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Conference presentations and posters | 2023

BEST-Halbtag

Sustainable biorefineries and digitalization

Schwalb M, Wopienka E, Drosg B, Kuba M, Weber G, Eßl M, Gölles M, Kaiermayer V, Liedte P, Fuhrmann M.BEST-Halbtag: Sustainable biorefineries and digitalization. 7th Central European Biomass Conference CEBC 2023. 18. January 2023. Graz. Oral Presentation.

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List of presentations:

Biorefineries

  • Learnings from biomass combustion towards future bioenergy applications (M. Schwabl)
  • Green Carbon perspectives for regional sourcing and decarbonization (E. Wopienka)
  • Bioconversion processes for renewable energy and/or biological carbon capture and utilisation (B. Drosg)
  • Second generation biomass gasification: The Syngas Platform Vienna – current status and outlook (M. Kuba)
  • Utilization of syngas for the production of fuel and chemicals – recent developments and outlook (G. Weber)

Digital methods, tools and sustainability

  • Evaluation of different numerical models for the prediction of NOx emissions of small-scale biomass boilers (M. Eßl)
  • Digitalization as the basis for the efficient and flexible operation of renewable energy technologies (M. Gölles)
  • Smart Control for Coupled District Heating Networks (V. Kaisermayer)
  • Integrated energy solutions for a decentral energy future - challenges and solutions (P. Liedtke)
  • Wood-Value-Tool: Techno-economic assessment of the forest-based sector in Austria (M. Fuhrmann)

Peer reviewed papers | 2023

Early layer formation on K-feldspar during fluidized bed combustion with phosphorus-rich fuel

Faust R, Fürsatz K, Aonsamang P, Sandberg M, Kuba M, Skoglund N, Pavleta Knutsson. Early layer formation on K-feldspar during fluidized bed combustion with phosphorus-rich fuel. Fuel. January 2023.331:125595.

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K-feldspar was utilized as bed material for fluidized bed combustion of bark, chicken manure, and their mixture. Bed samples were extracted after 4 and 8 h and the samples were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy to study the impact of P-rich chicken manure on the bed material. The results were compared to fixed bed exposures with different orthophosphates to investigate their influence in detail.

The fresh bed material used for this study exhibited an uneven surface with many cavities which facilitated the deposition and retention of the fuel ash. Utilizing pure chicken manure as fuel led to the formation of Ca- and P-rich particles which accumulated in these cavities. At the same time, larger ash particles were formed which consisted of the elements found in chicken manure ash. The co-combustion of bark and chicken manure led to the interaction of the two ash fractions and the formation of a thicker ash layer, which consisted of elements from both fuel ashes, namely Ca, P, Si, K and S. The layer appeared to be partially molten which could be favorable for the deposition of ash particles and thereby the formation of a mixed Ca/K-phosphate. Fixed bed exposures of the K-feldspar particles with Na3PO4 or K3PO4 caused particle agglomeration which means presence of alkali-phosphates should be limited.

The co-combustion of bark with chicken manure showed promising results both regarding a shift from Ca-phosphates to more bioavailable Ca/K-phosphates and an acceleration in ash layer formation. The formation of an ash layer after only 4 h of exposure with the mixture of bark and chicken manure could be advantageous for catalytic activation of the bed material.


Other Publications | 2023

Efficiency increase of biomass combustion systems by a modular CO-lambda optimization: method and results from long-term verification

Zemann C, Max A, Gölles M, Horn M. Efficiency increase of biomass combustion systems by a modular CO-lambda optimization: method and results from long-term verification. 7. Mitteleuropäische Biomassekonferenz: CEBC 2023. 19. Jan 2023. Oral presentation.

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Introduction and motivation
A key objective for the operation of biomass boilers is to achieve the highest possible efficiency while emitting the lowest possible pollutant emissions. In order to automate this task, CO-lambda optimization methods have been proposed in literature that ensure that the biomass boiler is operated at the lowest excess air ratio at which no relevant pollutant emissions occur, maximizing efficiency as a result. Since this optimal excess air ratio depends on various external factors, such as fuel properties, CO-lambda optimization methods continuously incorporate new measurements of the excess air ratio and the carbon monoxide content of the flue gas and estimate a new optimal excess air ratio during operation.
While achieving promising results in lab-scale tests, none of the CO-lambda optimization methods presented in literature has yet been able to gain practical acceptance. Either they are not robust enough and provide inaccurate estimates of the optimal excess air ratio or they are too slow and do not allow the optimal excess air ratio to be tracked sufficiently quickly. With the goal of providing a method that is fit for practical application, this publication presents a new modular approach for CO-lambda optimization that determines the optimal excess air ratio robustly and quickly, i.e. in real time.


