The use of biogenic residual and waste materials for the production of alternative heating oil could make the operation of oil heating systems more sustainable and climate-friendly. Secondary raw materials such as tall oil, grease separator residues or used frying oils could be used for this purpose. Through the production processes of hydrogenation and isomerisation, they acquire chemical-physical properties that are very similar to those of heating oil according to DIN 51603-1. This results in good combustion properties of these hydrogenated bio-oils, which enable their use in existing oil heating systems.

The energy mix of the future will also include renewable fuels. But what is the potential of these energy sources, what is the state of research and development, where is the first practical experience already available and what opportunities does a global market - for example for Power-to-X - offer? These and many other questions are addressed in the recently launched futurefuels.blog.

The Zuse community continues to grow. With the accession of the OWI Oel-Waerme-Institut gGmbH from Herzogenrath near Aachen, the nationwide association of non-profit research institutes now unites 75 members, seven of them in Aachen and a total of twelve in North Rhine-Westphalia. The membership certificate was officially handed over on January 8 by Dr. Friedrich-Wilhelm Bolle from the Presidium of the Zuse Community.

In a public workshop held in mid-December 2019, the partners in the EU research project "Residue2Heat", including the Oel-Waerme-Institute, presented the results of their research and development work. The aim of the project was to use different types of biomass residues for domestic heat production. The biomass residues are converted into fast pyrolysis bio-oil (FPBO), which is a 2nd generation biogenic fuel suitable for combustion in domestic heating systems. When FPBO is used, depending on the raw material used, between 77 and 95% lower greenhouse gas emissions can be expected compared to conventional fuel oil.

A realistic service life calculation of components can help making the operation of industrial furnaces even more economical in the future. In a joint research project the Oel-Waerme-Institut, the Institut für Industrieofenbau und Wärmetechnik (IOB) of the RWTH Aachen and the Institut für Werkstoffkunde (IfW) of the Technische Universität Darmstadt have gained new important insights into this and implemented them in the development of a method for calculating service lifes.

Within the framework of a research project, the OWI Oel-Waerme-Institut gGmbH and the Institute for Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering (IEC) of the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg have gained important insights into the further development of a non-engine injector test rig including test cycle towards a fast, reliable and cost-effective test procedure for fuels and additives. The test bench is used to investigate and clarify malfunctions of diesel injectors caused by the formation of Internal Diesel Injector Deposits (IDID).