Technology Centre of Ostrava

The laboratory offers services and carries out research in thermal processing of waste materials and alternative fuels with regards to the maximum efficiency of the overall process. The research aims at thermal processing of waste materials and the development of new units for energy and material utilization of a wide range of waste. The laboratory also focuses on the generation of energy from small sources and „Waste-to-energy“ technology.

Research focus:

• Pyrolysis
• Gasification
• Torrefaction (biochar)
• Processing and cleaning of process gases
• Energy accumulation and management

Equipment:

• Experimental pyrolysis unit with the capacity of 500g/h
• Pilot-plant pyrolysis unit Pyromatic 250 with the capacity of up to 250kg/h
• Stirling engine – Micro-co-generation unit PCU35-GAS
• Co-generation unit KE – MNG 100
• Stratification exchanger WFC SC20 – 70kW
• Device for process gas analyser – process analysers Siemens FIDEMAT 6, CALOMAT 6, ULTRAMAT 6 and gas chromatograph Master GC

Service offer:

The laboratory offers complex services in energy recovery from waste:

• Complete tests in pyrolysis units
• Cooperation in the development of gasification technologies
• Measurements and analyses of pyrolysis and gasification units in customers
• Analyses of feedstock materials
• Complex analyses of products
• Development of technologies for energy recovery from biomass and waste according to customer´s re­quirements
• Conceptual design in power-engineering
• Expert counselling in thermal processing of waste and alternative fuels

Contact person:

Jaroslav Frantík
e-mail: Jaroslav.frantik@vsb.cz
tel.: +420 597 325 722

Jan Najser
e-mail:
tel.: +420 597 327 154

The laboratory specializes in research of reduction processes and testing of high-temperature properties of raw materials among technological gases. The research focuses on the determination of basic technological characteristics of lump iron ore, metallurgical pellets and agglomerate, or briquettes or pellets from iron-ore metallurgical waste. In the laboratory, we test the reducibility and decay ability (changes in the strength properties) of the materials under the conditions simulating a blast-furnace shaft.

Equipment:

• RF-33/TV/RDI
• Laboratory sifter
• Laboratory drier

Service offer:

ISO test methods:

• ISO 4695:2007 – Determination of the reducibility by the rate of reduction index
• ISO 7215:2007 – Determination of relative reducibility
• ISO 4696–1:2007 – Determination of low-temperature reduction-disintegration indices by static method (reduction of CO, CO₂ , H₂ and N₂)
• ISO 4696–1:2007 – Determination of low-temperature reduction-disintegration indices by static method (reduction of CO and N₂)

Other tests:

• Implementation of other (no-standardised) tests of reducibility, outside the ISO standards.

Model prediction:

Model prediction of optimal requirements for properties of ore batch (reducibility) and coke batch (reactivity) as for minimising the coke consumption. The software model outputs are analytical diagrams characterizing the possible passage optimum in dependence on the batch parameters.

Cooperation with the Industry:

Arcelor Mittal Ostrava, a.s.
Třinecké železárny, a.s.
Progres Ekotech, s.r.o.

Contact person:

Simona Jursová
e-mail:simona.jur­sova@vsb.cz
tel.: + 420 597 325 421

Pavlína Pustějovská
e-mail:pavlina.pus­tejovska@vsb.cz
tel.: + 420 597 325 421

The laboratory focuses on basic and applied research in combustion, flows, heat transfer, drying, pollutant sorption in a fluidized-bed boiler, and issues related to substitution of conventional fuels with alternative ones. The research also concentrates on the development of mathematical models in the different phenomena and their verification via experimental measurements.

Equipment:

• Analysers for combustion specification (continuous measurements of temperature, pressure, combustion product rate and composition – O₂ , CO, CO₂, NO, NO₂, SO₂, C_XH_Y).
• Meters to measure dewpoint, fuel moisture and black level in the combustion products.
• Laboratory chamber to investigate (co)combustion of alternative fuels, flows and transfer of heat with an option to change the parameters of burning and dismantling of certain parts of the burner.
• Mobile injection system to investigate burning of powder fuels.
• Thermal-imaging camera and infra-red thermometers.
• Laboratory fluid chamber to examine the sorption of harmful pollutants in the combustion products.
• Device to measure multi-phase flow patterns, particle collisions and heat transfer in a fluidized bed.
• CFD and DEM software + computing stations.

Service Offer:

• Measurements of emissions and rate of combustion gases from energy sources of smaller outputs.
• Proposal of conditions for combustion of alternative fuels.
• Determination of physical and combustion properties of alternative gaseous fuels.
• Mathematical modelling of energy processes.
• Simulation of selected phenomena on physical models (fluidized bed, drying, combustion, heat transfer).
• Testing the efficiency of sorbents and additives to reduce the emissions of harmful substances from the combustion process.
• Assessment of suitability of different sorbents under given conditions in fluidized-bed boilers.
• Preparation of fuels or sorbents to test according to set parameters and composition.

Contact person:

Stanislav Honus
E-mail:
Tel: +420 597 323 270

Research focus:

• Development and verification of mathematical models of combustion, turbulent flows, transfer of heat by radiation, multi-phase flows and collision of solid particles.
• Study of combining CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) method and DEM (Discrete Element Method) method to simulate selected phenomena.
• Development of physical models to validate applied theories.

Software and Equipment:

• CFD and DEM software.
• 3 modern computing stations.
• Physical model of a combustion chamber for gaseous fuels with an option of dismantling all burner segments and changing a wide range of conditions of the combustion process.
• Laboratory fluid system to verify mathematical models of two-phase flows, heat transfer and vaporization.
• Mobile device for the injection of solid powder fuels.
• Devices to measure temperature, vector, pressure and concentration fields in the examined space.

Service Offer:

• Simulation of different power-engineering processes (e.g. combustion of gaseous, solid and liquid fuels, heat exchangers, formation of NOx, etc.).
• Simulation of selected phenomena on physical models.
• Implementation of time-intensive calculations using computing stations.
• Models of energy and mass flows.
• Visualization of molecular structures.

Contact person:

Stanislav Honus
e-mail:
tel.: +420 597 323 270

The workplace deals with the pelletization of materials. Pelletization is a material processing method, thanks to which the density of solid particles increases and flow properties improve. This way, materials may be better dosed, and easily stored. When considering certain distances, there may be lower transport costs. Pellets may be produced for energy or other purposes. The workplace makes pellets predominantly from biomass and waste materials. Currently, the demand for solid bio-fuels is increasing world-wide. Therefore, it is vital to prepare solid bio-fuels that are as eco-friendly as possible and profitable.

Research Goals:

• Pelletization of biomass and waste materials
• Preparation of environmentally friendly and economical bio-fuels
• Research in the physical-chemical properties of pellets
• Research in the pelletization processes

Equipment:

• Hammer crusher for biomass Green Energy – 9 FQ 50
• Crushing mill Novital – Magnum
• Stirrer
• Pellet press KAHL 14 – 175
• Pellet press Green Energy JGE 120
• Drier / testing temperature chamber Binder FED 400

Service Offer:

• Determination of mechanical resistance using HOLMEN NHP 100
• Determination of hardness using KAHL ak-14
• Determination of specific density using a density tester Mettler Toledo JEW-DNY-43
• Determination of resistance to moisture
• Determination of water content in the pellets
• Analyses of energy important parameters of pelletized material

Contact person:

Lucie Jezerská
e-mail:
tel: +420 597 329 430