Publikationen

Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Thermodynamic Equilibrium Study on the Melting Tendency of the K-Ca-Mg-P-Si-O System with Relevance to Woody and Agricultural Biomass Ash Compositions

Falk J, Hannl TK, Skoglund N, Backman R, Öhman M. Thermodynamic Equilibrium Study on the Melting Tendency of the K-Ca-Mg-P-Si-O System with Relevance to Woody and Agricultural Biomass Ash Compositions. Energy and Fuels 7 July 2022.36(13):7035-7051.

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A major challenge in the combustion of biomass fuels is the heterogeneity of ash-forming elements, which may cause a wide range of ash-related problems. Understanding the melting tendency of the coarse ash fractions is necessary to mitigate agglomeration and slagging. This work aims to evaluate the melting tendency of the K-Ca-Mg-Si-P-O system by use of thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. The formation of condensed phases were systematically assessed in a combustion atmosphere, varying temperatures, and composition. Compositional ranges were based on fuel ash data extracted from the Phyllis 2 database. The speciation and degree of polymerization of phosphates, silicates, and melts were evaluated and indicated a systematic variation in composition. The melt fraction was predicted as a function of temperature and composition. The melting tendency was modeled for three systems, i.e., a P-dominated, a Si-dominated, and a mixed Si-P system. Four ratios between K2O, CaO, MgO, SiO2, and P2O5 were found to have a large effect on the melting tendency of the ash mixtures: the ratio between network formers (SiO2, P2O5), K2O to total network modifiers, CaO to CaO + MgO, and the ratio of network formers to total ash oxides. This modeling approach showed qualitative agreement with ash-related issues seen in previous lab-scale experiments in bubbling fluidized bed and fixed bed combustion. Practical implications of the results are discussed from the perspective of fuel design with the aim of preventing ash-related problems. This study presents a novel method of applying thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for a broad range of compositions and shows potential for predicting ash-related issues related to the melting of coarse ash fractions.

Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Trickle-Bed Bioreactors for Acetogenic H2/CO2 Conversion

Steger F, Ergal I, Daubek A, Loibl N, Rachbauer L, Fuchs W, Rittmann SKMR, Bochmann G. Trickle-Bed Bioreactors for Acetogenic H2/CO2 Conversion. Frontiers in Energy Research. 8 Apirl 2022.10;842284

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Acetic acid is an essential industrial building block and can be produced by acetogenic bacteria from molecular hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). When gasses are supplied as substrates, bioreactor design plays an important role for their availability. Trickle-bed bioreactors (TBs) have an enhanced gas-to-liquid mass transfer and cells remain in the system by forming a biofilm on the carriers. So far, TBs have been investigated extensively for bio-methanation processes, whereas studies for their use in acetic acid production are rare. In this study, we evaluated the reproducibility of two parallel TBs for acetic acid production from H2:CO2 (= 70:30) by a mixed culture with a gas flow rate of 3.8 mL min−1 and a medium flow rate of 10 mL min−1. Additionally, the effect of glucose addition during the starting phase on the resulting products and microbial composition was investigated by setting up a third TB2. Partial medium exchanges to decrease the internal acetic acid concentration (AAC) combined with recycling of withdrawn cells had a positive impact on acetic acid production rates with maxima of around 1 g L−1 d−1 even at high AACs of 19–25 g L−1. Initial glucose addition resulted in the accumulation of unwanted butyric acid up to concentrations of 2.60 ± 0.64 g L−1. The maximum AAC of 40.84 g L−1 was obtained without initial glucose addition. The main families identified in the acetogenic TBs were Peptococcaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Planococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Dysgonomonadaceae and Tannerellaceae. We conclude that a TB is a viable solution for conversion of H2/CO2 to acetate using an anaerobic enrichment culture.

Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Unknown input observer design for linear time-invariant multivariable systems based on a new observer normal form

Niederwieser H, Tranninger M, Seeber R, Reichhartinger M. Unknown input observer design for linear time-invariant multivariable systems based on a new observer normal form. International Journal of Systems Science. 2022 Apr 6. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207721.2022.2046201

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In various applications in the field of control engineering, the estimation of the state variables of dynamic systems in the presence of unknown inputs plays an important role. Existing methods require the so-called observer matching condition to be satisfied, rely on the boundedness e variables or exhibit an increased observer order of at least twice the plant order. In this article, a novel observer normal form for strongly observable linear time-invariant multivariable systems is proposed. In contrast to classical normal forms, the proposed approach also takes the unknown inputs into account. The proposed observer normal form allows for the straightforward construction of a higher-order sliding mode observer, which ensures global convergence of the estimation error within finite time even in the presence of unknown bounded inputs. Its application is not restricted to systems which satisfy the aforementioned limitations of already existing unknown input observers. The proposed approach can be exploited for the reconstruction of unknown inputs with bounded derivative and robust state-feedback control, which is shown by means of a tutorial example. Numerical simulations confirm the effectiveness of the presented work.

Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Unknown Input Observer Design for Linear Time-Invariant Systems - A Unifying Framework

Tranninger M, Niederwieser H, Seeber R, Horn M. Unknown Input Observer Design for Linear Time-Invariant Systems - A Unifying Framework. International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control. 2022 Nov 18. https://doi.org/10.1002/rnc.6399

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This article presents a new observer design approach for linear time invariant multivariable systems subject to unknown inputs. The design is based on a transformation to the so-called special coordinate basis (SCB). This form reveals important system properties like invertability or the finite and infinite zero structure. Depending on the system's strong observability properties, the SCB allows for a straightforward unknown input observer design utilizing linear or nonlinear observers design techniques. The chosen observer design technique does not only depend on the system properties, but also on the desired convergence behavior of the observer. Hence, the proposed design procedure can be seen as a unifying framework for unknown input observer design.

Conference presentations and posters | 2022

Vereinfachung von Absorptionskälteanlagen-Modellen

Wernhart MW, Rieberer R, Staudt S, Unterberger V, Gölles M. Vereinfachung von Absorptionskälteanlagen-Modellen. Deutsche Kälte- und Klimatagung 2022: DKV-Tagung 2022. 18. November 2022. Magdeburg, Germany.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2021

A platform for energy management in communities

Derflinger N, Zellinger M. A platform for energy management in communities. ComForEn 2021 11. Symposium Communications for Energy Systems. 23 November 2021.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

A review on bed material particle layer formation and its positive influence on the performance of thermo-chemical biomass conversion in fluidized beds

Kuba M, Skoglund N, Öhman M, Hofbauer H. A review on bed material particle layer formation and its positive influence on the performance of thermo-chemical biomass conversion in fluidized beds.Fuel.2021.291:120214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.120214

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Bed material particle layer formation plays a significant role in thermo-chemical conversion of biomass. The interaction between biomass ash and bed material in fluidized bed conversion processes has been described for a variety of different applications and spans from fundamental research of formation mechanisms to effects of this layer formation on long-term operation in industrial-scale. This review describes the current state of the research regarding the mechanisms underlying layer formation and the positive influence of bed material particle layer formation on the operation of thermo-chemical conversion processes. Thus, the main focus lies on its effect on the catalytic activity towards gasification reactions and the impact on oxygen transport in chemical looping combustion. The review focuses on the most commonly investigated bed materials, such as quartz, feldspar or olivine. While the most relevant results for both the underlying mechanisms and the subsequently observed effects on the operation are presented and discussed, knowledge gaps where further research is necessary are identified and described.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Advanced Optimal Planning for Microgrid Technologies including Hydrogen and Mobility at a real Microgrid Testbed

Mansoor M, Stadler M, Auer H, Zellinger M. Advanced Optimal Planning for Microgrid Technologies including Hydrogen and Mobility at a real Microgrid Testbed. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.2021.

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This paper investigates the optimal planning of microgrids including the hydrogen energy system through mixed-integer linear programming model. A real case study is analyzed by extending the only microgrid lab facility in Austria. The case study considers the hydrogen production via electrolysis, seasonal storage and fueling station for meeting the hydrogen fuel demand of fuel cell vehicles, busses and trucks. The optimization is performed relative to two different reference cases which satisfy the mobility demand by diesel fuel and utility electricity based hydrogen fuel production respectively. The key results indicate that the low emission hydrogen mobility framework is achieved by high share of renewable energy sources and seasonal hydrogen storage in the microgrid. The investment optimization scenarios provide at least 66% and at most 99% carbon emission savings at increased costs of 30% and 100% respectively relative to the costs of the diesel reference case (current situation).

Conference presentations and posters | 2021

Advances in biomass gasification for the production of Bioheat, bioelectricity and biofuels

Anca-Couce A, Archan G, Von Berg L, Pongratz G, Martini S, Buchmayr M, Rakos C, Hochenauer C, Scharler R. Advances in biomass gasification for the production of Bioheat, bioelectricity and biofuels. 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, EUBCE 2021, 26-29 April 2021. 2021.

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Current barriers to increase the use of bioenergy for different applications are first discussed. Then, recent advances are presented on gasification-based technologies to overcome these barriers that have been reached at TU Graz together with several partners. Gasification-based fuel bed concepts integrated in biomass combustion can significantly reduce emissions for bioheat production. Advances are presented for modern biomass boilers, significantly reducing nitrogen oxides and particle matter emissions as well as increasing the feedstock flexibility; and micro-gasifiers for traditional biomass utilization, significantly reducing the emissions of unburnt products. Gasification-based processes have as well the possibility to score high electrical efficiencies and to synthetize several products as second-generation biofuels. Advances are presented on measures for reducing the presence of contaminants as tars, including the catalytic use of char for tar cracking; and in applications of the producer gas, including gas cleaning and direct coupling with a solid oxide fuel cell to maximize electricity production. © 2021, ETA-Florence Renewable Energies.

Other Publications | 2021

Algae4Fish - Video

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

An adaptive short-term forecasting method for the energy yield of flat-plate solar collector systems

Unterberger V, Lichtenegger K, Kaisermayer V, Gölles M, Horn M. An adaptive short-term forecasting method for the energy yield of flat-plate solar collector systems. Applied Energy. 2021 Apr 16;2021(293). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116891

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The number of large-scale solar thermal installations has increased rapidly in Europe in recent years, with 70 % of these systems operating with flat-plate solar collectors. Since these systems cannot be easily switched on and off but directly depend on the solar radiation, they have to be combined with other technologies or integrated in large energy systems. In order to most efficiently integrate and operate solar systems, it is of great importance to consider their expected energy yield to better schedule heat production, storage and distribution. To do so the availability of accurate forecasting methods for the future solar energy yield are essential. Currently available forecasting methods do not meet three important practical requirements: simple implementation, automatic adaption to seasonal changes and wide applicability. For these reasons, a simple and adaptive forecasting method is presented in this paper, which allows to accurately forecast the solar heat production of flat-plate collector systems considering weather forecasts. The method is based on a modified collector efficiency model where the parameters are continuously redetermined to specifically consider the influence of the time of the day. In order to show the wide applicability the method is extensively tested with measurement data of various flat-plate collector systems covering different applications (below 200 Celsius), sizes and orientations. The results show that the method can forecast the solar yield very accurately with a Mean Absolute Range Normalized Error (MARNE) of about 5 % using real weather forecasts as inputs and outperforms common forecasting methods by being nearly twice as accurate.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Analysing price cointegration of sawmill by-products in the forest-based sector in Austria

Fuhrmann M, Dißauer C, Strasser C, Schmid E. Analysing price cointegration of sawmill by-products in the forest-based sector in Austria. Forest Policy and Economics. 2021.131:102560.

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Empirical analyses of interlinkages and price dependencies in the forest-based sector support the forecast of market developments and the design of efficient utilization pathways. This article aims at analysing price cointegration between roundwood (sawlogs, pulpwood), sawmill by-products (sawdust, wood chips) and wood products (pellets, particle board) in the forest-based sector in Austria. Monthly price data for the period 2005–2019 were used for the following statistical tests: (1) The Augmented-Dickey-Fuller and Zivot-Andrews unit root tests were conducted to investigate stationarity of the data; (2) The Johansen Cointegration test was pairwise applied to price time series; (3) The Granger Causality test was used for cointegrated time series to examine which one is price leading. Furthermore, sawmill by-product prices were modelled as Vector Error Correction Models (VECM) to analyse their common behaviour. The dataset was divided to a training (2005–2017) and test (2018–2019) subset to assess the prediction accuracy of the models. The training data were used to estimate a VAR model as basis for forecasts, which were compared to the test data. Results show that sawdust prices are cointegrated and thus modelled with pellet and particle board prices. In contrast, wood chips are used for several applications and thus prices are cointegrated and modelled with prices of sawlogs, pulpwood, pellets and particle board. The comparison with the test data showed that forecasts were able to predict data from 2018 to 2019 well. However, a decrease in prices, starting in 2019 and intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, could not be fully captured by these forecasts.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Analysis of H2S-related short-term degradation and regeneration of anode- and electrolyte supported solid oxide fuel cells fueled with biomass steam gasifier product gas

Pongratz G, Subotić V, Schroettner H, Hochenauer C, Skrzypkiewicz M, Kupecki J, Anca-Couce A, Scharler R. Analysis of H2S-related short-term degradation and regeneration of anode- and electrolyte supported solid oxide fuel cells fueled with biomass steam gasifier product gas. Energy.2021.218:119556.

