Aspen Products Group, Inc. (APG) has successfully developed and completed acceptance testing of a logistic fuel desulfurizer. The prototype desulfurizer, shown in the attached photograph, is designed to absorb sulfur from JP 8 logistic fuel, providing cleansed fuel to an IdaTech LLC PEM Tactical Fuel Cell Generator. The desulfurizer is an advanced thermally integrated component that employs a series of regenerable desulfurization reactors. The prototype was delivered to and successfully operated by IdaTech in a breadboard demonstration of their JP 8 fueled 3kW TFCG. Following these tests the system was delivered to the US Army, CERDEC for a long-term independent evaluation of the system to meet military portable power needs. Highlights of the recent testing include:
• operation on JP-8 containing 500 ppmw sulfur, (the fuel was provided by the Army from its logistic fuel supply), producing JP 8 with less than 15 ppmw sulfur,
• production of >99% of the input fuel, with minimal alteration of fuel composition,
• automatic operation, including start and stop,
The desulfurizer includes advancements in absorbent reactivity, process integration and automatic control from technology previously demonstrated in APG’s Logistic Fuel Processor systems. In the present design parasite power needs were kept to a minimum (<100 W) and thermal energy derived from a logistic fuel burner. Specialty high-temperature valves were developed to handle cleansed fuel and regeration gases. These balance of plant components operated successfully. Longer-term testing will focus on evaluating their reliability and durability under process conditions. Future development plans will explore integration within the TFCG, reducing weight and volume, and increasing capability to process 1000 ppmw sulfur JP 8.
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