Patent ID: 8361433

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a hydrogen-containing gas, comprising: a mixing step of mixing, in a mixing chamber, an oxygen-containing gas with a feed gas obtained by mixing steam with a hydrocarbon fuel; and a reformation step of guiding the mixed gas obtained in the mixing chamber into a catalytic reaction chamber via an antechamber provided on the upstream side of the catalytic reaction chamber and bringing the mixed gas into contact with at least one reforming catalyst and thereby obtaining a hydrogen-containing gas by means of a partial oxidation reaction and a steam reforming reaction, wherein the catalytic reaction chamber includes a first catalyst section in which is disposed a first reforming catalyst that has low-temperature oxidation activity and a second catalyst section which is provided on the downstream side of the first catalyst section and in which is disposed a second reforming catalyst that has reforming activity, the mixed gas is introduced into the catalytic reaction chamber after the temperature of the antechamber has been set to at least a minimum partial-oxidation temperature and below a self-ignition temperature, where the self-ignition temperature is the temperature at which the mixed gas self-ignites during the advection period required for the mixed gas to move from the mixing chamber to the catalytic reaction chamber, and the minimum partial-oxidation temperature is the minimum temperature at which the first reforming catalyst undergoes the partial oxidation reaction, and wherein the first reforming catalyst concentration of the first catalyst section is the concentration at which a first catalyst section outlet temperature is no higher than the self-ignition temperature and is at least the temperature at which the second catalyst undergoes partial oxidation, in a state in which the temperature of the antechamber has been set to at least the minimum partial-oxidation temperature and below the self-ignition temperature.