Institute for Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering

In the research groups Sustainable Production Technologies, Innovative Equipment and Plant Concepts, Fouling and Cleaning, and Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Processes fundamental studies as well as the conception and assessment of production processes and the design of optimized equipment are addressed. The research group Fouling and Cleaning investigates the formation of undesired deposition, preferably on heat transfer surfaces due to crystallization, reaction and biofilms. Among others, the application of modified surfaces and the improvement of cleaning processes using pulsed flows in the food industry are studied. In the research area Sustainable Production Technologies, processes are investigated from a conceptual and technological point of view with respect to their energy and resource efficiency. In addition, ecological aspects are evaluated. Research activities aim at the development and experimental proof of sustainable production processes. Methods for sustainability assessment are established or adapted to the process industries and implemented in an early stage of process design. Furthermore, Innovative Equipment and Plant Concepts are investigated, especially in the areas of heat transfer and separation processes. Experiments and simulations are used to apply new designs to expand operating ranges and reduce specific costs. The workgroup Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Processes explores the continuous operation of synthesis and production processes to enable higher and constant product quality.

Based on experimental investigations, mechanistic models are developed and implemented in simulations. Hereby, chemical reactions and separation processes are considered, especially for thermal and mechanical sensitive products. For these topics, fundamentals as well as the conception and assessment of production processes and the design of optimized equipment are addressed.