Resource Management Research
Research into energy and resource technology in the 21st century must address the strategic issues of resource efficiency, waste logistics and energy generation and security; the policy-oriented needs of initiatives such as extended producer responsibility and the EU Renewable Energy Directive and the technical questions posed by forthcoming challenges such a energy from waste, biofuels and energy crops and advanced power generation systems.
At the Centre for Energy and Resource Technology, we understand the science-policy and business-regulatory interfaces and are actively engaged in energy and resource, research, training and consultancy at the strategic, policy and operational level that is sponsored by both industry and government.
Practical and policy-relevant, our research areas in resource efficiency and waste management include waste logistics and policy assessment; sustainable product design; the application of biosolids to land; composting practice and technology; landfill science; waste modelling; treatment technology; sustainability and ecodesign and analytical techniques for waste diagnostics.
In energy technology we carry out research and development covering high temperature materials, manufacturing, advanced combustion technologies, process development and component life modelling for both conventional and advanced power generation systems. Research includes:
- biomass, biofuels and energy crops
- conventional power plant lifetime extension (PLE)
- modelling the performance of advanced coatings
- low emission power plants
- improved materials for advanced PF boilers and steam turbines
- modelling and life prediction technologies for gas turbine components
- hot gas desulphurisation systems for gasification combined cycle power generation
- capture of CO2 from coal combustion gases
- advanced heat exchanger for combustion/gasification
- gas turbines in co-fired energy systems
- hot gas cleaning
- advanced long life blade turbine coating systems
- surface treated materials for improved life and emission reduction
- advanced high temperature seals
- development of advanced monitoring methods to improve boiler availability and performance
- reliability and risk analysis
- maintenance policy optimisation
- warranty policy analysis.
For marine and offshore our main areas of research include:
- underwater vehicles, including the Hammerhead Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and the Surfzone Vehicle
- laser imaging
- subsea engineering
- corrosion
- rebreathers.
