Hydrogen producing apparatus, method of operating hydrogen producing apparatus and fuel cell power generating system

Abstract

A hydrogen producing apparatus (1) comprising a raw material supply unit (4) capable of controlling the flow rate of a raw material containing a hydrocarbon and an odorizing component fed from outside; an odorizing component removing section (5) containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the odorizing component contained in the raw material; a combustor (2) for combusting the raw material; a reformer (30) for forming a hydrogenous gas by a reforming reaction of the raw material having passed through the odorizing component removing section (5) with the use of combustion heat fed from the combustor (2); and a controller (16) capable of controlling the raw material supply unit so that in the operation after replacement of the adsorbent or odorizing component removing section (5) or after regeneration of the adsorbent, the flow rate of raw material fed from outside is greater than in the operation just before the replacement or regeneration.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a hydrogen generating device, its operating method, and a fuel cell power generation system. Background technique [0002] Small and highly efficient fuel cells are being developed as key components of power generation systems for distributed energy sources. The supply system of hydrogen used as the fuel required for power generation is not equipped as usual infrastructure. Therefore, for example, a fuel cell is provided with a raw material (hydrocarbon system) supplied from existing fossil raw material infrastructure such as propane gas. Gas), the hydrogen generating device of the reformer that generates hydrogen-containing gas (also referred to as "fuel reforming device"). [0003] To hydrocarbon-based gases such as city gas and propane gas supplied from existing infrastructure, an odorant containing an odorizing component such as a sulfur compound or a nitrogen-containing compound is usually added at a volume concentration ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, the water vapor used in the reforming reaction is obtained by evaporating the water supplied to the hydrogen generator, but especially at the start-up of the hydrogen generator, the evaporation of the water may be delayed because the heat required for the evaporation of the water is not supplied. lead to longer startup time

[0017] Furthermore, if the hydrogen generator continues to operate without considering the adsorption of hydrocarbon components by the adsorption desulfurization unit, and the amount of water supplied to the hydrogen generator for the reforming reaction is kept constant, there will still be The carbon content of the raw material and the ratio of water supplied to the hydrogen generator from the outside to react with the raw material (steam-to-carbon ratio) vary

In addition, since the gas dew point of the hydrogen-containing gas supplied from the hydrogen generator to the fuel cell increases as a result of an increase in the steam-to-carbon ratio due to the adsorption of hydrocarbon components in the adsorption desulfurization unit, there is also a problem that the fuel cell cannot obtain the necessary energy. electricity generation problems

[0018] In the above, the problem in the case of replacing the adsorption desulfurization unit for desulfurization of hydrocarbon-based gas has been described as an example, but there are also problems when only the adsorbent contained in the adsorption desulfurization unit is replaced with a new adsorbent. same question

In addition, for example, when the adsorbent is regenerated by the methods described in Patent Documents 6 and 7, as in the case of replacing the adsorbent with a new one, the adsorbent immediately after regeneration adsorbs not only sulfur components but also hydrocarbon components, so , has the same problem as above

Furthermore, when using a hydrocarbon-based gas added with other odorizing components (such as nitrogen-containing compounds) as a raw material gas instead of using a hydrocarbon-based gas added with a sulfur compound, it is also necessary to use an adsorbent that adsorbs the odorizing component. , to remove odorizing components from hydrocarbon-based gases, there are the same problems as above

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