Concept and process development and optimisation

Concept and process development play a key role in bioenergy research and as a means of meeting the challenges of evolving political and social conditions. Practical in-house bioenergy developments form the basis of the services on offer. Know-how on the technical state of the art is continually deployed in the ongoing advancement of processes.

Key tools alongside in-house pilot plants are self-developed computer models for the calculation of material and energy flows. These relate to entire biorefineries, or to individual components such as incinerators, gasifiers and synthesisers. In this way, the experiments are supported and enriched by numeric calculations. Depending on the subject under investigation, process flow simulations, using Matlab and Aspen Plus, or CFD models using Open FOAM and Ansys CFD, are employed to provide a detailed understanding of processes and techniques and to enhance the predictive accuracy of the models.

Process flow simulations can be used to analyse the interactions of the various process steps. In particular, the analysis of mass and energy balances of complete or partial biorefineries provides ways to enhance efficiency at an early stage. The results also provide a key basis for economic and ecological analyses. The effects of modifications to existing plants can also be effectively depicted by process flow simulations. CFD simulations depict plants of any scale three-dimensionally, enabling their physical-chemical processes to be analysed. This particularly focuses on investigating flow processes, taking into account the chemical reactions that occur. By varying parameters, the processes can be controlled and optimisation potentials can be identified, for example to reduce emissions from furnaces or enhance the efficiency of synthesiser plants.

An overview of services

• Development of new process concepts

• Calculation of material and energy flows (process balancing)

• Upscaling of processes

• Testing and development of new technologies and process steps

• Optimisation of existing technologies, process steps and material flow management concepts

• CFD and process flow simulations (stationary and dynamic)

• Kinetic measurements for catalysts

• Development of control concepts