Study models biomass efficiency in a nutshell

Created by researchers from the University of Nottingham and CSIRO Australia, the model could help power generators select biomass fuels for power plants and optimise their efficiency. When biomass is used in power plants, it is first milled into fine particles before entering the combustion chamber as pulverised fuel (PF). By examining how different agricultural products perform as PF, the researchers were able to develop a predictive model for energy efficiency. The work is published in the Journal of the Energy Institute.

“By combining milling and combustion modelling, we can now predict fuel performance more accurately, helping power plants improve efficiency and reduce emissions, whilst diversifying their supply chains,” said Dr Orla Williams, from the University of Nottingham’s Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering.

Around 8.3 million tonnes of biomass is used annually for PF combustion in the UK, accounting for 21 per cent of the global wood pellet market. However, the majority of these pellets come from the United States and Canada, with both forestry practices and transport of the pellets raising major concerns about the overall sustainability of UK biomass energy. Moving away from imported wood pellets could help address these concerns, but biomass alternatives must first be evaluated.