Wastewater contains high amounts of unused energy in the form of dissolved ammonia, which can easily be converted into gaseous humidified ammonia via membrane distillation, thus providing a potential fuel for solid oxide fuel cells. This study presents comprehensive investigations of the use of humidified ammonia as the primary fuel component in high-fuel utilization conditions. For these investigations, large planar anode- and electrolyte-supported solid oxide single cells were operated at the respective appropriate temperatures, 800°C and 850°C. Fueled with ammonia, both cells exhibited excellent ammonia conversion ( > 99.5%) in addition to excellent performance output and fuel utilization. In 100 h stability tests performed at 80% fuel utilization, the cells exhibited stable performance, despite scanning electron microscopy analyzes revealing partial impairments to the nickel parts of both cells due to the formation and subsequent decomposition of nickel nitride. This study also demonstrates that methane is a perfect additional fuel component for humidified ammonia streams, as steam supports the internal reforming of methane. Alternating and direct current as well as electrochemical impedance measurements with a variety of ammonia/steam/methane/nitrogen fuel mixtures were used to evaluate the performance potential of the cells, and proved their stability over 48 h in highly polarized conditions.

In large scale industrial processes, such as iron production, or in gasification based process chains (coal/biomass to synthesis gas, fuel, or power, etc.), the separation of CO2 (Carbon Capture-CC) can lead to ecological and procedural benefits. Chemical absorption of CO2 is a well proved technology for CC with comparatively low electrical energy demand. However, the high heat demand, absorption kinetics, CO2 capacity and sorbent degradation are limiting factors for the industrial application. Further investigation and development of sorbent-solutions in relation to specific gas conditions are necessary for optimisation. For testing different sorbent-solutions a mobile test plant was designed and built up. Focus of this work was the evaluation of process key data for CC in blast furnace gas under real conditions. The tests have been carried out continuously up to 300 hours. Aqueous monoethanol-amine (MEA), diethanol-amine (DEA) and methyl-diethanol-amine (MDEA) solutions have been investigated. Detailed analyses of the process gas, analyses of used liquids (chemical properties, degradation products) and the examination of process data lead to further development in process design, control strategies for specific applications and give routes for an efficient implementation of CC to increase the benefit in the overall process chain.

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.

Simple biorefinery concepts for the production of sustainable carbon products are investigated in the GreenCarbon Lab at the Wieselburg site of BEST. The heart of the GreenCarbon Lab consists of two pyrolysis units: A lab-scale reactor for testing new input materials as well as conducting detailed parameter studies to reveal the correlation of input material, process conditions and products formed, and a pilot-scale to implement and validate knowledge gained in the laboratory environment to
produce specific GreenCarbon products. Also, product batches in larger quantities (approx. 0,1 – 5 tons) can be manufactured for subsequent application tests – e.g. as part of industrial trials at company partners. In addition, equipment for process and product analysis enables a detailed study of the conversion reactions and the characterization of the products obtained.

Iron production via blast furnace utilizes coal and coke to reduce iron oxides resulting in high greenhouse gas emissions. This important issue for the iron and steel industry may be mitigated by application of biomass-based reducing agents (bioreducer).

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.

Global trade of biomass-related products is growing exponentially, resulting in increasing 'teleconnections' between producing and consuming regions. Sustainable management of the earth's lands requires indicators to monitor these connections across regions and scales. The 'embodied human appropriation of NPP' (eHANPP) allows one to consistently attribute the HANPP resulting from production chains to consumers. HANPP is the sum of land-use induced NPP changes and biomass harvest. We present the first national-level assessment of embodied HANPP related to agriculture based on a calculation using bilateral trade matrices. The dataset allows (1) the tracing of the biomass-based products consumed in Austria in the year 2000 to their countries of origin and quantifying the HANPP caused in production, and (2) the assigning of the national-level HANPP on Austria's territory to the consumers of the products on the national level. The dataset is constructed along a consistent system boundary between society and ecosystems and can be used to assess Austria's physical trade balance in terms of eHANPP. Austria's eHANPP-trade balance is slightly negative (imports are larger than exports); import and export flows are large in relation to national HANPP. Our findings show how the eHANPP approach can be used for quantifying and mapping the teleconnections related to a nation's biomass metabolism. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Because of the limited resources of fossil fuels the efficient use of renewable energy is gaining importance. Renewable energy from biomass reduces CO2 emissions, which is a necessity to protect the global climate. In the dual fluidised bed steam gasifier wood chips are converted to heat, power and other products very successfully. This work presents alternative feedstocks for this process: biomass wastes, such as waste wood, bark and reed. Waste wood and bark have been gasified successfully and first results of these experiments in the pilot plant are presented in this paper. It has been assessed that reed is also an interesting feedstock suitable for the use in fluidised bed gasifiers.

