ISSUE 2 / 2010 DATA – FACTS – ANALYSIS

1990 - 2010: CUTEC 20 YEARS ON CUTEC-News ANNIVERSARY EDITION

20 YEARS CUTEC: CONGRATULATIONS FROM LOWER SAXONY MINISTER PRESIDENT CHRISTIAN WULFF

nology which extend beyond the horizon of Workshop on algae as an alternate CUTEC expertise. source of energy and raw materials 2

CUTEC – 20 years of cutting-edge CUTEC is involved in a number of exciting research 3 research projects that are highly relevant to the current public debate. In the field of 20 years of environmental and energy technology expertise 4 environmental and energy technology, the

institute is focusing its attention on biomass A brief outline of our main research conversion, fuel cell systems technology activities: and materials and energy resource effi- • Thermal process technology 4 ciency. • Chemical process technology 6 • Biological and physical process technology 8 The emphasis of biomass conversion • Clausthal Energy Park 10 research is on finding ways of replacing • Chemical analysis 12 fossil fuels with renewables. Investigations • Modelling and simulation 13 at the pilot scale are underway to develop • Bioconversion cluster 14 • Sustainability Management Cluster14 methods of producing synthetic fuel from a • Lower Saxony Fuel Cell and Battery wide variety of biomass feedstock including Technology Initiative 15 Lower Saxony Minister President algae, straw and wood residue, so that we • Business services 16 Christian Wulff will be able to maintain our level of mobility • Workshop facilities 16 in the future. • IT systems, graphics and media technology 16 Dear Professor Carlowitz, Given the economic trends which we have witnessed over the past 20 years, I have no Major project Dezincing steel scrap II 17 Dear Employees, doubt that CUTEC will continue to be a major contributor and that the institute in its Scientific Advisory Board: As CUTEC celebrates its 20th anniversary, I role as an extramural organisation will A profile of Prof. Wesling 18 would like to extend my sincere congratula- continue to enhance the reputation of Trade show activities tions to you. On behalf of the government research “made in Lower Saxony”. in the spring of 2010 19 of Lower Saxony, I would like to thank you Werner Grübmeyer for what you have accomplished over the True friend and patron of CUTEC for the past 20 years 19 years.

Do you know how it all started? 20 Clausthaler Umwelttechnik-Institut GmbH (CUTEC) has become a permanent and Applied research on market dependable fixture in the Lower Saxony introduction of SOFC technology 22 research landscape. There are few issues Christian Wulff relating to environmental and energy tech- Minister President of Lower Saxony Workers Council report 24

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 THE “ALGAE – AN ALTERNATE SOURCE OF ENERGY AND RAW MATERIALS” WORKSHOP TOOK PLACE ON APRIL 12, 2010 AT CUTEC

A workshop on algae as an alternate source of energy and raw materials was held at CUTEC on April 12, 2010. The event was held on behalf of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture. Around 100 individuals from the scientific, business and government communities who attended the workshop demonstrated a high level of interest in this topic. The goal of the workshop was to examine various aspects of the technology and share information on the last developments in algae research and exploitation.

View of the auditorium

results of work done on micro and macro option for ensuring a good return on invest- algae. The group discussed issues such as ment. Energy applications (biogas plants, cultivation, conditioning and applications. fuel) appear to offer attractive opportunities There was a general consensus on the in the long run. In his closing remarks, need for more R&D to expand the molec- ular biology knowledge base. Additional screening to identify suitable cultures, further reactor system optimisation and Minister Lutz Stratmann said a few words improvement of properties for target appli- of welcome at the start of the workshop cations (improved carbon capture) were also highlighted as issues to address. In his opening address, Lower Saxony Given the higher growth rates compared to Minister of Science and Culture Lutz land plants, algae appear to offer signifi- Stratmann highlighted the potential use of cant potential. As algae biotechnology algae in the food and cosmetics sector. development is an expensive process, However, what makes algae particularly high-value products might be the best attractive is its role as a carbon sink. Algae could be used to remove greenhouse gas (CO2) from industrial emissions. Algae have the added advantage that they do not need arable land to grow and do not The speakers and the audience engaged compete with traditional agriculture. The list in lively and highly interesting discussions of speakers included Prof. Dieter Sell following the talks (DECHEMA e.V.), Prof. Stefan Rill (Phytolutions GmbH), Dr. Wolfgang Frey Dr. Hans Schroeder from the Lower (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie), Prof. Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture Olaf Kruse (Center for Biotechnology), reiterated the need for multi-disciplinary Stephanie Koch (E.ON Hanse AG), Prof. research. As is the case with fuel cell tech- Otto Pulz (IGV, Institut für Getreide - nology, there is still a long road ahead and verarbeitung GmbH), Dr. Stefan Vodegel a lot of support will be needed. CUTEC’s (CUTEC) and Dr. Martin Lohrmann The visitors who attended the workshop organisation of the event and the workshop (Volkswagen AG). The speakers shared had the opportunity to learn more about itself were given high ratings by those who information on their activities and the CUTEC during lunch break tours attended. (gr)

2 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 CUTEC – 20 YEARS OF CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH

million euros) which is allocated to us in the transdisciplinary activity and extend our Lower Saxony budget. research and strategic horizon beyond Our priority continues to be application- departmental boundaries. Plans are in oriented research and development of place to set up an energy systems cluster environmental and energy technology. The as well. Prof. Otto Carlowitz (right) and Minister focus has naturally shifted over time. Some We can be very proud of what we have Lutz Stratmann at the “Algae – an alterna- issues have moved down the priority list, accomplished, but we must guard against tive source of energy and raw materials” while others have become more prominent complacency to ensure future success. As workshop as science advances and society evolves. Voltaire once said, “Better is the enemy of We are positioned between basic good." academic research and industrial develop- I hope that you enjoy reading our anni- After 20 years of highly successful R&D ment. We continue to pursue the goal of versary issue, and I look forward to recei- including the last ten years under my making the results of basic research work ving your feedback which you can forward stewardship, now is a good time to reflect available for applications development and by e-mail to [email protected]. on what we have accomplished. It is implementation in order to strengthen the certainly not an exaggeration for me to say economy. Our priority at the moment is that CUTEC has become an established research on innovative technologies such Yours sincerely, contributor in the Lower Saxony research as bioconversion, fuel cell system techno- Otto Carlowitz community. We have invested a lot of effort logy and materials & energy resource effi- and will continue our efforts to build up a ciency. We are addressing these issues on solid scientific reputation and enhance our an interdepartmental basis. Because our image as a highly competent and reliable research activities have always focused on R&D organisation in the region. equipment, systems and process techno- IMPPRINT From the business standpoint, the insti- logy, we already have the necessary core Published by: tute has done very well over the years. We engineering expertise in biological, CUTEC-Institut GmbH now have roughly 100 employees plus chemical, physical and thermal process Editor: Dr. T. Heere (he) around another 50 student research assis- technology. To supplement the work done Contributors: tants at Clausthal University of Applied by the existing departments at CUTEC Prof. Dr.-Ing. O. Carlowitz (ca) Dipl.-Ing. R.-U. Dietrich (di) Sciences (TU Clausthal). We have also (you can read more about these depart- Dr. A. Fischer (fi) succeeded in attracting 3 - 5 million euros ments and what they do in this issue), we Dipl.-Ing. A. Grove (gr) in external financing per year in addition to set up biomass conversion and sustainabi- Dipl.-Ing. C. Immisch (im) the basic annual subsidy (currently about 3 lity clusters some time ago to promote Dr.-Ing. A. Lindermeir (li) apl. Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Reuter (reu) Dipl.-Kfm. A. Sauter (sr) Dipl.-Ing. N. Senkel (sen) Dipl.-Ing. W. Siemers (sie) Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Sievers (si) Dipl.-Volksw. K.-R. Sommer (so) Dr.-Ing. S. Vodegel (vod) G. Vollbrecht (vo) Dr. T. Zeller (ze) Layout and typesetting: G. Wessels (wes) Photos: Gert-E. Knochen Production and supply: CUTEC-Institut GmbH Leibnizstr. 21+23 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld Tel. 05323 933-0 Fax 05323 933-100 E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.cutec.de Publication: Several times a year at irregular intervals. Issues can be ordered from the address above at no charge. Send an E-mail to: The performance and expertise of our team provides a solid foundation for successful [email protected] research

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 3 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE THERMAL PROCESSES

