Fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle

Abstract

A fuel reformer suited for mounting on a vehicle is provided. A raw material gas containing methanol and water is vaporized at a vaporization section The vaporized gas flows horizontally to a reforming section with monolithic catalyst The reforming section is divided into two sides, a front side and a rear side with an interconnecting pipe bent at 180 degrees, for connecting the front and rear sides. By making the material gas flow horizontally, even when the reformer is mounted to a vehicle which has a larger space in its horizontal direction than in its vertical direction, especially a small passenger car, the contact time period between gas and catalyst can be extended. By bending the reforming section by 180 degrees, the size of the reformer can be reduced so that the reformer is suited for mounting on a vehicle having limited space. Because the vaporization section and the CO reducing section can be placed adjacent to each other, by using heat generated at the CO reducing section, the heat loss during pre-heating of the methanol and water can be reduced.