18 minute read
BIOGO FOR PRODUCTION
A step towards sustainable biofuels
The petro-chemical industry is under intense pressure to reduce its impact on the environment and develop more sustainable methods of fuel production. The work of the BIOGO project in transforming the production process could lead to radical improvements in these terms, as Professor Gunther Kolb and Dr Hannah Newton explain
The development of biofuels is widely recognised as a research priority, in line with the wider goal of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. The BIOGO project, an initiative bringing together 15 partners from across Europe, will make an important contribution in these terms. “The idea of BIOGO is to utilise non-food waste, like wood residue, which is widely available across Europe. We aim to use this waste to create synthetic gasoline-grade fuels,” says dissemination manager Dr Hannah Newton. A number of steps are involved in creating synthetic fuels out of biomass sources like wood residue. “First we make pyrolysis oil, which is a product of high-temperature treatment of this biomass. We also use biogas in the project,” explains Project Coordinator Professor Gunther Kolb. “From the biogas and the pyrolysis oil, we get a socalled synthesis gas (or syngas), which is mostly a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. From this, we can then synthesise methanol, from which the synthetic gasoline is then produced.”
Gas-to-gasoline
A number of companies already make synthetic fuel out of synthesis gas, but there are some drawbacks to existing methods, mostly related to the formation of large-scale hydrocarbons. These drawbacks can be avoided with the use of methanol, as
Electron microscope image of one of the nanocatalysts being developed within the project (BIOGO nanocatalyst). demonstrated by a former natural-gas-togasoline project in New Zealand; however, Professor Kolb says the project is taking a different approach. “In New Zealand they used natural gas, but we want to utilise wood residue, which is widely available across Europe. We are aiming for a sustainable process that is independent of fossil fuels,” he outlines. There are two key pillars to the project’s research, the first of which centres around designing, developing and preparing nanoscale catalysts for converting bio resources into liquid fuels, covering each step of the production process. “For each of the individual steps, we want to improve the available catalysts. There have been no commercial catalysts developed for some of the steps, while there are formulations existing for other steps,” says Professor Kolb. Along with others, researchers are using a novel approach to develop nanocatalysts, applying a technique called cluster beam sputtering, where extremely small particles are ejected on to the surface of a carrier material with a high surface area. Sputtering techniques are usually used to cover the whole surface of a material, but in the project researchers are instead making small clusters of atoms on the surface of the material to improve performance. Catalysts are being developed for each of the four key steps of the production process; those that lead to improvements will then be incorporated into what Professor Kolb describes as a mini-plant, which is the second main pillar of the project. “This
BIOGO Schematic
is effectively a demonstration of the whole process chain, using multiple catalyst formulations to demonstrate the feasibility of the whole process chain, from the reforming of the pyrolysis oil to the production of synthetic gasoline,” he outlines.
The mini-plant itself will be highly mobile, situated within a specially designed container for the production of chemicals The idea is to move the future production plant to the specific waste source. By creating these decentralised container plants, researchers
create synthetic fuels of gasoline-grade quality
hope to achieve some significant improvements over conventional methods. “We aim to minimise both transportation costs and energy consumption,” explains Dr Newton. The mini-plant is very small and is designed to produce only a very small amount of fuel, but Professor Kolb says the target is to scale it up in future. “At this stage, the project is really about proving the feasibility of the concept. All the required process steps have been incorporated, so we get a fuel of relevant quality, but in a very small quantity. The next step, which would be investigated in a followup project beyond BIOGO, would be to upscale the process chain,” he says. “It would be effectively a linear scale-up of the process. Maybe some purification steps would need to be done differently on a larger scale, but basically it would be about making what works already on a larger scale.”
Production run
A pilot-scale catalyst production run is planned for early 2017, where researchers will look to test the miniplant and demonstrate its manufacturing potential. This will involve analysing fuel samples and assessing the efficacy of the production process. “We’ll look at the components and the projected composition of the output,” explains Professor Kolb. The economic background is an important factor in terms of potentially applying this approach more widely in fuel production; while the fuel price is currently quite low, it is likely to rise again in future, at which point Professor Kolb says we will need to look more closely at biofuels. “We are developing this approach for the future. It will take a long time to really prove the feasibility of this
kind of approach, to install it and remove all the obstacles,” he says. “This process should be further developed until we are sure what we can achieve with it. Then, when the economic circumstances change, we will have a competitive process available.”
