Thermochemical conversion

The development of infrastructure, expertise and know-how in the field of thermochemical and thermocatalytic conversion for material and energy use is part of a comprehensive development strategy of the FH Burgenland, with the aim of establishing a competence centre on this topic at the Pinkafeld site.

Systematic experimental investigations can be carried out using various test facilities and analysers.

Analytics:

Elemental analysis (CHNS)
Determination of calorific value
Determination of ash content
Determination of volatile substances
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Gas chromatography/flame ionisation detector
Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR)
Multi-component gas analysis

Potential raw materials:

Green waste
Tree cuttings
shrub cuttings
Biogenic residues from viticulture, landscape conservation, forestry
Residual materials from waste management
Sewage sludge
Electronic waste
plastics
etc.

Existing infrastructure:

Pilot plant for the thermochemical pre-treatment of waste streams:

Modern infrastructure for novel and innovative research in the field of thermochemical treatment of waste streams
Use of high-precision measuring instruments to record all input and output streams and their composition
Customised pyrolysis screw reactor with variation options for reactor temperature and throughput time
Continuous material throughput of up to 15 kg/h possible
Dust separation, thermal post-combustion of the pyrolysis gases, gas scrubbing and downstream gas analysis implemented.
Heat extraction of combustion chamber waste heat possible

Possible applications:

Production of biochar as a natural soil conditioner, activated carbon and phosphorus recovery
Utilisation of biogenic waste (grass, tree and shrub cuttings), which is produced during cultivation in agriculture and forestry as well as in near-natural habitats
Efficient recycling of electronic waste for the recovery and enrichment of strategically important metals
Material recycling of residual waste fractions including volume reduction

Fig: Pilot plant for thermochemical waste pre-treatment at the Pinkafeld site

Laboratory facility for concept studies and practical laboratory exercises

Implementation of innovative concept studies for a wide range of input materials on a lab-scale (0.5 - 2 kg/h)
Electrically heated screw reactor with thermal post-combustion of the pyrolysis gas and product collection
Test rig for carrying out practical laboratory exercises in the Environmental Analysis module of the Energy and Environmental Management Master's programme at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences
Possibility to carry out online measurements and wet-chemical gas analyses.