CA2521698A1 - Selective oxidation reactor - Google Patents
Selective oxidation reactor Download PDFInfo
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- CA2521698A1 CA2521698A1 CA002521698A CA2521698A CA2521698A1 CA 2521698 A1 CA2521698 A1 CA 2521698A1 CA 002521698 A CA002521698 A CA 002521698A CA 2521698 A CA2521698 A CA 2521698A CA 2521698 A1 CA2521698 A1 CA 2521698A1
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- chamber
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- reformed gas
- reactor
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- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 83
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 74
- 239000003054 catalyst Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 49
- 230000001590 oxidative effect Effects 0.000 claims description 71
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 claims description 44
- 238000002407 reforming Methods 0.000 claims description 36
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 claims description 19
- 238000006555 catalytic reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 abstract description 9
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 4
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 abstract 5
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 abstract 5
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 171
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 description 11
- 239000000567 combustion gas Substances 0.000 description 10
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 239000006200 vaporizer Substances 0.000 description 7
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 5
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000000498 cooling water Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- OKKJLVBELUTLKV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Methanol Chemical compound OC OKKJLVBELUTLKV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000002737 fuel gas Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 3
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000012809 cooling fluid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000003350 kerosene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002826 coolant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000110 cooling liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005868 electrolysis reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004880 explosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000017525 heat dissipation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003208 petroleum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000005518 polymer electrolyte Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004080 punching Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/02—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds
- B01J8/04—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds
- B01J8/0446—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds the flow within the beds being predominantly vertical
- B01J8/0461—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds the flow within the beds being predominantly vertical in two or more cylindrical annular shaped beds
- B01J8/0469—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds the flow within the beds being predominantly vertical in two or more cylindrical annular shaped beds the beds being superimposed one above the other
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J8/00—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes
- B01J8/02—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds
- B01J8/04—Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid particles; Apparatus for such processes with stationary particles, e.g. in fixed beds the fluid passing successively through two or more beds
- B01J8/0492—Feeding reactive fluids
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
- C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
- C01B3/50—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification
- C01B3/56—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids
- C01B3/58—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids including a catalytic reaction
- C01B3/583—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids including a catalytic reaction the reaction being the selective oxidation of carbon monoxide
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/06—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues
- H01M8/0606—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/0612—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants from carbon-containing material
- H01M8/0625—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants from carbon-containing material in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure
- H01M8/0631—Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J2208/00—Processes carried out in the presence of solid particles; Reactors therefor
- B01J2208/00008—Controlling the process
- B01J2208/00017—Controlling the temperature
- B01J2208/00504—Controlling the temperature by means of a burner
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J2208/00—Processes carried out in the presence of solid particles; Reactors therefor
- B01J2208/00008—Controlling the process
- B01J2208/00017—Controlling the temperature
- B01J2208/0053—Controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01J2208/00—Processes carried out in the presence of solid particles; Reactors therefor
- B01J2208/00008—Controlling the process
- B01J2208/00548—Flow
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
- C01B2203/00—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas
- C01B2203/04—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas
- C01B2203/0435—Catalytic purification
- C01B2203/044—Selective oxidation of carbon monoxide
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
- C01B2203/00—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas
- C01B2203/04—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas
- C01B2203/0465—Composition of the impurity
- C01B2203/047—Composition of the impurity the impurity being carbon monoxide
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
- C01B2203/00—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas
- C01B2203/06—Integration with other chemical processes
- C01B2203/066—Integration with other chemical processes with fuel cells
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Hydrogen, Water And Hydrids (AREA)
- Fuel Cell (AREA)
Abstract
A selective oxidation reaction apparatus, comprising a selective oxidation reactor (6) having a plurality of reactor bodies (31) and (32) formed in double cylindrical shapes partly cut out in the peripheral direction and partitioned by a partition wall (33), the reactor bodies (31) and (32) further comprising chambers (36) and (39) partitioned by upper and lower porous plates (34), (35), (37), and (38) allowing modification gas mixed with oxidation air to pass therethrough and filled with selective oxidation catalysts, wherein a gas mixing tube (49) having modification gas inlet holes (49a), allowing the modification gas from the chamber (36) to flow therein, drilled in the outer periphery thereof, allowing the oxidation air (48) to lead from the tip side therein to mix with the modification gas, and capable of feeding the modification gas mixed with the oxidation air (48) into a chamber (51) formed at the upper part of the chamber (39) of the reactor body (32) is installed in a chamber (47) formed at the upper part of the chamber (36). As a result, the selective oxidation reactor can be reduced in size to compactly store in a small cylindrical space.
Description
f DESCRIPTION
SELECTIVE OXIDATION REACTOR
Technical Field The present invention relates to a selective oxidation reactor applied to a fuel reforming apparatus.
Background Art In general, a fuel cell is such that, inversely to electrolysis of water, hydrogen is coupled with oxygen and electricity and heat generated thereupon are taken out.
Because of their higher electricity generation efficiency and adaptability to environment, fuel cells have been actively developed for household-fuel-cell cogeneration systems and fuel-cell-powered automobiles. Hydrogen as fuel for such fuel cells is produced by reforming, for example, petroleum fuel such as naphtha or kerosene or city gas through a reformer.
Fig. 1 shows a whole system for a residential type polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) as an example of an installation with a reformer in which reference numeral 1 denotes a reformer; 2, a water vaporizer to vaporize water into water vapor through heat of exhaust gas from the reformer 1; 3, a primary fuel gasifier to gasify primary fuel such as naphtha through heat of the exhaust gas; 4, a desulfurizer to desulfurize source gas to be fed to the reformer 1; 5, a low-temperature shift converter to lower the reformed gas from the reformer 1 to a required temperature (about 200°C-250°C or so) through cooling water so as to change CO and Hz0 into COZ and H2; 6, a selective oxidation reactor which removes CO by an oxidation reaction represented by equation (I) from reformed gas passed through the shift converter 5 controlled by cooling water; 7, a humidifier to humidify the reformed gas having passed through the reactor 6; 8, a PEFC with a cathode 8a and an anode 8b; and 60, a drain separator to which an outlet gas from the cathode 8a is guided and which can withdraw water from the outlet gas to discharge the remaining gas.
CO + 1 / 2 OZ ~ COz "' ( I ) In the installation shown in Fig. 1, water is vaporized by the vaporizer 2 into water vapor and the primary fuel such as naphtha is gasified by the gasifier 3 into source gas. The source gas mixed with the water vapor is guided to the desulfurizer 4, and the source gas desulfurized in the desulfurizer 4 is guided to the reformer 1. The gas reformed by the reformer 1 is guided via the shift converter 5, selective oxidation reactor 6 and humidifier 7 to the anode 8b of the PEFC 8 while air is guided through the humidifier 7 to the cathode 8a of the PEFC 8, thereby generating electric power.
Anode off-gas from the anode 8b is re-utilized as fuel gas in the reformer 1 while the water discharged from the cathode 8a together with the outlet gas is separated in the drain separator 60 from the outlet gas so as to be utilized as cooling water for the PEFC 8, reactor 6 and shift converter 5 and as part of the water vapor to be mixed with the source gas.
Conventionally, the reformer 1 and its associated instruments or the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 are assembled as a single unit into a fuel reforming apparatus.
As such fuel reforming apparatus, a burner combustion type apparatus has been proposed, for example, in JP 2003-327405 A.
The fuel reforming apparatus disclosed in JP 2003-327405 A is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 where parts similar to those shown in Fig. 1 are represented by the same reference numerals. In the fuel reforming apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the unit comprising the reformer 1 and its associated instruments (the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6) is covered with and enclosed by a heat insulating vessel 9 with a heat insulating layer 9c between inner and outer cylinders 9a and 9b, thereby providing the fuel reforming apparatus.
