IEN: Instytut Energetyki - Poland

The IEn carries research and scientific analysis for the commercial power engineering, focusing on combustion processes, thermal plants, power system planning, high voltage technique, power and special transformers, materials technology, electrical power distribution equipment, air pollution control, biomass gasification and solid oxide fuel cells.
The Thermal Processes Department of IEn is involved in SOFC technology research and development in cooperation with CEREL Ceramics Department. The electrolyte supported SOFC cells were successfully developed and scaled-up. The current work is concentrated on anode supported cells scale-up and stack development. The extensive research of single cell performance is carried with computerized test stations using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and other characterization techniques. Computational modelling is extensively used at IEn. IEn has extensive experience in CFD modelling (CFD Fluent) of combustion processes, in particular pulverised coal fired burners and boilers. CFD modelling is also used as a standard tool for boilers optimisation and SOFC cell, stack and auxiliary units development. The computational analysis and optimisation of processes for the heat and electric power production was also performed (AspenPlus) and IGCC plants were analysed among others.
In the biomass gasification field, several biomass gasifiers were developed with the scale ranging from 1.5kW laboratory installation, through 100kW wood-chips gasifier and 800kW semi-commercial installation with operation to be started in mid-2007. The CPC has well equipped laboratory for the combustion research. The 500kW combustion facility was extensively used for development of low-NOx burners and for biomass co-firing tests (EU BioFlam project). The existing infrastructure i.e. available space and installed equipment (fans, compressors, air distribution channels, air heaters, gas analysers, gas chromatograph etc.) gives good potential for highly advanced measurements.
IEn has been involved in several European FP5 (BioFlam, PowerFlam2) and FP6 projects (BIO-PRO, BIOASH, BIOFUCEL, ENFUGEN, FE-EU). The IEn leads the Centre of Excellence CENERG (the Integration Centre for Central Europe Research in Energy Supply from Fossil Fuels and Renewable Sources).


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