Kernthema dieses Beitrags ist die ganzheitliche Konzeption von Mikronetze, die sich auf die Reduzierung von Kosten und CO2-Emissionen konzentriert. Mikronetze, oder auch Microgrids, ermöglichen die koordinierte Energieerzeugung von dezentralen Energieressourcen, die Speicherungen der produzierten Energie und ein Lastmanagement zum Ausgleich von Wärme-, Kälte- und Elektrizitätsdienstleistungen. Mikronetze können vom breiteren Versorgungsnetz getrennt werden, können diverse Dienstleistungen erbringen und/oder selbst Energie erzeugen sowie in Überschusszeiten speichern und bei Bedarf wieder Kosten- oder Stabilitäts-orientiert freigeben.
Die mathematische Optimierung dient als unvoreingenommene Alternative für eine gesamtheitliche Planung von dezentralen Energietechnologien. Dieses Kriterium wird bei einer Kosten- oder CO2-Reduktion vor allem dann essentiell, wenn vielfältigen Kombinationen von Technologien und Kapazitäten möglich sind. Modernste Ansätze betrachten jedoch einen quasistatischen Aufbau unter Verwendung linearisierte Modelle und Mixed Integer Linear Optimization (MILP), wobei dynamische Effekte vernachlässigt werden. Unter Berücksichtigung von Lasten, geografischen, ökonomisch-ökologischen und tariflichen Daten sind mathematische Optimierungsalgorithmen in der Lage, verschiedene Anwendungsfälle zu beurteilen, wobei Effekte wie Vorwärmung, Sollwertänderungen oder kurzfristige Sonnenschwankungen unberücksichtigt bleiben. Dies bedeutet, dass die in quasistatischen Ansätzen verwendete Wärme- und Strombilanzen ungenau sein können (eventuell können physikalische Randbedingungen sogar verletzt werden, was zu suboptimalen Ergebnissen bei der Planung führen würde).
Die Notwendigkeit besteht quasistatische Optimierung mit einer weiteren Modellierungsart zu vergleichen und die Auswirkungen auf traditionelle quasistatische Ansätze, wie sie in DER-CAM oder ReOpt eingesetzt werden, aufzudecken. Um Abweichungen - bestehend aus dynamischen oder sogar Rebound Effekten - zu erkennen, werden mit TRNSYS Gebäude- und Anlagensimulationen für eine geplante Siedlungsanlage erstellt und ein Energiekonzept mit dem mathematischen Optimierungsprogramm OptEnGrid berechnet. Der Ansatz wird für vier Doppelhäuser und ein Mehrfamilienhaus getestet. Die Gebäude werden in TRNSYS simuliert und bieten thermische Lastdaten für den Referenzfall. Auch die Stromerzeugung mit PV-Modellen und der elektrische Verbrauch mit synthetischen Lastprofilen sind sowohl in der Optimierung als auch in der Simulation beteiligt. In der elektrischen Stromerzeugung zeigt die mathematische Optimierung bereits eine Abweichung von mehr als 5% auf Jahresbasis zur TRNSYS-Simulation. Ergebnisse im thermischen Energiebereich folgen nach weiterer Auswertung.

Gas-fermentation is the conversion of gaseous feedstocks (e.g. CO2-rich off gases, CO, H2) into
valuable products such as organic acids and alcohols by microorganisms such as clostridia.
By supplying electrical energy (an alternative source of reducing/oxidizing energy), the fermentation
environment can be further optimized, resulting in products with higher purity, a broader product
spectrum and higher cell densities.

The increasing demand for biomass fuels leads to the introduction of new biomass fuels into the market. These new biomass fuels (e.g., wastes and residues from agriculture and the food industry, short rotation coppices, and energy crops) are usually not well-defined regarding their combustion behavior. Therefore, fuel characterization methods with a special focus on combustion-related problems (gaseous NO_x, HCl, and SO_x emissions, ash-melting behavior, and PM emissions) have to be developed. For this purpose, fuel indexes are an interesting option. Fuel indexes are derived from chemical fuel analyses and are checked and evaluated regarding their applicability by measurements performed at lab- and real-scale combustion plants for a large variety of fuels. They provide the possibilities for a pre-evaluation of combustion-relevant problems that may arise from the use of a new biomass fuel. A possible relation to describe the corrosion risk is, for instance, the molar 2S/Cl ratio. The N content in the fuel is an indicator for NO_x emissions, and the sum of the concentrations of K, Na, Zn, and Pb in the fuel can give a prediction of the aerosol emissions, whereas the molar (K + Na)/[x(2S + Cl)] ratio provides a first indication regarding the potential for gaseous HCl and SO_x emissions. The molar Si/K ratio can supply information about the K release from the fuel to the gas phase. The molar Si/(Ca + Mg) ratio can give indications regarding the ash-melting temperatures for P-poor fuels. For P-rich fuels, the (Si + P + K)/(Ca + Mg) ratio can be used for the same purpose. The fuel indexes mentioned can provide a first pre-evaluation of combustion-relevant properties of biomass fuels. Therefore, time-consuming and expensive combustion tests can partly be saved. The indexes mentioned are especially developed for grate combustion plants, because interactions of the bed material possible in fluidized-bed combustion systems are not considered.

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.

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.

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.

This work presents the first results of a newly commissioned biomass-to-liquid Fischer-Tropsch (FT) pilot plant. A 1 MWth dualfluidized bed (DFB) steam gasifier, a 55 Nm3/h 4-step gas cleaning plant and a 250 kW slurry bubble column FT synthesis reactor (SBCR) form the full process chain.

Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is one option to produce liquid transportation fuels from carbon-containing feedstocks. In the past, FT synthesis was used mainly to convert coal or natural gas to diesel and gasoline. In the last decade, much R&D effort has been made to use this technology to convert biomass to a high-quality transportation fuel. In this chapter, the technology for BtL (conversion of biomass to liquid transportation fuels over FT synthesis) is described, from synthesis gas production including requirements on the gas quality to a detailed description of the FT synthesis itself. The main focus of this chapter is to give an overview of the types of catalysts, also including their preparation, reduction, and aging; the types of FT reactors; and also the reaction conditions including kinetic laws and mechanistic proposals.