In this fuel reforming apparatus, the inner cylinder 9a itself of the vessel 9 is utilized as part of the reformer 1 and furnace flue is arranged centrally inside the inner cylinder 9a for flow of the combustion gas from a combustor 10 therethrough; formed between the furnace flue 11 and the inner cylinder 9a is a flow path 12 of the combustion gas in which a plurality of (six in Figs. 2 and 3) reforming tubes 13 are arranged side by side and are charged with reforming catalysts (not shown) through which source gas flows for reforming thereof, thereby providing the reformer 1. Each of the reforming tubes 13 is of a double barrel tube structure with inner and outer tubes 13a and 13b such that the source gas is raised up in a space between the tubes 13a and 13b for heat exchange with the combustion gas, is returned back at upper ends of the tubes and is lowered in a space inside the inner tube 13a.
The furnace flue 11 in the reformer 1 is connected to an upper end of a base inner cylinder 16 standing from a base plate 14. A lower end of the vessel 9 is detachably and sealingly connected, via connecting means (not shown) such as bolts and nuts, to an upper end of a base outer cylinder 15 short in length and standing from an outer periphery of the base plate 14. The associated ' ~ 5 instruments of the reformer 1 or the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 are arranged in a cylindrical space 17 which is defined by the base plate 14, the base inner and outer cylinders 16 and 15 and the inner cylinder 9a of the vessel 9 and which is communicated with the flow path 12 of the combustion gas.
The base inner cylinder 16 is interiorly formed with an air flow path 18 to feed air to the combustor 10.
Arranged axially of the cylinder is an anode off-gas supply pipe 19 to feed the anode off-gas as fuel gas to the combustor 10. Upon startup or during regular combustion, combustion fuel is fed from a combustion fuel supply pipe 20 to the combustor 10. Thus, upon startup the combustion fuel is used as fuel; and during regular combustion, a mixture of the anode off-gas with the combustion fuel is used.
In the fuel reforming apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the construction work of the heat insulating layer 9c is completed merely by enclosing the unit with the heat insulating vessel 9. As a result, time and labor for the construction work of the heat insulating layer 9c are drastically relieved. Moreover, whenever maintenance such as replacement of catalysts in the reformer 1 or inspection is to be conducted, merely opening the vessel 9 will suffice, leading to prompt operation.
Use of the vessel 9 having the heat insulating layer 9c between the inner and outer cylinders 9a and 9b remarkably enhances heat insulating performance so that decrease in volume of the heat insulating layer 9c can be attained and the apparatus can be made compact in size while heat dissipation is suppressed to improve thermal efficiency. Vacuum heat insulation may be employed for the high performance heat insulating vessel.
The interior of the inner cylinder 9a in the heat insulating vessel 9 is utilized as the flow path 12 of the combustion gas for the reformer 1, which brings about structural simplification of the whole structure of the apparatus and thus reduction in cost. The reformer 1 comprises the furnace flue 11 having the combustion gas from the combustor 10 flowing therethrough and the plural reforming tubes 13 arranged side by side in the flow path 12 of the combustion gas between the furnace flue 11 and the inner cylinder 9a in the vessel 9 and having reforming catalysts charged therein for flowing of the source gas therethrough for reforming of the gas, which makes it possible to shorten in length the reformer 1 through utilization of the multiple reforming tubes 13 and utilization of radiant heat transfer due to high-temperature combustion in the combustor 10, with the advantageous result that the associated instruments such as the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 can be arranged beneath the reformer 1 so as to decrease in height the fuel reforming apparatus.
In a normal operation, the reformer 1 is fed with the source gas generated from the primary fuel; the combustion gas from the burnt anode off-gas as fuel gas is heat exchanged with the source gas in the reformer 1, vaporizer 2 and gasifier 3 and is lowered in temperature into about 200°C or temperature level of reaction in the shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6, so that there is no fear of unnecessary heat exchange occurring even in an instance where reactors such as the shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 are nakedly arranged in the cylindrical space 17 which is the flow path of the combustion gas.
Thus, reduction in size of the apparatus and increase in heat efficiency can be attained; labor and time of construction work for the heat insulating layer 9c can be drastically reduced; and maintenance can be readily conducted.
As mentioned above, the burner combustion type fuel reforming apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 has various excellent advantages. However, in the above-mentioned selective oxidation reactor 6, selectively from various components in the guided, reformed gas, CO with the concentration of several thousands ppm must be lowered by an oxidation reaction into several ppm or less. In order to conduct such lowering of the concentration, reaction temperature must be constant. Therefore, utilized in most instances is a multi-section or two- or three-section selective oxidation reactor 6. The reformed gas to be guided to the selective oxidation reactor 6 may consist of about 59~ of HZ, about 0.5~ of C0, about 19~ of COZ and about 21.5 of HzO.
Fig. 4 schematically shows a device flow diagram where there are two reactor bodies in a typical selective oxidation reactor applied to a fuel reforming apparatus.
In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes an upstream reactor body into which guided is the reformed gas 22a fed from the low-temperature shift converter 5 (see Figs. 1 and 2) and mixed with the oxidizing air 23; 24, a gas mixer which mixes the reformed gas 22a from the reactor body 21 with the oxidizing air 25; and 26, a downstream reactor body into which guided is the reformed gas 22b mixed with the oxidizing air 25 and fed from the gas mixer 24. The reactor bodies 21 and 26 are provided with cooler 21a and 26a, respectively, and are charged with selective oxidation catalysts having Ru or the like as active component.
In the selective oxidation reactor shown in the device flow diagram of Fig. 4, the oxidizing air 23 is added to and mixed with the reformed gas from the shift converter 5 and containing a few thousands ppm of CO, and the reformed gas 22a mixed with the oxidizing air 23 is guided to the reactor body 21 where the oxidation reaction shown in equation (I) is conducted by catalysis to reduce CO, and fed from the reactor body 21 to the gas mixer 24 where it is mixed with the oxidizing air 25. The reformed gas 22b generated in the gas mixer 24 and mixed with the oxidizing air 25 is guided into the reactor body 26 where, in the like manner in the reactor body 21, the oxidation reaction is carried out to reduce CO into several ppm, then guided via the humidifier 7 to the anode 8b of the PEFC 8 (see Fig. 1).
In the reactor bodies 21 and 26, the coolers 21a and 26a are fed with cooling medium such as cooling water to conduct cooling so that the temperature of the reformed gases 22a and 22b is controlled into 120°C-200°C, more preferably 150°C, for facilitation of the oxidation reaction. On an inlet side of the reactor body 21, the reformed gas 22a may be readily mixed with the oxidizing air 23 with no gas mixer,since the oxidizing air 23 has enough flow rate. However, on an inlet side of the reactor body 26, the mixing of the reformed gas 22a with the oxidizing air 25 is hard to carry out since the oxidizing air 25 has less flow rate; therefore, the gas mixer 24 is required for enough mixing of the reformed gas 22a with the oxidizing air 25.
In a selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 4, arrangement of the plural reactor bodies 21 and 26 usually requires a pipe or pipes for interconnection of the reactor bodies 21 and 26. Moreover, in an instance where the reactor bodies 21 and 26 are typically cylindrical and such plural reactor bodies are arranged side by side, then space is formed between the reactor bodies 21 and 26; if such space is narrow, the space cannot be utilized for arrangement of other instruments and becomes dead space.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, the gas mixer 24 is required between the reactor bodies 21 and 26. Therefore, the selective oxidation reactor cannot be wholly reduced in size.
