Process Optimisation

Sustainable heating processes are a focus of research and development activities at Fraunhofer-Center HTL. This includes issues such as the conversion of thermal processes to CO₂-neutral operation, for example by using green hydrogen as a heat source, or the general switch from gas firing to electric heating. In addition to these approaches, which are usually accompanied by investment requirements for the user, the HTL also offers a systematic methodology for optimising thermoprocesses that does not require any structural changes to existing thermoprocess plants. In a material-centred approach, the behaviour of the material to be heated in the thermoprocess is first precisely measured. With the help of digital process models or digital furnace twins, the optimal process control is then determined. The efficiency gain is achieved both by minimising the process time and by optimising the product quality (minimising the reject rate). Simply by applying the optimised oven parameters, the cost and carbon footprint of each product is reduced by at least 10-20%, often more.

The complete methodology starts with a green body analysis, as defects from the moulding process usually do not heal in the thermoprocess and every unnecessarily fired component that subsequently becomes scrap is a waste of energy and money. Subsequently, the product-specific material changes during the following process steps of drying, debinding and sintering are characterised by in-situ measurements. Based on the measurement results, the processes for the concrete product geometry are simulated on the computer and thus the optimal process parameters are determined and validated. The process can also be optimised in an analogous way for products that are manufactured by melt infiltration instead of sintering.

Here you will find a selection of our research projects:

• BaMOX Development of a basalt fibre-reinforced mixed oxide ceramic using the example of a hand casting crucible
  
• NeMaKo Development of novel magnesium oxide composites
  
• Screws in zirconium oxide Screw made of zirconium oxide for use under high mechanical, corrosive and thermal loads
  
• CMC-BHM Development of short-fibre reinforced composites for use as kiln furniture
  
• Enertherm Development of lightweight materials for high-temperature use
  
• Enertherm Energy efficiency in continuous heat treatment plants: Design of roller kilns
  
• DiMaWert Sub-project: DigiTherm - Life Cycle Assessment

These publications might also interest you:

• Wet chemical deposition of BN, SiC and Si₃N₄ interphases on SiC fibers
  
• Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites – Manufacturing, Machining, Properties and Industrial Applications
• Fabrication and upscaling of spinning processes for ceramic high-tech fiber production
• Ceramic Matrix Composites – an Alternative for Challenging Construction Tasks
  
• Joining of Ceramic an Metal Parts
• Adhesive Bonding of Oxide Ceramics for Complexe Ceramic Parts in High Temperature Furnaces
• Characterization of Furnace Sintered Mullite and Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites (O-CMC) by Using Glass Solders
  
• Finite element modeling of reactive liquid silicon infiltration
• Fundamental Mechanisms With Reactive Infiltration of Silicon Melt Into Carbon Capillaries
  
• Anforderungsgerechte textile Halbzeuge und Z-verstärkte Preformen für Hochleistungsfaserverbundkeramiken
• BN-Based Fiber Coatings by Wet Chemical Coating