Some of our research is focused on combustion optimization for emissions reduction.
Due to air pollution, there is an increasing awareness regarding the need to decrease nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, which can be achieved through an understanding of the mechanisms for their formation.
The present research aims to experimentally analyse and model the release of emissions precursors throughout an investigation of the combustion of a single biomass pellet (about 1g) or multiple pellets (in a fixed-bed) and their degradation front, in an oxidizing atmosphere of a flow reactor.
It is observed that pellet combustion is largely affected by mass and heat transfer rates within the solid geometry. Combustion optimization can be therefore be achieved by focusing on these aspects.
