The supply of clean drinking water for a growing world population at low environmental impact is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Thus one major research field addresses an increase in the efficiency of seawater desalination systems and their transient energy supply from renewable, mainly solar, sources. The scientific approach taken uses knowledge from the areas of multiphase and heat and mass transfer phenomena, as well as supply and process engineering. Water and renewable energies are also import topics in our teaching and we organise the bi-annual student competition "TUM Providing Water for the World".
Completed Projects
- Application of PV/T Hybrid Solar Collectors in Desalination (PV/T)
- AQUACube – Small Scale Humidification/Dehumidification-Plant for Solar Seawater Desalination (HD)
- Humidification-Dehumidification based concentration of liquid residues from a biogas plant
- Reverse Osmosis (RO) Desalination Powered by Transient Hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) Solar Systems (PV/T-RO)
- Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning by Means of Desalination Technology for Regeneration of Liquid Sorbents (SPACE)
- Unsteady Operation Strategies to Decrease Fouling in Membrane Processes