Utilisation of Biomass combustion ash in the Removal of CO2 from Biomass Combustion Plants

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The proposed research seeks to investigate an energy-efficient, yet cost-effective method to capture CO2 from the biomass combustion [power] plants in the UK. This aligns very well with the chemical engineering department's research strategies i.e. "clean energies", as well as that of the Institute of Energy Futures. In further support of this PhD research proposal, I have just been awarded the BRIEF research fund (£15k) to conduct a closely-related research in CO2 capture, supporting the design and fabrication of a lab-scale rig and the required equipment for material synthesis - significantly reinforcing the success of this PhD research proposal. The project comprises three core work packages i.e. the synthesis and modification of adsorbent materials, the experimental CO2 capture on a lab-scale adsorption/desorption rig, designed, built and tested at Brunel, and finally, the simulation of an actual CO2 capture process based on the cost-effective synthesised adsorbents. 100175 30100143 70 2 Therefore, the project inherently sets out several cross-disciplinary research work packages and can thus, boasts the establishment of joint collaborations between the Institute of Energy Futures and the Institute of Manufacturing and Materials right from the beginning. Given the adverse impacts of global warming and climate change on the environment along with the key role that CO2 capture plays to mitigate this - as highlighted in the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and emphasised by the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC) - I expect the project to effectively facilitate a relatively new cross disciplinary research area (CO2 capture) to be born within the College with a clear potential for the involvement of other colleagues across the institutes and the departments. In addition, I have also obtained the agreement of a former colleague of mine at Imperial College, Dr Niall Mac Dowell - an expert in CO2 capture, who is willing to provide feedback and advice as well as access to the available resources within the Chemical Engineering Department at Imperial College, if/when required and hence, extending our collaboration within this PhD proposal.