Semester project
General Information
Type: Semester project (10 credits)
Period: Autumn 2017
Assistants: Theodoros Damartzis
Objective
The assessment of a number of biomass conversion technologies under the scope of simultaneous optimal thermal and economic performance is sought. The target is to identify the most suitable conversion pathways for a diverse range of biomass feedstock (woody, wet, etc.) and study the integration for energy services supply as well as power-to-gas applications. To this end, conventional technologies (e.g. gasification, digestion etc.), represented by existing process models, will be combined within a well-established modeling and optimization framework to create conversion routes that emulate the transition from raw biomass to services such as heat and/or power. Performance and suitability of the different generated processes will be assessed based on their energetic efficiency as well as the associated investment and operational costs.
Project tasks
- Familiarize with biomass conversion technologies through a thorough literature review.
- Update/modify existing biomass conversion models according to literature review (if necessary).
- Synthesize biomass conversion routes for various biomass sources within the OSMOSE optimization framework.
- Analyze/rank the design optimization results for the various examined conversion paths.
- Report the results in a comprehensive manner.
Requirements
Desired hard skills are:
- Energy conversion systems knowledge (EPFL courses: Thermo I/II, Energy conversion, Advanced Energetics, or equivalent)
- Programming skills: MATLAB, Lua or similar languages
- Optimization (EPFL courses: Modelling and Optimization of Energy Systems or equivalent)
Other soft skills that are highly appreciated:
- Motivation, autonomy and self-organization
- Ability to communicate results (oral and written)
- Very good English writing skills
How to apply
If interested please contact Theodoros Damartzis, including your CV, a cover letter and a transcript of records (Bachelor’s and Master’s).
Compensation
As the IPESE research group is located in Sion, students will need to commute. A travel expense compensation of 600 CHF will be given to students for semester projects. The days of presence in Sion will be determined upon communication with the project supervisor.