Patent ID: 6946209

Claim:
A process to desulfurize sulfur containing fuel gas used as feed fuel for fuel cell system comprising the steps: (1) providing a main feed stream of sulfur containing fuel gas containing at least 0.30 ppm of odorous sulfur compounds; and then (2) passing part of that main feed stream of sulfur containing fuel gas and compressing it to a pressure over 304 kPa; and then (3) passing the compressed sulfur containing fuel gas to sulfur selective membrane, where the gas is separated into a sulfur concentrated stream, and a sulfur lean stream containing no more than 0.20 ppm of sulfur compounds; and then (4) passing the sulfur concentrated stream back to the main feed stream down stream from where the stream of step (2) was provided; and then (5) optionally measuring gas flow and reducing gas pressure; and then (6) passing the sulfur lean stream through a sulfur sorbent medium to collect sulfur, providing an essentially sulfur free stream containing no more than 0.10 ppm of sulfur compounds; and (7) optionally reforming the essentially sulfur free stream prior to passing it to contact a fuel cell.