Abstract:
Disclosed is a reactor to reform fuel, including: a low temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a predetermined temperature; a high temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a higher temperature in comparison with that of the low temperature reaction unit; and a communicating tube making the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit communicate with each other, wherein at least either the low temperature reaction unit or the high temperature reaction unit is equipped with a projecting surface and a concave surface, each facing to an opposed surface of the other one of the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit; a length between the concave surface and the opposed surface is longer than a length between the projecting surface and the opposed surface; and the communication tube is provided between the concave surface and the opposed surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a reactor integrating reaction device having different operating temperatures such as a vaporizer, a reformer, a CO remover and the like, each used for a fuel cell device.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     In recent years, it has begun to apply a fuel cell using hydrogen as a fuel to motorcars, portable equipment and the like as a clean power source having a high energy conversion efficiency. The fuel cell is a device of directly taking out electric energy from chemical energy by electrochemically reacting a fuel with atmospheric oxygen.  
         [0005]     Although hydrogen can be listed as a fuel used for the fuel cell, it has a problem of handling and storing owing to being a gas at a room temperature. In case of using a liquid fuel such as alcohols and gasoline, a vaporizer to vaporize the liquid fuel, a reformer to extract hydrogen required for electric power generation by reacting the liquid fuel with high temperature steam, a CO remover to remove carbon monoxide, which is a by-product of a reforming reaction (for example, refer to JP-2002-356310A).  
         [0006]     In a reactor equipped with a vaporizer, a reformer and a CO remover, in order to install the fuel cell in a small electronic device, there is a temperature difference between the proper operating temperature of the vaporizer and the CO remover, which is about 200° C. or less, and the proper operating temperature of the reformer which is about 250° C. or more. Accordingly, in order not to raise the temperatures of the vaporizer and the CO remover over the operating temperature range owing to the propagation of the heat of the reformer, these relatively low temperature reaction furnaces are required to separate from the relatively high temperature reaction furnace, i.e., the reformer, by a sufficiently long distance. However, such a long distance separation has been a miniaturization constraint for the whole reactor. If the miniaturized installation is impossible for such a reason, then heat capacity becomes excessively large, and it is necessary to decrease the heat loss of the whole reactor for improving the energy efficiency.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a reactor which suppresses heat loss and causes a chemical reaction at a proper temperature.  
         [0008]     In order to solve the above described problem, according to a first aspect of the invention, the reactor to reform fuel, comprises: a low temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a predetermined temperature; a high temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a higher temperature in comparison with that of the low temperature reaction unit; and a communicating tube making the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit communicate with each other, wherein at least either the low temperature reaction unit or the high temperature reaction unit is equipped with a projecting surface and a concave surface, each facing to an opposed surface of the other one of the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit; a length between the concave surface and the opposed surface is longer than a length between the projecting surface and the opposed surface; and the communication tube is provided between the concave surface and the opposed surface.  
         [0009]     In the reactor according to the first aspect of the invention, the low temperature reaction unit may include a CO remover or a vaporizer.  
         [0010]     The high temperature reaction unit may include a reformer to reform the fuel into hydrogen.  
         [0011]     The low temperature reaction unit or the high temperature reaction unit may include a heater.  
         [0012]     The reactor may further comprise a heat insulating package to house the low temperature reaction unit, the high temperature reaction unit and the communicating tube therein.  
         [0013]     The low temperature reaction unit or the high temperature reaction unit may be formed of a plurality of metal substrates.  
         [0014]     In order to minimize the strain at the connecting portion of the communicating tube caused by heat expansion when the low temperature reaction unit or the high temperature reaction unit is heated, preferably, the low temperature reaction unit, the high temperature reaction unit and the communicating tube are formed of the same material.  
         [0015]     The low temperature reaction unit may include a CO remover; the high temperature reaction unit may include a reformer reforming the fuel into hydrogen; and the communicating tube may include a piping to circulate a gas reformed by the reformer into the CO remover.  
         [0016]     The high temperature reaction unit may include a combustor to combust a combustible gas to generate heat, and the communicating tube may include a piping to circulate the combustible gas from the low temperature reaction unit into the combustor.  
         [0017]     The low temperature reaction unit may include an assembly piping.  
         [0018]     The above described reactor may be applied to a power generation apparatus equipped with a fuel cell.  
