Patent ID: 6413479
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: B01J,C01B,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A reforming apparatus comprising an integrated structure of three separate units, comprising:a raw material reforming unit for steam-reforming a raw material to be reformed and producing a reformed gas containing hydrogen as a principal component, including a heat source that generates heat by combustion of a fuel gas, operable to directly obtain heat for the steam reformation reaction from said heat source; a shift reaction unit for decreasing, by water-gas-shift reaction, CO contained in the reformed gas produced in said raw material reforming unit; and a CO oxidation unit for further decreasing, by oxidation, CO contained in reformed gas treated in said shift reaction unit; said raw material reforming unit and said shift reaction unit contain different catalysts, and said shift reaction unit and said CO oxidation unit being arranged in a manner that said shift reaction unit and said CO oxidation unit can be indirectly heated by heat transfer from the heat source of said raw material reforming unit, and further said CO oxidation unit including an outside surface, and being arranged to obtain atmospheric cooling of the outside surface; and said raw material reforming unit, said shift reaction unit and said CO oxidization unit are concentrically arranged relative to each other with said CO oxidization unit placed on an outer peripheral side of the reforming apparatus.