The global warming, the increasing CO2 emission, the combustion and dependency on fossil fuels, as well as the high-energy prices have resulted in an increasing demand in renewable energy sources. Biomass, as a renewable energy source, has the potential to contribute to the future energy mix in many countries. In this thesis the so-called low temperature or slow pyrolysis is chosen to convert biomass into energy rich products. Pyrolysis is a process to convert biomass directly into solid, liquid and gaseous products by thermal decomposition in absence of oxygen. The goal of the pilot plant Dürnrohr is to generate a combustible gas to substitute fossil fuels in the thermal power plant Dürnrohr. The complete process consists of individual steps. First of all the biomass is pyrolysed and pyrolysis gas and pyrolysis char are produced. The obtained pyrolysis gas is combusted in a fluidized bed combustion chamber implemented as afterburner. The following step is fluidized bed combustion of
the intermediate-stored pyrolysis char. Due to the use of different biomasses and adjustment of the individual steps, the process should be optimized for the application for the power plant Dürnrohr. One major point of the production of the pyrolysis gas is the amount of tar. The tar amount was analyzed during pyrolysis operation to find out how much tar is produced at which process settings with a main focus on the temperature. The gravimetric
analysis included gravimetric tar, dust, entrained char, water content and ph-value, as well as the GC/MS tars of the pyrolysis gas. All these data was sampled, analyzed and evaluated as well as discussed.

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%.

This study aims to determine the fate of P during fluidized bed co-combustion of chicken litter (CL) with K-rich fuels [e.g., wheat straw (WS)] and Ca-rich fuels (bark). The effect of fuel blending on phosphate speciation in ash was investigated. This was performed by chemical characterization of ash fractions to determine which phosphate compounds had formed and identify plausible ash transformation reactions for P. The ash fractions were produced in combustion experiments using CL and fuel blends with 30% CL and WS or bark (B) at 790–810 °C in a 5 kW laboratory-scale bubbling fluidized bed. Potassium feldspar was used as the bed material. Bed ash particles, cyclone ash, and particulate matter (PM) were collected and subjected to chemical analysis with scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDS) and X-ray diffraction. P was detected in coarse ash fractions only, that is, bed ash, cyclone ash, and coarse PM fraction (>1 μm); no P could be detected in the fine PM fraction (<1 μm). SEM–EDS analysis showed that P was mainly present in K–Ca–P-rich areas for pure CL as well as in the ashes from the fuel blends of CL with WS or B. In the WS blend, P was found together with Si in these areas. The crystalline compound containing P was hydroxyapatite in all cases as well as whitlockite in the cases of pure CL and WS blend, of which the latter compound has been previously identified as a promising plant nutrient. The ash fractions from CL and bark blend only contained P in hydroxyapatite. Co-combustion of CL together with WS appears to be promising for P recovery, and ashes with this composition could be further studied in plant growth experiments

Zum Erreichen der Ziele der österreichischen Klimastrategie leisten Biomassefeuerungen einen entscheidenden Beitrag. Um dabei die Luftgüte nicht außer Acht zu lassen, wird in diesem Factsheet der aktuelle und zukünftige Status (bis 2050) von Staubemissionen in Österreich basierend auf Literaturdaten und eigenen Messungen dargelegt, und der aktuelle Kenntnisstand zu Emissionen aus Biomasse-Kleinfeuerungen zusammengefasst.

The so-called “layer model” or “interface-based model” is a simplified single particle model, originally developed for shorter computation time during computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A reactive biomass particle is assumed to consist of successive layers, in which drying, pyrolysis and char conversion occur sequentially. The interfaces between these layers are the reaction fronts. The model has already been validated for drying, pyrolysis and char oxidation. Layer models in the literature have commonly employed surface reactions at the reaction front to describe char conversion. In this work, the suitability of this surface reaction concept is assessed when gasifying biochar. It is shown that a particular layer model, already available, which originally employed surface reactions, was unable to adequately describe the mass loss during gasification of a biochar. In order to overcome this incapability, the model was extended to consider volumetric reactions in the char layer. The influence of intraparticle diffusion was considered through an effectiveness factor. The model is easily adaptable for different gas-solid kinetic rate laws, while still allowing for comparably fast solutions of the model equations. The extended model was validated using theoretical calculations and experimental measurements from literature. It was demonstrated that intraparticle diffusion can significantly slow down the biochar gasification process. A general guideline for when to employ volumetric reactions, rather than surface reactions, and when to consider intraparticle diffusion is provided based on the Thiele modulus as the criterion.

Many processes in environmental biotechnology are working due to the presence of a mix of microbes, with each group playing a specific role, like being responsible for one step of a multistage conversion process. Even in industrial fermentations which have the purpose of producing biomass of one specific microorganism, an accompanying flora of other microbes is almost always present.

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.

There is a need to reduce NO_x emissions, which can only be achieved through a detailed understanding of the mechanisms for their formation and reduction. In this work the release of the NO_x precursors, NH₃ and HCN, for different fuels is experimentally analysed and modelled in typical fixed-bed combustion conditions. It is shown that NH₃ and HCN are released during the main devolatilization phase and the NH₃/HCN ratio increases for fuels with a higher nitrogen content. A simplified two-steps model for their release is presented. The model can predict with a reasonable accuracy the release for fuels with a low nitrogen content, however deviations are present for fuels with a high nitrogen content, which probably arise due to a reduction of NH₃ and HCN taking place already in the bed.