This is central to the long-term agenda of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and research continues into creating a comprehensive production process. The development of the catalysts for the different process steps is quite far advanced, in particular for the first step, the re-forming of biogas and pyrolysis oils. “We are now implementing these catalysts into the microreactors, ready for the mini-plant run,” says Professor Kolb. This research could have a significant impact on the petrochemical industry, and the project is keen to explore its wider potential. “Project partners regularly attend major trade events, and close links have been established with industry,” says Dr Newton. “We’re looking ahead to the results of the mini-plant run, and we intend to hold some further events with potential end-users of this process, from the petro-chemicals and the fuel industry, as well as with suppliers of bio resources.”
Full Project Title
Catalytic partial oxidation of bio gas and reforming of pyrolysis oil (Bio Oil) for an autothermal synthesis gas production and conversion into fuels (BIOGO-for-Production)
Project Objectives
BIOGO is a 4-year collaborative project supported through the European Commission’s Nanoscience, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies (NMP) theme. The project’s key objectives are to design, develop and prepare highly advanced nanoscale catalysts at an industrially relevant scale for the conversion of bio resources to liquid fuels; to develop and demonstrate a process that converts renewable bio-oils and bio-gas to synthesis gas for subsequent catalytic transformation into biofuels and chemical platform products; Reduce the dependence on rare earth oxides and precious metals for the catalyst formulations applied throughout the BIOGO project.
Project Funding
European Union FP7 – Grant Agreement number 604296
Project Partners
• Please see website for full partner details.
Contact Details
Professor Gunther Kolb, Project Coordinator Fraunhofer ICT-IMM, Bereichsleiter Energie- und Chemietechnik, Head of Division Energy and Chemical Technology, Carl-Zeiss-Straße 18-20, 55129 Mainz, Germany T: +49 6131 990-341 E: Gunther.Kolb@imm.fraunhofer.de W: www.biogo.eu
Professor Gunther Kolb
Professor Gunther Kolb studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Erlangen Nürnberg and finished his PhD in Reaction Engineering at the chair of Professor Hanns Hofmann in 1993 on zeolite catalysis and deactivation by coke formation. He was 5 years employee at the GRACE Davison FCC catalyst Division in Worms, Germany and switched then to the Institute of Microtechnology Mainz (IMM, now Fraunhofer ICT-IMM). He held there different positions such as Group Leader, Head of the Decentralised and Mobile Energy Technology Department and is currently Head of the Division Energy and Chemical Technology. Since 2012 he is Part Time Full Professor Micro Flow Energy Technology at the Technical University of Eindhoven, Netherlands. Since 2013 he is coordinator of the European large project BIOGO. He is author and co-author of 80 peer reviewed publications in the field of catalysis, chemical engineering and fuel processing.
Control is key to our energy future
Providing end-users with more information about their energy usage patterns could help them identify ways to improve efficiency. We spoke to Dr David Rua and Professor João Abel Peças Lopes about the AnyPLACE project’s work in developing a modular energy management system that will give end-users a new level of control over their energy usage
A type of monitoring technology that gives consumers detailed information on their energy usage patterns, smart meters are an increasingly common feature of efforts to improve energy efficiency in both residential buildings and commercial premises. Now researchers in the AnyPLACE project aim to take a step further by developing a modular monitoring and control platform capable of interacting with appliances and smart meters. “The main aim of the project is to develop an energy management system which integrates intelligence regarding energy management and the use of automated systems inside households and buildings,” says Dr David Rua, the project’s coordinator. This management system - or platform - will be designed to be interoperable, costefficient, and capable of being integrated with both state-of-the-art appliances and legacy devices. “One of the key issues in these terms is the use of interoperable hardware and software, that allows the owner of the solution to identify and analyse usage patterns and select the best tariff schemes accordingly,” explains Dr Rua.
