Projects

Projects: Projects for Investigator

• To improve metallic filter media for high temperature applications in aggressive environments.
• To design a prototype element for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Air Blown Gasification Cycle (ABGC) applications.
• To produce a filter element life prediction model for gasification environments.

Advanced power generation systems, based on gasification, are being developed. Hot gas cleaning technologies for gasification systems offer the potential of a lower cost approach to pollutant control and gas turbine protection, leading to simpler cycle configurations with associated efficiency advantages. The unreliability of the ceramic filter elements used in demonstration trials and the high capital cost of these systems have hindered their application and are factors restricting the uptake of gasification power plants in general. The successful development of a durable metallic filter system for the ABGC would be a major step towards its implementation.

Metallic filter media provide a number of significant advantages over ceramics. In order to realise fully the cost and environmental advantages, it is essential that the systems provide not only efficient contaminant removal but also have the reliability and availability required of the overall system. It is now apparent that reliable, lower cost filter systems can be operated using metallic filter media, provided improved materials selection and advanced fabrication methods are developed.

This project investigated the performance of candidate materials for the construction of metallic filter media.