Southern Research Institute services

For more than 35 years, Southern Research has performed extensive fundamental and applied research in the area of combustion. Specifically, our comprehensive combustion-related research includes: reaction kinetics and modeling; development of advanced combustion technologies, including reburning; low-NOx firing, with both flame and furnace staging; catalytic combustion; oxy-firing; and solid fuel (coal, biomass, waste) blending.

Southern Research offers extensive experience and expertise in utilizing gasification and pyrolysis technologies for the cost-effective thermochemical conversion of biomass to biofuels, coal and coal-biomass to syngas, and syngas to liquids. Gasification involves heating biomass with approximately one-third of the oxygen necessary for complete combustion; this technology produces a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen called syngas. Pyrolysis is a process that heats biomass in the absence of oxygen, producing a liquid bio-oil. Syngas and bio-oil can either be used alone or converted to clean fuels and other useful chemicals.