Method
The new approach for CO-lambda optimization approximates the correlation between the excess air ratio and the carbon monoxide content of the flue gas, the CO-lambda characteristic, with a continuous, algebraic, non-linear model function. For this purpose, it uses a recursive-least-squares algorithm to continuously identify the model function’s parameters that lead to the optimal fit with the measured data, which are the excess air ratio and carbon monoxide content of the flue gas. From these model parameters, the optimal excess air ratio is calculated and defined as a desired value for the biomass boiler’s existing controller. This existing controller then ensures, that the biomass boiler is operated with this desired optimal excess air ratio, thus, maximizing efficiency and decreasing pollutant emissions. As a result, this new approach for CO-lambda optimization is entirely modular and can be applied to any biomass boiler with an existing control strategy capable of accurately adjusting the excess air ratio. For the measurement of the carbon monoxide content of the flue gas, a separate sensor has to be used. For this study the commercially available and proven in-situ exhaust gas sensor “KS1D” provided by the company LAMTEC has been used.


Long-term verification
The new approach for CO-lambda optimization was tested and validated at a biomass boiler with a nominal capacity of 2.5 MW that supplies a local heating network and combusts wood chips with a water content ranging from 30 w.t.% to 50 w.t.%. The long-term validation took place over an entire heating period, i.e. 5 months from November to March, during which the biomass boiler was operated alternately with the new approach for CO-lambda optimization and the standard control strategy, which means a constant desired residual oxygen content. In total the new approach for CO-lambda optimization was active for 1155 operating hours while the standard control strategy was active for 1310 operating hours. Compared to the standard control strategy, the new approach for CO-lambda optimization increased the biomass boiler’s efficiency by 3.8%, decreased total dust emissions by 19.5% and reduced carbon monoxide emissions on average (median) by 200 mg/m³. This demonstrates that the new approach for CO-lambda optimization is not only robust enough to run over a long period of time, it also leads to significant improvements in the biomass boiler’s operation. In addition, following these results, this new approach for CO-lambda optimization has also successfully been implemented and demonstrated at another biomass boiler with a nominal capacity of 1 MW where it has already been active for several months. This contribution presents the new approach to CO-lambda optimization in detail and discusses its technological and economic impact.


Peer reviewed papers | 2023

Fault detective: Automatic fault-detection for solar thermal systems based on artificial intelligence

Feierl L, Unterberger V, Rossi C, Gerardts B, Gaetani M. Fault detective: Automatic fault-detection for solar thermal systems based on artificial intelligence. Solar Energy Advances 2023;3:100033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seja.2023.100033.

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Fault-Detection (FD) is essential to ensure the performance of solar thermal systems. However, manually analyzing the system can be time-consuming, error-prone, and requires extensive domain knowledge. On the other hand, existing FD algorithms are often too complicated to set up, limited to specific system layouts, or have only limited fault coverage. Hence, a new FD algorithm called Fault-Detective is presented in this paper, which is purely data-driven and can be applied to a wide range of system layouts with minimal configuration effort. It automatically identifies correlated sensors and models their behavior using Random-Forest-Regression. Faults are then detected by comparing predicted and measured values.

The algorithm is tested using data from three large-scale solar thermal systems to evaluate its applicability and performance. The results are compared to manual fault detection performed by a domain expert. The evaluation shows that Fault-Detective can successfully identify correlated sensors and model their behavior well, resulting in coefficient-of-determination scores between R²=0.91 and R²=1.00. In addition, all faults detected by the domain experts were correctly spotted by Fault-Detective. The algorithm even identified some faults that the experts missed. However, the use of Fault-Detective is limited by the low precision score of 30% when monitoring temperature sensors. The reason for this is a high number of false alarms raised due to anomalies (e.g., consecutive days with bad weather) instead of faults. Nevertheless, the algorithm shows promising results for monitoring the thermal power of the systems, with an average precision score of 91%.


Conference presentations and posters | 2023

IEA Cross TCP Workshop: Towards a flexible, cross sectoral energy supply

Gölles M, Schubert T, Lechner M, Mäki E, Kuba K, Leusbrock I, Unterberger V, Schmidt D. IEA Cross TCP Workshop: Towards a flexible, cross sectoral energy supply.7th Central European Biomass Conference CEBC 2023. 18. January 2023. Graz. Oral Presentation.

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A sustainable energy supply can only be achieved by a flexible, cross-sectoral energy system utilizing the specific advantages of the various renewable technologies. In this workshop possible roles of different technologies will be discussed based on a previous discussion of the users’ needs among the different sectors. In this a special focus should be given on the flexibility provision via the heating sector. By bringing together different users, representing municipal and industrial energy supply, and technological experts from different IEA Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCP) the workshop should support a holistic discussion.