Moreover, when the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 4 is to be applied to the fuel reforming apparatus shown in Fig. 2, structurally, the selective oxidation reactor must be accommodated in the space 17 defined by the cylindrical base inner cylinder 16 and the cylinder 9a of the vessel 9 arranged outwardly and coaxially of the cylinder 16 and the base outer cylinder 15.
Thus, the selective oxidation reactor cannot be accommodated in the space 17 unless it is made compact in size; therefore, it requires any structural ingenuity.
The present invention was made in view of the above and has its object to make compact in size a selective oxidation reactor as an associated instrument of a reformer so that it may be snugly accommodated in a narrow cylindrical space in the fuel reforming apparatus, thereby making the reactor occupy as little space as possible.
Summary of The Invention In a selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, the present invention is directed to the selective oxidation reactor wherein said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
wherein each of said reactor bodies is partitioned into three chambers by perforated plates through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, a central chamber thereof being charged with selective oxidation catalysts;
wherein the reformed gas is adapted to flow upward or downward through the chamber charged with the catalysts in ~2 each of the reactor bodies so as to react with the oxidizing gas by catalysis of the selective oxidation catalysts to remove CO;
wherein, for flow of the reformed gas from a reactor body in one of segments to a reactor body in a next one of the segments, the reformed gas from the chamber charged with the catalysts is adapted to be guided via an upper or lower one of the perforated plates in the reactor body in said one of the segments to a gas mixing tube through reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery thereof, said gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber not charged with the catalysts in the reactor body in said one of the segments, the reformed gas being adapted to be mixed, in said gas mixing tube, with the oxidizing gas which is guided not through the reformed gas introduction pores but through a different portion, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas being adapted to flow from the gas mixing tube to a chamber in the reactor body in the next one of the segments which is not charged with selective oxidation catalysts and which is adjacent to said chamber having said gas mixing tube;
and wherein the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through a chamber charged with the catalysts.
In a selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, the present invention is also directed to the selective oxidation reactor wherein said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
wherein each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in a direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and wherein the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
In a selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, the present invention is further directed to the selective oxidation reactor wherein said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
wherein each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in the direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from one end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and wherein the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
The selective oxidation reactor according to the invention has means for cooling the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas in the reactor body.
According to the invention, a separate gas mixer is not required to mix the reformed gas with the oxidizing gas for reaction in a downstream reactor body, so that the reactor can be made compact in size and can be snugly accommodated in a narrow cylindrical chamber, thereby making the reactor occupy as little space as possible.
The reactor bodies constitute a bi-cylinder partly cut out so that center and cutout portions of the bi-cylinder are utilized as space through which other associated instruments of the fuel reforming apparatus extend together; the space can be thus effectively utilized, resulting in no dead space.
With the reformed gas from which CO has been removed in an upstream reactor body, the reformed gas is sufficiently effectively mixed in a gas mixing tube so that CO can be sufficiently removed from the reformed gas in a downstream reactor body.
Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 is a whole system diagram showing an example of an installation with a reformer;
Fig. 2 is a vertically sectional front view showing an example of a fuel reforming apparatus;
Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of arrows III in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a schematic device flow diagram showing a typical selective oxidation reactor with two reactor bodies applied to a fuel reforming apparatus;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of a selective oxidation reactor according to the invention applied to a fuel reforming apparatus, looking in the direction of arrows V in Fig. 2;
Fig. 6 is a front view in explosion of the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of arrows VI in Fig. 7;
Fig. 7 is a view looking in the direction of arrows VII in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a view looking in the direction of arrows VIII in Fig. 6;
Fig. 9 is a view looking in the direction of arrows IX in Fig. 6;
Fig. 10 is a view looking in the direction of arrow X
in Fig. 6;
Fig. 11 is a view looking in the direction of arrow XI in Fig. 6;
Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a gas mixing tube accommodated in an upper chamber of a reactor body in the first segment in the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 12.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention An embodiment of the invention will be described in conjunction with drawings.
Figs. 5 to 13 show an embodiment of the invention in which the parts similar to those shown in Fig. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.
In the embodiment, as shown in the flat view of Fig.
which is a view looking in the direction of V in Fig. 2, a selective oxidation reactor 6 applied to a fuel reforming apparatus is a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and is arranged in a cylindrical space 17 which is defined by a base plate 14, base inner and outer cylinders 16 and 15 and an inner cylinder 9a of a heat insulating vessel 9 and which is communicated with a flow path 12 of the combustion gas.
As shown detailedly in Figs. 6-13, the selective oxidation reactor 6 is radially partitioned into a plurality of segments, i.e., a reactor body 31 in the first segment of the bi-cylinder and a reactor body 32a in the second segment of the bi-cylinder which is connected via a partition plate 33 to a radial side surface of the reactor body 31, and is peripherally partly cut out. Thus, an inner diameter D1 of the reactor bodies 31 and 32 is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the base inner cylinder 16; and when the reactor bodies 31 and 32 are accommodated in the space 17, inner peripheries of the reactor bodies 31 and 32 are snugly fitted over an outer periphery of the base inner cylinder 16.
The reactor body 31 is formed as a sealed bi-arc vessel comprising outer and inner peripheral plates 31a and 31b in the form of larger- and smaller-diameter arcs, respectively, top and bottom plates 31c and 31d arranged to interconnect upper and lower ends of the plates 31a and 31b, respectively, a side plate 31e to cover a side of the reactor body away from the reactor body 32, and said partition plate 33.
The reactor body 31 is interiorly partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates 34 and 35 formed by for example punched metal with a number of pores. A chamber 36 formed between the perforated plates 34 and 35 in the reactor body 31 is charged with selective oxidation catalysts including Ru or the like as active component.
The reactor body 32 is formed as a sealed bi-arc vessel comprising outer and inner peripheral plates 32a and 32b in the form of larger- and smaller-diameter arcs, respectively, top and bottom plates 32c and 32d arranged to interconnect upper and lower ends of the plates 32a and 32b, respectively, a side plate 32e to cover a side of the reactor body away from the reactor body 31, and said partition plates 33.
Thus, the reactor bodies 31 and 32 are connected together with the partition plate 33 therebetween which constitutes parts of the reactor bodies 31 and 32 and are formed wholly as a substantially bi-cylindrical and peripherally partly cut-out vessel, there requiring no connection pipe for interconnecting the reactor bodies 31 and 32.
The reactor body 32 is interiorly partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates 37 and 38 formed by for example punching metal with a number of pores. A chamber 39 formed between the perforated plates 37 and 38 in the reactor body 31 is charged with selective oxidation catalysts including Ru or the like as effective component.
The side plate 31e is connected with a reformed gas supply pipe 42 so as to feed reformed gas 41a to a chamber 40 between the perforated plate 35 and the bottom plate 31d in the reactor body 31. More specifically, the supply pipe 42 comprises a horizontal portion 42a directly connected to a lower end of the side plate 31e for communication with the chamber 40, a vertical portion 42b connected to the horizontal portion 42a and extending to be adjacent to an upper end of the reactor body 31 and a horizontal portion 42c connected to the vertical portion 42b adjacent to an upper end of the vertical portion, orifices 43 being provided in the vertical portion 42b.
Thus, the reformed gas 41a may be fed to the supply pipe 42 via the lower end of the vertical pipe connected the horizontal portion of the supply pipe 42.
An oxidizing air supply pipe 45 is inserted to the vertical portion 42b of the supply pipe 42 at a position above the upstream orifice 43 such that oxidizing air 44 for oxidation reaction in the reactor body 31 in the first segment may be guided upstream of the upstream orifice 43 in the vertical portion 42b. The oxidizing air supply pipe 45 is horizontally bent outside of the vertical portion 42b of the reformed gas supply pipe 42 and has its horizontal end to which the oxidizing air 44 may be fed from below.
