Digital imaging assesses power station combustion

An University of Greenwich product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 8, 2003

Better air quality and dramatic improvements to the efficiency of the UK's power stations are not hot air, thanks to research undertaken by scientists from the University of Greenwich at Medway.

Better air quality and dramatic improvements to the efficiency of the UK's power stations are not hot air, thanks to research undertaken by scientists from the University of Greenwich at Medway.

The research was undertaken by the university's Advanced Instrumentation and Control, which has developed an internationally recognised expertise in advanced sensors and instrumentation systems, led by Professor Yong Yan.

A project, conducted on industrial scale test facilities in conjunction with Powergen and Innogy, has led to the development of a digital imaging technique which can monitor a range of flame characteristics within a power station.

A system using this technology has been installed permanently on the Powergen 1MW combustion test facility and is now used routinely by the company's engineers.

The environmental and commercial value of the flame research has been recognised with a further GBP 102,000 funding from the EPSRC (Engineering Physical Science Research Council) and BCURA (British Coal Utilisation Research Association), including GBP 60,000 from Innogy and Powergen.

Further research, again aimed at minimising pollution and maximising fuel efficiency in power stations, has led to the development of a 3D visualisation system, which monitors and characterises fossil fuel-fired flames.

By measuring the dimensions and stability of the flame, the scientists can determine whether the flame is causing pollution or not.

This research has also attracted the interest of other leading industrial organisations such as Mitsui Babcock.

The University of Greenwich at Medway team is also developing an online particle size analyser to help power stations maintain efficiency and prevent harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

This work is also supported by BCURA, Powergen and Innogy with a total of GBP 116,000 funding.

Power stations grind the fossil fuels to a paste and blow it into the furnaces.

The size of the particle is important, and the team is developing a bolt-on device which will tell operators instantly whether the particle size is right for minimising pollution and improving efficiency.

At the moment power stations periodically send samples to laboratories for offline testing.

The new system would allow engineers to act immediately if a power station starts to emit high levels of pollutants or have combustion problems, thereby protecting the environment and maintaining combustion efficiency.

Professor Yong Yan from the University of Greenwich at Medway said: "The flame research, and subsequent technology, has the potential to generate electricity more efficiently through the combustion of coal, biomass and a range of liquid fuels, therefore reducing harmful emissions and improving the local and global environment.

The technology is also applicable to other industries such as steel production".