My research area is biogas technology with particular focus on monitoring and pre-treatment technologies, multivariate analysis and process analytical technologies. Monitoring work has involved the application of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for online measurement of key process parameters in the anaerobic digestion process, macro nutrient determination in plant material and for estimation of biogas potentials of a variety of substrates.
Pre-treatment research has mainly focused on increasing the biogas potential or the rate of biogas production of lignocellulosic feedstocks such as plants and animal manures. Methods used have included extreme thermophilic, thermo baric, microwave, oxidation, extrudation and enzymatic methods.
Current research includes:
- The development of high rate anaerobic digesters for animal manure treatment and best practice manure management strategies as part of the EU–LIFE+ funded MANEV project.
- The role of hydrogen in anaerobic digestion will be investigated under the Danish Strategic Research Council funded HYCON project.
- Combining the storage of electrical energy with upgrading of biogas to natural gas standards under the EUDP funded project Metan fra Kuldioxid – Systemintegration with the company Electrochaea.
Researchers involved in my area are Henrik Bjarne Møller, Anders Peter Adamsen, Anders Feilberg, Maibritt Hjorth
I am also the leader of the technology section in Denmark for the Nordic Association of Agricultural Scientists (NJF).
Education
I am course responsible for the M.Sc. course Basic Biogas Technology and teach in Applied Biogas Technology and Biosystems Instrumentation courses. I also teach as a guest lecturer in the bachelor course Bioprocess Technology and summer courses in biogas related subjects.
I have been project supervisor to three Ph.D students:
In addition I have been supervising M.Sc student projects:
- Kim Otto Lund Thunbo
- Annika Jordanov
- Francisco Bacelar
- Nanna Aggerholm Larsen