1. The roots also performed theoretical studies on fuel The Thermal Processes Department, substitution in collaboration with IEVB. which was originally called the Thermal Waste Treatment Department, built on the 3. Expansion phase: research activities and equipment of the Dr. Ragnar Warnecke TU Clausthal Energy Process Engineering and Fuel Technology (IEVB) Institute of Leveraging its TU Clausthal. Under the direction of Prof. excellent thermal Reinhard Scholz, the department acquired plant infrastructure, partners, projects and equipment for work the department on pyrolysis, gasification and combustion. ramped up its The pyrolysis rotary kiln, a forward-acting process simulation grate and the MARTIN® reverse-acting Pyrolysis rotary kiln – applications: activities and grate found their way from the university pyrolysis of solid carbon-containing mate- added additional to CUTEC. rials to determine process and material equipment to parameters Dr.-Ing. enhance its pilot 2. Preliminary phase and start up: Ragnar Warnecke test capabilities. Prof. Michael Beckmann An unpressurised denoxing techniques and air factor reduc- boiler and a flue gas scrubber were added A distinctive pio- tion in grate system combustion pro - to the MARTIN® grate combustion unit, neering spirit was cesses. The next phase involved and significant enhancements were made evident during the collaboration with plant operators and to the automation and control systems. startup of CUTEC engineering & construction firms. The The department now had the capability to and Department III collaborative relationship with the Munich- take on flue gas scrubbing projects as well (Thermal Waste based company Martin GmbH für Energie- as work related to major problems Treatment). There und Umwelttechnik and joint construction with waste incineration such as boiler was now an oppor- of the pilot reverse-acting grate unit corrosion and contamination. The depart- tunity to try out (approx. 0.5 MW thermal output) along ment carried out a number of projects Prof. Dr.-Ing. ideas that had with the subsequent scientific studies to evaluate the feasibility of primary air Michael Beckmann been formulated were particularly significant. The pre-heating, primary denoxing, slag into concepts over researchers concentrated on primary recycling and oxygen enrichment of the years. Pilot units with an average denoxing combined with good combus- combustion air, and it also conducted throughput of several hundred kilograms tion, and they then turned their attention to corrosion trials. Dynamic combustion per hour are not exactly a lucrative busi- ash quality, mathematical modelling and simulation with programmes developed in ness opportunity for large engineering the behaviour of heavy metals in the house improved the understanding firms. The first forward-acting trial gasifier furnace. of thermal processes and helped with separate downstream combustion However, the research activities were define specific solution strategies. unit (thermal power approx. 0.5 MW) was not limited to gasification and combustion Besides conventional instrumentation, developed almost entirely in-house with in grate systems. The introduction of the the researchers also used specialised the support of a company which builds NOELL indirectly heated rotary kiln equipment such as the new high-tempera- small-scale systems. You learn from your (throughput approx. 50 kg/h) extended the ture endoscope. mistakes, and at the beginning the investigation horizon to include pyrolysis, Despite the fact that the department learning curve was very steep. The with material recycling being of particular concentrates primarily on waste incinera- special relationship between IEVB and interest. The range of materials fed into tion, it has not neglected the issue of CUTEC proved to be extremely beneficial. the system included shredder light frac- material recycling. The technical feasibility Herbert Hillebrecht, Lutz Trenkner and the tion, plexiglas residue and sludge. A of basic chemical recycling, e.g. from entire mechanical and electrical workshop fluidised bed (roughly 75 kW thermal PMMA*, at an acceptable quality level teams deserve special recognition. output) was built to study power genera- was demonstrated on the pyrolysis unit. Based on the initial results of experi- tion from biomass using finer materials Combustion, pyrolysis and gasification mental trials, the researchers continued to (e.g. sugar beet pulp and olive residue). trials with secondary fuels and biogenic refine the process management model Process optimisation based on trials materials such as sugar beet pulp reflect and reached the stage where they were with a variety of fuels in grate, combustion the broad scope of the department's activ- ready to apply for research grants which chamber, tubular kiln and fluidised bed ities. The department’s excellent reputa- would enable them to carry out detailed reactors provided hard data for assessing tion paved the way to discussions with the investigations, for example primary the different techniques. The researchers Lower Saxony Environment Ministry on

4 CUTEC-NEWSCUTEC-NEWS / OKTOBER / JUNE 2010 2009 4 Four additional research associates have joined the "Stationary Flue Gas Purification" working group. In recent years, innovative solutions for MARTIN reverse-acting grate – applicati- reducing residual ons: combustion of solid carbon-contai- contaminants and ning materials to determine process increasing energy effi- parameters ciency have been developed, resulting in numerous publica- placement of thermo-chemical biomass tions. Highly applica- conversion at CUTEC. tions-oriented projects A “Stationary Flue Gas Purification” with a very significant working group was set up in the Thermal level of industry partici- Process Technology Department. Under pation were conducted the direction of Prof. Otto Carlowitz, the in collaboration with group took on the challenge of developing the Chemical Analysis functional enhancements to thermal and Depart ment. Prof. catalytic flue gas treatment, paying Carlowitz and various special attention to energy process inte- members of the gration. The department added industrial working group are flue gas cleaning systems to its asset members of commis- base. Impressive results in denoxing and Fluidised bed for gasification – applications: gasification of solid sions which are energy conservation were achieved with biomass to produce syngas; determination of process and mate- working on VDI guide- the RTO and TNV. rial properties lines.

4. Progression from waste Several years of work will be needed to 5. Future activities incineration to biomass conversion produce reliable results. and gas purification: In 2002 under the direction of the Future activities by the Thermal Process Dr. Stefan Vodegel Environment Ministry, the State of Lower Technology Department will flow naturally Saxony approved the construction of a from the department’s broad experience As waste incinera- plant for thermal composition of various base and excellent research infrastructure tion technology types of biomass to produce syngas. The and from the needs of society at large. matured, the need specific goal of the BtL (Biomass to Techniques for saving energy during for research in this Liquid) plant was production of synthetic thermal treatment of industrial waste gas field continued to diesel. Lower Saxony is Germany’s will be one priority. The technical feasibility decrease. All of the second largest farming state, and the of thermal conversion of biomass has been commercial plants state government wanted to partially demonstrated in sustained operation. The are easily able to restructure the agricultural sector to future priorities will be efficiency maximi- comply with strict actively support the energy industry. In sation along the entire chain from the Dr.-Ing. government guide- recent years, use of synthetic gas has harvest to chemical products and recy- Stefan Vodegel lines. In close been expanded to include a range of other cling of all by-products. Another very inter- collaboration with products to provide raw materials or esting thread will be a “crystal ball” for the Modelling and Simulation Department, generate energy (LPG, SNG, electricity control systems at incinerator plants. The the researchers began to look at innova- and heat). The department has estab- pyrolysis unit will continue to be available tive grate combustion control systems. lished a close working relationship with for project work. Given its tradition, Based on a combination of different the Chemical Process Technology mixture of veteran employees and new control technologies and Artificial Neuron Department at the Biomass Conversion hires, good asset base and portfolio of Networks (ANN), the team is attempting to Cluster. A unit for real-world treatment and advanced activities, the department is well look several minutes out into the future, so purification of product gas from the gasifi- positioned to make an important contribu- that corrective action can be taken before cation process will soon go into operation tion in the field of thermal processes. an out-of-spec system state occurs. to optimise the overall process flow. (vod)

*PMMA: Polymethylmethacrylat 5 CUTEC-NEWSCUTEC-NEWS / OKTOBER / JUNE 2010 2009 5 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Fossil fuels play a vital role in our CUTEC. The success of this project led to everyday lives. We need oil and gas to more intensive collaboration with industry heat our homes, and we use petrol and in Lower Saxony, providing the basis for a diesel to get from one place to another. long-term partnership. Support from the 95% of the oil we extract is used to firm H.C. Starck deserves special produce fuel and heating oil. Only 5% is mention. used to produce plastics, pharmaceuti- Dr. Andreas Lindermeir took charge of cals, etc. The Chemical Processes the Chemical Process Engineering Department at CUTEC has been working Department on May 1, 2007 following the intensely on the fuel – drive – emissions untimely death of his predecessor Prof. process flow for a long time. Michael Claußen. The strategic roadmap The initial emphasis was on reduction agreed with CUTEC’s Scientific Advisory of emissions from combustion engines by Board confirmed that the department’s altering the quality of the fuel and/or emis- priorities are innovative systems tech- sion control technology such as self- nology and component development for regenerating diesel soot particle filters. SOFC fuel cells and synthesis of renew- The diesel engine test bed (Fig. 1) was able fuel and chemical raw materials from installed to support this activity, and it was biomass. used to develop and refine sampling and analysis techniques. Fig. 2: Pilot Fischer-Tropsch synthesis Besides post-treatment emission unit, part of the ArtFuel concept to control technology, the department looked produce fuel from biomass at improved fuel formulations to reduce emissions inside the engine. Trials were synthetic fuel from biomass, which was conducted on continuous hydrodesul- officially opened on August 5, 2005 by phurisation of vacuum – gas – oil in a Lower Saxony Environment Minister high-pressure hydroprocessing pilot plant. Heinrich Sander. Based on this highly flex- Hydroprocessing of rape seed was also ible process, the department worked with used to produce diesel/petrol substitute the Thermal Process Technology which contains no sulphur or aromatic Department to attract R&D project work, compounds. particularly from the EU-funded RENEW programme. In 2007, CUTEC was able to demonstrate the world’s first pilot-scale production of BtL fuel from straw. At the beginning of the millennium, Fig. 3: SOFC demonstrator to generate development of fuel cell stacks had electrical energy and heat from advanced to the stage where system propane development created another opportunity at CUTEC to develop highly innovative At first sight, the two technologies technology. The first step along this path seem to have little in common, but when was the development in 2002 of a gas you take a closer look, you can identify production system for mobile fuel cell significant synergies (Fig. 4). applications. Based on this project, the The diagram shows the process steps researchers built up an extensive knowl- on three current research projects. Work Fig. 1: The department’s diesel engine edge base over the next few years and is in progress on efficient generation of test bed carried out projects (e.g. within the frame- electricity from biogas using a high- work of the Lower Saxony Fuel Cell temperature fuel cell. The process Researchers gained initial experience Initiative) which attracted an increasing includes secondary biogas purification with production of fuel from renewables, amount of funding from the Federal and a reformer to generate the fuel gas. and the department systematically Government. Development of a demon- Similar subsystems were developed for expanded its knowledge base in the years strator for simultaneous production of synthesis applications, e.g. distributed that followed, in particular following electrical energy and heat from propane is production of high-grade Fischer-Tropsch construction of a Fischer-Tropsch pilot a good example. This project marked the wax from biogas or natural gas. unit (Fig. 2). The plant is part of the first time that a high-temperature SOFC There are two other projects of major ArtFuel Test Centre for the production of fuel cell was introduced and evaluated at strategic importance. In 2009, Lower

