• Preparation machinery and environmental engineering, e.g.:
• Process and machinery engineering studies
• Construction methodology and computational methods:
  • Providing tools for the systematic design of machinery and equipment for preparation technology and environmental protection (construction methodology, neural networks, CAD, FEM, CFD, DEM, etc..)
• Agglomeration technology, e.g.:
  • Conceptual design and optimization of agglomeration methods for organic and inorganic raw materials
  • Development of alternative binders for agglomeration of bulk products
• Processing of renewable raw materials, e.g..E.g.:
  • combination of basic process engineering operations for processing of renewable raw materials with highest refining effect
• recycling, e.g.:
  • grinding of non-brittle waste and renewable raw materials to achieve defined granulometric product properties
  • selective comminution of waste mixtures
• mineralogy, e.g..E.g.
  • Investigations on the crushability of mineral materials

Institute of Processing Machinery and Recycling Systems Engineering

• Regional virtual power plant based on mini- and micro-CHP technology
• Monitoring and efficient control of small energy plants
• Automation of decentralized energy systems
• CO2 data acquisition and monitoring system
• Model and control system for diffusion experiments in metallic melts
• Automation of digital printing lines
• . and monitoring system
• automation of diffusion experiments in metallic melts
• automation of digital printing lines
• modeling and control of high-temperature processes in multi-zone furnaces
• Internet-based monitoring and control of automation-related processes

Institute of Automation Engineering

• Drivetrain electrification, e.g.:
  • Investigation of possible e-machine concepts for hybrid and electric vehicles
  • Design of drive cycle-optimized drives of high power density
• Control of electric drives using observers, e.g..E.g.:
  • Development of robust observers for non-measurable quantities
  • Minimizing dynamic stress in the mechanical drive train
• Mathematical modeling and digital simulation of asynchronous and synchronous machines, e.g..E.g.:
  • Further development of mathematical machine models
  • Software development
• Identification of parameters of asynchronous and synchronous machines, e.g.:
  • Procedures for both standstill and FOR controlled operation
  • Avoidance of differentiation of state variables by application of MOD functions

Institute of Electrical Engineering

• at the Chair of Energy Process Engineering and Thermal Residue Treatment: efficient and environmentally compatible thermochemical upgrading processes (gasification, pyrolysis, coking, etc.) of energy carriers, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, biomass and waste materials
• at the Chair of Reaction Engineering: reaction engineering of homogeneous and heterogeneous processes, optimization of existing and development of new processes in petroleum processing and petrochemistry, production of biofuels and synthetic fuels
• at the Chair of Numerical Thermofluid Dynamics: Modeling and simulation of reactive flows and high-temperature processes, linking basic and applied research: from detailed flame structures to simulation of engineered reactors

Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering

• Basic and Applied Research on Glass Technology
• Optimization of Batch Technology
• Modeling of Glass Technology Processes
• Glass Recycling and Utilization of Residual Materials
• Refinement of Vitreous Surfaces
• Emails and Enamel Technology
• New Methods of Thermal and Chemical Hardening
• New Measurement Methods for Process Monitoring
• Glass Fiber Technology
• Fiber Reinforced Building Materials
• Foam Glass Technology

Institute for Glass and Glass Technology

Ceramics, refractory and metal-ceramic composites

• Thermal shock and corrosion resistant ceramic materials for high temperature applications in metallurgy, cement, glass and lime industries
• coarse-grained refractory composites of refractory metal and refractory ceramics
• metal-ceramic composites for wear applications
• porous ceramics for high-temperature applications
• alkali-corrosion resistant thermal insulation materials for the gasifier and cement industries
• ceramic process engineering (slip casting, pressure slip casting, press forming, pulsating CIP, extrusion, flame spraying, shotcreting, additive manufacturing)
• Material and component testing for room- as well as high-temperature applications
• energy-saving ceramic technology
• Development of self-healing materials and refractory products with extended service life
• Development of inorganic non-metallic materials with reduced emission output during manufacturing and application

Building Chemistry and Composites

• Ternary Binders - Dry Mortar Technology: Development and characterization of specialty and high performance mortars
• Sustainable binders: interaction and suitability of secondary additives (SCM- Secondary Cementitious Materials) and novel material systems such as CSA cement, geopolymers etc.
• Self-compacting concrete: Mix design and characterization of the influences of admixtures, additives and mixing regimes
• Durability (freeze-thaw resistance and sulfate resistance) of concrete and mortar
• Manufacture and characterization of Portland and aluminous cements
• Characterization of structure and hydration of LCC, ULCC and spinel concretes including the development of practical compositions for refractory concretes
• Characterization and optimization of rheological properties of technical concentrated suspensions (pastes and mortars)
• Early shrinkage behavior: Fundamental topics on the mechanisms of plastic, autogenous, and drying shrinkage, and adjustment of shrinkage of the corresponding mortar systems
• Fundamental research on microstructure development with calorimetry, quantitative XRD, N2 and H2O sorption, porosimetry, and ultrasound

IInstitute of Ceramics, Refractories, and Composites

Professorship of Machine Elements, ex.:

• Design and experimental investigation of tribologically loaded machine elements (seals, bearings, brake pads)
• Experimental investigation and modeling of tire-road contact
• Determination of contact pressure, deformation, friction, -heating
• Lifetime design of machine elements
• Determination of operational strength of machines and equipment
• Predesign of components of the front car structure
• Component tests on the crash test rig

Professorship Additive Manufacturing, e. g. B.:

• holistic optimization of the additive manufacturing process chain, manufacturing planning
• investigation and development of innovative manufacturing processes with a focus on additive processes
• investigation and development of novel materials for additive manufacturing with a focus on renewable resp. biobased feedstocks as well as residual materials
• Design of additive manufacturing processes and machines
• Surface smoothing of complex metallic components by means of plasma electrolytic polishing
• Design for additive manufacturing

Institute of Machine Elements, Design and Manufacturing

Institute of Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics

Research at the Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering and Processing Technology covers the entire field of mechanical process engineering with a focus on particle technology and the processing of mineral as well as secondary raw materials. A special focus is on particle systems and particle-particle interactions in non-aqueous liquids (organic solvents).
Through the detailed study of the interactions between individual particles, in particle collectives as well as of particles with the surrounding medium, it is possible to describe the process laws of a large number of basic operations in mechanical process engineering - e.g. filtration and washing, sorting and classifying, grinding, dispersing and agglomerating. Based on this, concrete developments in the areas of particle-filled composite materials and preparation processes are advanced.
All work has the technical application and implementation in mind, i.e., the apparatus technology of mechanical process engineering.

Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering and Preparation Technology

Thermal Process Engineering Working Group, e.g.

• Reactive absorption and rectification
• Substance transport models, membrane contactors with dense membranes
• Modeling systematics for pervaporation processes
• Analysis and optimization of complex downstreaming processes
• Trickle film flows on smooth and structured surfaces

Environmental and Biochemical Engineering Working Group, e.g..E.g.

• Acid mine drainage
• Pollutant removal by AOP's
• Natural product and coal extraction
• Forward osmosis for water desalination and separation of pollutants
• Old tire thermolysis by induction, treatment of thermolysis gas and oils

Working group on agglomeration technology and natural product process engineering, e.g..E.g.

• Refining lignite, -xylite, and crop residues into composite pellets
• Moist pelletizing processes for refining high-wear products
• Granulation processes for soft lignites
• Lignite and biocoals as soil improvers
• Fuel input systems for pressurized gasification systems

Institute of Thermal Process Engineering, Environmental and Natural Materials Process Engineering

Professorship of Technical Thermodynamics, e.g..

• Determination of thermophysical material data
• Numerical simulation in the design phase of self-developed apparatus
• Experimental determination of heat transfer coefficients
• Visualization of flows
• Geothermics
• Flow with coupled transport processes
• Flow with free surfaces (film flows)

Professorship for gas- and thermal engineering systems, z.B.:

• Cause and prevention of recuperator and regenerative burner degradation by deposits
• Optimization of gas-fired aluminum smelting furnaces by investigation for burnup minimization and heat recovery as well as fluidic and thermal simulation
• Dynamics of catalytic pollutant reduction for emission-optimized realization of diesel engine CO2 potentials
• Combustion characteristics and their impact on catalytic pollutant reduction of biogenic liquid energy sources
• CO2 reduction by innovative carburetor design

Institute of Thermal Engineering and Thermodynamics