 Ziel der Diplomarbeit war die Bereitstellung von Messdaten für die Entwicklung eines Gasphasenverbrennungsmodells, welches den niedrig-turbulenten Strömungsbereich und den Einfluss der Strähnenbildung auf den Mischungsfortschritt von partiell vorgemischten Flammen über dem Brennstoffbett von Biomasse-Rostfeuerungen abbildet. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Konstruktion und dem Bau eines Flammenreaktors und einer Gasverteilungsstation zur Erzeugung von kalten Strömungen ohne chemische Reaktion und partiell vorgemischten Flammen mit chemischer Reaktion, welche die niedrig-turbulenten Strömungen über dem Brennstoffbett in Biomasse Rostfeuerungen genähert abbilden sollen. Zur Untersuchung der auftretenden Gas- und Luftsträhnen und deren Einfluss auf den Mischungsfortschritt über dem Biomasse Brennstoffbett, wurde für den Versuchsaufbau ein Düsenkonzept zur Gas- und Luftverteilung verwendet. In kalten Strömungen sollen die Mischungseffekte niedrig turbulenter Strömungen sowie der Mischungsfortschritt aufgrund der Strähnenbildung, entkoppelt von chemischen Reaktionen, untersucht werden. In den Flammen gilt es zusätzliche Einflüsse, wie die Expansion des Gases und die chemischen Reaktionen, zu untersuchen. Im Rahmen dieser Diplomarbeit wurden im Flammenreaktor extraktive FTIR- und RGA-Spezieskonzentrationsmessung in kalten Strömungen und in Flammen sowie optische LDA-Gasgeschwindigkeitsmessungen in kalten Strömungen durchgeführt. Für die finalen Messungen wurden nur Gaskonzentrationsmessungen mittels FTIR und RGA durchgeführt und diskutiert, da die LDA-Messeinheit nicht mehr zur Verfügung stand. Die Messergebnisse in kalten Strömungen mit einem CO2/N2-Gasgemisch und einem Luftstrom, liefern rotationssymmetrische CO2- und O2-Konzentrationsprofile. Die Messergebnisse zeigen, dass der Mischungsfortschritt entlang der Strömungsrichtung weitgehend entkoppelt ist von den Gaseintrittsgeschwindigkeiten vGas=2 m/s bis vGas=4. Die Konzentrationsergebnisse der Messungen mit den CO2/N2/Luft-Gemischen konnten mittels einer Stoffbilanz erfolgreich geprüft werden. Die Messergebnisse in kalten Strömungen entsprechen bezüglich der Gasgeschwindigkeiten zwischen 2 und 4 m/s sowie mit den Reynoldszahlen zwischen 800 und 9000 den laminaren bis niedrig-turbulenten Strömungsbedingungen von partiell vorgemischten Flammen über dem Brennstoffbett in Biomasse Rostfeuerungen. Die Messergebnisse der Flammenmessungen mit einem CH4/Luft-Gasgemisch und einem Luftstrom, liefern mit RGA- und FTIR-Messungen nicht reproduzierbare Ergebnisse innerhalb der Flamme und weisen große Gasspeziesasymmetrien in der Flamme auf. Die Messergebnisse zeigen, dass die Gaseintrittsgeschwindigkeiten vGas=2 m/s bis vGas=4 mit dem Verbrennungsfortschritt von CH4 in Strömungsrichtung gekoppelt sind. Die Konzentrationsergebnisse der Flammenmessungen mit einem CH4/Luft-Gemisch konnten mit den vorhandenen Messwerten nicht erfolgreich mittels einer Stoffbilanz geprüft werden. Zusammengefasst liefen die Konzentrationsmessungen in kalter Strömung sehr gute Messergebnisse in Hinblick auf Strömungsstabilität, rotationssymmetrische Strömungsausbildung und Messgenauigkeit. Für Messungen in kalten Strömungen sind die Messverfahren mittels FTIR und RGA zur Konzentrationsmessung und das LDA-Messverfahren zur Gasgeschwindigkeitsmessung zu empfehlen. Die RGA- und FTIR-Konzentrationsmessungen in den Flammen liefern keine zufriedenstellenden Messergebnisse aufgrund von Flammenasymmetrien sowie dem Einfluss der extraktiven Probenahme mittels einer Probenahmelanze. Für Flammenmessungen im Reaktor sind berührungsfreie, optische Messverfahren mit einer hohen Messauflösung zu empfehlen. Durchlichtverfahren benötigen zwei optische Zugänge zum Messraum. Für die Anwendung von Durchlichtverfahren müsste der Flammenreaktor von einem auf zwei optische Zugänge umgebaut werden.  

