Subtopic Energy-efficient industrial processes
Micro Process Engineering
Micro process engineering (MPE) can be applied in a number of product lines, sectors and fields. In microscaled reactors, heat exchangers and other components, the efficiency of chemical and energy processes is increased (“process intensification” e.g. by larger surface/volume ratios).
The modular design of the components will allow for their application in conventional industrial large-scale plants, but also in much smaller decentralised facilities down to domestic applications depending on the process. Hence, micro process engineering will not only open up efficiency potentials, but also allow for the utilisation of decentralised, so far unused material flows and the industrialisation of regions with a less developed transportation and energy infrastructure.
Parallel to R&D work, MPE applications for a sustainable energy system shall be studied taking into account several criteria. With the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of fuels with microstructured and conventional reactors being taken as an example, specific optimisation potentials and optimum applications and configurations of the MPE systems will be identified by application-oriented technology assessment. Work will be performed in close co-operation with the KIT Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT).
To evaluate social aspects of energy technologies, however, there still is a considerable need for methods. Apart from the directly application-oriented analysis, it will be studied which instruments and aspects should be investigated and considered by a life cycle-oriented sustainability analysis of new technologies and whether there are differences as a function of the complexity of technology integration in a system (functioning element, process, technique, technology) and its state of the art (basic technology, future technology).
Energy-efficient low-CO2 cements
Hydraulic binders such as cement are the material basis for the entire construction and construction materials industry, one of the worldwide most important industries at all. The consumption of cement exhibits globally large growth rates, its production contributes at present approx. 7% to the global CO2 emissions. CO2 is released during the cement production process, energy related as well as and raw material related. The cement industry already has taken many measures, in order to reduce (cut) the emissions. In our investigations it could be shown that all these measures are not sufficient to stabilise or lower CO2 emissions expected in the future.
Instead of employing the end-of-pipe technology CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) which is up to now not realised, the development of “low-CO2 cements”, whose production is associated with significant reduced CO2 emissions, is a more sustainable way – presupposed these cements do have the potential to replace conventional mass construction materials. In this context new developments like e.g. Calera, Novacem and Celitement® are discussed. Celitement® is an invention of the KIT, which offers conceptually a completely new area. At present the invention is transferred/developed from laboratory scale up to industrial application. With Celitement® a challenge by experts so far regarded as not realisable was solved. The task is to manufacture highly reactive calcium silicate containing binders compatible with the conventional clinker cement system with significantly smaller calcium content. With this concept a completely new area opens for the future research landscape.
Accompanying the development of Celitement®, TIG accomplishes a system-analytic investigation to conventional cement as well as to “low-CO2 cements”. This includes the continued monitoring of the global cement industry regarding strategies and measures for the reduction of climatic harmful gases (CO2).
Further on current developments effecting “low-CO2 cements” are analysed and evaluated, in particular their capability as mass construction material and their potential to save CO2 emissions. For evaluating the properties of innovative binders, an indicator system will be developed. For the Celitement® pilot plant material and energy balances will be set up, for an industrial scale model plant the operating cost will be determined. In addition, the basic conditions of the cement industry for the innovation process of new cementious binders are investigated.