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Using solid oxide fuel cells in biomass gasification based combined heat and power production is a promising option to increase electrical efficiency of the system. For an economically viable design of gas cleaning units, fuel cell modules and further development of suitable degradation detection methods, information about the behavior of commercially available cell designs during short-term poisoning with H2S can be crucial. This work presents short-term degradation and regeneration analyses of industrial-relevant cell designs with different anode structure and sulfur tolerance fueled with synthetic product gas from wood steam gasification containing 1 to 10 ppmv of H2S at 750°C and 800°C. Full performance regeneration of both cell types was achieved in all operating points. The high H2O content and avoided fuel depletion may have contributed to a lower performance degradation and better regeneration of the cells. A strong influence of the catalytically active anode volume on poisoning and regeneration behavior was quantified, thereby outlining the importance of considering the anode structure besides the sulfur tolerance of the anode material. Hence, cells with less sulfur tolerant anode material but larger anode volume might outperform cells less sensitive to sulfur in the case of an early detection of a gas cleaning malfunction.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Ash Transformation during Single-Pellet Combustion of Agricultural Biomass with a Focus on Potassium and Phosphorus

Hedayati A, Lindgren R, Skoglund N, Boman C, Kienzl N, Öhman M. Ash Transformation during Single-Pellet Combustion of Agricultural Biomass with a Focus on Potassium and Phosphorus. Energy and Fuels. January 2021. 35(2):1449–1464.

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In this study, ash transformation and release of critical ash-forming elements during single-pellet combustion of different types of agricultural opportunity fuels were investigated. The work focused on potassium (K) and phosphorus (P). Single pellets of poplar, wheat straw, grass, and wheat grain residues were combusted in a macro-thermogravimetric analysis reactor at three different furnace temperatures (600, 800, and 950 °C). In order to study the transformation of inorganic matters at different stages of the thermal conversion process, the residues were collected before and after full devolatilization, as well as after complete char conversion. The residual char/ash was characterized by scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma, and ion chromatography, and the interpretation of results was supported by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. During combustion of poplar, representing a Ca–K-rich woody energy crop, the main fraction of K remained in the residual ash primarily in the form of K2Ca(CO3)2 at lower temperatures and in a K–Ca-rich carbonate melt at higher temperatures. Almost all P retained in the ash and was mainly present in the form of hydroxyapatite. For the Si–K-rich agricultural biomass fuels with a minor (wheat straw) or moderate (grass) P content, the main fraction of K remained in the residual ash mostly in K–Ca-rich silicates. In general, almost all P was retained in the residual ash both in K–Ca–P–Si-rich amorphous structures, possibly in phosphosilicate-rich melts, and in crystalline forms as hydroxyapatite, CaKPO4, and calcium phosphate silicate. For the wheat grain, representing a K–P-rich fuel, the main fraction of K and P remained in the residual ash in the form of K–Mg-rich phosphates. The results showed that in general for all studied fuels, the main release of P occurred during the devolatilization stage, while the main release of K occurred during char combustion. Furthermore, less than 20% of P and 35% of K was released at the highest furnace temperature for all fuels.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Ash transformation during single-pellet gasification of agricultural biomass with focus on potassium and phosphorus

Hedayati A, Sefidari H, Boman C, Skoglund N, Kienzl N, Öhman M. Ash transformation during single-pellet gasification of agricultural biomass with focus on potassium and phosphorus. Fuel Processing Technology. 15 June 2021.217:106805

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Agricultural biomasses and residues can play an important role in the global bioenergy system but their potential is limited by the risk of several ash-related problems such as deposit formation, slagging, and particle emissions during their thermal conversion. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the ash transformation reactions is required for this type of fuels. The present work investigates ash transformation reactions and the release of critical ash-forming elements with a special focus on K and P during the single-pellet gasification of different types of agricultural biomass fuels, namely, poplar, grass, and wheat grain residues. Each fuel was gasified as a single pellet at three different temperatures (600, 800, and 950 °C) in a Macro-TGA reactor. The residues from different stages of fuel conversion were collected to study the gradual ash transformation. Characterization of the residual char and ash was performed employing SEM-EDS, XRD, and ICP with the support of thermodynamic equilibrium calculations (TECs). The results showed that the K and P present in the fuels were primarily found in the residual char and ash in all cases for all studied fuels. While the main part of the K release occurred during the char conversion stage, the main part of the P release occurred during the devolatilization stage. The highest releases – less than 18% of P and 35% of K – were observed at the highest studied temperature for all fuels. These elements were present in the residual ashes as K2Ca(CO3)2 and Ca5(PO4)3OH for poplar; K-Ca-rich silicates and phosphosilicates in mainly amorphous ash for grass; and an amorphous phase rich in K-Mg-phosphates for wheat grain residues.

Other Publications | 2021

Betrieb verbundener Nahwärmenetze mit getrennten Eigentümern

Zemann C, Muschick D, Kaisermayer V, Gölles M. Betrieb verbundener Nahwärmenetze mit getrennten Eigentümern. QM Heizwerke Fachtagung, Bad Vöslau, 14. Oktober, 2021. (oral presentation)

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Warum ist es sinnvoll, Wärmenetze zu verbinden?

  • Erläuterung am Beispiel des Projekts Thermaflex
  • Drei Wärmenetze bei Leibnitz in der Steiermark.
  • Sind gewachsen und haben die Grenzen ihrer Nachbar-Wärmenetze erreicht.
  • Die Wärmenetze werden durch zwei getrennte Eigentümer betrieben.
Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Bioenergy technologies, uses, market and future trends with Austria as a case study

Anca-Couce A, Hochenauer C, Scharler R. Bioenergy technologies, uses, market and future trends with Austria as a case study. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.2021;135:110237.

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The current bioenergy uses and conversion technologies as well as future trends for the production of heat, power, fuels and chemicals from biomass are reviewed. The focus is placed in Austria, which is selected due to its high bioenergy utilization, providing 18.4% of the gross energy final consumption in 2017, and its strong industrial and scientific position in the field. The most common bioenergy application in Austria is bioheat with 170 PJ in 2017 mainly obtained from woody biomass combustion, followed by biofuels with 21 PJ and bioelectricity with 17 PJ. Bioheat has a stable market, where Austrian manufacturers of boilers and stoves have a strong position exporting most of their production. Future developments in bioheat production should go in the line of further reducing emissions, increasing feedstock flexibility and coupling with other renewables. For bioelectricity and biofuels, the current framework does not promote the growth of the current main technologies, i.e. combined heat and power (CHP) based on biomass combustion or biogas and first generation biofuels. However, an increase in all bioenergy uses is required to achieve the Austrian plan to be climate neutral in 2040. The current initiatives and future possibilities to achieve this increase are presented and discussed, e.g. mandatory substitution of old oil boilers, production of biomethane and early commercialization of CHP with a high efficiency or demonstration of advanced biofuels production based on gasification.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Categorization of small-scale biomass combustion appliances by characteristic numbers

Feldmeier S, Schwarz M, Wopienka E, Pfeifer C. Categorization of small-scale biomass combustion appliances by characteristic numbers. Renewable Energy. 2021.163:2128-2136.

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The market offers a broad range of different combustion appliances dedicated to residential heating with biomass. The effect of fuel properties on the formation of slag and emissions varies and the technology influences the impact to a certain extent. The applicability of biomass fuels is not only determined by operational settings but also by the design of boiler components as grate area and combustion chamber. Aspects as the fuel load on the grate, residence time, geometry of grate and combustion chamber design, as well as feeding and de-ashing influence the extent of slag formation and emission release. The determination of characteristic numbers by means of constructional measures allows a systematic comparison and - in a further step - an assessment/categorization of combustion technologies. After conducting a boiler survey relevant parameters regarding grate, combustion chamber, feeding, and ash removal were gathered. Characteristic numbers were specified in order to compare technological aspects. The results of this study allow the investigation of the influence of the combustion technology on the performance. They will assist the systematic and targeted design of small-scale boilers and the optimization of combustion appliances in future, especially when it comes to fuel-flexibility.

Other Publications | 2021

CO-lambda Optimierung - Betrieb von Biomassefeuerungen mit maximaler Effizienz und minimalen Emissionen

Zemann C. CO-lambda Optimierung - Betrieb von Biomassefeuerungen mit maximaler Effizienz und minimalen Emissionen. CO-lambda Optimierung - Betrieb von Biomassefeuerungen mit maximaler Effizienz und minimalen Emissionen. March 2021.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Combustion of poultry litter and mixture of poultry litter with woodchips in a fixed bed lab-scale batch reactor

Katsaros G, Sommersacher P, Retschitzegger S, Kienzl N, Tassou SA, Pandey DS. Combustion of poultry litter and mixture of poultry litter with woodchips in a fixed bed lab-scale batch reactor. Fuel. 2021.286.119310.

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Experiments have been conducted in a batch fixed bed lab-scale reactor to investigate the combustion behaviour of three different biomass fuels, poultry litter (PL), blend of PL with wood chips (PL/WC) and softwood pellets (SP). Analysis of the data gathered after completion of the test runs, provided useful insights about the thermal decomposition behaviour of the fuels, the formation of N gaseous species, the release of ash forming elements and the estimation of aerosol emissions. It was observed that the N gaseous species are mainly produced during the devolatilisation phase. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was the predominant compound in the case of SP combustion, whereas ammonia (NH3) displayed the highest concentration during the combustion of PL and blend (PL/WC). With reference to ash forming elements, the release rates of potassium (K) and sodium (Na) range between 15–50% and 20–37% respectively, whereas the release rate of sulphur (S) falls between 54–92%. Chlorine (Cl) presents very high release rate for all tested fuels acquiring values greater than 85%, showing the volatile nature of the specific compound. The maximum potential of aerosol emissions was estimated based on the calculation of ash forming elements. In particular, during PL combustion the maximum aerosol emissions were observed, 2806 mg/Nm3 (dry flue gas, 13 vol% O2), mainly influenced by the release rate of K in the gas phase. Fuel indexes for the pre-evaluation of combustion related challenges such as NOx emissions, potential for aerosols formation, corrosion risk, and ash melting behaviour have also been investigated.

Reports | 2021

Control of DHC networks and Reduction of the operating temperatures in DH systems

Task 55 Towards the Integration of Large SHC Systems into DHC Networks

Gölles M, Muschick D, Unterberger V, Leoni P, Schmidt R, Lennermo G. "Control of DHC networks and Reduction of the operating temperatures in DH systems". EA SHC FACTSHEET 55.A-D4.2. Date of Publication: 28.01.2021. https://task55.iea-shc.org/fact-sheets

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Overview on different approaches for the control of the heat distribution networks in case of the integration of large-scale solar thermal systems, and different possibilities for the reduction of the operating temperatures in DH systems.

Reports | 2021

Control of large-scale solar thermal plants

Task 55 Towards the Integration of Large SHC Systems into DHC Networks

Gölles M, Unterberger V. "Control of large-scale solar thermal plants". IEA SHC FACTSHEET 55.B-D3.1. Date of Publication: 28.01.2021. https://task55.iea-shc.org/fact-sheets

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Overview on the control of large-scale thermal plants, limited to plants feeding into DH networks as well as theirkey components, i.e. the actual collector circuit and the heat exchanger between primary and secondary circuit.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Correlations between tar content and permanent gases as well as reactor temperature in a lab-scale fluidized bed biomass gasifier applying different feedstock and operating conditions

von Berg L, Pongratz G, Pilatov A, Almuina-Villar H, Scharler R, Anca-Couce A. Correlations between tar content and permanent gases as well as reactor temperature in a lab-scale fluidized bed biomass gasifier applying different feedstock and operating conditions.Fuel.2021.305:121531

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The major problem of fluidized bed biomass gasification is the high tar contamination of the producer gas which is associated with the complex and time-consuming sampling and analysis of these tars. Therefore, correlations to predict the tar content are a helpful tool for the development and operation of biomass gasifiers. Correlations between tars and gas composition as well as reactor temperature derived for a steam-blown lab-scale bubbling fluidized bed gasifier are investigated in this study to assess their applicability. A comprehensive data set containing over 80 experimental points was obtained for various operation conditions, including variations in temperature from 700 to 800 °C, feedstock, amount of steam for fluidization, as well as the addition of oxygen. Linear correlations between tar and permanent gases show good accuracy for H2 and CH4 when using pure steam. However, experiments conducted with steam-oxygen mixtures show high deviations for the CH4-based correlation and smaller but still significant deviations for the H2-based correlation. No relation between tar and CO or CO2 was found. The correlation between tar and temperature shows highest accuracy, including good agreement with the steam-oxygen experiments. All tar correlations showed useful results over a broad operating range. However, significant deviations can be obtained when considering just one gas compound. Therefore, a combination of different correlations considering gas components and temperature seems to be the best method of tar prediction. This leads to a powerful tool for fast online tar monitoring for a broad range of operating conditions, once a calibration measurement was conducted.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

CPFD simulation of a dual fluidized bed cold flow model

Lunzer A, Kraft S, Müller S, Hofbauer H. CPFD simulation of a dual fluidized bed cold flow model. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 2021. 11(1):189 - 203

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The present work was carried out to simulate a cold flow model of a biomass gasification plant. For the simulation, a Eulerian-Lagrangian approach, more specifically the multi-phase particle in cell (MP-PIC) method, was used to simulate particles with a defined particle size distribution. Therefore, Barracuda VR, a software tool with an implemented MP-PIC method specifically designed for computational particle fluid dynamics simulations, was the software of choice. The simulation results were verified with data from previous experiments conducted on a physical cold flow model. The cold flow model was operated with air and bronze particles. The simulations were conducted with different drag laws: an energy-minimization multi-scale (EMMS) approach, a blended Wen-Yu and Ergun drag law, and a drag law of Ganser. The fluid dynamic behavior depends heavily on the particles’ properties like the particle size distribution. Furthermore, a focus was placed on the normal particle stress (PS value variation), which is significant in close-packed regions, and the loop seals’ fluidization rate was varied to influence the particle circulation rate. The settings of the simulation were optimized, flooding behavior did not occur in advanced simulations, and the simulations reached a stable steady state behavior. The Ganser drag law combined with an adjusted PS value with (PS = 30 Pa) or without (PS = 50 Pa) increased loop seal fluidization rates provided the best simulation results.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Dekarbonisierung in Salzburgs Skigebieten – Entwicklung von Optimierungsalgorithmen und Energiemanagementsystemen zur Steigerung der Energieeffizienz, Minimierung von Emissionen und Optimierung von Flexibilitäten [Decarbonization of the skiing areas in

Kritzer S, Passegger H, Ayoub T, Liedtke P, Zellinger M, Stadler M, Iglar B, Korner C, Aghaie H. Dekarbonisierung in Salzburgs Skigebieten – Entwicklung von Optimierungsalgorithmen und Energiemanagementsystemen zur Steigerung der Energieeffizienz, Minimierung von Emissionen und Optimierung von Flexibilitäten [Decarbonization of the skiing areas in Salzburg – development of optimization algorithms and energy management systems to increase energy efficiency, minimize emissions and optimize flexibility]. Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik. 31 May 2021.

