Apparatus for forming hydrogen

• US 6,972,119 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yutaka, Taguchi, Kiyoshi, Tomizawa, Takeshi, Ukai, Kunihiro, Shono, Toshiyuki, Kitagawa, Koichiro, Ueda, Tetsuya, Fujihara, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Doroshenk-Neckel, Alexa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Vinit H.
• Application Number:
  US10/168,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 422109-114, 422/201, 422217-218, 422/188, 48/63, 48/76, 481/27, 481/97.R, 423652-656, 429116-119
• US Class Current: 422/626
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2485 Monolithic reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00061 of the reactants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00194 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00504 by means of a burner
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00716 Means for reactor start-up
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0004 Processes in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00198 at the reactor inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/002 inside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00202 at the reactor outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00213 Fixed parameter value
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00231 at the reactor inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/40 of the platinum group metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/63 with rare earths or actinides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/72 Copper
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/19 Catalysts containing parts with different compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0453 the beds being superimposed one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0457 the beds being placed in separate reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0488 the beds being placed in separate reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0496 Heating or cooling the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 : containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0288 : containing two CO-shift steps
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/044 : Selective oxidation of carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0445 : Selective methanation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/047 : the impurity being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/066 : with fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0811 : by combustion of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0816 : Heating by flames
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/085 : by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0866 : by combination of different heating methods
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0877 : by direct injection of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0883 : by indirect heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0894 : Generation of steam
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1023 : Catalysts in the form of a monolith or honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1041 : Composition of the catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1064 : Platinum group metal catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/107 : Platinum catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1076 : Copper or zinc-based catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1082 : Composition of support materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1223 : Methanol
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 : Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1247 : Higher hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1604 : Starting up the process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1609 : Shutting down the process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1619 : Measuring the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1661 : the product being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/169 : Controlling the feed
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1695 : Adjusting the feed of the combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/82 : Several process steps of C01B2203/02 - C01B2203/08 integrated into a single apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/16 : using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 : followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/583 : the reaction being the selective oxidation of carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/586 : the reaction being a methanation reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C10K 3/04 : reducing the carbon monoxide content , e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0631 : Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 : using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising: a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water; a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to the reforming section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reforming section; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst; a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from the reforming section; and a purifying section having a purifying catalyst which causes oxidation or methanation of carbon monoxide contained in a gas supplied from the shifting section, wherein the shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal and a metal oxide.

Claims

1. A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising:

a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water;

a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to said reforming section;

a water supply section for supplying water to said reforming section;

a heating section for heating said reforming catalyst; and

a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from said reforming section;

wherein said shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal;

said shifting section is divided into plural catalytic reaction chambers each having the shift catalyst;

of said plural catalytic reaction chambers, the catalyst temperature is lower in a downstream chamber than in an upstream chamber in the flowing direction of the reformed gas; and

of said plural catalytic reaction chambers, the amount of the platinum group metal of the shift catalyst is greater in a downstream chamber than in an upstream chamber in the flowing direction of the reformed gas; and

wherein in a first catalytic reaction chamber in the flowing direction of the reformed gas, the catalyst temperature is retained at not lower than 300°

C. and not higher than 450°

C.

2. The hydrogen producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of a heat radiating part and a cooling part is provided between the catalytic reaction chambers.

3. The hydrogen producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a diffusing part or a mixing part of the reformed gas between the catalytic reaction chambers.

4. The hydrogen producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said shift catalyst further comprises cerium oxide.