Smart Filtration Technologies: Optimising Flue Gas Filtration Assets in the UK Energy from Waste Sector

Project background

Currently, there is an expansion in the UK for the provision of power and heat from waste to energy and biomass combustion plant which assist the UK Government in its goal to reduce CO2 emissions while solving disposal problems. However, this type of plant generates particulate emissions, particularly PM2.5, which provides technological challenges in their control due to their size and health hazard potential. Increasingly stringent emissions control legislation means that existing technology will need to be improved while maintaining operational efficiency. This provides challenges to minimise outage caused by filter failures in baghouses where higher performance filter installation can highlight weaknesses in designs related to optimisation of flue gas flow patterns as well as identification of regions of high material stresses by simulation work.

Project activity

The student will have the opportunity for significant placement with industry and access to facilities jointly developed by the University of Sheffield and Durham Filtration. The facility includes a pilot scale, fluidised bed, biomass/waste combustor and the successful student will join the team running tests on this facility. The student will also have access to new, state of the art filter testing equipment, closely linked to the sponsors activities.

It is recognised that particulate control from biomass gasification processes presents different sets of challenges for plant operators and we will work with customers using this technology to offer improved systems as an outcome from the areas of research proposed below. The successful candidate will be expected to become involved in two or more of the topic areas with the exact project being decided after interview with students to match interests and capabilities.

Topics

1. Develop a predictive toolkit for filtration asset owners to give quantitative predicted time-to-failure or optimal regions of operation (economic or environmental optima). Analyse, interpret, and visualise a high volume of data from a filtration specific sensor platform installed in a UK biomass combustion and gasification plant. Integrate with existing plant data collection methods and provide a structured model for plant performance. Develop a reporting package to deliver data visualisations to the end user in a meaningful way, reporting on the benefit of any corrective action predicted by the model.

2. To run experimental programmes on the new combustion test facility hosted by DF at their Jarrow facility. The project will investigate the generation of particulate material under pilot plant operating conditions from a range of fuel blends that are typical of energy from waste and biomass energy plant. The controlled conditions of the CTF will be used to focus on issues created by particular fuel blends which is not possible by the analysis of industrially harvested samples from full scale plant. The results will be complimentary and combined they will offer insight into design solutions that can be offered by DF to the industry.

3. Develop new test methods and metrics for quantifying 'filter health' with meaningful interpretations for end users. Evolve the current ISO testing standards, based on old textile manufacture methods, to bring about a new, market-specific testing standard and industrial best practice. Using a wealth of industrial samples, build a library of data and assist with model-based predictions of filter performance.

The proposed Centre will benefit the following groups

1. Students - develop their professional skills, a broad technical and societal knowledge of the sector and a wider appreciation of the role decarbonised fuel systems will play in the UK and internationally. They will develop a strong network of peers who they can draw on in their professional careers. We will continue to offer our training to other Research Council PhD students and cross-fertilise our training with that offered under other CDT programmes, and similar initiatives where that develops mutual benefit. We will further enhance this offering by encouraging industrialists to undertake some of our training as Professional Development ensuring a broadening of the training cohort beyond academe. Students will be very employable due to their knowledge, skills and broad industrial understanding.
2. Industrial partners - Companies identify research priorities that underpin their long-term business goals and can access state of the art facilities within the HEIs involved to support that research. They do not need to pre-define the scope of their work at the outset, so that the Centre can remain responsive to their developing research needs. They may develop new products, services or models and have access to a potential employee cohort, with an advanced skill base. We have already established a track record in our predecessor CDTs, with graduates now acting as research managers and project supervisors within industry
3. Academic partners - accelerating research within the Energy research community in each HEI. We will develop the next generation of researchers and research leaders with a broader perspective than traditional PhD research and create a bedrock of research expertise within each HEI, developing supervisory skills across a broad range of topics and faculties and supporting HEIs' goals of high quality publications leading to research impacts and an informed group of educators within each HEI. .
4. Government and regulators - we will liaise with national and regional regulators and policy makers. We will conduct research directly aligned with the Government's Clean Growth Strategy, Mission Innovation and with the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund's theme Prosper from the Energy Revolution, to help meet emission, energy security and affordability targets and we will seek to inform developing energy policy through new findings and impartial scientific advice. We will help to provide the skills base and future innovators to enable growth in the decarbonised energy sector.
5. Wider society and the publics - developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the cost of a transition to a low carbon economy. Need to ascertain the publics' views on the proposed new technologies to ensure we are aligned with their views and that there will be general acceptance of the new technologies. Public engagement will be a two-way conversation where researchers will listen to the views of different publics, acknowledging that there are many publics and not just one uniform group. We will actively engage with public from including schools, our local communities and the 'interested' public, seeking to be honest providers of unbiased technical information in a way that is correct yet accessible.