Internal-combustion engines – Combined devices – Generating plants
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-26
2002-05-21
Wolfe, Willis R. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Combined devices
Generating plants
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390030
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle and more particularly to a reformer for mounting on a vehicle for reforming hydrocarbon fuel to a hydrogen-containing gas using water vapor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, it has been proposed to use a type of fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle which performs a reforming reaction by causing raw material gas to flow in a vertical direction (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 4-200737). In this apparatus, the reforming reaction is performed by spirally wrapping two plate members around a vertically standing, cylindrically-shaped housing to form a catalyst layer and making the raw material gas flow vertically. The fuel reformer is provided around the center of a vehicle, on the left side or on the right side.
However, this type of reformer suffers in that the reformer is not suitable for mounting on a vehicle, especially a small passenger car. In a typical small passenger car, the passenger compartment is provided at the center of the vehicle and the driving devices for the vehicle, including the fuel reformer, are provided in the front or rear side. Thus, if the fuel reformer is vertically provided at the center, it would occupy a portion of the passenger compartment, which forces the passenger compartment to be smaller and in some cases, blocks the driver's field of view. Moreover, because the fuel reformer is generally operated at a high temperature (more than 300° C.), care must be taken so that this heat does not affect the passenger compartment. In a typical vehicle, the horizontal dimension (front/rear direction and right/left direction) of the vehicle is greater than the vertical dimension of the vehicle. When the reforming reaction is performed by making the raw material gas flow vertically, in some cases, contact time of sufficient length for contact between gas and the catalyst cannot be obtained, resulting in inadequate reforming performance.
When any apparatus, including, but not limited to, a fuel reformer, is mounted on a vehicle, various constraints are generated because space in the vehicle is limited and each space plays a particular role. Due to these constraints, some problems arise that are not applicable when the apparatus is not mounted on a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of a fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention is to solve the problems generated when the apparatus is mounted on a vehicle. In other words, some of the objects include, placing a fuel reformer at a suitable space in a vehicle, reducing the size of the fuel reformer for placing it in the limited space, improving fuel reforming efficiency in the fuel reformer, improving ease of maintenance of the fuel reformer, facilitating replacement of each section of the fuel reformer, and simplifying the structure of the fuel reformer.
In order to achieve at least some of the above mentioned objects, the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention employs the following.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle comprises a vaporization section for vaporizing reforming raw material containing hydrocarbon fuel and water, a reforming section for reforming the raw material gas containing the vaporized reforming raw material by a reforming reaction to obtain hydrogen-rich reformed gas, and a carbon monoxide reducing section for reducing the carbon monoxide concentration within the reformed gas to obtain fuel gas, wherein the reformer performs the reforming reaction by making the raw material gas flow in a direction approximately parallel to the floor surface of the vehicle.
In accordance with this aspect of the present invention, by making the material gas flow in a direction approximately parallel to the floor surface of the vehicle for the reforming reaction, the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle becomes more suitable for mounting on a vehicle which has a larger degree of freedom in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. That is, when the reformer is mounted on a vehicle having its parallel dimension larger than its vertical direction, such as a small passenger car, a reaction container (catalyst layer) can be extended so that there is a sufficiently long contact time between the raw material gas and the catalyst. As a result, the performance of the fuel reformer can be improved.
According to another aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the carbon monoxide reducing section can be constructed so that the carbon monoxide concentration within the reformed gas is reduced by making the reformed gas flow in a direction approximately parallel to the floor surface of the vehicle. In this manner, by reducing the carbon monoxide concentration by making the reformed gas flow in a direction approximately parallel to the floor surface of the vehicle, the apparatus becomes more suitable for mounting on a vehicle having a larger degree of freedom in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. Moreover, because the reformed gas can contact the catalyst for a sufficiently long period of time, fuel gas with significantly reduced carbon monoxide concentration can be obtained.
According to another aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the vaporization section can be constructed so that the reforming raw material is vaporized by causing the reforming raw material to flow in a direction different from the direction of the raw material gas in the reforming section. In this aspect of the present invention, the different direction can be a direction approximately orthogonal.
According to another aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the vaporization section, the reforming section, and the carbon monoxide reducing section can be provided sequentially in that order with at least one bending section which bends at a predetermined angle. In this manner, the reformer can be placed in a limited space of a vehicle. In this aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the predetermined angle can be approximately 180 degrees. Moreover, in this aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the reforming section can be divided into a front side and a rear side with the bending section provided between the front and rear sides of the reforming section, or, alternately, two bending sections can be provided, one between the vaporization section and the reforming section and the other between the reforming section and the carbon monoxide reducing section. According to this aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the vaporization section and the carbon monoxide reducing section can be provided adjacent to each other. In this manner, by placing the vaporization section and the carbon monoxide reducing section adjacent to each other for heating the reforming raw material to be supplied to the vaporization section at the carbon monoxide reducing section, heating efficiency can be improved.
According to another aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the carbon monoxide reducing section can be configured to heat the reforming raw material before the reforming raw material is supplied to the vaporization section using heat generated by the reduction of carbon monoxide. In this manner, the reforming raw material can be heated while the carbon monoxide reducing section is cooled, and energy efficiency can thus be improved. In this aspect of the fuel reformer for mounting on a vehicle according to the present invention, the carbon monoxide reduction section can be configured to heat the reforming raw material by making the reforming raw material flow in a
Isogawa Ryuhei
Kimura Kenji
Kondo Masatsune
Negishi Yoshimasa
Nishimura Akihisa
Benton Jason
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
Wolfe Willis R.
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