AVT - Research - Research project

In the excellence cluster "Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass (TMFB)" reaction systems are investigated in various process steps which involve two liquid phases. Settlers are widely used to separate them. The design of such settlers is investigated at AVT.TVT. The optimal design of the settlers will improve the efficiency of the overall TMFB process.

The systems of TMFB have a high viscosity and contain solids, which stemming from the bio-based feed material as well as the microorganisms. Such impurities accumulate at the interface of the droplets and hinder the coalescence. The Coalescence process is the decisive step for the settler design. Thus, the goal of the project is the validation and the further development of models at AVT.TVT, which allow to describe the separation of liquid-liquid systems with settlers under the influence of solids and high viscosity.

In order to make a progress in the modeling of coalescence, an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is used at AVT.TVT. It allows the direct measurement of the force between two droplets as a function of their distance. The results allow the better understanding of droplet interactions. In addition, the settling experiments are performed in a discontinuous stirred cell and in a pilot-plant scale settler.

Fig.1: BioScop II (company Veeco)

The results can be used as a basis for modelling and they will be used to implement methods for the reliable settler design .