Portable fuel desulfurization unit
View Patent ↗A mobile fuel filter for removing sulfur-containing compounds from a diesel fuel is provided. The mobile fuel filter comprises: a filter median comprising an absorbent for removing sulfur-containing compounds from the diesel fuel, the filter median being in fluid communication with a storage device, the storage device having a holding capacity greater than 1000 gallons and being configured for storing the diesel fuel, the absorbent being configured to remove sulfur containing compounds from the diesel fuel to produce filtered diesel fuel having less than 15 ppm of sulfur containing compounds, the absorbent comprises an inorganic oxide having a surface acidity characterized by a pK a of at least −3.
1. A mobile fuel filter for removing sulfur-containing compounds from a diesel fuel, the mobile fuel filter comprising:
a filter medium comprising an absorbent for removing sulfur-containing compounds from the diesel fuel, the filter medium being in fluid communication with a storage device, the storage device having a holding capacity greater than 1000 gallons and being configured for storing the diesel fuel, the absorbent being configured to remove sulfur containing compounds from the diesel fuel to produce a filtered diesel fuel having less than 15 ppm of sulfur containing compounds in the storage device, the absorbent comprises an inorganic oxide having a surface acidity characterized by a pK a of at least −3; and
a sensor in fluid communication with fuel filtered by the filter medium, the sensor providing a signal when the fuel filtered by the filter medium has sulfur containing compounds below a predetermined value.
2. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes a pump for pumping the diesel fuel from the storage device through the filter medium and back into the storage device and the pump is responsive to the signal.
3. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 2 , wherein the pump is integral with the storage device.
4. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 2 , wherein the pump is integral with the fuel filter.
5. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 2 , wherein the pump pumps diesel fuel from the storage device to the filter medium at a flow rate up to at least approximately 500 gallons per minute.
6. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the holding capacity of the storage device is greater than 1 million gallons.
7. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the holding capacity of the storage device is greater than 8.4 million gallons.
8. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the storage device is at least one of an above ground fuel storage tank, an underground fuel storage tank, a fuel tanker truck, a filter truck, or a fuel dispensing device.
9. The mobile fuel filter of as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic oxide is characterized by a surface that is substantially free of applied compounds comprising Group VIIIA metals, Group IVmetals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and mixtures thereof.
10. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic oxide is substantially free of compounds comprising Group VIIIA metals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and mixtures thereof.
11. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic oxide is at least one of alumina, kaolinite (either sodium, ammonium or hydrogen forms), montmorillonite (either sodium, ammonium or hydrogen forms), silca magnesia, alumina-boria, activated alumina, zeolites, aluminosilicates, silica gels, clay, active clay, silicon dioxide, mesoporous silica porous material (FSM), silica alumina compounds, silica, alumina phosphate compounds, super acids, super acids-sulfated, titania, sulfated zironia, titanium dioxide, hafnium oxide, and mixtures thereof.
12. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 1 , wherein the inorganic oxide is selected from the group consisting of gamma, eta, or chi alumina.
13. A mobile fuel filter unit for removing sulfur-containing compounds from a diesel fuel, the unit comprising:
a filter medium comprising an absorbent for removing sulfur-containing compounds from the diesel fuel, the filter medium being in fluid communication with a storage device, the storage device having a holding capacity greater than 1000 gallons and being configured for storing the diesel fuel, the absorbent being configured to remove sulfur containing compounds from the diesel fuel to produce a filtered diesel fuel having less than 15 ppm of sulfur containing compounds, the absorbent comprises an inorganic oxide having a surface acidity characterized by a pK a of at least −3;
a sensor in fluid communication with fuel filtered by the filter medium, the sensor providing a signal when the fuel filtered by the filter medium has sulfur containing compounds below a predetermined value; and
a pumping device in fluid communication with the filter medium and the storage device, the pumping device being configured for pumping diesel fuel from the storage device through the filter medium and back to the storage device, wherein the pump is responsive to the signal from the sensor.
14. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 13 , wherein the pumping device pumps diesel fuel from the storage device to the filter medium at a flow rate up to at least approximately 500 gallons per minute.
15. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 13 , wherein the pumping device provides a continuous fluid flow between the storage device and the filter medium.
16. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 13 , wherein the holding capacity of the storage device is greater than 1 million gallons.
17. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 13 , wherein the holding capacity of the storage device is greater than 8.4 million gallons.
18. The mobile fuel filter unit as in claim 13 , wherein the storage device is at least one of an above ground fuel storage tank, an underground fuel storage tank, a fuel tanker truck, a filter truck, or a fuel dispensing device.
19. A method for removing sulfur-containing compounds from a diesel fuel, the method comprising:
passing diesel fuel from a storage device having a holding capacity greater than 1000 gallons through a mobile fuel filter unit comprising an absorbent for removing sulfur-containing compounds from the diesel fuel, the storage device being configured for storing the diesel fuel, the absorbent being configured to remove sulfur containing compounds from the diesel fuel to produce a filtered diesel fuel having less than 15 ppm of sulfur containing compounds, and the absorbent comprises an inorganic oxide having a surface acidity characterized by a pK a of at least −3; and
sensing sulfur containing compounds in the diesel fuel filtered by the mobile fuel filter unit with a sensor in fluid communication with the diesel fuel filtered by the mobile fuel filter unit, the sensor providing a signal when the diesel fuel filtered by the mobile fuel filter unit has sulfur containing compounds below a predetermined value.
20. The method as in claim 19 , wherein a pump in fluid communication with the filter medium and the storage device passes the diesel fuel from the storage device through the filter medium back to the storage device, the pump being responsive to the signal.
21. The method as in claim 19 , wherein the diesel fuel passes from the storage device through the mobile fuel filter unit at a flow rate up to at least approximately 500 gallons per minute.
22. The mobile fuel filter as in claim 19 , wherein the holding capacity of the storage device is greater than 1 million gallons and the storage device is at least one of an above ground fuel storage tank, an underground fuel storage tank, a fuel tanker truck, a filter truck, or a fuel dispensing device.