Biomass Storage Combustion Sensor System - Prometheus

There have been many recorded incidents of fires starting in biomass storage facilities. Once
started, these fires are difficult to manage and extinguish. They result in significant risk to
human health and business interruption and ultimately financial loss.
This project aims to show that there is a clear market need to provide early warning of a fire
starting inside a biomass storage facility such as wood pellets in a large silo. This will enable
measures to be taken to remove or damp-down the specific part of the silo contents at risk,
thus reducing the risk of a whole silo fire.
The early warning will be based on temperature and gas mixture measurement and profiling in
space and time, within the biomass pile, with near real time reporting.
This project spans the Technology Strategy Board Priority Areas:
• Resource efficiency
• Energy
• Electronics, sensors and photonics