The goal of enabling cost-effective usage will have a wider impact on the energy market by helping to raise awareness of energy efficiency and thereby change behaviour. This work is very much in line with wider environmental goals, and Dr Rua believes that as the ultimate end-users of electricity, we all have to adapt to a new reality. “In the past, what happened in operating the electric power system is that the supply was adapted to the needs of consumers. Nowadays, we have to understand that we need a different system and a different framework,” he stresses. This means that consumption patterns today have to be adapted in line with the availability of primary resources. “Energy suppliers have different prices and different incentives, to encourage energy consumption at specific times of the day,” continues Dr Rua. “The platform we are developing in the project will gather data from local users, helping them become more efficient.” AnyPLACE architecture
Hardware and software
Researchers in the project are developing both hardware and software components, as well as integrating existing resources. Residential buildings and offices tend to vary widely in age, and energy management technology has developed significantly over time, to a point where Dr Rua believes it can now be applied more widely. “Nowadays we have the platform and the tools to make energy management more accessible for end-users,” he says. The AnyPLACE platform is designed to encourage people to think about the way they consume energy and identify ways in which it could possibly be reduced, with the platform providing a means of interaction between consumers, market representatives, network operators and ICT providers. “This platform can be thought of as an interface with the operation distribution system,” explains Professor João Abel Peças Lopes, the project’s coordinator, working alongside Dr Rua.
This will help engage end-users more closely in the electricity market, and point them towards more cost-efficient usage patterns. Active control of the electricity network will also help end-users make more effective use of renewable sources of energy like wind and solar photovoltaics (PV); the irregular nature of supply from these sources is widely viewed as one of their major drawbacks, so Professor Peças Lopes believes it’s important to use them
when they are available. “If we try to store this energy then we typically lose a certain proportion of it. So the right approach is to use it when it is available,” he outlines. “This is what the AnyPLACE platform enables – it provides an interface between the end-user and the network, just telling them that there is scope for flexible loads to be connected at those periods and it allows the usage of the appliances at the right moment. This means energy from renewable sources can be used efficiently.”
From the point of view of the end-user, this could be on less time-sensitive loads, such as washing. To the end-user, it’s not particularly important what time a washing cycle starts, yet benefits could arise from shifting the load; this method of changing energy usage patterns is called flexible peak shaving. “These loads can be postponed and have a fixed duration,” says Dr Rua. Researchers are undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of different configurations of the platform, aiming to ensure the overall solution is costeffective, while different prototype versions of the platform will also be produced. “One version is relatively basic and inexpensive, where there is limited interaction with the end-user. The other is more advanced, and is made from different end-modules,” outlines Dr Rua. “We can think of this second version as almost a library solution, in the sense that more pieces can be added in line with local circumstances.”
Prototype testing
The two prototypes will be tested at households in Dörentrup, Germany, with researchers looking to exploit different algorithms and different software models. Assessing the performance of the platform will be a complex task, as it is difficult to precisely define the costs and benefits associated with it. “It’s not very easy to define the benefits of the platform up-front, by saying: ‘this is the amount of cash you will save’. Therefore it needs to be analysed in the previous state, which is why we are developing some monitoring devices. After that we can assess the benefits of the platform on a more realistic basis,” outlines Dr Rua. The prototypes will be tested in different application scenarios, and researchers are looking to improve the platform still further. “We have developed the hardware and software modules and are investigating different paradigms. At the beginning of 2017 we should have the first prototype in laboratory conditions,” continues Dr Rua.
Researchers are also keen to explore the wider commercial potential of the platform beyond the initial scope of the project. This means both looking at market opportunities and also considering the wider regulatory environment. “We’re looking at how to ensure that everybody benefits from this sort of solution,” says Dr Rua. The platform itself is highly adaptable, so further elements could potentially be added to it in future to reflect market changes. “Of course we intend to look at what we can add. We are looking at different communication interfaces, so that different communication technologies can be integrated, up to a certain limit,” says Dr Rua. “The same rationale applies to the software modules, as they can be added to the platform to implement new functionalities or enhance existing ones making it a highly adaptable and customizable solution.”
The main aim of the
energy management and
AnyPLACE prototype
Full Project Title
Adaptable Platform for Active Services Exchange (AnyPLACE)
Project Objectives
The H2020 AnyPLACE project intend to develop an advanced, modular and cost-effective home energy management system that is able to fully engage end-users to better use their energy and improve its efficiency. It will be designed to operate in different physical environments and be compatible with different EU regulatory frameworks so that consumers can become active players in the exchange of energy services with other stakeholders.
