EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in
Carbon Capture and Storage and Cleaner Fossil Energy
University of Nottingham
  
EngD student in laboratory at Loughborough University

Research themes

 

A number of cross-cutting themes have been identified to tackle the research challenges identified towards the successful deployment and increased efficiency of clean coal technologies.

  • Improving the efficiency of carbon capture through better overall plant design and optimisation, as well as considering alternative capture routes to absorption in either chemical (post-combustion) or physical (pre-combustion in gasification) solvents.
  • Improving the technologies for removing acid gases to low levels prior to carbon capture in combustion, gasification and oxyfuel firing, as well as controlling toxic metals, notably mercury (Hg) and understanding the complex interactions that occur, for example between Hg and SOx.
  • Maximising the utilisation and the range of biomass/waste feedstocks in coke making, smokeless fuel and gasification to partially displace coal from these applications.
  • Slagging and ash composition needs to be thoroughly understood under the aggressive and new gaseous environments encountered in oxyfuel firing and in terms of the impact from biomass/waste.

These challenges will form the basis of individual research projects in the proposed Centre and will ensure that it plays a key role in contributing to the success of the major developments in clean coal and CO2 capture technologies. It will make a particular contribution to meeting the demand in the UK over the next decade for doctorates to meet these challenges.

2017 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project title

Drax Group

Cleaning of exhaust streams from small generators 

EPRI

Advanced Power Plants Steels: optimizing the composition and thermal history of the steel to improved creep strength and ductility

CEMEX Research Group AG

Low temperature decarbonisation of limestone with molten alkaline salts for reduction of CO2 in cement manufacturing process 

Tata Steel

Investigation of wear in industrial coal grinding and drying plants

Innospec

Advanced Characterisation of Deposits in Fuel Systems

Tata Steel

Fluidity Development during Coking
EDF Energy Development of Life Assessment Models Using In-Service Inspection Data
CEG technology UK Ltd Evaluating the potential of amending soils with biochar as a means of carbon sequestration 
Tarmac Routes to Bio-bitumen: Seeking alternatives to petroleum-based feedstocks

National Oilwell Varco

Remediation of crude oil polluted soil using two thermal remediation techniques namely microwave pyrolysis and traditional pyrolysis.

 

2016 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

The performance of high chromium creep strength enhanced ferritic steels

Doosan Power Systems

Development of an ignition model approach using computational fluid dynamics for the combustion of pulverised coal

Thermacore

Developing high efficient medium to high temperature heat pipes for power station waste heat unitisation and thermal management

International Innovative Technologies

Combustion Technologies

Antaco

Hydrothermal carbonisation

Castrol

Lubricants for fossil energy technologies

Energy Technologies Institute

Biomass supply chain

Development of geological storage options for CO2, natural gas and hydrogen

Process Systems Enterprise

CO2 capture technologies

OpenGoSim

CO2 injection temperatures: implications for current and future CO2 injection operations

Innospec

Filter diesel deposits 

 

2015 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Innospec

Characterisation of molecular interactions occurring in combustion processes

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

Rapid fuel evaluation to detect blending, contamination, and predict ash bridging, NOx, SOx, and ESP performance

Monitor Coatings

Novel compact high velocity oxy-fuel (C-HVOF) spray for internal surfaces

Eminox

Rapid modelling and calibration of aftertreatment systems

Caterpillar

Modelling methods for rapid engine development

Process Systems Enterprise

Properties of dense CO2mixtures

 

2014 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Alstom Power and E.ON

Impact of high levels of biomass co-firing on ash composition and deposition

Hydrothermal treatments for the beneficiation of biomass

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

Interpretation of small specimen creep test

Slagging and fouling prediction using an advanced ash fusion test

Alstom Power

Advanced measurement techniques on steam wetness

E.ON

Fireside corrosion

EDF

NOx reduction

Progressive Energy

Sulfate reducing bacteria in carbon dioxide

 

2013 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

Biomass co-firing to Improve the burn-out of unreactive coals in pulverised fuel

Biomass exacerbated cyclic oxidation of steels in steam

Modelling of biomass milling

CPL Industries

Development of a manufactured charcoal from biomass feedstocks

Effectech

Improvements in the measurement of gaseous fuels for energy and carbon dioxide emission determination

GSA environmental

Heavy oil recovery

Innospec

A study of fuel deposits: injectors filters and systems

 

2012 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Alstom Power

Relationships between ultrasonic signal and microstructural parameters in heavy rotor forgings

Advanced measurement techniques

Microstructural evolution in high Chromiun power plant steels

Clean Coal Limited

Underground coal gasification modelling

CPL Industries

Activated carbon from biomass to replace fossil fuel useage

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

Integrity of coated ferritic alloys under high temperature creep and fatigue

E.ON

Amine scrubbing and solvent degradation

Energy Technologies Institute

CCS strategy development

Brandt - National Oilwell Varco

Microwave processing of drilling wastes for offshore oil platforms

 

2011 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

A new classification system for biomass and waste materials for use in combustion

Modelling chemical and microstructural evolution across dissimilar interfaces in power plant alloys

Milling and conveyance of biomass

Avoiding the sintering of coal-fired shallow fluidised beds

Innospec

Characterisation of molecular interactions occurring in combustion processes

E.ON

Power plant materials condition monitoring and degradation assessment

National Physical Laboratory and E.ON

Fireside corrosion

Johnson Matthey

Development and integration of novel adsorbent for post combustion capture

Tata Steel

The value of carbon capture and storage technology to the steel industry

Utilisation of CO2in the steel industry context

 

2010 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Doosan Power Systems

Ignition testing and flame stability prediction

Optimised fuel stream for improved burner performance

Prediction of biomass combustion

Air Products

Post combustion capture of CO2using adsorbents in a PSA/TSA-type cycle

CPL Industries

Proposal for the development of manufactured solid fuels with reduced emissions of CO2

Scottish and Southern Energy

An investigation into biomass combustion

Biomass Fossil Fuel Research Alliance

Impact of biomass torrefaction on combustion behaviour in co-firing

Tata Steel

The application of carbon capture and storage technology to the steel industry

Johnson Matthey

Selective catalytic reduction of NOx for coal fired power station exhausts

Alstom Power

Modelling of rotor steel for steam turbine applications

 

2009 Research projects

Industrial Collaborator

Project Title

Doosan Power Systems

Technical and economic optimisation for post combustion carbon capture

Effects of microstructure on steam oxidation of austenitic stainless steel

SO3 behaviour and absorption in CO2 ;rich atmospheres

Alstom Power

Low pressure steam turbines operate in a wet steam environment

Two phase mass flow and quality measurement technique for power stations

Microstructural evolution of high chromium steel

Oxidation of Ni based superalloys in the presence of steam at high temperatures and pressures

E.ON

Effects of storage methods on the physical and chemical properties of biomass fuels

RWE nPower

Modelling CO2transport and the effect of impurities

Char characterisation in oxyfuel combustion

 

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Carbon Capture and Storage and Cleaner Fossil Energy

Email: ccscfe@nottingham.ac.uk