Inserted to the chamber 47 between the perforated plate 34 and the top plate 31c in the reactor body 31 is a gas mixing tube 49 which is in the form of arc in plan view and to which oxidizing air 48 may be fed for oxidation reaction in the reactor body 32. The gas mixing tube 49 extends from the reactor body 31 to outside and has its tip end to which oxidizing air 48 may be fed from below.
With its outer periphery being completely sealed by welding or the like, the gas mixing tube 49 is connected at its tip end to the partition plate 33 and is opened to a chamber 51 between the perforated plate 37 and the top plate 32c in the reactor body 32. An outer periphery of the gas mixing tube is formed with a great number of reformed gas introduction pores 49a. The reformed gas, which is raised up through the chamber 36 and guided to the chamber 47 via the perforated plate 34 in the reactor body 31, is guided via the introduction pores 49a to the gas mixing tube 49.
Thus, the reformed gas is sufficiently mixed with the oxidizing air 48 in the gas mixing tube 49 and is guided to the chamber 51 in the reactor body 32.
Connected to the side plate 32e of the reactor body 32 is a reformed gas takeoff pipe 53 for communication with the chamber 52 between the perforated plate 38 and the bottom plate 32d. The takeoff pipe 53 has a tip end from which the reformed gas 41b may be taken off.
A cooling-liquid supply pipe 55 for feeding of cooling fluid 54 is extended from a lower surface of the bottom plate 32d in the reactor body 32 at a position adjacent to the partition plate 33 via the chamber 52 to the chamber 39. In the chamber 39, the supply pipe 55 is laid down in zigzags upwards to a top of the chamber 39 where it extends through the partition plate 33 to the chamber 36 of the reactor body 31. In the chamber 36, the supply pipe 55 is laid down in zigzags downwards and is guided through the chamber 40 to outside. A portion of the supply pipe 55 which passes through the partition plate 33 is kept sealed.
The reactor bodies 31 and 32 substantially constitute the bi-cylinder partly cut out to have peripheral ends so that, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the side plate 31e and 32e are adjacent to each other in the plan views.
Next, a mode of operation of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described.
The reformed gas 41a from the low-temperature shift converter 5 shown in Fig. 1 is guided via the horizontal portion 42c of the supply pipe 42 to its vertical portion 42b. The oxidizing air 44 is guided from the supply pipe 45 to the vertical portion 42b of the supply pipe 42.
Thus, the reformed gas 41a and the oxidizing air 44 are mixed together as they pass through the orifices 43 in the vertical portion 42b, and are guided through the chamber 40 and perforated plate 35 to the chamber 36.
The selective oxidation catalysts with Ru or the like as active component are accommodated in the chamber 36 so that several thousands ppm of CO contained in the reformed gas 41a reacts, in the chamber 36, with oxygen in the oxidizing air 44 as shown in equation (1) by catalysis of selective oxidation catalysts into COZ, whereby CO in the reformed gas 41a is removed.
The reformed gas 41a with CO being removed at some level is passed through the chamber 36 and the perforated plate 34 to the chamber 47 where it is guided via the introduction pores 49a into the gas mixing tube 49.
The oxidizing air 48 is fed via the outer end of the gas mixing tube 49 thereinto and is mixed with the reformed gas introduced via the introduction pores 49a, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing air 48 being fed to the chamber 51 of the reactor body 32. In the gas mixing tube 49, the oxidizing air 48 has a flow rate lower than that of the reformed gas 41a; moreover, the reformed gas 41a is introduced via the introduction pores 49a into the gas mixing tube 49 at higher velocity and is changed in its direction of flow. Thus, the oxidizing air 48 is stirred and mixed well with the reformed gas 41a in the gas mixing tube 49 and is fed to the chamber 51 in the reactor body 32.
The reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing air 48 and fed to the chamber 51 flows through the perforated plate 37 downwards into the chamber 39. Since the selective oxidation catalysts with Ru or the like as active component are accommodated in the chamber 39, CO contained in the reformed gas reacts in the chamber 39 with oxygen in the oxidizing air 48 by catalysis of selective oxidation catalysts as shown in equation (1) into COz, whereby CO in the reformed gas is removed or reduced into an extent of only a few ppm.
Thus, the reformed gas 41b with CO being removed to a desirable state flows through the chambers 39 and 52 to the takeoff pipe 53 where it is discharged and passes through the humidifier 7 to the anode 8b of the PEFC 8.
The cooling fluid 54 passes through the supply pipe 55 and cools the gas in the chamber 39 and the reformed gas in the chamber 36 to predetermined temperatures. The temperature of the reformed gas is controlled to 120°C-200°C and preferably to 150°C for facilitation of the oxidation reaction as is the case shown in Fig. 4.
According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the reactor bodies 31 and 32 of the selective oxidation reactor 6 requires no connection pipe, nor requires a separate gas mixer for mixing of the reformed gas for reaction in the reactor body 32 in the second segment with the oxidizing air. As a result, the apparatus can be made compact in size and the reactor bodies 31 and 32 can be snugly accommodated in the narrow cylindrical space 17, thereby making the apparatus occupy as small space as possible.
Since the structure is the partly cut-out bi-cylinder, the center and the cut-out portion of the bi-cylinder can be utilized as space through which extend together other instruments of the fuel reforming apparatus such as the cylindrical base inner cylinder 16, the anode off-gas supply pipe 19, the combustion fuel supply pipe 20 and the like for feeding the combustion air to the combustor 10 shown in Fig. 2; the space can be thus effectively utilized, resulting in no dead space.
Moreover, since the reformed gas with CO being removed in the reactor body 31 is sufficiently satisfactorily mixed with the oxidizing air 48 in the gas mixing tube 49, CO can be satisfactorily removed also in the reactor body 32 in the second segment.
It is to be understood that a selective oxidation reactor according to the invention may be changed and modified without deferring the gist of the invention. For example, it has been described that according to the embodiment of invention, two sets of reactor bodies are arranged peripherally; however, any plural sets of them may be used.
In an instance where more than two sets of reaction vessel bodies are to be arranged, the mixing tubes for mixing the reformed gas with the oxidizing air must be arranged as mentioned below. In an instance where, in the reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the gas from upstream to downstream, the gas mixing tube is arranged in the chamber between the upper perforated plate and the top plate, then in the reactor body in each of even-number-th segments, the gas mixing tube must be arranged in the chamber between the lower perforated plate and the bottom plate; and in an instance where, in the reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments, the gas mixing tube is arranged in the chamber between the lower perforated plate and the bottom plate, then in the reactor body in each of even-number-th segments, the gas mixing tube must be arranged in the chamber between the upper perforated plate and the top plate.
Moreover, the gas for oxidizing CO is not limited to air and may be any gas containing oxygen.
Industrial Applicability As is clear from the foregoing, a selective oxidation reactor according to the invention is useful as that to be applied to a fuel reforming apparatus for reforming primary fuel such as methanol, city gas, naphtha or kerosene to be fed to a fuel cell. Especially, it is useful as a selective oxidation reactor which can facilitate reduction in size of the apparatus, can be snugly accommodated in a narrow cylindrical chamber and made occupy as little space as possible. It is useful as a selective oxidation reactor in which space can be effectively utilized, resulting in no dead space, and in which CO can be removed well in a downstream reactor body.
SELECTIVE OXIDATION REACTOR
Technical Field The present invention relates to a selective oxidation reactor applied to a fuel reforming apparatus.
Background Art In general, a fuel cell is such that, inversely to electrolysis of water, hydrogen is coupled with oxygen and electricity and heat generated thereupon are taken out.
