Brief portrait of researchers involved and contact details
Research Focus
Research at the Institute for Reactive Flows and Measurement (RSM) focuses on chemically reactive flows with relevance for mobility, energy conversion and process engineering applications. Our goal here is to increase the efficiency of technical systems while minimizing pollutant emissions.
To achieve these goals, we use advanced optical measurement methods to gain a detailed understanding of the underlying physicochemical processes involved in transport, chemical conversion, and multiphase phenomena. Our experimental data contribute to a better understanding of the underlying processes. In cooperation with numerous research institutes, mathematical models describing chemically reactive flows are improved and meaningful data sets are obtained, which are used to validate numerical simulations.
For the usage of hydrogen as an energy carrier thermochemical conversion in combustion engines and gas turbines is investigated. We are also looking into electrolysis for the production of hydrogen and the use of alternative energy carriers such as ammonia, e-fuels or iron, which offer potential for efficient storage and transport of hydrogen.
Contact
Institute for Reactive Flow and Diagnostics
Departement of Mechanical Engineering
dreizler@rsm.tu-…
Research focus
Research at the EST comprises several areas of energy technology and production of hydrogen or other basic chemicals or synthetic fuels. The focus is on the development, optimization and scale-up of several energy supply processes as well as the development of measurement technology for the quantitative assessment of theses processes.
Sustainable energy supply is defined by a targeted decarbonisation and emission reduction in the energy sector as well as improved availability and cost effectiveness of the processes in use.
To reach these goals, research at the EST is structured into the three areas “Gasification & Innovative Energy Conversion Crocesses”, “CO2 Capture”, and “Power Plant and Fluidized Bed Technology”.
Methods
The methods include numerical approaches, such as process simulations and CFD, as well as experimental investigations. One highlight is our unique 1 MWth pilot plant that has been used for the investigation of various processes under industrial conditions.
Contact
Institute for Energy Systems and Technology
Department of Mechanical Engineering
bernd.epple@est.tu-…
Research focus
In the etzoldlab the challenges arising with the needed global energy change and future sustainable feedstock supply for chemical industry are the major research guideline. From the perspective of chemical engineering, a multidisciplinary approach is employed to provide scientific solutions for these challenges, especially for the complex interplay of catalytic materials within a full process or device. In the scientific approach, generic experiments play a dominant role. They allow controlling process conditions from highly idealized towards technically realistic and are combined with diagnostics providing in-situ information. Chemical reaction engineering simulations complement the experiments, giving especially insights into complex mass transfer phenomena and, therefore making a more holistic picture possible. As a future sustainable energy and chemical industry will need a concerted interaction of electrochemical and classical heterogeneous catalyzed processes both are studied. Based on this strategy, the research of the etzoldlab can be divided in three strongly interacting sub-groups: Advanced Catalytic Materials – Electrochemical Energy Conversion Processes – Heterogeneous Catalysis and Processes.
Contact
Research focus:
The mission of the Institute Surface Science at the TU Darmstadt is to improve the fundamental understanding of chemical and physical processes and their dynamics at interfaces and surfaces of materials for energy conversion and storage.
The group uses sophisticated methods of surface analysis with the aim to measure interfaces with high temporal and spatial resolution and chemical specificity. The aim is to better understand chemical processes of charge and mass transfer.
We operate integrated UHV systems combining several methods, such as photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, UPS), scanning probe microscopy (STM, AFM), vibrational spectroscopy (TFIR, HREELS) and electron diffraction with the preparation of thin film model systems. Besides investigation under well-defined conditions we also measure samples under realistic operating conditions (in situ/in operando) with modern synchrotron spectroscopy and diffraction techniques.
Contact
Department of Materials and Earth Sciences
hofmann@surface.tu-…
Research Focus
We focus on the development of ideal precious metal free catalysts for energy applications, such as low-temperature fuel cell, photolysis of water or metal oxygen batteries. Besides the development of catalysts, we work on the structure determination, to draw conclusions from structure-property relationships for the optimization. Our main field is the group of M-N-C catalysts which achieve very good fuel cell characteristics with very low metal contents.
