.

Professor Anthony Bridgwater

Anthony Bridgwater

Leader of Aston University Bioenergy Research Group

Phone number

+44 121 204 3381

Email

a.v.bridgwater@aston.ac.uk

Profile

Tony Bridgwater is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Aston University in Birmingham, specialising in thermal conversion of biomass for production of fuels and chemicals. He obtained his first degree in Chemical Engineering from UMIST followed by several years working for BP in Sunbury.  After returning to Aston, he gained his PhD and DSc.

Most of his professional career has been spent at Aston University where he leads the Bioenergy Research Group. 

His current interests are focused on the development of fast pyrolysis of biomass and the fuel and chemical products that can be derived from the liquids.  He plays a key role in several major EC funded projects focusing on bioenergy, biofuels and biorefineries.  He has been actively involved in bioenergy for over 20 years and has published extensively.

Professor Bridgwater was Technical Director of the UK Flagship SUPERGEN Bioenergy programmes for over eight years. He has been involved in winning over £25 million in research grants, which established the foundation for the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University.

Qualifications & Education

BSc(Hons), PhD, DSc, CEng, F.I.ChemE., F.I.E.

Awards

Publications

List of 20 most significant publications

Papers which are the result of international cooperation from international research and development activities:

  1. Solantausta Y, Beckman D, Bridgwater AV, Diebold JP and Elliott DC, "Assessment of liquefaction and pyrolysis systems", Biomass and Bioenergy, 2 (1-6) 279-297 (1992)
  2. Mitchell CP, Bridgwater AV, Stevens DJ, Toft AJ and Watters MP, "Technoeconomic assessment of biomass to energy", Biomass and Bioenergy, 9, 205-226, (1995)
  3. Bridgwater AV, Elliott DC, Fagernas L, Gifford JS, Mackie KL and Toft AJ, "The nature and control of solid, liquid and gaseous emissions from the thermochemical processing of biomass", Biomass and Bioenergy, 9, 325-341 (1995)
  4. Czernik S and Bridgwater AV, "Applications of biomass fast pyrolysis oil", Energy and Fuel, 18, 590-598, (2004)
  5. Blin J, Volle G, Girard P, Bridgwater AV, Meier D, "Biodegradability of biomass pyrolysis oils: comparison to conventional petroleum fuels and alternatives fuels in current use",  Fuel, 86 pages 2679–2686 (2007)
  6. Nowakowski DJ, Bridgwater AV, Elliott DC, Meier D and de Wild P, "Lignin pyrolysis: results from an international Round Robin", Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (2010) Volume 88, Issue 1, May 2010, pages 53-72
  7. Fahmi R, Bridgwater AV, Darvell LI, Jones JM, Yates N, Thain SC and Donnison IS, "The effect of alkali metals on combustion and pyrolysis of Lolium and Festuca grasses, switchgrass and willow", Fuel, 86, (2007), 1560-1569

Papers which are the result of multidisciplinary collaboration, for example between plant scientists, agronomists, chemists and chemical engineers:

  1. Fahmi R, Bridgwater AV, Thain SC, Donnison I, Morris PM and Yates N, "Prediction of Klason Lignin and lignin thermal degradation products by Py-GC/MS in a collection of Lolium and Festuca grasses", Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (2007) Volume 80 (1) pages 16-23
  2. Fahmi R, Bridgwater AV, Donnison I, Yates N, Jones JM, "The effect of lignin and inorganic species in biomass on pyrolysis oil yields, quality and stability", Fuel, Volume 87, (2008), pages 1230-1240
  3. Bridgeman TG, Darvell LI, Jones JM, Fahmi R, Bridgwater AV, Shield I, Yates N,  Burraclough T, Thain SC and Donnison IS, "Influence of particle size on the analytical and chemical properties of two energy crops." Fuel, 86, pages 60-72, (2007)
  4. Allison GG, Morris C, Hodgson E, Jones J, Kubacki M, Barraclough T, Yates N, Shield I, Bridgwater AV and Donnison IS, "Measurement of key compositional parameters in two species of energy grass by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy", Bioresource Technology, 100, 6428–6433 (2009)
  5. Hodgson E, Nowakowski DJ, Shields I, Riche A, Bridgwater AV, Clifton-Brown JC and Donnison IS "Variation in Miscanthus chemical composition and implications for conversion by pyrolysis and thermo-chemical bio-refining for fuels and chemicals", Bioresource Technology (2010)

Papers which are authoritative reviews:

  1. Bridgwater AV, "Catalysis in thermal biomass conversion", Applied Catalysis A, 116, (1-2), pages 5-47, (1994)
  2. Bridgwater AV, "Production of high grade fuels and chemicals from catalytic pyrolysis of biomass", Catalysis Today, 29, 285-295 (1996)
  3. Bridgwater AV, Toft AJ and Brammer JG, "A technoeconomic comparison of power production by biomass fast pyrolysis with gasification and combustion", Sustainable and Renewable Energy Reviews, 6 (3) pages 181-248 (2002)
  4. Bridgwater AV, "The production of biofuels and renewable chemicals by fast pyrolysis of biomass", International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 27, 2, 160-203 (2007)
  5. Effendi A, Gerhauser H and Bridgwater AV, "Production of renewable phenolic resins by thermochemical conversion of biomass: A review", Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,  Volume 12, (2008), pages 2092-2116
  6. Bridgwater AV, “Review of fast pyrolysis of biomass and product upgrading”, Biomass and Bioenergy 2012, 43 pages (2012)

Papers related to the development of IPR:

  1. Peacocke GVC and Bridgwater AV, "Ablative plate pyrolysis of biomass for liquids", Biomass and Bioenergy 7 (1-6) 147-154 (1994)
  2. Jiang G, Nowakowski DJ, Bridgwater AV, "A systematic study of the kinetics of lignin pyrolysis", Thermochimica Acta 498, 61-66, (2010)