Process Engineering
At TLK, we draw on many years of experience in the dynamic simulation of large-scale water-steam cycles such as those found in power plants. We use the software library ClaRa+ (developed by TLK-Thermo and XRG Simulation) to dynamically simulate power plants and to answer current questions about power plant operation. For example, we can model complex fossil-fuel powered power plant processes to enable energetic evaluation of CO2 capture and its controllability.
Wastewater Treatment Plants
Modeling and Evaluation of Thermally Interconnected Wastewater Treatment Plants
With our model library for wastewater treatment plants, we can model the relevant biological processes of wastewater treatment, biogas production, thermal utilization and drying processes of sludge, and thermal interconnection of plants. We developed this Modelica-based library in cooperation with our project partners as part of the CYKATT project (design and evaluation of cyberphysical wastewater treatment plant concepts with thermally interconnected subprocesses).
DAC processes capture atmospheric CO2. In the future, it is envisioned that CO2 captured from the atmosphere can be used, for example, for process engineering.
We model and simulate different direct air capture (DAC) processes for our customers in order to address the related issues. We compare and evaluate different holistic concepts and designs, while also considering detailed aspects of the processes such as the adsorption and desorption of CO2 and other interfering substances on amine-functionalized adsorber materials.
Figure 3: Dynamic model of an adsorption process with an amine-functionalized adsorbent material. More information about the TIL Adsorption AddOn at: https://tlk-energy.de/software/til-suite/adsorption
In many process engineering applications the design of drying processes is a central challenge. Using simulation, the design process can be accelerated and the potential for improvements in efficiency in the usually energy-intensive drying processes can be discovered.
TLK has experience in modeling different drying processes, from battery electrode drying to sewage sludge drying to laundry drying. Depending on the process, the models we develop for our customers may include diffusion and sorption processes as well as direct evaporation, for example with superheated water vapor.
