Björn Sjöstrand, senior lecturer in Chemical Engineering, has been awarded the Heinzel-Mondi-Sappi Award for his research on the virtual paper machine. His research makes it possible to optimise and test the manufacturing process in the industry, without expensive production stoppages.
“The award was given out at the Paper & Biorefinery conference in Graz in Austria,” says Björn Sjöstrand. “I received the award for my article ‘Numerical model of water removal and air penetration’, about models for vacuum-based water removal.”
Awards were given out in three categories at the conference, and Björn Sjöstrand won in the Paper and Board Making Process category. The other two categories were Pulping Process and Resource Efficiency. The three prizes are awarded for ”outstanding publications by early stage researchers having a potentially significant positive effect on the future of the pulp and paper industry”.
“It is, of course, an honour for me as a researcher to receive this award. It is also a huge encouragement to continue my work in this field. One interesting detail is that the award ceremony was in German, so I had to wear an earpiece so an interpreter could translate what was said into English.”
Virtual tests and optimisations are environmentally and financially sound
Paper manufacturing is a huge and important industry in Sweden. It is also an industry that consumes a lot of energy. By using models for the different parts of the manufacturing process in conjunction to each other, the whole paper-making machine can be simulated by a computer. This is achieved by combining several different models for the various parts of the machine. Björn Sjöstrand’s model for water removal makes it possible to design a larger model of the paper-making machine as a whole, which would give both researchers and paper manufacturers the opportunity to optimise processes, as well as conduct experiments, without causing costly production disruptions.
Research for a circular bioeconomy
Björn Sjöstrand’s research is part of the research environment Pro2BE, Processes and Products for a Circular Bioeconomy, at Karlstad University. The research environment Pro2BE focuses on the conversion from consumption of non-renewable resources to a bioeconomy based on sustainable and eco-friendly renewable resources, as well as on the development of the forest industry.
Front row: Thomas Pichler, Graz University of Technology, Teresa Maria Jagiello, Graz University of Technology, Björn Sjöstrand, Karlstads universitet
Front row: Thomas Pichler, Graz University of Technology, Teresa Maria Jagiello, Graz University of Technology, Björn Sjöstrand, Karlstads universitet