Because of their higher electricity generation efficiency and adaptability to environment, fuel cells have been actively developed for household-fuel-cell cogeneration systems and fuel-cell-powered automobiles. Hydrogen as fuel for such fuel cells is produced by reforming, for example, petroleum fuel such as naphtha or kerosene or city gas through a reformer.
Fig. 1 shows a whole system for a residential type polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) as an example of an installation with a reformer in which reference numeral 1 denotes a reformer; 2, a water vaporizer to vaporize water into water vapor through heat of exhaust gas from the reformer 1; 3, a primary fuel gasifier to gasify primary fuel such as naphtha through heat of the exhaust gas; 4, a desulfurizer to desulfurize source gas to be fed to the reformer 1; 5, a low-temperature shift converter to lower the reformed gas from the reformer 1 to a required temperature (about 200°C-250°C or so) through cooling water so as to change CO and Hz0 into COZ and H2; 6, a selective oxidation reactor which removes CO by an oxidation reaction represented by equation (I) from reformed gas passed through the shift converter 5 controlled by cooling water; 7, a humidifier to humidify the reformed gas having passed through the reactor 6; 8, a PEFC with a cathode 8a and an anode 8b; and 60, a drain separator to which an outlet gas from the cathode 8a is guided and which can withdraw water from the outlet gas to discharge the remaining gas.
CO + 1 / 2 OZ ~ COz "' ( I ) In the installation shown in Fig. 1, water is vaporized by the vaporizer 2 into water vapor and the primary fuel such as naphtha is gasified by the gasifier 3 into source gas. The source gas mixed with the water vapor is guided to the desulfurizer 4, and the source gas desulfurized in the desulfurizer 4 is guided to the reformer 1. The gas reformed by the reformer 1 is guided via the shift converter 5, selective oxidation reactor 6 and humidifier 7 to the anode 8b of the PEFC 8 while air is guided through the humidifier 7 to the cathode 8a of the PEFC 8, thereby generating electric power.
Anode off-gas from the anode 8b is re-utilized as fuel gas in the reformer 1 while the water discharged from the cathode 8a together with the outlet gas is separated in the drain separator 60 from the outlet gas so as to be utilized as cooling water for the PEFC 8, reactor 6 and shift converter 5 and as part of the water vapor to be mixed with the source gas.
Conventionally, the reformer 1 and its associated instruments or the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 are assembled as a single unit into a fuel reforming apparatus.
As such fuel reforming apparatus, a burner combustion type apparatus has been proposed, for example, in JP 2003-327405 A.
The fuel reforming apparatus disclosed in JP 2003-327405 A is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 where parts similar to those shown in Fig. 1 are represented by the same reference numerals. In the fuel reforming apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the unit comprising the reformer 1 and its associated instruments (the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6) is covered with and enclosed by a heat insulating vessel 9 with a heat insulating layer 9c between inner and outer cylinders 9a and 9b, thereby providing the fuel reforming apparatus.
In this fuel reforming apparatus, the inner cylinder 9a itself of the vessel 9 is utilized as part of the reformer 1 and furnace flue is arranged centrally inside the inner cylinder 9a for flow of the combustion gas from a combustor 10 therethrough; formed between the furnace flue 11 and the inner cylinder 9a is a flow path 12 of the combustion gas in which a plurality of (six in Figs. 2 and 3) reforming tubes 13 are arranged side by side and are charged with reforming catalysts (not shown) through which source gas flows for reforming thereof, thereby providing the reformer 1. Each of the reforming tubes 13 is of a double barrel tube structure with inner and outer tubes 13a and 13b such that the source gas is raised up in a space between the tubes 13a and 13b for heat exchange with the combustion gas, is returned back at upper ends of the tubes and is lowered in a space inside the inner tube 13a.
The furnace flue 11 in the reformer 1 is connected to an upper end of a base inner cylinder 16 standing from a base plate 14. A lower end of the vessel 9 is detachably and sealingly connected, via connecting means (not shown) such as bolts and nuts, to an upper end of a base outer cylinder 15 short in length and standing from an outer periphery of the base plate 14. The associated ' ~ 5 instruments of the reformer 1 or the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 are arranged in a cylindrical space 17 which is defined by the base plate 14, the base inner and outer cylinders 16 and 15 and the inner cylinder 9a of the vessel 9 and which is communicated with the flow path 12 of the combustion gas.
The base inner cylinder 16 is interiorly formed with an air flow path 18 to feed air to the combustor 10.
Arranged axially of the cylinder is an anode off-gas supply pipe 19 to feed the anode off-gas as fuel gas to the combustor 10. Upon startup or during regular combustion, combustion fuel is fed from a combustion fuel supply pipe 20 to the combustor 10. Thus, upon startup the combustion fuel is used as fuel; and during regular combustion, a mixture of the anode off-gas with the combustion fuel is used.
In the fuel reforming apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the construction work of the heat insulating layer 9c is completed merely by enclosing the unit with the heat insulating vessel 9. As a result, time and labor for the construction work of the heat insulating layer 9c are drastically relieved. Moreover, whenever maintenance such as replacement of catalysts in the reformer 1 or inspection is to be conducted, merely opening the vessel 9 will suffice, leading to prompt operation.
Use of the vessel 9 having the heat insulating layer 9c between the inner and outer cylinders 9a and 9b remarkably enhances heat insulating performance so that decrease in volume of the heat insulating layer 9c can be attained and the apparatus can be made compact in size while heat dissipation is suppressed to improve thermal efficiency. Vacuum heat insulation may be employed for the high performance heat insulating vessel.
The interior of the inner cylinder 9a in the heat insulating vessel 9 is utilized as the flow path 12 of the combustion gas for the reformer 1, which brings about structural simplification of the whole structure of the apparatus and thus reduction in cost. The reformer 1 comprises the furnace flue 11 having the combustion gas from the combustor 10 flowing therethrough and the plural reforming tubes 13 arranged side by side in the flow path 12 of the combustion gas between the furnace flue 11 and the inner cylinder 9a in the vessel 9 and having reforming catalysts charged therein for flowing of the source gas therethrough for reforming of the gas, which makes it possible to shorten in length the reformer 1 through utilization of the multiple reforming tubes 13 and utilization of radiant heat transfer due to high-temperature combustion in the combustor 10, with the advantageous result that the associated instruments such as the vaporizer 2, gasifier 3, desulfurizer 4, shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 can be arranged beneath the reformer 1 so as to decrease in height the fuel reforming apparatus.
In a normal operation, the reformer 1 is fed with the source gas generated from the primary fuel; the combustion gas from the burnt anode off-gas as fuel gas is heat exchanged with the source gas in the reformer 1, vaporizer 2 and gasifier 3 and is lowered in temperature into about 200°C or temperature level of reaction in the shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6, so that there is no fear of unnecessary heat exchange occurring even in an instance where reactors such as the shift converter 5 and selective oxidation reactor 6 are nakedly arranged in the cylindrical space 17 which is the flow path of the combustion gas.
Thus, reduction in size of the apparatus and increase in heat efficiency can be attained; labor and time of construction work for the heat insulating layer 9c can be drastically reduced; and maintenance can be readily conducted.
As mentioned above, the burner combustion type fuel reforming apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 has various excellent advantages. However, in the above-mentioned selective oxidation reactor 6, selectively from various components in the guided, reformed gas, CO with the concentration of several thousands ppm must be lowered by an oxidation reaction into several ppm or less. In order to conduct such lowering of the concentration, reaction temperature must be constant. Therefore, utilized in most instances is a multi-section or two- or three-section selective oxidation reactor 6. The reformed gas to be guided to the selective oxidation reactor 6 may consist of about 59~ of HZ, about 0.5~ of C0, about 19~ of COZ and about 21.5 of HzO.
