摘要 |
A single-pipe cylinder type reformer produces a hydrogen-rich reformed gas by performing steam reforming for a reformation material gas such as town gas. A circular inner cylinder (3 or 68) is concentrically located inside an upright circular outer cylinder (1 or 10) forming the jacket of the reformer at a distance in the radial direction. Circular intermediate cylinders (2 or 60) are concentrically located between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder at distances in the radial direction, respectively. A circular radiation cylinder (4 or 14) is concentrically located inside the inner cylinder at a distance in the radial direction. A burner (8 or 18) fixed to one end portion of the reformer in the axial direction to be located in the center of the radiation cylinder in the radial direction and a steam generator (34) are disposed inside the outer cylinder. A plurality of annular paths communicating with each other are formed in laminar shapes between the inner cylinder, the intermediate cylinders, and the outer cylinder to form a reforming catalyst layer (5 or 13), CO converter catalyst layer (11) and/or CO selective oxidizing catalyst layer (12), and a cooling fluid path (48) for feeding a reformation material gas and reforming water, and air path (42). According to this reformer, buckling of each constituent member is prevented to prevent a decrease in operation performance, and a heat radiation loss is reduced, thus realizing a compact reformer with high start-up speed and high operation efficiency. Furthermore, since this reformer can produce a hydrogen-rich reformed gas having low CO concentration, the reformer is best suited for use in combination with a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. |