A gas mixture containing a fuel, water and air is supplied to one end of a
reforming room, and a reformed gas containing hydrogen is discharged from
the other end thereof. Two or more such reforming units are connected in
series, and the upstream part of each reforming room is filled with a
first catalyst which catalyzes a partial oxidation reaction in an
oxygen-rich environment, and the downstream part is filled with a second
catalyst which performs the reforming reaction. The gas mixture which has
been heated in a heating unit passes through a distribution tube and is
distributed evenly to the reforming units. The reforming room is composed
of a reforming tube in which a reforming catalyst is charged, or two or
more such reforming tubes, parallel to each other. After being reformed
the high-temperature reformed gas is passed wound the reforming tubes, and
fed back to a manifold.
