Nordic Power Systems Demonstrates Unique Fuel Desulphurization Technology

Sulphur contamination is a major contributor to fuel cell degradation. Logistic fuels used by the military may contain as much as 3000 ppm sulphur making them unsuitable for fuel cell applications. HTPEM fuel cells for example require fuels with sulphur content of less than 10 ppm. In order for fuel cells to be adopted by the military, it is critical that they can run on a common fuel as mandated by single fuel policies.

NPS has developed a unique sulphur removal technology that allows the use of common logistic fuels in fuel cells. A laboratory unit that demonstrates the feasibility of continuously removing sulphur from liquid fuels has been built and tested in a field environment. Long term testing of the device was performed in cooperation with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt, FFI) at their outdoor test facility in December 2011. 200 liters of F-34 fuel has been successfully desulphurized and sample analysis after the first 230 hours of operation showed that the sulphur level was reduced to less than 3 ppm, which is well within the acceptable range for fuel cell operation. This breakthrough in sulphur removal technology enables the use of fuel cells for military applications without the need for a separate fuel supply.

Picture :Cameron Lindberg (NPS) running the sulphur
removal unit at the FFI test site.