Contact
Research group: Catalysts and Electrocatalysts
kramm@ese.tu-…
Research focus
- Expertise in thermal, electrochemical and photochemical nitrogen activation, water oxidation and oxygen reduction
- Hydrogen storage in secondary materials, such as ammonia and hydrocarbons
- Prediction of catalyst properties through computational chemistry and theoretical spectroscopy
- Calculation of thermodynamic and kinetic profiles of catalysts, including targeted optimization
- Computational chemistry and quantum chemistry with single- and multi-reference methods; prediction and analysis of electronic structures in transition metal compounds
Contact
Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry
krewald@chemie.tu-…
Research Focus
The Computational Multiphase Flow group develops simulation methods for the computer-aided prediction of transport processes in multiphase flows. By means of detailed simulations the group is seeking to understand fundamental properties of multiphase systems. For this, high-fidelity simulation methods for the computer-aided prediction of the involved transport processes are developed. The scientific focus is on the open-source C++ library OpenFOAM for computational continuum physics and multiphysics, where the group is concerned with methods particularly suited for scale-bridging and/or coupled processes at interfaces. The overarching goal is to enable simulations of systems with realistic material properties and under real operating conditions – going beyond Computational Fluid Dynamics.
H2 related Reserach Topics
- Water transport in low temperature PEM fuel cells
- Bubble detachment at electrodes in electrolyzers
Methods
- Sharp & diffuse interface capturing methods
- Moving mesh interface tracking methods
- Fluid solid interaction
- Adaptive and hybrid approaches
Contact
holger.marschall@tu-…
Research Focus
The Computational Multiphase Flow group develops simulation methods for the computer-aided prediction of transport processes in multiphase flows. By means of detailed simulations the group is seeking to understand fundamental properties of multiphase systems. For this, high-fidelity simulation methods for the computer-aided prediction of the involved transport processes are developed. The scientific focus is on the open-source C++ library OpenFOAM for computational continuum physics and multiphysics, where the group is concerned with methods particularly suited for scale-bridging and/or coupled processes at interfaces. The overarching goal is to enable simulations of systems with realistic material properties and under real operating conditions – going beyond Computational Fluid Dynamics.
H2 related Reserach Topics
- Water transport in low temperature PEM fuel cells
- Bubble detachment at electrodes in electrolyzers
Methods
- Sharp & diffuse interface capturing methods
- Moving mesh interface tracking methods
- Fluid solid interaction
- Adaptive and hybrid approaches
Contact
holger.marschall@tu-…
Research Focus
- Functional nanomaterials
- Gas adsorption and purification
- Carbon nanomaterials for adsorption and catalysis
- Materials synthesis
- Porous materials as adsorbents
- Iron based catalysts
Research
- Electrochemistry methods
- Adsorptivity techniques
- Gas sensing techniques
Contact
Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie
joerg.schneider@tu-…
Research Focus
The research interests of the group Materials and Resources are advanced synthesis techniques including microwave-heated, plasma-based, and soft chemistry methods as well as the development of (self-)regenerative properties of the materials during dynamic energy conversion processes. The in-house designed energy conversion materials cover the fields of thermoelectrics, power-to-X, and photo(electro)catalysis.
Contact
Department of Materials and Earth Sciences
Anke.weidenkaff@mr.tu-…
Research Focus
- High-throughput design of tandem photovoltaic materials integrated in artificial photosynthesis devices
- Machine learning modelling of the crystalline environments and x-ray absorption spectroscopy for operando electro-/photo-catalysis
- Engineering of magnetocaloric materials for hydrogen liquefaction
- CALPHAD modelling of the high-temperature Fe-O phase diagrams
- Designing two-dimensional electro-catalytic materials for water splitting
Contact
Department of Material Science
hongbin.zhang@tu-…
