Sustainable, clean and bioenergy systems

The group “Sustainable, clean and bioenergy systems” conducts experimental and numerical research on thermo-chemical biomass conversion and its integration into renewable bioenergy and biorefinery concepts. The group is has a close collaboration with national and international research groups and industrial partners in the bioenergy sector and is a scientific partner of the Austrian biomass competence centre BEST Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies.

Thermal Biomass Conversion - Combustion & Emission Reduction

Thermal Biomass Conversion - Gasification

System Integration - Combined Heat & Power Production

R&D focus

  • Thermo-chemical biomass conversion: combustion, gasification and pyrolysis.
  • Formation and reduction of air pollutant emissions: NOx, PM, CO, soot, PAHs and tar.
  • Reaction mechanisms development and reduction for thermo-chemical biomass conversion (see link for the detailed RAC pyrolysis scheme) as well as gas phase reactions and pollutant formation.
  • CFD modelling of turbulent, reactive and multiphase flows. CFD-supported development and optimization of biomass conversion plants.
  • Biomass gasification producer gas conditioning and utilization.
  • Bioenergy and biorefinery concepts for the production of heat and power, cold, liquid and gaseous fuels as well as chemicals.
  • System integration of biomass conversion plants in renewable energy concepts.

Projects

  • SHE – Smart Home Energy: Development of an integrated and mobile solution for low-cost cooking and power generation (2021 - 2025). LEAP-RE Cofund Call 2022 - Europe-Africa R&I call on Renewable Energy. Link, project page link
  • Kombi-DeNOx – Development of a New Combined DeNOx Technology with Primary and Secondary Measures for Biomass Firing Systems in the Small to Medium Capacity Range (2021 - 2025). FFG Basisprogramm. Link
  • BIO-LOOP – Chemical Looping for efficient biomass utilization (2020 - 2024). FFG Comet Module. Link
  • Hybrid-BioVGE – Hybrid Variable Geometry Ejector Cooling and Heating System for Buildings Driven by Solar and Biomass Heat (2019 - 2022). H2020 LC-SC3-RES Link
  • BIO-CCHP – Advanced biomass CCHP based on gasification, SOFC and cooling Machines (2018 - 2021). 11th call ERA-NET Bioenergy. Link
  • BRISK II - Biofuels Research Infrastructure for Sharing Knowledge II (2017 - 2022). H2020 – INFRAIA. Link
  • MultifuelLowEmissionDevelopment of a novel multifuel biomass boiler with lowest pollutant emissions (2017 - 2020). 3. Energieforschung. Link
  • GrateAdvance – Advanced adjustable grate solutions for future fuel flexible biomass combustion technologies (2016 - 2018). 9th call ERA-NET Bioenergy. Link
  • LowCostEmissionStoveDevelopment of a novel, cost-efficient pellet and wood log stove technology with very low emissions (2016 - 2018). 2. Energieforschung. Link
  • Key scientific partner of BEST Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies in the Comet K1 research program. Link

Infrastructure

  • 2 fluidized bed biomass gasifiers (5 kW).
  • Producer gas conditioning unit.
  • Flexible lab-scale Multi-Fuel (70 kW) biomass combustion plant.
  • Gas analysis with several methods, including GC.
  • Infrastructure for simulations with the software packages ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS Chemkin, IPSEpro, Factsage and Matlab.

Personnel

Group leaders

Robert Scharler
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Phone
+43 316 873 - 7804

Research Associates

Lukas Von Berg
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Phone
+43 316 873 - 4203
Maximilian Steiner
Dipl.-Ing. BSc
Phone
+43 316 873 - 4310

Contact
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Division
Sustainable, clean and bioenergy systems

Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Robert Scharler

Office
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Mo-Fr: 09:00-12:00 Uhr
Raum: MB05 010 (5.OG)
Tel.: +43-316-873-7301
Fax: +43-316-873-7305

office.iwtnoSpam@tugraz.at