Patent ID: 7008219

Claim:
A boil-off gas processing system comprising: a hydrogen tank for storing liquid hydrogen used as fuel for a hydrogen fueled vehicle; a boil-off gas passage for discharging boil-off gas from said hydrogen tank; a mixing device for introducing air into the boil-off gas passage and for mixing the air and the boil-off gas and for outputting a mixed gas; a catalytic combustor for burning the mixed gas from the mixing device, the catalytic combustor having an inlet for receiving the mixed gas, a catalyst section including a catalyst, and an outlet for discharging combustion gas; an electric heater provided between the inlet and the catalyst section for heating the mixed gas; a control section for controlling operation of the electric heater; a combustion gas passage for discharging the combustion gas, and configured to surround at least a portion of the boil-off gas passage from the catalytic combustor to an upstream side of the electric heater relative to a flow direction of the boil-off gas, wherein said portion is heated by waste heat of the combustion gas passing through the combustion gas passage; and an outer tube for surrounding the combustion gas passage, wherein the combustion gas passage is formed between the boil-off gas passage and the outer tube, wherein the mixing device, the electric heater, and the catalyst section are aligned in the boil-off gas passage so that the boil-off gas passes substantially straight through the mixing device, the electric heater, and the catalyst section.