Fig. 4 schematically shows a device flow diagram where there are two reactor bodies in a typical selective oxidation reactor applied to a fuel reforming apparatus.
In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes an upstream reactor body into which guided is the reformed gas 22a fed from the low-temperature shift converter 5 (see Figs. 1 and 2) and mixed with the oxidizing air 23; 24, a gas mixer which mixes the reformed gas 22a from the reactor body 21 with the oxidizing air 25; and 26, a downstream reactor body into which guided is the reformed gas 22b mixed with the oxidizing air 25 and fed from the gas mixer 24. The reactor bodies 21 and 26 are provided with cooler 21a and 26a, respectively, and are charged with selective oxidation catalysts having Ru or the like as active component.
In the selective oxidation reactor shown in the device flow diagram of Fig. 4, the oxidizing air 23 is added to and mixed with the reformed gas from the shift converter 5 and containing a few thousands ppm of CO, and the reformed gas 22a mixed with the oxidizing air 23 is guided to the reactor body 21 where the oxidation reaction shown in equation (I) is conducted by catalysis to reduce CO, and fed from the reactor body 21 to the gas mixer 24 where it is mixed with the oxidizing air 25. The reformed gas 22b generated in the gas mixer 24 and mixed with the oxidizing air 25 is guided into the reactor body 26 where, in the like manner in the reactor body 21, the oxidation reaction is carried out to reduce CO into several ppm, then guided via the humidifier 7 to the anode 8b of the PEFC 8 (see Fig. 1).
In the reactor bodies 21 and 26, the coolers 21a and 26a are fed with cooling medium such as cooling water to conduct cooling so that the temperature of the reformed gases 22a and 22b is controlled into 120°C-200°C, more preferably 150°C, for facilitation of the oxidation reaction. On an inlet side of the reactor body 21, the reformed gas 22a may be readily mixed with the oxidizing air 23 with no gas mixer,since the oxidizing air 23 has enough flow rate. However, on an inlet side of the reactor body 26, the mixing of the reformed gas 22a with the oxidizing air 25 is hard to carry out since the oxidizing air 25 has less flow rate; therefore, the gas mixer 24 is required for enough mixing of the reformed gas 22a with the oxidizing air 25.
In a selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 4, arrangement of the plural reactor bodies 21 and 26 usually requires a pipe or pipes for interconnection of the reactor bodies 21 and 26. Moreover, in an instance where the reactor bodies 21 and 26 are typically cylindrical and such plural reactor bodies are arranged side by side, then space is formed between the reactor bodies 21 and 26; if such space is narrow, the space cannot be utilized for arrangement of other instruments and becomes dead space.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, the gas mixer 24 is required between the reactor bodies 21 and 26. Therefore, the selective oxidation reactor cannot be wholly reduced in size.
Moreover, when the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 4 is to be applied to the fuel reforming apparatus shown in Fig. 2, structurally, the selective oxidation reactor must be accommodated in the space 17 defined by the cylindrical base inner cylinder 16 and the cylinder 9a of the vessel 9 arranged outwardly and coaxially of the cylinder 16 and the base outer cylinder 15.
Thus, the selective oxidation reactor cannot be accommodated in the space 17 unless it is made compact in size; therefore, it requires any structural ingenuity.
The present invention was made in view of the above and has its object to make compact in size a selective oxidation reactor as an associated instrument of a reformer so that it may be snugly accommodated in a narrow cylindrical space in the fuel reforming apparatus, thereby making the reactor occupy as little space as possible.
Summary of The Invention In a selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, the present invention is directed to the selective oxidation reactor wherein said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
wherein each of said reactor bodies is partitioned into three chambers by perforated plates through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, a central chamber thereof being charged with selective oxidation catalysts;
wherein the reformed gas is adapted to flow upward or downward through the chamber charged with the catalysts in ~2 each of the reactor bodies so as to react with the oxidizing gas by catalysis of the selective oxidation catalysts to remove CO;
wherein, for flow of the reformed gas from a reactor body in one of segments to a reactor body in a next one of the segments, the reformed gas from the chamber charged with the catalysts is adapted to be guided via an upper or lower one of the perforated plates in the reactor body in said one of the segments to a gas mixing tube through reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery thereof, said gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber not charged with the catalysts in the reactor body in said one of the segments, the reformed gas being adapted to be mixed, in said gas mixing tube, with the oxidizing gas which is guided not through the reformed gas introduction pores but through a different portion, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas being adapted to flow from the gas mixing tube to a chamber in the reactor body in the next one of the segments which is not charged with selective oxidation catalysts and which is adjacent to said chamber having said gas mixing tube;
and wherein the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through a chamber charged with the catalysts.
In a selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, the present invention is also directed to the selective oxidation reactor wherein said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
wherein each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in a direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and wherein the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
In a selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, the present invention is further directed to the selective oxidation reactor wherein said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
wherein each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in the direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from one end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
wherein, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and wherein the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
The selective oxidation reactor according to the invention has means for cooling the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas in the reactor body.
According to the invention, a separate gas mixer is not required to mix the reformed gas with the oxidizing gas for reaction in a downstream reactor body, so that the reactor can be made compact in size and can be snugly accommodated in a narrow cylindrical chamber, thereby making the reactor occupy as little space as possible.
The reactor bodies constitute a bi-cylinder partly cut out so that center and cutout portions of the bi-cylinder are utilized as space through which other associated instruments of the fuel reforming apparatus extend together; the space can be thus effectively utilized, resulting in no dead space.
With the reformed gas from which CO has been removed in an upstream reactor body, the reformed gas is sufficiently effectively mixed in a gas mixing tube so that CO can be sufficiently removed from the reformed gas in a downstream reactor body.
Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 is a whole system diagram showing an example of an installation with a reformer;
Fig. 2 is a vertically sectional front view showing an example of a fuel reforming apparatus;
Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of arrows III in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a schematic device flow diagram showing a typical selective oxidation reactor with two reactor bodies applied to a fuel reforming apparatus;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of a selective oxidation reactor according to the invention applied to a fuel reforming apparatus, looking in the direction of arrows V in Fig. 2;
Fig. 6 is a front view in explosion of the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of arrows VI in Fig. 7;
Fig. 7 is a view looking in the direction of arrows VII in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a view looking in the direction of arrows VIII in Fig. 6;
Fig. 9 is a view looking in the direction of arrows IX in Fig. 6;
Fig. 10 is a view looking in the direction of arrow X
in Fig. 6;
Fig. 11 is a view looking in the direction of arrow XI in Fig. 6;
Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a gas mixing tube accommodated in an upper chamber of a reactor body in the first segment in the selective oxidation reactor shown in Fig. 12.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention An embodiment of the invention will be described in conjunction with drawings.
Figs. 5 to 13 show an embodiment of the invention in which the parts similar to those shown in Fig. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.
In the embodiment, as shown in the flat view of Fig.
which is a view looking in the direction of V in Fig. 2, a selective oxidation reactor 6 applied to a fuel reforming apparatus is a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and is arranged in a cylindrical space 17 which is defined by a base plate 14, base inner and outer cylinders 16 and 15 and an inner cylinder 9a of a heat insulating vessel 9 and which is communicated with a flow path 12 of the combustion gas.
As shown detailedly in Figs. 6-13, the selective oxidation reactor 6 is radially partitioned into a plurality of segments, i.e., a reactor body 31 in the first segment of the bi-cylinder and a reactor body 32a in the second segment of the bi-cylinder which is connected via a partition plate 33 to a radial side surface of the reactor body 31, and is peripherally partly cut out. Thus, an inner diameter D1 of the reactor bodies 31 and 32 is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the base inner cylinder 16; and when the reactor bodies 31 and 32 are accommodated in the space 17, inner peripheries of the reactor bodies 31 and 32 are snugly fitted over an outer periphery of the base inner cylinder 16.
