METHOD FOR DESULFURIZING GASOLINE OR DIESEL FUEL FOR USE IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

摘要

A fuel processing method which is operable to remove substantially all of the sulfur present in an undiluted oxygenated hydrocarbon fuel stock supply which contains an oxygenate and which is used to power an internal combustion engine (14) is disclosed. The undiluted hydrocarbon fuel supply is passed through a nickel reactant desulfurized bed (8) wherein essentially all of the sulfur in the organic sulfur compounds reacts with the nickel reactant, and is converted to nickel sulfide, while the desulfurized organic remnants continue through the remainder of the fuel processing system. The method can be used to desulfurize either a liquid or a gaseous fuel system, which contains an oxygenate such as MTBE, ethanol, methanol, or the like.