Der Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit richtet sich auf die Kondensation von Aschedämpfen und die Feinstaubablagerung in Biomasse-befeuerten Kesseln. Zu diesem Zweck wurden in einer Versuchsanlage aschebildende Substanzen verdampft und anschließend auf einer gekühlten Sonde kondensiert. Als Modellsubstanz für die Aschedämpfe der Biomasse wurde Kaliumchlorid verwendet. Das Rauchgas wurde dabei mittels Verbrennung von Erdgas durch einen Gasbrenner zur Verfügung gestellt. Es sollten Informationen darüber gewonnen werden, welche Struktur die Depositionsschicht durch Kondensation oder Feinstaubablagerung ausbildet (Porosität, Homogenität, Festigkeit, Struktur) und wie die gebildete Depositionsschicht den Wärmeübergang beeinflusst. Die Berechnung des Kondensationsmassenstromes der aschebildenden Substanz mittels eines Ähnlichkeitsansatzes zum Wärmeübergang (Lewis-Ansatz) zeigt eine gute Übereinstimmung zu den experimentellen Versuchen. Die Depositionsschicht weist eine sehr hohe Porosität (p > 0,97) auf. Das Wärmeleitmodell „k maximum“ berechnet entsprechende Werte für die Wärmeleitfähigkeit der Depositionsschicht. Die Struktur der gebildeten Depositionsschicht ist von der Oberflächentemperatur der Sonde abhängig. Bei niedriger Sondentemperatur (T1 = 300 °C) bildet sich das Gefüge der Kondensationsschicht aus Kaliumchlorid als würfelförmige Kristalle aus, die „turmartig“ aufeinander herauswachsen. Diese Schicht zeichnet sich durch eine höhere Stabilität aus. Bei höherer Sondentemperatur (T2 = 500 °C) ist das Gefüge aus kleineren nadeligen und tröpfchenförmigen Kristallen aufgebaut, welche „baumartig“ herauswachsen. Wenn man die Kondensationsschicht am Depositionsring betrachtet wird ersichtlich, dass sich die Verteilung der Depositionsmenge in Abhängigkeit von der Depositionsmasse sehr unterschiedlich ausbildet. Bei geringer Depositionsmenge (m < 0,01 [g]) ist die Verteilung gleichmäßig um den Ring verteilt, bei höherer Depositionsmenge (m>0,01 [g]) befindet sich der Hauptteil der Depositionsmasse hauptsächlich auf der rauchgaszugewandten Seite der Sonde. Obwohl die Berechnung der Kondensationsmassenströme mit Hilfe des Ähnlichkeitsansatzes eine gute Übereinstimmung zeigt, sind die berechneten Werte stets etwas höher als die gemessenen Ergebnisse. Es wird vermutet, dass die Ursache in der hohen Instabilität der Depositionsschicht liegt, wodurch Erosionsvorgänge durch die vom Rauchgas erzeugten Schubspannungen die Depositionsschichtdicke reduzieren. Die Wärmeleitfähigkeit der Depositionsschicht ist aufgrund der hohen Porosität (hoher Anteil des fluiden Rauchgasanteils mit geringer Wärmeleitfähigkeit, kleiner Anteil des stark wärmeleitenden festen Kaliumchlorids) sehr niedrig, aber trotzdem deutlich höher als die Wärmeleitfähigkeit des Rauchgases. Sie liegt in der Größenordnung von k = 0,1-0,2 [W/mK]. Schon geringe Depositionsschichtmassen bewirken eine starke Verringerung des Wärmeüberganges und einen damit verbundenen hohen Temperaturgradienten in der Depositionsschicht. In dieser Arbeit wurden die für den Aufbau der Depositionsschicht maßgebenden Einflussfaktoren untersucht. Diese sind die Rauchgasgeschwindigkeit, die Salzfreisetzung, die Kondensationsdauer und die Oberflächentemperatur. Die Salzfreisetzung ist maßgebend für die Kondensationsmasse. Eine Verdoppelung der Salzfreisetzungsrate zeigte im untersuchten Wandbereich eine Verdoppelung der Kondensationsrate. Eine Verdoppelung der Rauchgasgeschwindigkeit führte zu einer geringen Abnahme der Kondensationsmasse bei gleichbleibenden Betriebsparametern, welches höchstwahrscheinlich durch Erosionsvorgänge bedingt ist. Die Sondenoberflächentemperatur zeigte im untersuchten Temperaturbereich von 300°C-500°C bei geringen Kondensationsmassen keinen Einfluss auf die Kondensationsrate. Bei größeren Depositionsschichten hatte die höhere Temperatur eine Verringerung der Kondensationsrate zur Folge.  

The operation characteristics of thermally driven absorption refrigeration systems (ARS) are strongly dependent on their hydraulic integration. Therefore, varying operating conditions of the hydraulic supply have a great influence on the behaviour of ARS and lead to dynamic operation, which can affect the efficiency and is largely unexplored so far. To enable a simple investigation of ARS integration considering their dynamic behaviour and to develop modern, efficiency-enhancing control strategies, dynamic simulation models of ARS are developed in Modelica Code.

In this paper, a dynamic simulation model of an ARS with the working pair ammonia/water (NH3/H2O) is presented. The parameterization and the physical correlations of selected components of the simulation model are described. Afterwards, the simulation model is verified by comparing simulation results with measurement data of the NH3/H2O-ARS. Finally, the capabilities of the simulation model are demonstrated by performing a simulation-based analysis of the temperature glide of the refrigerant in the evaporator.

Nowadays dynamic building simulation is an essential tool for the design of heating systems for residential buildings. The simulation of buildings heated by biomass systems, first of all needs detailed boiler models, capable of simulating the boiler both as a stand-alone appliance and as a system component. This paper presents the calibration and validation of a boiler model by means of laboratory tests. The chosen model, i.e. TRNSYS "Type 869", has been validated for two commercially available pellet boilers of 6 and 12. kW nominal capacities. Two test methods have been applied: the first is a steady state test at nominal load and the second is a load cycle test including stationary operation at different loads as well as transient operation. The load cycle test is representative of the boiler operation in the field and characterises the boiler's stationary and dynamic behaviour. The model had been calibrated based on laboratory data registered during stationary operation at different loads and afterwards it was validated by simulating both the stationary and the dynamic tests. Selected parameters for the validation were the heat transfer rates to water and the water temperature profiles inside the boiler and at the boiler outlet. Modelling results showed better agreement with experimental data during stationary operation rather than during dynamic operation. Heat transfer rates to water were predicted with a maximum deviation of 10% during the stationary operation, and a maximum deviation of 30% during the dynamic load cycle. However, for both operational regimes the fuel consumption was predicted within a 10% deviation from the experimental values. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

In this paper, the activity of a cobalt/molybdenum (Co/Mo) commercial catalyst for the Water Gas Shift Reaction for hydrogen production was investigated in a three fixed-bed reactor pilot plant using a tar-rich synthesis gas from a full-scale biomass gasification plant as feed-stream. A parametric variation study was carried out to assess CO conversion (X_CO) and selectivity for the water gas shift reaction as a function of the operating temperature (T) in the range 300–450 °C. The effects of four dry gas hourly space velocities (GHSV), Case A-Case D, two steam to dry synthesis gas ratios (H₂O/SG), 56% v/v and 67% v/v, and a H₂S concentration in the range 100–220 ppm_v,db were investigated: the highest CO conversion (∼95%) was observed in the base case (Case A GHSV) at 67% v/v H₂O/SG, and 450 °C, the lower the operating temperature the lower the CO concentration, the lower the gas hourly space velocity the higher the CO conversion and the higher the H₂O/SG the higher the CO conversion. The effect of H₂S variation on CO conversion was also studied, keeping the operating temperature constant (≈365 °C) and using the Case D GHSV: CO conversion increased as the H₂S concentration increased and X_CO ≈ 40%. Selectivity was not influenced by the parameters investigated. Finally, the effect of the catalyst on tar removal was studied and a CO conversion close to 85% was found.

