Mantex has developed a new modularized architecture for multi-sensor biomass scanners and has completed detail design of the generic modules. The new modules have enabled a fast design and build of a new biofuel sample analyzer, the Mantex BFA (BioFuel Analyzer) that has been used in comprehensive research activities.
Four units of the Mantex BFA have been validated in the lab as well as in field trials at customer sites (Fortum, Borås Energi, Jämtkraft and Norrtälje Energi). It has also gone through the process of type approval in Sweden. Thousands of measurements have been performed during the project. During these trails and tests the initially identified risk of too low measurement accuracy due to high variation in biomass assortments and within the material itself was realized. Extensive efforts have been put into the project to handle this issue. Mechatronics, X-Ray calibration, material analysis, fundamental physics and algorithms have all been addressed. Finally, in the last year of the project, a technical solution is available and is now in development. However, this work has impacted the progress of other activities in the project.
During the whole project there have been extensive dissemination and exploitation. Marketing, customer seminars, pilot customer groups, validation assessments and technical reports have been performed. The project has, based on intense customer interaction in Europe as well as in Asia 2018/2019 and those customers' very clear priority, changed the prime target from in-line measurement (on a transportation belt) used for process improvements to at-line measurements (sample measurements) for pricing and quality control at arrival of solid biomass to the Bioenergy plants.
The project initially also targeted to build an online biofuel scanner based on the new modularized architecture. This solution was to be integrated directly over the existing conveyor belt at a biopower plant. Due to too high BOM and implementation costs this solution was reworked to a stand-alone biofuel measurement lab, the Mantex MxS, where the scanners should be placed over a smaller tubular shaped conveyor belt. This has been realized to a container-based material handling, transportation and presentation unit. However, due to the intense focus on the measurement accuracy and the shift in our customers' priorities as described above, the integration and testing of scanners in this unit was halted.