         [0019]     According to the first aspect of the invention, the distance of the communicating tube is lengthened. Thereby, the heat transfer from the high temperature reaction unit to the low temperature reaction unit can be suppressed, and the distance between the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit can be shortened to make the miniaturization possible.  
         [0020]     In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, the reactor to reform fuel, comprises: a low temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a predetermined temperature; a high temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a higher temperature in comparison with that of the low temperature reaction unit; and a communicating tube making the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit communicate with each other, wherein at least one of the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit is formed of a plurality of metallic plates.  
         [0021]     According to the second aspect of the invention, at least one of the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit is formed of a metallic plate. As a result, the metallic plate is superior in heat conductance to a glass substrate, and the reactor can be worked to be thin. Thereby, the miniaturization can be realized, and the heat capacity becomes small simultaneously. Consequently, a chemical reaction can be caused at a proper temperature by a small heat quantity.  
         [0022]     In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, the reactor to reform a fuel, comprises: a low temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a predetermined temperature; an incurrent canal provided in the low temperature reaction unit; an excurrent canal provided so as to touch to the incurrent canal; a high temperature reaction unit causing a reaction at a higher temperature in comparison with that of the low temperatures reaction unit; and a communicating tube making the low temperature reaction unit and the high temperature reaction unit communicate with each other.  
         [0023]     According to the third aspect of the invention, because the incurrent canal and the excurrent canal are provided so that they may touch each other, the fluid heated by the heat of the low temperature portion heats the fluid flowing into the excurrent canal when the fluid flows out through the excurrent canal. Thereby, heat exchange is enabled, and the decrease of the heat quantity for heating the fluid which has been heated in the incurrent canal in advance in the low temperature reaction unit. Consequently, the chemical reaction can be caused at a proper temperature.  
         [0024]     According to the present invention, a chemical reaction can be caused at a proper temperature. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a power generation apparatus  100 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a reactor  10 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction, taken on line III-III of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction, taken on line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction, taken on line V-V of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction, taken on line VI-VI of  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction, taken on line VII-VII of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]     In the following, the best mode for implementing the present invention is described with reference to the attached drawings. However, although technically preferable various limitations for implementing the present invention are given to the embodiment described below, the limitations do not limit the range of the invention to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.  
         [0000]     [First Embodiment] 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a power generation apparatus  100  to which a reactor  10  according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. The power generation apparatus  100  is installed in a notebook-size personal computer, a portable telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), an electronic notebook, a wrist watch, a digital still camera, a digital video camera, game equipment, a play machine and the other electric equipment, and is used as a power source for operating the main body of electronic equipment.  
         [0034]     The power generation apparatus  100  is composed of a fuel container  101 , the reactor  10 , which is freely connectable with the fuel container  101  and includes a reaction furnace reforming the fuel supplied from the fuel container  101 , and a fuel cell device  102  generating electric power with the hydrogen reformed by the reactor  10 . The fuel container  101  may reserves the fuel, such as methanol and the like, and water in the state of being mixed with each other or of being separated from each other to supply the mixed liquid of the fuel and the water with a not shown micro-pump. Alternatively, the fuel and the water may be mixed with each other in the fuel container in advance.  
         [0035]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the state of the reactor  10  viewed from the under side. The reactor  10  is composed of a high temperature reaction unit  11  and a low temperature reaction unit  12  disposed to be opposed to the high temperature reaction unit  11  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The high temperature reaction unit  11  is a reaction unit causing a reaction exceeding 200° C. The high temperature reaction unit  11  includes a reformer  14  causing a steam reforming reaction generating hydrogen by reforming the fuel in the fuel container  101 , a high temperature combustor  16  heating the reformer  14  to a high temperature in order to accelerate the reform reaction of the reformer  14 , and a high temperature heater  18 , which is an electric heat element used as an auxiliary heat source for heating the reformer  14  rapidly even in a state in which the high temperature combustor  16  cannot heat to a high temperature especially like at the time of a start of the power generation apparatus  100 .  
         [0036]     The low temperature reaction unit  12  is a reaction unit causing a reaction under 200° C. The low temperature reaction unit  12  includes a vaporizer  13 , which is a reaction furnace vaporizing the fuel and the water to be supplied to the reformer  14  in advance, a CO remover  15 , which is a reaction furnace removing carbon dioxide produced as a by-product at the time of reforming in the reformer  14 , a low temperature combustor  17  used as a heat source of a relatively low temperature necessary for the reaction in the CO remover  15  and the vaporization reaction in the vaporizer  13 , and a low temperature heater  19 , which is an electric heat element used as an auxiliary heat source for heating the vaporizer  13  and the CO remover  15  rapidly even in a state in which the low temperature combustor  17  cannot perform heating sufficiently like at the time of a start of the power generation apparatus  100  especially.  