Experimental data on the release of NO_x precursors from solid biomass fuels during thermal conversion are necessary to study N release in general and to supply reliable data for the purpose of packed bed and gas phase conversion model development and validation. In this work the release of NO_x precursors was studied at a lab-scale pot furnace (batch reactor) by taking measurements during the conversion process of solid biomass in a packed bed. The investigations were carried out with relevant woody biomass fuels, which cover a broad range of fuel N contents: sawdust, bark, waste wood and MDF board. The most important NO_x precursor detected above the fuel bed under fuel rich conditions was NH₃, while HCN was almost insignificant with the exception of sawdust. NO was detected mainly under air rich conditions. Furthermore, the experimental data were utilised to derive release functions for the relevant NO_x precursors NO, NH₃ and HCN. The release functions were implemented in an in-house empirical packed bed combustion model, which serves as a basis for a subsequent CFD N species gas phase calculation. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Chemical looping combustion is a highly efficient CO2 separation technology without direct contact between combustion air and fuel. A metal oxide is used as an oxygen carrier in dual fluidized beds to generate clean CO2. The use of biomass is the focus of current research because of the possibility of negative CO2 emissions and the utilization of biogenic carbon. The most commonly proposed OC are natural ores and residues, but complete combustion has not yet been achieved. In this work, the direct utilization of CLC exhaust gas for methane synthesis as an alternative route was investigated, where the gas components CO, CH4 and H2 are not disadvantageous but benefit the reactions in a methanation step. The whole process chain, the coupling of an 80 kWth pilot plant with gas cleaning and a 10 kW fluidized bed methanation unit were for this purpose established. As OC, ilmenite enhanced with limestone was used, combusting bark pellets in autothermal operation at over 1000 °C reaching high combustion efficiencies of up to 91.7%. The fuel reactor exhaust gas was mixed with hydrogen in the methanation reactor at 360 °C and converted with a methane yield of up to 97.3%. The study showed especially high carbon utilization efficiencies of 97% compared to competitor technologies. Based on the experimental results, a scale-up concept study showed the high potential of the combination of the technologies concerning the total efficiency and the adaptability to grid injection.

The worldwide production of hydrogen in 2010 was estimated to be approximately 50 Mt/a, mostly based on fossil fuels. By using lignocellulosic feedstock, an environmentally friendly hydrogen production route can be established. A flow sheet simulation for a biomass based hydrogen production plant was published in a previous work. The plant layout consisted of a dual fluidized bed gasifier including a gas cooler and a dust filter. Subsequently, a water gas shift plant was installed to enhance the hydrogen yield and a biodiesel scrubber was used to remove tars and water from the syngas. CO2 was removed and the gas was compressed to separate hydrogen in a pressure swing adsorption. A steam reformer was used to reform the hydrocarbon-rich tail gas of the pressure swing adsorption and increase the hydrogen yield. Based on this work, a research facility was erected and the results were validated. These results were used to upscale the research plant to a 10 MW fuel feed scale. A validation of the system showed a chemical efficiency of the system of 60% and an overall efficiency of 55%, which indicates the high potential of this technology

Producer gas from biomass gasification contains mainly hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and some other low molecular hydrocarbons like propylene. This paper reports mathematical simulation and experimental study of steam reforming of methane mixture with propylene in a packed bed reactor filled with nickel based catalysts. Due to the high heat input through the reformer tube wall and the endothermic reforming reactions, a two-dimensional pseudo-heterogeneous model that takes into account the diffusion reaction phenomena in gas phase as well as inside the catalyst particles has been used to represent temperature distribution and species concentration within the reactor. Steam reforming of propylene is faster and more selective than methane and it is shown that addition of propylene to the methane steam mixture reduces the conversion of methane. The obtained results play a key role in optimization and design of a commercial reactor. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 

The majority of renewable energy technologies are volatile in nature. External factors such as weather conditions lead to fluctuations in their produced electricity and heat. This results in a demand either not being covered or dissatisfied since too much electricity and heat is produced in the energy system. Although energy storages can counteract these fluctuations, renewable energy technologies that are capable of producing energy on demand are needed as well. As such, technologies based on the thermochemical conversion of biomass are especially relevant as they are considered to be CO2-neutral. Although most existing implementations are based on combustion of biomass, fixed-bed biomass gasification is of growing relevance due to higher overall efficiencies and low pollutant emissions. Currently, fixed-bed biomass gasifiers are usually operated at steady-state operation to produce the maximum amount of energy possible. This contribution investigates, whether they can be used as a technology for demand-oriented electricity and heat production

Assessing the operational behaviour of biomass gasification systems is a crucial basis for further improvements in terms of operational behaviour and robustness in order to increase the technologies’ operational and economic viability. However, in most fixed-bed biomass gasification systems not all parameters required for the assessment can be measured directly. Typically, unknown parameters are determined by using as many balance equations as parameters have to be determined neglecting the additional information provided by other available but not chosen balance equations. Thus, these approaches do not incorporate all measurement data available resulting in a lack of reliability in their results. A detailed analysis of these approaches emphasises that even small deviations in the measurement data can lead to significant deviations in the calculated parameters, demonstrating that individual choices of equations can be highly sensitive regarding measurement uncertainties.