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Winter tourism is an energy-intensive branch of industry. The aim of the FFG funding project Clean Energy for Tourism is to support Salzburg’s skiing areas on the way to decarbonization by developing technologies and business models. In this article, the developed ICT infrastructure, the optimization algorithms and the business models are presented.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Detailed NOX precursor measurements within the reduction zone of a novel small-scale fuel flexible biomass combustion technology

Archan G, Scharler R, Pölzer L, Buchmayr M, Sommersacher P, Hochenauer C, Gruber J, Anca-Couce A. Detailed NOX precursor measurements within the reduction zone of a novel small-scale fuel flexible biomass combustion technology. Fuel. 15 October 2021.302:121073

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A novel biomass combustion technology with a compact fixed-bed operated with a low oxygen content and double air staging was investigated. Minimized flue gas emissions at high fuel flexibility were achieved only with primary measures. The fuel nitrogen conversion mechanisms were investigated in detail in the secondary zone of a 30 kW lab-reactor, designed as efficient reduction zone. Experimental investigations were carried out to determine the distribution of gas temperatures, main dry product gas components as well as NOX precursors such as NH3 and HCN along the height of the reduction zone. The objective was to determine and understand the various fuel nitrogen conversion mechanisms in the reduction zone that can minimize NOX emissions.

It was found that the HCN/NH3 ratio increases with the fuel nitrogen content. This corresponds to an unexpected opposite trend to typical biomass grate furnaces. It was concluded that it is crucial for the HCN/NH3 ratio whether the released nitrogen tars are already cracked in the fixed-bed or only in the gas phase, as in the novel technology. Furthermore, the influence of gas temperature, air ratio, mixing, recirculated flue gas and residence time on the formation and reduction of NH3, HCN and NO is discussed.

Finally, this novel technology achieves NOX emissions of<95 mg·m−3 and 175 mg·m−3 for woody and herbaceous fuels, respectively, which is well below the small-scale state-of-the-art for the respective N contents and it achieves fuel nitrogen conversions to NOX in flue gas of 35% and 25%, respectively.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Digestate as Sustainable Nutrient Source for Microalgae—Challenges and Prospects

Bauer L, Ranglová K, Masojidek J, Drosg B, Meixner K. Digestate as Sustainable Nutrient Source for Microalgae—Challenges and Prospects. Applied Sciences. 2021.11(3):1056

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The interest in microalgae products has been increasing, and therefore the cultivation industry is growing steadily. To reduce the environmental impact and production costs arising from nutrients, research needs to find alternatives to the currently used artificial nutrients. Microalgae cultivation in anaerobic effluents (more specifically, digestate) represents a promising strategy for increasing sustainability and obtaining valuable products. However, digestate must be processed prior to its use as nutrient source. Depending on its composition, different methods are suitable for removing solids (e.g., centrifugation) and adjusting nutrient concentrations and ratios (e.g., dilution, ammonia stripping). Moreover, the resulting cultivation medium must be light-permeable. Various studies show that growth rates comparable to those in artificial media can be achieved when proper digestate treatment is used. The necessary steps for obtaining a suitable cultivation medium also depend on the microalgae species to be cultivated. Concerning the application of the biomass, legal aspects and impurities originating from digestate must be considered. Furthermore, microalgae species and their application fields are essential criteria when selecting downstream processing methods (harvest, disintegration, dehydration, product purification). Microalgae grown on digestate can be used to produce various products (e.g., bioenergy, animal feed, bioplastics, and biofertilizers). This review gives insight into the origin and composition of digestate, processing options to meet requirements for microalgae cultivation and challenges regarding downstream processing and products.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Drivers and barriers in retrofitting pulp and paper industry with bioenergy for more efficient production of liquid, solid and gaseous biofuels: A review.

Mäki E, Saastamoinen H, Melin K, Matschegg D, Pihkola H. Drivers and barriers in retrofitting pulp and paper industry with bioenergy for more efficient production of liquid, solid and gaseous biofuels: A review. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2021.106036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.106036

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Ample interest for more efficient utilization of bio-based residues has emerged in the Nordic pulp and paper (P&P) industry, which uses virgin wood as feedstock. Although different bioenergy retrofit technologies for production of liquid, solid, and gaseous bioenergy products have been applied in the existing P&P mills, the number of installations remains small. The lack of profound knowledge of existing bioenergy retrofits hinders the replication and market uptake of potential technologies. This review synthesises the existing knowledge of European installations and identifies the key drivers and barriers for implementation to foster the market uptake of potential technologies. The bioenergy retrofits were reviewed in terms of technical maturity, drivers, barriers and market potential. Based on this evaluation, common drivers and barriers towards wider market uptake were outlined from political, economic, social, technical, environmental, and legal perspective. Technologies already commercially applied include anaerobic fermentation of sludge, bark gasification, tall oil diesel and bioethanol production, whereas lignin extraction, biomethanol production, hydrothermal liquefaction and hydrothermal carbonization are being demonstrated or first applications are under construction. The findings of this review show that a stable flow of residues at P&P mills creates a solid base for retrofitting. New innovative bio-based products would allow widening the companies' product portfolios and creating new businesses. Also, European Union's (EU) legislation drives towards advanced biofuels production. Wider uptake of the retrofitting technologies requires overcoming the barriers related to uncertainty of economic feasibility and unestablished markets for new products rather than technical immaturity. 

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Effect of biomass fuel ash and bed material on the product gas composition in DFB steam gasification

Fürsatz K, Fuchs J, Benedikt F, Kuba M, Hofbauer H. Effect of biomass fuel ash and bed material on the product gas composition in DFB steam gasification. Energy. 2021.219:119650.

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Gasification is a thermochemical process that transforms carbonaceous matter into a gaseous secondary energy carrier, referred to as product gas. This product gas can be used for heat and power generation but also for syntheses. One possible gasification technology suitable for further synthesis is dual fluidised bed (DFB) steam gasification. The H2:CO ratio, which determines the suitability of the product gas for further synthesis, is influenced by the catalytic activity inside the gasification reactor. Eleven DFB steam gasification experiments were performed comparing the catalytic activity for various bed material and fuel combinations. The bed materials used were K-feldspar, fresh and layered olivine, and limestone, and the fuels gasified were softwood, chicken manure, a bark–chicken manure mixture and a bark-straw-chicken manure mixture. The water-gas-shift (WGS) equilibrium deviation was used to evaluate the catalytic activity inside the gasification reactor. It was shown that both the fuel ash and bed material have an effect on the catalytic activity during gasification. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry showed the initial layer formation for experiments with ash-rich fuels. Isolated WGS experiments were performed to further highlight the influence of bed material, fuel ash and fuel ash layers on the WGS equilibrium.

Conference presentations and posters | 2021

Effects of varying comminution techniques and pyrolysis temperatures on the particle shape of pyrolyzed wood powders and its implications on fluidisation behaviour

Deutsch R, Krammer G, Strasser C, Kienzl N. Effects of varying comminution techniques and pyrolysis temperatures on the particle shape of pyrolyzed wood powders and its implications on fluidisation behaviour. 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, EUBCE 2021, 26-29 April 2021. 2021.

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Iron production via blast furnace utilizes coal and coke to reduce iron oxides which results in high greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass-based reducing agents may reduce its fossil carbon footprint. Charcoal as bioreducer has been since the beginning of steelmaking. In order to obtain a reducing agent which is appropriately fluidizable for pulverized coal injection (PCI), the most influential powder characteristics must be named and the influence of thermal pre-treatment and comminution technique on particle properties have to be examined. The aim is to show that particle shape design of a grinding product is feasible to a certain extent by varying mill types and how pyrolyzed wood powder properties technically relevant for powder conveying processes can be influenced .

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Emission minimization of a top-lit updraft gasifier cookstove based on experiments and detailed CFD analyses

Scharler R, Archan G, Rakos C, von Berg L, Lello D, Hochenauer C, Anca-Couce A. Emission minimization of a top-lit updraft gasifier cookstove based on experiments and detailed CFD analyses. Energy Conversion and Management. 2021.247:114755.

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Around 2.7 billion people worldwide have no access to clean cooking equipment, which leads to major health problems due to high emissions of unburned products (VOC, CO and soot). A top-lit updraft gasifier cookstove with forced draft was identified as the technology with the highest potential for reducing harmful emissions from incomplete combustion in simple cookstoves. The basic variant of the stove was equipped with a fan for efficient mixing of product gas with air and fired with pellets to increase the energy density of low-grade residues. The development was conducted based on water boiling test experiments for wood and rice hull pellets and targeted CFD simulations of flow, heat transfer and gas phase combustion with a comprehensive description of the reaction kinetics, which were validated by the experiments. Emphasis was put on the reduction of CO emissions as an indicator for the burnout quality of the flue gas. The optimisation was carried out in several steps, the main improvements being the design of a sufficiently large post-combustion chamber and a supply of an appropriate amount of primary air for a more stable fuel gasification. The experiments showed CO emissions <0.2 g/MJdel for wood and rice hull pellets, which corresponds to a reduction by a factor of about 15 to 20 compared to the basic forced draft stove concept. Furthermore, these values are between 5 and 10 times lower than published water boiling test results of the best available cookstove technologies and are already close to the range of automatic pellet furnaces for domestic heating, which are considered to be the benchmark for the best possible reduction of CO emissions.

Reports | 2021

Endbericht: Heat Pumping system Control (HPC)

Modellbasierte Regelung von Absorptionswärmepump-Anlagen.

Zlabinger S, Wernhart M, Unterberger V, Rieberer R, Gölles M, Rohringer C, Poier H, Halmdienst C, Kemmerzehl C, Otto M. Heat Pumping system Control (HPC). Modellbasierte Regelung von Absorptionswärmepump-Anlagen. FFG, 4. Ausschreibung Energieforschungsprogramm, Projektnummer: 865095. Endbericht. 2021.

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Reports | 2021

Energiespeicher in Österreich

Marktentwicklung 2020

Biermayr P, Aigenbauer St, Enigl M, Fink C, Knabl S, Leonhartsberger K, Matschegg D, Prem E, Strasser C, Wittmann M. Energiespeicher in Österreich Marktentwicklung 2020. 2021

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Experimental evaluation of primary measures for NOX and dust emission reduction in a novel 200 kW multi-fuel biomass boiler

Archan G, Anca-Couce A, Buchmayr M, Hochenauer C, Gruber J, Scharler R. Experimental evaluation of primary measures for NOX and dust emission reduction in a novel 200 kW multi-fuel biomass boiler. June 2021.170:1186-1196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.02.055

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The aim of this work is to utilize various biogenic fuels without ash slagging and to significantly reduce NOX and particulate matter emissions in comparison to modern combustion technologies. For this purpose, a novel small-scale multi-fuel biomass grate furnace technology was developed and experimentally investigated. It employs a low oxygen concentration in the fixed-bed and a double air staging, including the supply of flue gas recirculation. In this way slagging is prevented on the grate, reducing the release of ash-forming volatiles, NOX emissions are minimized in the reduction zone and an efficient flue gas burnout is achieved in the tertiary zone. Wood pellets and chips as well as miscanthus briquettes were investigated.

