Assessing the Feasibility of Using Microwave Induced Plasma Torrefaction for the Production of an Energy Dense, Carbon Neutral Fuel from Wood Pellets

在英国和其他地方，为了政府履行《京都议定书》规定的义务和实现可再生能源发电目标，确实需要使能源生产脱碳。使用可持续的木材作为燃料是减少与能源生产相关的二氧化碳排放的一种方法。然而，木材的含水率高，能量密度低，燃烧性能多变，并且对现有发电厂进行共烧改造的成本相当高。因此，能源部门正越来越多地寻求将木材转化为一种能源密度高、可再生的“双煤”。烘烤是在没有氧气的情况下对木材进行低温加热，以产生一种类似木炭的燃料，这种燃料一旦制成颗粒，就具有与煤相似的特性。然而，现有的碳化技术的经济效益尚未在工业规模上得到证实，我们相信我们的微波诱导等离子体碳化（MPT）技术是一种更具成本效益的木材碳化方法。我们项目的总体目标是开发一个原型MPT示范反应堆，以经济有效地将木屑颗粒转化为生物煤。

There is a real need to de-carbonise energy production in the UK and elsewhere in order that Governments meet their obligations set by the Kyoto Protocol and meet renewable energy generation targets. Using sustainable sources of wood as a fuel is one such method of reducing the CO2 emissions associated with energy production. However, wood has a high moisture content, low energy density, has variable combustion properties and there are considerable costs incurred modifying existing power plants for co-firing. As result the energy sector is looking increasingly to torrefaction to produce an energy dense and renewable "bicoal" from wood. Torrefaction is low temperature heating of wood in the absence of oxygen to produce a char-like fuel that, once pelletised, has properties similar to coal. However, the economics of existing torrefaction technology has yet to be proven on an industrial scale and we believe that our microwave induced plasma torrefation (MPT) technology is a more cost effective way to torrefy wood. The overall objective of our project is to develop a prototype MPT demonstration reactor for cost effectively converting wood pellets to biocoal.