst body 8, and conversely,
The operation of reducing the combustion in the second auxiliary catalyst body 63 and uniformly transmitting the heat of combustion in the second auxiliary catalyst body 63 to the reforming section 5 by radiation becomes possible. Since the auxiliary catalysts 61 and 63 are disposed upstream and downstream of the catalyst 8, the mutual heat retention effect is enhanced and the catalytic combustion is further stabilized. This method is particularly effective when methane, natural gas, or the like, which is difficult to combust catalytically, is used as a fuel (raw material). In this embodiment, the first and second
Although both of the auxiliary catalysts 61 and 63 are provided, it goes without saying that the above-mentioned effect is exhibited by only one of the auxiliary catalysts. Also, catalytic combustion can be started from either side. Further, this configuration is naturally applicable to the embodiment shown in FIG.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a fourth embodiment according to the present invention. 1 and 6 are not described here.

Here, 71 is a raw material preheating section, 72 is a liquid raw material evaporating section, 73 is a communication path A which connects the raw material preheating section 71 and the raw material evaporating section 72, and 74 is a raw material evaporating section 72 and the supply chamber 4.
And a communication path B that communicates with. In the present embodiment, the reforming raw material is preheated and evaporated by using the exhaust gas of the catalytic combustion to improve the thermal efficiency of the apparatus. Since the combustion exhaust gas after passing through the second auxiliary catalyst 63 has a sufficient amount of heat at a sufficiently high temperature, the heat in this portion is recovered and used for preheating and evaporating the raw material. This makes it possible to dramatically improve the thermal efficiency of the hydrogen generator.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention. The description of the same parts as those in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 is omitted.

Here, the raw material preheating section 71 is disposed upstream of the first auxiliary catalyst 61, and the liquid raw material evaporating section 72 is disposed downstream of the second auxiliary catalyst. 83 is a communication passage A for communicating the raw material preheating section 71 with the raw material evaporating section 72, and 84 is a raw material evaporating section 7
This is a communication path B that communicates the supply chamber 2 with the supply chamber 4. In this embodiment, the reforming raw material is evaporated using the exhaust gas of the catalytic combustion,
7 shows a configuration different from that of FIG. 7 for preheating the reforming raw material using the radiant heat of the first auxiliary catalyst 61 and for increasing the thermal efficiency as an apparatus.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a sixth embodiment according to the present invention. 1 and FIGS. 6 to 8 are not described.

This embodiment is an improvement based on the embodiment shown in FIG. Reference numeral 93 denotes a branch portion of combustion air from the blower, 92 denotes an air conduit, and 91 denotes a second air blowing portion. The combustion air is supplied to the mixing section 14 to form a mixture with the fuel, and a part of the air is branched and supplied to the upstream side of the second auxiliary catalyst. At this time, the amount of air supplied to the mixing section is smaller than the stoichiometric equivalent ratio of the fuel supplied to the mixing section. Therefore, combustion is performed on the first auxiliary catalyst 61 and the catalyst body 8 in a state of insufficient air. The fuel that cannot be burned is burned on the second auxiliary catalyst 63 by the air supplied from the second air blowing unit 91. Control is performed so that the air amount is equal to or more than the stoichiometric ratio with respect to the fuel in both air. The advantage of this method is that the catalyst activity can be maintained for a long period of time while maintaining the temperature of each catalyst at a high state. When methane or natural gas is used as a fuel (raw material), it is difficult to cause a catalytic reaction. Therefore, in order to maintain stable combustion, it is necessary to set a high catalyst temperature.
If the temperature is close to the heat-resistant limit temperature, the catalyst tends to deteriorate. However, when the catalytic combustion is performed with an air amount equal to or less than the stoichiometric ratio, the catalytic activity does not easily decrease even if the catalyst temperature is set to a higher temperature. The present embodiment is an application of this phenomenon, which makes it possible to provide a highly reliable hydrogen generator over a long period of time.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is also applicable to the embodiment using the flat box-shaped modified portion shown in FIG. Each of the communication passages shown in FIGS.
By arranging them inside the device 1, heat dissipation loss can be reduced, and the thermal efficiency of the device can be improved. Further, by covering the entire device including the communication passages with the heat insulating material, heat radiation loss can be naturally reduced.