The measured total particle emissions showed a reduction of 68% for pellets and 70% for wood chips compared to typical small-scale furnaces. Furthermore, a reduction of NOX emissions of 39% for wood chips, 40% for wood pellets and 45% for miscanthus briquettes was achieved compared to typical small-scale furnaces. The experimental parameter study provided fundamental insights into the various mechanisms involved in this novel technology, which is close to market introduction, and proved its high fuel flexibility and great potential for particulate matter and NOX emission reduction.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Fischer-Tropsch products from biomass-derived syngas and renewable hydrogen

Gruber H, Groß P, Rauch R, Reichhold A, Zweiler R, Aichernig C, Müller S, Ataimisch N, Hofbauer H. Fischer-Tropsch products from biomass-derived syngas and renewable hydrogen. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 2021.11(6):2281-2292

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Global climate change will make it necessary to transform transportation and mobility away from what we know now towards a sustainable, flexible, and dynamic sector. A severe reduction of fossil-based CO2 emissions in all energy-consuming sectors will be necessary to keep global warming below 2 °C above preindustrial levels. Thus, long-distance transportation will have to increase the share of renewable fuel consumed until alternative powertrains are ready to step in. Additionally, it is predicted that the share of renewables in the power generation sector grows worldwide. Thus, the need to store the excess electricity produced by fluctuating renewable sources is going to grow alike. The “Winddiesel” technology enables the integrative use of excess electricity combined with biomass-based fuel production. Surplus electricity can be converted to H2 via electrolysis in a first step. The fluctuating H2 source is combined with biomass-derived CO-rich syngas from gasification of lignocellulosic feedstock. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis converts the syngas to renewable hydrocarbons. This research article summarizes the experiments performed and presents new insights regarding the effects of load changes on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Long-term campaigns were carried out, and performance-indicating parameters such as per-pass CO conversion, product distribution, and productivity were evaluated. The experiments showed that integrating renewable H2 into a biomass-to-liquid Fischer-Tropsch concept could increase the productivity while product distribution remains almost the same. Furthermore, the economic assessment performed indicates good preconditions towards commercialization of the proposed system.

Conference presentations and posters | 2021

Flue gas recirculation during poultry litter combustion in a fixed bed lab-scale batch reactor

Katsaros G, Sommersacher P, Retschitzegger S, Kienzl N, Pandey DS. Flue gas recirculation during poultry litter combustion in a fixed bed lab-scale batch reactor. 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, EUBCE 2021, 26-29 April 2021. 2021

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This study focuses on the combustion behaviour of poultry litter which was experimentally studied in a fixed bed lab-scale reactor. The combustion experiments not only provided useful insights pertaining to the thermal decomposition of poultry litter over time, release of main gaseous compounds and nitrogen (N) species, but also the release of elements found initially in the ash composition. The main gaseous species were released during the devolatilisation phase, whereas Ammonia (NH3) was found to be the most abundant compound of N-gaseous species (45%) followed by nitrogen oxide (NO) with a fraction of ~10%. Alkali metals showed moderate release rates, whilst Chlorine (Cl) was observed to have the highest one (90%) of the ash forming elements, depicting the high volatility of the specific compound.

Other Publications | 2021

Gasification - a key technology in the energy transition and for the circular economy

Martini S. Gasification - a key technology in the energy transition and for the circular economy. IEA Bioenergy Task33 Meeting. December 2021.

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Other Publications | 2021

Gemeinsam richtig heizen - Video

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Other Publications | 2021

HPC - Workshop

Experimentelle Analyse, Simulation und Regelung von Absorptionswärmepumpen/-kältemaschinen

Zlabinger S, Unterberger V, Gölles M, Wernhart M, Rieberer R, Poier H, Rohinger C, Kemmerzehl C, Halmdienst C. Experimentelle Analyse, Simulation und Regelung von Absorptionswärmepumpen/-kältemaschinen. Online-Workshop im Rahmen des FFG-Projekts HPC ("4. Ausschreibung Energieforschung 2017") am 09.04.2021.

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Durch die vermehrte Einbindung von Absorptionswärmepumpen und -kältemaschinen in bestehende und zukünftige Energiesysteme des Kälte- und Wärmesektors kann der Anteil erneuerbarer Energien deutlich gesteigert werden. Um dies erfolgreich umsetzen zu können, müssen die Betriebsstrategien und Regelungen dieser Systeme jedoch in der Lage sein, auch mit dynamischen und stark variierenden Betriebsbedingungen umgehen zu können. Dieser Herausforderung hat sich das von der FFG geförderte Projekt HPC – heat pumping system control gewidmet. Im Rahmen dieses Workshops sollen die Ergebnisse und deren Nutzen für die Praxis präsentiert und diskutiert werden.

Other papers | 2021

Increasing economic efficiency of cultivating microalgae by recycling process water

Neubauer M, Bauer L, Lanschützer E, Cayir P, Sonnleitner A, Meixner K, Fritz I, Drosg B. Increasing economic efficiency of cultivating microalgae by recycling process water. 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, EUBCE 2021, 26-29 April 2021. 2021.

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This abstract gives a glimpse of the output revealed in a project focusing on recycling used medium from algae cultivation. In close cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, the Institute of Microbiology - The Czech Academy of Sciences as well as the algae biomass production company Ecoduna GmbH, it was possible to target industrial needs with scientific research approaches.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Influence of solvent temperature and type on naphthalene solubility for tar removal in a dual fluidized bed biomass gasification process

Tonpakdee P, Hongrapipat J, Siriwongrungson V, Rauch R, Pang S, Thaveesri J, Messner M, Kuba M, Hofbauer H. Influence of solvent temperature and type on naphthalene solubility for tar removal in a dual fluidized bed biomass gasification process. Current Applied Science and Technology. 2021.21(4):751-76.

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Tar condensation is a cause of blockage in downstream application of the gasification process. An oil scrubber is considered as an effective method for tar removal. In this research, the naphthalene solubility in different local Thai oils and water was investigated in a laboratory-scale test-rig. The solubility value was conducted at 30, 50, 70, and 80°C. Biodiesels investigated were rapeseed methyl ester (RME) and two different palm methyl esters (PME 1 and PME 2). Furthermore, vegetable oils including sunflower oil, rice bran oil, crude palm oil, and refined palm oil were examined. The results showed that higher temperature enhanced naphthalene solubility in all types of investigated oils. Biodiesel has the highest value of naphthalene solubility. All scrubbing oils have similar naphthalene solubility trends at the temperature range of 50-80°C in the order of RME > PME 1 > PME 2 > diesel > sunflower oil > refined palm oil > rice bran oil > crude palm oil. Based on these experimental investigations, PME 1 has a naphthalene solubility value similar to RME. Therefore, PME 1 has been selected to be tested as scrubbing solvent in the 1 MWel prototype dual fluidized gasifier located in Nong Bua district, Nakhon Sawan province, Thailand.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Innovative laboratory unit for pre-testing of oxygen carriers for chemical-looping combustion

Fleiss B, Fuchs J, Penthor S, Arlt S, Pachler R, Müller S, Hofbauer H. Innovative laboratory unit for pre-testing of oxygen carriers for chemical-looping combustion. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 2021

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Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is a highly efficient CO2 separation technology with no direct contact between combustion air and fuel. A metal oxide is used as an oxygen carrier (OC) and acts in a dual fluidized bed as a separation tool and supplies the fuel with oxygen, which as an oxidation medium causes combustion to CO2 and H2O. The use of solid fuels, especially biomass, is the focus of current investigations. The OC plays a key role, because it must meet special requirements for solid fuels, which are different to gaseous fuels. The ash content, special reaction mechanisms, and increased abrasion make research into new types of OC essential. Preliminary testing of OC before their use in larger plants regarding their suitability is recommended. For this reason, this work shows the design and the results of a laboratory reactor, which was planned and built for fundamental investigation of OC. Designed as a transient fluidized bed, the reactor, equipped with its own fuel conveying system and an in situ solid sampling, is intended to be particularly suitable for cheap and rapid pre-testing of OC materials. During the tests, it was shown that the sampling device enables non-selective sampling. Different OC were tested under various operating conditions, and their ability to convert different fuels could be quantified. The results indicate that OC can be sufficiently investigated to recommend operation in larger plants.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Integration of dual fluidized bed steam gasification into the pulp and paper industry

Kuba M, Benedikt F, Fürsatz K, Fuchs J, Demuth M, Aichernig C, Arpa L, Hofbauer H. Integration of dual fluidized bed steam gasification into the pulp and paper industry. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 23 Dec 2021

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The pulp and paper industry represents an industry sector which is characterised by its already high degree of sustainability. Biomass is a renewable input material, and typically highly developed recovery cycles minimise the loss of chemicals used in the pulping process. However, certain parts of the recovery cycle are still operated on fossil fuels. This study deals with the substitution of the fossil-based gaseous fuel with product gas from biomass gasification.

Gasification experiments have shown that bark available at pulp and paper mills is suitable to produce a product gas via dual fluidised bed steam gasification as a promising substitute for natural gas. Based on the comparison of process layouts regarding the separation of non-process elements, separation efficiency is derived for different setups. To ensure operational security of the chemical recovery cycle, comprehensive gas cleaning including heat exchangers, a particle filter, and a liquid scrubber unit is advised. The gas flow of fuel gas into the gas burner is increased as the heating value of the product gas is accordingly lower in comparison to natural gas. Furthermore, adaptions of the gas burner might be necessary to address the earlier ignition of the H2-rich product gas compared to natural gas.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Integration of market aspects into material development: approach and exemplification for a wood composite

Fuhrmann M, Schwarzbauer P, Hesser F. Integration of market aspects into material development: approach and exemplification for a wood composite. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-021-01697-z

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Due to a variety of applications and complex requirements in specific fields of use, the number of different materials is increasing. Thereof, the majority fails at the stage of market introduction, because the focus of material development is mostly on technical aspects, while market aspects are often neglected. One possible way of market introduction is material substitution. Thereby, requirements a material needs to meet are well known. However, a certain market focus on material development would be helpful regarding the final goal of the customer satisfaction. Therefore, this study presents an approach, which aims at guiding the technical material development and thus starts one stage earlier than most other studies, which focus on market introduction. A multi-stage approach helps integrating market aspects into material development, using the following methods: (1) method of Ashby to compare materials from a technical point of view and identify theoretically substitutable material groups and potential applications, (2) market data research and comparison for the identification of attractive markets, (3) method of Kano to classify material requirements and prioritize the optimization of material properties to satisfy the customers in selected markets. This approach is showcased and discussed using the example of an innovative wood composite under development, where it represented an aiding tool for guiding the further material development. An adaptation to any other material is possible at each of the three stages, although there are some limitations, which have to be considered, for example the selection of technical properties for the material comparison.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Interactions of Olivine and Silica Sand with Potassium- or Silicon-Rich Agricultural Residues under Combustion, Steam Gasification, and CO2 Gasification

Li G, Nathan GJ, Kuba M, Ashman PJ, Saw WL. Interactions of Olivine and Silica Sand with Potassium- or Silicon-Rich Agricultural Residues under Combustion, Steam Gasification, and CO2 Gasification. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 6 October 2021. 60 (39):14354 - 14369.

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Interactions between olivine or silica sand and potassium (K)-rich grape marc or silicon (Si)-rich wheat straw were studied in a fixed-bed reactor under combustion, steam, or a CO2 gasification atmosphere. This study focused on the effects of atmosphere composition, feedstock, and bed material type on the thermochemical aspects of agglomeration. The agglomeration extent of grape marc with olivine as the bed material under air and steam atmospheres is significantly less than with silica sand. The presence of CO2, compared to that of O2 or steam, was found to promote the reaction between K and olivine by facilitating the production of reactive silica from olivine carbonization. The use of olivine promotes the release of K by more than 10% compared with silica. No significant differences were observed in the agglomeration extent of wheat straw in its interaction with either olivine or silica sand. Nevertheless, olivine alters the agglomeration mechanism of wheat straw to become “melting-induced” from “coating-induced” in a silica bed.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Interactions of Olivine and Silica Sand with Potassium- or Silicon-Rich Agricultural Residues under Combustion, Steam Gasification, and CO2Gasification

Li G, Nathan GJ, Kuba M, Ashman PJ, Saw WL. Interactions of Olivine and Silica Sand with Potassium- or Silicon-Rich Agricultural Residues under Combustion, Steam Gasification, and CO2Gasification. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 2021.60(39):14354-14369.

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Interactions between olivine or silica sand and potassium (K)-rich grape marc or silicon (Si)-rich wheat straw were studied in a fixed-bed reactor under combustion, steam, or a CO2 gasification atmosphere. This study focused on the effects of atmosphere composition, feedstock, and bed material type on the thermochemical aspects of agglomeration. The agglomeration extent of grape marc with olivine as the bed material under air and steam atmospheres is significantly less than with silica sand. The presence of CO2, compared to that of O2 or steam, was found to promote the reaction between K and olivine by facilitating the production of reactive silica from olivine carbonization. The use of olivine promotes the release of K by more than 10% compared with silica. No significant differences were observed in the agglomeration extent of wheat straw in its interaction with either olivine or silica sand. Nevertheless, olivine alters the agglomeration mechanism of wheat straw to become “melting-induced” from “coating-induced” in a silica bed.