6 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 The department also acquired an SOFC fuel cell project which has major strategic implications. The Lower Saxony Research Alliance was formed on March 1, 2010 with seven institutes at the Universities of Hannover, Braunschweig, Clausthal and Osnabrück along with high- profile industrial partners (BMA AG, EWE AG, H.C. Starck GmbH, Sieb & Meyer AG, GEA Ecoflex, Solvis GmbH and others) for the development of a compact, high-effi- ciency 300W SOFC system. This marks the first time that all of the institutes and companies in Lower Saxony which are working of high-temperature fuel cells will join forces over a period of three-years to drive fuel cell technology closer to market Fig.4: Examples showing how networking supports the major development activities introduction. in the department Eight employees currently work in the Chemical Processes Department (6 scien- Saxony approved funding for construction ularly heat management and instrumenta- tists and 2 technicians, Fig. 6). CUTEC of a pilot Fischer-Tropsch synthesis plant. tion & control. The pilot plant will act as a Central Services along with student assis- The entire existing knowledge base will be model for scale-up at a later date and tants and students who are working on used to move the technology closer to construction of a demonstration plant. The research papers or writing their theses real-world application and industrial imple- project is being executed in close cooper- provide additional support as needed. mentation. The engineering work is now ation with the Thermal Processes Over the past three years, the department complete, and construction of the various Department to develop technology for acquired more than €2.5 million in future production of BtL fuel from biomass external funding, contributed more than in volumes of a few kg/h. This will provide 15 talks and posters at international enough fuel for trials on the engine test conferences, and published articles in beds. peer-reviewed journals. (li)

Fig. 5: Installation of the first pilot Fischer-Tropsch unit by the work- shop team process stages is currently underway (Fig. 5). The plant will have two six-meter synthesis reactors running in parallel which can operate at different pressures and temperatures to provide maximum flexibility. Design and implementation will reflect standard industrial practice, partic- Fig. 6: Chemical Process Technology team

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 7 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES

A brief look back It all began with industrial effluent treat- ment and the development of a pilot container unit for treatment of complex waster water at the TU Clausthal Thermal Engineering Institute. Because mechan- ical and biological treatment alone do not provide the desired purity levels with complex effluent, chemical oxidation and adsorption techniques are also needed. Early experience with a variety of methods and combinations of methods in the mid 1990s pointed in the direction of an expanded and increasingly holistic system approach to wastewater treatment. By- products were part of the equation, in other words sewage sludge treatment including sludge conditioning, dewatering and digestion. Process water recycling became another priority, because tech- niques for treating complex wastewater are also suitable for ensuring compliance with drinking water quality standards. Dynamic simulation of wastewater treat- ment systems was developed as researchers gained a better under- standing of the process. The experience gained with sludge digestion provided the basis later on for studies of biogas production from renew- oxidation treatment methodologies along Highlights ables. Work has intensified in this area, as with the associated PR activities, and it There were a number of success stories the institute contributes to the develop- acted as coordinator on a number of EU where the department was able to move ment of a sustainable energy supply. projects. from laboratory scale to practical imple- Projects from the European Com - mentation. Results mission, the German Environment As is often the case in the world of Foundation (DBU), the German Landfill leachate treatment. Leachate research, a number of patents (more than Federation of Industrial Research treatment is nothing new, and many solu- 10) were granted to the department, and a Associations (AiF), the German Ministry of tions have already been developed. significant number of works were Economics (funding channelled through However, new approaches can achieve published (more than 100). It is important AiF Berlin), the German Ministry of significant savings. Work in this area to keep in mind however that many of the Research (project managed by Jülich), began with the construction and trial of a results have not been published because the State of Lower Saxony, N-Bank and test plant in the Osterode am Harz district of non-disclosure agreements. Many the Agency for Renewable Resources and resulted in an innovative and cost- research papers and theses (around 60) (FNR) provided funding for excellent labo- effective leachate treatment technique including several doctoral theses (about ratory and test centre facilities. The (Fig. 1). Non-biodegradable substan ces 10) were completed, partly because department has the capability to test a are screened out following founding Managing Director Prof. wide variety of processes, from bench, precipitation/flocculation. The success of Leschonski specialised in physical test centre and pilot scale right up to the screening process depended on new process technology, and Prof. Vogelpohl industrial scale in some cases. With flocculation equipment which increases kindly took over principle reporting wastewater treatment techniques needing floc shear stability. This equipment was responsibility during the startup phase. to be assessed on site because the developed and produced in house for the There were also noteworthy activities composition of the water can vary greatly treatment plant. The experience that the in the international sphere. CUTEC insti- in real-world conditions, container-based department gained during the develop- tuted a popular international series of test facilities were developed to conduct ment, design, construction and optimisa- conferences on water and wastewater field testing. tion phases has helped researchers to

8 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 comparatively little effort has been put into research on the upstream conditioning process (flocculation process technology). Based on encouraging lab results at CUTEC, a flocculation process along with suitable equipment was developed starting at laboratory scale and continuing right through to industrial implementation (Fig. 2). Special thanks are due to the German Environment Foundation (DBU) for partially funding the development work. The process improves dewatering performance and reduces polymer consumption. The centrate/filtrate has lower solids content, providing greater leeway during operation of dewatering machinery. Plants using this technology Fig. 2: Sludge conditioning pilot have already been built in Germany and Bild 4: Pilot harbour sludge conditioning plant (throughput 40 m3/h max.) Japan. plant

Sludge digestion. Sludge digestion can Flocculants derived from renewable meet part of the energy needs at sewage resources. On a project funded by the better understand the cost structure of treatment plants. Process intensification Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR), future process development work, and can increase the proportion of energy CUTEC joined forces with an industrial that knowledge will help them on subse- generated in house. A mechanical partner, a user and the University of quent projects with industrial partners. homogenisation process (Fig. 3) devel- Hamburg Institute for Technical and oped within the framework of an Macromolecular Chemistry to study new Sludge dewatering. Dewatering of international partnership achieved a starch-based flocculants and their appli- sludge has also been around for a long digestion level of 60% with dry organic cations. time, but there appears to be significant material during engineering testing. The Using harbour sludge dewatering as need for optimisation in the future. process produced about three times more an example, the researchers analysed the Compared to the amount of effort electricity than was needed to run the conditioning process and identified the expended on machinery improvement, process. need to optimise the chemical modifica- tion of the starch. The joint project led to the development of a starch- based flocculant which is competitive both from the cost and the engineering point of view. The fact that the results are rele- vant to sewage sludge dewatering adds an increased level of signifi- cance to the results. In view of the fact that from 2013 the spreading of polymer flocculated slud- ge on agricultural land will be prohibited, this process can provide a cost-effective alternative

Fig. 3: Princple of operation – intensification of the digestion process Continued on page 18

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 9 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF CLAUSTHAL ENERGY PARK

