The quest for a sustainable society with reduced dependence on fossil fuels has led to a growing interest in biomass as a renewable, CO2-neutral energy source. However, combustion and gasification of biofuels proved challenging for the industry, as they can cause ash-related operational problems and emissions harmful to health and environment. A better fundamental understanding of the thermochemical conversion process is needed to maximize energy efficiency and minimize operational issues. In-situ real-time combustion diagnostics with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy combined with direct numerical simulation of combustion processes will enhance the knowledge about key-compounds in biomass conversion.
Selected publications
A. Sepman, Y. Ögren, Z. Qu, H. Wiinikka, F. M. Schmidt, Real-time in situ multi-parameter TDLAS sensing in the reactor core of an entrained-flow biomass gasifier, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 36, 4541-4548 (2017).
Z. Qu, E. Steinvall, R. Ghorbani, F. M. Schmidt, Tunable diode laser atomic absorption spectroscopy for detection of potassium under optically thick conditions, Analytical Chemistry 88, 3754–3760 (2016).
Z. Qu, R. Ghorbani, D. Valiev, F. M. Schmidt, Calibration-free scanned wavelength modulation spectroscopy - application to H2O and temperature sensing in flames, Optics Express 23, 16492-16499 (2015).
Z. Qu, F. M. Schmidt, In situ H2O and temperature detection close to burning biomass pellets using calibration-free wavelength modulation spectroscopy, Applied Physics B 119, 45–53 (2015).
