Hydrogen generator and fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527055-B2
Application number	US-201314240245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2013
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A hydrogen generator includes a reformer configured to cause a reforming reaction using a material and steam to generate a hydrogen-containing gas; a shift converter configured to reduce CO in the hydrogen-containing gas by a shift reaction; an evaporator provided adjacent to the shift converter so as to perform heat exchange with an upstream side of the shift converter and configured to evaporate water; and a hydro-desulfurizer provided adjacent to the shift converter so as to perform heat exchange with a downstream side of the shift converter and configured to remove a sulfur compound in the material by a hydrodesulfurization reaction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydrogen generator comprising:
a reformer configured to cause a reforming reaction using a material and steam to generate a hydrogen-containing gas;
a shift converter configured to reduce CO in the hydrogen-containing gas by a shift reaction;
an evaporator provided adjacent to the shift converter so as to perform heat exchange with an upstream side of the shift converter and configured to evaporate water; and
a hydro-desulfurizer provided adjacent to the shift converter so as to perform heat exchange with a downstream side of the shift converter and configured to remove a sulfur compound in the material by a hydrodesulfurization reaction,
wherein the hydro-desulfurizer is arranged closer to the downstream side of the shift converter than the upstream side of the shift converter.

2. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1 , further comprising a CO remover configured to reduce the CO in the hydrogen-containing gas having flowed through the shift converter, by at least one of a methanation reaction and an oxidation reaction, wherein:
the shift converter includes a first shift converter located at the upstream side and a second shift converter located at the downstream side; and
the hydrogen-containing gas having flowed through the first shift converter performs heat exchange with the evaporator and the CO remover in this order and then flows through the second shift converter.

3. The hydrogen generator according to claim 2 , wherein the hydrogen-containing gas having flowed through the first shift converter performs heat exchange with the CO remover and the hydrogen-containing gas, having not yet flowed into the CO remover, in this order and then flows through the second shift converter.

4. The hydrogen generator according to claim 2 , wherein the hydrogen-containing gas having flowed through the first shift converter performs heat exchange with the evaporator, the CO remover, and the hydrogen-containing gas, having not yet flowed into the CO remover, in this order and then flows through the second shift converter.

5. The hydrogen generator according to claim 2 , further comprising a heater, wherein
the hydro-desulfurizer is provided so as to be located between the heater and the second shift converter.

6. The hydrogen generator according to claim 5 , wherein:
the hydro-desulfurizer is configured in a circular shape;
the heater is provided at an inner periphery side of the hydro-desulfurizer; and
the second shift converter is provided at an outer periphery side of the hydro-desulfurizer.

7. The hydrogen generator according to claim 6 , wherein:
the second shift converter is configured in a circular shape; and
a passage through which the hydrogen-containing gas having flowed through the second shift converter flows is provided at an outer periphery side of the second shift converter.

8. A fuel cell system comprising:
the hydrogen generator according to claim 1 ; and
a fuel cell configured to generate electric power using the hydrogen-containing gas supplied from the hydrogen generator.

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujihara Seiji
• Nakajima Tomoyuki
• Harada Chie
• Kusuyama Takahiro
• Wakita Hidenobu

Classifications

• C01B2203/127

  Catalytic desulfurisation · CPC title

• C01B2203/0233

  the reforming step being a steam reforming step · CPC title

• C01B2203/0288

  containing two CO-shift steps · CPC title

• H01M8/0675

  Removal of sulfur · CPC title

• C01B2203/0445

  Selective methanation · CPC title