A hydrogen gas production apparatus 1 includes: a vaporizer 5 configured to generate ammonia gas by heating liquid ammonia; a main thermal decomposition device 6 configured to decompose the ammonia gas generated in the vaporizer 5, into nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas, by heating the ammonia gas by causing a fuel gas to burn; a cooler 7 configured to cool a decomposition gas including the nitrogen gas and the hydrogen gas generated through the decomposition in the main thermal decomposition device 6; and a separator 8 configured to separate hydrogen gas from the decomposition gas having been cooled.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure. In some embodiments, the devices may include a permeate frame having at least one membrane support structure that spans at least a substantial portion of an open region and that is configured to support at least one foil-microscreen assembly.

A water vapor generating apparatus includes a chamber having an inner space defined therein; a space partitioning member including a first partitioning portion, and a second partitioning portion, wherein the space partitioning member divides the inner space into a water vapor discharge space and a heating space; a first evaporation tube disposed in the heating space and in a coil shape surrounding the second partitioning portion; a second evaporation tube disposed in the heating space and in a coil shape surrounding the first evaporation tube; an inner cage disposed between the first evaporation tube and the second evaporation tube, wherein the inner cage presses against the first evaporation tube toward the second partitioning portion; and an outer cage surrounding the second evaporation tube, wherein the outer cage presses against the second evaporation tube toward the first evaporation tube.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components, and methods of manufacturing those assemblies, devices, and components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include an insulation base having insulating material and at least one passage that extends through the insulating material. In some embodiments, the at least one passage may be in fluid communication with a combustion region.

A reactor containing a heat exchanger is disclosed, which can be operated with co-current or counter-current flow. Also disclosed is a system that includes a reactor having a reformer and a vaporizer, a fuel supply, and a water supply. The reactor includes a source of combustion gas, a reformer operative to receive reformate, and a vaporizer operative to receive water. The reformer and vaporizer each include a stack assembly formed by a combination of separator shims and channel shims. The separator shims and channel shims are stacked in a regular pattern to form two sets of channels within the stack assembly. One set of channels will have vertical passageways at either end and a horizontal flowpath between them, while the other set of channels has only a horizontal flowpath.

In the electrochemical element, a plate-like support includes an internal passage through which a first gas flows, a gas-permeable portion, and an electrochemical reaction portion in which a film-like electrode layer, a film-like electrolyte layer, and a film-like counter electrode layer are stacked so as to entirely or partially cover the gas-permeable portion. The internal passage includes a plurality of auxiliary passages through which the first gas flows in a predetermined flowing direction, and a distribution portion provided on the upstream side of the plurality of auxiliary passages in the flowing direction of the first gas. The plate-like support includes a supply structure that is located between the distribution portion and the auxiliary passages in the flowing direction. The first gas is temporarily stored in the distribution portion and supply of the first gas from the distribution portion to the plurality of auxiliary passages is limited.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, processes, and systems for safely and reliably purifying hydrogen from a gas mixture containing hydrogen and oxygen.

Hydrogen purification devices and their components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include at least one foil-microscreen assembly disposed between and secured to first and second end frames. The at least one foil-microscreen assembly may include at least one hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one microscreen structure including a non-porous planar sheet having a plurality of apertures forming a plurality of fluid passages. The planar sheet may include generally opposed planar surfaces configured to provide support to the permeate side. The plurality of fluid passages may extend between the opposed surfaces. The at least one hydrogen-selective membrane may be metallurgically bonded to the at least one microscreen structure.

At a center portion of a ceiling wall of a furnace body having a lateral wall between the ceiling wall and a bottom wall, there is a burner that combusts downwards. A reforming reaction tube is provided in a circumference of the burner to carry out a steam reforming treatment on a source gas. A discharging portion is an opening at an upper side portion of the lateral wall for discharging combustion gas of the burner. A cylindrical outer wall is disposed at an outer side portion of the lateral wall. In an outside space formed between the lateral wall and the outer wall, there is a steam generating heat exchanger generating steam or a mixture gas of a source gas and steam. At a lower side portion of the outer wall, there is outside discharging opening discharging the combustion gas which flows through the outside space.

A reformer of the present disclosure includes a reformer body which has a cylindrical shape and extends horizontally, introducing raw fuel and water to perform a reforming reaction, the reformer body including therein a vaporization portion which generates steam, and a reforming portion which reacts the steam generated in the vaporization portion with raw fuel to generate a reformed gas; a raw fuel introduction pipe which introduces the raw fuel into the reformer body; a water introduction pipe including therein a water passage which introduces water into the reformer body; and a vaporization accelerating portion which is disposed in at least one of the vaporization portion and the water introduction pipe and accelerates vaporization of water in the vaporization portion.