Therefore, an adjusted weighted least squares approach is developed utilizing an overdetermined system of equations incorporating all balance equations simultaneously. Thus, all measurement data available is taken into account, minimizing the influences of measurement uncertainties on the determined parameters. A comprehensive analysis shows that this approach is less sensitive to measurement uncertainties, allowing for a more reliable and accurate assessment of fixed-bed biomass gasifiers.

Keywords: fixed-bed, gasification, mass balance, performance assessment

In order to evaluate the combustion behaviour of new biomass feedstocks such as short rotation coppice (poplar wood chips), fuels from agriculture (wheat straw pellets) and biomass residues (maize spindle grits), comprehensive test runs investigating both particulate matter (PM) and gaseous emissions were performed. A commercially available small-scale biomass boiler, especially designed to enable high fuel flexibility, was used for this evaluation. The combustion behaviour was determined for various boiler load conditions and primary air ratios while maintaining a constant total air ratio. Based on wet chemical analyses of the fuels, fuel indexes were calculated to deliver primary information on the combustion behaviour to be expected. During the test runs appropriate operating conditions were determined for these new biomass feedstocks in order to optimise combustion parameters and to minimise PM and gaseous emissions as well as to inhibit ash related problems (slagging, ash deposit formation and corrosion). The optimisation of operating conditions by primary measures showed a big potential for a stable boiler operation combined with reduced emissions. The findings provide the basis for a further development of combustion systems as well as control systems for the combustion of new biomass feedstocks.

Although the number of studies investigating the contribution of anaerobic digestion facilities to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has increased during the last decade, reliable data with respect to gaseous process losses from these management practices, particularly at commercial scale, is scarce (Liebetrau et al., 2013, Reinelt et al., 2017, Hrad et al., 2015). The dynamic and fugitive nature of methane emissions, changing operating conditions, and different as well as not standardised measurement approaches compromise the precise quantification of the overall emissions from full-scale biogas plants. However, reliable and verifiable emission data from biogas or biomethane facilities are required in order to optimise and improve the plant-specific process efficiency as well as future technology developments. In addition, precise and comprehensive measurement data from full-scale waste treatment facilities are needed for more accurate emission factors (EFs) estimates, which are required for annual reporting according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines (IPCC, 2006).
Within the European project “EvEmBi - Evaluation and reduction of different biogas plant concepts” (2018-2021, funded within the 11th ERA-NET bioenergy call) 15 partners from 5 European countries evaluate the existing technologies at biogas plants regarding their methane EFs and develop emission reduction strategies, respectively. The focus of the Austrian research group within this project is the evaluation of Austrian bio-waste plants.
In a first step, emissions from single sources as well as overall plant emissions are quantified. For the latter, the Austrian team uses an open-path technology (Open-Path Tunable-Diode-Laser-Spectroscopy) together with meteorological data (ultra-sonic anemometer) and inverse dispersion modelling (Backward Lagrangian Model). In order to determine comparable EFs, the applied methodologies are based on a measurement guideline developed in the previous project “MetHarmo – European harmonization of method to quantify methane emissions from biogas plants” (funded within the 9th ERA-NET bioenergy call). In addition, the determined EFs of the individual plant concepts are transferred to EFs of the entire plant inventory of the particular countries. For that, a model for EF quantification is used which is based on statistical information on the emissions from different plant components as well as on the distribution of certain technologies present in the participating countries. Furthermore, for the particular biogas plants emission reduction strategies are developed, implemented and verified.
In this presentation, the harmonised approach, first emission results from the Austrian measurement campaigns as well as emission reduction strategies are presented.

Four different models for heat transfer to the particles immersed in a fluidized bed were evaluated and implemented into an existing single particle model. Pyrolysis experiments have been conducted using a fluidized bed installed on a balance at different temperatures and fluidization velocities using softwood pellets. Using a heat transfer model applicable for fluidized beds, the single particle model was able to predict the experimental results of mass loss obtained in this study as well as experimental data from literature with a reasonable accuracy. A good agreement between experimental and modeling results was found for different reactor temperatures and configurations as well as different biomass types, particle sizes – in the typical range of pellets - and fluidization velocities when they were higher than . However, significant deviations were found for fluidization velocities close to minimum fluidization. Heat transfer models which consider the influence of fluidization velocity show a better agreement in this case although differences are still present.

The efficient and flexible conversion of solid biomass into energetic products will be an essential part of a future renewable, independent and reliable energy providing system. The main objective of the project Bio-CCHP is the development of a novel tri-generation system, including biomass gasification, gas cleaning, a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and a cooling machine with the aim to produce electricity, heat and cold (CCHP), maximizing the efficiency and flexibility of the system. However, the employment of biomass derived product gas as fuel gas for SOFC is facing new challenges for gas quality assurance. For the evaluation of required dry high temperature gas cleaning processes the applied methods of gas characterization have to be accurate and reliable. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of analytical methods for the detection of SOFC harmful compounds is conducted within the ongoing project. First results of online and offline sampling and analysis methods employed at air- and steam-operated gasifiers are shown in this paper.

Diffusion coefficients of various solutes in supercritical water, which were either measured or retrieved from Molecular Dynamics simulations, were reviewed. Diffusion coefficients of molecules relevant for supercritical water processes were calculated with correlations reported in the literature and compared to the values of reference data. For conditions well above the critical point of water the simple Stokes-Einstein equation predicts the diffusion coefficients with an accuracy better than 20%. For conditions near the critical point the Wilke-Chang correlation gives the most accurate results. Diffusion coefficients for typical molecules occurring in supercritical water processes such as O2, N2, CO, CO2, or CH4 are estimated to be in the range of 60 · 10⁻⁹ m²/s at 673 K and 30 MPa. For H2, for which no experimental data are available, much higher diffusion coefficients in the range of 250 · 10⁻⁹ m²/s seem plausible. The data set of binary diffusion coefficients in supercritical water, either determined experimentally or by Molecular Dynamics simulations, should be extended significantly to include more solutes, as well as higher temperatures and pressures.
 