         [0037]     Any of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  are formed by pasting a plurality of metallic plates with each other, which is made of, for example, a stainless (SUS 304) on which a flow path, which will be described later, is formed. Consequently, the high temperature heater  18  is pasted to the metallic plate of the reformer  14  with an insulation film between them, and the low temperature film  19  is pasted to the metallic plate of the CO remover  15  or the metallic plate of the low temperature combustor  17  with an insulation film between them.  
         [0038]     The vaporizer  13  is a reaction furnace vaporizing the fuel and the water supplied from the fuel container  101 . The reformer  14  reacts the gaseous mixture of the fuel and the water supplied from the vaporizer  13  in accordance with a chemical reaction formula (1) to generate a gaseous mixture containing hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, which are the main products, and carbon monoxide, which is a by-product. The reformer  14  also partially causes a reaction in accordance with a chemical reaction formula (2) to generate an infinitesimal carbon monoxide. The CO remover  15  selectively oxidizes the carbon monoxide generated by the reformer  14  in accordance with a chemical reaction formula (3) to remove the carbon monoxide from the gaseous mixture. In the following, the hydrogen-rich gaseous mixture after the removal of the carbon monoxide is referred to as a reformed gas. In addition, although the chemical reaction formula (3) is an exothermic reaction, it is possible to improve the reaction speed by heating at the start of the reaction.
 
CH 3 OH+H 2 O→3H 2 +CO 2   (1)
 
H 2 +CO 2 →H 2 O+CO  (2)
 
2CO+O 2 →2CO 2   (3)
 
         [0039]     The reformed gas is supplied from the reactor  10  to the fuel electrode side of the fuel cell device  102 . The hydrogen gas in the reformed gas is separated into hydrogen ions and electrons with a catalyst provided on the fuel electrode as shown in an electrochemical reaction formula (4). The hydrogen ions pass through the electrolyte film of the fuel cell device  102  to move to an oxygen electrode side. The electrons move to the oxygen electrode through an external circuit. On the oxygen electrode side, as shown in an electrochemical formula (5), water is generated by a chemical reaction of the hydrogen ions which have passed through the electrolyte film, the electrons supplied from the oxygen electrode through the external circuit, and oxygen gas supplied from the open air. Electric energy can be taken out from the difference of the electrode potential of the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode.
 
H 2 →2H + +2 e   −   (4)
 
2H + +2 e   + +½O 2 →H 2 O  (5)
 
         [0040]     The high temperature combustor  16  mixes oxygen into the remaining hydrogen gas which has not performed the electrochemical reaction mentioned above (hereinafter referred to as off-gas) in the reformed gas supplied to the fuel electrode side, and burn the gas to heat the high temperature reaction unit  11  to a temperature of 250° C. or more, e.g. within a range of from about 250° C. to 400° C. Similarly to the high temperature combustor  16 , the low temperature combustor  17  mixes oxygen into a part of the off-gas, and burns the off-gas to heat the low temperature reaction unit  12  to a temperature under 200° C., which is lower than the temperature by the high temperature combustor  16 , for example, within a range of from about 110° C. to 190° C. The high temperature heater  18  heats the high temperature reaction unit  11  at a start instead of the high temperature combustor  16 , and the low temperature heater  19  heats the low temperature reaction unit  12  instead of the low temperature combustor  17  at a start.  
         [0041]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the reactor  10 . The reaction equipment  10  is housed in a heat insulating package  20 . A gap is formed between the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the heat insulating package  20  with a not shown spacer between the surfaces. Moreover, the inner space of the heat insulating package  20  is kept to be a low pressure (0.03 Pa or less) in order to maintain a heat insulating effect, and the heat loss from the reactor  10  to the outside of the heat insulating package  20  is suppressed. A little gas exists in the inner space of the heat insulating package  20 . As the gas, rare gases such as argon gas and helium gas, which are inert in a temperature range of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12 , are preferable, but the gas is not to the rare gases.  
         [0042]     As the material of the heat insulating package  20 , for example, metal plates such as stainless (SUS 304) can be used. Moreover, in order to suppress the heat loss by the radiation from the reactor  10 , a radiation prevention film is formed on the inner surface of the heat insulating package  20 . For example, gold (Au) and the like can be used as the radiation prevention film.  
