Main content
Top content
Tim Wollschläger
PhD student
Coppenrath Innovation Centre
Hamburger Straße 24
LOK 15, Raum 01.16.03A
49084 Osnabrück
Tel.: +49 541 969-6341
Development of predictive models to control the anaerobic digestion process
The conversion of biogenic residues to biogas as sustainable energy source is one major challenge in the context of the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources. In that context, this research project aims in general at the understanding, prediction and control of biomass conversion dynamics to biogas by a combination of process engineering, microbiological analyses and mathematical modelling. To reach this goal, an in-depth knowledge of the influence of feedstock
composition and quality on product quantity and quality based on physical, chemical and microbiological process parameters, and the formulation of respective process models is required.
Resulting models should allow to control demand-driven product formation and to avoid instabilities/disturbances of the transformation processes. Process modeling is in this project thought to be based on combining model equations for material transformations (based on chemical process parameters) and microbial diversity dynamics using differential equations. The microbial diversity is intended to be considered for dynamic simulations/analyses by using concepts from (microbial) ecology such as e.g. traits-based approaches. Examples for relevant modelling approaches are the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (Batstone et al. 2002) or the Anaerobic Microbial Degradation Model (Dalby et al. (2021). The combination of this project with other KIDS methods is possible, e.g. for process optimization/control or for data-driven model approaches. This project is related to overarching themes digital twins/process control.
Project team: Tim Wollschläger (Ph.D. Student), Prof. Dr. Andreas Focks (UOS), Prof. Dr. Tim Römer (UOS), Dr. Susanne Theuerl (ATB), Dr. Christiane Herrmann (ATB)
