PURPOSE: To continuously operate a fuel cell power generator in the case where supply of a gaseous fuel such as city gas is cut off, by supplying the gaseous fuel such as methane gas or the like filled in a cylinder until liquid fuel such as methanol is vaporized and the vapor thereof can be supplied stably.
CONSTITUTION: In general, gaseous fuel such as city gas is supplied to a reformer 10, where the gaseous fuel is reformed. The resultant reformed gas is supplied to a fuel cell body 12, thus generating power. In the case where the supply of city gas is cut off, methanol vapor vaporized by a methanol vaporizer 22 is supplied to the reformer 10. When a failure of city gas supply is detected, the methanol vaporizer 22 is started to be heated, and simultaneously, three-way valves 39, 40 are switched so that gaseous fuel such as methane gas is supplied to the reformer 10 by a gas cylinder 37, thus continuously generating power of the fuel cell main body 12. The three-way valve 39 is switched to a methanol vapor line side at the time when methanol is vaporized by the methanol vaporizer 22. Consequently, it is possible to carry out operation by methanol being originally a reserve fuel.
HASEGAWA TATSUYA
TOKUNO MASATOSHI
OKAMURA OSAO
NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE