Ongoing projects/program Thermo Chemical Conversion Processes

Bio4Energy – Thermochemical platform

ThermochemicalPlatform

BiochemicalPlatform

FeedstockPlatform

EnvironmentalPlatform

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Biofuels,”Green” Power,District Heating,

Green Chemicals,

Pulp and Paper

Forestry products,

Agriculture by-products,

WasteFractions

• Our vision: to develop a complete set of experimentally validated sub-models that can predict all technologically important processes for thermal conversion of biomass, including reactions with containment materials.

• Experimental validation using idealized experiments under controlled conditions and in the pilot- and demo-scale experiments that are available within the program.

• Funding: Swedish Government, Strategic research program (27 MSEK) • Partners: LTU, UmU, ETC • Duration: 2010- • Contact persons:, Rikard Gebart LTU, Kentaro Umeki LTU, Mikael Sjödahl LTU, Marcus Öhman,

LTU, Rainer Backman UmU

The Swedish Centre for Biomass Gasification – Bio4Gasification

• Competence centre funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Industry and Academia

• Three research nodes led by LTU, KTH and Chalmers • The LTU node Bio4Gasification is focused on entrained flow gasification • LTU activities:

– Detailed studies of conversion of fuel particles in a suspension flow – Effect of alkali catalysts on gasification reactions – CFD modeling of air blown cyclone gasification – CFD modeling of syngas combustion in gas turbines (IGCC)

• Funding: Swedish Energy Agency, Bio4Energy, Several Industrial Partners

• Partners: LTU, Umeå University, Lund University, RISE-ETC • Duration: 2011 - 2021 • Contact persons at LTU: Kentaro Umeki, Joakim Lundgren, Rikard

Gebart

Optimisation of burners for entrained flow gasifiers

• A new technique to reduce soot inside the gasifier by acoustic forcing of the flow to enhance fuel particle dispersion

• This technique modifies local conditions at the location of soot formation without changing any major process parameters

• 90% reduction of soot volume fraction in lab scale experiments in an earlier project

• Application of the concept in technical scale with an aim for scale up

• Funding: Swedish Energy Agency (3.5 MSEK) • Partners: LTU • Duration: 2019-2021 • Contact persons: Rikard Gebart, Kentaro Umeki

Chemical interaction of closely located reactive particles in gas flow

Background/Motivation • Chemical interactions among fuel particle are significant

in pulverized burners. • Large scale simulation often ignore this issue. • High resolution numerical platform is suitable for

elucidating chemical interaction of fuel particles Research objectives • Establishment of highly resolved simulation platform of

reactive particles in gas flow; • Are classical correlations of Nu/Sh/CD valid under the

influence of Stefan flow and neighbor particles? • Develop simple sub-models including these interactions. Funding: Swedish Research Council (3.2M SEK) Partners: LTU, KTH, SINTEF Duration: 2016-2019 Contact persons: Thamali Jayawickrnlinama, Kentaro Umeki

Sustainable production of metal powder with biocoal

Background/Motivation • Strong needs to replace fossil based reduction

materials in sponge iron processes with biomass-based one.

• The challenges are on differences in various properties of biocarbon with fossil coal, and the price

Research objectives • To develop the specification for biocarbon for Höganäs

process • To suggest the optimized biocarbon production system • To develop a strategy to introduce biocarbon in

Höganäs process with the help of numerical simulation Funding: Swedish Energy Agency, Höganäs (5,2M SEK) Partners: LTU, Höganäs AB Duration: 2019-2022 Contact: Aekjuthon Phounglamcheik, Ali Hedayati, Jonas Zetterholm, Elisabeth Wetterlund, Marcus Öhman, Kentaro Umeki

Sponge iron

New concept for thermochemical production of biofuels from residues • The project aims at providing a scientific and

technical basis for development and commercialization of a new two step concept for thermochemical production of biofuels for forest industry residues.

• A hydrothermal pre-treatment is used to transform solid biomass to a pumpable slurry that can easily be fed to a pressurized gasifier.

• A strong synergy between the steps is realized by utilizing alkali metal catalysis.

Funding: Swedish Energy Agency, KIRAM (2,3M SEK) Partners: LTU, RISE Innventia, RISE Processum, KIRAM Duration: 2019-2020 Contact: Albert Bach-Oller, Kentaro Umeki, Erik Furusjö

Hydrothermal treatment

Thermal gasification of low grade residues for the production of resources and energy (VergRestWert) • Wood gasification in dual fluidized (olivine) bed systems is an established

technology applied in e.g. Güssing (8 MWth), Oberwart (8.5 MWth). • Using cheaper fuels with lower ash melting behavior, e.g. P-rich chicken

manure, is potentially possible because a large proportion of the inorganic matter is already removed from the process with the char after the gasifier and is not introduced into the combustion chamber.

