PURPOSE: To make distribution of temp. in the longitudinal direction of a reaction tube uniform and to obtain reformed gas to be used suitably for fuel cell with high reaction efficiency by heating and reforming evaporated fuel with reaction tubes provided with specified fins along the longitudinal direction of the external surface of the reaction tubes.
CONSTITUTION: Fins 12 having larger area toward downstream side of the flow of heating gas flowing upwards along the longitudinal direction of the reaction tubes 4 are fitted to the external surface of plural reaction tubes provided with catalyst layers 5 packed with pelletized catalyst wherein said reaction tubes are provided vertically on the upper surface of a fuel evaporator 1 of a fuel reforming device 30 along its annular periphery. Methanol/water fuel mixture fed from fuel feeding nozzles 2 is evaporated by directly heating the evaporator 1 with a burner 3 provided beneath the fuel evaporator 1. The evaporated fuel mixture is fed to the reaction tube 4, and heating gas is allowed to flow upward between fins on the external surface of said reaction tubes 4 to contact with the fins and heat with uniform temp. distribution over the whole part of the longitudinal direction. Thus, the fuel mixture is converted to reformed gas consisting principally of H2 preventing generation of by-products. The reformed gas is collected in a collecting part 6 and then fed to a main body of a fuel cell from an outlet 7.
MIZUNO YUTAKA
SUZUKI YASUO
