Kueppers Solutions from Dortmund is one of three companies nominated for the German Future Prize 2023. The reason is the new dual-fuel burner "iRecu®", which can be operated with a flexible hydrogen component. Up to 100 % hydrogen use is possible, making the burner potentially emission-free.
The German industrial sector accounts for around 30 % of Germany's total energy requirements. Currently, fossil natural gas supplies most of this energy. This is where the dual-channel industrial burner comes in: According to the company, switching between hydrogen and natural gas is possible without additional plant retrofitting and can therefore be carried out according to availability and demand. The effect: even initially low and not constantly available hydrogen quantities can be used immediately for industrial purposes.
Plants that continue to run on natural gas alone are also expected to benefit from the burner. Thanks to its innovative heat exchanger, it enables immediate fuel savings of between 12% and 50%, according to the manufacturer.
Hybrid system operation possible
Converting to the dual-fuel burner therefore already brings efficiency gains: thanks to hybrid plant operation, which is made possible by the dual-fuel mixing unit, industrial plants avoid downtime when hydrogen is not available. The dual-fuel mixing unit is manufactured specifically for the plant using metallic 3D printing.
Kueppers Solutions launched the dual-fuel burner at the end of 2022. The first user was Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein in Andernach. According to the company, measurements here showed that fuel savings of up to 12.9% were achieved after the device was installed.
Germany's most important science award
The German Future Prize is being awarded for the 27th time this year and carries a purse of 250,000 euros. It is regarded as one of the most important scientific awards in Germany. It is awarded annually to various science and technology projects.
The jury selects three innovations for the final round of the award, the so-called "circle of the best". This year, the prize will be awarded by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on November 22.
(Source: Kueppers Solutions/2023)