Other Publications | 2021

Leitfaden: Energiegemeinschaften im Tourismussektor

Iglar B, Fina B, Jung M, Markotsky-Kolm E, Tölzer T, Zellinger M, Liedtke P, Oberbauer C. Leitfaden: Energiegemeinschaften im Tourismussektor. Klima- und Energiefonds. December 2021.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Mixed-integer linear programming based optimization strategies for renewable energy communities

Cosic A, Stadler M, Mansoor M, Zellinger M. Mixed-integer linear programming based optimization strategies for renewable energy communities. Energy. 237.2021

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Local and renewable energy communities show a high potential for the efficient use of distributed energy technologies at regional levels according to the Clean Energy Package of the European Union. However, until now there are only limited possibilities to bring such energy communities into reality because of several limitation factors. Challenges are already encountered during the planning phase since a large number of decision variables have to be considered depending on the number and type of community participants and distributed technologies. This paper overcomes these challenges by establishing a mixed-integer linear programming based optimal planning approach for renewable energy communities. A real case study is analyzed by creating an energy community testbed with a leading energy service provider in Austria. The case study considers nine energy community members of a municipality in Austria, distributed photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, different electricity tariff scenarios and market signals including feed-in tariffs. The key results indicate that renewable energy communities can significantly reduce the total energy costs by 15% and total carbon dioxide emissions by 34% through an optimal selection and operation of the energy technologies. In all the optimization scenarios considered, each community participant can benefit both economically and ecologically.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Model-Based Estimation of the Flue Gas Mass Flow in Biomass Boilers.

Niederwieser H, Zemann C, Goelles M, Reichhartinger M. Model-Based Estimation of the Flue Gas Mass Flow in Biomass Boilers. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology. 2021 Jul;19(4):1609 - 1622. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCST.2020.3016404

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Three estimators for the estimation of the flue gas mass flow in biomass boilers are presented and compared, namely a sliding-mode observer, a Kalman filter, and a so-called steady-state estimator. The flue gas mass flow is an important process variable in biomass boilers as it contains information about the supplied mass flows of air and decomposed fuel. It is also related to the generated heat flow. Furthermore, its knowledge may be exploited in model-based control strategies which allow one to keep pollutant emissions low, on the one hand, and to achieve high efficiency, on the other hand. However, due to fouling of the equipment over time, measurements and existing estimation methods are not suitable for long-term applications. The estimators proposed in this article are based on a dynamic model for gas tube heat exchangers. They are capable of handling the fouling of the heat exchanger and, additionally, they offer the possibility of monitoring the degree of fouling. By incorporating an additional differential pressure measurement and extending the aforementioned estimators, an improvement regarding the dynamic response and the estimation accuracy is achieved. The application of the estimators to real measurement data from both, a medium-scale and a small-scale biomass boiler, demonstrates their wide applicability.

PhD Thesis | 2021

Modelling and control of large-scale solar thermal systems

Unterberger V. Modelling and control of large-scale solar thermal systems. 2021. 212 p.

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Heat makes up the largest share of energy end-use, accounting for 50% of global final energy consumption in 2018 and contributing to about 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Of the total heat produced, about 46% was consumed in buildings for space and water heating. Large-scale solar thermal systems provide a highly valuable possibility to increase the share of renewables in heating systems and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In this context, the worldwide number of large-scale solar heating systems has increased rapidly in the last couple of years, especially in China and European countries, e.g. in Denmark. This has led to the installation of about 400 large-scale solar thermal systems ( ≥ 350kWth, 500m²) by the end of 2019.
Unlike other heating systems, their main source of power (solar radiation) cannot be manipulated and is subject to changes on a seasonal as well as on a daily basis. That is why control systems play a very important role for the efficient operation of these systems. This thesis therefore focuses on the application of model-based control strategies, and the necessary preliminary work regarding modelling, in order to achieve an efficient control of large-scale solar thermal systems. Consequently, the thesis addresses three important aspects:
In the first main section, models of components of large-scale solar thermal systems are developed and validated. For the most important components (heat exchanger, solar collector and sensible heat storage), two models of different complexity, one simulation-oriented, one control-oriented, are developed. While the simulation-oriented models aim to model the physical behaviour very accurately in order to be used in simulation studies, control-oriented models aim to model the physical behaviour only as accurately as necessary in order to serve as a basis for model-based control strategies. All models are validated with measurement data from a typical solar system, and it is shown that they are sufficiently accurate for their intended purpose. The sum of the models provides a holistic view on all modelling aspects that have to be considered in large-scale solar thermal plants, and serves as a reasonable basis for model-based control strategies and accurate simulation studies of solar systems.
In the second main section, adaptive forecasting methods for the future solar heat production as well as the heat demand are developed and validated with measurement data and using real weather forecasts. These methods are important to most efficiently integrate and operate solar systems by better scheduling heat production, storage and distribution for the near future. In order to be used in real-world applications, the methods are developed with the goal to meet three important practical requirements: simple implementation, automatic adaption to seasonal changes, and wide applicability. The final long-term evaluation for half a year proves that the developed methods can forecast the solar heat production as well as the heat demand very accurately and outperform common forecasting methods, yielding results that are nearly twice as accurate.
In the third main section, model-based control strategies for the high-level as well as for the low-level control of solar thermal systems are developed and validated. For the high-level control an approach is presented which considers future information by using the developed forecasting methods. It achieves higher profits (plus 3 %) and leads to a more stable operation, compared to the existing commercial solution. For the low-level control, model-based control strategies based on the developed models for the heat generation and distribution are presented. The model-based control strategy for the heat generation considers the dynamic behaviour of the collector and especially considers the variable time-delay. This, compared to conventional control strategies, leads to a significantly better control performance in case of fluctuating solar radiation and changing inlet temperatures. The model-based control strategy for the heat distribution follows a modular approach which can be applied for several hydraulic settings, leading to an accurate and independent control of mass flow and temperature, and outperforms state-of-the-art control strategies. For both control levels, care was taken that the applied strategies can be used in real-world applications regarding their mathematical complexity and computational resources required.
In summary, this thesis presents a holistic approach regarding modelling (simulation-oriented models, control-oriented models and adaptive forecasting methods) and control aspects (high-level as well as low-level control) which can help to improve the efficiency of large-scale solar thermal plants on various levels, making them more competitive, and is furthermore essential for a successful integration of these plants in larger energy systems.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Modelling fuel flexibility in fixed-bed biomass conversion with a low primary air ratio in an updraft configuration

Anca-Couce A, Archan G, Buchmayr M, Essl M, Hochenauer C, Scharler R. Modelling fuel flexibility in fixed-bed biomass conversion with a low primary air ratio in an updraft configuration. Fuel. 2021.296:120687.

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Fixed-bed biomass conversion with a low primary air ratio and a counter-current configuration has a high feedstock flexibility, as it resembles updraft gasification, and the potential to reduce emissions when integrated in biomass combustion systems. A 1D bed model was validated with experimental results from a biomass combustion boiler with such a bed conversion system, predicting with a good accuracy the temperatures in the reactor and producer gas composition. The model was applied for different cases to investigate the fuel flexibility of this combustion system, including the influence of moisture content and the maximum temperatures achieved in the bed. It was shown that with variations in fuel moisture content from 8 to 30% mass w.b. the producer gas composition, char reduction to CO or maximum temperatures at the grate were not affected due to the separation of the char conversion and pyrolysis/drying zones. Flue gas recirculation was the only possible measure with the tested configuration to reduce the maximum temperatures close to the grate, which is beneficial e.g. to avoid slagging with complicated fuels. A higher tar content was obtained than in conventional updraft gasifiers, which is attributed to the absence of tar condensation in the bed due to the limited height of the reactor and the integration in the combustion chamber. The presented model can support the development of such combustion technologies and is a relevant basis for detailed CFD simulations of the bed or gas phase conversion.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Operation of coupled multi-owner district heating networks via distributed optimization

Kaisermayer V, Muschick D, Horn M, Gölles M. Operation of coupled multi-owner district heating networks via distributed optimization. Energy Reports. 2021 Okt;7(Suppl. 4):273-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.08.145

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The growth of district heating and cooling (DHC) networks introduces the possibility of connecting them with neighbouring networks. Coupling networks can save costs by reducing operating hours of peak load or backup boilers, or free up production capacity for network expansion. Optimization-based energy management systems (EMS) already provide operators of individual DHC networks with solutions to the unit commitment and economic dispatch problem. They are especially useful for complex networks with multiple producers and integrated renewable energy sources, where incorporating forecasts is important. Time-dependent constraints and network capacity limitations can easily be considered. For coupled networks, a centralized optimization would provide a minimum with respect to an objective function which can incorporate fuel costs, operational costs and costs for emissions. However, the individual coupled networks are generally owned by different organizations with competing objectives. The centralized solution might not be accepted, as each company aims to optimize its own objective. Additionally, all data has to be shared with a centralized EMS, and it represents a single point of failure. A decentralized EMS may therefore be a better choice in a multi-owner setting. In this article, a novel decentralized EMS is presented that can handle multi-owner structures with cooperative and non-cooperative coupling. Each local EMS solves its own optimization problem, and an iterative Jacobi-style algorithm ensures consensus among the networks. The distributed EMS is compared to a centralized EMS based on a representative real-world example consisting of three coupled district heating networks operated by two companies.

Other Publications | 2021

Operation of Coupled Multi-Owner District Heating Networks via Distributed Optimization

Muschick D, Gölles M, Kaisermayer V, Horn M. Operation of Coupled Multi-Owner District Heating Networks via Distributed Optimization.17th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling. Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 7. Sep 2021. Oral Presentation. [online]

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The simultaneous operation of multiple connected heating networks can be handled by optimization techniques. However, a global optimum might not represent a good operating strategy if the networks belong to different owners and thus might habe competing interests. An approach from game theory then needs to be applied, which finds a generalized Nash equilibrium instead.

Reports | 2021

OptEnGrid Optimal integration of heat, electricity and gas systems to increase efficiency and reliability

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OptEnGrid is a cross-sectoral multi-energy system optimization tool for the optimal planning and dispatch of the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) technologies in smart- and microgrids. The methodology of OptEnGrid considers an optimization model which is based on Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) framework. The following sub-sections provide more details about the energy flow and system optimization inside OptEnGrid and the choice of the optimization over simulation

Other Publications | 2021

Optimal operation of cross-ownership district heating and cooling networks

Muschick D, Kaisermayer V, Gölles M, Horn M.Optimal operation of cross-ownership district heating and cooling networks. 20th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production. 9. Sep 2021. Graz. Oral Presentation.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Optimal planning of thermal energy systems in a microgrid with seasonal storage and piecewise affine cost functions

Mansoor M, Stadler M, Zellinger M, Lichtenegger K, Auer H, Cosic A. Optimal planning of thermal energy systems in a microgrid with seasonal storage and piecewise affine cost functions. Energy. 2021:215;119095.

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The optimal design of microgrids with thermal energy system requires optimization techniques that can provide investment and scheduling of the technology portfolio involved. In the modeling of such systems with seasonal storage capability, the two main challenges include the low temporal resolution of available data and the non-linear cost versus capacity relationship of solar thermal and heat storage technologies. This work overcomes these challenges by developing two different optimization models based on mixed-integer linear programming with objectives to minimize the total energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Piecewise affine functions are used to approximate the non-linear cost versus capacity behavior. The developed methods are applied to the optimal planning of a case study in Austria. The results of the models are compared based on the accuracy and real-time performance together with the impact of piecewise affine cost functions versus non-piecewise affine fixed cost functions. The results show that the investment decisions of both models are in good agreement with each other while the computational time for the 8760-h based model is significantly greater than the model having three representative periods. The models with piecewise affine cost functions show larger capacities of technologies than non-piecewise affine fixed cost function based models.

Reports | 2021

Planung zellularer Energiesysteme

Teil 1: Effektive integrierte Investitions- und Betriebsplanung von Energiezellen

VDE Verband der Elektrotechnik e.V. Energietechnische Gesellschaft (ETG)

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In einem zellularen Energiesystem wird die physikalische Balance zwischen Energieangebot und -nachfrage so weit als möglich bereits auf regionaler, lokaler Ebene hergestellt. Der zentrale Baustein dabei ist die Energiezelle. Sie kann Energie in Form von Wärme, Elektrizität oder Gas aufnehmen und/oder Elektrizität und Wärme (z. B. aus erneuerbaren Energien) selbst erzeugen, um so den eigenen Wärme- und Elektrizitätsbedarf zu decken. Energieüberschüsse können (elektrisch und/oder thermisch) gespeichert oder anderen Zellen im Nahbereich oder einem Energieversorger zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Ein Energiezellenmanagement kann in Koordination mit Nachbarzellen den Ausgleich von Erzeugung und Verbrauch über alle vorhandenen Energieformen organisieren.
Die Planung und der Betrieb zellularer Energiesysteme ist eine komplexe Aufgabe, da eine Vielzahl von dezentralen Energietechnologien, verschiedenste Ziele und auch Entscheidungsträger berück-sichtigt werden müssen.
Der vorliegende VDE Impuls beschreibt als ersten Schritt die Planung einer Energiezelle, welche mit Energieversorgern interagieren kann. Er ist der Auftakt einer Reihe weiterer Veröffentlichungen zur detaillierten Planung von Energiezellen und zellularen Energiesystemen.

Conference presentations and posters | 2021

Price cointegration in the Austrian sawmill industry with a focus on by-products

Fuhrmann M, Dißauer C, Strasser C, Schmid E. Price cointegration in the Austrian sawmill industry with a focus on by-products. 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, EUBCE 2021. 26-29 April 2021.

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Other Publications | 2021

Probenahmen, Messung, Behandlung von Chrom VI in Holzaschen

Retschitzegger S. Probenahmen, Messung, Behandlung von Chrom VI in Holzaschen. 23. Österreichischer Biomassetag & Heizwerke-Betreibertag. September 2021.

