APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING HYDROGEN FOR FUEL BATTERY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a hydrogen for a fuel battery of a steam reforming type which can design a compact apparatus and which can be operated easily even if steam is not supplied from an external unit. SOLUTION: Since warm water discharged from the fuel battery 8 is retained in a sealing container 21 of a humidifier 2, its water temperature is held at a temperature near the operating temperature of the fuel battery 8. Air from an air pump 23 is brought into contact with the warm water and is humidified. This humidified air contains the steam near an amount of saturated steam at the operating temperature (about 80°C) of the fuel battery 8. A mixer 3 mixes this humidified air with a fuel from a fuel gas supply source 1. A modifier 4 performs the partial oxidation of this mixed gas in a modifying tube 41 and a steam modifying reaction and generates a hydrogen-rich gas. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI