Focal Areas of the Thermo-Chemical Conversion Department
The focal areas of "Thermo-Chemical Conversion" R&D activities are briefly outlined in the following.
Fuels
Contact: Dipl.-Ing. Nadja Weller (nadja.weller(at)dbfz(dot)de);
Deputy: Dr. rer. nat. Annett Pollex (annett.pollex(at)dbfz(dot)de)
- Treating and pelletising biomass, and process optimisation
- Influencing fuel properties by conditioning
- Investigations into the interactions between fuel properties and the generation of fine dust and emissions in the combustion of biogenic solid fuels in small-scale furnaces with a thermal capacity of less than 1 MW
- Research into new alternative (combination) fuels from biomass
- Fuel labelling
- Creation of a fuels database including combustion-related properties
Test beds
Contact: Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Ing. Justus von Sonntag (justus.von.sonntag(at)dbfz(dot)de)
- Test bed measurements and field measurements
- Plant monitoring and labelling (including manufacturer lists and user impact studies)
- Development of instrumentation and measurement techniques (also in particular for emissions measurement, including secondary aerosol effects and toxicity characterisation)
- Testing of separators, including development of test methods
- Contribution to the national and international standardisation of emission measurement methods
- Specification of scientifically-based limit values and grant aid criteria
- Participation in international round-robin tests
Small-scale furnace systems
Contact: Dr. rer. nat. Ingo Hartmann (ingo.hartmann(at)dbfz(dot)de)
- Optimisation and development of single-chamber furnaces
- Development of high-efficiency, zero-emission automatic biomass solid fuel incinerators in the 2 to 400 kW power range
- Development and optimisation of catalytic exhaust gas cleaning techniques
- Development, optimisation and integration of combination dust separators
- Development, optimisation and integration of thermo-chemical conversion components for small-scale furnaces
CHP plants
Contact: Dr.-Ing. Andreas Ortwein (andreas.ortwein(at)dbfz(dot)de)
Integration concepts – control strategies
- Development and optimisation of controllers for biomass-based combined heat and power systems for buildings, including storage and integration of other renewables
- Development of controllers and control concepts for the demand-led integration of biomass CHP plants into the grid system (including control energy)
- Devising master concepts and drafting requirements specifications for single plants supplying demand-driven energy
Development of flexible (micro) CHP technologies
- Development of micro-CHP plants with 0.2 – 20 kW capacity for biogenic solid fuels
- Concept design and development of next-generation biomass combined heat and power plants (e.g. IGCC)
Research services
- Development of fuels and combustion tests including pre-treatment and additive input (i.e. influence on combustion-related properties) and pelletisation; also trial incineration in small-scale furnaces
- Characterisation of biomasses and analysis of their suitability as fuel
- Assessing and advancing the technical aspects of fuel preparation and infeed
- Analysis of small-scale furnace systems, including secondary exhaust gas treatment on the test bed and in practice with regard to effi ciency and emissions
- Contribution to standardisation and drafting of directives
- Development of small-scale furnace systems (fi ring, exhaust gas cleaning) for all biogenic solid fuels
- Technical and economic assessment of CHP concepts for biogenic solid fuels
- Development of miniature CHP and CCHP (combined cooling, heat and power) plants
- Appraisal of power generated from biogenic sources and heat from co-incineration
- Development of new control concepts for the integration of biomass boiler plants into supply facilities
- Development of small-scale furnace systems and system components for biogenic solid fuels
- Testing and assessment of new separators