Sugimat presents its artificial vision applied to the combustion of biomass in Expobiomasa

Artificial vision applied to biomass combustion

Artificial vision or computer vision is a scientific discipline that includes methods to acquire, process, analyze and understand real-world images in order to produce numerical information so that they can be analyzed. Until today, there has been no precedent on a commercial scale that applies it to the combustion of biomass. 

Sugimat has designed a solution focused on mobile grill ovens, the most used when it comes to combustion biomass little processed in boilers and industrial furnaces.

This solution is based on software that, by placing a commercial artificial vision camera, allows to analyze the evolution of combustion inside the unit, and act on it using elements such as mobile grills or combustion fans. A) Yes, allows combustion to be maintained in the optimal position on the grill, and avoid that the fuel can leave the oven without having been consumed completely, usual cause of failure in this type of systems.

Likewise, this system achieves a more efficient combustion since it controls at all times the position of the biomass inside the combustion chamber, which allows the process to be carried out with the appropriate amount of air.

Any actor related to the field of biomass combustion is well aware of the different challenges of using poorly processed and non-standardized material as the main source of energy; fluctuations in humidity, out of range sizes, excessive sand contents ...

This lack of standardization in fuel causes unscheduled shutdowns, production losses and the need for attention by plant operators. So the This equipment is the recipient of an automatic industrial boiler which needs to save costs on the purchase of a less processed or even own-produced biomass, as well as reduce the number of operators per shift.

The installation of an artificial vision camera allows, at a reasonable price, to be able to anticipate possible eventualities and avoid unscheduled production stops and equipment breakdowns, as well as an increase in combustion efficiency. In addition, artificial vision makes it possible to control combustion variables much more comprehensively and, thereby, significantly reduce emission limits compared to a combustion process with usual controls.

This system It is already being applied on two floors: one located in France, with a power of 11,7 MW and another in the United Kingdom (Gatwick Airport) with a power of 0,6 MW. In addition, this year it will be applied in a third plant located in France with 7 MW of power.

SUGIMAT has presented this candidacy for the Innovation Prize Expobiomasa 2019. More information about the Innovation Award here