Clausthal Energy Park is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The originally planned duration of this project has actually now elapsed. However, back to the begin- ning. Rumour has it that 2 professors (Prof. Beck and Prof. Jeschar as some of you might have guessed) from TU Clausthal discussed the idea of an energy park over lunch in the cafeteria one day. But the question was where to put it and who should be involved. At that time, CUTEC was in the process of moving into the new building and the first pilot units were being installed. What could be more logical than to supply renewable energy for the impres- sive new building? The fact that CUTEC had its own state-of-the-art supply and disposal infrastructure, placing it at an advantage compared to any institute buil- ding at the university, made the decision even easier. The next step was to discuss the idea with Prof. Leschonski, Dr. Beckmann and Mr. Siemers at CUTEC. That was back in September 1996. Once the outline of the project had been drawn up, contact was made with the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). The first draft of the funding application including the basic definitions and concepts was ready at the end of 1997. Coupling of individual components of the energy park and installed capacities The proposal contained a plan to meet all of CUTEC’s electricity and heating needs using a combination of different renewable answers were provided to questions which feature of being decentralised and all energy sources to provide a high level of were raised and the details were discussed energy requirements are met by renewable supply service quality. The innovative idea with DBU before the final decision was energy resources. The plant is used for of combining a number of different power made. The project was approved on demonstration purposes and as a research generation units to create an overall energy October 25, 1999 with an overall budget of and teaching resource. The Energy Park is supply system plus the availability of the DM 3,564,000 including DM 1,782,000 designed to supply all of the energy needs system for demonstration and provided by DBU as grant. The reduction in of the CUTEC building without any impact research/teaching purposes were the most funding had to be discussed with the part- on the demand profile. To show that 100% attractive aspects of the project. A total of ners, and agreed upon between the part- renewable supply is possible, the site can DM 4.5 million was allocated for the wind ners. Final agreement was reached at the run in off-grid conditions, which demons- power plant, hydropower plant, PV installa- beginning of 2000 in the form of a coopera- trates the extreme case of decentralised tion, anaerobic digester, biomass use, tion contract between CUTEC and TU autonomus energy supply. A number of vegetable oil use, heat pump and control Clausthal. The project officially got different energy conversion technologies station along with the associated and underway on April 1st, 2000, which was with different characteristics are combined necessary infrastructure. The original appli- unfortunately too late for anything of to generate electricity. Output from wind cation included expansion of the Energy substance to be ready in EXPO year 2000. power, hydroelectric power and PV genera- Park with CO2 recycling using micro algae, So much for the preliminaries and tors cannot be controlled or regulated, but deployment of fuel cells and the use of historical framework. What actually is the the output is predictable to some extent absorption chillers to recover waste heat. Energy Park project? The full version of the depending on weather and climatic condi- Another two years elapsed before DBU project designation is “Clausthal demons- tions and the time of day or season of the approved the Clausthal Energy Park at the tration plant for decentralised renewable year. To guarantee a certain (albeit fluctua- decisive meeting of the Board of Trustees. energy systems”. This describes a system ting) level of supply, switchable energy Changes had been made to the proposal, oriented energy supply with the main generation was needed which can be regu-

10 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 ENERGY PARTNERSHIP

wood chip boiler, solar collectors and a heat pump. The results show that 100% of the energy needs can be met from renewable sources when all available types of energy are used. The entire operation is exceptio- nally dynamic, as can be seen from the 2003 summary. What did it all cost? The total cost Clausthal Energy Park building – exceeded the funding available in the Clausthal demonstration plant for decen- planned budget. A final statement was tralised renewable energy systems made for 2.25 million euros. The average cost of electricity generation could be calculated to 27 ct/kWh. However, the extras (energy conditioning and the control lated and which can store energy. The station) add another 22 ct/kWh. Heat was Covering CUTEC electricity needs throug- solutions include biomass (solid, liquid and supplied at nearly the break-even point. hout 2003 gas) used in small power stations or CHP What has been the impact of the stations and batteries, which can act as a Energy Park? Over the course of the chemical storage medium. Heat is supplied project, more than 20 research and Overall, it has been well worth the by solar radiation, biomass and ambient projects papers and degree theses have investment despite the fact the partners heat. Over time, each of these energy been written on a broad range of topics at had to invest a lot of effort and resources in conversion systems was designed, built the Energy Park. Hundreds of visitors from the Park. The 10th anniversary of the park and commissioned at CUTEC and a whole range of backgrounds (from is a genuine occasion for celebration. connected to the overall system. DBU housewives to the Prime Minister) have (sie) funding was initially granted for a period of come to see the installations. The Energy three years, and the agreed project dura- Park has also featured in a series of arti- tion was 10 years. cles and reports in scientific journals and The illustration at the top left shows the Internet forums. The project has certainly Collaboration current status. A local utility company had the desired effect as a demonstration with TU Clausthal supplies energy generated with existing site, for general information purposes and wind and hydropower systems. Two PV as teaching support tool. Based on the systems are also installed. The Institute of installed capacities and the experience The Clausthal Energy Park project was Power Engineering (IEE) and the Institute gained, the Park has attracted additional launched to demonstrate and investigate of Energy Process Engineering and Fuel third-party funding for CUTEC and TU ways of generating the energy needed at Technology (IVEB) at TU Clausthal Clausthal. a building complex from wind, hydro, continue to provide services within the photovoltaic, solar thermal and biogenic framework of the partnership. Battery energy sources. The project provides an storage and a large inverter are used for opportunity to move from theoretical energy conditioning (necessary in autono- modelling and conceptual development to mous mode). Fortunately, a new pilot plant practical application, and it is a major building was being constructed for CUTEC challenge to everyone involved. Two insti- at around the same time, so space became tutes at TU Clausthal, the Electrical Power available for the control station, engine Engineering Institute (IEE) and the Energy room and distribution equipment. A number Process Engineering and Fuel Technology of small power generation units are Institute (IEVB) along with a local utility installed in the engine room to supply elect- (Stadtwerke Clausthal-Zellerfeld GmbH) ricity and heat. The installed technology have joined forces with CUTEC in the base is exceptionally broad. A range of partnership. The partners use their power different CHP plants were deployed in engineering and energy process techno- collaboration with other projects (4-cylinder logy expertise to achieve the project goal CHP, mini CHP, single-cylinder CHP, two of supplying electrical and thermal energy Stirling engines and a micro gas turbine), and an absorption chiller was added as Covering CUTEC electricity needs 2009 well (FEN project). The list also includes a (kWH) Continued on page 23

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 11 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Chemical analysis has been going on at CUTEC ever since the institute was founded 20 years ago. The name has changed from Physical, Chemical and Biological Environmental Lab to Chemical Analysis, but that is not the only change. The task spectrum for this small group which has worked under the direction of Dr. Andreas Meyer (until 1998), Dr. Klaus Schrickel (until 2004) and Dr. Axel Fischer (since 2004) has also continued to evolve. At the halfway point of the first ten years, the move to the new building was a major step forward for the Chemical Analysis team which was able to add new equip- ment in the more spacious facilities. Initially, the group concentrated on environmental analysis and analysis of samples taken from waste treatment processes. The study of corrosion processes was added to the task list over time. To support this activity, a test bed which is probably the only one of its kind The entire department at the workplace was installed to test the stability of mate- rials when exposed to realistically simu- So it’s better to rust than rest? Yes, but compliance with regulatory requirements, lated atmospheres. Liquids can also there is more to it than that. CUTEC the results support process optimisation destroy metallic materials. The service life began looking at a totally different set of efforts undertaken in collaboration with of seawater plate heat exchangers princi- reaction products and processes. other departments at the institute. These pally depends on the selection of suitable Biomass conversion research at the synergy effects are a good example metals during the design phase. To help cluster presents a wealth of challenges to of close interdisciplinary cooperation at make the right decision, the Chemical the analysis team including tricky and CUTEC. Analysis Department has a seawater test laborious extraction of samples from gasi- bed to imitate real-world operating condi- fication and pyrolysis processes. The tions and to accelerate the corrosion department also supports projects process during trials. designed to increase resource efficiency by studying the composition of plant stalks and other feedstock. Quality analysis of process and biogas is also part of the task spectrum. This brings us to a group which has been part of the Chemical Analysis Department since 2006 and which prima- rily concentrates on compliance with § 26 of the German Clean Air Act. Under the direction of Dr. S. Weineck, the team conducts mobile ongoing assessments of gaseous emissions. High-profile car manufacturers and utilities are part of the core customer base. High on the list of analytes are ammonia, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, organic chemical compounds such as BTEX aromatics* and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) Preparing to take tar samples Fine adjustment of the heated sampling which are found in cigarette smoke and probe grilled meat. Besides providing data on Continued on page 15

*BTEX-Aromaten: Benzol, Toluol, Ethylbenzol, Xylole 12 CUTEC-NEWSCUTEC-NEWS / OKTOBER / JUNE 2010 2009 12 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE MODELLING AND SIMULATION

➢ Statistical/CI-based data mining metho - dologies for time sequence analysis of process/state variables to define non- redundant key process metrics. Data mining methodologies are used to structure data sets of any length. Redundant information is eliminated and key system-descriptive process parameters are defined, providing the basis for creation a meaningful descrip- tion which has relevance for ongoing process control. Large applications using these new methodologies have already been developed for the finan- cial and management world.