[0045]

The effects of the present invention will be described below. 1. The reforming section is disposed in the combustion chamber, and the catalytic combustion section for heating is constructed in the vicinity of the reforming section by the method described in the embodiment, whereby the ventilation resistance of the combustion gas can be reduced. The part could be heated effectively. 2. By integrally configuring the combustion section and the reforming section, the overall configuration of the apparatus could be reduced in size. This reduced the surface area of the device and prevented heat dissipation from the surface. In addition, since the heat of the exhaust gas and the radiant heat from the catalyst body were effectively used,
The thermal efficiency of the device could be improved. 3. Because various fuels can be applied from gaseous fuel to liquid fuel,
It has become possible to provide a hydrogen generator with high convenience and operability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing details around a reforming section in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified portion and its surroundings according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Raw material supply part 2 Water supply part 5 Reforming part 8 Catalytic body 12 Fuel supply part 13 Blower 14 Mixing part 15 Mixture blow-off port 35 Reforming part 36 Communication path 38 Catalyst body 48 Catalyst body 58 Catalyst body 61 1st auxiliary touch Medium 62 First preheater 63 Second auxiliary catalyst body 64 Second preheater 71 Raw material preheating section 72 Raw material evaporation section 91 Second air blowing section

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kiyoshi Taguchi 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (13)

[Claims] An apparatus for producing hydrogen by providing a hydrocarbon-based compound supply section and a water supply section, wherein a raw material containing at least said hydrocarbon-based compound and said water contacts a reforming catalyst. A plurality of divided reforming sections filled with the reforming catalyst in the passage space of the raw material are arranged in a combustion chamber, and a catalyst body for combustion is provided near the reforming catalyst via a partition wall, A fuel supply unit, a combustion air supply unit, and a mixing unit that mixes fuel and air are provided. The air-fuel mixture generated by the mixing unit is introduced into the combustion chamber, and the air-fuel mixture is used as the combustion catalyst. A hydrogen generator configured to increase the temperature of the reforming section by contacting the reforming section. 2. A reforming unit in which a reforming catalyst is filled in a plurality of divided tubular material passages, and a plurality of fins are provided outside the reforming unit, and a combustion catalyst is disposed between the fins. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1. 3. A reforming unit in which a plurality of flat boxes are filled with a reforming catalyst, the boxes are arranged at intervals, and the boxes are connected by a communication passage. 2. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein a catalyst body for combustion is disposed in close proximity to the hydrogen generator. 4. The hydrogen generator according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of combustion catalysts formed by supporting a catalyst layer are arranged on a metal plate containing at least Fe, Cr, Al and a rare earth element. 5. A reforming section in which a reforming catalyst is filled in a plurality of divided tubular raw material passages, and a plurality of fins provided outside the reforming section, and a catalyst layer is provided on an outer surface of the raw material passage and a surface of the fins. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generator is formed as a catalyst for combustion. 6. A reforming unit in which a plurality of flat boxes are filled with a reforming catalyst, the boxes are arranged at intervals, and the boxes are connected by a communication path. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein a fin is provided, and a catalyst layer is formed on at least one surface of the box, the communication path, and the fin to form a catalyst for combustion. 7. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary catalytic body for combustion is provided on at least one of the upstream side and the downstream side of the reforming section in the direction in which the air-fuel mixture flows. 8. The catalyst layer according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary catalyst body has a catalyst layer formed on the surface of a honeycomb-shaped carrier having a metal or ceramic material containing at least Fe, Cr, Al and a rare earth element. Hydrogen generator. 9. The hydrogen generator according to claim 7, wherein a heating device for heating the auxiliary catalyst body is provided near the auxiliary catalyst body. 10. A first auxiliary catalyst body and a second auxiliary catalyst body for combustion are respectively provided upstream and downstream of a direction in which the air-fuel mixture flows in the reforming section, and a substantial surface area of the first auxiliary catalyst body is reduced. 8. The hydrogen generator according to claim 7, wherein the second auxiliary catalyst body has a smaller surface area than a substantial surface area. 11. An evaporating section or a preheating section for a raw material to be supplied for reforming is provided at at least one position on an upstream side or a downstream side in a direction in which a combustion air-fuel mixture flows, and at least a part of the reforming raw material is 8. The power supply to the reforming unit via a preheating unit and the evaporating unit.
The hydrogen generator as described in the above. 12. An auxiliary catalyzer is provided on the downstream side in the direction in which the air-fuel mixture flows in the reforming section, and an oxidant containing an oxygen amount equal to or less than a stoichiometric ratio required for combustion of the fuel, An air-fuel mixture is supplied from the upstream side of the reforming section, and an oxidizing agent is added between the reforming section and the auxiliary catalyst body so that the total amount of oxygen becomes equal to or more than the stoichiometric ratio required for combustion of the fuel. 8. The hydrogen generator according to claim 7, further comprising a supply unit for supplying the hydrogen. 13. The hydrogen generator according to claim 13, wherein the oxidizing agent is air.