Energy & Process Technologies

The aim of the project is to investigate the vegetable residues occurring in Tyrol. Various scenarios for possible recycling options are then examined. The entire investigation is essentially intended to provide a basis for decision-making as to which concepts can use the resources of the vegetable residues most effectively. The vegetable residues accumulate during the processing of the fresh harvest on the farm or are rejects that are not suitable for the food trade. They clearly distinguish themselves from classic organic residues and waste materials. At the moment, only estimates can be made of the amount of these currently unused vegetable residues in Tyrol.

The aim of the project is the recovery of waste wood in SynCraft wood gasification plants. The focus of the processing is on wood casings and wood packaging, which can be identified as a substitute fuel, if possible, the current old wood recycling regulation. Different processing options for recycling in SynCraft plants are to be investigated for the waste wood fractions mentioned. In particular, these are different hacker and shredder technologies (reprocessing lines for waste wood).

During storage of hay and wood chips, self-heating occurs due to biodegradation processes, which can result in self-ignition under unfavorable storage conditions. The PiCo-PileCommunication project will prepare for the development of an early-warning system based on the analysis of gas composition of bulk solids. Contrary to conventional smoke detectors, this system should set the alarm before the actual ignition. The project will investigate the underlying mechanisms of auto-ignition and measure the gases released during these processes. On the basis of these laboratory experiments, it is possible to define lead substances that signal impending spontaneous combustion.

Syncraft Engineering GmbH is continuously developing the product "das HolzkraftWerk" and, together with the MCI and the company Gallzeiner Luft-, Staub- und Abgastechnik GmbH, forms the project consortium for the "PyTail" project (pyrolysis detail), which is funded by the Tyrolean innovation fund. Here, the thermochemical process of pyrolysis in a Syncraft system is to be examined in more detail. If complete conversion does not take place in this process stage and the thermochemical reactions are "dragged out", this situation can lead to a considerable deterioration in the gas quality, which subsequently affects the downstream components, such as gas scrubbers and gas engines. In addition, the quality of the discharged condensate and the by-product, the charcoal, can be negatively influenced. In the course of the project, the following points will be examined in detail and their application will be optimized if necessary. - Mechanical conveying properties o Reactor filling level; Material backflow - influencing factors o Material residence time - in the reaction area and throughout the reactor o Material distribution in the reaction space - thorough mixing o Material changes due to material conveyance o When using different materials (natural wood, biogenic raw and residual materials) - Reaction properties o Variants of the reaction zone o Execution (material; steel, refractory cement) of the reaction zone o progress of reaction (degree of pyrolysis) - Influence of material o What changes occur if different biomasses are used? o Are there any problems with agglomerations? o Are there any problems with ash softening / sintering?

As part of the project, powdered activated carbon from municipal residues is to be treated in order to achieve functionalization for specific applications. One approach focuses on in-situ functionalization: by adjusting the process parameters during gasification, the properties of the powder carbon can be changed in order to obtain activated carbon with a larger surface area. The second approach is to improve the charcoal's properties by treating it in an external reactor using various methods such as chemical impregnation and / or steam treatment. The functionalized powdered activated carbon can be used in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), for example for the pretreatment of highly polluted wastewater, for the stabilization of digester gas processes or to improve the digested sludge properties (drainability). With a view to the expected introduction of a fourth cleaning stage in WWTPs, powdered activated carbon can be used as an adsorbent for drug residues and other micropollutants in wastewater.

