Development of a new generation of room heaters fuelled by process gas from thermochemical biomass conversion
Project title
Development of a new generation of room heaters fuelled by process gas from thermochemical biomass conversion
Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries
Cebud s.c. Jacek Ręka Maria Ręka
Name of programme
Smart Growth Operational Programme
Competition
Fast Track
Project value
PLN 4,506,122.86
Funding value
PLN 3,498,086.10
Project delivery period
from 1 september 2021 to 31 December 2023
Meet our team
Jacek Ręka – project manager, founder and partner of Cebud and Senior Master of the Lesser Poland Guild of Carpenters and Related Professions. For many years he has been training and examining tradespeople to obtain the titles of apprentice and master in the profession of Stove Fitter. National representative in the European Association of stove fitter’s trade organisations VEUKO.
See the results of our work
Video
What problem does our project solve?
The project aimed to develop a new generation of low-emission room heaters (fireplaces with heat accumulation system) fuelled by process gas generated from the thermal processing of pellets in their own integrated gas generator. The main purpose of the heater is to provide heat for room heating and domestic hot water preparation while meeting emission requirements well below the limits indicated in the Ecodesign. The research gathered new knowledge about the parameters affecting the generation and combustion of gas from wood pellets, the effect of the gas generator design on the variable composition of the gas produced, the effect of control algorithms for air supply for combustion and gasification, the properties of the materials from which the equipment was made, and how their shape and the arrangement of individual structural elements affect the gas combustion process and the heat balance of the heater. The new knowledge gained has been used in the selection of materials and design for the equipment, controlling the gas generation and combustion process, and obtaining the required characteristics of heat generation and heat transfer to the room.
Who will benefit from the project's results?
The target group consists of prosumers of individual and independent heating of residential buildings, replacing their existing fossil fuel heating system and building new houses, for which lower limits for non-renewable primary energy (PE) heating have been set since 1 January 2021, the fulfilment of which, together with optimisation of the costs of the building heating system and ensuring low operating costs, will be made possible by a new generation of innovative low-emission heaters burning wood gas (RES). The new solution increases the comfort for the users of this type of appliance and allows the use of two different fuel types, depending on availability and needs.
What was the biggest challenge for us in implementing the project?
A key aspect of the project was to achieve the targeted combustion emissions, significantly lower than current European requirements and comparable only to other gaseous fuels. Thanks to the cooperation of many people in an interdisciplinary team of experienced tradespeople and scientists, we are putting into the hands of users an appliance that not only satisfies a need that is fundamental to every human being, i.e. warmth in the home, but is also safe for human health and the environment, and meets current emission requirements and is probably ahead of the next, even stricter ones.
Our advice to other Applicants
Two to three years seems to be a long time. However, it is not uncommon for many ongoing tasks and works to exceed the deadlines. It is important to organise the work and ensure that the results are delivered within the deadlines by the people involved, thus avoiding unnecessarily rushed efforts.