Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Seiji Fujihara

Hidenobu Wakita

Kunihiro Ukai

Yukimune Kani

Kiyoshi Taguchi

Tomoyuki Nakajima

Chie Harada

Akira Maenishi

Takahiro Kusuyama

Yasuyuki Naito

Morio Tomiyama

Tetsuya Ueda

Takeshi Tomizawa

Masaki Nobuoka

Toshiyuki Shono

Yutaka Yoshida

Yumi Kondo

Tomoya Takeuchi

Kensaku Kinugawa

Koichiro Kitagawa

Youji Kawaguchi

Satoru Narita

A terahertz wave spectrometry system that is capable of identifying analyzing target molecules contained in an analyte even if the analyte contains water, by activating a water remover to remove water according a comparison of absorption spectrums so that water in the analyte is easily removed without causing the analyzing target molecules to disappear due to decomposition or denaturation.

Terahertz wave spectrometry system

Provided is a terahertz wave spectrometry system that is capable of easily identifying and quantitating an analyzing target molecule in an analyte, even if the analyte contains water, by calculating a baseline function expressing the absorption characteristic of water peculiar to the terahertz wave.

A method of operating a hydrogen generator includes: a step (a) of generating a hydrogen-containing gas by a hydrogen generation unit by using a raw material in the hydrogen generation unit; a step (b) of removing a sulfur compound from the raw material by a hydrodesulfurizer which is heated by heat transferred from the hydrogen generation unit; and a step (c) of performing an operation of supplying the raw material to the hydrogen generation unit after stopping the generating of the hydrogen-containing gas by the hydrogen generation unit. The step (c) is not performed unless, at least, a temperature of the hydrodesulfurizer is such a temperature at which carbon deposition from the raw material is suppressed.

Method of operating hydrogen generator and method of operating fuel cell system

A hydrogen purifier includes: a CO remover configured to reduce carbon monoxide in a hydrogen-containing gas through an oxidation reaction, the hydrogen-containing gas containing ammonia and carbon monoxide; and an ammonia remover provided upstream from the CO remover, the ammonia remover being configured to cause a reaction between ammonia in the hydrogen-containing gas and oxygen by using a catalyst to decompose the ammonia.

Hydrogen purifier, hydrogen generation apparatus, and fuel cell system

A hydrogen purifier () includes: a shift conversion catalyst () which reduces, through a shift reaction, carbon monoxide contained in a hydrogen-containing gas; and a methanation catalyst () which reduces, through a methanation reaction, carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen-containing gas that has passed through the shift conversion catalyst (). The shift conversion catalyst () and the methanation catalyst () are heat exchangeable with each other via a first partition wall (), and a flow direction of the hydrogen-containing gas that passes through the shift conversion catalyst () is opposite to a flow direction of the hydrogen-containing gas that passes through the methanation catalyst ().

Hydrogen-purification apparatus and fuel-cell system using same

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.

Hydrogen generator and fuel cell system

A hydrogen generation device of the present invention comprises a first path () used to supply a raw material to a reformer () through at least a first desulfurization unit (); a second path () used to supply the raw material to the reformer () through only the second desulfurization unit (); a switch unit (); a flow control unit () which selectively enables or inhibits a flow of the hydrogen-containing gas generated in the reformertoward the second desulfurization unit (); and a controller () configured to execute processing in such a manner that in at least either a time point before generation of the hydrogen-containing gas is stopped, or start-up, the switch unitperforms switching to select the first path (), and the flow control unit () enables the flow of the hydrogen-containing gas, while the reformeris generating the hydrogen-containing gas.

Hydrogen generation device, operation method thereof, and fuel cell system

A hydrogen generator () includes: a hydrogen generating unit () configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas by using a raw material gas; a hydro-desulfurizer () configured to remove a sulfur compound in the raw material gas supplied to the hydrogen generating unit (); a first gas channel () through which the raw material gas supplied through the hydro-desulfurizer () to the hydrogen generating unit () flows; a recycle channel () through which the hydrogen-containing gas from the hydrogen generating unit () is supplied to the raw material gas in the first gas channel () located upstream of the hydro-desulfurizer (); a raw material gas supply unit () disposed between the hydro-desulfurizer () and a meeting point where the first gas channel () and the recycle channel () meet; and a first on-off valve () disposed between the raw material gas supply unit () and the hydro-desulfurizer () to close when the hydrogen generator () stops.

A hydrogen generation apparatus () includes: a first desulfurizer () configured to remove, through adsorption, a sulfur compound in a raw material gas that is to be supplied to a reformer; a second desulfurizer () configured to hydrodesulfurize a sulfur compound in the raw material gas that is to be supplied to the reformer; a first passage () through which the raw material gas is supplied to the reformer through the first desulfurizer (); a second passage () through which the raw material gas is supplied to the reformer through the second desulfurizer (), without passing through the first desulfurizer (); a switch configured to switch a passage through which the raw material gas flows between the first passage () and the second passage (); and a controller. The controller controls the switch such that the raw material gas flows through the first passage () in at least one of a pressure compensation operation and a raw material gas purge operation, the pressure compensation operation being an operation of supplying the raw material gas in order to compensate for an internal pressure drop that occurs after an operation of generating a hydrogen-containing gas is stopped, and the raw material gas purge operation being an operation of purging the inside of the hydrogen generation apparatus with the raw material gas.

