APPARATUS FOR REDUCING CARBON MONOXIDE CONCENTRATION AND METHANOL CONCENTRATION, AND FUEL REFORMER UTILIZING THE SAME

摘要

A fuel reformer (30) includes a reformer unit (32) for receiving supplies of methanol and water and producing a hydrogen-rich reformed gas and a partial oxidizing unit (34) filled with a platinum-ruthenium alloy catalyst for oxidizing carbon monoxide in the reformed gas produced by the reformer unit (32) preferentially over hydrogen in the reformed gas. The platinum-ruthenium alloy catalyst charged in the partial oxidizing unit (34) lowers the concentration of carbon monoxide in the hydrogen-rich gas containing a trace amount of methanol to several ppm in its active temperature range of 80 DEG C to 100 DEG C. This structure enables a gaseous fuel having extremely low concentrations of methanol and carbon monoxide to be produced by the fuel reformer (30) and supplied to polymer electrolyte fuel cells having an extremely low allowable limit of carbon monoxide concentration.