Catalytic reaction heater

Abstract

A catalytic reacting section generates heat based on a catalytic reaction of a gas mixture of a fuel and an oxygen containing gas. A fuel supplying device supplies the fuel into the catalytic reacting section. An air supplying device supplies air into the catalytic reacting section. An exhaust gas passage is provided at a downstream side of the catalytic reacting section to discharge an exhaust gas from the catalytic reacting section. A bypass passage directly supplies part of the air from air supplying device into the exhaust gas passage, so that the air is separately supplied into the catalytic reacting section and into the bypass passage.

1 . A catalytic reaction heater comprising: 
 a catalytic reacting section for generating heat based on a catalytic reaction of a gas mixture of a fuel and an oxygen containing gas;    fuel supplying means provided at an upstream side of said catalytic reacting section for supplying said fuel into said catalytic reacting section;    oxygen containing gas supplying means provided at the upstream side of said catalytic reacting section for supplying said oxygen containing gas into said catalytic reacting section;    an exhaust gas passage provided at a downstream side of said catalytic reacting section to discharge an exhaust gas from said catalytic reacting section; and    a bypass passage, having one end connected to the upstream side of said catalytic reacting section and the other end connected to the downstream side of said catalytic reacting section, for directly supplying part of said oxygen containing gas from said oxygen containing gas supplying means into said exhaust gas passage, so that said oxygen containing gas is separately supplied into said catalytic reacting section and into said bypass passage.    
   
   
       2 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising 
 bypass passage controlling means for open-and-close controlling said bypass passage,    temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from said catalytic reacting section, and    means for controlling said bypass passage controlling means based on information supplied from said temperature detecting means.    
   
   
       3 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said temperature detecting means is provided at a downstream side of said catalytic reacting section.  
   
   
       4 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said bypass passage controlling means is a valve means.  
   
   
       5 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said bypass passage controlling means is a deformable member that is deformable in response to temperature change and is provided at a position where said deformable member is heated by the exhaust gas discharged from said catalytic reacting section.  
   
   
       6 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein said deformable member is a bimetal.  
   
   
       7 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein said deformable member is a shape memory member.  
   
   
       8 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein control means is provided for controlling said fuel supplying means to increase and decrease a supply amount of said fuel according to a temperature change of said catalytic reacting section.  
   
   
       9 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said catalytic reacting section uses a catalyst support having an average pore diameter equal to or greater than 10 nm.  
   
   
       10 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said catalytic reacting section has a catalyst support having pore diameters ranging from 1 nm to at least 10 nm.  
   
   
       11 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said catalytic reacting section has at least two kinds of catalyst supports different in their average pore diameters.  
   
   
       12 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein 
 said catalytic reacting section is divided into a plurality of sub sections, including a first sub catalytic reacting section positioned at an upstream side and a second sub catalytic reacting section positioned at a downstream side, and    an average pore diameter of a catalyst support used in said first sub catalytic reacting section is greater than an average pore diameter of a catalyst support used in said second sub catalytic reacting section.    
   
   
       13 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said catalytic reacting section uses a catalyst support made of a ceramic.  
   
   
       14 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 13 , 
 wherein said ceramic is an alumina.    
   
   
       15 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said catalytic reacting section uses a catalyst containing noble metal.  
   
   
       16 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said fuel is hydrogen.  
   
   
       17 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said oxygen containing gas is air.  
   
   
       18 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanging section provided between said catalytic reacting section and said exhaust gas passage for receiving heat generated from said catalytic reacting section and heating a heating medium based on heat exchange between the received heat and said heating medium.  
   
   
       19 . The catalytic reaction heater in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a water repellent treatment is applied to a surface of a catalyst support used in said catalytic reacting section.  
   
   
       20 . A catalytic reaction heater comprising: 
 a catalytic reacting section for generating heat based on a catalytic reaction of a gas mixture of a fuel and an oxygen containing gas;    fuel supplying means provided at an upstream side of said catalytic reacting section for supplying said fuel into said catalytic reacting section;    oxygen containing gas supplying means provided at the upstream side of said catalytic reacting section for supplying said oxygen containing gas into said catalytic reacting section;    an exhaust gas passage provided at a downstream side of said catalytic reacting section to discharge an exhaust gas from said catalytic reacting section; and    a bypass passage for supplying part of said oxygen containing gas from said oxygen containing gas supplying means into said exhaust gas passage in a startup condition of said catalytic reacting heater, so that the gas mixture introduced into said catalytic reacting section has a low excess rate of oxygen containing gas in the startup condition of said catalytic reacting heater.