Patent ID: 7867647

Claim:
A hydrogen generation device, comprising: a plurality of reformers, each of which includes a catalyst, and in each of which a reforming reaction is carried out using reactant on the catalyst, and an exothermic reaction is carried out using exothermic material to heat the catalyst, wherein the reforming reaction is executed on one reformer and the exothermic reaction is executed on another reformer, and the reforming reaction and the exothermic reaction are switched when an efficiency in generating hydrogen decreases due to a catalyst temperature decreasing; a switching portion that switches among supply passages through which the reactant is supplied to the plurality of reformers, and switches among supply passages through which the exothermic material is supplied to the plurality of reformers; and a switching control portion configured to control the switching portion so that at least one reformer in which a temperature of the catalyst reaches a reforming-start temperature at which the reforming reaction can be carried out is selected among the plurality of reformers, and the reactant is supplied to the at least one selected reformer, in a case where the reforming reaction is started, wherein the plurality of reformers includes a reformer that has a first heat capacity, and a reformer that has a second heat capacity that is greater than the first heat capacity; and the switching control portion is configured to control the switching portion so that the reformer that has the first heat capacity is selected and further comprising: a temperature detection portion that detects the temperature of the catalyst in each of the reformers; and a determination portion that determines whether the temperature of the catalyst detected by the temperature detection portion has reached the reforming-start temperature, wherein if the determination portion determines that the temperature of the catalyst has reached the reforming-start temperature in at least one reformer, the switching control portion controls the switching portion so that the at least one reformer in which the temperature of the catalyst is determined to have reached the reforming-start temperature is selected.