Orla Williams

Contact

• workRoom Co2a ITRC
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• Orla.Williams@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I am an Anne McLaren Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, exploring the potential to use biomass based processes, collectively known as bioprocessing, to produce critical raw materials from industrial wastes found in the UK. The fellowship will explore the potential for specially selected biomasses (plants) to absorb metals from polluted land and then extract critical raw materials from these plants. My research will develop methods to upgrade biomass through new processing techniques, and replace coal in material processing. Furthermore, new material processing methods will be developed by using the unique properties of biomass to recover metals from wastes.

I completed an Engineering Doctorate with BF2RA and EDF Energy at the Efficient Fossil Energy Technologies group at the University of Nottingham in 2016. My EngD project investigated the milling of biomass for the power generation sector. I completed a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath, and following this, I worked as a Chartered Building Services engineer for Buro Happold Consulting Engineers in the UK and USA, where I specialised in developing passive and sustainable design solutions for the built environment. I was a project leader on multidisciplinary projects in the educational, sport, commercial, cultural and high end residential sector all over the world, I also has experience in the transport sector, having worked for the Snowdon Mountain Railway, and as an environmental engineer at Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace.

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Research Summary

I am an Anne McLaren Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, exploring the potential to use biomass based processes, collectively known as bioprocessing, to produce critical raw materials… read more

Recent Publications

• GÜLEÇ, F., PEKASLAN, D., WILLIAMS, O. and LESTER, E., 2022. Predictability of higher heating value of biomass feedstocks via proximate and ultimate analyses – A comprehensive study of artificial neural network applications: Fuel Fuel. 320,
• ORLA WILLIAMS, PATRICK DALEY, JOSEPH PERKINS, SHOAIB SHAH, EDWARD ANDRES GARCIA SAAVEDRA, MARIA TRUJILLO, JUAN BARRAZA-BURGOS, CARLOS JULIO ESPITIA, MARIBEL BARAJAS, JUAN SEBASTIAN SALTAREN, NICOLÁS JAVIER GIL and EDWARD HENRY LESTER, 2022. Novel Thermal and Microscopic Techniques To Determine the Causes of Suboptimal Combustion Performance at Colombian Stoker Furnaces ACS Omega. 7(14), 11618-11630
• GÜLEÇ, F., RIESCO, L. M. G., WILLIAMS, O., KOSTAS, E. T., SAMSON, A. and LESTER, E., 2021. Hydrothermal conversion of different lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks – Effect of the process conditions on hydrochar structures: Fuel Fuel. 302,
• JOHNSTON, A. L., LESTER, E., WILLIAMS, O. and GOMES, R. L., 2021. Understanding Layered Double Hydroxide properties as sorbent materials for removing organic pollutants from environmental waters: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 9(4),

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Current Research

I am an Anne McLaren Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, exploring the potential to use biomass based processes, collectively known as bioprocessing, to produce critical raw materials from industrial wastes found in the UK. The fellowship will explore the potential for specially selected biomasses (plants) to absorb metals from polluted land and then extract critical raw materials from these plants. My research will develop methods to upgrade biomass through new processing techniques, and replace coal in material processing. Furthermore, new material processing methods will be developed by using the unique properties of biomass to recover metals from wastes.

