National team:
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Center for Energy
- AEE – Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien (INTEC)
Research work related to drying and heat pumps:
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology has longstanding experience in the field of heat pump research for both household and industrial applications and is involved in a number of relevant IEA HPT Annex projects as both actively contributing partner and Operating Agent. Besides, AIT operates a profound infrastructure for testing domestic heat pumps in development or for certification purposes. The institute’s research work in the field of heat pump comprises in particular support in developing and applying novel resp. improved heat pump components such as e.g. innovative compressors and alternative refrigerants for high temperature applications, improved refrigeration circuits and configurations, or on system level the optimized integration of heat pumps into industrial processes and their long-term performance monitoring. Specifically, AIT has profound experience and measurement data from two industrial heat pump assisted drying applications, namely starch and brick drying. In the H2020 project DryFiciency two closed loop heat pumps were successfully developed, implemented, and demonstrated for supply temperatures of up to 160°C in industrial environment for more than 4.000 operational hours each. Besides, AIT is also currently involved in developing a low-cost sensor technology for inline process analysis allowing to also gather the humidity of the product itself and in developing optimized operating strategies based on numerical models and improved monitoring data. The findings will be applied in industrial drying processes in the agricultural commodity and food industries and are replicable in a number of industrial drying processes and industrial sectors.
AEE INTEC is a private institute focusing on applied research in the field of industrial energy and resource efficiency. Within the Annex 59 profound expertise from two departments are the base of the work, the “Industrial Systems” and the Technology Development – Renewable Energy. Knowhow on heat pump itself will be provided including the technology setup and its optimization based on modelling and simulation. The industrial perspective and potential heat pump integration is brought in by the expertise gained out of more than 650 detailed energy audits done in all industrial energy sectors. This includes the design and operation of optimized concepts for the efficient and renewable energy supply. The focus of the Annex will be drying processes, their energy demand and applied technologies based on the collection, evaluation, and visualization of real process data as well generated data, extended by status quo of energy supply system. Potential adaptations of drying processes and linked technologies as well available excess heat streams are addressed to assess the potential of heat pumps in this field. Due to the strong user orientation, this perspective is helpful for the Annex work and maximum multiplicability can be ensured. In addition, AEE INTEC is part of a broad international network in various areas, which is also beneficial to this annex.
Links to institutes, research projects, etc:
www.dryficiency.eu
https://www.nefi.at/de/projekt/eddy-enhanced-drying
Main contact:
Michael Lauermann, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
email: michael.lauermann@ait.ac.at