Wärmeversorgungsanlagen von Gebäuden, bestehend aus Biomasse-Feuerung, Solarkollektoren, Pufferspeicher, Heizkreis und Warmwasserzapfstellen gewinnen aufgrund ihrer Nachhaltigkeit zunehmend an Bedeutung. In den letzten Jahren wurden insbesondere für eine effiziente Regelung der Biomasse-Feuerung sehr gute Konzepte entwickelt. Diese können jedoch zumeist aufgrund unzureichender, übergeordneter Systemregelungen nicht ihr volles Potential ausschöpfen. In ihrer primitivsten Ausführung schaltet eine Systemregelung die Biomasse-Feuerung anhand der Ladehöhe des Pufferspeichers aus und ein. Diese Art der Regelung hat unweigerlich viele Ein-/ Ausschaltvorgänge der Feuerung, sowie eine schlechte Ausnutzung des solaren Eintrags zur Folge. Insbesondere bei Biomasse-Feuerungen sind Ein-/ Ausschaltvorgänge äußerst unwirtschaftlich und führen zu stark erhöhten Schadstoffemissionen. Die häufigen Ein-/ Ausschaltvorgänge verursachen zusätzlich erhöhte Wartungs- und Betriebskosten und schlussendlich eine verkürzte Lebensdauer zahlreicher Komponenten. Um die Ein-/ Ausschaltvorgänge zu minimieren und den solaren Eintrag zu steigern, soll im Rahmen dieser Arbeit ein übergeordnetes, modellprädiktives Regelungskonzept für die gesamte Wärmeversorgungsanlage entwickelt werden. Nach einer theoretischen Einführung in gemischt-ganzzahlige Optimalsteuerungsprobleme sowie ausgewählter Lösungsmethoden werden Prädiktionsmodelle für alle Komponenten der Wärmeversorgungsanlage entwickelt. Aufbauend auf den mathematischen Modellen für die einzelnen Komponenten der Anlage wird eine nichtlineare modellprädiktive Regelung entwickelt. Diese berücksichtigt zusätzlich Wetterprognosen sowie die erwartete Lastabnahme und führt schlussendlich zu einer Minimierung des Brennstoffverbrauchs sowie der Anzahl der Ein-/ Ausschaltvorgänge. Den Abschluss der Arbeit bilden ausführliche Simulationsstudien mit unterschiedlichen Wetterszenarien sowie Vergleiche mit herkömmlichen Regelungsstrategien.  

Abattoirs have a large number of energy intensive processes. Beside energy supply, disposal costs of animal by-products (ABP) are the main relevant cost drivers. In this study, successful implementation of a new waste and energy management system based on anaerobic digestion is described. Several limitations and technical challenges regarding the anaerobic digestion of the protein rich waste material had to be overcome. The most significant problems were process imbalances such as foaming and floatation as well as high accumulation of volatile fatty acids and low biogas yields caused by lack of essential microelements, high ammonia concentrations and fluctuation in operation temperature. Ultimately, 85% of the waste accumulated during the slaughter process is converted into 2700 MW h thermal and 3200 MW h electrical energy in a biogas combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The thermal energy is optimally integrated into the production process by means of a stratified heat buffer. The energy generated by the biogas CHP-plant can cover a significant share of the energy requirement of the abattoir corresponding to 50% of heat and 60% of electric demand, respectively. In terms of annual cost for energy supply and waste disposal a reduction of 63% from 1.4 Mio € to about 0.5 Mio € could be achieved with the new system. The payback period of the whole investment is approximately 9 years. Beside the economic benefits also the positive environmental impact should be highlighted: a 79% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 4.5 Mio kg CO₂ to 0.9 Mio kg CO₂ annually was achieved. The realized concept received the Austrian Energy Globe Award and represents the first anaerobic mono-digestion process of slaughterhouse waste worldwide.

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.

The current debate on biomass price volatility mainly refers to increased market dynamics and integration as well as renewable energy policy intervention. Higher price volatility leads to additional costs that are often transmitted along the supply chain to the final consumers. We empirically analyze whether or not price volatility of woody biomass commodities has increased in recent years. Results indicate that the price volatility of some woody biomass
commodities has increased, but it is still lower than of fossil fuels.

Wood pellets and wood raw materials such as chips or sawdust emit hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during processing and storage. Due to the high toxicity of CO it is necessary to identify the release mechanisms for CO and VOCs. Several studies show that organic extractives decrease during storage as well as the emissions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate a possible correlation between the organic extractive content and the release of CO and VOCs. Sawdust and pellets from Norway spruce (Picea abies), European larch (Larix decidua) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) were examined. Additionally, five different pellet samples from Austrian pellet producers were investigated. Soxhlet extraction with acetone was used to extract the organic content. The concentration of CO and VOCs was measured from stored wood materials and pellets in sealed glass flasks. The highest (3,41 mg CO/kg sample dm/d) and the lowest (0,02 mg CO/kg sample dm/d) release of CO were reported with freshly produced pine pellets and a spruce pellets sample from an Austrian do-it-yourself store, respectively. The results showed that the pelletizing process reduced the content of organic extractives. The emissions of pine samples concerning CO and VOCs were higher than of the spruce and larch samples. Moreover, the organic extractive content also decreased in that order. However, a direct correlation between organic extractive content and released quantities of emissions could not be established.