With a kick-off event at the Energy Lab 2.0, the participating students were welcomed with a kick-off event on June 27th. In the weeks to come, the master students from the study programs of computer science, electrical engineering and information technology, mechatronics and mechanical engineering will devote themselves to four project topics from the field of energy systems.

The documentary "Wind as the engine of climate change" reports about the Energy Lab 2.0 starting at minute 46:46. In the context of this Arte documentary, the power-to-liquid process, in which CO2 from the air is converted into fuel, is presented as a possible solution to the climate problem.

This week and last week, a team from ARTE was at Energy Lab 2.0, accompanying and filming a series of experiments on the three-phase methanation plant for a documentary on renewable energy. This documentary will be released by the end of the year.

This year, Girls' Day also takes place at the Energy Smart Home Lab. Schoolgirls from the surrounding area will have insights into STEM subjects in general, and into energy transition research. During the virtual tour of the living lab, the girls learn how to support the energy transition even from home.
There was great interest in the event and it was quickly booked up.

Professor Dittmeyer is talking about negative emissions and the reduction of carbon dioxide in the latest Helmholtz video. He explains the Direct Air Capture (DAC for short) from the Power-to-X process chain. He also explains in detail how   C02 is extracted from the air and the importance of this process for the energy transition.

Nils Müller is a visiting researcher from Denmark at the Energy Lab 2.0. He is working on the detection of cyberattacks on the control of energy systems such as commercial PV inverters and battery storage systems. Here, anomalies in the sensor data of the physical or chemical process, as well as network data, should provide clues to unintentional foreign interference. The cybersecurity group of the Energy Lab 2.0 supports this by providing experimental platforms and reproduces typical cyberattacks.

For a week, bioliq® synthesis gas from the neighbouring pilot plant was converted into methane at Energy Lab 2.0. Thus, via intermediate steps, biomass has been converted into a type of gas that can be fed into the public grid. In the test campaign, the activation method was optimized for energy efficiency as well. Another step towards independence from fossil fuels.

A. Bramsiepe, KIT 2021

In December 2021, the methanation catalyst was successfully activated "in situ" in the bubble column reactor. The reduction and activation method was developed at KIT. This in-situ activation method can significantly reduce the workload and, moreover, make three-phase-methanation more important ecologically and economically.
Starting today, this new method will be verified and further improved in a new test campaign.

In the context of the Copernicus project ENSURE, the real-time simulators of FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and KIT (Energy Lab 2.0) were virtually coupled to a distributed real-time simulation. The simulators are coupled using the VILLAS framework. This enables fast data exchange between the individual geographically distant networks via defined network nodes. In the benchmark scenario, the FAU simulator simulates a transmission network (sub-area of the Nordic test system), and the KIT simulator simulates a distribution network (KIT Campus North 20kV network). The synchronization of the distributed real-time simulation is realized via GPS clocks in both laboratories.

The processing power of the real-time simulators has been increased to the maximum number of 30 cores (10 cores per simulator) for the three Novacor chassis available to EGSAL. AURORA communication protocol licenses (with 4 ports per simulator) were enabled on two of the simulators to expand the coupling capabilities with other simulators (e.g. OPAL-RT in SESCL).

A. Bramsiepe, KIT 2021

In situ catalyst activation is a significant process improvement and was therefore investigated in the second week of December 2021 on the Three-Phase Methanation (3PM) in the Energy Lab 2.0. For this purpose, a novel method was developed and tested, in which the methanation catalyst is activated directly in the reactor and during operation. The tests were successfully completed and, thus, provide valuable data for transferring the results from the 100 kW 3PM to industrial scale and for their economic evaluation.

The so-called Reversible Solid Oxide Cell (rSOC) has been successfully commissioned. The system can be operated both in electrolysis mode (electricity-to-hydrogen) and in fuel cell or reformer mode (hydrogen or natural gas-to-electricity). Thus, this system can generate electric power from chemical energy sources or produce green hydrogen with very high efficiency via renewable electricity. Such flexibility options are elementary in future energy systems and is now also be investigated in Energy Lab 2.0.

"The fuel that's made from air" is how AverEnergy's Avenue magazine describes the eFuels from the Energy Lab 2.0. 
Since climate-neutral flights, ship voyages or other heavy transports are inconceivable without synthetic fuels, eFuels are presented as hope for the future. Professor Dittmeyer explains the four steps in the cycle from carbon dioxide from the air to the refined synthetic fuel.

