To develop high energy efficiency and small-scale bioenergy combine in Jilin: innovation and demonstration

Purpose and goal

The goal was to develop key technologies to facilitate a demonstration of bioenergy combine in Jilin that can be a real-life-case for Sino-Swedish bioenergy R&D, innovation & market open. Swedish team has fulfilled tasks to attack technical problems, such as the system solutions to integrate mushroom industry and to use variable ash-rich fuels. We also worked out suggestions for fuel supply solutions and prototype models for development of at-line or on-line fuel characterization system. Chinese authority has approved the project of establishing a demonstration plant in Jilin.

Expected results and effects

The results that integration of mushroom production and CHP is feasible and novel pasteurization method can save > 40% energy suggest a new business for Swedish and global markets. The project promoted a successful translation from conceptual ash transformation models to a prototype of control algorithms, a big step towards developing ´auto-control combustion of ash-rich biofuels´, which is also needed globally. A fuel property database of 86 biomasses and NIR and XRF calibration models for ash, Si and K contents shall help to develop at-/on-line fuel characterization system.

Planned approach and implementation

To develop the three basic technologies and reach the goals following work were performed: 1a) Field survey & analyses on mushroom production processes in three companies; 1b) Lab developments on pasteurization and drying technics; 1c) Lab & field studies on variations of substrate properties along mushroom growing processes; 2a) Field investigations on environments for fuel supply in Jilin; 2b) Evaluation and workshop on possible fuel supply solutions; 3a) Sample and analyses on ash-rich biofuels from Jilin; 3b) Tests on NIR and XRF spectrum for at/on-line fuel characterization.