         [0043]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in the reactor  10 , the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  are provided in the state of being separated from each other. In addition, it is preferable that radiation prevention films similar to the one provided on the inner surface of the heat insulating package  20  are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12 .  
         [0044]     As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , the low temperature reaction unit  12  includes three layers which are an upper layer metal substrate  52  provided with a vaporizing flow path  41 , which is the vaporizer  13 , an intermediate layer metal substrate  54  provided with a CO removal flow path  43 , which is the CO remover  15 , and a lower layer metal substrate  56  provided with a combustion flow path  44 , which is the low temperature combustor  17 . The low temperature reaction unit  12  has the structure in which these metal substrates  52 ,  54  and  56  are laminated. Moreover, if the vaporizing flow path  41  is opened, a metal substrate used as a top cover for sealing the opening is provided. If the combustion flow path  44  is opened, a metal substrate used as a bottom cover for sealing the opening is provided. As each of these metal substrates, metal substrates made of stainless (SUS 304) can be used.  
         [0045]     The low temperature reaction unit  12  also includes a projecting surface  12 A and a concave surface  12 B so that they may be opposed to a flat opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11 . The projecting surface  12 A of the low temperature reaction unit  12  is projected towards the opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11  compared with the concave surface  12 B. At the four corners of the end side of the projecting surface  12 A, specifically two positions of each of the metallic plates  52  and  56 , notches (recessed portions)  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  are formed. By the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 , each concave surface  12 B faces to the opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11  to be opposed. Each concave surface  12 B exposed by the four notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  is made to communicate with the flow path in the low temperature reaction unit  12 , and are connected with communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28 , which are four linear pipes, respectively. Moreover, by the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 , the side surfaces  12 C are exposed between the side surface projecting surface  12 A and the concave surface  12 B. The ends of the other sides of the four communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  are connected to the four corners of the end of the opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11 . The length L 1  of the four communication tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  between the opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the concave surface  12 B of the low temperature reaction unit  12  is the sum of the length of the longitudinal direction of the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  of the low temperature reaction unit  12 , namely the length L 2  between the projecting surface  12 A and the concave surface  12 B of the low temperature reaction unit  12 , and the length L 3  between the opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the projecting surface  12 A of the low temperature reaction unit  12 . The lengths L 1 , L 2  and L 3  are set according to the proper temperature range of the high temperature reaction unit  11 , the proper temperature range of the low temperature reaction unit  12 , and the temperature difference of them.  
         [0046]     Thus, because the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  communicate with the high temperature reaction unit  11  on the opposed surface  11 A, and communicate with the low temperature reaction unit  12  with each concave surface  12 B formed by the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 , the length L 1  of the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  is inevitably longer than the length L 3  between the opposed surface  11 A of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the projecting surface  12 A of the low temperature reaction unit  12 . Moreover, the outer diameters R of the four communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  are sufficiently smaller in comparison with the widths W and the heights H of the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 .  
         [0047]     In addition, in the part of the low temperature reaction unit  12  enclosed by the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 , the flow path of the low temperature reaction unit  12  is formed.  
         [0048]     It is preferable that the communicating tubes  25  and  26  are made of a material having a heat expansion coefficient in the neighborhood of the heat expansion coefficient of the material of the lower layer metal substrate  56 . In particular, it is preferable that the communication tubes  25  and  26  are made of the same material as that of the metal substrate  56 , and that the communication tubes  25  and  26  are integrally formed with the metal substrate  56 . It is preferable that the communicating tubes  27  and  28  are made of a material having a heat expansion coefficient in the neighborhood of the heat expansion coefficient of the material of the upper layer metal substrate  52 . In particular, it is preferable that the communication tubes  27  and  28  are made of the same material as that of the metal substrate  52 , and that the communication tubes  27  and  28  are integrally formed with the metal substrate  52 .  
         [0049]     In the reactor  10  having such a structure, the principal plane opposed to the low temperature reaction unit  12  in the high temperature reaction unit  11  is the opposed surface  11 A. The principal plane opposed to the high temperature reaction unit  11  in the low temperature reaction unit  12  is the projecting surface  12 A. The space between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  is a part of the space partitioned by the heat insulating package  20  housing the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  therein, and a low pressure heat insulating gas is filled in the space.  