List of presentations: 

  • Wien Energie‘s vision of a sustainable energy and ressource supply of Vienna, Teresa Schubert, Wien Energie, Austria
  • Digitalization of energy management systems – optimization of internal energy use as an industrial company, Maria Lechner, INNIO Jenbacher, Austria
  • Flexible Bioenergy and System Integration, Elina Mäki, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland Task Leader – IEA Bioenergy Task 44 Flexible Bioenergy and System Integration
  • Use Case: Syngas platform Vienna for utilization of biogenic residues, Matthias Kuba, BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies, Austria
  • Transformation of District Heating and Cooling Systems towards high share of renewables, Ingo Leusbrock, AEE INTEC, Austria – Lead of Austrian delegation – IEA DHC Annex TS5 Integration of Renewable Energy Sources into existing District Heating and Cooling Systems
  • Opportunities offered by long-term heat storages and large-scale solar thermal systems, Viktor Unterberger, BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies, Austria Task Manager – IEA SHC Task 68 Efficient Solar District Heating Systems
  • Possibilities through digitalization on the example of District Heating and Cooling, Dietrich Schmidt, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE, Germany – Operating Agent – IEA DHC Annex TS4 Digitalisation of District Heating and Cooling

List of contributing IEA Tasks:

 


Other Publications | 2023

Operational optimization and error detection in biomass boilers by model based monitoring: methods and practice

Zemann C, Niederwieser H, Gölles M. Operational optimization and error detection in biomass boilers by model based monitoring: methods and practice. 7. Mitteleuropäische Biomassekonferenz: CEBC 2023. 20. Jan 2023. Oral presentation.

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One of the main tasks for operators of medium- and large-scale biomass boilers is the continuous operational monitoring of these plants in order to assess their performance, detect errors and identify possibilities for operational optimization. However, due to the high complexity of this task, errors are frequently detected too late or not at all, which can lead to even more costly secondary errors. In addition, possibilities for optimization remain unused in many existing plants, resulting in unnecessary pollutant emissions and low efficiencies.
To assist operators in performing this task and to achieve a high level of automation, methods for the automated, model-based monitoring of such plants have been focus of recent research activities. In this contribution, we will discuss the numerous possibilities provided by the application of such methods in a practical context. For this purpose, we present selected results from previous activities, demonstrating how methods for model-based monitoring were applied at combustion plants and used to enable automated error detection and support operational optimization.


Exemplary result 1: We developed a soft-sensor which accurately estimates the non-measurable internal state of heat exchangers and implemented it at a large-scale combustion plant with a nominal capacity of 38.2 MW. This soft-sensor uses a dynamic mathematical model of the heat exchanger in combination with measured data to determine a new estimate for the heat exchanger’s internal state every second. Based on this estimate, the soft-sensor accurately detects fouling and determines the non-measurable flue gas mass flow in real time. The estimated flue gas mass flow was used in a model-based control strategy which resulted in significant improvements of the combustion plant’s operational behaviour and load modulation capabilities. These results are discussed in this contribution.


Exemplary result 2: We developed a method for the real-time estimation of non-measurable fuel properties, i.e. chemical composition, bulk density, lower heating value, in biomass boilers. These estimates were subsequently used in a model-based control strategy and enabled the improvement of the biomass boiler’s fuel flexibility. Results of this estimator achieved for different biomass fuels, e.g. poplar wood chips, corncob grits and standard wood pellets, are discussed in this contribution.
On the basis of these selected results, it will be examined which possibilities arise from the use of methods for model-based monitoring in biomass boilers and also how these results can be extended to other technologies such as biomass gasifiers.


Peer reviewed papers | 2023

SWOT Analysis of Non-Technical and Technical Measures towards “(Nearly) Zero-Emission Stove Technologies”

Reichert G, Schmidl C. SWOT Analysis of Non-Technical and Technical Measures towards “(Nearly) Zero-Emission Stove Technologies”. Energies. February 2023.16,3,1388.

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Firewood stoves are widespread and popular for renewable heat supply in Europe. Several new technological measures have been developed recently that aim at improving the appliance performance in terms of emissions and efficiency. In order to support the trend towards “(nearly) zero-emissions technologies”, the objective of this study was to provide a profound overview of the most relevant technical primary and secondary measures for emission reduction and to analyze their functionality, the relevant framework conditions for their application and their costs. Since user behavior is essential for emission and efficiency performance, the state of knowledge about user behavior is summarized and the latest measures for its optimization are evaluated as non-technical primary measures. Primary and secondary measures were analyzed separately, but also potentially promising combinations of primary and secondary optimization were evaluated using SWOT analysis. The results showed that complementary application of primary and secondary measures will be necessary in order to achieve “(nearly) zero-emission technologies”. The paper is useful for manufacturers and provides them with guidance and recommendations for future developments. They can specifically select appropriate measures for their products and applications not only based on technical aspects, but also with a strong focus on user behavior and user comfort.


