Patent ID: 7674445

Claim:
A method for purifying hydrogen by oxidizing and removing carbon monoxide in a reformed gas containing carbon monoxide in addition to a main component of hydrogen gas, the method comprising: supplying an oxidant gas to the reformed gas for reacting with carbon monoxide in a catalyst bed for oxidizing carbon monoxide, passing a stream of the reformed gas with the oxidant gas supplied thereto through a hydrogen purifying apparatus having: a gas inlet; a gas outlet; a reaction chamber accommodating the catalyst bed, the reaction chamber and catalyst bed each having a downstream side and an upstream side, wherein the downstream side is in fluid communication with the gas outlet; and a gas flow route external to and circumscribing the reaction chamber, the gas flow route having a downstream side and an upstream side, wherein the upstream side of the gas flow route is in fluid communication with the gas inlet and wherein the upstream side of each of the reaction chamber and catalyst bed is in fluid communication with the downstream side of the gas flow route, passing the reformed gas through the gas flow route countercurrent to gas flow within the reaction chamber and catalyst bed, performing direct heat exchange between a downstream side of the catalyst bed and the upstream side of the gas flow route, and performing direct heat exchange between an upstream side of the catalyst bed and the downstream side of the gas flow route.