Energy Technologies

Energy Technologies

A sustainable material and energy base is a prerequisite of all industries. Modern process engineering is the engineering discipline that provides new energy sources, processes, manufacturing processes, and apparatus for sustainable energy and feedstock supply – from global scale to atomic scale exploration. The Department of Chemical and Bioengineering (CBI) forms an innovative core of FAU and is a national and international leader in research in sustainable energy processes and hydrogen technology. The transformation of existing energy systems for the substitution of fossil by renewable resources is the focus of the department’s research and teaching. Research is conducted, among other things, on technologies for sector coupling and the supply of all energy consumers in industry, households and the transport sector with energy from renewable sources.

Methods

With 14 working groups active in the field of energy processes, the department is broadly positioned in the processes of energy technology and has an extensive range of methods at its disposal to meet the challenges of the transformation to a sustainable energy economy – from new theoretical approaches to laboratory facilities and pilot plant scale. Special focus areas include:

  • Hydrogen technology, electrochemical processes based on new energy-carrying materials (LOHC), such as innovative fuel cells, electrolysis, electrochemical process technology, and combustion processes with sustainable energy carriers.
  • Optical measurement methods in process engineering, high-throughput analysis methods and molecular dynamic simulations
  • Reactor development for emission-free energy conversion
  • Biocatalytic e-fuel syntheses and power generation
  • Modern simulation methods for efficient prediction of turbulent flows, including high-performance computing, advanced modelling, postprocessing strategies and detailed experimental validation.
  • Development of integrated system solutions and market models using machine learning, regional cooling and heating networks
  • CFD simulations and cycle calculations on methanation processes, ash melting behavior, kinetics of biological conversions, pyrolysis and gasification processes
  • Integration of innovative storage technologies for power and heat generation for decentralized combined heat and power (CHP) up to large boiler plants and power plant technologies

Highlights

  • Close cooperation with the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energies HI ERN with topics LOHC, hydrogen
  • Initiative and leadership to the excellence research cluster New Materials and Processes (EAM) with involvement of numerous CBI colleagues
  • Close cooperation with regional, national and international industry, e.g. ‘Campus Future Driveline’ at MAN Truck & Bus, Nuremberg
  • Close connection of energy research topics to the study programs of the Department of Sustainable Chemical Technologies (CEN), Energy Technology (ET), Chemical and Bioengineering (CBI), Life Science Engineering (LSE)
  • Internationalization with the all-English Clean Energy Processes (CEP) degree program
  • Strong outreach activities: Learning Lab Technikland, Mobile Digitalization Workshop Erlangen, DEIN MINT, Student Team Competition Vision ING 21