Key Research Profile "Energy and Resource Engineering"

Energy and Resource Engineering

Relevant research activities

The increasing impact on limited fresh water resources compels us to go beyond the linear economic model in which we withdraw raw materials, produce and discharge. The goal must be the development towards a circular concept in which raw materials are recycled and contaminated resources are opened and re-used. For this reason, the chair of Mechanical Process Engineering / Water Technology is very active in the research field of "Circular Economy". The changeover to a circular economy also includes the protection of valuable water resources. At the same time, process optimization helps companies to reduce their consumption of limited resources and to balance constant growing needs. Therefore, the two other research fields process optimization and simulation and exploitation of contaminated water resources of this chair are important focus areas for the faculty.   

Projects and cooperation

Since 2016 the BMBF cooperation projects „Re-Salt“ and „Mabmem“ as well as the project “UF/PAK 4.0” funded by the LANUV are conducted. In 2017 starts the BMBF cooperation project UFO. The focus of the funded projects are the re-use of hyper-saline waste water for the electrolysis of chlorine (Re-Salt), the use of combined powder activated carbon/membranes as 4th cleaning stage (UF/PAK 4.0), the manufacturing of high performance membranes for water treatment (Mabmem) and the removal of oil contaminants from pre-treated waste waters originated from oil delivery (UFO). In addition to that, smaller projects are conducted with industrial partners e.g. BASF inge, Pall and different municipal utilities, in general for process optimization. 

Equipment

Particle Analyzer (Polarization Intensity Differential Scatter LS 13320, Coulter Counter M4e, Zeta Sizer ZS nano), Fluorescence Spectroscopy RF-6000, TOC-Analyzer TOC-L, Algae Lab Analyzer ALA, UV-vis Spectroscopy DR-5000, full automatic testing device for porous and dense membranes. A bench-scale rotary furnace is used for activation and reactivation of carbon-based adsorbents. 

Chosen activities in specialist groups and journals

  • IWA specialist group member “Particle separation”

  • DVGW-working committee „Water treatment processes“

  • ProcessNet specialist group member „Membrane technique“

  • Technical/Scientific working committee German Desalination (DME Deutsche Meerwasserentsalzung e.V

  • Guest Editor Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology – AQUA 2010, 59 (2-3)