| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reformer for the hydrocarbon(s) capable of e.g. rapidly supplying hydrogen to an automobile fuel cell system and also to provide the reforming method using the reformer. SOLUTION: This reformer is provided with: an evaporator 2 for evaporating; a preliminary reforming device consisting of preliminary reforming stages 3 and 4; a main reforming device 5; CO removal devices 6 and 7; and at least one of catalyst/burner devices 15 and 16; wherein the evaporator 2, the main reforming device 5 and the CO removal devices 6 and 7 are respectively in thermal contact with the first catalyst/burner device 15, the second catalyst/burner device 16 and the preliminary reforming stages 4 and 3 of the preliminary reforming device through their respective heat transfer isolation means 18 to 21, and also, the outlet of the CO removal device 7 can be connected to each of the inlets of the burner devices 15 and 16. In this method, at the time of starting operation of the reformer at a low temp., a heating process is performed and during this heating process, first, operation of both the burner devices 15 and 16 are started while introducing hydrogen or a hydrocarbon(s) from the outside as a fuel and subsequently, reforming operation is started with a lower ratio of a hydrocarbon(s) than the ratio in the normal operation to form a reformed gas and then, the reformed gas is introduced to the burner devices 15 and 16 in place of the hydrogen or hydrocarbon(s) introduced from the outside as a fuel. |
