Short Description
Thermochemical technologies enable the valorization of local biomass, residues and wastes to produce energy as well as renewable carbon products (biochar, bio-oils and gases), for use in various applications such as agriculture, construction, plastics production and metallurgy. Within the framework of a local biorefinery, a wide range of raw materials and residues, ideally those at the end of the cascading utilisation process, can be used as feedstock. These concepts are tested, evaluated, piloted and demonstrated at BEST's GreenCarbon Lab (GCL).
Contact Person
Manuel Schwabl
Research Services
Process optimization: The intermediate pyrolysis process of selected feedstocks is evaluated and optimised using pyro 2k under different process parameters (e.g. residence time and temperature). This includes establishing detailed mass and energy balances, investigating conversion mechanisms and characterising the resulting products, namely pyrolysis gas, bio-oil and biochar.
Upscaling: The process optimization, conducted using GCL pyro 2k, is followed by upscaling to the GCL pyro 90k pilot unit to enable the production of biochar at larger volumes while maintaining control over defined target properties.
Biochar production: Production of biochar with defined properties in various sample sizes (from kilograms to tonnes). GCL pyro 2k allows for lab-scale production of up to 15 kg of biochar. For larger quantities, GCL pyro 90k is used, to provide a continuous biochar output of around 20 kg/hour. Over several days of operation, up to 10 tonnes of biochar can be produced for use in applications such as soil amendment trials or incorporation into construction materials.
BEST GmbH provides comprehensive feedstock and product characterisation as well as analytical support, ensuring robust evaluation of material properties and process performance.
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The available infrastructure includes:
• GCL pyro 2k: continuous rotary kiln pyrolysis (~2 kg/h feedstock input)
• GCL pyro 90k: continuous auger pyrolysis (~90 kg/h feedstock input)
• Analytics: FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), organic elemental analyser (CHN), particle size distribution measurement, GC (gas chromatograph) for permanent gases and hydrocarbons
The GreenCarbon Lab enables upscaling from laboratory tests to demonstration at pilot scale as knowledge gained in the laboratory is implemented and validated in the pilot unit. Research activities focus on the testing of new feedstocks and on the upscaling of the process to obtain products with defined properties.