Fuel for use in a fuel cell system

Abstract

A fuel for a fuel cell system comprises wherein said fuel comprises hydrocarbons comprising 60 mol. % or more of saturates, 40 mol. % or less of olefins, 0.5 mol. % or less of butadiene, 0.1 mol. % or more of isoparaffin in saturates having carbon atoms of 4 or more and being a gaseous phase under normal temperature and pressure. The fuel for a fuel cell system has a high power generation quantity per weight, a high power generation quantity per CO 2 emission, a low fuel consumption, a small evaporative gas (evapo-emission), small deterioration of a fuel cell system comprising such as a reforming catalyst, a water gas shift reaction catalyst, a carbon monoxide removal catalyst, fuel cell stacks and the like to maintain the initial performances for a long duration, good handling properties in view of storage stability and inflammability, and a low preheating heat quantity.

1 . A fuel for use in a fuel cell system, wherein said fuel comprises 60 mol. % or more of saturates, 40 mol. % or less of olefins, 0.5 mol. % or less of butadiene, 0.1 mol. % or more of isoparaffin in saturates having carbon atoms of 4 or more, and is a gaseous phase under normal temperature and pressure.  
     
     
         2 . A fuel according to  claim 1 , wherein a sulfur content is 50 ppm by mass or less.  
     
     
         3 . A fuel according to  claim 1 , wherein a content of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of 2 or less is 5 mol. % or less, a content of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of 3 and 4 in total is 90 mol. % or more and a content of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of 5 or more is 5 mol. % or less.  
     
     
         4 . A fuel according to  claim 2 , wherein a content of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of 2 or less is 5 mol. % or less, a content of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of 3 and 4 in total is 90 mol. % or more and a content of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of 5 or more is 5 mol. % or less.  
     
     
         5 . A fuel according to  claim 4 , wherein vapor pressure at 40° C. is 1.55 MPa or less.  
     
     
         6 . A fuel according to  claim 4 , wherein density at 15° C. is 0.500 to 0.620 g/cm 3 .  
     
     
         7 . A fuel according to  claim 6 , wherein vapor pressure at 40° C. is 1.55 MPa or less.  
     
     
         8 . A fuel according to  claim 4 , wherein corrosiveness to copper at 40° C. for 1 hour is 1 or less.  
     
     
         9 . A fuel according to  claim 5 , wherein corrosiveness to copper at 40° C. for 1 hour is 1 or less.  
     
     
         10 . A fuel according to  claim 6 , wherein corrosiveness to copper at 40° C. for 1 hour is 1 or less.  
     
     
         11 . A fuel according to  claim 7 , wherein corrosiveness to copper at 40° C. for 1 hour is 1 or less.  
     
     
         12 . A fuel according to  claim 4 , wherein heat capacity of the fuel is 1.7 kJ/kg ° C. or less at 15° C. in gaseous phase.  
     
     
         13 . A fuel according to  claim 7 , wherein heat capacity of the fuel is 1.7 kJ/kg ° C. or less at 15° C. in gaseous phase.  
     
     
         14 . A fuel according to  claim 9 , wherein heat capacity of the fuel is 1.7 kJ/kg ° C. or less at 15° C. in gaseous phase.  
     
     
         15 . A fuel according to  claim 10 , wherein heat capacity of the fuel is 1.7 kJ/kg ° C. or less at 15° C. in gaseous phase.  
     
     
         16 . A fuel according to  claim 11 , wherein heat capacity of the fuel is 1.7 kJ/kg ° C. or less at 15° C. in gaseous phase.