Novel monitoring system to improve combustion efficiency in biomass-fired heat and power plants

This project focuses on developing an advanced optical monitoring approach for grate-fired boilers to support more efficient and sustainable combustion of biomass and waste-derived fuels. Grate-fired systems are commonly used in heat and combined heat and power plants because of their fuel flexibility, but variations in fuel quality and operating conditions often lead to uneven combustion, increased emissions, and residual carbon in the ash. Current monitoring methods mainly rely on flue gas measurements and ash sampling, which provide limited spatial and temporal information about the actual combustion process on the grate.

To address this challenge, the project will integrate infrared imaging, high-speed visual cameras, and radiation-based diagnostics to capture detailed information about fuel bed temperature, fuel movement, and gas-phase behavior above the grate. The optical measurements will be combined with CFD simulations and radiation modeling to improve the interpretation of the measured signals and enable more accurate real-time analysis of the combustion conditions.

Experimental work will be carried out both in laboratory-scale facilities at Chalmers University of Technology and in two full-scale industrial boilers operated by Uddevalla Kraft: a smaller biomass-fired unit, 3MW, and a larger waste-fired combined heat and power plant, 42MW. Studying systems of different scales and fuel types will provide valuable insight into how operating conditions and fuel variations affect grate combustion performance.

The project is expected to contribute to improved boiler control strategies, lower emissions, higher fuel utilization, and reduced levels of unburned material in ash streams. In the longer term, the developed methodology could support next-generation monitoring and optimization systems for industrial combustion processes.

Photo: Guido Jansen, Unsplash