International Fuel Cells, LLC

International Fuel Cells Co, LLC

Leonard J Bonville, Jr

Roger R Lesieur

John L Preston

Jay Garow

Donald F Szydlowski

Thomas J Corrigan

Peter F Foley

Charles L DeGeorge

Derek W Hildreth

Maria G Lukianoff

A fuel gas processing system is operable to remove substantially all of the sulfur present in a hydrocarbon fuel supply used to power a fuel cell power plant in a mobile vehicular environment. The power plant fuel can be gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, natural gas, or another fuel which contains relatively high levels of organic sulfur compounds such as mercaptans, sulfides, disulfides, and the like. The hydrocarbon fuel supply is passed through a nickel reactant desulfurizer bed wherein essentially all of the sulfur in the organic sulfur compounds react with the nickel reactant, and are converted to nickel sulfide while the desulfurized fuel continues through the remainder of the fuel processing system. The fuel cell power plant and the processing system can be used to power a mobile vehicle, such an automobile, truck, bus, or the like. An auxiliary supply of hydrogen is provided in order to power the fuel cell power plant during start up of the fuel processing system. A second auxiliary supply of desulfurized fuel is also provided to operate the fuel cell power plant during an interim period until the highest temperature component of the fuel processing system is brought up to operational temperatures during the start up protocol.

System for implementing operation and start-up of a vehicle which is powered by electricity from a fuel cell power plant

A fuel processing system is operable to remove substantially all of the sulfur present in an undiluted hydrocarbon fuel stock supply used to power a fuel cell power plant in a mobile environment, such as an automobile, bus, truck, boat, or the like, or in a stationary environment. The power plant hydrogen fuel source can be gasoline, diesel fuel, naphtha, light hydrocarbon fuels such as butane, propane, natural gas, or other like fuels which contain relatively high levels of organic sulfur compounds such as mercaptans, sulfides, disulfides, and the like. The undiluted hydrocarbon fuel supply is passed through a nickel desulfurizer bed wherein essentially all of the sulfur in the organic sulfur compounds react with the nickel reactant, and are converted to nickel sulfide while the desulfurized organic remnants continue through the remainder of the fuel processing system. The system does not require the addition of steam or a hydrogen source to the fuel stream prior to the desulfurizing step. The system operates at relatively low temperatures and can be used to desulfurize either a liquid or a gaseous fuel stream.

Method for desulfurizing a fuel for use in a fuel cell power plant

System for desulfurizing a fuel for use in a fuel cell power plant

A fuel gas catalyst bed for use in a fuel cell power plant is formed from a monolithic open cell foam component, the open cell lattice of which forms gas passages through the catalyst bed. The monolithic component has a lattice of internal open cells which are both laterally and longitudinally interconnected so as to produce a diffuse gas flow pattern through the catalyst bed. All areas of the monolithic component which form the gas flow pattern are provided with an underlying high porosity wash coat layer. The porous surface of the wash coat layer is provided with a nickel catalyst layer, or a noble metal catalyst layer, such as platinum, rhodium, palladium, or the like, over which the gas stream being treated flows. The base foam lattice can be a metal such as aluminum, stainless steel, a steel-aluminum alloy, a nickel alloy, a ceramic, or the like material which can be wash coated. The use of an open cell lattice as the basis of a catalyst bed enables the formation of very compact, light weight and high surface area catalyst bed with excellent gas flow-through characteristics.

Compact and light weight catalyst bed for use in a fuel cell power plant

A fuel processing system is operable to remove substantially all of the sulfur present in gasoline or diesel fuel used for operating an internal combustion engine. The fuel supply is passed through a nickel reactant desulfurizer bed wherein essentially all of the sulfur in organic sulfur compounds in the fuel combine with the nickel reactant in the desulfurizer bed, and are converted to nickel sulfide. The desulfurizing system can operate at ambient or elevated pressures. The fuel can be treated either in a liquid phase or in a vapor phase. The sulfur scrubbing operation can be performed either in a vehicle while the latter is being operated, or at the fueling station (gas station) prior to sale to the end user. The amount of sulfur in the fuel can be lowered to less than about 0.05 ppm. This extends the life of the catalytic converters in vehicles, reduces corrosion of parts of the internal combustion engine, and provides an environmentally compatible system.

System and method for desulfurizing gasoline or diesel fuel to produce a

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Marlbrough, CT, United States of America

Leonard J Bonville, Jr