Systems and methods for sequestering sulfur

1. A method of managing sulfur, said method comprising:

obtaining material containing sulfur;

refining said material to develop a high sulfur content heavy fraction fuel oil and a low sulfur content light fraction fuel oil;

burning said low sulfur content light fraction fuel oil in apparatus that emit to the atmosphere;

burning said high sulfur content heavy fraction fuel oil to produce energy thereby generating flue gas containing sulfur oxide; and

removing and disposing of sulfur in said flue gas using a sulfur sequestration system that includes utilizing sulfur removed from said flue gas to form a brine material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said sulfur sequestration system further comprises:

absorbing said sulfur dioxide from said flue gas into a first solution;

oxidizing said first solution to form a sulfuric acid solution;

neutralizing alkaline materials using said sulfuric acid solution to form a brine material; and

disposing of said brine material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said brine material is a brine solution and disposing includes releasing it into a saline water body.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said brine material is a brine slurry and disposing includes injecting it into a geologic formation.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said alkaline materials include alkali or alkaline earth metals.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said alkali or alkaline earth metals include one or more of Mg, Na, K, Ca, and minerals from olivine and serpentine groups.

7. A system for sequestering sulfur, said system comprising:

a combustion module for oxidizing materials containing sulfur thereby generating a flue gas stream containing sulfur oxides;

a combined scrubber, oxidizer, and neutralization apparatus including the following:

a scrubber module for absorbing sulfur contained in said flue gas stream into a first solution;

a sulfuric acid generation module for oxidizing said first solution to form a sulfuric acid solution;

a neutralization module for neutralizing said sulfuric acid solution generated in said sulfuric acid generation module by mixing said sulfuric acid with alkaline materials thereby forming a brine material; and

a disposal module for disposing said brine material formed in said neutralization module.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said brine material is a brine solution and disposing includes releasing it into a saline water body.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said brine material is a brine slurry and disposing includes injecting it into a geologic formation.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said alkaline materials include alkali or alkaline earth metals.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said alkali or alkaline earth metals include one or more of Mg, Na, K, Ca, and minerals from olivine and serpentine groups.

12. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said sulfuric acid generation module includes oxidizing in the presence of an activated carbon catalyst.

13. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a temperature of about 60 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius is maintained in said apparatus.

14. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a pH in said combined scrubber and neutralization apparatus is adjusted to increase availability of bisulfate ions.

15. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a concentration of sulfate in said brine material is kept below a solubility limit of said brine material so as to avoid precipitation of sulfate in said apparatus.

16. An apparatus for removing sulfur from a flue gas, said apparatus comprising:

a housing including a plurality of inlets and outlets;

alternating packed catalyst bed and packed neutralizer sections positioned within said housing, said alternating packed catalyst bed and packed neutralizer sections defining a treatment train having a start and an end;

a first inlet for introducing an aqueous sorbent material into said housing and to said start of said treatment train;

a first conduit for directing said aqueous sorbent material in a first direction and through said alternating packed catalyst bed and packed neutralizer sections;

a second inlet for adding alkaline materials to said packed neutralizer sections;

a third inlet for introducing a sulfur-containing flue gas into said housing and to said packed catalyst bed section closest to said end of said treatment train;

a second conduit for directing said flue gas in a second direction and through said packed catalyst bed sections, said second direction being opposite said first direction;

a first outlet for removing a brine solution from said housing;

a second outlet for removing by-product waste from said alkaline materials; and

a third outlet for allowing substantially sulfur-free flue gas to exit said housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:

a fourth inlet for introducing oxygen into said housing and to said neutralizer section closest to said end of said treatment train;

a third conduit for directing said oxygen in said second direction and through said neutralizer sections; and

a fourth outlet for allowing said oxygen to exit said housing from said neutralizer section closest to said start of said treatment train.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said housing is a vertical column and said first inlet is adjacent a top of said column.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said alkaline materials include one or more of Mg, Na, K, Ca, and minerals from olivine and serpentine groups.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said packed catalyst bed sections include activated carbon.