Competence Area 3 (CA-3)

 

Fuel Design and Sustainable Cross-sectorial Value Chains

This competence area goes beyond the technosphere of the molecules/ process level by addressing the joint conversion of bio-hybrid fuels and co-products in flexible and scalable value chains. Interdependencies and feedback between the electricity and the mobility sector are regarded as well as social acceptance of relevant stakeholders. To integrate this broad perspective into a design framework, FSC develops targeted methods to design molecular fuel structures simultaneously with their production and conversion technologies accounting for the corresponding value chains, their environmental impacts, and social relevance. The results with regard to sustainability, public and individual perception of fuels and value chains are fed back and iterated with CA-1 and CA-2. Thereby, this competence area guides the envisioned large-scale transition towards fuel that will be sustainable with respect to all dimensions: ecosphere, society and economy. This requires a system-wide design perspective to guide and evaluate novel transformation pathways over all involved scales: from molecular to process and (co-)product scale up to value chains and customers.

To approach the long-term guiding vision of the Integrated Design Method (IDM), the research in CA-3 is organized in two research domains: CA-3-1 Fuel Design addresses the design of fuel production and fuel conversion systems. The technology developments in CA-1 and CA-2 are picked up and integrated into full process chains. Herein, fuels and potential chemical co-products are regarded as degrees of freedom. CA-3-2 Integrated Design Method for Sustainable Fuel-based Mobility expands the scope to the value chain perspective. The complex interdependencies between the mobility and the electricity sector are captured targeting economic, environmental and social objectives.