Sun Power Plant

01.08.2007 - 31.07.2009
Research funding project
The steadily growing demand for alternative fuels is a strong incentive for bioethanol production. The large-scale production of bioethanol from renewable resources is well developed with respect to engineering. However, it is hardly possible to supply these processes with feedstock and energy from the local environment as well as to dispose the residuals accordingly. Within this project the results of a recent study on the scale of bioethanol production shall be further exploited to design a small-scale facility, ecologically and economically matching with its local environment. The overall aim of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a bioethanol plant located in rural Lower Austria (Harmansdorf/Rückersdorf) with a target production of 1000 tons bioethanol per year. The novelty envisaged is to combine the bioethanol process with biogas production: the residuals from the bioethanol production and supplementary (renewable) co-substrates shall be fermented to biogas. The biogas serves for supplying the heat demanded by the bioethanol process. The method of conversion ¿ combined heat and power production or sole thermal conversion ¿ will be matter of optimisation. An introductory production site analysis shall reveal the agricultural environment and the infrastructure available ¿ feedstock, water and energy sources as well as consumers for bioethanol, biogas, heat, power and residual matter. During basic engineering the objective schemes are to be designed and analysed. The main emphasises with respect to the bioethanol process are the flows of matter and energy as well as the temperature levels for transferring heat from the biogas to the bioethanol process. Furthermore the applicability of alternative membrane separation technologies (pervaporation or vapour-permeation) for dehydration of bioethanol is to be investigated. The focus at designing the biogas process is laid on the optimisation of the substrates as full utilisation of the bioethanol residuals is aimed for. The co-substrates added shall origin from renewable sources, e.g. straw or side products from crop rotation during bioethanol feedstock production. The subsequent detail engineering phase yields the specific process design for the chosen production site. In cooperation with the project partners the estimated costs are to be compiled for the most detailed prediction possible. All these data will provide the basis for the concluding feasibility study which shall lead to a small-scale bioethanol plant perfectly adapted to the local environment.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Grant funds

  • FFG - Österr. Forschungsförderungs- gesellschaft mbH (National) Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)

Research focus

  • Special and Engineering Materials: 30%
  • Sustainable Production and Technologies: 30%
  • Modeling and Simulation: 40%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Bioethanolbioethanol
Biogasbiogas
Energieeffizienzenergy efficiency
Nachhaltigkeitsustainability

External partner

  • Christian Carl Ing. GmbH
  • BOKU -ILT
  • Biogest Umwelttechnik GmbH
  • Jenbacher GmnH & Co OHG
  • Renergie Raiffeisen Managementgesellschaft für erneuerbare Energie GmbH
  • SunPowerPlantProjekt GesbR

Publications