Overview

Our research is mainly categorized in "themochemical conversion of biomass", which includes pyrolysis and gasification technologies. With thermochemical conversion of biomass, we can build a future biorefinery that produces liquid/gas fuels, electricity, heat, electricity, and charcoal.

Biomass is the term summarizing various renewable natural resources such as forest residue, agricultural residues, and wastes. Compared with other alternative energy sources of fossil fuels, biomass has been attracting a lot of attention because it stores energy in chemical form and its utilization is not intermittent. In the traditional use of biomass, it was utilized as a heat source by burning, e.g., cooking by charcoal, pellet boilers, etc. However, as the concern of global warming and energy security increases, biomass are increasingly expected to replace fossil fuels for the production of higher-value energy carriers such as electricity and transport fuels. Our research activities are focusing on the development of the initial conversion step in these technologies, pyrolysis and gasification. Especially, the research projects are aiming at either increasing the efficiency of these process or decreasing by-products (e.g. tar, soot, etc.) to increase the technical and economic feasibility.

Gasification is aiming at converting solid or liquid fuel into synthesis gas (H2, CO, CH4, etc.). It can be explained as "incomplete combustion process" that supplies approximately 20% to 50% of air required for complete combustion (i.e. stoichiometric air) at the temperature range of 700 to 1400 C.

Pyrolysis is aiming at converting biomass into either coal-like solid (biochar) or cruid oil-like liquid (bio-oil). The working principle of the process is to heat biomass from very low to high heating rate without supply of air. Main pyrolysis reactions occur at the temperature range of 250 to 400 C.

Research methodologies

The following list shows some of our major research methodologies.

  • Technology developments

    • Process intensification technologies for biomass gasification to reduce tar and soot formation

    • Alkali catalyzed gasification of biomass

    • Efficient charcoal production methods from biomass

  • Modelling activities

    • Development of multi-scale simulation models

    • Kinetic modelling of gas-solid reactions and tar reaction schemes

    • Particle-scale fuel conversion including heat and mass transfer

  • Laboratory scale experiments of conversion techniques (burners, pyrolysis reactors, gasifiers, etc.)