Head: Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Christoph Pfeifer

Christoph Pfeifer has got an education in Chemical Engineering from Vienna University of Technology and carried out his diploma as well his PhD thesis in the field of catalytic tar reforming by primary (in the dual fluidized bed gasification reactor) as well as by secondary measures (downstream fixed bed catalytic reactors).

Since 2005 he is responsible for the development of gasification technologies and the coordination of the pilot plants for gasification (pressurized bubbling fluidized bed gasifier, dual fluidized bed steam gasifier) as well as cold flow modelling of fluidized bed systems for gasification.

The Research Group for Gasification and Gas Cleaning (GGC) originates as one of three parts from Hermann Hofbauer’s former Research Group for Future Energy Technologies.

The GGC team focuses on projects from the energy technology sector with a specification on gasification technologies as well as catalytic tar removal from producer gas originating from thermo-chemical hydrocarbon conversion processes.

 The mission of the group is to develop fuel flexible, high efficient gasification technologies for the production of high quality syngas. In the group there is experience with cold flow modelling of fluidized bed systems, design and operation of fluidized bed pilot units, catalytic gas cleaning and some background regarding modelling and simulation of energy technology processes. Recent topics in investigation are:

• Dual fluidized bed steam gasification of biomass, coal, waste materials (biomass as well as plastic wastes)
• Producer gas adaptation by catalytically active bed material
• Catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons in secondary fixed bed units
• Development of a new gasification process based on the dual fluidized bed process
• Pressurized gasification

The research group is fully financed from applied research project sources. An approximate share of project types in terms of funding is actually 20% European Union, 60% national funds for applied research, and 20% direct company services.