         [0050]     Therefore, the propagation of heat is relatively small between the opposed surface  11 A, which is the principal plane opposed to the low temperature reaction unit  12  in the high temperature reaction unit  11 , and the projecting surface  12 A, which is the principal plane opposed to the high temperature reaction unit  11  in the low temperature reaction unit  12 . Moreover, because the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  are solids, their heat conductance is higher than that of the heat insulating gas. Consequently the main paths of heat transfer from the high temperature reaction unit  11  to the low temperature reaction unit  12  are four communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28 .  
         [0051]     In order to make the capacity of the whole reactor  10  small, it is preferable to shorten the length L 3  between the opposed surface  11 A and the projecting surface  12 A as much as possible. If the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  are not provided in the low temperature reaction unit  12 , the length of the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  agrees with the length between the opposed surface  11 A and the projecting surface  12 A. If the length between the opposed surface  11 A and the projecting surface  12 A is shortened for miniaturization in such a structure, the length of the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  also becomes short, and the heat of the high temperature reaction unit  11  becomes easy to propagate to the low temperature reaction unit  12 . Consequently, it becomes difficult to maintain the temperature gradient between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  in the proper temperature range.  
         [0052]     On the contrary, in the present invention, even if the length L 3  between the opposed surface  11 A and the projecting surface  12 A is made to be short as much as possible in order to miniaturize the rector  10 , the lengths of the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  can be made to be sufficiently long by setting the length L 2  to be long. Consequently, the heat transfer from the high temperature reaction unit  11  to the low temperature reaction unit  12  can be suppressed by setting the path length (L 1 ) of the heat transfer from the high temperature reaction unit  11  to the low temperature reaction unit  12  through the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  to be sufficiently long. Thereby, the temperature difference between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  can be easily maintained.  
         [0053]     The high temperature reaction unit  11 , the low temperature reaction unit  12  and the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27 , and  28  were made of SUS 304. The size of the heat insulating package  20  was made to be 39 mm in length, 19 mm in width and 9.4 mm in height. The distance between the heat insulating package  20  and the high temperature reaction unit  11 , and the distance between the heat insulating package  20  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  were severally made to be 1 mm. The internal pressure of the heat insulating package  20  was set to 0.03 Pa. The widths W, the heights H and the lengths L 2  of the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  were made to be 2.8 mm, 2.8 mm and 3 mm, respectively. The distance from the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  to the side surface  12 C was made to 2.3 mm. The lengths L 1 , the outer diameters R and the inner diameters of the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  between the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  were made to 6 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm, respectively. The length L 3  was made to 3 mm. Thus, it was able to maintain each of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  to be at 124° C.  
         [0054]     In addition, the positions where the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 , and the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  are limited to the four corners. For example, they may be formed at the central part of the end surface on the side of the high temperature reaction unit  11 . Moreover, instead of providing the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  and the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  on the low temperature reaction unit  12 , they may be provided on the side of the high temperature reaction unit  11 , or they may be provided on both of them. Moreover, the shapes of the notches  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  are not limited to the rectangle as shown in  FIG. 2 , but the shapes may be formed in a column.  
         [0055]     Assembled pipes  30  used as flow paths of the fluids (fuel and water, oxygen (air), reformed gas, off-gas, and exhaust gas) which flow in and out from the outside are provided at the upper part of the low temperature reaction unit  12 . The high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  can be formed by pasting, for example, stainless (SUS 304) made metallic plates on which the flow paths which will be described later are formed. Moreover, the material similar to those of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12 , for example, metals such as stainless (SUS 304) and the like, can be used as the materials of the communicating tubes  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  and the assembly piping  30 .  
         [0056]      FIG. 3  is a horizontal sectional view of the assembly piping  30 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the assembly piping  30  is composed of the following components which are integrally formed to one body. The components are: a liquid fuel piping  31  for supplying a fuel containing water from the fuel container  101  to the vaporizer  13 , an air supply piping  32  for supplying the air for combustion to the low temperature combustor  17 , an air supply piping  33  for supplying the air (oxygen) for CO removal to the CO remover  15 , an off-gas supplying pipe  34  for supplying the off-gas from a fuel cell  102  to the high temperature combustor  16  and the low temperature combustor  17 , a reformed gas conveyance pipe  35  for supplying a reformed gas from the CO remover  15  to the fuel cell  102 , and an exhaust pipe  36  for exhausting the exhaust gas generated when off-gas is burned in each of the high temperature combustor  16  and the low temperature combustor  17 . The assembly piping  30  is formed to have the following sizes. That is, the outer diameter was formed to be 1.3 mm×0.9 mm. The inner diameters of each of the liquid fuel piping  31 , the air supply piping  32 , the air supply piping  33 , the off-gas supply pipe  34 , the reformed gas conveyance pipe  35  and the exhaust pipe  36  to be 0.3 mm×0.3 mm. The assembly piping  30  penetrates the heat insulating package  20 , and is connected to the external fuel container  101 , the fuel cell device  102 , the not shown air pump and the like.  
