The Bioenergy Research Group (BERG) within the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University in the United Kingdom is among the most established bioenergy research groups in the world.
Our novel developments have led us to become one of the world’s leading university laboratories in thermal biomass processing. Led by Professor Tony Bridgwater, BERG’s interdisciplinary team of researchers come from a wide variety of backgrounds including chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering, chemistry, physical environmental studies and business studies.
The focus of our research is fast pyrolysis, which converts solid biomass into a valuable liquid energy carrier, or fuel known as bio-oil that can be directly used for heat, power and chemicals, and can be readily upgraded into higher value second generation biofuels and chemicals. There is complimentary work on:
- Gassification
- Biomass Pre-treatment
- Product upgrading
- Hydrothermal liquefaction
- Characterisation and analysis
- Chemicals production
- System design
- Technical and economic evaluation
EBRI has developed some of the most comprehensive university based thermal processing facilities and capabilities in the world. These include extensive facilities for fast, intermediate and slow pyrolysis, analysis, CFD and process modelling.
Rigs
Partner | Location | Rig Code | Research Area | Rig Name | Rig Status | Rig Contact |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Biomass preparation & characterisation | Retsch-100 cutting mill and test sieve shaker ELF 2000 | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Biomass preparation & characterisation | Carbrolite AFF11—muffle oven, Swallow moisture oven, Sartorius moisture analyser MA35 | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Biomass preparation & characterisation | Washing & impregnation with reactants and catalysts | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Analytical Pyrolysis | CDS 5200 series pyroprobe system closed-coupled with PerkinElmer Clarus 680 GC-MS/FID | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Fast Pyrolysis | 4 fluid bed continuous atmospheric pressure reactors: 150g/h, 1 kg/h, 7 kg/h All with online gas analysis – Varian micro gas chromatograph CP-4900 | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Slow Pyrolysis | 1 kg/h auger reactor | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Slow Pyrolysis | Nominal 20 kg/h twin screw reactor | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) for thermal properties of biomass and decomposition kinetics | PerkinElmer Pyris 1 Thermogravimetric analyser | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Bio-oil/organic liquids analysis | Chemical composition and quantification (Varian 450 GB with FID and Varian 220 MS detector) | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Bio-oil/organic liquids analysis | Water content analysis (Mettler Toledo V30 Compact Volumetric KF Titrator) | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Bio-oil/organic liquids analysis | Dynamic viscosity (Brookfield LV DV-II-Pro viscometer) | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | High Pressure Reactors | 25ml autoclave (Parr Instrument Company 4790 Series high-pressure batch reactor) | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | High Pressure Reactors | 20ml high-pressure continuous reactor (Autoclave Engineers BTRS-Jr 5010 reactor) with online gas analysis (Varian 450 GV) and two liquid condensation ports. | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | High Pressure Reactors | Batch and semi-continuous hydrothermal processing reactor | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Microreactor Laboratory | Continuous high pressure reactor for gases such as Fischer Tropsch for hydrocarbon and alcohols with inline and offline product analysis | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Analysis Laboratory | Ultimate proximate analysis, gas analysis, char analysis, bio-oil and upgraded bio-oil analysis by GCMS-FID | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Analysis Laboratory | Density analysis - Mettler Toledo – DM40 Density Meter | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Analysis Laboratory | Heating value – IKA C1 Bomb Calorimeter | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Analysis Laboratory | Total Acid Number (TAN) –Mettler Toledo G20 Compact Titrator | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Other | Drop tube reactor | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Aston University | Birmingham, United Kingdom | ASTON | Other | Catalytic reactors – can be close coupled to all reactors for multistage and sequential processing with product analysis | Available | Sarah Asplin |
Contacts
Click on the person you would like to contact to create an email. Please include BRISK2 in the subject. You can also follow our team on linkedin by clicking the logo beneath each picture.

Scott Banks
TA Contact & Researcher

Sarah Asplin
TA Contact & Researcher

Alanna Boden
Project Manager

Tony Bridgwater
Work Package Lead
Biofuels Research Infrastructure
