Patent ID: 6332901
Filing Date: 2001-12-25
Classification: C01B

Abstract:
A carbon monoxide reducing device, comprising:a carbon monoxide oxidation portion that oxidizes and thereby reduces carbon monoxide gas contained in a reformate gas that is obtained through a reforming reaction;an oxygen supplying device that supplies oxygen to the reformate gas so as to oxidize the carbon monoxide gas contained in the reformate gas; andan oxygen supply controller that controls a status of the supplied oxygen to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion based on an amount of the reformate gas supplied to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion,wherein the oxygen supply controller controls an amount of oxygen supplied to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion such that a ratio of a concentration of oxygen to a concentration of carbon monoxide gas in the carbon monoxide oxidation portion increases with increases in amount of the reformate gas supplied to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion when the amount of the reformate gas supplied to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion is smaller than a predetermined value,and controls a pressure in the carbon monoxide oxidation portion such that the pressure in the carbon monoxide oxidation portion increases with increases in amount of the reformate gas supplied to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion when the amount of the reformate gas supplied to the carbon monoxide oxidation portion is greater than the predetermined value.