Congratulations to Willi Nitschke on his successful defense of his diploma

We congratulate Willi Nitschke on the successful defense of his diploma thesis with the topic "Creation of a balance model for the fiber preparation and energy supply of a wood-based material production process using the example of a selected plant". The thesis was supervised by Dr.-Ing. Daniel Bernhardt (Chair of Energy Process Engineering, TU Dresden) and M.Sc. Martin Hielscher (Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden gemeinnützige GmbH (IHD)).

Mr. Nitschke summarizes his thesis as follows:

"For process optimization in times of rising raw material and energy prices, process engineering balance models can be used. These make it possible to calculate material and energy flows that cannot be measured.

The balance model represents the product of a modeling cycle. A model adjustment is created in verbal or schematic form based on the real problem. The so-called mathematical model is created on the basis of the model adjustment. The mathematical model thus describes the real problem using mathematical methods. Framework conditions, such as existing or non-existing sensors, must be observed. Finally, the model is implemented in a calculation tool and the results are validated.

In the present work, the real problem concerns a wood fiber material process, more precisely the production of medium-density fiberboards, starting with the description of the manufacturing process and a brief introduction to modeling. This is followed by the development of the model concept for the entire process and the mathematical model, representing two cost- and energy-intensive sub-processes, fiber preparation and energy supply.

The two balance models could be closed by means of assumptions. With the current status of the model, no retrofitting of sensors is necessary for energy provision. For fiber preparation, on the other hand, it was essential to specify certain values as placeholders. For these, it is necessary to retrofit sensors or determine standard values.

The results were calculated in two selected time periods. The results of the models are then evaluated. Selected results were visualized in diagrams.

Finally, the outlook resulted in an elaboration of optimization potentials for fiber processing and energy conversion based on the results of the balance models."

Mr. Nitschke will continue his research as an engineer at ENVERUM- Ingenieurgesellschaft für Energie- und Umweltverfahrenstechnik mbH and will certainly do great work there.

We congratulate Mr. Nitschke and wish him all the best for the future.