Patent ID: 7273505
Filing Date: 2007-09-25
Classification: B01B,B01J,C01B,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A hydrogen generator comprising: a reformer configured to reform a material using steam supplied from a evaporator that evaporates water supplied from a water supply portion into the steam, to generate a reformed gas containing hydrogen as a major component; a material flow passage through which the steam and the material are supplied to the reformer; a shifter configured to shift carbon monoxide contained in the reformed gas into carbon dioxide by a shift reaction; a reformed gas flow passage through which the reformed gas is sent to the shifter; a shifted gas flow passage through which the shifted gas from the shifter flows; and a combustor configured to heat the reformer using a combustion gas, wherein: the reformed gas flow passage and the evaporator are configured to conduct heat exchange between them, a part of heat of the reformed gas flowing through the reformed gas flow passage is used to generate the steam in the evaporator by the heat exchange to allow the reformed gas to be cooled, radiation heat from the shifter is transferred to the evaporator through the reformed gas flow passage and used to generate the steam in the evaporator, the evaporator comprises a first evaporator and a second evaporator, the first evaporator is configured to evaporate water supplied from a first water supply portion into first steam by the combustion gas derived from the combustor and/or radiation heat of the reformer, and the second evaporator is configured to conduct heat exchange with the reformed gas flow passage, and to evaporate water supplied from a second water supply portion into second steam by using heat of the reformed gas which is recovered by the heat exchange with the reformed gas flow passage, and the material flow passage includes a first steam flow passage through which the first steam and the material are supplied to the reformer and a second steam flow passage through which the second steam is supplied to the reformer.