         [0057]     By concentrating the piping of fluids flowing in and out of the reactor  10  to provide the piping on the low temperature reaction unit  12 , the area of the ping exposed to the outside decreases compared with the area of the separately provided piping, and the quantity of heat flowing out from the assembly piping  30  to the outside of the heat insulating package  20  can be decreased. Moreover, by assembling piping, the rigidity to a mechanical stress can be improved, and the distortion by heat stress can be decreased. Moreover, by limiting the flow out of the heat quantity to the outside of the heat insulating package  20  to the way from the low temperature reaction unit  12  without providing the piping connected to the outside of the heat insulating package, which is at remarkably low temperature than the temperature of the high temperature reaction unit  11  from the high temperature reaction unit  11 , the heat loss can be further decreased.  
         [0058]     In the following, the internal structure of the reactor  10  is described.  
         [0059]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction at the time of horizontally cutting the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  along a cutting line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction at the time of horizontally cutting the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  along a cutting line V-V of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 6  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction at the time of horizontally cutting the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  along a cutting line VI-VI of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 7  is a sectional view viewed from the arrow direction at the time of vertically cutting the high temperature reaction unit  11  along a cutting line VII-VII of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0060]     As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , the high temperature reaction unit  11  is provided with the reformer  14  at a part near the low temperature reaction unit  12 , and the high temperature combustor  16  on the opposite side. The reformer  14  and the high temperature combustor  16  have an upper layer metal substrate  51 , a middle layer metal substrate  53  and a lower layer metal substrate  55 , each made of a metal substrate such as stainless steel (SUS 304). A groove the upper side of which is opened is formed on the lower layer metal substrate  55 . The groove is used as a reforming flow path  42  of the reformer  14 . An aperture penetrating the middle layer metal substrate  53  is formed therein in the thickness direction thereof. The aperture is used as the reforming flow path  42  of the reformer  14 . A groove the under side of which is opened is formed on the upper layer metal substrate  51 . The groove is used as the reforming flow path  42  of the reformer  14 . By laminating the upper layer metal substrate  51 , the middle layer metal substrate  53  and the lower layer metal substrate  55 , the grooves and the aperture are superposed on each other, and the reforming flow path  42  mutually communicating with the upper layer metal substrate  51 , the middle layer metal substrate  53  and the lower layer metal substrate  55  is formed. In the upper layer metal substrate  51 , a communicating groove  57  for communicating the reforming flow path  42  with a communicating tube  27  is formed at an end of the groove, and a communicating groove  58  for communicating the reforming flow path  42  with a communicating tube  28  is formed at the other end of the groove. Moreover, as shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , a combustion flow path  45 , which is the high temperature combustor  16 , is provided at an end distant from the low temperature reaction unit  12 . The combustion flow path  45  is formed by the superposition of the through-holes formed in each of the upper layer metal substrate  51 , the middle layer metal substrate  53 , and the lower layer metal substrate  55 . The groove used as a connection path  50  for communicating an end of the combustion flow path  45  with the communicating tube  25  of the combustion flow path  45  is formed in the lower layer metal substrate  55 , and a groove used as a connection path  49  for communicating the other end of the combustion flow path  45  and the communicating tube  26  is formed in the lower layer metal substrate  55 .  
         [0061]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the vaporizing flow path  41  is formed in a winding state in the metal substrate  52 . The liquid fuel piping  31  of the assembly piping  30  is connected to an end of the vaporizing flow path  41  through the metal substrates  54  and  56 , and the communicating tube  27  is connected to the other end thereof. An end of the communicating tube  27  is connected to the vaporizing flow path  41 , and the other end thereof is connected to the reforming flow path  42 . The reforming flow path  42  in the upper layer metal substrate  51 , the middle layer metal substrate  53  and the lower layer metal substrate  55  is formed in a winding state. An end of the reforming flow path  42  is connected to the communicating tube  27  in the upper layer metal substrate  51 , and other end thereof is connected to the communicating tube  28 . A reforming catalyst working as the catalyst of the reforming reaction of either the chemical reaction formula (1) or (2) is provided in the reforming flow path  42 . The reforming catalyst is a catalyst of, for example, copper/lead oxide series, and is made by carrying copper/lead oxide by alumina as a carrier.  
