Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Tomoyuki Nakajima

Hidenobu Wakita

Seiji Fujihara

Yukimune Kani

Chie Harada

Takahiro Kusuyama

Kunihiro Ukai

Kiyoshi Taguchi

Naoko Takei

Keiichi Yamazaki

Shigeru Iiyama

Tomonori Aso

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 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 light emitting device () includes a LED chip () as well as a mounting substrate () on which the LED chip () is mounted. Further, the light emitting device () includes a cover member () and a color conversion layer (). The cover member () is formed to have a dome shape and is made of a translucency inorganic material. The color conversion layer () is formed to have a dome shape and is made of a translucency material (such as, a silicone resin) including a fluorescent material excited by light emitted from the LED chip () and emitting light longer in wavelength than the light emitted from the LED chip (). The cover member () is attached to the mounting substrate () such that there is an air layer () between the cover member () and the mounting substrate (). The color conversion layer () is superposed on a light-incoming surface or a light-outgoing surface of the cover member ().

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Tomoyuki Nakajima