Thermal Process Engineering
Major research interests
My group has pioneered in Germany the development of pore network models to simulate drying, wetting and other processes, and is presently further enforcing this activity. In the IMPRS, we specifically aim at pore network modeling of the anode porous transport layer of water electrolysers. Transport and distribution of water in conjunction with the oppositely occurring transport of oxygen in the anodic porous transport layer (PTL) restrain crucially the performance of water electrolysers. To remove such limitations pore network models of the PTL will be developed. Pore networks will first be generated (based on 3D X-ray µ-CT data) and validated for real materials. Then, systematic pore network simulations will be conducted to track modifications of the internal structure that would be beneficial for performance. Validation experiments will be provided by a joint PhD project. Discrete simulation results that can be used for deriving effective transport parameters for continuum modelling will be delivered to it.
Current Phd Students in the IMPRS program