Initial prototype of the DETECTINO utility line locator system ➢ Generation of database-supported dynamic command and control Under the direction of Prof. Matthias ➢ Neural-based classifiers/identifiers for systems. Reuter, the Modelling and Simulation military and civil applications. Department at CUTEC developed “implicit Due to their structural problem adapt- Information with varying content and modelling”, which is an entirely new ability and high level of immunity to format is integrated dynamically and in approach to modelling and simulation, to disruption, soft computing based algo- near real time into a general information the point where it was ready for implemen- rithms are suitable for the following space, where it is analysed and structured tation. applications: as needed to perform temporary tasks. The Essentially, implicit models are gener- data is presented in situation-relevant visu- ated from an acquired data set with the aid - acoustic pattern recognition/object alisations. of self-organising systems like neural identification/scene analysis The efficiency of the new approach and networks. The models can then be used for - optical pattern recognition/object technical implementations has been control, detection, classification, identifica- identification/object evaluation/scene demonstrated in numerous applications tion, data mining and design of command analysis including the following two examples. In and control systems. This approach has - general information detection and 2007, the defence industry’s innovation the enormous advantage that the process information space analysis prize was awarded for a method of does not have to be described in explicit - scene analysis of electromagnetic detecting metal objects in the ground. In mathematical terms to perform the tasks signals 2010, a special technique for scene listed above, and the problem of dealing analysis of electro- with volatile process conditions can often magnetic signals be resolved. was nominated for The Modelling and Simulation Depart - the bauma innova- ment has used this approach for the tion prize and as a following tasks in recent years: landmark in the “Land der Ideen” ➢ Mission-specific design and implemen- competition. tation of neural-based predictive control Current R&D systems for process control and robotic activity is focused systems. on the development Data-based implicit models are used for of CI-based detec- situation-specific process or machine tion and identifica- control. Due to the specific nature of the tion of buried utility modelling architecture, these predic- lines and the devel- tive, adaptive systems have the opment of CI-based learning capability to react to aging and predictors for state task-related changes or general system variables at waste changes. Basic design of a CI-based predictor for waste incineration plants incineration plants. (reu)

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 13 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE BIOMASS CONVERSION CLUSTER

2nd generation bility. Excellent teamwork facilitates the fuels from bio - execution of difficult projects such as the mass. The Che - recent construction of a pilot-scale mical and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis unit. A. Thermal Pro cess Wollmann (CP Dept.) is leading the effort Engi nee r ing De - to convert all of the syngas into 2nd genera- partments at tion fuel on the new purification line CUTEC were managed by F. Müller (TP Dept.) which is involved in the currently in the startup phase. The scien- programme. The tific and engineering teams from the two Biomass Con - departments are working hand in hand on version Cluster the project. Once the systems are in place, was formed in the cluster will have everything it needs to 2005 to provide a begin experimental production of BtL, LPG suitable organi- and wax on a pilot scale using biomass sational umbrella. such bales, husks, wood chips, etc. as The cluster feedstock. The infrastructure is now in ser ved as a place in Clausthal which enables CUTEC From biomass to synthetic products framework for in - to conduct high-level scientific research to forma tion up da - increase overall efficiency, convert by- The large European RENEW programme tes, work scheduling and responsibility products into useable products, etc. in a which got underway at the beginning of allocation. RENEW ended in 2007, but the continuing effort to meet the future needs 2004 was a collaborative effort. 33 part- cluster remains in place, and all thermal of society. The cluster will provide an ners spearheaded by Volkswagen joined biomass conversion and synthesis proj- organisational framework for years to forces to come up with ways of producing ects are now within its area of responsi- come. (vod)

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT CLUSTER

The Sustainability Management Cluster In 2008, CUTEC’s (CNM) is a relatively recent addition to the Scientific Advisory Board CUTEC organisational structure. This approved the establishment entity which crosses departmental bounda- and strategic orientation of ries evolved as part of the company deve- the Sustainability Mana - lopment process. gement Cluster along with the following deliverables: The following scenario and considera- tions led to the formation of CNM: • market research and marketing activities • Sustainability management was a major • economic and ecological evaluation criterion (2005); it was high- instruments and assess- lighted as a potential unique selling ments point • risk/opportunity analysis • CNM provides the opportunity to delibe- • soil conservation: attri- rately build a sustainability knowledge butes, contaminants, base as a major strategic asset clean-up • CNM can support a holistic in-house Grapic representation of the extension to the CUTEC • geopotential utilisation strategy portfolio • sustainable material • The issue of sustainability is placed in a cycles, resource effi- defined context and becomes measu- ciency rable The illustration above shows the syner- • organisation and staging of • CNM augments the operational depart- getic extension of the CUTEC portfolio to national/international events ments develop sustainable environmental techno- • CNM can generate additive references logy solutions. Continued on page 24

14 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 INITIATIVE OF LOWER SAXONY FOR FUEL CELL AND BATTERY TECHNOLOGY SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCE CLUSTER AT CUTEC

are working on fuel cell technology in Lower Saxony contribute to the informa- tion sharing process. A summary of their activities and main areas of interest is available online (in German) at www.brennstoffzelle-nds.de A number of research projects have been initiated, approved and carried out in collaboration with local industry. Projects of this type help familiarise the companies with fuel cell technology and facilitate the establishment of partnership networks. SOFC is now one of three thematic focal points at CUTEC. The total funding in completed and ongoing research projects has already passed the €7 million mark. The most recent example is the The N.ERGHY Executive Board following the election in April 2010: establishment of a Lower Saxony Luis Correas, Hidrógeno en Aragón, Spain / Vincenzo Antonucci, CNR - National Research research alliance to develop an autono- Council, Italy / Paul Lucchese, CEA, France / Christian Sattler, DLR, Germany / Angelo mous, small power propane-based SOFC Moreno, ENEA, Italy / Steffen Møller-Holst, SINTEF, Norge / Frank de Bruijn, ECN - Energy fuel cell system featuring a high degree of research Centre of the Netherlands / Rolf Rosenberg, VTT - Technical Research Center of thermal integration. See Page 22 of this Finland / Ralph-Uwe Dietrich, CUTEC, Germany und Jörg Nellen (3.v.r.), DLR, N.ERGHY CUTEC-News for more details. Secretariat & Brussels office The Competence Cluster Harz is also active at the European level. CUTEC has been representing the Lower Saxony The office for one of three Competence In the meantime, the Competence scientific community at N.ERGHY, the Clusters in the Lower Saxony Fuel Cell Cluster Science for the Lower Saxony European hydrogen and fuel cell research Initiative has been located at CUTEC Fuel Cell and Battery Technology Initiative association. At the last general meeting, since 2004. An article appeared in the has developed into an active platform for Mr. Dietrich was elected to the associati- December 2004 issue of CUTEC News. It the state’s scientific community to share on’s Executive Board where he has has been our intention to contribute to the information on issues related to the state’s responsibility for the Early Markets success of the initiative and to concen- research policy and on the challenges working group. Board members are trate on the following: involved in ongoing development of fuel shown in the photo following the election. cell technology. All of the scientists who (di) • initiate networking to pool the fuel cell expertise of research institutions in Lower Saxony • identify existing potential in the local economy in order to foster cooperation Continuation from page 12 between the scientific and business CHEMICAL ANALYSIS communities • take up the challenge of SOFC techno- The first chemical lab technician logy in particular to enhance the trainee was also expected to take an economic performance of this techno- interdisciplinary approach. Mrs. Isa bella logy in Lower Saxony Legzdins was comfortably able to handle • pool research capacity, particularly at this challenge and others, and she the Clausthal-Zellerfeld site, and enter achieved good results in her final exami- into close partnerships industrial nations in January. As is often the case, companies in the region the newly qualified chemical lab techni- • review state, national and European cian immediately found employment at the research programmes in order to end of her training course. The develop and submit as many Chemical Analysis Department wishes successful project proposals as Isabella all the best in her future career. possible. (fi) emission measurement

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 15 20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE SERVICE PROVIDERS AT THE INSTITUTE

Business services Workshop facilities / IT systems, graphics and administration building services / design services and media technology

The role of business administration at Our department, which has a long name, CUTEC is active rather than passive. The is part of Central Services. We are an team ensures that sufficient financial internal service provider for the line resources are available for the operational departments. The activities at every work- activities and takes a holistic approach to station in the department are centred on the economic and financial flows at computers. Our portfolio extends from IT CUTEC. The range of responsibilities services and design / production of all includes financial administration, human types of media to the organisation and resources, internal services, material staging of trade shows and events. Our acquisition and management and library main IT activities consist of user support services. and maintenance / upgrading of IT The bookkeeping team and the budget systems which provide essential services accounting systems track all of the finan- such as e-mail and Internet access. cial flows including flows initiated by the A graphics workstation is available for operating departments. Further analysis An experienced and highly skilled team creative work such as the design of logos for reporting and costing purposes is carries out sophisticated work in the insti- and flyers and the generation of presenta- derived from this data. tute’s workshops tions, brochures and advertising material. The CUTEC Human Resources func- Document, image and graphics editing is tion ensures the confidentiality of part of the everyday routine. personnel information, manages the Besides business administration, Central Our media technology team docu- payroll and processes HR data for third Services at CUTEC also provides tech- ments the construction or modification of parties as appropriate. nical support to the operating departments test systems on film or video. They also Procurement activities were during execution of research projects. perform video editing and provide media centralised at CUTEC a few years ago. In addition to its normal functions, support at all events in house or on site. In The primary advantages are cost-effective building services is also responsible for addition, the department is involved in a procurement and workload reduction for health & safety, fire prevention and envi- limited amount of PR work such as publi- operational staff. Data from procurement ronmental protection. It is also heavily cation of CUTEC News, design of the activities can be extracted for use by the involved in modifications to the buildings website and organisation of CUTEC material management and accounting and in construction work. appearances at shows at home and teams, producing an additional synergy Before items of equipment can be abroad. We look forward to seeing you at effect. produced, designs issues have to be our IFAT 2010 stand in Munich in Our team is also responsible for central addressed and other work has to be September. (he) administration and looks after the build- carried out in close coordination with the ings and central facilities and equipment. operating departments to ensure that the (so) defined requirements can be incorporated into the drawings. The department creates and manages the necessary documenta- tion. The mechanical workshop has the equipment, tools and machinery needed to support research projects along with the expertise to meet project require- ments. CUTEC has the metalworking capabil- ities to produce complex frames, special items and device prototypes. In many cases, electrical circuitry has to be installed in the equipment. CUTEC has an electrical workshop which is equipped to A highly-qualified team takes care of provide what the operating departments The IT administrators during an installation administrative affairs at CUTEC need. (so) in the machine room