For alpine regions, the mobility of the population and in tourism, goods and transit traffic represent major challenges in climate protection. In recent years, Tyrol has prepared strategy papers that also focus on hydrogen as an energy source in heavy goods traffic and public transport. In order to implement these strategies sustainably, an integrative approach is needed to solve technical, economic and organizational challenges together. It is precisely these three topics that H2Alpin is addressing in order to develop system solutions for the mobility turnaround in the Alpine region in a large-scale interdisciplinary demonstration project. With regard to fuel cell vehicles, there are already urban pilot projects, but for alpine use there is still a lack of important technical experience to further develop the vehicles and to define an application optimum for hydrogen-powered mobility. As part of H2Alpin, fuel cell buses and the first fuel cell trucks are tested under alpine conditions (temperature extremes, snow, winding mountain roads, transit passes) and real data on driving behavior, maintenance, energy consumption, etc. is collected and analyzed. Economic efficiency is still the biggest hurdle for the switch to hydrogen-powered mobility. The procurement of vehicles is difficult for end users to afford. Therefore, business models for procurement platforms are developed and tested. They procure vehicle pools, maintain them and make them available to third parties via a rental model. The Tyrolean mobility coordinator will implement this for local public transport, a private company for the goods logistics sector. In order to be able to offer additional attractive hydrogen prices on the market, the hydrogen logistics side should use demand and production simulations to design attractive supply-demand price models for sales.To ensure a green hydrogen supply for a comprehensive mobility turnaround in the heavy-duty area in Tyrol, it is necessary to develop precise simulation models, e.g. up to 2035, that map all relevant factors for a gradual switch to zero-emission mobility. The regional implementation plan, which is being developed in consultation with stakeholders and taking into account current and future standards, is intended to help give both hydrogen producers and users planning security for their business models. With the measures initiated as part of the H2Alpin project, hydrogen-based mobility in Tyrol should save around 17,700 tons of CO2 by the end of 2030.

In accordance with international and national requirements, the state of Tyrol has set itself the goal of becoming energy self-sufficient by 2050 and covering the energy required in the state with domestic energy sources. The "Resource and Technology Use Scenarios Tyrol 2050" study shows that the annual balance of the energy target 2050 in Tyrol can be achieved in Tyrol using domestic resources and using current and future technologies. The study shows three limit value scenarios as well as an energy mix scenario, which was calculated taking into account a balanced use of energy sources. It has been shown in all scenarios that electricity will be the most important energy source in the future and that its importance will increase significantly compared to today. Future energy systems with a high proportion of renewable energy sources are, however, confronted with the only limited controllable generation of electricity and heat by solar systems (photovoltaics and solar thermal energy), wind energy and hydropower as well as the fluctuating demand for electricity and heat.

The activation of coals is nothing new per se and is carried out on a large scale. However, the problem is the currently used tonnages in the respective processes. Most of the coal is activated by rotary kilns with minimum throughputs of 10,000 t a-1. Since SYNCRAFT wood-fired power plants currently produce a maximum of 400 t of a-1 charcoal as a by-product of regionally sourced forest residue, the technology of rotary kiln activation can not be used due to the high activation costs. Thus, concepts must be developed that allow an ecological and economic "small scale activation". Furthermore, this technology can be used to produce a regionally regenerated activated carbon which spares the necessary resources, which usually have to be imported. In addition, according to the Ithaca Institute, 3.5 to 5 t of hard coal or 5 to 6.5 t of lignite are required to produce one tonne of activated carbon, which generates an average of about 11 - 18 t of CO2 emissions. However, the market demands a wide range of carbons with different specifications (BET, BJH, shape, coatings, ...).

A primary problem of energy producing systems using wood or char is the accumulation of fine dust and ashes. The binding and disposal of these substances is complicated and costly. If anything high-quality products from the food industry such as sugar cane, potato or corn starch currently used for binding. In this project a different approach should be chosen. 100 % recycled waste fats and oils in combination with clay minerals should provide a basis for compressing the dusts and ashes. The aim is to bind char, ashes and dusts for further use in the industry, but also to the production of food-compliant BBQ-char from charcoal and ash using recycled raw materials.

