Patent ID: 7344686
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. Fuel desulfurizer apparatus, comprising: a plurality of regenerable sorbent beds, each of which has an inlet and an outlet; a fuel inlet conduit; a fuel outlet conduit; a regeneration fluid inlet conduit; a regeneration fluid outlet conduit; a rotatable valve positioned between the fuel inlet conduit and the fuel outlet conduit and between the regeneration fluid inlet conduit and the regeneration fluid outlet conduit with a plurality of interconnectable ports and directing holes and ducts configured to repeatedly switch fuel flows progressively through a series of desulfurization stages in a manner that simulates counterflow of the regenerable sorbent beds in relation to the fuel flow to sequentially sorb and remove increments of sulfur compounds from a sulfur-laden fuel flowing between the fuel inlet conduit and the fuel outlet conduit, to repeatedly switch regeneration fluid flows progressively through a series of regeneration stages in a manner that simulates counterflow of the regerable sorbent beds in relation to the regeneration fluid flows to sequentially desorb and remove sulfur compounds from the regenerable sorbent beds, and for effectively switching sorbent beds progressively from the desulfurization series to the regeneration series and from the regeneration series back into the desulfurization series; and individually controllable heaters at each of the plurality of regenerable sorbtion beds for heating the regenerable sorbent beds when they are switched into the regeneration series, and heater controls that turn on the individual controllable heater of each regenerable sorbent bed when it is switched into the regeneration series and that turn off the individual controllable heater of each regenerable sorbent bed long enough before it is switched into the desulfurization series to allow the regeneration fluid flow to cool the regenerable sorbent bed before it is switched into the desulfurization series.