The reactor body 31 is formed as a sealed bi-arc vessel comprising outer and inner peripheral plates 31a and 31b in the form of larger- and smaller-diameter arcs, respectively, top and bottom plates 31c and 31d arranged to interconnect upper and lower ends of the plates 31a and 31b, respectively, a side plate 31e to cover a side of the reactor body away from the reactor body 32, and said partition plate 33.
The reactor body 31 is interiorly partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates 34 and 35 formed by for example punched metal with a number of pores. A chamber 36 formed between the perforated plates 34 and 35 in the reactor body 31 is charged with selective oxidation catalysts including Ru or the like as active component.
The reactor body 32 is formed as a sealed bi-arc vessel comprising outer and inner peripheral plates 32a and 32b in the form of larger- and smaller-diameter arcs, respectively, top and bottom plates 32c and 32d arranged to interconnect upper and lower ends of the plates 32a and 32b, respectively, a side plate 32e to cover a side of the reactor body away from the reactor body 31, and said partition plates 33.
Thus, the reactor bodies 31 and 32 are connected together with the partition plate 33 therebetween which constitutes parts of the reactor bodies 31 and 32 and are formed wholly as a substantially bi-cylindrical and peripherally partly cut-out vessel, there requiring no connection pipe for interconnecting the reactor bodies 31 and 32.
The reactor body 32 is interiorly partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates 37 and 38 formed by for example punching metal with a number of pores. A chamber 39 formed between the perforated plates 37 and 38 in the reactor body 31 is charged with selective oxidation catalysts including Ru or the like as effective component.
The side plate 31e is connected with a reformed gas supply pipe 42 so as to feed reformed gas 41a to a chamber 40 between the perforated plate 35 and the bottom plate 31d in the reactor body 31. More specifically, the supply pipe 42 comprises a horizontal portion 42a directly connected to a lower end of the side plate 31e for communication with the chamber 40, a vertical portion 42b connected to the horizontal portion 42a and extending to be adjacent to an upper end of the reactor body 31 and a horizontal portion 42c connected to the vertical portion 42b adjacent to an upper end of the vertical portion, orifices 43 being provided in the vertical portion 42b.
Thus, the reformed gas 41a may be fed to the supply pipe 42 via the lower end of the vertical pipe connected the horizontal portion of the supply pipe 42.
An oxidizing air supply pipe 45 is inserted to the vertical portion 42b of the supply pipe 42 at a position above the upstream orifice 43 such that oxidizing air 44 for oxidation reaction in the reactor body 31 in the first segment may be guided upstream of the upstream orifice 43 in the vertical portion 42b. The oxidizing air supply pipe 45 is horizontally bent outside of the vertical portion 42b of the reformed gas supply pipe 42 and has its horizontal end to which the oxidizing air 44 may be fed from below.
Inserted to the chamber 47 between the perforated plate 34 and the top plate 31c in the reactor body 31 is a gas mixing tube 49 which is in the form of arc in plan view and to which oxidizing air 48 may be fed for oxidation reaction in the reactor body 32. The gas mixing tube 49 extends from the reactor body 31 to outside and has its tip end to which oxidizing air 48 may be fed from below.
With its outer periphery being completely sealed by welding or the like, the gas mixing tube 49 is connected at its tip end to the partition plate 33 and is opened to a chamber 51 between the perforated plate 37 and the top plate 32c in the reactor body 32. An outer periphery of the gas mixing tube is formed with a great number of reformed gas introduction pores 49a. The reformed gas, which is raised up through the chamber 36 and guided to the chamber 47 via the perforated plate 34 in the reactor body 31, is guided via the introduction pores 49a to the gas mixing tube 49.
Thus, the reformed gas is sufficiently mixed with the oxidizing air 48 in the gas mixing tube 49 and is guided to the chamber 51 in the reactor body 32.
Connected to the side plate 32e of the reactor body 32 is a reformed gas takeoff pipe 53 for communication with the chamber 52 between the perforated plate 38 and the bottom plate 32d. The takeoff pipe 53 has a tip end from which the reformed gas 41b may be taken off.
A cooling-liquid supply pipe 55 for feeding of cooling fluid 54 is extended from a lower surface of the bottom plate 32d in the reactor body 32 at a position adjacent to the partition plate 33 via the chamber 52 to the chamber 39. In the chamber 39, the supply pipe 55 is laid down in zigzags upwards to a top of the chamber 39 where it extends through the partition plate 33 to the chamber 36 of the reactor body 31. In the chamber 36, the supply pipe 55 is laid down in zigzags downwards and is guided through the chamber 40 to outside. A portion of the supply pipe 55 which passes through the partition plate 33 is kept sealed.
The reactor bodies 31 and 32 substantially constitute the bi-cylinder partly cut out to have peripheral ends so that, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the side plate 31e and 32e are adjacent to each other in the plan views.
Next, a mode of operation of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described.
The reformed gas 41a from the low-temperature shift converter 5 shown in Fig. 1 is guided via the horizontal portion 42c of the supply pipe 42 to its vertical portion 42b. The oxidizing air 44 is guided from the supply pipe 45 to the vertical portion 42b of the supply pipe 42.
Thus, the reformed gas 41a and the oxidizing air 44 are mixed together as they pass through the orifices 43 in the vertical portion 42b, and are guided through the chamber 40 and perforated plate 35 to the chamber 36.
The selective oxidation catalysts with Ru or the like as active component are accommodated in the chamber 36 so that several thousands ppm of CO contained in the reformed gas 41a reacts, in the chamber 36, with oxygen in the oxidizing air 44 as shown in equation (1) by catalysis of selective oxidation catalysts into COZ, whereby CO in the reformed gas 41a is removed.
The reformed gas 41a with CO being removed at some level is passed through the chamber 36 and the perforated plate 34 to the chamber 47 where it is guided via the introduction pores 49a into the gas mixing tube 49.
The oxidizing air 48 is fed via the outer end of the gas mixing tube 49 thereinto and is mixed with the reformed gas introduced via the introduction pores 49a, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing air 48 being fed to the chamber 51 of the reactor body 32. In the gas mixing tube 49, the oxidizing air 48 has a flow rate lower than that of the reformed gas 41a; moreover, the reformed gas 41a is introduced via the introduction pores 49a into the gas mixing tube 49 at higher velocity and is changed in its direction of flow. Thus, the oxidizing air 48 is stirred and mixed well with the reformed gas 41a in the gas mixing tube 49 and is fed to the chamber 51 in the reactor body 32.
The reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing air 48 and fed to the chamber 51 flows through the perforated plate 37 downwards into the chamber 39. Since the selective oxidation catalysts with Ru or the like as active component are accommodated in the chamber 39, CO contained in the reformed gas reacts in the chamber 39 with oxygen in the oxidizing air 48 by catalysis of selective oxidation catalysts as shown in equation (1) into COz, whereby CO in the reformed gas is removed or reduced into an extent of only a few ppm.
Thus, the reformed gas 41b with CO being removed to a desirable state flows through the chambers 39 and 52 to the takeoff pipe 53 where it is discharged and passes through the humidifier 7 to the anode 8b of the PEFC 8.
The cooling fluid 54 passes through the supply pipe 55 and cools the gas in the chamber 39 and the reformed gas in the chamber 36 to predetermined temperatures. The temperature of the reformed gas is controlled to 120°C-200°C and preferably to 150°C for facilitation of the oxidation reaction as is the case shown in Fig. 4.
