A highly efficient, fuel-flexible and scalable micro-CHP system is being developed to open up the use of biogenic solid fuels for electricity and heat generation, even in the low power range.
With the decentralization of electricity and heat generation, small-scale CHP solutions are also gaining in importance. So far, this segment lacks a system that can also efficiently utilize biogenic residues.
It may be possible to overcome this using a micro-CHP with fluidized bed firing and a Stirling engine: while fluidized bed firing permits the use of different biogenic fuels, the Stirling engine increases the overall efficiency of the plant through higher combustion efficiency.
The BioWasteStirling project aims to develop and commercialize a long-term testing of the pilot plant developed by scientists at FriedrichAlexander University ErlangenNürnberg together with project partners SWW Wunsiedel and Frauscher Thermal Motors was already successfully completed in February 2019. In the laboratory, a maximum electrical efficiency of approximately 15% and an overall combustion efficiency of over 90% were achieved.
The BioWasteSterling project is funded within the framework of the German Federal Ministry Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) Energetic Biomass Use funding area and will be supported until 2020.