The building infrastructure on the premises of KIT's Campus North with its gas and heat supply as well as the electrical network matches the size of a medium-sized small town. Here, industrial-like operations are located as well as three model houses in which various future scenarios can be tested under realistic conditions.
Dr. Düpmeier describes how autonomous, artificial intelligence can succeed in future in regulating the increasingly complex energy supply with green energy.

K. Sobel, ADAC

There is not always an alternative to combustion engines. Heavy transport, shipping and aviation cannot yet switch to electric. Therefore, E-Fuels are a clean alternative.
The General German Automobile Club had Prof. Roland Dittmeyer show them on site how Power-to-X works. In the interview, Prof. Dittmeyer explains the synthesis process step by step.

M. Breig, KIT

The key to a climate-neutral energy system are intelligent networking, control and optimization of electricity, heat and gas supply. That is why the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) continues to fund the living lab for Sector Coupling (SEKO). Funding for the-Energy Lab 2.0 is increased by 10 million euros to a total of 16.5 million euros to develop and test new strategies and technologies for sector coupling on a transdisciplinary basis on a pilot plant scale.

Christian Wetzel

What happens behind the walls of the SEnSSiCC building? What are the researchers doing for the energy transition?
In this video, the research topics of SEnSSiCC are explained and how they are interrelated.

In4climateNRW presents three innovative research projects on CO2 reduction in this video. From minute 2:33, the Energy Lab 2.0 is presented as a best practice example for energy transition research and climate protection. Prof. Dr Dittmeyer leads through the Energy Lab 2.0 and introduces the Power-to-X plants, in which e-fuels are produced. He explains the cycle. CO2 is extracted from the air and converted in several steps into synthetic fuel and, thus, the KIT research contributes to the transport transition.

Corona changed traffic, showing how the transportation of people and goods negatively impacts our planet.
This documentary from Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk shows both the Corona impact on traffic and possible solutions to the traffic dilemma. One approach for the traffic transition can be e-fuels, as they are produced and optimized in the Energy Lab. Starting at minute 29:40, the Energy Lab contribution is shown.

As a research infrastructure, the Energy Lab 2.0 is not only available to other research institutions and companies but is also the stage for the KIT Annual Celebration this year. This Annual Celebration will take place online for the first time. For this purpose, a studio has been set up in the SEnSSiCC building, from where the celebration will be streamed. Take a look for yourself.

S. Meisenbacher, KIT 2021

Beim sogenannten Smart Charging werden Elektrofahrzeuge in das Energiesystem integriert. Sie werden also bei Bedarf geladen oder funktionieren wie ein Batteriespeicher. Wenn sie nicht benutzt werden, können ihre überschüssige Ladung zurück in das Netz speisen.
Je einfacher das Smart Charging für den Elektro-Autofahrer ist, desto flächendeckender kann diese Technologie eingesetzt werden.
Deshalb präsentiert das Energy Lab 2.0 den "Smart Charging Wizard". Mit dieser Web-App kann man den Ladevorgang über eine Benutzeroberfläche starten, einstellen und überwachen.

KIT

Private Haushalte müssen in ihrem Energieverbrauch flexibel agieren, damit das Potential erneuerbarer Energieträger besser ausgenutzt und die Belastung der Stromnetze reduziert werden kann. Vom 23.11.-7.12.2020 wird in einer Wohnkampagne untersucht, in welcher Art und Weise verschiedene Handlungsaufforderungen und Anreize genutzt werden können, um Bewohner von Privathaushalten zur Flexibilitätserbringung zu bewegen und ihre generelle Akzeptanz und Partizipation bei diesem Thema zu steigern.

C. Wetzel, KIT 2020

Nachdem ein Team von Galileo (Prosieben) einen Tag lang am Energy Lab 2.0 Interviews geführt, gefilmt und Drohnenaufnahmen gemacht hat, wird die Sendung nun ausgestrahlt. Am 22.11.2020 um 19:05 läuft das Themenspecial "Der letzte Tropfen - Wie tickt die Welt, wenn kein Öl mehr fließt?"

Sohmer Media

Am 18.11.2020 ist die erste Episode des neuen Podcasts "Fahrverbot" mit einem Beitrag von Prof. Dittmeyer online gegangen. Herr Dittmeyer hat die Herstellung von synthetischen Kraftstoffen erläutert.