Peer reviewed papers | 2023

Synthetic oxygen carrier C28 compared to natural ores for chemical looping combustion with solid fuels in 80 kWth pilot plant experiments

Fleiss B, Priscak J, Fuchs J, Müller S, Hofbauer H. Synthetic oxygen carrier C28 compared to natural ores for chemical looping combustion with solid fuels in 80 kWth pilot plant experiments. Fuel. 15 February 2023. 334.

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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 oxygen carrier (OC) in a dual fluidized bed to generate clean CO2. The use of solid fuels, especially biomass, is the focus of current research, because of the possibility of “negative” CO2-emissions. The OC is a key component, because it must meet special requirements for solid fuels, which are different to gaseous fuels. Most frequently naturals ores or synthetic materials are used as OC. Synthetic OC are characterised by higher reactivity at the expense of higher costs. For this reason, so far not so many experiments have been conducted on a larger scale with synthetic OC on solid CLC. This work deals with the synthetic perovskite C28 and investigating the suitability as oxygen carrier in an 80 kWth pilot plant for chemical looping combustion with biogenic fuels. The experiments show a significantly increased combustion efficiency of 99.6 % compared to natural ores and a major influence of the solid circulation rate on general performance, whereby carbon capture rates up to 98.3 % were reached. Furthermore, the role of the fuel reactor's counter-current flow column and its impact on better gas conversion was investigated. C28 suffered no deactivation or degradation over the experimental time, but first traces of ash layer formation, phase shifting and attrition of fines could be detected. The focus of further research should lie on long-term stability and reactivity for their high impact on the economic scale up of C28.


Other Publications | 2022

A control strategy for optimising the operational behaviour of biomass boilers

Zemann C. A control strategy for optimising the operational behaviour of biomass boilers. 2022. 225 S.

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Biomassefeuerungen spielen eine Schlüsselrolle in der Energiewende hin zu einem vollständig erneuerbaren Energiesystem. Allerdings müssen sie sich zukünftigen Herausforderungen stellen, um weiterhin relevant zu bleiben. Einerseits müssen Biomassefeuerungen mit dem höchstmöglichen Wirkungsgrad arbeiten, um wirtschaftlich rentabel zu bleiben während sie gleichzeitig eine hohe Lastmodulationsfähigkeit aufweisen müssen, um für eine breitere Palette von Anwendungen eingesetzt werden zu können. Andererseits müssen Biomassefeuerungen immer strengere Grenzwerte für Schadstoffemissionen einhalten und gleichzeitig in der Lage sein, neue und alternative Biomassebrennstoffe mit geringerer Qualität zu verbrennen.

In dieser Arbeit wird eine modellbasierte Regelungsstrategie entwickelt, die es Biomassefeuerungen ermöglicht, all diese Herausforderungen zu meistern. Diese Regelungsstrategie besteht aus drei Teilen, einer Verbrennungsregelung, einem Zustands- und Parameterschätzer und einer Methode zur CO-lambda-Optimierung. Alle drei Teile werden in dieser Arbeit hergeleitet und im Detail diskutiert, insbesondere im Hinblick auf ihre Implementierung an realen Biomassefeuerungen. Darüber hinaus werden alle drei Teile der modellbasierten Regelungsstrategie durch Simulationsstudien sowie durch eine Implementierung in realen Biomassefeuerungen verifiziert.

Als Grundlage für die modellbasierte Regelungsstrategie wird ein mathematisches Modell abgeleitet, welches das dynamische Verhalten der Prozesse in der Biomassefeuerungen einschließlich des Einflusses der Brennstoffeigenschaften beschreibt. Die berücksichtigten Brennstoffeigenschaften sind die Schüttdichte und die chemische Zusammensetzung einschließlich des Wasser- und Aschegehalts sowie der untere Heizwert.

Die Verbrennungsregelung nutz die Stellglieder der Biomassefeuerung um dessen stabilen Betrieb zu gewährleisten und schnelle Laständerungen zu ermöglichen. Diese modellbasierte Regelstrategie berücksichtigt durch ihre Formulierung, die auf dem oben genannten mathematischen Modell basiert, explizit alle relevanten Brennstoffeigenschaften. Dadurch reagiert sie gezielt auf Änderungen dieser Brennstoffeigenschaften und kompensiert direkt deren Einfluss auf den Betrieb der Biomassefeuerung. Gleichzeitig weist sie eine einfache Struktur auf und ist daher leicht zu implementieren und zu warten. Diese modellbasierte Verbrennungsregelung wird sowohl in Simulationsstudien als auch durch Experimente nach einer Implementierung an einer realen Biomassefeuerung verifiziert.

