Research

B3 Challenge Group

The B3 Challenge Group in Chemical Engineering-Bioenergy is a multidisciplinary, multicultural group of PGRs and PDRAs sharing the same vision and passion for low carbon environmental friendly solutions. Our motto is: "do not waste… your waste!"

The B³(Biomass Waste-Bioenergy-Biochars) Challenge Group contacts fundamental and applied research that is directly applicable to industrial problem-solving. We are also providing efficient and resilient biomass waste-to-energy solutions by developing novel processes for the exploitation of underestimated streams of waste for energy generation, upgrading them by novel pre-treatments and thermochemical processing (mainly pyrolysis, gasification and clean combustion) for sustainable energy production in residential and industrial sectors.

Group lead

Dr Vasiliki (Vicky) Skoulou

Email v.skoulou@hull.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0)1482 465116

The Challenge

The B³ Challenge Group focusses on fundamental and applied industrially driven research for waste upgrading and waste to energy low carbon solutions as well as developing novel processes for integration of RES with conventional energy production practises, for a sustainable resource usage and upgrading the waste streams to useful energy and fuels.

Specializes in advanced thermal (pyrolysis) /thermochemical (carbonization, gasification and clean combustion) processes of lignocellulosic biomass residues, fossil fuels, and waste of varying nature and their blends as well as designing of thermochemical reactors for bioenergy, H₂and chars- activated carbons productions and emissions control.

The Approach

Covering the kind of activity you undertake. How you work collaboratively. How you disseminate findings.

The B³Challenge Group draws together Chemical Engineering expertise from the University of Hull and a inter- and multi-disciplinary pool of partners from industry and national and international academia such as KTH, QMU, ICL, AUTH, UCU, UCY, FEI, HMU, EUC, Petronas, Aston, and research institutes (DEMOCRITUS, CPERI/CERTH, MAICH, CERIDES), to develop industrial problem solving solutions to the challenges facing the bioenergy and biowaste upgrading sectors for industrial and residential sector.

The B³ Challenge group focusses on the pre-treatment of biomass waste, low carbon thermal/ thermochemical treatments including pyrolysis and gasification of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks for syngas, H₂ productions and chars, pyrolysis products. Research activity aims to improve efficiencies at all stages of industrial bio waste-to-energy production from investigation of biomass feedstock pre-treatments, through development of thermochemical reactors for bioenergy production to manufacture of high-value chemical bi-products such as biochar.

This research has been funded by:

Aims

To address industrial challenges relating to biomass and waste feedstock usage and waste-to-energy production solutions.
To work closely with industry and multidisciplinary international academia to generate ground-breaking research driven solutions with direct application to industrial processes for the benefit of the society.
To influence the development of waste to energy management strategic plans and guidelines.
To contribute to the global move towards a zero-carbon future via the clean growth elements of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
To develop broad collaborative links between national and international academia, industry, NGOs and government, to promote low carbon, circular economy solutions to the energy crisis, and to mitigate the energy poverty in rural and low-income communities.
To train the future RES energy related engineers in order to provide resilient waste to energy related solutions for the benefit of the global communities

Projects

EPSRC New Investigator Grant

MW assisted pre-treatment of lignocellulosic residues for better performance as solid fuels in fluidised bed (FB) energy production technologies.

BRISK-Horizon 2020

International Travels awards- projects for the to access research facility of BFB gasifier –VTT Finland and Biorenewables 202+ research lab in Granz, Austria for testing biomass ash fusion.

Project website

THYME Project

Proof of Concept Fund: Reclaiming lignin rich sludge after enzymatic hydrolysis for repurposing into a secondary fuel source for thermochemical transformation. Turning a waste stream from biofuel production into a new source of renewable bioenergy.

More information

Seminars

International Conference on Green Energy, Computing, and Sustainable Technology 2021 (GECOST 2021). Keynote Speaker Vasiliki (Vicky) Skoulou. Conversion of Biomass waste to value added feedstock for solid biofuels and green energy production

Skoulou, V. Repurposing biomass and adapting processes for the fuels of next generation. Symposium on Bioenergy, Solid Fuels and Catalysis _University of Hull, Kingston Upon Hull .4.2021

Alabdrabalameer, H., Taylor, M., Skoulou, V.
Group members

Dr Vasiliki (Vicky) Skoulou

Group Lead | Director of Research of Chemistry Department and Chemical Engineering Department | V.Skoulou@hull.ac.uk

Dr Martin Taylor

PostDoc Researcher PDRA | Martin.Taylor@hull.ac.uk

Dr Kin Wai Cheah

PostDoc Researcher PDRA | K.Cheah@hull.ac.uk

Mr Karl Hornsby

Thyme PoC Research Technician | K.A.Hornsby@hull.ac.uk
Outputs and publications

Towards circular economy solutions for the management of rice processing residues to bioenergy via gasification.

Big problem, little answer: overcoming bed agglomeration and reactor slagging during the gasification of barley straw under continuous operation.

Probing Synergies between Lignin-Rich and Cellulose Compounds for Gasification.

Augmented Leaching Pretreatments for Forest Wood Waste and Their Effect on Ash Composition and the Lignocellulosic Network.

Choosing physical, physicochemical and chemical methods of pre-treating lignocellulosic wastes to repurpose into solid fuels.

Synergistic effects of lignin and cellulose during pyrolysis of agricultural waste.

Kinetic modelling of hydrogen transfer deoxygenation of a prototypical fatty acid over a bimetallic Pd60Cu40 catalyst: an investigation of the surface reaction mechanism and rate limiting step.

Recent advances in the catalytic deoxygenation of plant oils and prototypical fatty acid models compounds: Catalysis, process, and kinetics.

View all publications.
PhD students

Mr Hassan Alabdrabalameer

Residues pre-treatment for a better performance as feed stock in advanced thermal treatments under a circular waste-to- bio-economy scenario

First Supervisor: Dr V.Skoulou, Second Supervisor: Dr S.Zein

Dr J. Vourdoubas

Innovative uses of renewable energy sources in the agricultural sector on the island of Crete, Greece

Supervisor: Dr. V.Skoulou
Other bodies

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Find out more about Postgraduate research

Group lead

The Challenge

The Approach

Aims

Projects

EPSRC New Investigator Grant

BRISK-Horizon 2020

THYME Project

Dr Vasiliki (Vicky) Skoulou

Dr Martin Taylor

Dr Kin Wai Cheah

Mr Karl Hornsby

Mr Hassan Alabdrabalameer

Dr J. Vourdoubas

Inspired?