Deutsche Vereinigung für Verbrennungsforschung (DVV), IFRF’s German Flame Committee,  is a member of the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF). This is the leading national organisation promoting applied research and development benefiting Germany’s small and medium-sized businesses. Based on this position, DVV supports research in the framework of Industrial Collective Research (Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung, IGF).

Martin Schiemann, secretary of the DVV, has provided details of the latest 3 projects funded by the DVV within the framework of IGF. The full listing of current and previous projects is provided on the DVV website.

IGF 23703: Technical/Scientific Comparison of Available Methods for Determining Biogenic Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Waste Incineration for Cost Optimisation – BiKoAb

Funding period: 01.11.2025 – 30.04.2028

The amendment of the German Fuel Emissions Trading Act (BEHG), which entered into force on 16/11/22, has led to the inclusion of waste incineration in the national emissions trading system as of 1/1/24. The Emissions Reporting Ordinance 2030 (EBeV 2030), which governs the reporting of relevant CO₂ emissions, stipulates that emissions already covered under the European Emissions Trading Scheme, as well as emissions originating from the biogenic fraction of the waste, are deductible. Several methods are available to operators of waste incineration plants to determine these deductible biogenic CO₂ emissions.

The methods approach the problem either from the waste side or from the flue-gas side and determine the biogenic share of emissions through measurement or calculation. Consequently, different measurement systems or software tools are required. Depending on the technical characteristics of the plant, individual methods exhibit specific advantages, disadvantages, and varying degrees of accuracy.

Plant operators face the challenge of selecting a method appropriate for their specific installation. They typically seek support from engineering consultants, measurement service providers, and laboratories (mostly SMEs). However, these stakeholders also lack a suitable decision support tool, because no comprehensive, systematic, and comparative assessment of the available methods has yet been undertaken. Correct quantification of chargeable CO₂ emissions is also of financial relevance to waste suppliers and waste processors (often SMEs), as the associated costs can be passed along the value chain.

The objective of this research project is therefore to develop a decision-support tool for selecting a plant-specific, suitable method for determining biogenic CO₂ emissions. This question will be addressed through theoretical analyses, laboratory investigations, and experiments at pilot- and full-scale facilities.

IGF 24003: Oxyfuel Operation in Rotary Kilns of the Cement Industry: Experimentally Supported Prediction of the Flight and Conversion Behaviour of Alternative Fuels and the Resulting Impact on Clinker Quality

Funding period: 01.08.2025 – 31.01.2028

Oxyfuel combustion represents a promising option for reducing CO₂ emissions in the cement industry. In contrast to conventional air-fired operation, combustion takes place in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere without nitrogen. After condensation of water vapor, the flue gas ideally consists of 100% CO₂, which can subsequently be captured or reused. In the Oxyfuel configuration considered here, CO₂ is recirculated to control the combustion temperature. By using cost-effective and partly biogenic alternative fuels (AF) in place of more expensive fossil fuels, CO₂ emissions can be further reduced.

The local heat release within the rotary kiln is critical to the resulting clinker quality. Since the transition to Oxyfuel operation with AF is expected to affect the temperature profile and, thus, the local heat release, further research efforts are required.

This project develops CFD models for simulating AF-fired cement rotary kilns operating under the above Oxyfuel conditions. The models will be experimentally validated in a semi- industrial test facility using optical diagnostics and AI-supported image processing. Subsequently, a full-scale industrial kiln will be simulated under Oxyfuel conditions in order to derive recommendations for switching from conventional to Oxyfuel operation.

The project outcomes will increase the willingness to retrofit existing plants for Oxyfuel operation, thereby strengthening the long-term competitiveness of the German cement industry and its predominantly medium-sized suppliers (approx. 65,000 jobs). SMEs in the fields of fuel preparation, CFD services, and machine learning will directly benefit from the results.

IGF 24205: Analysis and Modelling of Transport-Induced Abrasion and Breakage Behaviour of Wood Pellets – from the Delivery Vehicle to the Storage Silo

Funding period: 01.11.2025 – 30.04.2028

The objective of the project is to characterise the mechanisms of fines formation during the delivery of wood pellets to end users. This covers the entire delivery chain from the pellet truck, through the pneumatic conveying system and the flexible hoses installed, up to the customer’s storage silo. The results will feed into an easy-to-use numerical web tool (1D process model) designed for SMEs, enabling them to estimate fines generation along this delivery pathway. Input parameters for the tool include vehicle type and operating parameters, conveying line length, number of bends, and the position of the impact mat in the customer’s storage facility.

The project integrates the findings from previous studies (eg fines formation in different typical pellet truck configurations, fines formation in the customer’s silo) into the new web tool. To complement the web tool, additional fundamental work is required. Experimental investigations must be conducted to quantify pellet degradation associated with multiple bends in the pneumatic conveying line; particular attention will be paid to material fatigue effects.

For detailed analysis, an existing software tool that resolves pneumatic conveying in 3D at the particle scale (based on DEM/CFD coupling) will be extended. In its current form, the DEM/CFD code accounts only for pellet breakage due to particle–wall impacts; the influence of extended wall–particle contact leading to abrasion has not yet been implemented.

Finally, practice-oriented recommendations for SMEs will be derived to support gentle pellet handling from the delivery truck to the customer silo. These recommendations will be prepared as training material for truck operators. The web tool will be made available free of charge.