Es wird ein kombinierter Zustands- und Parameterschätzer entwickelt, der gleichzeitig die Brennstoffeigenschaften, die anschließend von der Verbrennungsregelung verwendet werden, und die Zustandsgrößen der Biomassefeuerungen in Echtzeit schätzt. Er basiert auf einem erweiterten Kalman-Filter, der das in dieser Arbeit vorgestellte mathematische Modell verwendet. Diese Methode wird für verschiedene Brennstoffeigenschaften sowohl in Simulationsstudien als auch durch Messdaten aus realen Biomassefeuerungen verifiziert. Die Ergebnisse dieser Verifikation zeigen, dass diese Methode in der Lage ist, die Brennstoffeigenschaften und Zustandsgrößen auch bei Last- oder Brennstoffwechseln genau zu bestimmen.

Um einen Betrieb der Biomassefeuerung mit möglichst hohem Wirkungsgrad und möglichst geringen Schadstoffemissionen zu gewährleisten, wird eine Methode zur CO-lambda-Optimierung entwickelt. Diese Methode verwendet einen erweiterten Kalman-Filter in Kombination mit Messdaten des Sauerstoffgehalts und des CO-Gehalts des Rauchgases zur Bestimmung eines optimalen Luftüberschussverhältnisses für den aktuellen Zustand der Biomassefeuerung. Diese Methode wird an einer realen Biomassefeuerung in einer Langzeitvalidierung über mehrere Monate verifiziert und validiert. Während dieser Langzeitvalidierung führte die Anwendung dieser Methode zur CO-lambda-Optimierung zu einer Wirkungsgradsteigerung von 3,8 %, einer Reduktion der CO-Emissionen um durchschnittlich 200 mg/m³ sowie einer Verringerung der Gesamtstaubemissionen um durchschnittlich 19 %.

Zusammenfassend ermöglicht die in dieser Arbeit vorgestellte modellbasierte Regelungsstrategie es, Biomassefeuerungen mit den geringstmöglichen Schadstoffemissionen und dem höchstmöglichen Wirkungsgrad zu betreiben und dabei ein hohes Maß an Brennstoffflexibilität und Lastmodulationsfähigkeit zu erreichen. Darüber hinaus weist die Regelungsstrategie eine geringe Komplexität auf und ist leicht in realen Biomassefeuerungen zu implementieren und zu warten. Dies ermöglicht den breiten Einsatz dieser Regelungsstrategie an bestehenden und zukünftigen Biomassefeuerungen. Dies unterstützt die weitere Verbreitung von Biomassefeuerungen im Energiesystem, was zur Reduzierung der CO2e-Emissionen beiträgt und auch die verstärkte Nutzung anderer, volatiler erneuerbarer Technologien, wie z.B. solarthermischer Anlagen, ermöglicht.


Peer reviewed papers | 2022

A multi-layer model of stratified thermal storage for MILP-based energy management systems

Muschick D, Zlabinger S, Moser A, Lichtenegger K, Gölles M. A multi-layer model of stratified thermal storage for MILP-based energy management systems. Applied Energy. 2022 May 15;315.118890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.118890

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Both the planning and operation of complex, multi-energy systems increasingly rely on optimization. This optimization requires the use of mathematical models of the system components. The model most often used to describe thermal storage, and especially in the common mixed-integer linear program (MILP) formulation, is a simple integrator model with a linear loss term. This simple model has multiple inherent drawbacks since it cannot be applied to represent the temperature distribution inside of the storage unit. In this article, we present a novel approach based on multiple layers of variable size but fixed temperature. The model is still linear, but can be used to describe the most relevant physical phenomena: heat losses, axial heat transport, and, at least qualitatively, axial heat conduction. As an additional benefit, this model makes it possible to clearly distinguish between heat available at different temperatures and thus suitable for different applications, e.g., space heating or domestic hot water. This comes at the cost of additional binary decision variables used to model the resulting hybrid linear dynamics, requiring the use of state-of-the-art MILP solvers to solve the resulting optimization problems. The advantages of the more detailed model are demonstrated by validating it against a standard model based on partial differential equations and by showing more realistic results for a simple energy optimization problem.


