Researchers have found that clean combustible gaseous fuels resulting from the conversion of biomass such as mallee are useful for generating a continuous source of electricity, commonly referred to as base load electricity.
Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Development Linda Kristjanson presented the 2010 Curtin Commercial Innovation Award for the best new innovation to Professor Chun-Zhu Li and his team.
The annual awards, run by Curtin’s Office of IP Commercialisation, acknowledge the best commercially-oriented innovations arising from research by Curtin staff and students.
Curtin’s Office of IP Commercialisation Director Rohan McDougall said that the winning innovation was a great advance in sustainable energy generation.
“The gasifier that Professor Li and his team have developed is able to convert raw solid fuels like biomass into clean gaseous fuel in a highly efficient and economical manner,” Mr McDougall said.
“Numerous efforts have been made worldwide to clean up product gas from existing gasification processes in a cost-effective way but with only limited success.
“Use of gasification product gas currently has limitations in electricity generation as tar and other contaminants foul up the gas engines and turbines. Curtin’s gasification technology is able to produce clean product gas with a high energy content.”
The process utilises mallee which is abundant in WA and actively farmed to minimise dryland salinity. Other low-rank fuels like lignite, brown coal and peat can also be converted.
