Onboard Miniature Jet Fuel Desulfurizer for Mobile Fuel Cell Power Systems

Abstract

Owing to its high energy density and wide availability, jet fuel is a promising fuel for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power systems. However, fuel‐reforming catalysts and SOFC anodes are easily poisoned by sulfur compounds present in the jet fuel. Therefore, effective removal of sulfur from the jet fuel is essential before its feeding to the SOFC system. Herein, a novel adsorptive desulfurization reactor for onboard desulfurization of jet fuel in mobile SOFC systems is developed. A laser‐based 3D printing method is used to fabricate the one‐piece stainless steel reactor that significantly simplifies the assembly and reduces the overall weight. The desulfurization performance of the reactor is evaluated using a regenerable nickel‐based sorbent under varying operating conditions. A strong influence of temperature and fuel flow rate on the desulfurization performance is observed. The results confirm that the developed desulfurization system is capable of reducing the sulfur content in jet fuel to a few ppm to sub‐ppm level. The proposed desulfurization system offers unique advantages in terms of geometric design flexibility, space optimization, scalability, and modularity for any onboard and/or on‐demand deep desulfurization needs in addition to fuel cell power systems for transport and portable applications.