Quality Assurance
Performance of the CHP can be adversely affected by poor or variable fuel and understanding different fuel feed stocks performance and variability is essential in designing and optimising the performance of Biomass Energy systems. Biogen systems manages the inherent variability of biomass by the applying a 3 step process:
1. New Biomass Fuel sources are screened for their suitability by testing initially at our Fuel Analysis Centre within the University of Chester. The University of Chester has various analytical facilities to assist in this:
- thermogravimetric analysis,
- bomb calorimetry
- elemental analysis for the composition and energy content of biomass feedstock going into the gasifier
- X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) to investigate the fuel ash microchemistry following combustion of the biomass feedstock in a laboratory furnace.
2. Sustained Field testing where both fuel variability and machine output is monitored to generate operational data and Process Capability (Cpk) information to support a business cases.
3. Once approved feedstock is routinely tested for
- Ash Fusion Temperature
- Ash content
- Moisture
- Particle size
- Fuel GCV
Biogen Systems service engineers are trained to be able to test and assess on site , fuel feedstock as part of trouble shooting procedures aimed at quickly identifying causes of potential problems i.e. answer the age old question of
“is it
- The fuel
- The machine
- Or the fuel transport provider”
