In May 2005, the investigators of this new proposal started a one-year feasibility study (EP/C517695/1 & EP/C517709/1) of a novel NDE techniques that showed cracks in metal components can be detected by thermography using cw and pulse laser beam heating. The study was a targeted research project funded by EPSRC and three RCNDE industrial partners (Rolls-Royce, BNFL & RWE Npower) through the UK Research Centre in Non Destructive Evaluation (RCNDE). A short feasibility study was requested by RCNDE at the outset because the proposed techniques were untried and judged to have significant technical risk, but there was agreement from the RCNDE Board that if the results obtained in the feasibility study were encouraging, an application would follow for a full research programme which is the current research proposal. The RCNDE Board have agreed that a more extensive investigation should proceed as a targeted research project supported by the same industrial partners, listed above. The EPSRC Review of the Final Report on the feasibility study ranked the outcome as tending to outstanding . The new method of laser beam heating for thermography has all the advantages of conventional flash lamp thermography NDE: it is a non-contact technique; it provides a very clear and simple to interpret defect indication; large areas can be inspected rapidly (using a scanned pulse laser beam) and it requires little sample surface preparation. In addition, where a pulsed laser is used, ultrasonic waves are generated simultaneously and can be monitored to confirm the presence of a crack and to further characterise it. Currently, most complex components, eg gas turbine blades, are inspected for cracks by the fluorescent dye penetrant method which relies on careful and time-consuming component cleaning and surface preparation and is prone to false-calls caused by surface scratches producing indications of cracks. Our new techniques provide an attractive alternative that has the potential of being quicker, more reliable and of providing more quantitative information about a detected defect. In addition, because laser beams can be delivered along optical fibres and very small infrared cameras are now available, the techniques offer a means of inspecting parts where access is severely restricted / eg inside tubes. Whilst the one year feasibility study has shown the new NDE techniques to have the exciting advantages summarised above, they are not ready for implementation in industry because their defect detection sensitivities have not been determined and their reliability in the inspection of real components has not been tested. The tasks of this follow on project are to complete the required investigations that are necessary to bring a new NDE technique to the point at which it can be introduced into industry.

In May 2005, the investigators of this new proposal started a one-year feasibility study (EP/C517695/1 & EP/C517709/1) of a novel NDE technique that showed cracks in metal components can be detected by thermography using cw and pulse laser beam heating. The study was a targeted research project funded by EPSRC and three RCNDE industrial partners (Rolls-Royce, BNFL & RWE Npower) through the UK Research Centre in Non Destructive Evaluation (RCNDE). A short feasibility study was requested by RCNDE at the outset because the proposed techniques were untried and judged to have significant technical risk, but there was agreement from the RCNDE Board that if the results obtained in the feasibility study were encouraging, an application would follow for a full research programme which is the current research proposal. The RCNDE Board have agreed that a more extensive investigation should proceed as a targeted research project supported by the same industrial partners, listed above. The EPSRC Review of the Final Report on the feasibility study ranked the outcome as tending to outstanding . The new method of laser beam heating for thermography has all the advantages of conventional flash lamp thermography NDE: it is a non-contact technique; it provides a very clear and simple to interpret defect indication; large areas can be inspected rapidly (using a scanned pulse laser beam) and it requires little sample surface preparation. In addition, where a pulsed laser is used, ultrasonic waves are generated simultaneously and can be monitored to confirm the presence of a crack and to further characterise it. Currently, most complex components, eg gas turbine blades, are inspected for cracks by the fluorescent dye penetrant method which relies on careful and time-consuming component cleaning and surface preparation and is prone to false-calls caused by surface scratches producing indications of cracks. Our new techniques provide an attractive alternative that has the potential of being quicker, more reliable and of providing more quantitative information about a detected defect. In addition, because laser beams can be delivered along optical fibres and very small infrared cameras are now available, the techniques offer a means of inspecting parts where access is severely restricted / eg inside tubes. Whilst the one year feasibility study has shown the new NDE techniques to have the exciting advantages summarised above, they are not ready for implementation in industry because their defect detection sensitivities have not been determined and their reliability in the inspection of real components has not been tested. The tasks of this follow on project are to complete the required investigations that are necessary to bring a new NDE technique to the point at which it can be introduced into industry.

