Accumulating and Communicating Research: Development of a Massive Open Online Course on Ash

Based on 30 years of research on ash and deposit formation, corrosion and trace element transformations in utility boilers fired with solid fuels covering the entire range from coal via biomass to waste fuels, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on this was launched ultimo July 2020.

The basic idea behind the Ash MOOC, is to present recent data on fuel characterization, ash formations, slagging, fouling, and corrosion, in a course that can be readily provided for students and industry people.

The Ash MOOC consists of a number of modules covering: 1) course introduction, 2) fuel and ash chemistry and characterization, 3) release of critical ash-forming elements, 4) formation of fly ash and aerosols, 5) transport and adhesion of ash particles, 6) deposit build-up, consolidation and shedding, 7) high-temperature Cl-corrosion, 8) use of additives to minimize deposit formation and high-temperature corrosion, and, last but certainly not least, 9) Danish case-studies on ash and deposit formation.

This paper provide a brief introduction to how the idea of an Ash MOOC was born, what it takes to make such a MOOC, how to direct such knowledge toward a very wide range of receiving audience, and, some sorts about future development of this.