Project Funding
EU funding: €2,534,389.25 Total funding: €2,974,263.75
Project Partners
• INESC TEC • EFACEC Energia S.A. • BOSCH Termotecnologia S.A. • Kreis Lippe • Joint Research Centre • HOCHSCHULE OSTWESTFALEN-LIPPE • Power Plus Communications AG • TU Wien
Contact Details
INESC TEC Campus da FEUP Rua Dr. Roberto Frias $200-465 Porto Portugal T: +22 209 4230 E: jpl@fe.up.pt W: www.anyplace2020.org W: whttp://cordis.europa.eu/project/ rcn/194460_en.html
Luís Seca João Lopes David Rua
Luís Seca is a Senior Researcher and Coordinator at the Center for Power and Energy of INESC TEC, a private R&D institution in Portugal. His current research interests focus on the integration of distributed energy resources (renewable, EV, Storage, etc.) in distribution systems, dynamic stability in isolated systems and smart grids. João A. Peças Lopes is a Full Professor at Porto University (FEUP), where he teaches both undergraduates and post-graduates. His main domains of research are related to large scale integration of renewable power sources, power system dynamics, microgeneration and microgrids, smartmetering and electric vehicle grid integration. David Rua is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Power and Energy Systems of INESC TEC. His research activities include the design and implementation of communications systems to support hierarchical and distributed management and control schemes for smart grids, as well as the design of solutions for building energy management.
Personalised communications to connect with energy consumers
Reducing residential energy consumption is an important part of the wider goal of improving energy efficiency, but it’s not always easy to change long-established habits. We spoke to Thomas Mikkelsen about the NatConsumers project’s work in developing a methodology to communicate more effectively with consumers and reduce consumption
A number of different methods have been tried over recent years to interact and engage with energy consumers, with the wider goal of improving energy efficiency and sustainability. Previous efforts have been very much focused on price, as the key motivator to encourage people to change their energy consumption patterns, but now researchers in the NatConsumers project are taking a new approach. “We thought we needed to start a conversation with the end customer. It’s not about dictating to them and ordering people to do things, it’s about creating a conversation,” says Thomas Mikkelsen, a project partner. This will be a more effective way of engaging with consumers, believes Mikkelsen. “It’s about being relevant and understanding the situations where you can talk about energy, which are not always related just to money and potential cost savings,” he says.
This could be something as simple as talking to end customers about how weather patterns affect their energy consumption. For example, if a consumer lives in an area which has been experienced a lot of rainfall, or a prolonged cold snap, then that
NATCONSUMERS
NATCONSUMERS aims at raising consumer awareness on energy as part of everyday life and provoking direct actions by making consumption visible and by summarizing it into tailored daily tips.
Grant Agreement 657672
Thomas Mikkelsen T: +45 23 21 01 19 E: thomas.mikkelsen@vaasaett.com W: http://natconsumers.eu/
Thomas Mikkelsen is a partner and director at VaasaETT, a leading international specialist research and advisory company. He is responsible for working with customers across a range of tasks, including providing strategic advice, customer profiling and segmentation models.
Visualisation by Strategic Design Scenarios
will affect consumption patterns, and can provide a starting point for more effective, emotionally intelligent and relevant communication. “Do you know what that means for your energy consumption? Did you know you can do x to change y? Or a consumer may be getting married or having a child. Many things could trigger a
discussion about their energy consumption,” outlines Mikkelsen. The starting point in terms of identifying these triggers is a usercentred framework, which the project is developing to segment consumers. “We develop communication by asking questions and getting feedback,” says Mikkelsen.
about creating a conversation. It’s about being relevant and understanding the situations where you can talk about energy
User-centred framework
The goal is to build a kind of self-learning tool, that will constantly develop and evolve to reflect consumer priorities. Researchers gathered data from across Europe, and while energy consumption patterns of course vary significantly across different regions, Mikkelsen says there are similarities in terms of behaviour and communication preferences, which will inform the ongoing development of the framework. “We’ve been trying to categorise communication in terms both of what is more static and what is more dynamic. But this is only a starting point – as the machine starts learning, we find that people respond more as we become better at understanding their specific priorities and circumstances,” he continues.
From these foundations, researchers can then look to communicate with consumers in a way that’s relevant to them, and also develop personalised actions aimed at reducing energy consumption. This information on consumer priorities could also be highly relevant for utility and energy companies, something which the project could explore in future. “What came out of this project is basically a process and by going through that process, you can identify the priorities of the customers that you are talking to,” says Mikkelsen. “We aim to take this research and the knowledge that we’ve gained in terms of understanding the kinds of messages that people respond to, and try to apply that to help reduce household energy consumption.”
