CHAIR OF

THERMAL PROCESS ENGINEERING

PhD openings in IMPRS

In the new International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) titled Systems and Process Engineering for a Sustainable Chemical Production (SysProSus), see https://www.mpi-magdeburg.mpg.de/imprs , there will be opportunities for PhD theses supervised by Prof. Tsotsas and Dr. Vorhauer. Excellent candidates from any place in the world are encouraged to apply. The First Call for applications will be released in January 2025. There will be a common selection process for all PhD candidates in the school. Topics from our group are as follows:

Cofluidization of particles of different sizes and shapes: In the production of chemical building blocks by pyrolysis of recycling polymers and biomasses, completely different particles (e.g., polymer/biomass, sand, catalyst, indirect heating particles) often need to be simultaneously fluidized. Respective dynamics of mixing/segregation shall be investigated computationally (computational fluid dynamics, CFD), by experiments in flat, 2D equipment (accompanied by particle tracking), and by experiments in 3D fluidized beds. Induction heating by means of hollow metallic particles of adjustable size and density will be an aspect.

Biofilm reactors for the conversion of plastic waste: Conversion of plastic waste into valuable intermediates or recycling into more sustainable, i.e. biodegradable, products requires development of novel energy efficient technologies. A possible route could be biological conversion using micro-organisms, provided that competitive reactor concepts can be developed. Such a development requires a strong fundamental scientific base, for which we aim at powerful mathematical models (e.g. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4966212). In the frame of IMPRS SysProSus we are looking for an outstanding PhD candidate interested in mathematical modeling.