Hydrogen generation apparatus, fuel cell system, and hydrogen generation apparatus operation method

A hydrogen generation apparatus and a fuel cell system including: a reformer () configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas by causing a reforming reaction of a raw material; a hydrodesulfurizer () configured to remove a sulfur compound from the raw material; an adsorption desulfurizer () configured to remove a sulfur compound from the raw material; a first raw material passage () through which the raw material that is supplied to the reformer not through the adsorption desulfurizer but through the hydrodesulfurizer flows; a second raw material passage () through which the raw material that is supplied to the reformer through the adsorption desulfurizer flows; a switch () configured to switch, between the first raw material passage and the second raw material passage, a raw material flowing passage through which the raw material flows; and a controller () configured such that when the reformer is generating the hydrogen-containing gas, the controller sets the raw material flowing passage to the first raw material passage by means of the switch if an oxygen concentration in the raw material is in a first state where the oxygen concentration is relatively low, and the controller sets the raw material flowing passage to the second raw material passage by means of the switch if the oxygen concentration in the raw material is in a second state where the oxygen concentration is relatively high.

Hydrogen generation apparatus and fuel cell system

A hydrogen generating apparatus is provided that further suppresses deterioration in capability of a converting catalyst in raw material purge in a shutdown operation. The hydrogen generating apparatus contains a raw material supplying devicethat supplies a raw material; a reforming devicethat contains a reformation catalyst and generates a hydrogen-containing gas from the raw material through reformation reaction with the reformation catalyst; a modifying devicethat contains a modification catalyst and decreases carbon monoxide in the hydrogen-containing gas through shift reaction with the modification catalyst; a first temperature detectorthat detects a temperature of the modification catalyst; and a controlling device, and the controlling devicecontrols the raw material supplying deviceto purge an interior of the converting devicewith the raw material when a detected temperature of the first temperature detectorbecomes a first threshold value, at which deterioration of the modification catalyst with the raw material is suppressed, or lower in a shutdown operation.

Hydrogen generation system, fuel cell system, and method for operation of hydrogen generation system

A hydrogen generation apparatus including: a first desulfurizer; a second desulfurizer; a reformer to generate a hydrogen-containing reformed gas from a raw material gas from which sulfur has been removed by at least one of the first desulfurizer and the second desulfurizer; and a recycle passage through which a part of the reformed gas generated by the reformer is mixed into the raw material gas to be supplied to the second desulfurizer. After installation or maintenance of the hydrogen generation apparatus, the raw material gas is supplied to the reformer through the first desulfurizer until a catalyst in the second desulfurizer is activated by a mixed gas of the reformed gas supplied through the recycle passage and the raw material gas, and after the catalyst in the second desulfurizer is activated, the raw material gas is supplied to the reformer through the second desulfurizer.

Hydrogen generation apparatus, fuel cell system including the same, and method of operating hydrogen generation apparatus

A fuel processing apparatus includes: a reformer; a raw material supplying unit for supplying a raw material to the reformer and blocking the supply of the raw material; a steam supplying unit for supplying steam to the reformer and blocking the supply of the steam; a closing device for blocking a gas passage located downstream of the reformer; and a controller. The controller seals the reformer by blocking the supply of the raw material from the raw material supplying unit and the supply of the steam from the steam supplying unit and closing the closing device, and performs a pressure compensation operation by using both the supply of the steam from the steam supplying unit and the supply of the raw material from the raw material unit as pressure in the reformer decreases due to a temperature decrease.

Fuel processing apparatus, fuel cell system including fuel processing apparatus, and method for operating fuel processing apparatus

A hydrogen generation apparatusof the present invention includes: a reformerfor generating a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction using a raw material gas; a raw material gas supplierfor supplying the raw material gas to the reformer; a methanatorfor reducing carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen-containing gas through a methanation reaction; and a controller for controlling the raw material gas supplierto decrease an amount of the raw material gas supplied to the reformerso as to decrease an amount of generation of the hydrogen-containing gas when a temperature of the methanatorincreases.

Hydrogen generation device and fuel cell system

A method of shutting down a hydrogen generation apparatus for limiting degradation in a catalyst due to dew condensation at the time of shutdown is provided. The method of shutting down the hydrogen generation apparatus comprising, a combustor which supplies heat necessary to a reforming device, a first air supplier which supplies air to the combustor, a combustion exhaust gas path formed such that the combustion exhaust gas produced in the combustor makes heat exchange with the reforming device and then with a CO reducing device, and a controller which operates the first air supplier so that the temperature of the gas in the CO reducing device does not become equal to or lower than a dew point after shutdown of the combustion operation of the combustor and before a start of a purging operation to purge the interiors of the reforming device and the CO reducing device with a replacement gas.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Seiji Fujihara