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Other Publications | 2021

Raising awareness and changing behaviour with the traveling combustion education - The CleanAir II project

Schwabl M. Raising awareness and changing behaviour with the traveling combustion education - The CleanAir II project. IEA Bioenergy End-of-Triennium Conference. December 2021.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Real-life emissions from residential wood combustion in Austria: From TSP emissions to PAH emission profiles, diagnostic ratios and toxic risk assessment

B Kirchsteiger, F Kubik, R Sturmlechner, H Stressler, M Schwabl, M Kistler, A Kasper-Giebl. Real-life emissions from residential wood combustion in Austria: From TSP emissions to PAH emission profiles, diagnostic ratios and toxic risk assessment. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 2021.12:8.

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Residential wood combustion is, besides particulate emissions, also linked to emissions of organic compounds, comprising various toxic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Although, literature data has shown that highest emissions occur during maloperations caused by the user itself, most studies focus on lab-testing not reflecting the situation in the field. This study evaluates the real-life situation in Austria, investigating emissions of total suspended particles (TSP) and particle-bound substances of four manually operated room heaters commonly installed in people's homes. Measurements were conducted within a field measurement campaign realized in the scope of the Clean Air by biomass project. To evaluate the impact of the users' habit two types of combustion experiments were performed, one representing the diversity of possible maloperations and one realized under optimized conditions following a strict optimization protocol. As special focus was laid on PAHs, sampling was realized using a dilution system adapted for the use in the field. Generally, optimization lead to a clear decrease of most compounds (i.e. TSP, OC, EC, PAHs), however, emissions of the anhydrosugar levoglucosan were not affected at all. Total PAH emissions could be clearly reduced, moreover, optimization lead to a shift towards low molecular weight PAHs and thus, less toxic ones, clearly reflected by lower toxicity equivalents. Correlation analysis using the Spearman's rank method showed significantly high correlations among the individual PAH congeners, and rather low ones with other target substances.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Single Pellet Combustion of Sewage Sludge and Agricultural Residues with a Focus on Phosphorus

Häggström G, Hannl TK, Hedayati A, Kuba M, Skoglund N, Öhman M. Single Pellet Combustion of Sewage Sludge and Agricultural Residues with a Focus on Phosphorus. Energy & Fuels. 8 June 2021.

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Recycling of phosphorus in combination with increased utilization of bioenergy can mitigate material and global warming challenges. In addition, co-combustion of different fuels can alleviate ash-related problems in thermal conversion of biomass. The aim of this study is to investigate the ash transformation reactions of mainly P in co-combustion of P-rich sewage sludge (SS) with K-rich sunflower husks (SH) and K- and Si-rich wheat straw (WS). Single pellets of 4 mixtures (10 and 30 wt % SS in WS and 15 and 40 wt % SS in SH) and pure SS were combusted in an electrically heated furnace at process temperatures relevant for fluidized bed combustion (800 and 950 °C). Collected ash fractions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma techniques, ion chromatography, scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were performed to interpret the results. Over 90% of K and P was found to be captured within the residual ash with 30–70% P in crystalline K-bearing phosphates for mixtures with low amounts of SS (WSS10 and SHS15). The significant share of K and P in the amorphous material could be important for P recovery. For the lower percentage mixtures of SS (WSS10 and SHS15), P in crystalline phases was mainly found in K-whitlockite and CaKPO4. For the higher percentage SS mixtures, most of P was found in whitlockites associated with Fe and Mg, and no crystalline phosphates containing K were detected. For P recovery, co-combustion of the lower SS mixtures is favorable, and they are suggested to be further studied concerning the suitability for plant growth.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Steam gasification of biomass – Typical gas quality and operational strategies derived from industrial-scale plants

Larsson A, Kuba M, Berdugo Vilches T, Seemann M, Hofbauer H, Thunman H. Steam gasification of biomass – Typical gas quality and operational strategies derived from industrial-scale plants. Fuel Processing Technology. 2021.212:106609.

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Steam gasification enables the thermochemical conversion of solid fuels into a medium calorific gas that can be utilized for the synthesis of advanced biofuels, chemicals or for heat and power production. Dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasification is at present the technology applied to realize gasification of biomass in steam environment at large scale. Few large-scale DFB gasifiers exist, and this work presents a compilation and analysis of the data and operational strategies from the six DFB gasifiers in Europe. It is shown that the technology is robust, as similar gas quality can be achieved despite the differences in reactor design and operation strategies. Reference concentrations of both gas components and tar components are provided, and correlations in the data are investigated. In all plants, adjusting the availability and accessibility to the active ash components (K and Ca) was the key to control the gas quality. The gas quality, and in particular the tar content of the gas, can conveniently be assessed by monitored the concentration of CH4 in the produced gas. The data and experience acquired from these plants provide important knowledge for the future development of the steam gasification of biomass.

Reports | 2021

Supervisory control of large-scale solar thermal systems

Task 55 Towards the Integration of Large SHC Systems into DHC Networks

Gölles M, Unterberger V, Kaisermayer V, Nigitz T, Muschick D. "Supervisory control of large-scale solar thermal systems". IEA SHC FACTSHEET 55.A-D4.1. Date of Publication: 28.01.2021. https://task55.iea-shc.org/fact-sheets

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Overview on different approaches for supervisory control strategies,deciding on operating modes and set points for the controls of the different plants and componentsintegrated in solar thermal systems.

Reports | 2021

Tailoring of the pore structures of wood pyrolysis chars for potential use in energy storage applications

Maziarka P, Sommersacher P, Wang X, Kienzl N, Retschitzegger S, Prins W, Hedin N, Ronsse F. Tailoring of the pore structures of wood pyrolysis chars for potential use in energy storage applications. Applied Energy.2021.286:116431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.116431

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Char obtained from biomass pyrolysis is an eco-friendly porous carbon, which has potential use as a material for electrodes in supercapacitors. For that application, a high microporous specific surface area (SSA) is desired, as it relates to the accessible surface for an applied electrolyte. Currently, the incomplete understanding of the relation between porosity development and production parameters hinders the production of tailor-made, bio-based pyrochars for use as electrodes. Additionally, there is a problem with the low reliability in assessing textual properties for bio-based pyrochars by gas adsorption. To address the aforementioned problems, beech wood cylinders of two different lengths, with and without pre-treatment with citric acid were pyrolysed at temperatures of 300–900 °C and analysed by gas adsorption. The pyrolyzed chars were characterised with adsorption with N2 and CO2 to assess the influence of production parameters on the textual properties. The new approach in processing the gas adsorption data used in this study demonstrated the required consistency in assessing the micro- and mesoporosity. The SSA of the chars rose monotonically in the investigated range of pyrolysis temperatures. The pre-treatment with citric acid led to an enhanced SSA, and the length of the cylinders correlated with a reduced SSA. With pyrolysis at 900 °C, the micro-SSAs of samples with 10 mm increased by on average 717 ± 32 m2/g. The trends among the investigated parameters and the textual properties were rationalized and provide a sound basis for further studies of tailor-made bio-based pyrochars as electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Techno-economic optimization of islanded microgrids considering intra-hour variability

Mathiesen P, Stadler M, Kleissl J, Pecenak Z. Techno-economic optimization of islanded microgrids considering intra-hour variability. Applied Energy. 2021.304:117777.

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The intra-hour intermittency of solar energy and demand introduce significant design challenges for microgrids. To avoid costly energy shortfalls and mitigate outage probability, islanded microgrids must be designed with sufficient distributed energy resources (DER) to meet demand and fulfill the energy and power balance. To avoid excessive runtime, current design tools typically only utilize hourly data. As such, the variable nature of solar and demand is often overlooked. Thus, DER designed based on hourly data may result in significant energy shortfalls when deployed in real-world conditions. This research introduces a new, fast method for optimizing DER investments and performing dispatch planning to consider intra-hour variability. A novel set of constraints which operate on intra-hour data are implemented in a mixed-integer-linear-program microgrid investment optimization. Variability is represented by the single worst-case intra-hour fluctuation. This allows for fast optimization times compared to other approaches tested. Applied to a residential microgrid case study with 5-minute intra-hour resolution, this new method is shown to maintain optimality within 2% and reduce runtime by 98.2% compared to full-scale-optimizations which consider every time-step explicitly. Applicable to a variety of technologies and demand types, this method provides a general framework for incorporating intra-hour variability into microgrid design.

Other papers | 2021

The robust exact differentiator toolbox revisited: Filtering and discretization features.

Andritsch B, Horn M, Koch S, Niederwieser H, Wetzlinger M, Reichhartinger M. The robust exact differentiator toolbox revisited: Filtering and discretization features. in 2021 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics, ICM 2021. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 2021. 9385675 https://doi.org/10.1109/ICM46511.2021.9385675

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An extended version of a Simulink ® -block providing on-line differentiation algorithms based on discretized sliding-mode concepts is presented. Based on user-specified settings it computes estimates of the time-derivatives of the input signal up to order ten. Different discrete-time estimation algorithms as well as optional filtering properties can be selected. The paper includes an overview of the implemented algorithms, a detailed explanation of the developed Simulink ® -block and two examples. The first example illustrates the application of the toolbox in a numerical simulation environment whereas the second one shows results obtained via an electrical laboratory setup.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Ultra-low temperature water-gas shift reaction catalyzed by homogeneous Ru-complexes in a membrane reactor - membrane development and proof of concept

Logemann M, Wolf P, Loipersböck J, Schrade A, Wessling M, Haumann M. Ultra-low temperature water-gas shift reaction catalyzed by homogeneous Ru-complexes in a membrane reactor - membrane development and proof of concept. Catalysis Science and Technology. 2021.11(4):1558-1570. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CY02111C

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A monolithic membrane reactor combining the supported ionic liquid-phase (SILP) catalyzed ultra-low temperature water–gas shift reaction (WGSR) with in situ product removal is presented. The SILP catalyst consists of the transition metal complex [Ru(CO)3Cl2]2 homogeneously dissolved in 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride [C4C1C1Im]Cl and supported on alumina pellets. These Ru-SILP pellets are deposited inside the channels of a silicon carbide monolith. The resulting monolithic catalyst is very active and stable in the WGSR in the temperature range between 120 and 160 °C, thereby making full use of the high equilibrium conversion at these conditions. A facilitated transport membrane was coated onto the smooth outside of the SiC monolith to allow preferential removal of CO2 compared to H2. The proof of this concept has been shown under industrially relevant conditions using a biogas feed. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the combination of homogeneous SILP catalyzed WGSR with enhanced in situ removal of one of the products (here: CO2) via facilitated transport membrane separation.

Peer reviewed papers | 2021

Valorisation of starch wastewater by anaerobic fermentation

Drosg B, Neubauer M, Marzynski M, Meixner K. Valorisation of starch wastewater by anaerobic fermentation. Applies Sciences (Switzerland). 2021.11(21):10482.

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Starch production is mainly focused on feedstocks such as corn, wheat and potato in the EU, whereas cassava, rice, and other feedstocks are utilised worldwide. In starch production, a high amount of wastewater is generated, which accumulates from different process steps such as washing, steeping, starch refining, saccharification and derivatisation. Valorisation of these wastewaters can help to improve the environmental impact as well as the economics of starch production. Anaerobic fermentation is a promising approach, and this review gives an overview of the different utilisation concepts outlined in the literature and the state of the technology. Among bioenergy recovery processes, biogas technology is widely applied at the industrial scale, whereas biohydrogen production is used at the research stage. Starch wastewater can also be used for the production of bulk chemicals such as acetone, ethanol, butanol or lactic acids by anaerobic microbes.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

"Long-term verification of a new modular method for CO-lambda-optimisation"

Zemann C, Hammer F, Gölles M. Long-term verification of a new modular method for CO-lambda-optimisation. 6th Central European Biomass Conference CEBC 2020 (Oral Presentation). 2020.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

A MILP-based modular energy management system for urban multi-energy systems: Performance and sensitivity analysis

Moser AGC, Muschick D, Gölles M, Nageler PJ, Schranzhofer H, Mach T et al. A MILP-based modular energy management system for urban multi-energy systems: Performance and sensitivity analysis. Applied Energy. 2020;2020(261). 114342.

