A solid oxide fuel cell system includes: an igniting portion configured to ignite a raw material when starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system; a raw material supply portion configured to supply the raw material; a reforming air supply portion configured to supply reforming air; and an electric power generation air supply portion configured to supply electric power generation air. When starting up the solid oxide fuel cell system, the raw material supply portion supplies the raw material, and the electric power generation air supply portion supplies the electric power generation air. The igniting portion ignites the raw material. After the ignition, the reforming air supply portion supplies the reforming air. With this, the safety can be increased in consideration of characteristics in respective phases from the start-up of the solid oxide fuel cell system until the electric power generation.

A hydrogen production apparatus including a desulfurizer, a reformer, a CO transformer a gas flow path, and a purge gas supply path which is provided where a purge gas is supplied to an upstream side of a pressure feeding apparatus in the gas flow path, prior to a stopping operation, a purging step of replacing gas within the gas flow path with the purge gas and filling the purge gas into the gas flow path is performed, and in a start-up operation in which a heating means is operated to increase the temperature of the gas within the gas flow path, which is performed prior to a hydrogen purification operation, a pressure increasing step of supplying the purge gas from the purge gas supply path to the closed circulation circuit and increasing the pressure within the closed circulation circuit is performed.

A hydrogen production supply system that produces hydrogen gas to be supplied to a hydrogen storage tank, the hydrogen production supply system including a control circuit configured to control an operation load ratio of the hydrogen production apparatus to a predetermined operation load ratio, to increase the operation load ratio of the hydrogen production apparatus to a first operation load ratio larger than the predetermined operation load ratio at first timing, and to decrease the operation load ratio of the hydrogen production apparatus to the predetermined operation load ratio from the first load operation ratio at second timing, wherein an increase in the operation load ratio at the first timing takes precedence over a decrease in the operation load ratio at the second timing.

A process for on-site hydrogen reforming is disclosed. The process includes providing a combined reformer heat exchanger component in which heated air, steam, and hydrocarbon fuel react to form process gas containing hydrogen, and the process gas is cooled via the heat exchanger. The combined components enable reductions in size, materials, costs, and heat loss. Additionally, as the heat exchanger side of the component operates at a cooler temperature, an uninsulated flange for access to the catalyst chamber can be used. A combined combustion heat exchanger component is also provided with similar advantages. Process gas is processed, and hydrogen gas is produced via a purification process.

An operation method is provided for a hydrogen production apparatus that is disposed in a hydrogen station and produces hydrogen gas to be supplied to a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) arriving at the hydrogen station. The operation method includes starting up a hydrogen production apparatus up to a first operation load ratio preset for a rated operation. The operation method includes increasing an operation load of the hydrogen production apparatus to a second operation load ratio, which is larger than the first operation load ratio, at first timing associated with an arrival of the FCV, and decreasing the operation load of the hydrogen production apparatus to a third operation load ratio, which is smaller than the second operation load ratio, at second timing associated with a completion of hydrogen filling into the FCV.

A hydrogen production apparatus including a desulfurizer, a reformer, a CO transformer a gas flow path, and a purge gas supply path which is provided where a purge gas is supplied to an upstream side of a pressure feeding apparatus in the gas flow path, prior to a stopping operation, a purging step of replacing gas within the gas flow path with the purge gas and filling the purge gas into the gas flow path is performed, and in a start-up operation in which a heating means is operated to increase the temperature of the gas within the gas flow path, which is performed prior to a hydrogen purification operation, a pressure increasing step of supplying the purge gas from the purge gas supply path to the closed circulation circuit and increasing the pressure within the closed circulation circuit is performed.

The invention relates to a plant for production of hydrogen, and to a method for operating this plant, comprising a steam reforming reactor having a furnace, in which reactor water and at least one carbonaceous energy carrier are reacted to form a hydrogen-containing crude synthesis gas, and at least one cleaning device for purifying the crude synthesis gas, to which the crude synthesis gas is fed from the steam reforming via at least one feed line. According to the invention, upstream of one of the at least one cleaning devices at least one return line branches off from the feed line, through which the crude synthesis gas is at least in part recirculated into the furnace of the steam reforming reactor.

Ceramic monolith compositions are provided with improved stability under reaction conditions involving elevated temperatures. Such monoliths can be used, for example, in reverse flow reactors under high temperature reforming conditions, where the interior components of the reaction zone can be exposed to average temperatures of 1000? C. or higher while also being exposed to rapid oscillations in temperature of 100? C. or more in the presence of alternating oxidizing and reducing chemistries. The ceramic monolith compositions can be composed of materials that have improved ability to withstand conditions in severe reaction environments. Additionally or alternately, the ceramic monolith compositions can have structural features that reduce or minimize the tendency for the monolith to suffer structural failure under the conditions in severe reaction environments.

A hydrogen generation system including: a reformer generating hydrogen-containing gas using a raw material and reforming water; a combustor combusting hydrogen-containing gas and air and generating exhaust gas; a first channel passing cooling water; a condenser generating condensed water by heat exchange between exhaust gas and cooling water; a tank storing condensed water as cooling water; a pump supplying cooling water from the tank to the condenser; a second channel branching at a branch between the pump and condenser in the first channel, and passing some cooling water to the reformer as reforming water; a heater provided downstream of the branch, and heating the first channel; a temperature detector detecting the temperature of the first channel; and a controller, in an activation operation mode, determining whether the second channel is filled with reforming water, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector after the heater has operated.

Method for stable ethanol steam reforming, wherein a catalytic ethanol reforming is carried out in two vessels operating in parallel mode both filled in with a catalyst active for this reaction, with the first vessel acting in operation mode, generating an hydrogen rich stream, and the parallel vessel, acting in regeneration mode, made flowing with steam in order to carry out the gasification of carbonaceous compounds deposited on the catalyst.