Published on December 03, 2024
Spotlight on the quick-change artists
What was often regarded as magic and sorcery in the past is now part of everyday life in modern process engineering. With the help of sophisticated recipes, reactions and processes, materials are produced, converted into different phase states, separated and purified. Many of the processes are now well understood and explainable, but the field of research is constantly changing and producing new methods, processes and materials. These are urgently needed in applications in order to meet global challenges in areas such as climate, mobility and recycling.
At the theme day “How process engineering is changing the world” by KIT Business Club on November 19, 2024, around 40 representatives from 16 companies were given an insight into the many different topics and laboratories from six KIT institutes and were able to get a clear picture of their research.
Liquid metals – enabling technology for decarbonization?
Prof. Thomas Wetzel from the Institute of Thermal Process Engineering (TVT) kicked off the afternoon with a presentation on the potential of liquid metals for the decarbonization of high-temperature processes. The high thermal conductivity and temperature stability of these materials allow them to be used as a heat transport medium and for heat storage at temperatures above 500 degrees Celsius and currently up to 1,200 degrees Celsius. This opens up new possibilities for waste heat utilization and the integration of fluctuating renewable energies. Processes in which liquid metals as a reaction medium enable the production of emission-free hydrogen from methane or even the decomposition of carbon dioxide (CO2) into solid carbon and oxygen go one step further. In addition to research into the processes themselves, the development of suitable components and measurement techniques (keyword: corrosion) as well as the identification of potential applications for the resulting carbon modifications are important issues on the way to widespread use.
Three parts for one whole
In his presentation, Prof. Daniel Banuti addressed the triad of topics for a future with renewable energies at his Institute for Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES): Heat - Hydrogen - Resilience. The institute has many years of experience in all three areas, be it in H2 safety, the operation of H2-powered vehicles and the utilization of process heat or geothermal energy. The decisive factor, however, is the consideration of a resilient overall system. “Heat is Half!”, as Prof. Daniel Banuti emphasized. Heat accounts for around half of our energy requirements and the challenges in this sector are huge.
In his lecture, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wetzel presented how liquid metals can be used for waste heat recovery and the integration of fluctuating renewable energies. (Image: KIT)
At the “Process Engineering” theme day of the KIT Business Club, the wide range of topics covered by the specialist presentations met with lively interest from industry guests. (Image: KIT)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Banuti from the Institute for Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES) reported on how hydrogen can be integrated into a CO2-neutral energy model. (Image: KIT)
Invisible forces of attraction
Transferring forces without contact, without interaction with media and in adjustable strengths – what sounds like the dream of every process engineer at first glance only works in practical application with good ideas. In his presentation, Prof. Matthias Franzreb from the Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG) revealed some of the magic tricks he uses to successfully apply magnet-based processes, be it in the purification of media or the purification and extraction of biomolecules or cells. His latest application, magnetic chromatography, also promises great potential, for example in the recovery of coveted rare-earth metals.
On the trail of the hidden elves
Many of the most important artists in bioprocess engineering – fungi, algae, bacteria – are very reluctant to reveal their skills, their favorite working conditions or even their existence. Prof. Alexander Grünberger from the Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences (BLT) relies on microfluidic methods to search more efficiently for needles in the huge haystack of microorganisms and also uses physical “special effects” in this scale range, such as laminar flows. Accelerating the gain in knowledge about this technology holds great potential for the development of new bioprocesses or perhaps even for on-site/on-demand bioreactors of the future.
The magic of zeros and ones
Better simulations and digital methods will accompany and accelerate innovation and transformation in process engineering, emphasized Prof. Gregor Wehinger from the Institute of Chemical Process Engineering (CVT) in his presentation. The digital twin as a flexible and cost-effective doppelganger is not only the goal, but also necessary for an efficient and integrated design of complex processes consisting of chemical reactions, transport processes, heat management and other framework conditions. Last but not least, illustrative models in the form of virtual or augmented reality representations also play a major role in modern teaching.
The importance of digitalization in the field of chemistry and process engineering became clear once again during the concluding tour of the IFG and Prof. Stefan Bräse's Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems (IBCS): The consistent mapping of a reaction process in the data room, from the digital laboratory book to the automation of the laboratory and evaluation of the results to the provision of the data in repositories not only simplifies the process, it also enables the use of the most powerful general-purpose tool currently available: Artificial Intelligence.
Finalizing the exciting insights into research were complemented by the two spin-offs Catavis and Phabioc from KIT, which aim to gain a foothold on the market soon with new approaches to catalysis and analytics. All in all, it was an inspiring theme day on which many new as well as established KIT players were able to present themselves and once again the broad spectrum of research at KIT became clear. Between the presentations and during the guided tours, a lively exchange developed with a lot of networking between and among the representatives from business and science. It is these formats that provide the KIT Business Club with the appropriate framework for creating the opportunities and necessities for intensive cooperation between these representatives. This is also reflected in the feedback: curiosity and interest are transformed into knowledge and ideas on the theme day. We would like to thank all participants.
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