Activated Membrane - Preparation and Optimization of Hybrid-Membranes with Embedded Activated Carbon for Micropollutant Removal Pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and other hormone-active substances, even in low concentrations in the μg to ng/L range, can cause harm to aquatic ecosystems, including infertility and feminization of entire fish cultures. If drinking water is produced from these waters, damage to humans cannot be ruled out. Since current wastewater treatment plants do not sufficiently degrade these micropollutants, research is conducted on various micropollutant removal methods. The combination of adsorptive processes with membrane separation is rated as particularly promising. In this project, a novel combination is to be investigated in which activated carbon is embedded directly into the membrane matrix of phase inversion membranes, thus enabling a one-step process of adsorption and membrane filtration. This "Activated Membrane" will first be tested and optimized under laboratory conditions with selected micropollutants, in order to subsequently test the separation efficiency with real wastewater samples. Other important issues are the regeneration of the hybrid membrane after loading and the fouling properties. "Activated Membrane" could be a promising concept for the elimination of micropollutants and, eventually, for reducing the environmental impact of wastewater treatment plant effluents.

The aim of the project is to use a cold model of the floating fixed bed reactor to make the SYNCRAFT® more efficient and economical. By means of tests on a medium and small scale, bad investments can be prevented, since possible errors occurring in the theoretical test development can be detected early. Current and above all future operators of such gasification plants have a great interest in being flexible in the area of fuel use (wood chips of different quality, waste wood, straw-like input materials, ...). To achieve this, it is necessary to make adjustments to the system, which relate, among other things, to the fluidized bed reactor. Furthermore, the basis should be laid to develop a defined degree of freedom with which the systems are able to achieve a higher electrical output.

Major objective of the project OptiFaul is to reduce the needed energy demand in digestion towers. Scientific interest of fundamental understanding on the one hand as well as economics aspects on the other hand are the driving forces to optimize mixing process in such reactors. Since sludge found in digestion reactors differs from Newtonian fluids such as water, acquired findings from wastewater treatment may not be used directly. Therefore, investigations considering this certain fluid characteristics are required. The present project has a highly practical value since reducing energy demand has direct impact on operating costs. Because of structural aspects as well as the nature of sludge, visual monitoring of mixing efficiency is not possible. Hence, the needed amount of inserted energy through mixing is generally exceeded. Process parameters for optimized operation gathered in this project are compared with actual parameters of nearby wastewater treatment plants. Hence, it is expected that plant operators are directly benefiting from the results.

Clean water is essential for human health, ecosystems and economic development. However, the security of drinking water supplies is threatened by anthropogenic influences: on the one hand, rising ambient temperatures increase the risk of microbial contamination of drinking water networks. On the other hand, perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) have been proven to pose extreme environmental and health risks. To overcome these problems, membrane technologies and adsorption processes with activated carbon are indispensable methods - however, these must be designed appropriately and sustainably. In this project, multi-channel mixed-matrix membranes are to be tested as a single-stage multi-barrier system for their applicability in various drinking water treatment scenarios. These membranes are characterized by their robustness and use synergies between filtration and adsorption steps. They therefore have potential for use as police filters at the end of drinking water treatment, where residual germs are to be separated, microbial recontamination avoided and PFAS adsorbed on embedded activated carbon. Important issues include the separation efficiency of PFAS and germs, the adsorption competition with natural organics and the process design including backwashing and regeneration after loading. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The aim of the project is the practical co-composting of charcoal and the application of this soil mixture in industrial agriculture. To achieve this goal, several sub-goals are pursued in the project, i.a. Production of various final formulations and application of these on trial areas in order to observe the effects on plant growth and chemical as well as microbiological changes of the soil.

With the technology of the "gasification" of biomass, a complete conversion of the carbon in the biomass can theoretically be achieved, but in practice this is technically and economically not expedient due to the long residence times required for this. The process used by SYNCRAFT® leaves about 10-15% by volume of charcoal. This charcoal can be a high-quality product that is generated alongside the main products of electricity and heat. If it is possible to increase the degree of conversion of the "excess coal" in a targeted manner and as required, the efficiency of the entire system can be increased, thus making a significant contribution to overall profitability. In addition, the quality of the charcoal in SYNCRAFT® wood power plants is a unique selling point. With the planned measures to increase the degree of conversion of the charcoal in the gasification system, on the one hand the electrical power can be increased and on the other hand the quality of the charcoal can be increased in such a way that it corresponds to EBC feed quality at all times (<4mg PAK 16). Another advantage is that the increase in electrical power and the increase in charcoal quality should be carried out with the same biomass use.