Since 2002 TPE has been focussing its activities on the conversion of abundant or waste biomass (woody and dry herbaceous biomass) via conventional gasification process either into 2nd generation bio-fuels (synthetic natural gas SNG) or electricity via high temperature fuel cells and gas turbines.
System integration of gasification, gas processing and the final conversion process is one key for a successful implementation of such technologies in the market. New technologies have to compete with established biomass-based technologies. Techno-economic requirements for new technologies are therefore well known and dictate in which directions technology development has to go.
More or less independent of the conversion route, the following unit operations are important:
• Removal of particles and heavy metals,
• Treatment and/or removal of hydrocarbons, especially tars,
• Treatment and/or removal of sulphur species.
In all our research projects, a system engineering approach has been adopted. Material or process unit development is driven by having a specific process chain in mind. The investigated thermal processes are operated with catalytic and non catalytic materials. In our research work, all process units are therefore considered as chemical reactors.
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