Other Publications | 2022

Application of Optimization-based Energy Management Systems for Interconnected District Heating Networks

Kaisermayer V, Muschick D, Gölles M, Rosegger W, Binder J, Kelz J. Application of Optimization-based Energy Management Systems for Interconnected District Heating Networks. 22. Styrian Workshop on Automatic Control. 6 Sep. 2022. Leitring/Wagna, Österreich.

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Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Ash transformation during single-pellet gasification of sewage sludge and mixtures with agricultural residues with a focus on phosphorus

Hannl TK, Häggström G, Hedayati A, Skoglund N, Kuba M, Marcus Öhman. Ash transformation during single-pellet gasification of sewage sludge and mixtures with agricultural residues with a focus on phosphorus. Fuel Processing Technology. March 2022.227:107102.

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The recovery of phosphorus (P) from sewage sludge ashes has been the focus of recent research due to the initiatives for the use of biogenic resources and resource recovery. This study investigates the ash transformation chemistry of P in sewage sludge ash during the co-gasification with the K-Si- and K-rich agricultural residues wheat straw and sunflower husks, respectively, at temperatures relevant for fluidized bed technology, namely 800 °C and 950 °C. The residual ash was analyzed by ICP­AES, SEM/EDS, and XRD, and the results were compared to results of thermochemical equilibrium calculations. More than 90% of P and K in the fuels were retained in the residual ash fraction, and significant interaction phenomena occurred between the P-rich sewage sludge and the K-rich ash fractions. Around 45–65% of P was incorporated in crystalline K-bearing phosphates, i.e., K-whitlockite and CaKPO4, in the residual ashes with 85–90 wt% agricultural residue in the fuel mixture. In residual ashes of sewage sludge and mixtures with 60–70 wt% agricultural residue, P was mainly found in Ca(Mg,Fe)-whitlockites and AlPO4. Up to about 40% of P was in amorphous or unidentified phases. The results show that gasification provides a potential for the formation of K-bearing phosphates similar to combustion processes.


Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Assessment of measurement methods to characterize the producer gas from biomass gasification with steam in a fluidized bed

Anca-Couce A, von Berg L, Pongratz G, Scharler R, Hochenauer C, Geusebroek M, Kuipers J, Vilela CM, Kraia T, Panopoulos K, Funcia I, Dieguez-Alonso A, Almuina-Villar H, Tsiotsias T, Kienzl N, Martini S. Assessment of measurement methods to characterize the producer gas from biomass gasification with steam in a fluidized bed. Biomass and Bioenergy 2022.163:106527

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Measuring the producer gas from biomass gasification is very challenging and the use of several methods is required to achieve a complete characterization. Various techniques are available for these measurements, offering very different affordability or time demand requirements and the reliability of these techniques is often unknown. In this work an assessment of commonly employed measuring methods is conducted with a round robin. The main permanent gases, light hydrocarbons, tars, sulfur and nitrogen compounds were measured by several partners employing a producer gas obtained from fluidized bed gasification of wood and miscanthus with steam. Online and offline methods were used for this purpose and their accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility are here discussed. The results demonstrate the reliability of gas chromatography for measuring the main permanent gases, light hydrocarbons, benzene and H2S, validating the obtained results with other methods. An online method could also measure NH3 with a reasonable accuracy, but deviations were present for compounds at even lower concentrations. Regarding tar sampling and analysis, the main source of variability in the results was the analysis of the liquid samples, especially for heavier compounds. The presented work pointed out the need for a complementary use of several techniques to achieve a complete characterization of the producer gas from biomass gasification, and the suitability of certain online techniques as well as their limitations.


Conference presentations and posters | 2022

Automatic Thermal Model Identification and Distributed Optimisation for Load Shifting in City Quarters

Moser A, Kaisermayer V, Muschick D, Zemann C, Gölles M, Hofer A, Brandl D, Heimrath R, Mach T, Tugores C R, Ramschak, T. Automatic Thermal Model Identification and Distributed Optimisation for Load Shifting in City Quarters. 2nd International Sustainable Energy Conference: ISEC 2022. Graz, 07/04/2022. Oral presentation.

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Modern buildings with floor heating or thermally activated building structures (TABS) offer a significant potential for shifting the thermal load and thus reduce peak demand for heating or cooling. This potential can be realized with the help of model predictive control (MPC) methods, provided that sufficiently descriptive mathematical models describing the thermal characteristics of the individual thermal zones exist. Creating these by hand or from more detailed simulation models is infeasible for large numbers of zones; instead, they must be identified automatically based on measurement data. We present an approach using only open source tools based on the programming language Julia that allows to robustly identify simple thermal models for heating and cooling usable in MPC optimization. The resulting models are used in a distributed optimization scheme that co-ordinates the individual zones and buildings of a city quarter in order to best support an energy hub.


