Energy Process Engineering Laboratory

- At NTNU Energy and Process Engineering and SINTEF Energy Research

Contact: Morten Grønli

The Energy Process Engineering Laboratory is equipped with several rigs and test facilities for doing research within thermal processes for energy conversion:

• The multi-fuel reactor is a small scale reactor (inner dimensions: D=10cm, H=100cm) designed for fundamental studies of pyrolysis, gasification and combustion of biomass and waste materials. The reactor has 5 separate heating sections and can be operated as a macro-TGA, fixed and fluidized bed reactor.
• The wood stove and fireplace testing facility is used for research and development to obtain new and improved measuring methods, testing new concept, validate combustion and heat transfer models, and improving technology for stoves and fireplaces.
• The exhaust particle removal facility (Panel Bed filter) is a new alternative for particle removal. The filter is based on the use of sand and other granulated material as a filtration medium. The filter material is insensitive to hot particles, temperature fluctuations and corrosive elements in the flue gas.

• The fouling rig is used for hot testing of fouling on tubes in heat exchangers

The laboratory is well equipped with several instruments used for standard and more advanced characterisation of biomass and waste components:

• Thermogravimetric Analyser (TA Instruments SDT 2960)
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter (Perkin Elmer Pyris Diamond DSC)
• Bomb calorimeter (IKA C5003)
• Ash melting microscope

Regular analyses performed are:

• Proximate analysis
• Heating value
• Elemental composition (C, H, N, S, Cl)
• Ash melting point
• Devolatilisation and reactivity kinetics
• Specific heat capacity and heat of reaction, fusion

A number of gas analysers are available for measurements of particulate matter (e.g. dust and soot) and species concentration:

• Gas Chromatograph (GC)
• Fourier Transform Infrared Analyser (FT-IR)
• Conventional gas analysers for measuring: O₂, CO/CO₂, NO/NO₂, N₂O, SO₂, and UHC

Auxiliary equipment

• Steam generator: 800 kW, 16 bar pressure with 90 kW superheater
• Pressurized air: 0.5 kg/s @ 6 bar
• Cold water: 20 m³/h @ 6 bar
• Hot air: 2.0 kg/s with 400 kW heater
• Propane: distributed network

Multi-fuel reactor

Wood stove and fireplace testing facility


Thermogravimetric analyser (TGA)


Fourier Transform Infrared Analyser (FT-IR)