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The continuous increase of (volatile) renewable energy production and the coupling of different energy sectors such as heating, cooling and electricity have significantly increased the complexity of urban energy systems. Such multi-energy systems (MES) can be operated more efficiently with the aid of optimization-based energy management systems (EMS). However, most existing EMS are tailor-made for one specific system or class of systems, i.e. are not generally applicable. Furthermore, only limited information on the actual savings potential of the usage of an EMS under realistic conditions is available. Therefore, this paper presents a novel modular modeling approach for an EMS for urban MES, which also enables the modeling of complex system configurations. To assess the actual savings potential of the proposed EMS, a comprehensive case study was carried out. In the course of this the influence of different user behavior, changing climatic conditions and forecast errors on the savings potential was analyzed by comparing it with a conventional control strategy. The results showed that using the proposed EMS in conjunction with supplementary system components (thermal energy storage and battery) an annual cost savings potential of between 3 and 6% could be achieved.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

A modular energy management system for multi-energy systems

Muschick D, Kaisermayer V, Moser A, Gölles M. A modular energy management system for multi-energy systems. 6th Central European Biomass Conference, 22-24 January 2020, Graz.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

A novel production route and process optimization of biomass-derived paraffin wax for pharmaceutical application

Gruber H, Lindner L, Arlt S, Reichhold A, Rauch R, Weber G, Trimbach J, Hofbauer H. A novel production route and process optimization of biomass-derived paraffin wax for pharmaceutical application. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020;275:124135

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The Biomass to Liquid (BtL) Fischer-Tropsch (FT) route converts lignocellulosic feedstock to renewable hydrocarbons. This, paper shows a novel production route for biomass-derived synthetic paraffin wax via gasification of lignocellulosic feedstock, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) and hydrofining. The Fischer-Tropsch wax was fractionated, refined and analyzed with respect to compliance to commercial standards. The fractioned paraffin waxes were hydrofined using a commercial sulfide NiMo–Al2O3 catalyst and a trickle bed reactor. A parametric variation was performed to optimize the hydrofining process. It was shown that the produced medium-melt paraffin wax could fulfill the requirements for “Paraffinum solidum” defined by the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur). The high-melt wax fraction showed potential to be used as food packaging additive. Furthermore, the renewable wax was analyzed regarding PAH content and it was shown that the hydrofined wax was quasi-PAH-free.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Advanced biomass CCHP (BIO-CCHP) based on gasification, SOFC and cooling machines

Lagler J, Martini S. Advanced biomass CCHP (BIO-CCHP) based on gasification, SOFC and cooling machines. 6th Central European Biomass Conferenc, 2020, Graz.

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Other papers | 2020

Advanced modular process analysis tool for biomass-based Chemical Looping systems

Steiner T, Schulze K, Scharler R. Advanced modular process analysis tool for biomass-based Chemical Looping systems. 3RD DOCTORAL COLLOQUIUM BIOENERGY. 2020.

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In order to limit global warming to 1.5 °C compared to the pre-industrial temperature level, zero net CO2 emissions are needed on a global scale until 2050. A Chemical Looping (CL) process represents a technological system which is CO2-negative when using biomass as fuel and thus can substantially contribute to this target. In principle, the process uses a metal oxide as oxygen carrier material (OC) which is cyclically oxidized by air or steam and reduced by the fuel. Without air as the direct oxygen source for fuel conversion, high calorific product gases or pure carbon dioxide in case of combustion are obtained after the condensation of water vapor, which can then be stored or further utilized.
Within the funded project ”BIO-LOOP”, different Chemical Looping processes (for example combustion, gasification, hydrogen production) and reactors (fixed bed, fluidized bed) are investigated numerically and experimentally. An advanced process analysis tool based on mass and energy balances of the system considered will be presented. It provides data about the specific internal and external streams, process conditions and efficiencies. Within the analysis tool, various independent modular units describe individual process steps, e.g. mixing, chemical reaction or splitting. These components can be adjusted, combined and interconnected according to the flow chart of the system. The process model represents the first step towards a flexible Chemical Looping reactor simulation toolbox to analyze various process scenarios. Emphasis is put on the flexibility regarding the fuels and oxygen carriers, their conversion and possible process variations. The tool developed will support upcoming CFD modeling and further economic considerations.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Advanced Test Methods for Pellet Stoves

Reichert G, Schmidl C. Advanced Test Methods for Pellet Stoves. 6th Central European Biomass Conference, 2020, Graz.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Advanced Test Methods for Pellet Stoves – A Technical Review

Reichert G, Schwabl M, Schmidl C. Advanced Test Methods for Pellet Stoves – A Technical Review. 6th Central European Biomass Conference (oral presentation) 2020.

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Third party testing of direct heating appliances fueled with pellets has been established in many countries worldwide. The main goals are ensuring operation safety and a minimum level of performance of the products prior to market implementation. This kind of approval procedure for new products requires testing standards, certified testing bodies and a legal framework defining minimum requirements for specified performance parameters which are assessed in the respective standards.

While the overall targets are quite similar for all countries having set-up such procedures, the practical implementation of these targets in the national/international testing standards is remarkably different. This applies to both, the way of operating the appliance during the testing and the measurements performed during the testing.

Furthermore several industries were requested recently to modify their product standards towards more realistic operating conditions. The most famous example is car industry, but this request may also apply to biomass heating systems.

 

Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Alkaline Ethanol Oxidation Reaction on Carbon Supported Ternary PdNiBi Nanocatalyst using Modified Instant Reduction Synthesis Method

Cermenek B, Genorio B, Winter T, Wolf S, Connell JG, Roschger M, Letofsky-Papst I, Kienzl N, Bitschnau B, Hacker V. Alkaline Ethanol Oxidation Reaction on Carbon Supported Ternary PdNiBi Nanocatalyst using Modified Instant Reduction Synthesis Method. Electrocatalysis. 2020.11:203-204.

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Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFC) still lack active and efficient electrocatalysts for the alkaline ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). In this work, a new instant reduction synthesis method was developed to prepare carbon supported ternary PdNiBi nanocatalysts with improved EOR activity. Synthesized catalysts were characterized with a variety of structural and compositional analysis techniques in order to correlate their morphology and surface chemistry with electrochemical performance. The modified instant reduction synthesis results in well-dispersed, spherical Pd85Ni10Bi5 nanoparticles on Vulcan XC72R support (Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(II-III)), with sizes ranging from 3.7 ± 0.8 to 4.7 ± 0.7 nm. On the other hand, the common instant reduction synthesis method leads to significantly agglomerated nanoparticles (Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(I)). EOR activity and stability of these three different carbon supported PdNiBi anode catalysts with a nominal atomic ratio of 85:10:5 were probed via cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using the rotating disk electrode method. Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(II) showed the highest electrocatalytic activity (150 mA⋅cm−2; 2678 mA⋅mg−1) with low onset potential (0.207 V) for EOR in alkaline medium, as compared to a commercial Pd/C and to the other synthesized ternary nanocatalysts Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(I) and Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(III). This new synthesis approach provides a new avenue to developing efficient, carbon supported ternary nanocatalysts for future energy conversion devices.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Anaerobic Digestion Optimization for Biogas and Biomethane Production

Ionel I, Drosg B. Anaerobic Digestion Optimization for Biogas and Biomethane Production. 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (oral presentation) 2020.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Applicability of Torrefied Sunflower Husk Pellets in Small and Medium Scale Furnaces

Kienzl N, Margaritis N, Isemin R, Zaychenko V, Strasser C, Kourkoumpas DS, Grammelis P, Klimov D, Larina O, Sytchev G, Mikhalev A. Applicability of Torrefied Sunflower Husk Pellets in Small and Medium Scale. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2020;275:122882.

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The aim of this paper is to test the applicability of upgraded agricultural biomass feedstock such as torrefied sunflower husks during combustion in small and medium heating applications. Sunflower husk is formed in large quantities at enterprises producing sunflower oil and can be used as biofuel. However, big problems arise due to the low bulk density of husks and the rapid growth of ash deposits on the heating surfaces of boilers. In order to solve these problems, it was proposed to produce pellets from husks, and to subject these pellets to torrefaction. After torrefaction, net calorific value was increased by 29% while the risk of high temperature corrosion of boilers was reduced. Signs of ash softening neither occurred in combustion of raw nor in combustion of torrefied sunflower husk pellets. High aerosol emissions, already present in raw sunflower husk pellets, could not be mitigated by torrefaction. First combustion results at medium scale furnaces indicated that sunflower husk pellets (both raw and torrefied) in a commercial boiler < 400 kW, operated in a mode with low primary zone temperatures (< 850 °C), meet current emission limits. Regarding the future upcoming emission limits according to the European Medium Combustion Plant Directive, additional measures are required in order to comply with the dust limits.

Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Aqueous phase reforming of pilot-scale Fischer-Tropsch water effluent for sustainable hydrogen production

Zoppi G, Pipitone G, Gruber H, Weber G, Reichhold A, Pirone R, Bensaid S. Aqueous phase reforming of pilot-scale Fischer-Tropsch water effluent for sustainable hydrogen production. Catalysis Today.2020.

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Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis produces an aqueous stream containing light oxygenates as major by-product. The low carbon concentration of the organics makes its thermal recovery unprofitable. Thus, novel processes are needed to utilize this waste carbon content. In this work, the aqueous phase reforming of the wastewater obtained from a 15 kWth Fischer-Tropsch plant was explored as a promising process to produce hydrogen at mild temperatures. The FT product water was firstly characterized and afterward subjected to the reforming at different reaction temperatures and time, using a platinum catalyst supported on activated carbon. It was observed that, besides activity, the selectivity towards hydrogen was favored at higher temperatures; equally, increasing the reaction time allowed to obtain the total conversion of most molecules found in the solution, without decreasing the selectivity and reaching a plateau at 4 hours in the hydrogen productivity. In order to get more insights into the reaction mechanism and product distribution derived from the APR of FT product water, several tests were performed with single compounds, finding characteristic features. The importance of the position of the hydroxyl group in the molecule structure was highlighted, with secondary alcohols more prone to dehydrogenation pathways compared to primary alcohols. Moreover, no interference among the substrates was reported despite the mixture is constituted by several molecules: in fact, the results obtained with the real FT product water were analogous to the linear combination of the single compound tests. Finally, the reuse of the catalyst showed no appreciable deactivation phenomena.

Other Publications | 2020

Betrieb bei maximaler Effizienz und minimalen Emissionen durch CO-lambda-Optimierung

Zemann C, Hammer F, Gölles M. Betrieb bei maximaler Effizienz und minimalen Emissionen durch CO-lambda-Optimierung. Informationstag für Biomassegenossen-schaften Bildungshaus Sankt Magdalena. February 2020.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2020

BIOCHAR - Reaction kinetics under gasification conditions by experimental tests with TGA

Lagler J, Martini S, Kienzl N, Loder A. BIOCHAR - Reaction kinetics under gasification conditions by experimental tests with TGA. 6th Central European Biomass Conference. 2020. Graz.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Biochar’s reaction kinetics under gasification conditions by experimental tests with TGA

Lagler J, Martini S, Kienzl N, Loder A. Biochar’s reaction kinetics under gasification conditions by experimental tests with TGA. 6th Central European Biomass Conference (poster). 2020.

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During the last years biomass evolved into one of the most important energy sources in Central Europe. Depending on the atmosphere, different types of thermochemical processes can be differentiated: pyrolysis, gasification and combustion, whereas pyrolysis operates without any oxygen in the atmosphere, combustion with the highest ratio of oxygen. Depending on the conversion technology and conversion conditions, different products can be generated: heat, cooling power and electrical power, liquid, gaseous and solid products, such as hydrogen, FT-fuels and biochar.
This work focuses on the valorisation of solid side products of gasification based biomass CHP-systems to increase ecologic and economic benefit. Depending on the conversion process of biomass into producer gas this solid residue consists mainly of ash or of so called biochar with high carbon content. Increasing the amount of biochar leads to a decrease of producer gas, but, with the high market potential of biochar, the economic benefits increase. According to its characteristics (e.g. purity, surface structure) different applications can be addressed and therefore different prices can be achieved. Therefore, extended research on biochar treatment processes and related reaction kinetics of biochar is from crucial importance for the development and optimisation of downstream upgrading processes in order to reach the desired quality of the biochar. In the past, such considerations of utilising side products, like biochar, have not been in the centre of attention during the design phase of gasification reactors. Therefore, the establishment of a finishing-treatment of biochar extracted from a gasification process is under investigation. The focus of this paper lies on the reaction kinetics of biochar activation itself and not the primary material (biomass). In order to derivate correlations between reaction kinetics and atmosphere compositions as well as temperature, experimental test runs are conducted with a Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA) including a steam furnace, which enables studies of mass and energy changes under defined absolute humidity. To produce applicable and reliable data, the limitations of the TGA-test-setup are evaluated with examinations on variations of sample mass, bulk density, particle size distribution and the gas flow. On this basis the test design is defined with certain specifications on the sample preparation and a constant flow velocity. The investigated biochar taken out the gasification process is dried, milled and sieved for the TGA-tests. The main part is devoted to conduct a detailed investigation changing the content of moisture (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as the temperature. The tests are operated at a temperature range between 700 and 1000°C, H2O-concentrations from 0 to 80 vol% and CO2-concentrations also in the range of 0 to 80 vol%. These systematic experimental variations provide the basis for a model of the reaction kinetics of biochar under different boundary conditions. The data is to be evaluated via the generic model including temperature and the partial pressures of CO2 and H2O. Afterwards it will be matched with conventional models (e.g. Arrhenius plot, linear regression models) to determine their suitability. One of those models was used in the paper of Ollero et al, where the influence of CO2 on the reaction kinetics of olive residue was investigated. 1First results show that the reaction rate of biochar is much lower than the one of olive residue. Effects of treatment conditions on the surface properties are investigated by taking out the treated samples after a defined treatment period at a defined mass loss and subsequent surface analysis (BET, pore size/volume distribution) of the samples. In first BET surface analysis, the treatments of biochar with vapour lead to a surface of approximately 1000m²/g whereas the original sample has a BET surface lower than 150m²/g. This finding leads to the question how the reaction kinetics of a treatment process influences the surface change. The obtained data is taken as basis for developing an upgrading process for biochar to a high value product of the gasification process. In order to prove the suitability of TGA-tests for identifying optimised treatment conditions, further research shall demonstrate the correlation of the lab-scale TGA-results with experiences of pilot scale tests.
 

