PURPOSE: To make the reaction temperature uniform at a lower cost.
CONSTITUTION: This reformer for a fuel cell is equipped with a heating chamber 10 formed along the outer wall surface of a reaction tube 2 vertically arranged and packed with a reforming catalyst 6 and a combustion unit 7 under the heating chamber 10. In this reformer, a heat-radiating member 20 for performing radiation of heat by heating is arranged in the heating chamber 10 and the shape of the heat-radiating member 2O is designed so that the geometric factor of the reaction tube 2 may be higher along with going toward the downstream of the heating gas. This constitution makes the amount of the radiation heat transfer from the heat-radiating member 20 larger on the downstream side of the heating gas having a higher geometric factor than on the upper stream side of the heating gas having a lower geometric factor and the temperature gradation due to heat transfer is corrected thereby. Accordingly, the temperature of the reforming catalyst 6 is made uniform as much as possible in the flow direction of the raw material gas and the reaction efficiency of the reforming reaction of the raw material gas in a reforming reaction chamber 5 is improved.
KAGAWA KENKICHI
MATSUI NOBUKI