16 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 Major project

THERE IS ANOTHER WAY: DEZINCING STEEL SCRAP II

The Sustainability Management Cluster Other requirements included a slow, (CNM) has acquired the research project adjustable feed speed for the conveyors, “Dezincing of scrap steel” from the German mechanical resistance to the sheet metal government (BMBF). The agency respon- transport, and very easy repairability sible for the measure is Jülich/Berlin, which combined with robust continuous opera- will act as the point of contact for adminis- tion. On top of these special requirements, trative coordination during the 3-year the equipment has to withstand an acidic project. The following are partners in the pH value as low as pH 2.5. This require- joint research project: Prof. Gock and his ment was derived from the reaction kinetics team (IFAD/TU Clausthal), Sundwig GmbH based on the use of locked-out cell acid. (Andritz), RHM, Xstrata, Fritz Winter, The illustration below shows the flow chart Wolfsburg AG and ProGENF. Mr. Sauter for the acid dezincing process in overview (CNM) is the project manager. form. A report on the conceptual design and Cell acid locked out from the zinc works plans for construction of the dezincing unit with low zinc content (20% sulphuric acid) appeared in the June 2009 issue of is fed into the dezincing unit to strip the zinc CUTEC News. At the beginning of 2010 the from galvanised sheet metal scrap. When Fig. 2: Installation of the acid-proof experimental unit was then installed in the the acid has reached its zinc loading limit, it enclosure north building at CUTEC. The premisses is returned to the zinc works and the zinc is for the unit were drawn up on the basis of recovered using an electrolytic process. produces dezinced sheet metal scrap for laboratory-scale and preliminary reaction Reuse of the electrolytically purified acid in which there is great demand in high-tech kinetics experiments. Numerous meetings the pilot dezincing unit closes the zinc recy- applications such as the casting of wind involving IFAD, ProGENF, Sundwig GmbH cling loop. This process represents an turbine hubs and the prevention of contam- (the company with responsibility for enormous improvement compared to the inants in high-temperature circuits. constructing the unit) and CUTEC had state-of-the-art method. Large volumes of The construction of the pilot unit began been held to keep the planning process lime and coal are needed for the current in December 2009. Because sulphuric acid moving. A special challenge in this connec- zinc recovery process (Waelz method), and is used, the unit had to be embedded into tion was the need to adapt industrial equip- large amounts of energy are required to an acid-proof trough. ment to the requirements of a pilot unit for volatise the zinc in an electric arc furnace Fig. 2 shows installation of the acid-proof R&D purposes. Providing maximum flexi- and to run the Waelz process. The new enclosure just getting underway. bility to integrate different process stages, innovative method could presumably save The steel structure was installed next, such as electrolysis for future detinning enormous amounts of material and energy and the individual modules were then stages, was a top priority. This requirement resources compared to the conventional mounted onto it (Fig. 3). was met by using interconnected, identical approach. individual modules arranged in series In addition to the savings achieved by rather than a conventional tank section. the innovative zinc recovery technology, it

Fig. 3: Design of the steel structure

Fig.1: Acid dezincing process flow chart Continued on page 24

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 17 SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD A PROFILE OF PROF. VOLKER WESLING

Volker Wesling was born in tures and joints by setting up scaled local Hildesheim in 1962. After completing material properties) ever since it was vocational training as a precision founded in 2005. In addition, he has been mechanic at Blaupunkt, he was enrolled in in the Academic Senate since 2005. From a mechanical engineering course at TU 2005 – 2008 he was Deputy Dean of Clausthal from 1984 – 1989. He subse- Studies for Mechanical and Process quently worked as a research assistant at Technology in the Mathematics/IT and the Welding and Machining Institute at the Mechanical Engineering Department, and university. In 1993, he received his he acted as Vice-Dean from April 2008 doctorate from the Mining, Metallurgy and until his appointment as Vice-President of Mechanical Engineering Department. He Research and Technology Transfer in then worked for nine years in the October 2009. Prof. Wesling has been on machinery manufacturing industry, the Executive Board of the Clausthal spending some of that time at Material Technology Centre since 2007. Mannesmann. He held a number of He is also on the Executive Board at the production and manufacturing manage- Joining Technology Association, and in ment positions including Managing the same year he became an Honorary Director. Volker then moved to TU Professor at Kirgiz Technical University. Clausthal as Professor of Welding and Prof. Wesling joined the Executive Board Machining, and since then he has been at Hanover Laser Centre in November the head of the ISAF institute. He 2009. Prof. Dr.-Ing. specialises in low-heat joining and When asked about what motivates Volker Wesling welding processes, production milling him, Prof. Wesling made the following operations and material-based production observation: "What I am trying to do is technology for fuel cells. Prof. Wesling encourage collaboration between TUC In this anniversary issue of CUTEC News, has been a DFG consultant since 2002. and CUTEC to promote research on eco- we would like to tell you a bit more about He was a member of the SFB 362 special friendly production techniques in Prof. Wesling who was elected as research centre (sheet metal processing). Clausthal. The goal is to increase the Chairman of the Board in December, He has also been a member of SFB 675 competitiveness of SMEs in the manufac- taking over from Prof. Beck. (Creation of high strength metallic struc- turing industry.” (he)

Continuation from page 9

for the countryside, and our engineering (AiF-Berlin) and industry partnerships. marketing a range of sludge treatment and scientific investigation will continue. The box detects gas production with a methods (more information is available at very high level of accuracy (in the µL www.aquen.de). Biogas. Recognising the biogas potential range). It also ensures constant operating of substrates and substrate mixtures plays conditions and automatic value correction Outlook a significant role in the optimisation of in real time to provide standardised results. The department will intensify its research biogas plants. Techniques include the Repeat measurements taken at different activities to improve energy and resource standardised anaerobic digestion test times have shown that the error tolerance efficiency, which is becoming an increas- which is defined in VDI 4630. Despite was only 2%. This level of accuracy, which ingly important issue. The research port- standardisation, test results from the was not achievable in the past, will now be folio includes microbiological fuel cells to same trial can vary by more than 10% and exploited in partnership with a seed generate electricity from wastewater, more as much as 20% in some cases. As a producer to evaluate possible modifications efficient nutrient and (process) water recy- workaround, the mean value is normally to an energy plant breeding programme. cling techniques, improvement of biological calculated from three sets of test results. A Company startup. Development activi- biomass conversion technology (bio- solution was clearly needed, so a gas ties in the department have led to the first methane, bioethanol, etc.) and more effi- measurement box was developed within CUTEC company startup by a CUTEC cient CO2 capture using algae the framework of several AiF projects employee. Dr. Christian Schröder is now bio technology. (si)

18 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 WERNER GRÜBMEYER A true friend TRADE SHOW ACTIVITIES IN THE SPRING and active supporter of CUTEC for the past 20 years