Other papers | 2022

Automatic thermal model identification and distributed optimization for load shifting in city quarters

Moser AGC, Kaisermayer V, Muschick D, Gölles M, Hofer A, Brandl D, Heimrath R, Mach T, Ribas Tugores C, Ramschak T. Automatic thermal model identification and distributed optimization for load shifting in city quarters. in Conference Proceedings - 2nd International Sustainable Energy Conference. 2022. S. 302-303 https://doi.org/10.32638/isec2022

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Modern buildings with floor heating or thermally activated building structures (TABS) offer a significant
potential for shifting the thermal load and thus reduce peak demand for heating or cooling. This potential can be realized with the help of model predictive control (MPC) methods, provided that sufficiently descriptive mathematical models describing the thermal characteristics of the individual thermal zones exist. Creating these by hand or from more detailed simulation models is infeasible for large numbers of zones; instead, they must be identified automatically based on measurement data. We present an approach using only open source tools based on the programming language Julia that allows to robustly identify simple thermal models for heating and cooling usable in MPC optimization. The resulting models are used in a distributed optimization scheme that co-ordinates the individual zones and buildings of a city quarter in order to best support an energy hub.


Other Publications | 2022

ÖKO-OPT-AKTIV: Optimiertes Regelungs- und Betriebsverhalten thermisch aktivierter Gebäude zukünftiger Stadtquartiere

Abschlussworkshop

Muschick D, Kaisermayer V. ÖKO-OPT-AKTIV - Optimiertes Regelungs- und Betriebsverhalten thermisch aktivierter Gebäude zukünftiger Stadtquartiere. Präsentation beim Abschlussworkshop in Graz, 16.09.2022.

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Other Publications | 2022

CleanAir2 project – citizen science investigating real-life emission from firewood stove

Schwabl M. CleanAir2 project – citizen science investigating real-life emission from firewood stove. Workshop 2: Advances in Instrumentation Used for Wood Heater Testing and Field Data Collection. March 2022.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2022

Conference contribution - Energy and Climate Transformations 3rd International Conference on Energy Research & Social Science

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A better understanding of the underlying motives of consumers considering a new RESS (heating,
cooling and electricity) can contribute to create favorable conditions for an energy transition.
Therefore, the main objectives of this research project are to:
▪ Identify motives of consumers interested in ordeciding for a certain RESS
▪ Assess the impact of gender and intersectingaspects, such as age, income and education on these motives.


Other Publications | 2022

Einsatz von Aschen aus Biomassefeuerungen in der Forst- und Landwirtschaft

Retschitzegger S. Einsatz von Aschen aus Biomassefeuerungen in der Forst- und Landwirtschaft. Seminar - Effizienter Heizwerkbetrieb. March 2022

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Other Publications | 2022

Energiegemeinschaften im Tourismussektor

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Der Leitfaden „Energiegemeinschaften im Tourismus“ zeigt, welche Möglichkeiten Energiegemeinschaften für Tourismusbetriebe, ihre Beschäftigten und Menschen, die in Tourismusregionen leben, bieten können und wie eine Energiegemeinschaft ins Leben gerufen werden
kann.


Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Expert survey and classification of tools for modeling and simulating hybrid energy networks

Widl E, Cronbach D, Sorknæs P, Fitó J, Muschick D, Repetto M, Ramousse J, Ianakiev A. Expert survey and classification of tools for modeling and simulating hybrid energy networks. Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks. December 2022.32:100913.

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Sector coupling is expected to play a key role in the decarbonization of the energy system by enabling the integration of decentralized renewable energy sources and unlocking hitherto unused synergies between generation, storage and consumption. Within this context, a transition towards hybrid energy networks (HENs), which couple power, heating/cooling and gas grids, is a necessary requirement to implement sector coupling on a large scale. However, this transition poses practical challenges, because the traditional domain-specific approaches struggle to cover all aspects of HENs. Methods and tools for conceptualization, system planning and design as well as system operation support exist for all involved domains, but their adaption or extension beyond the domain they were originally intended for is still a matter of research and development. Therefore, this work presents innovative tools for modeling and simulating HENs. A categorization of these tools is performed based on a clustering of their most relevant features. It is shown that this categorization has a strong correlation with the results of an independently carried out expert review of potential application areas. This good agreement is a strong indicator that the proposed classification categories can successfully capture and characterize the most important features of tools for HENs. Furthermore, it allows to provide a guideline for early adopters to understand which tools and methods best fit the requirements of their specific applications.