         [0062]     An end of the communicating tube  28  is connected to the reforming flow path  42 , and the other end of the communicating tube  28  is connected to a connection flow path  46  to the CO removal flow path  43  of the low temperature reaction unit  12 . The connection flow path  46  penetrates the metal substrate  52 , and communicates with the metal substrate  54  of the intermediate layer to connect the communicating tube  28  connected to the metal substrate  52  of the upper layer of the low temperature reaction unit  12  with the CO removal flow path  43  formed in the metal substrate  54 .  
         [0063]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the CO removal flow path  43  is formed in a winding state in the metal substrate  54 . One end of the CO removal flow path  43  is connected to the connection flow path  46  and the air supply piping  33 , and other end thereof is connected to the reformed gas conveyance pipe  35 . A CO removal catalyst which works as the catalyst of the oxidation reaction of the chemical reaction formula (3) is provided in the CO removal flow path  43 . The CO removal catalyst is a catalyst of platinum series, and is made of carrying platinum, or platinum and ruthenium with alumina.  
         [0064]     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a mixing flow path  47  and an exhaust flow path  48  are formed in the metal substrate  56  in the lower layer of the low temperature reaction unit  12  in addition to the combustion flow path  44  formed in the winding state.  
         [0065]     An end of the combustion flow path  44  is connected to the mixing flow path  47 , and the other end of the combustion flow path  44  is connected with the exhaust pipe  36 . A combustion catalyst which works as the catalyst of the oxidation reaction of hydrogen in an off-gas is provided in the combustion flow path  44 . The combustion catalyst is made of carrying platinum with alumina as a carrier.  
         [0066]     The mixing flow path  47  is connected to the off-gas supplying pipe  34  and the air supply piping  32 , and further is connected to the communicating tube  26  and the combustion flow path  44 . The mixing flow path  47  mixes the off-gas with the air, and the mixing flow path  47  supplies the mixed gas to the communicating tube  26  and the combustion flow path  44  at a predetermined rate (for example, communicating tube  26 : combustion flow path=1.37:1).  
         [0067]     An end of the communicating tube  26  is connected to the mixing flow path  47 , and the other end thereof is connected to the connection path  49  formed in the high temperature reaction unit  11  through the communicating tube  26 . An end of the connection path  49  is connected to the communicating tube  26 , and the other end thereof is connected to the combustion flow path  45 .  
         [0068]     The combustion flow path  45  is formed in a winding state as shown in  FIG. 7 . An end of the combustion flow path  45  is connected to the connection path  49 , and the other end thereof is connected to the connection path  50 . The combustion catalyst working as the catalyst of the oxidation reaction of fuel is provided in the combustion flow path  45 . The combustion catalyst similar to that of combustion flow path  44  can be used as the combustion catalyst.  
         [0069]     An end of the connection path  50  is connected to the combustion flow path  45 , and the other end thereof is connected to the communicating tube  25 . An end of the communicating tube  25  is connected to the connection path  50 , and the other end thereof is connected to the exhaust flow path  48 .  
         [0070]     The exhaust flow path  48  formed on the metal substrate  56  is provide in the periphery of the lower layer so that the exhaust flow path  48  may enclose the combustion flow path  44 . An end of the exhaust flow path  48  is connected to the communicating tube  25 , and the other end thereof is connected with the exhaust pipe  36  together with the combustion flow path  44 . Because the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust flow path  48  is the gas exhausted from the high temperature combustor  16 , the exhaust gas is at a relatively high temperature, and the exhaust gas also has the function of assisting the heating of the low temperature combustor  17 .  
         [0071]     In addition, the liquid fuel piping  31  penetrates the lower layer and the intermediate layer to communicate with the upper layer. Moreover, the air supply piping  33  and the reformed gas conveyance pipe  35  penetrate the lower layer to communicate with the intermediate layer.  
         [0072]     In the following, the operation of the reactor  10  is described. First, a voltage is applied to the high temperature heater  18  and the low temperature heater  19 , and the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  are heated to set temperatures, for example, a high temperature within a range of from 250° C. to 400° C. and a low temperature within a range of from 110° C. to 190° C., respectively.  
