Method and Process Development
Use of new substrates in biogas generation, testing of innovative processing approaches, or evaluation of the efficacy of additives – these and similar complex questions call for customised approaches.
You can benefit from our wealth of expertise and many years of experience in research and development. We can develop methods and analytical techniques matching your specific needs.
Numerous pilot and demonstration plants, e.g. for pretreatment and fermentation, installed in our engineering laboratory serve for testing of a wide range of biomass utilisation applications under close-to-real-world conditions.
If you have ideas for innovative approaches to processing and development, we can support and assist you in initiating research projects and applying for funding (see also Research).
Your Contact Person
Benjamin Pacan
Research Facilities
Development
The research activities of PFI Biotechnology have culminated in the development of pretreatment and fermentation processes which have been implemented on an industrial scale in pilot plants.
TPH Pilot Plant
Together with the Wastewater Disposal Department of the City of Pirmasens, PFI Biotechnology has built a pilot plant for Thermal Pressure Hydrolysis (TPH) of activated sludge with the following specifications:
- Treatment of 10,000 t/a of activated sludge (6 to 7 % dry matter)
- Treatment temperature 140 to 160 °C (maximum 200 °C) attained by utilisation of waste heat from a cogeneration plant by way of heat transfer oil (180 to 220 °C)
- 70 % heat recovery through combination of sludge input heating with heat from sludge recooling
- Reaction section to guarantee a residence time of 0.5 to 2 h (depending upon the delivery rate of sludge) at the set treatment temperature
- Use of dynamic heat exchangers (scraped surface heat exchangers) to prevent fouling on the heat exchanger surfaces
(ΔT up to 100 °C) - Disintegration of the sludge by pressure release through a special pressure control valve (pressure drop from 24 bar to atmospheric pressure is possible)
The experience gained from operation of the pilot plant can be applied to other locations and sludges.
Process-controlled Enzymatic Hydrolysis (PEH)
In collaboration with agriculturist Peter Neumann, PFI has built a pretreatment unit for agricultural biomass (maize, grass, and whole-crop cereal silage) at the Würschhauserhof Farm biogas plant in the vicinity of Wallhalben.
The facility for process-controlled enzymatic hydrolysis (PEH) is designed for operation under the following conditions:
- Treatment of 7,000 t/a of silage (30 to 35 % dry matter)
- Treatment temperature 30 to 60 °C at pH values of 4 to 6
- batch operation with a residence time of two days
- Hydraulic residence time of the biomass less than 35 days (less than 20 days after optimisation through addition of enzymes)
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