“Grüne Woche“ CeBIT in Berlin in Hannover

The Modelling and Simulation Department once again presented one of its successful R&D projects at CeBIT. This year it was the Detectino system which has now reached the prototype stage. The ground radar system with CI based analysis software can detect and identify utility lines buried in the ground and enter the data into existing maps. Detectino also supports 3D underground navigation. CUTEC celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Mrs. Grove (right) during a technical dis- The adaptable categoriser, the core CI end of March, and now is a good time to cussion element of the analysis software which reflect on 20 years of history. If we could was developed in house, is based on watch a film of the past 20 years, one indi- CUTEC made an appearance at the 75th neural networks which make it possible to vidual would appear again and again, IGW show in Berlin on January 15 – 24. "correctly" interpret the hyperbolic reflec- namely Werner Grübmeyer. Despite the fact International Green Week is the world's tions from ground radar measurements. that he never worked directly for CUTEC, he largest agricultural, food and horticulture The analysis software will be able to has made a major contribution to the institute event. accommodate additional sensors (e.g. over the past 20 years. Not only was he co- CUTEC shared a stand in the Lower electromagnetic and seismic) as the initiator of the institute (Prof. Kurt Leschonski Saxony building with the local district product continues to evolve. In the current and Werner Grübmeyer are the spiritual council, the city of Hildesheim and incarnation, the system can factor founders of CUTEC), but it is also thanks to Michelsen School which has a close different types of soil and underground him that in spite of considerable political affinity with agriculture. moisture into the analysis, which greatly opposition this unique institution is now Around 1600 exhibitors from 56 coun- increases the reliability and positional located in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. His active tries put on an impressive display. The accuracy of line detection compared to involvement in the political arena and his exhibits covered a wide range including conventional systems. The response to exceptional perseverance were part of the tillage, horticulture, cattle farming, fishing, the system on display was more than reason why CUTEC was able to move into a hunting and much more. Regional delica- satisfactory. The team at the show new building in 1995. In the early days, he cies from around the world added a welcomed Lower Saxony Minister provided valuable advice to our first special “flavour” to the show. President Christian Wulff at the stand Managing Director Prof. Leschonski, and he More than 400,000 visitors came to along with several State Ministers and continues to advise Prof. Carlowitz, our the grounds at the Funkturm over the numerous companies which showed an current Managing Director, despite that fact course of ten days. Unfortunately not all of interest in the system, giving us the oppor- that he retired a long time ago. Mr. them found their way to the CUTEC stand, tunity to establish initial business Grübmeyer has an excellent knowledge of but we still had some very interesting contacts. (reu) state and national politics, and he has a discussions and made good contacts. seemingly endless pool of contacts at all CUTEC was able to explain to a large levels, which he has built up and maintained non-scientific audience the complex over the course of many years. In his speech process of generating energy from straw at the Order of Merit award ceremony for based on gasification in a circulating Werner Grübmeyer in 1997, Former German fluidised bed. We were able to answer Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier specific questions put forward by visitors described his impression: “In the many meet- from the Hildesheim region about the ings which we have had, I was always deeply straw power CHP plant in Gronau. impressed by your perseverance and charm Mrs. Grove, Mr. Davidovic, Mr. Müller as you sought to achieve your goals and and Mr. Immisch were at the show on represent your interests. I have no doubt that behalf of CUTEC. Our event team (Mrs. this combination of traits is the real secret to Wessels and Mr. Gründler) had everything Prof. Reuter (left) explains how Detectino your personal success." That says it all. We perfectly organised, and the CUTEC pres- works to Minister President Christian Wulff pay our respects and extend our sincere ence at IGW was a genuine success. (im) (right) thanks to Werner Grübmeyer. (he)

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 19 DO YOU KNOW HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED?

Summary of an article with appeared in the 15-year anniversary issue

(Explanatory note: reprint of the text in funding for a new building plus DM 12 that was written by Mrs. Vollbrecht for for initial outfitting. (...) CUTEC’s 15th anniversary. (...) indi- Despite the fact that a detailed esti- cates places where text has been mate of the construction costs had been slightly abridged.) developed, construction prices had Mrs. Gerda Vollbrecht worked for 10 increased dramatically by the time the years as Business Manager and made bids were opened, and the institute was a significant contribution to the devel- facing a shortfall of DM 12 million. As a opment of CUTEC. Her excellent matter of principle, Professor Leschonski administrative skills were a major and Werner Siemers, who provided asset to the institute’s Managing advice and support on construction Director and staff. issues, were determined that CUTEC would stay within the limits of the DM45 CUTEC came into being when the million that had been allocated. Working Articles of Association were signed on together with the architect Mr. Husemann March 28, 1990. Consolidation of and the engineering consultants, the two research activities at a single location of them succeeded in keeping construc- appeared to be the only viable option, tion costs within the DM 35 million because researchers need their own ded- budget. (..) icated institutes to meet their teaching and research commitments. An attempt had to be made to set up a research insti- tute for interdisciplinary applications-ori- Hinrich Swieter, Finance Minister for ented research in the field of Lower Saxony from 1990 to 1996, gave environmental technology. (...) the keynote speech at the topping-out At the time, the Lower Saxony ceremony at CUTEC on December 3, Ministry of Economics, Technology and 1993 Transport had responsibility for this area of practical applied research (ownership company was the best solution. CUTEC was subsequently passed on to the was set up as an extramural research Ministry of Science and Culture). The institution with Lower Saxony as the sole Ministry decided that a limited liability 100% owner. Professor Kurt Leschonski, Director of the Institute for Mechanical and Environmental Process Technology at TU CLausthal, was appointed as The CUTEC building shortly before com- Managing Director alongside of his regu- pletion in the summer of 1994 lar duties. Ever since CUTEC was founded, the various departments have been working together on an interdiscipli- The new building was ready for occu- nary basis to carry out research and pancy right on schedule on December 31, investigation projects. (...) 1994. According to the Articles of Following the signature of a partner- Association, the scientific directors of ship agreement with TU Clausthal in each department, who had to be faculty August 1991 (where the professors who members at TU Clausthal, were organ- initiated the request to set up CUTEC ised into a Directorate which had respon- were working), the researchers had suffi- sibility for providing scientific advice to cient opportunity to carry out their activi- the management team and ensuring that ties until the expected construction of a the departments work together on a new building. Starting in 1990, Lower multi-disciplinary basis. The Managing Saxony provided funding for a number of Director was the Chairman of the Mrs. Helga Schuchardt (left, Lower research, engineering and administrative Directorate, and he also presided over Saxony Minsiter of Science and Culture employers (the latter worked in rented weekly meetings where senior staff mem- from 1990 to 1998) and architect Mr. premises). bers presented progress reports, giving Husemann at the laying of the foundation Eventually, Lower Saxony made a Prof. Leschonski access to all of the vital stone at CUTEC on May 18, 1993 firm commitment to provide DM 33 million information streams. Despite the fact that

20 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 Continuation DO YOU KNOW HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED?

he had staff working at ten different sites, the Managing Director was able to carry out his management and leadership responsibilities with the support of a very committed Scientific Advisory Board and an alert and fair Supervisory Board. The Business Administration, IT and PR departments moved into the new building on December 12, 1994, as the leases for their rented premises expired on December 31, 1994. Some time after- wards, the Process and Environmental Analysis Department moved in, and over the course of the next few months the rest of the scientific departments which had been working in university premises also moved. When the Thermal Depart- CUTEC showcased the Expo project “The Future of Waste Treatment" in Clausthal- ment's elaborate research equipment Zellerfeld in 2000 was dismantled and re-assembled at the new site in mid-1996, new building was 1995, then Minister President Gerhard to be assured as he handed over his life’s fully operational. Schröder selected CUTEC as the venue work. Members of the Lower Saxony Naturally celebrations were in order. for presentation of the 1994 Lower government and former colleagues high- The building with is excellent facilities is Saxony Prizes in May 1995. (...) lighted Professor Leschonski’s accomp- very appealing, and it generated a lot of Minister President Gerhard Schröder took lish ments at the farewell ceremony in interest on the part of the academic and the opportunity at the official opening cer- the lecture hall at CUTEC on June political communities and the general emony in July 1995 to give a remarkable 30, 1999. It was very pleasing for pubic which had the opportunity to get a speech on environmental technology. (...) Professor Leschonski to witness the first-hand impression on Open Day. Prior The new building offered excellent excellent progress which the institute has to the official opening ceremony in July working conditions and job security to made under the new management. around 50 employees, creating ideal con- Professor Leschonski passed away on ditions for interdisciplinary research. The March 21, 2002 at the age of 71. The personal and professional development 15th anniversary would have been a fit- of the young scientists allowed the uni- ting occasion for him to reflect on the ori- versity faculty members, who were mem- gin and realisation of a great idea. bers of the Directorate and were heavily (vo/he) involved in the start up phase, to gradu- ally reduce their level of involvement. Naturally the main priority was completion of research and investigation projects and active participation at scien- tific symposiums, but there was also other highly interesting work to do. The “The Future of Waste Treatment” project at EXPO 2000 was well received. The project lasted four months and was highly successful. Exhibitions, guided tours and lectures at the CUTEC Institute attracted considerable attention from the general public. Professor Leschonski retired on March 31, 1999 at the age of 69. TU Prof. Leschonski (right) with Gerhard Clausthal and CUTEC jointly appointed Schröder (left, then Lower Saxony Minister Professor Otto Carlowitz as Managing President) at the official opening of the Director of CUTEC on April 1, 2000. Prof. Leschonski (at the lectern) during a new CUTEC building in July 1995 Professor Leschonski had every reason farewell colloquium in 2000