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Biofuels for transport decarbonisation Country specific assessment for Finland, Sweden, Germany, USA and Brazil

Matschegg D, Biofuels for transport decarbonisation Country specific assessment for Finland, Sweden, Germany, USA and Brazil. 6th Central European Biomass Conference, 22-24 January 2020, Graz.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Biological Methanation Processes

Drosg B, Wellinger A. Biological Methanation Processes. 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (oral presentation) 2020.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Biomass pyrolysis TGA assessment with an international round robin

Anca-Couce A, Tsekos C, Retschitzegger S, Zimbardi F, Funke A, Banks S, Kraia T, Marques P, Scharler R, de Jong W, Kienzl N. Biomass pyrolysis TGA assessment with an international round robin.Fuel.2020;276:118002.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.118002

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The large variations found in literature for the activation energy values of main biomass compounds (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) in pyrolysis TGA raise concerns regarding the reliability of both the experimental and the modelling side of the performed works. In this work, an international round robin has been conducted by 7 partners who performed TGA pyrolysis experiments of pure cellulose and beech wood at several heating rates. Deviations of around 20 – 30 kJ/mol were obtained in the activation energies of cellulose, hemicellulose and conversions up to 0.9 with beech wood when considering all experiments. The following method was employed to derive reliable kinetics: to first ensure that pure cellulose pyrolysis experiments from literature can be accurately reproduced, and then to conduct experiments at different heating rates and evaluate them with isoconversional methods to detect experiments that are outliers and to validate the reliability of the derived kinetics and employed reaction models with a fitting routine. The deviations in the activation energy values for the cases that followed this method, after disregarding other cases, were of 10 kJ/mol or lower, except for lignin and very high conversions. This method is therefore proposed in order to improve the consistency of data acquisition and kinetic analysis of TGA for biomass pyrolysis in literature, reducing the reported variability.

Reports | 2020

C200600_2 - Fluidization experiments February 2020

Fürsatz K, Kuba M. C200600_2 - Fluidization experiments February 2020. Bericht Versuchskampagne. February 2020

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Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Challenges and recent results in microalgae research

Meixner K. Challenges and recent results in microalgae research. 6th Central european biomass conference, 2020, Graz.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2020

CleanAir by biomass

Sturmlechner R, Stressler H, Golicza L, Reichert G, Schwabl M, Höftberger E, Kelz J. CleanAir by biomass. 6th Central European Biomass Conference, 2020, Graz.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Combined influence of inorganics and transport limitations on the pyrolytic behaviour of woody biomass

Almuina-Villar H, Sommersacher P, Retschitzegger S, Anca-Couce A, Dieguez-Alonso A. Combined influence of inorganics and transport limitations on the pyrolytic behaviour of woody biomass. Chemical Engineering Transactions. 2020.80:73-78

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A deeper understanding and quantification on the influence of inorganic species on the pyrolysis process, combined with the presence of heterogeneous secondary reactions, is pursued in this study. Both chemical controlled and transport limited regimes are considered. The former is achieved in a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) with fine milled biomass in the mg range, while the latter is investigated in a particle level reactor with spherical particles of different sizes. To account for the influence of inorganics, wood particles were washed and doped with KCl aqueous solutions, resulting in K concentrations in the final wood of around 0.5% and 5% on dry basis. Gas species and condensable volatiles were measured online with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas analyzer. The removal of inorganic species delayed the pyrolysis reaction to higher temperatures and lowered char yields. The addition of inorganics (K) shifted the devolatilization process to lower temperatures, increased char and water yields, and reduced CO production among others. Higher heating rates and temperatures resulted in lower char, water, and light condensable yields, but significantly higher CH4 and other light hydrocarbons, as well as CO. The increase in these yields can be attributed, at least in part, to the gas phase cracking reactions of the produced volatiles. Larger particle size increased the formation of char, CH4 and other light hydrocarbons, and light condensables for low and high pyrolysis temperatures, while reduced the release of CO2 and H2O. This novel data set allows to quantify the influence of each parameter and can be used as basis for the development of detailed pyrolysis models which can include both the influence of inorganics and transport limitations when coupled into particle models.

Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of energy generation from waste wood and forest residues: The effect of resource-efficient additives

Corona B, Shen L, Sommersacher P, Junginger M. Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of energy generation from waste wood and forest residues: The effect of resource-efficient additives. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020. 259:120948.

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Combustion of waste wood can cause slagging, fouling and corrosion which lead to boiler failure, affecting the energy efficiency and the lifetime of the power plant. Additivation with mineral and sulfur containing additives during waste wood combustion could potentially reduce these problems. This study aims at understanding the environmental impacts of using additives to improve the operational performance of waste wood combustion. The environmental profiles of four energy plants (producing heat and/or power), located in different European countries (Poland, Austria, Sweden and Germany), were investigated through a consequential life cycle assessment (LCA). The four energy plants are all fueled by waste wood and/or residues. This analysis explored the influences of applying different additives strategies in the four power plants, different wood fuel mixes and resulting direct emissions, to the total life cycle environmental impacts of heat and power generated. The impacts on climate change, acidification, particulate matter, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity and cumulative energy demand were calculated, considering 1 GJ of exergy as functional unit. Primary data for the operation without additives were collected from the power plant operators, and emission data for the additives scenarios were collected from onsite measurements. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the expected increase of energy efficiency. The analysis indicated that the use of gypsum waste, halloysite and coal fly ash decreases the environmental impacts of heat and electricity produced (average of 12% decrease in all impacts studied, and a maximum decrease of 121%). The decrease of impacts is mainly a consequence of the increase of energy generation that avoids the use of more polluting marginal technologies. However, impacts on acidification may increase (up to 120% increase) under the absence of appropriate flue gas cleaning systems. Halloysite was the additive presenting the highest benefits.

Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Control of biomass grate boilers using internal model control

Schörghuber C, Gölles M, Reichhartinger M, Horn M. Control of Biomass Grate Boilers using Internal Model Control. Control engineering practice. 2020.

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A new model-based control strategy for biomass grate boilers is presented in this paper. Internal model control is used to control four outputs of the plant and to achieve a control structure with fewer control parameters needing to be experimentally tuned. A nonlinear state–space model describing the essential behaviour of the biomass grate boiler is used for controller design. The inverse system dynamics representing the main part of internal model control are designed with the help of this model. In doing so the properties of differentially flat systems are used. Due to a time delayed input, the inverse system is determined only for three input output channels. The stabilization of the inverse system dynamics, however, is a challenging task. A stabilization method with the help of the time delayed input is suggested and a stability analysis is given. The new control strategy has only three parameters to be tuned, representing a major reduction of complexity in comparison to existing model-based approaches. Finally, experimental results of the implemented control strategy on representative biomass grate boiler with a nominal capacity of 180 kW are presented and compared to an existing model-based control strategy based on input output linearization. The experimental evaluation proves that it is possible to operate the biomass boiler in all load ranges with high efficiency and low pollutant emissions.

Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Correction to: Investigation of solid oxide fuel cell operation with synthetic biomass gasification product gases as a basis for enhancing its performance

Pongratz G, Subotić V, Schroettner H, Stoeckl B, Hochenauer C, Anca-Couce A, Scharler R. Correction to: Investigation of solid oxide fuel cell operation with synthetic biomass gasification product gases as a basis for enhancing its performance. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 2020

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The authors want to acknowledge, that during the production of the final version of the publication the image for Figure 9 has been replaced with the image for Figure 12, however without changing the content of the paper. This issue is resolved in the current version of the publication.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Customizing biomass as reducing agent in blast furnace steelmaking – Reduction potential and fluidization

Deutsch R, Strasser C, Martini S, Kienzl N. Customizing biomass as reducing agent in blast furnace steelmaking – Reduction potential and fluidization. 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (oral presentation) 2020.

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The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is an important issue for iron and steel industry. One possibility is to use biomass-based reducing agents, also called bioreducers, to replace at least partly the fossil reducer agents. In a first step woody biomass was treated in a lab-scale muffle furnace and afterwards ground with a ball mill. The powder characteristics were investigated in respect to the flow behavior. For a certain treatment temperature the particle size distribution and as well the flow behavior shows similarities to lignite. The next stage was to identify relations between powder characteristics and its fluidization behavior. A fluidization device was assembled and used to determine the minimum fluidization gas velocity for various bioreducer powders.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Das neue Holzwärmeszenario "Holz ersetzt Heizöl"

Schmidl C, Reichert G. Das neue Holzwärmeszenario "Holz ersetzt Heizöl". World Sustainable Energy Days 2020, Wels, Austria (oral presentation). 2020.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Decentralized heating grid operation: A comparison of centralized and agent-based optimization

Lichtenegger K, Leitner A, Märzinger T, Mair C, Moser A, Wöss D, Schmidl C, Pröll T. Decentralized heating grid operation: A comparison of centralized and agent-based optimization. Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks. 2020;2020(21).

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Moving towards a sustainable heat supply calls for decentralized and smart heating grid solutions. One promising concept is the decentralized feed-in by consumers equipped with their own small production units (prosumers). Prosumers can provide an added value regarding security of supply, emission reduction and economic welfare, but in order to achieve this, in addition to advanced hydraulic control strategies also superordinate control strategies and appropriate market models become crucial.

In this article we study methods to find a global optimum for the local energy community or at least an acceptable approximation to it. In contrast to standard centralized control approaches, based either on expert rules or mixed integer linear optimization, we adopt an agent-based, decentralized approach that allows for incorporation of nonlinear phenomena. While studied here in small-scale systems, this approach is particularly attractive for larger systems, since with an increasing number of interacting units, the optimization problem becomes more complex and the computational effort for centralized approaches increases dramatically.

The agent-based optimization approach is compared to centralized optimization of the same prosumer-based setting as well as to a purely central setup. The comparison is based on the quality of the optimization solution, the computational effort and the scalability. For the comparison of these three approaches, three different scenarios have been set up and analysed for four seasons. In this analysis, no approach has emerged as clearly superior to the others; thus each of them is justified in certain situations.

Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Detailed experimental investigation of the spatially distributed gas release and bed temperatures in fixed-bed biomass combustion with low oxygen concentration

Archan G, Anca-Couce A, Gregorc J, Buchmayr M, Hochenauer C, Gruber J, Scharler R. Detailed experimental investigation of the spatially distributed gas release and bed temperatures in fixed-bed biomass combustion with low oxygen concentration. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2020;141:105725

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This publication focuses on the experimental investigation of a novel small-scale fuel flexible biomass combustion technology with a fixed-bed employing a low oxygen concentration. It was obtained through a low primary air ratio and the additional supply of recirculated flue gas. The plant was operated with spruce wood chips, which contained three different mass fractions of water, and miscanthus pellets. All relevant components of the released gas above the fixed-bed were measured, as well as the 3D bed temperature distribution. The balances confirmed a high experimental data consistency. Therefore, it was possible to determine the location of the four different conversion zones inside the fixed-bed: drying, pyrolysis, char gasification and char oxidation. The reduction of CO2 to CO in the char reduction zone worked efficiently across the entire grate area. Furthermore, the results showed that the water mass fraction of the fuel did not influence the dry product gas composition, but significantly affected the location for the release of pyrolysis products such as tars. It was found that the low oxygen concentration in the fixed-bed combined with flue gas recirculation was an effective method to reduce bed temperatures and therefore its inorganic emissions while significantly increasing feedstock flexibility. The investigations provided fundamental findings on the conversion and release behavior of the new technology under real operating conditions and are very useful for further experimental work and CFD simulations targeting the reduction of PM and NOX emissions.

Conference presentations and posters | 2020

Detailed investigations of high terpene concetrations in biogas laboratory trials

Knoll L, Sumethberger-Hasinger M, Nussbaumer M, Dalnodar D, Loibner A, Drosg B. Detailed investigations of high terpene concetrations in biogas laboratory trials. 6th Central European Biomass Conference, 22-24 January 2020, Graz.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2020

Developing an adsorption-based gas cleaning system for a dual fluidized bed gasification process

Loipersböck J, Weber G, Rauch R, Hofbauer H. Developing an adsorption-based gas cleaning system for a dual fluidized bed gasification process.Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. 2020.

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Biomass has the potential to make a major contribution to a renewable future economy. If biomass is gasified, a wide variety of products (e.g., bulk chemicals, hydrogen, methane, alcohols, diesel) can be produced. In each of these processes, gas cleaning is crucial. Impurities in the gas can cause catalyst poisoning, pipe plugging, unstable or poisoned end products, or harm the environment. Aromatic compounds (e.g., benzene, naphthalene, pyrene), in particular, have a huge impact on stable operation of syngas processes. The removal of these compounds can be accomplished by wet, dry, or hot gas cleaning methods. Wet gas cleaning methods tend to produce huge amounts of wastewater, which needs to be treated separately. Hot gas cleaning methods provide a clean gas but are often cost intensive due to the high operating temperatures and catalysts used in the system. Another approach is dry or semi-dry gas cleaning methods, including absorption and adsorption on solid matter. In this work, special focus was laid on adsorption-based gas cleaning for syngas applications. Adsorption and desorption test runs were carried out under laboratory conditions using a model gas with aromatic impurities. Adsorption isotherms, as well as dynamics, were measured with a multi-compound model gas. Based on these results, a temperature swing adsorption process was designed and tested under laboratory conditions, showing the possibility of replacing conventional wet gas cleaning with a semi-dry gas cleaning approach.

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