Conference presentations and posters | 2022

Fault Detective - Automatic Fault Detection for Solar Thermal Systems based on Artificial Intelligence

Feierl L, Bolognesi T, Unterberger V, Gaetani M, Gerardts B, Rossi C. Fault Detective - Automatic Fault Detection for Solar Thermal Systems based on Artificial Intelligence. EuroSun 2022. 25 - 29 September 2022. Kassel, Germany. Oral Presentation.

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Conference presentations and posters | 2022

FAULT DETECTIVE: FAULT DETECTION FOR SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS

Feierl L, Bolognesi T, Unterberger V, Geatani M, Gerardts B. FAULT DETECTIVE: FAULT DETECTION FOR SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS. ISEC 2022. 05 - 07. April 2022, Graz. Poster presentation.

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The task of fault detection is very important for plant operators to react to faults early and to keep the
system running at optimal performance. As this task is quite complex and time-consuming, automatic
approaches can greatly support the monitoring personnel during their work. However, not many
algorithms for fault detection at solar thermal systems are available yet. Existing approaches typically
need too much configuration time, cannot be applied to complex system layouts, or only cover a small
portion of potential faults. Hence, this work introduces FaultDetective, a fault detection algorithm with
minimal needs for configuration. For each desired sensor, FaultDetective automatically identifies the
most important input features for modelling its behaviour and trains an accurate machine learning
model. Faults can then be detected by comparing measurements with predicted values. The main
contributions of this work thus are (1) a detailed description of FaultDetective and (2) its evaluation
focusing on execution-time, prediction accuracy, and the quality of detected faults.


Peer reviewed papers | 2022

Glycogen, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and pigment accumulation in three Synechocystis strains when exposed to a stepwise increasing salt stress

Meixner K, Daffert C, Dalnodar D, Mrázová K, Hrubanová K, Krzyzanek V, Nebesarova J, Samek O, Šedrlová Z, Slaninova E, Sedláček P, Obruča S, Fritz I. Glycogen, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and pigment accumulation in three Synechocystis strains when exposed to a stepwise increasing salt stress. Journal of Applied Phycology. June 2022. 34 (3):1227 - 1241.

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The cyanobacterial genus Synechocystis is of particular interest to science and industry because of its efficient phototrophic metabolism, its accumulation of the polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and its ability to withstand or adapt to adverse growing conditions. One such condition is the increased salinity that can be caused by recycled or brackish water used in cultivation. While overall reduced growth is expected in response to salt stress, other metabolic responses relevant to the efficiency of phototrophic production of biomass or PHB (or both) have been experimentally observed in three Synechocystis strains at stepwise increasing salt concentrations. In response to recent reports on metabolic strategies to increase stress tolerance of heterotrophic and phototrophic bacteria, we focused particularly on the stress-induced response of Synechocystis strains in terms of PHB, glycogen and photoactive pigment dynamics. Of the three strains studied, the strain Synechocystis cf. salina CCALA192 proved to be the most tolerant to salt stress. In addition, this strain showed the highest PHB accumulation. All the three strains accumulated more PHB with increasing salinity, to the point where their photosystems were strongly inhibited and they could no longer produce enough energy to synthesize more PHB.


Reports | 2022

Grundlagenforschung Smart- und Microgrids / Endbericht

Innovative, selbstlernende Systemregler für dezentrale Energieressourcen & Microgrids

Michael Zellinger, Michael Stadler

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Mikro-Netze (Microgrids), ein Unterbereich der Intelligenten Strom/Energie-Netze (Smartgrids),
die sich durch eine enge räumliche Bindung von Energieerzeugungseinheiten und Verbraucher
auszeichnen wird international ein sehr starkes Wachstum zugeschrieben. Microgrids sind kleine,
lokale Energienetze für Strom, Wärme und Kälte, die Haushalte, Betriebe und Gemeinden mit
Energie versorgen. Diese lokalen und regionalen Konzepte der Energieversorgung können in
Zukunft einen wesentlichen Beitrag in Richtung Energieunabhängigkeit und effizientere
Integration von Erneuerbaren in das Energiesystem leisten. Sie können ihren Energiebedarf
selbstständig aus erneuerbaren Energien oder anderen Energieformen decken, etwa Biomasse,
Wärmepumpen, PV, Windräder oder Kraftwärmekopplungen. Diese können nach den
individuellen Zielen der Gemeinden, Haushalte oder der Betriebe gesteuert werden, um
Kostenreduktionen, CO2 Einsparungen oder eine Erhöhung des Unabhängigkeitsgrades zu
realisieren. Sie berechnen den aktuellen und zukünftigen Verbrauch und können Energie im
Bedarfsfall dorthin verlagern, wo sie gerade benötigt wird, oder sie reduzieren den
Energieverbrauch direkt.