The research consists of three parallel activities, within three different departments at Imperial College London: Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials. Chemical Engineering The Chemical Engineering activity will include the validation and demonstration of a scheme for separating CO2 from oxy-combustion effluent gases, utilising a proprietary reaction/separation scheme proposed by Air Products. At present, there are insufficient data to confidently predict the performance of the scheme under industrial conditions and full process design. To this purpose a theoretical, modelling and experimental study will be carried out, involving five steps: 1) the design and commissioning of a laboratory rig suitable for characterisation of the underlying main reaction and mass exchange mechanisms involved, using a well characterised synthetic effluent gas that simulates the actual effluents (but without impurities such as mercury and arsenic); 2) the design and execution of a set of experiments with these synthetic feeds, followed by data analysis and model development; 3) the design and commissioning of a ruggedised reactor/separator rig, suitable for operation in a pilot plant environment, and its validation against the laboratory rig using the same relatively clean synthetic feeds; 4) the commissioning and running of the pilot plant reactor/separator rig at the pilot plant site, utilising the actual effluents produced by the oxy-combustion of pulverised coal; and 5) the analysis of the pilot plant data. This will enable us to: a) assess the separation achieved in practice under various conditions, in terms of purities, recoveries, efficiencies, etc., for CO2 and other main species of interest (such as NOx, SOx, mercury, chlorine); b) to produce a set of quality data suitable for modelling development and estimation of the main mechanisms and parameters involved: c) to produce a set of mathematical models that make use of those data; and d) to assess the ability of the theoretical and numerical models to represent the data obtained, their predictive capabilities over a range of operations, and their potential for use in subsequent process development and design of equipment at a much larger (industrial) scale. Mechanical Engineering The Mechanical Engineering activity will include measuring ignition behaviour of coal dust suspensions in O2/CO2 mixtures representative of oxyfuel power plant conditions using the NIOSH 20 litre ignition test vessel. Tests will be undertaken on the same six coals characterised using different techniques at Nottingham and results will be compared for cross-checking and to identify appropriate fundamental coal property test methods to support future oxyfuel developments. Staff will work closely with industrial staff at RWE to identify novel Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Operability (RAMO) issues for a range of oxyfuel plant design options and key factors likely to have significant effects on plant performance. They will identify how existing knowledge on coal utilisation science can be applied to analyse and predict RAMO issues, and will specify and undertake any additional fundamental coal characterisation tests that may be possible within the scope of the project and identify and analyse further key fundamental coal utilisation research needs to support RAMO performance prediction and improvement in new oxyfuel plants. Materials The Materials activity will acquire samples of coal, ash and deposits from oxyfuel trials on the E.ON combustion test facility and characterise the microstructures and chemical compositions of these samples, mainly by electron microscopy. This will allow the difference in behaviour of coal minerals and ash between oxyfuel and conventional pulverised coal combustion conditions to be investigated, and the impact of oxyfuel combustion on coal ash properties and boiler deposition to be predicted.

Bioenergy is now becoming a commercial reality, ranging from cofiring in power stations, small units for power and/or heat, as well as transport fuels such as biodiesel. This SUPERGEN bioenergy project will continue to deliver the scientific background to the provision and utilisation of bioenergy, as well as innovative concepts for new applications. The research brings together growers, biologists, agronomists, economists, scientists and engineers in a unique multi-disciplinary team that will tackle the challenges associated with the further development of this renewable resource in a sustainable manner. The extended programme examines production and utilisation related factors that affect quality and suitability of a biomass fuel for different end uses, with a particular emphasis on the energy crops, willow and miscanthus, as well as more diverse fuel streams including residues and co-products. The work programme ranges from practical issues associated with fuel handling and preparation, to fundamental studies of genetics, agronomy and chemistry that affect both desirable and undesirable fuel characteristics. In addition, key engineering solutions for the successful development of biomass thermal conversion technologies are sought through (a) an understanding of the basic science in thermal conversion and (b) component and plant engineering issues. These topics are developed further in this renewal proposal through advanced engineering models complemented by experimental studies in a range of combustion, gasification and pyrolysis units.In addition, the scope of the project has been widened in this continuation to consider challenges in fuels and chemicals production from biomass, integrated with energy production in a bio-refinery approach.

The focus of the current Supergen Plant Lifetime Extension consortium project is the development of novel tools and methodologies to extend the life of existing conventional (ageing) steam and combined cycle power plant which utilise well established materials systems that have been in service for many years. The R&D is focussed on the areas of: condition monitoring/NDT, environmental degradation and protection, microstructural degradation, mechanical modelling and the development of lifetime prediction tools. In terms of the failure modes, it focuses primarily on creep and corrosion.The current work provides a detailed understanding about the 'older' conventional materials and the ageing plant they operate in. In terms of moving forward, the indications from the 2007 Energy White Paper are that there will be less emphasis on life extension and more emphasis on 'new-build', high efficiency plant, possibly including CO2 capture technologies (but certainly allowing for their later addition). The plant technologies being considered in the UK are: high temperature USC steam plant, co-firing, pre/post combustion CO2 capture plant, e.g. gasification, oxy-firing, amine scrubbing, etc. In addition, general fuel flexibility will also remain a key issue.One of the main drivers for the next generation of power plant is not only reduced environmental impact but also security of electricity supply, i.e. reliability. Significant R&D into the technologies and methodologies for the lifing of the next generation power plant is needed now, to ensure reliability targets are met. This means a comprehensive understanding of the behaviour of the materials being used and their in-service degradation is needed.The new proposal 'Plant Lifing of High Efficiency, Low CO2 Emission Power Plant.' is moving the R&D to the 'next level', and is seen as a natural progression to the current project, as its primary focus will be on the above 'novel' advanced plant. In this way, it will take the methods already developed in the current programme and further enhance them and more importantly develop new tools and methods for the new materials and environments that will be present in the advanced power plant of the future. This shows a natural transition and progression for the PLE project and its consortium.The proposal, which has been developed after extensive consultation with stakeholders, is based around three integrated and coordinated technology themes and a dissemination theme. These include; advanced steam systems, advanced gas turbines, advanced cycles (including biomass co-firing, oxy-firing). Within each theme there are a number of Tasks that together constitute the whole programme of work. A key feature of the programme of work is the essential and close interaction between the Themes and the individual Tasks that define the proposed programme in more detail. The interactions take a wide range of forms, from providing materials for testing to the development of collaborative integrated models for validation of the component life extension toolbox to be developed. The dissemination will involve national and international collaboration and events.In addition a number of key proposals have been submitted under the 'plus' part of the Supergen programme which will provide additionality to the overall project.The project has the full support of a large industrial consortium representing the full UK Power Generation supply chain.