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 21 APPLIED RESEARCH ON MARKET INTRODUCTION OF SOFC TECHNOLOGY

Back in 2005 – 2007, CUTEC joined forces with H.C. Starck and the Electrical Engineering and Metallurgical Institutes at TU Clausthal to develop an initial SOFC demonstrator to highlight the potential of SOFC technology. CUTEC News reported on these developments in March/April 2005. Based on the experience gained at the time and subsequent advances in the power density, lifetime, cost, maintain- ability and repairability of SOFC stacks, work will now continue to develop, study and critically assess different engineering strategies as a major milestone on the road to industrial-scale system develop- ment of marketable, high efficiency SOFC-based power generation solutions. Lower Saxony and the EU will be providing €1.1 million in funding over a three year period. Including internal funding and substantial support from industry, a total of €1.5 million will be available for the project. A Lower Saxony Research Alliance Launch of the research alliance – development team at a preliminary meeting in February was formed on March 1, 2010, which 2010 in Clausthal includes the key players from the scientific and business communities. During the urement variables; utilisation of the GmbH, Dresden, is supplying the SOFC course of the project, seven institutes at propane bottle pressure to drive the stacks for use in the SOFC cells of H.C. the universities of Braunschweig, Claus - anode off-gas recycling (no electrically Starck GmbH. A meeting is arranged to thal, Hannover and Osnabrück along with powered pump unit) bring the researchers and companies CUTEC plan to build an SOFC system • use of established industrial fabrica- involved together. that has a number of innovative features tion, joining and production tech- The partners are building the system compared to current state-of-the-art solu- niques (laser welding/cutting, EDM) to to demonstrate the basic feasibility of the tions: simplify transfer of the conceptual technology to users in Lower Saxony and • compact, lightweight, portable design design to foster knowledge transfer. based on planar design and stacking of Based on the system, suppliers of the the main modules for the small power The photo above shows the research balance-of-plant components (e.g. fans, range (300 Wel); little need for connecting team at a preliminary meeting in Claus - valves, instrumentation & control equip- elements such as pipes; positioning of the thal. ment, burners, insulation material, etc.) functional groups to minimise transmis- will be able to define and develop suitable sion heat losses The following companies in Lower Saxony products, thereby increasing the • utilisation of internal system heat for • BMA, Braunschweigische Maschinen - economic impact of fuel cell market intro- endothermic reforming and for air and bau anstalt AG, Braunschweig duction. The industrial partners involved in combustion gas pre-heating based on • EcoEnergy Gesellschaft für Energie- the project intend to continue working on anode off-gas recirculation to signifi- und Umwelttechnik mbH, Walkenried the system and individual components to cantly increase electrical efficiency • Elster GmbH, Osnabrück proceed to the prototype stage, and they • reduced use of sensors to minimize • EWE AG, Oldenburg plan to take responsibility for subsequent internal consumption; this is accom- • GEA Ecoflex GmbH, Sarstedt market introduction. Scientific issues and plished through model-based opera- • H.C. Starck GmbH, Goslar specific adaptation will be addressed in tional management and • LASER on demand GmbH, Burgwedel collaboration with the project partners. implementation of an observer (esti- • SIEB & MEYER AG, Lüneburg The research and business partners mator) which predicts non-measurable • Solvis GmbH & Co KG, Braunschweig will combine forces to form a highly effec- parameters (states) using a model tive consortium for market introduction of derived from known input and meas- are providing valuable support. Staxera SOFC technology. (di)

22 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 Continuation from page 11 CLAUSTHAL ENERGY PARK – COLLABORATION WITH TU CLAUSTHAL

Dr. Wehrmann in the CHP room at the Clausthal Energy Park during a TV interview from renewable resources for the building Research Association (FEN). During the focused exclusively on the thermal section complex at the CUTEC institute. IEE has first phase of the project, the partners of the experimental grid at the Energy responsibility for total electricity supply at worked together on a subproject to Park. Working under the FEN umbrella, the site including autonomous operation. evaluate the operational stability of the IEE is continuing its stability investigations IEVB played a leading role in the develop- micro grid at the Clausthal Energy Park. on the experimental electricity grid in a ment of the infrastructure, particularly the Initially, the researchers assessed the follow-on subproject to test innovative experimental thermal network. Working stability of the experimental electrical grid. power converter systems. together, the partners developed a control When the decision was taken at FEN to In joint partnership with TU Clausthal system with integrated energy manage- further investigate and optimise heat and IEVB, CUTEC also completed a ment which is designed to determine the extraction from CHP plants, the CHP project to integrate the Jerstedt/Goslar best combination of power generation system at the Energy Park was upgraded biogas plant into the Clausthal Energy systems and to make the best possible to a CHCP system through the addition of Park. The Stirling motor CHP was run with use of them. an absorption chiller. Since 2009, CUTEC biogas under real-life conditions at a A large experimental network was has been working on a separate CHCP biogas plant during the course of this installed to support studies on electrical project with absorption chillers, which is project. (sen) and thermal distribution systems. This was one of the reasons why CUTEC and IEE have been able to run their own subprojects since 2006 within the frame- work of the Lower Saxony Energy

EVENTS

CUTEC presentation at IFAT 2010 in Munich on September 13 – 17, 2010 in Hall B2, Stand 219

We look forward to seeing you there. Meeting with project partners: CUTEC (Mr Siemers, right), IEE (Dr. Wehrmann, 2nd from right) and IEVB (Mr. Hillebrecht, left and Mr. Harnaut, 2nd from left)

CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010 23 Continuation from page 17 DEZINCING STEEL WORKERS COUNCIL REPORT SCRAP II

In the emotive public debate on Workers • establishment of a Strategic Board The complete unit is made largely of Councils, people are normally divided into • development of needs-based work- acid-resistant polypropylene. The alterna- two camps. Some argue that a company time agreements tive to polypropylene would have been is not a grass-roots democratic institution stainless steel, but this would have driven whereas other see the Workers Council as We would like to take this opportunity to up the cost considerably. a means of eliminating capitalistic exploi- thank Prof. Carlowitz for his trust, confi- The individual modules were tation in its most extreme forms. Besides dence and commitment. The highly-moti- connected by pipe to the supply tanks as these oversimplified and polarising argu- vated CUTEC team provides fertile the installation work proceeded. A scrap ments, more thoughtful views are being ground for the sustained success of the metal feeder consisting of an electro- expressed such as: "a highly committed company. The fact that the company has magnet and a vibrating conveyor was inte- Workers Council contributes to the grown to the size where the Workers grated, and provision was made for heating success of a company". When workers Council now has seven members reflects the acid with energy from the CO2-neutral have an institution which represents their this contribution. Anyone who knows the CUTEC Energy Park. The CUTEC neutral- interests and their reasonable expecta- CUTEC team has no doubt that everyone isation system can be used for disposing of tions, they are much more likely to identify will continue to maintain their level of dedi- the rinse water. with the company. There is a close relati- cation and commitment. There is good onship between improved company reason why other companies occasionally performance and job security/creation. succeed in recruiting CUTEC staff (unfor- Especially at companies that are tunately for us). (ze) highly dependent on the intellectual contri- bution of each employee, it is vitally important that the employees can keep a clear head. The Workers Council, which represents the interests of the workforce, plays an indispensible role in creating a Continuation positive company culture, and this was recognised early on at CUTEC. The first from page 14 Workers Council with five members was set up in 1994. Right from the start, the SUSTAINABILITY members of the Council invested their time on a voluntary basis outside of MANAGEMENT regular working hours and all organisa- Fig. 4: Finished dezincing unit tional units were represented. Since Prof. CLUSTER Carlowitz was appointed Managing At the second project meeting on Director in 2000, the Workers Council has March 29, 2010, the dezincing unit was offi- been more closely involved in the • network creation and management cially put into operation by the project part- company development process. The CNM has played an active role in the ners and representatives of the Chairman of the Workers Council is the market right from the start, and it is fully Jülich/Berlin agency. Over the course of the head of the Steering Group which makes focused on achieving its operational next one and a half years, intensive an active contribution to the development goals. Its success is reflected in its ability research can now proceed in order to opti- process. The Steering Group developed to reach revenue targets. The priority at mise the dezincing process for steel scrap and supported a number of beneficial the moment and for the foreseeable future and to gather valuable insights for the programmes including: is metal resource efficiency. (Please refer construction of an industrial-scale demon- to the feature article Dezincing II on Page stration unit. The goal is to close the mate- • development and implementation of a 17.) We are particularly pleased to have rial recycling loop and ensure sustainable behaviour code established a close working relationship use of existing resources. • questionnaire campaign to identify with Prof. Gock from the TU Clausthal We would like to take this opportunity to opportunities for optimisation and to Waste Treatment and Landfill Technology thank the Federal Ministry of Education define/implement the associated Institute. Our team members Britta and Research and the Jülich/Berlin agency action plan Kragert, Sven Schulze, Andreas Sauter for their commitment in making this project • doctorate agreement to support young and Torsten Zeller have a mix of scientific, possible. We would also like to express our scientists engineering and business skills. We are appreciation to our project partners and the • qualification programme to cover looking forward to taking on future chal- staff at CUTEC for their contributions to the resource needs with in-house staff lenges and know that we will put in a successful construction of the dezincing • trainee programme "sustained” effort (ze) unit. (sr/ze)

24 CUTEC-NEWS / JUNE 2010