• GÜLEÇ, F., PEKASLAN, D., WILLIAMS, O. and LESTER, E., 2022. Predictability of higher heating value of biomass feedstocks via proximate and ultimate analyses – A comprehensive study of artificial neural network applications: Fuel Fuel. 320,
• ORLA WILLIAMS, PATRICK DALEY, JOSEPH PERKINS, SHOAIB SHAH, EDWARD ANDRES GARCIA SAAVEDRA, MARIA TRUJILLO, JUAN BARRAZA-BURGOS, CARLOS JULIO ESPITIA, MARIBEL BARAJAS, JUAN SEBASTIAN SALTAREN, NICOLÁS JAVIER GIL and EDWARD HENRY LESTER, 2022. Novel Thermal and Microscopic Techniques To Determine the Causes of Suboptimal Combustion Performance at Colombian Stoker Furnaces ACS Omega. 7(14), 11618-11630
• GÜLEÇ, F., RIESCO, L. M. G., WILLIAMS, O., KOSTAS, E. T., SAMSON, A. and LESTER, E., 2021. Hydrothermal conversion of different lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks – Effect of the process conditions on hydrochar structures: Fuel Fuel. 302,
• JOHNSTON, A. L., LESTER, E., WILLIAMS, O. and GOMES, R. L., 2021. Understanding Layered Double Hydroxide properties as sorbent materials for removing organic pollutants from environmental waters: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 9(4),
• WILLIAMS, O. S. A., DALEY, P., PERKINS, J., MARTINEZ-MENDOZA, K. L., GUERRERO-PERREZ, J., MAZABUEL, L. M. S., SAAVEDRA, E. A. G., TRUJILLO, M., BARRAZA-BURGOS, J., BARAJAS, M., ROMERO, M. H. and LESTER, E. H., 2021. Upgrading of Low-Grade Colombian Coals via Low-Cost and Sustainable Calcium Nitrate Dense Media Separation: ACS Omega ACS Omega.
• PERKINS, J., WILLIAMS, O., WU, T. and LESTER, E., 2020. Automated image analysis techniques to characterise pulverised coal particles and predict combustion char morphology: Fuel Fuel. 259,
• GARCIA, E., BARRAZA-BURGOS, J., GUERRERO, J., TRUJILLO, M., LESTER, E. and WILLIAMS, O., 2020. Experimental data on morphological characterization of chars from coal and bagasse blends: Data in Brief Data in Brief. 29,
• ALI, A., MACKENZIE, R., LESTER, E., WILLIAMS, O., GREEDY, S. and IEEE,, 2020. A PASSIVE, RFID TAG FOR BIOMASS TRACKING. In: 2020 14th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation Ieee.
• WILLIAMS, O., CLARK, I., GOMES, R. L., PEREHINEC, T., HOBMAN, J. L., STEKEL, D. J., HYDE, R., DODDS, C. and LESTER, E., 2019. Removal of copper from cattle footbath wastewater with layered double hydroxide adsorbents as a route to antimicrobial resistance mitigation on dairy farms: Science of the Total Environment Science of the Total Environment. 655, 1139-1149
• KOSTAS, E. T., WILLIAMS, O. S. A., DURAN-JIMENEZ, G., TAPPER, A. J., COOPER, M., MEEHAN, R. and ROBINSON, J. P., 2019. Microwave pyrolysis of Laminaria digitata to produce unique seaweed-derived bio-oils: Biomass and Bioenergy Biomass and Bioenergy. 125, 41-49
• WILLIAMS, O., URE, A., STEVENS, L., BINNER, E., DODDS, C., KINGMAN, S., DAS, B., DASH, P. S. and LESTER, E., 2019. Formation of metallurgical coke within minutes through coal densification and microwave energy: Energy and Fuels Energy and Fuels. 33(7), 6817-6828
• DALEY, PATRICK JAMES, WILLIAMS, ORLA, PANG, CHENG HENG, WU, TAO and LESTER, EDWARD, 2019. The impact of ash pellet characteristics and pellet processing parameters on ash fusion behaviour FUEL. 251, 779-788
• KOSTAS, E. T., DURÁN-JIMÉNEZ, G., SHEPHERD, B. J., MEREDITH, W., STEVENS, L. A., WILLIAMS, O. S. A., LYE, G. J. and ROBINSON, J. P., 2019. Microwave pyrolysis of olive pomace for bio-oil and bio-char production: Chemical Engineering Journal Chemical Engineering Journal.
• LESTER, E., AVILA, C., PANG, C. H., WILLIAMS, O., PERKINS, J., GADDIPATTI, S., TUCKER, G., BARRAZA, J. M., TRUJILLO-URIBE, M. P. and WU, T., 2018. A proposed biomass char classification system: Fuel Fuel. 232, 845-854
• WILLIAMS, O., TAYLOR, S., LESTER, E., KINGMAN, S., GIDDINGS, D. and EASTWICK, C., 2018. Applicability of mechanical tests for biomass pellet characterisation for bioenergy applications: Materials Materials. 11(8),
• WILLIAMS, O., EASTWICK, C., KINGMAN, S., GIDDINGS, D., LORMOR, S. and LESTER, E., 2017. Overcoming the caking phenomenon in olive mill wastes: Industrial Crops and Products Industrial Crops and Products. 101, 92-102
• WILLIAMS, O., LESTER, E., KINGMAN, S., GIDDINGS, D., LORMOR, S. and EASTWICK, C., 2017. Benefits of dry comminution of biomass pellets in a knife mill: Biosystems Engineering Biosystems Engineering. 160, 42-54
• ROLLINSON A N and WILLIAMS O, 2016. Experiments on torrefied wood pellet: study by gasification and characterization for waste biomass to energy applications Royal Society Open Science. 3, 150578
• ORLA WILLIAMS, GARY NEWBOLT, CAROL EASTWICK, SAM KINGMAN, DONALD GIDDINGS, STEPHEN LORMOR and EDWARD LESTER, 2016. Influence of mill type on densified biomass comminution Applied Energy. 182, 219-231
• ORLA WILLIAMS, CAROL EASTWICK, SAM KINGMAN, DONALD GIDDINGS, STEPHEN LORMOR and EDWARD LESTER, 2015. Investigation into the applicability of Bond Work Index (BWI) and Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI) tests for several biomasses compared to Colombian La Loma coal Fuel. 158, 379–387
• O WILLIAMS, C EASTWICK, E LESTER, D GIDDINGS and S LORMOR, 2015. Impact of Mill Type on Biomass Milling Behaviour In: 2015 ASABE Annual International Meeting.
• ROBERT DAWSON, LEE A. STEVENS, ORLA S. A. WILLIAMS, WEIXING WANG, BENJAMIN O. CARTER, SAM SUTTON, TREVOR C. DRAGE, FRÉDÉRIC BLANC, DAVE J. ADAMS and ANDREW I. COOPER, 2014. ‘Dry bases’: carbon dioxide capture using alkaline dry water Energy & Environmental Science. 7, 1786-1791
• O WILLIAMS, C EASTWICK, E LESTER, D GIDDINGS and N BYRNE, 2014. The impact of moisture on the milling behaviour of different biomasses In: 22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition.
• O WILLIAMS, C EASTWICK, E LESTER, D GIDDINGS and N BYRNE, 2013. Optimisation of Biomass Milling for Conveyance and Combustion In: 21st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition.
• O WILLIAMS, C EASTWICK, S GRAHAM and A COOPER, 2013. The Impact of Storage on the Optimisation of Milling of Biomasses used in Power Generation In: 3rd IEA CCC Workshop on Cofiring Biomass with Coal.