• Replacement of olivine with a non-heavy-metal-containing mineral will potentially reduce bed material costs and costs for disposal of the ash. In addition the ash from the gasifier may be used as "BioChar* when using P-rich biomass fuels.

• Aims of the project: i) Reduction of operation costs by using an alternative bed material, ii) Reduction of fuel costs by the utilization of cheaper fuels (chicken litter), and iii) Keeping the natural nutrient cycle by recycling of the disposal products fly char (BioChar) and/or ash.

• Funding: Austrian National Funding – Energieforschung (0,82 MEuro in total) • Partners: Bioenergy 2020+ (project leader), TU Wien, Repotec, LTU, UmU • Duration: 2016-2019 • Contact persons at LTU: Marcus Öhman, Gustav Häggström

Development of optimal regulation for efficient combustion of ash rich biomass (II)

• The project aims at improving the efficiency of the conversion step in the fuel chain - to expand the raw material base with ash-rich fuels.

• A previously defined conceptual ash-transformation model will be developed further by adapting it to specific combustion plants.

• The project is part of a larger VINNOVA financed Sweden-China collaboration titled "To develop high energy efficiency and small-scale bioenergy combine in Jilin: Innovation and Demonstration”

• Funding: Phase 2: 5 MSEK STEM; Phase 1: STEM, VINNOVA (10+6 MSEK in total) • Partners: Sweden: e.g. SLU, BioSteam, LTU, UmU; China: e.g. CAU, Great resources, IFIP • Duration: Phase 2 2018-2021, Phase 1 2012-2017 (R&D phase) • Contact persons: SLU (Shaojun Xiong, coordinator), at LTU: Marcus Öhman, Joel Falk (LTU-Energy

eng.), Thomas Gustavsson LTU-Process control, at UmU: Dan Boström

Model

Scientific knowledge Control room CHP Boiler

Developing bed particle layer characteristics for the next generation of fluidized bed combustion and

gasification of biomass • One of the most promising thermochemical conversion

technologies for biomass fuels is based on fluidized bed combustion (FBC) or gasification (FBG).

• Agglomeration of bed particles, bed material deposition, as well as fouling of heat exchanger and catalyst surfaces often cause significant operating problems, which has been identified as one of the major difficulties to overcome in FBC and FBG of biomass.

• To address this, the overall aim of this project is to design bed particle layers that 1) reduce the risk for bed agglomeration, bed material deposition and fouling in FBC/FBG of biomass fuels, and 2) provide a positive catalytic influence on internal tar reforming and thus increasing the quality of the raw syngas in the FBG process.

• Funding: Swedish Energy Agency/Swedish Research Council (5 MSEK)

• Partners: LTU, UmU • Duration: 2019-2023 • Contact persons: Marcus Öhman LTU, Nils Skoglund UmU

Sustainable and efficient recycling of phosphorus from

sewage sludge through fluidized bed combustion - optimization of the ash granule strength

• Recent research has shown that during fluidized bed combustion of sewage sludge it is possible to produce large bed ash particles, ash granules, with high contents of plant-available P.

• The technology has not yet been demonstrated on an industrial scale, but a consortium consisting of Sandviken Energi, Andritz, LTU and UmU has performed a feasibility study where technical detail solutions for the production of 100% sludge granules were studied in pilot scale and how a reconstruction of a 20 MW plant could be carried out.

• The results from the previous study show that it is possible to produce sufficiently durable sludge granules, but the strength of the combusted sludge granules (the ash granules) is critical for enabling efficient recovery of the sludge P content.

• The purpose of this project is, therefore, to evaluate opportunities for the production of hard ash granules through co-pelletization of sewage sludge with different biomass/fuel additives.

• Funding: Swedish Water Association + LTU (0.9 MSEK in total) • Partners: Andritz, LTU, UmU , Sandviken Energi AB • Duration: 2018-2019 • Contact persons at LTU: Gustav Häggström, Marcus Öhman

Biomass

Sludge

Fertilizer

P

Efficient and sustainable phosphorus recovery through thermo-chemical conversion of sludge

• In order to increase the use of sludge's as fertilizer, thermo-chemical processes may be used.

• Positive effects arising from these processes include energy recovery, thermal destruction of pathogens and pharmaceutical residues as well as possible separation and removal of elements that are harmful to the environment.

• The overall aim of the proposed project is to improve the performance of P recovery by thermal conversion of sludge's.

• The knowledge that is generated in this project will be used as a basis to determine suitable fuel pre-treatment/blending and thermal process conditions to improve the performance of P recovery via thermal conversion of sludge's.