According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the reactor bodies 31 and 32 of the selective oxidation reactor 6 requires no connection pipe, nor requires a separate gas mixer for mixing of the reformed gas for reaction in the reactor body 32 in the second segment with the oxidizing air. As a result, the apparatus can be made compact in size and the reactor bodies 31 and 32 can be snugly accommodated in the narrow cylindrical space 17, thereby making the apparatus occupy as small space as possible.
Since the structure is the partly cut-out bi-cylinder, the center and the cut-out portion of the bi-cylinder can be utilized as space through which extend together other instruments of the fuel reforming apparatus such as the cylindrical base inner cylinder 16, the anode off-gas supply pipe 19, the combustion fuel supply pipe 20 and the like for feeding the combustion air to the combustor 10 shown in Fig. 2; the space can be thus effectively utilized, resulting in no dead space.
Moreover, since the reformed gas with CO being removed in the reactor body 31 is sufficiently satisfactorily mixed with the oxidizing air 48 in the gas mixing tube 49, CO can be satisfactorily removed also in the reactor body 32 in the second segment.
It is to be understood that a selective oxidation reactor according to the invention may be changed and modified without deferring the gist of the invention. For example, it has been described that according to the embodiment of invention, two sets of reactor bodies are arranged peripherally; however, any plural sets of them may be used.
In an instance where more than two sets of reaction vessel bodies are to be arranged, the mixing tubes for mixing the reformed gas with the oxidizing air must be arranged as mentioned below. In an instance where, in the reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the gas from upstream to downstream, the gas mixing tube is arranged in the chamber between the upper perforated plate and the top plate, then in the reactor body in each of even-number-th segments, the gas mixing tube must be arranged in the chamber between the lower perforated plate and the bottom plate; and in an instance where, in the reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments, the gas mixing tube is arranged in the chamber between the lower perforated plate and the bottom plate, then in the reactor body in each of even-number-th segments, the gas mixing tube must be arranged in the chamber between the upper perforated plate and the top plate.
Moreover, the gas for oxidizing CO is not limited to air and may be any gas containing oxygen.
Industrial Applicability As is clear from the foregoing, a selective oxidation reactor according to the invention is useful as that to be applied to a fuel reforming apparatus for reforming primary fuel such as methanol, city gas, naphtha or kerosene to be fed to a fuel cell. Especially, it is useful as a selective oxidation reactor which can facilitate reduction in size of the apparatus, can be snugly accommodated in a narrow cylindrical chamber and made occupy as little space as possible. It is useful as a selective oxidation reactor in which space can be effectively utilized, resulting in no dead space, and in which CO can be removed well in a downstream reactor body.
Claims (4)
1. A selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, characterized in that said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
that each of said reactor bodies is partitioned into three chambers by upper and lower perforated plates through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, a central chamber thereof being charged with selective oxidation catalysts;
that the reformed gas is adapted to flow upward or downward through the chamber charged with the catalysts in each of the reactor bodies so as to react with the oxidizing gas by catalysis of the selective oxidation catalysts to remove CO;
that, for flow of the reformed gas from a reactor body in one of segments to a reactor body in a next one of the segments, the reformed gas from the chamber charged with the catalysts is adapted to be guided via the upper or lower perforated plate in the reactor body in said one of the segments to a gas mixing tube through reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery thereof, said gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber not charged with the catalysts in the reactor body in said one of the segments, the reformed gas being adapted to be mixed, in said gas mixing tube, with the oxidizing gas which is guided not through the reformed gas introduction pores but through a different portion, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas being adapted to flow from the gas mixing tube to a chamber in the reactor body in the next one of the segments which is not charged with selective oxidation catalysts and which is adjacent to said chamber having said gas mixing tube;
and that the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through a chamber charged with the catalysts.
that each of said reactor bodies is partitioned into three chambers by upper and lower perforated plates through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, a central chamber thereof being charged with selective oxidation catalysts;
that the reformed gas is adapted to flow upward or downward through the chamber charged with the catalysts in each of the reactor bodies so as to react with the oxidizing gas by catalysis of the selective oxidation catalysts to remove CO;
that, for flow of the reformed gas from a reactor body in one of segments to a reactor body in a next one of the segments, the reformed gas from the chamber charged with the catalysts is adapted to be guided via the upper or lower perforated plate in the reactor body in said one of the segments to a gas mixing tube through reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery thereof, said gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber not charged with the catalysts in the reactor body in said one of the segments, the reformed gas being adapted to be mixed, in said gas mixing tube, with the oxidizing gas which is guided not through the reformed gas introduction pores but through a different portion, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas being adapted to flow from the gas mixing tube to a chamber in the reactor body in the next one of the segments which is not charged with selective oxidation catalysts and which is adjacent to said chamber having said gas mixing tube;
and that the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through a chamber charged with the catalysts.
2. A selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, characterized in that said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
that each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
that, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in a direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
that, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and that the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
that each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
that, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in a direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
that, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and that the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
3. A selective oxidation reactor which is arranged as an associated instrument of a reformer in a cylindrical space in a fuel reforming apparatus, characterized in that said selective oxidation reactor is formed as a bi-cylinder peripherally partly cut out and radially partitioned into reactor bodies in plural segments;
that each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
that, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in the direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from one end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
that, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and that the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
that each of said reactor bodies is partitioned by upper and lower perforated plates, through which reformed gas mixed with oxidizing gas may pass, to provide a chamber charged with selective oxidation catalysts between the upper and lower perforated plates;
that, in a reactor body in each of odd-number-th segments in the direction of flow of said reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate such that oxidizing gas fed from one end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate in a reactor body in a next even-number-th segment;
that, in a reactor body in each of even-number-th segments in the direction of flow of the reformed gas, the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas is adapted to flow to said chamber charged with the catalysts from a chamber between the lower perforated plate and a bottom plate, a gas mixing tube being arranged in a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate such that oxidizing gas fed from an end of the tube is mixed with the reformed gas guided from said chamber charged with the catalysts via a plurality of reformed gas introduction pores on an outer periphery of the tube so as to feed the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas to a chamber between the upper perforated plate and a top plate in a reactor body in a next odd-number-th segment;
and that the reformed gas is adapted to be taken out from a reactor body in a last one of the segments after the reformed gas passes through the chamber charged with the catalysts.
4. The selective oxidation reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising means for cooling the reformed gas mixed with the oxidizing gas in the reactor body.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2004/001450 WO2005077821A1 (en) | 2004-02-12 | 2004-02-12 | Selective oxydation reaction apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2521698A1 true CA2521698A1 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
Family
ID=34857510
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002521698A Abandoned CA2521698A1 (en) | 2004-02-12 | 2004-02-12 | Selective oxidation reactor |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2521698A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2005077821A1 (en) |
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| EP2534097A4 (en) * | 2010-02-13 | 2014-06-11 | Mcalister Technologies Llc | Reactor vessels with pressure and heat transfer features for producing hydrogen-based fuels and structural elements, and associated systems and methods |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP3721946B2 (en) * | 2000-05-30 | 2005-11-30 | 日産自動車株式会社 | Carbon monoxide removal equipment |
| JP4463437B2 (en) * | 2001-01-31 | 2010-05-19 | 本田技研工業株式会社 | Carbon monoxide selective oxidation removal apparatus and carbon monoxide selective oxidation removal method |
| JP4161612B2 (en) * | 2002-05-15 | 2008-10-08 | 株式会社Ｉｈｉ | Starting method of fuel reformer |
-
2004
- 2004-02-12 CA CA002521698A patent/CA2521698A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2004-02-12 WO PCT/JP2004/001450 patent/WO2005077821A1/en not_active Ceased
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| Publication number | Publication date |
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| WO2005077821A1 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
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