Patent ID: 7763214

Claim:
A reducing agent forming device comprising: a reforming part that subjects a hydrocarbon-based raw material to be reformed to a reforming reaction to form a reducing agent to be supplied to a reducing catalyst part for reducing nitrogen oxide selectively; an inlet for flowing raw material into said reforming part; an outlet for flowing the reducing agent to the reducing catalyst part; and a hydrogen permeable membrane for supplying hydrogen atoms to the reforming part, the hydrogen permeable membrane having a first surface and a second surface; and a hydrogen supply means for supplying hydrogen molecules to the first surface of the hydrogen permeable membrane, the hydrogen supply means having an electrolytic film through which electric current passes and water supply means for supplying water to a first surface of the electrolytic film, wherein the reforming part has a reforming reaction region through which the raw material to be reformed passes and is reacted with the hydrogen atoms supplied by the hydrogen permeable membrane so as to be reformed to the reducing agent, the hydrogen permeable membrane dissociates the hydrogen molecules supplied to the first surface from the hydrogen supply means into hydrogen atoms and makes the hydrogen atoms permeate from the first surface to the second surface to produce the hydrogen atoms on the second surface, the electrolytic film has said first surface and a second surface opposite thereto, the second surface of the electrolytic film faces the first surface of the hydrogen permeable membrane, and when electric current is passed through the electrolytic film, the water supplied from the water supply means is decomposed on the first surface of the electrolytic film through electrolysis to produce hydrogen molecules on the second surface of the electrolytic film and the hydrogen molecules are supplied to the first surface of the hydrogen permeable membrane.