         [0073]     When the temperatures of the high temperature reaction unit  11  and the low temperature reaction unit  12  have risen to the respective set temperatures, fuel and water are supplied to the vaporizing flow path  41  from the liquid fuel piping  31 . When the fuel and the water are supplied, the vaporizing flow path  41  heats the fuel and the water to vaporize them. The vaporized fuel and the vaporized water flow into the reforming flow path  42  through the communicating tube  27 .  
         [0074]     In the reforming flow path  42 , the vaporized fuel and the vaporized water are changed into a mixed gas composed of hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas and little carbon monoxide by the reforming reaction. The mixed gas generated by the reforming reaction flows into the CO removal flow path  43  through the communicating tube  28  and the connection flow path  46 .  
         [0075]     In the CO removal flow path  43 , the oxygen supplied from the air supply piping  33  is mixed with the mixed gas, and the carbon monoxide slightly contained in the mixed gas is selectively oxidized. The mixed gas (reformed gas) from which the carbon monoxide has been removed is sent out from the reformed gas conveyance pipe  35  to the fuel cell device  102 .  
         [0076]     The unreacted off-gas in the introduced reformed gas for an electrochemical reaction on the fuel electrode side in the fuel cell device  102  is supplied from the off-gas supplying pipe  34  to the mixing flow path  47 . In the mixing flow path  47 , the off-gas is mixed with the air supplied from the air supply piping  32 . The mixed gas of the off-gas and the air burns in the combustion flow path  44  while burning through the communicating tube  26  and the connection path  49  on the combustion flow path  45 . The high temperature combustor  16  and the low temperature combustor  17  at this time can be controlled based on the flow rate of the off-gas, and the flow rate of the off-gas can be set by means of the widths and the depths of the flow paths of the combustion flow paths  44  and  45 .  
         [0077]     The exhaust gas of the combustion flow path  45  is discharged to the outside from the exhaust pipe  36  through the exhaust flow path  48  provided in the periphery of the low temperature reaction unit  12  in a manner of enclosing the connection path  50 , the communicating tube  25  and the combustion flow path  44 . The high-temperature exhaust gas which passes through the exhaust flow path  48  at this time can be used as a heat source of the low temperature reaction unit  12 .  
         [0078]     The exhaust gas of the combustion flow path  44  is discharged from the exhaust pipe  36  to the outside together with the exhaust gas of the combustion flow path  45 .  
         [0079]     When a sufficient heat quantity comes to be acquired by the combustion reaction in the combustion flow path  45 , the operation of the high temperature heater  18  is stopped or the heating of the high temperature heater  18  is decreased to switch the main heat source of the high temperature reaction unit  11  to the combustion flow path  45 .  
         [0080]     When a sufficient heat quantity to heat the low temperature reaction unit  12  by the combustion reaction in the combustion flow path  44  and the high-temperature exhaust gas which passes through the exhaust flow path  48  comes to be acquired, the operation of the low temperature heater  19  is stopped or the heat generation of the low temperature heater  19  is decreased to switch the main heat source of the low temperature reaction unit  12  to the combustion flow path  44 . After that, electric power can be continuously generated by continuing to supply fuel, water and air to the reactor.  
         [0081]     In addition, the fuel and the oxygen may be supplied only from the liquid fuel piping  31  to the flow path  44  and the combustion flow path  45 .  
         [0082]     Moreover, the high temperature combustor  16  and the low temperature combustor  17  may be made to generate heat by combining the fuel and the off-gas. In this case, the fuel or the off-gas may be distributed to the combustion flow paths  44  and  45  at a predetermined rate from the liquid fuel piping  31  or the off-gas supply pipe  34  according to the internal flow path structure, and the air may be distributed to the combustion flow paths  44  and  45  from the air supply piping  32 .  
         [0083]     In the above embodiments, although methanol is used as the fuel, the fuel is not limited to the methanol, but compounds containing hydrogen atoms of alcohols such as ethanol and the like, gasoline and the like can be used in place of the methanol. In addition, it is of course that the combustion catalyst and the reforming catalyst can also be changed suitably.  
         [0084]     The present U.S. patent application claims a priority under the Paris Convention of Japanese patent application No. 2005-169188 filed on Jun. 9, 2005, which shall be a basis of correction of an incorrect translation.