Improving environmental performance of solid fuel heating system

Grant Awarded: £57,739.88

Funder: Innovate-UK, Defra-Small Business Research Initiative (2023)

Key researchers: Abhishek Tiwary, Neil Brown and Dani Harmanto

This Innovate-UK funded project developed an integrated solution to reduce pollutants resulting from domestic wood burning in indoor space (mainly particulate matter, PM and volatile organic carbons VOCs). The main highlight of our research is that it offers stove makers means of retrofitting current technology with minimal modification requirements. The project’s key objectives were to conduct the feasibility of two improvements to existing wood stoves, respectively for better heat distribution in the combustion chamber and heat recovery from the flue.

Throughout, the approach incorporated seamless co-operation with two UK solid fuel stove makers (sharing real-world experience and features of their products currently circulating in the market). While so doing, the technical design is meant to be adaptable to ensure future evolution of its beta-version to accommodate for lateral developments in sensor-based automation to improve its operability.

The following are the most significant outcomes of this project:

Improved olive mill waste and wastewater management integrating circular economy for arid regions – Dr Abhishek Tiwary

This was a multi-stakeholder project collaboration, motivated by adoption of a “circular economy-driven systems approach” to delivering a sustainable solution to olive mill waste/wastewater (OMW) management with lower environmental burdens and energy demand, suiting arid regions in Jordan. It involved academics from the School of Engineering and Sustainable Development and School of Pharmacy, DMU and Engineering Department at Al-Balqa Applied University, and industrial researchers, business investors and institutional training providers. The project also saw the inauguration of a 15kW renewable off-grid capacity by the UK deputy ambassador to Jordan, Ms Helen Fazey to fully operate a wastewater treatment plant in Fuheis City near Amman. These activities were supported by the UK Royal Academy of Engineering under the Transforming Systems through Partnership (TSP1306) project.

Funder: Royal Academy of Engineering, Transforming Systems through Partnership fund (2020-22)

Abhishek Tiwary, Rafaella Villa (School of Engineering and Sustainable Development), Katherine Huddersman (School of Pharmacy)