Patent ID: 8202333

Claim:
A shutdown method for a reforming apparatus including: a reforming section for being supplied with reforming fuel and steam to generate reformed gas; an evaporator section for heating and boiling reforming water to supply the steam to the reforming section; a carbon monoxide reduction section for reducing carbon monoxide in the reformed gas supplied from the reforming section by oxidizing the reformed gas with oxidizing air supplied thereto and then for discharging the reformed gas; and a burner section for burning combustion fuel with combustion oxidizer gas to heat the reforming section with the combustion gas; wherein the method comprises: at a time of a shutdown, stopping supply of reforming fuel to the reforming section, stopping supply of reforming water to the evaporator section and a combustion of the burner section, and increasing a flow rate of the combustion oxidizer gas relative to a flow rate right before an end of power generation; flowing oxidizing air for a predetermined time only from a time point when the supply of the reforming fuel, the supply of the reforming water, and the combustion of the burner section are stopped; performing pressure relief if an internal pressure of the reforming apparatus rises after the flowing of the oxidizing air is stopped; and sealing the reforming apparatus when the rise in the internal pressure of the reforming apparatus stops.