UK and Australian researchers develop model to predict how fuels break down in mills

In the UK, researchers from the University of Nottingham and CSIRO Australia have developed a pioneering combined milling and combustion performance model to improve the selection of low carbon fuels for power generation. This model allows power generators to predict how well fuels will break down in mills, and how this then impacts how well they burn. This knowledge helps optimise energy efficiency and reduce waste in power plants.

Published in the Journal of the Energy Institute, the study evaluates the milling and combustion properties of five biomass types—pistachio shells, walnut shells, rice husks, palm kernel shells, and wood pellets.