At the Chair of Energy Systems, potential feedstocks for biomass and residual material utilization are physically and chemically characterized, pretreated, and experimentally investigated in various test facilities for combustion and gasification. The collected data can then be used in the field of numerical flow simulations (see CFD, LINK) for the development of detailed reaction models and serve as a basis for the design of large-scale plants. 

With the overarching goal of achieving a circular economy and substituting fossil energy carriers for power generation as well as for the production of basic chemicals and fuels, biogenic raw materials such as damaged wood or energy crops, but also residues like sewage sludge, scrap tires, plastic fractions, and even municipal solid waste are considered. The influence of different pretreatment methods (e.g., hydrothermal carbonization, pyrolysis, or steam explosion) on combustion and gasification processes and the resulting products is examined. 

All of this follows the central question: What sustainable alternatives exist to reduce dependence on fossil fuels (oil/natural gas) in the mentioned industries and to achieve CO₂ neutrality?

The objectives in this context are diverse. While small-scale facilities are used to conduct fundamental investigations of the underlying reactions, such as reaction rates or surface changes during gas–solid reactions, large-scale facilities serve primarily to test the suitability of fuels for industrial pyrolysis, gasification, or combustion processes and to optimize potential reactor conditions depending on the fuel. Through targeted sampling and subsequent fuel or gas analysis, key parameters for the upscaling of new fuels can be gathered, and potential industrial applications can be evaluated. Depending on the process conditions (e.g., reaction temperature and pressure, heating rates, reaction medium) and the experimental setup, specific fuel properties are recorded, and conclusions are drawn regarding the reaction behavior and resulting products (e.g., hydrogen content, tar formation, ash content), as well as deposits and corrosion phenomena. 

Our experimental facilities are broadly equipped for these thermochemical conversion processes, covering a scale that ranges from microreactors to industry-oriented pilot plants and mobile test units. The technological maturity spans from laboratory-scale systems for fundamental studies (TRL (technology readiness level) 3–4, Wire Mesh Reactor, Pressure TGA) to research reactors in application environments (TRL 5-6 BabiTER, PiTER, FSR) and finally to pilot reactors under operational conditions (TRL 6-7 BOOSTER).