Low carbon hydrogen-rich syngas production from biomass/waste gasification and decentralised power and heat generation
- Academic lead
- Dr Daya Pandey, School of Mechanical Engineering, D.Pandey@leeds.ac.uk
- Industrial lead
- Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, RWE Technology International GmbH, sanjay.mukherjee@rwe.com
- Co-supervisor(s)
- Dr Valerie Dupont, School of Chemical & Process Engineering, V.Dupont@leeds.ac.uk, Dr Mark Wilson, School of Mechanical Engineering, M.Wilson@leeds.ac.uk
- Project themes
- Energy and Transport, Environmental Flows, Industrial Processes, Underpinning Methods for Fluid Dynamics
The proposed project primarily addresses the research challenge of integrating low-carbon energy systems for sustainable and economically affordable energy conversion, storage and utilisation. Low carbon syngas production from biomass has been described as a key player in the recently published UK biomass strategy policy and is expected to play a major role in reaching the ambitious UK Net Zero targets by 2050. It could also play a significant role in power supply and bringing people out of energy poverty (in Global South) living in off-grid connected or rural communities.
The project has the potential to create green jobs and growth at regional/national and international levels while promoting the concept of circular economy. The project is aimed to address the energy trilemma by delivering (1) access to affordable low carbon energy (2) improved well-being of inhabitants and (3) reduced environmental emissions.
Fluid dynamics is essential in underpinning this technology, and the project will involve computational modelling of various stages of the complex multiphase process to develop a fundamental understanding and allow optimisation of efficiency under real, practice-related conditions.
The supervisory team has expertise in BECCS, process modelling and energy storage (Daya Pandey); CO2 utilisation, techno economic and life-cycle analysis (Valerie Dupont) and detailed CFD modelling (Mark Wilson).