Dr. Wolfgang Merkle

Personal profile

Position at the ZHAW

Research Associate

www.zhaw.ch/de/lsfm/institute-zentren/icbt/umweltbiotechnologie/

Expertise and research interests

Micobial conversion, biogas, two-phase/-stage anaerobic digestion, biological methanation, pressure fermentation, methanbased fuels, biological-electrical systems

Educational background

2013-2017 PhD at the State Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, University of Hohenheim, Topic: "Two-stage high pressure anaerobic digestion for biomethane production“
2011–2013 Master programme "Biobased Products and Bioenergy" (University of Hohenheim)
2007–2011 Bachelor programme "Biobased Products and Bioenergy" (University of Hohenheim)

Professional milestones

2017-2019 Post-Doc at the State Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy, University of Hohenheim

Projects

• Anaerobe Pilze und Produktivität von Kleinbiogasanlagen / Team member / Project ongoing
• PURAMMON – Renewable Nitrogen-Mineral Fertiliser from Slurry / Team member / Project ongoing
• Valorisation of industrial residues for a sustainable industry (VARESI) / Deputy project leader / Project ongoing
• CarboPHOS – Phosphorous recovery through hydrothermal carbonisation of sewage sludge / Project leader / Project ongoing
• Pyrolyse von mit Kunststoff verunreinigtem Holz aus der Grüngutsammlung / Deputy project leader / Project completed
• CarbonVALUE / Project leader / Project completed
• CarbonATE - microbiological methanation / Project leader / Project completed
• HYKOM – Combination of Hygienisation and Hydrolysis as Pretreatment steps for liquid Substrates prior to Anaerobic Digestion. / Team member / Project completed

Publications

• Holl, Elena; Steinbrenner, Jörg; Merkle, Wolfgang; Krümpel, Johannes; Lansing, Stephanie; Baier, Urs; Oechsner, Hans; Lemmer, Andreas,

  2022.

  Two-stage anaerobic digestion : state of technology and perspective roles in future energy systems.

  Bioresource Technology.

  360(127633).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127633

• Zhou, Lijun; Hülsemann, Benedikt; Cui, Zhiyang; Merkle, Wolfgang; Sponagel, Christian; Zhou, Yuguang; Guo, Jianbin; Dong, Renjie; Müller, Joachim; Oechsner, Hans,

  2021.

  Operating performance of full-scale agricultural biogas plants in Germany and China : results of a year-round monitoring program.

  Applied Sciences.

  11(3), pp. 1271.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031271

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

Li, B., Dinkler, K., Zhao, N., Sobhi, M., Merkle, W., Liu, S., Dong, R., Oechsner, H., Guo, J. (2020). Influence of anaerobic digestion on the labile phosphorus in pig, chicken and dairy manure. Science of The Total Environment 737, 140234. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140234

Hülsemann, B., Zhou, L., Merkle, W., Hassa, J., Müller, J., Oechsner, H. (2020). Biomethane Potential Test: Influence of Inoculum and the Digestion System. Appl. Sci., 10, 2589. doi.org/10.3390/app10072589 .

Zhou, L., Hülsemann, B., Merkle, W., Guo, J., Dong, R., Piepho, H.-P., Gerhards, R., Müller, J., Oechsner, H. (2020). Influence of Anaerobic Digestion Processes on the Germination of Weed Seeds. Gesunde Pflanzen. doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00500-y

Ravi, P., Oskina, A., Merkle, W., Schilling, T., Hölzle, L. E., Lemmer, A. (2019). Utilization of process liquids with high organic loads in bioelectrochemical systems: Organic degradation rates & current densities. Bioresource Technology Reports 9, 100356. doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2019.100356

Ravi, P., Merkle, W., Tuczinski, M., Saravia, F., Horn, H., Lemmer, A. (2019). Integration of membrane filtration in two-stage anaerobic digestion system: Specific methane yield potentials of hydrolysate and permeate. Bioresource Technology 275, pp 138-144. doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.12.043

Bär, K., Merkle, W., Tuczinski, M., Saravia, F., Horn, H., Ortloff, F., Graf, F., Lemmer, A., Kolb, T. (2018). Development of an innovative two-stage fermentation process for high-calorific biogas at elevated pressure. Biomass and Bioenergy 115, pp. 186-194. doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.04.009

Merkle, W., Baer, K., Lindner, J., Zielonka, S., Ortloff, F., Graf, F., Kolb, T., Jungbluth, T., Lemmer, A. (2017). Influence of pressures up to 50 bar on two-stage anaerobic digestion. Bioresource Technology 232, pp 72-78. doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2017.02.013

Lemmer, A., Merkle, W., Baer, K., Graf, F. (2017). Effects of high-pressure anaerobic digestion up to 30 bar on production kinetics, specific methane yield and pH-value. Energy 138, pp. 659-667. doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2017.07.095

Merkle, W., Baer, K., Haag, N.L., Zielonka, S., Ortloff, F., Graf, F., Lemmer, A. (2017). High-pressure anaerobic digestion up to 100 bar: influence of initial pressure on production kinetics and specific methane yields. Environmental Technology 38, pp. 337-344. doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2016.1192691

Haag, N.L., Grumaz, C., Wiese, F., Kirstahler, P., Merkle, W., Nägele, H.-J., Sohn, K., Jungbluth, T., Oechsner, H. (2015) Advanced green biorefining: effects of ensiling treatments on lactic acid production, microbial activity and supplementary methane formation of grass and rye. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 6, pp. 197-208. doi.org/10.1007/s13399-015-0178-2

Naegele, H.-J., Lindner, J., Merkle, W., Lemmer, A., Jungbluth, T., Bogenrieder, C. (2013). Effects of temperature, pH and O2 on the removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas by external biological desulfurization in a full scale fixed-bed trickling bioreactor (FBTB). International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering 6, pp. 69–81. doi.org/10.3965/j.ijabe.20130601.007

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