Friedrich Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
Chair of Energy Process Engineering
Fürther Straße 244f
90429 Nürnberg
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Karl – project leader
Telephone: +49 (0)9115302 9021
E-mail: juergen.karl@fau.de
Simon Markthaler – direct contact person / project coordinator
Telephone: +49 (0)9115302 9113
E-mail: simon.markthaler@fau.de
Dr. Martin Weng – project leader
Telephone: +49 (0)241 4134492-10
E-mail: weng@aixprocess.de
Dr. Martin Habermehl – direct contact person
Telephone: +49 (0)241 4134492-24
E-mail: habermehl@aixprocess.de
The project addresses the increase in flexibility of biogas plants and the on-demand production of electricity based on biomass. This approach involves catalytic methanation in order to convert carbon dioxide, a major component of biogas, into methane using hydrogen. The hydrogen production is connected to a power supply. Therefore, the overall process enables the conversion of surplus electrical energy into the chemical energy carrier, methane. As a result, the methane yield increases and the specific emissions of biogas plants are considerably reduced. The process itself can be enhanced using machine learning methods, which utilize data from individual biogas plants and the electricity market to adapt and optimize methanation from an economic point of view.
The project objectives include the integration of dynamic methanation of biogas into a commercial biomethane plant and its test operation. The cost-effectiveness of the overall process shall be optimized by virtue of autonomous plant control and machine learning methods.
FAU-EVT
The Chair of Energy Process Engineering will perform lab-scale experiments on methanation with biogas and construct a reactor system for operation at the biomethane plant. A virtual reactor model for plant control will also be developed.
aixprocess
aixprocess GmbH will develop an online monitoring tool for autonomous plant control based on neural networks and pattern recognition (machine learning). This tool will be put into operation at the biomethane plant and supplied with a comprehensive database of methanation and biogas plant process data as well as data from the electricity market.
revis bioenergy
revis bioenergy GmbH will prepare and install the methanation reactor into one of their biomethane plants. In addition, a market analysis of the overall process will be performed.
FAU-EVT
aixprocess
revis bioenergy
