Compact, Highly Efficient Logistics Fuel Desulfurizer

Sulfur compounds in logistics fuels are a barrier to use of fuel cells since sulfur poisons the catalysts used in fuel cells and fuel processors. In Phase I, Mesoscopic Devices designed and proved the technical feasibility of a compact fuel desulfurizer.The desulfurizer can treat fuel to fuel cell standards using a regenerable sulfur sorbent, utilizing sulfur sorbents many times more efficiently than typical fixed bed approaches. The Phase I results showed that sorbent materials can selectively removesulfur compounds from hydrocarbon liquids and that these sorbents can be regenerated practically using a heated air stream. A mechanical device was also developed that can utilize regenerable sorbents to continuously desulfurize fuel and regenerate thesorbent material simultaneously. The combination of these two results translates into an estimated desulfurizer system size many times smaller than fixed-bed single-use systems for fuel cell systems with output powers ranging from about 100 W to more than500 kW. In Phase II, we will demonstrate the application of the new desulfurizer for treating logistics fuels with long term system operation. Phase II will result in the delivery of a self-contained desulfurizer system for demonstration to military andcommercial clients. The desulfurization system developed in this project will significantly reduce the cost and logistical burden of using sulfur-sensitive fuel cell technologies for Navy power generation. The desulfurizer will allow cleanup ofdiesel and JP-5 onboard and can be used as an integrated component of large power generators. Commercially, the highly compact device and low sorbent mass requirements will make the desulfurizer attractive for use in automotive and stationary fuel cellpower applications.