• Funding: Swedish Research Council Formas (3,2 MSEK) • Partners: LTU Energy Eng., LTU Waste tech., UmU-TEC lab. • Duration: 2016-2019 • Contact persons: Gustav Häggström (LTU), Marcus Öhman (LTU),

Anders Lagerkvist (LTU, Nils Skoglund (UmU)

Biomass

Sludge

Fertilizer

P

Formation of plant-available phosphates in thermochemical conversion of biomass and waste

streams • Currently the majority of P is mined from depleting ore resources. It is

therefore important to recover the P contained in anthropogenic systems. • One source of P is the sludge from waste- and industrial water treatment

plants. • Introduction of sludge to thermal conversion plants as a fuel present the

opportunity for recovery of P and synergetic positive effects with problematic fuels.

• The research objectives are to i) elucidate the critical ash transformation reactions that lead to the formation of interesting plant-available phosphates, and ii) determine the possibility to modify and design phosphorus and potassium mineralization in the generated ash fractions.

• Funding: Swedish Research Council (3,2 MSEK) • Partners: LTU Energy Eng., LTU Waste tech., UmU-TEC lab. • Duration: 2017-2020 • Contact persons: Marcus Öhman (LTU), Anders Lagerkvist (LTU, Nils

Skoglund (UmU)

Biomass

Sludge

Fertilizer

P

Resource-efficient fuel additives for reducing ash

related operational problems in waste wood combustion (REFAWOOD)

• Today, waste wood combustion in dedicated plants or in co-combustion with forest wood chips has become common practice in many EU Member States.

• The majority of biomass and wood waste-fired power plant in Europe reports more or less extensive corrosion problems in the superheater as well as on furnace walls that cause unacceptably short life times.

• One of the measures to reduce the alkali chloride-related problems in biomass combustion is to use additives.

• The overall objective of REFAWOOD is to improve economic and environmental conditions and enlarge the market for the use of wood waste fuels in CHP-plants by using resource efficient additives

• Funding: ERA-NET Bioenergy (1,5 MEuro in total) • Partners: SP-Rise (project leader), LTU, UmU, Chalmers, Opcon AB,

ENA Energy AB, Gips Recycling AB, Utrecht Univ., Inst Tech. Drewna, Bioenergy 2020+……

• Duration: 2016-2019 • Contact persons at LTU: Marcus Öhman

Clean and flexible use of new difficult biomass

fuels in small to medium-scale combustion (BIOFLEX) • Small to medium scale combustion plants are destined to grow in

importance in a future decentralized, sustainable European energy supply scenario.

• The flexible utilization of new, “difficult” biomass fuels in these plants is one of the major challenges for the coming years.

• The overall objective is to increase fuel flexibility and innovation potential for the use of more difficult solid biomass fuels in these combustion systems

• Specific aims are to develop and implement: i) fuel- and combustion system design related measures making the clean and efficient utilization of “difficult” biomass, and ii) guidelines for the design of appropriate low emission combustion technologies and for appropriate fuel design of the identified fuels.

• Funding: ERA-NET Bioenergy (1,6 MEuro in total) • Partners: SP-Rise (project leader), LTU, UmU, Chalmers, Opcon AB, TFZ,

AMANDUS KAHL, Inst. of Power Eng., BTI, BIOS, POLYTECHNIK, KWB • Duration: 2016-2019 • Contact persons at LTU: Marcus Öhman

Advanced adjustable grate solutions for future fuel

flexible biomass combustion technologies (GreatAdvance) • Low temperatures in the fuel bed and well-directed air supply in the

combustion zone are crucial factors in order to reduce slag formation and minimize the release of PM emissions.

• Due to variations in fuel properties – the ash content in particular – biomass fuels considerably influence the conditions in the fuel bed.

• Flexibly adjustable grate systems are therefore major prerequisites for combustion systems that can be operated with different types of biomass.

• In the project knowledge on ash transformation and modeling of the process and particle movement in packed beds is gained.

• Results are implemented in technology development and optimization of three particular combustion systems (100-300 kW).

• Funding: ERA-NET Bioenergy (1,1 MEuro in total) • Partners: Bioenergy 2020+ (project leader), TUG, Verenum, LTU,

UmU, LUAS, Schmid, Ligno • Duration: 2016-2019 • Contact persons at LTU: Marcus Öhman, Ali Hedayati

Slag formation in grate-kiln system II • LKAB has four pelletizing plants of grate-kiln system in Kiruna. • Slag formation causes production disturbance, damages to equipments and

affects the product quality of iron ore pellets. • The aim of the project is therefore to: i) Clarify mechanisms of slag formation in grate-kiln system (i.e. determine the

critical sub-processes) (lic.) ii) Describe critical sub-processes in different models/ slag forming criteria which

then can be used for CFD-modelling of the process (lic-Dr). iii) Through i) and ii) propose possible solution to reduce slag formation by

improving the process (e.g. change of coal type as fuel, optimal combustion properties)

• Funding: LKAB (2,1 MSEK), LTU (1.9 MSEK) • Partner: LTU Energy Engineering, LKAB, ETC • Duration: 2014-2019 • Contact persons: Hamid Sefidari, Marcus Öhman, Bo Lindblom (LKAB), Henrik

Wiinikka (ETC)