Information regarding courses at the d|b|t|a in the upcoming semester

Dear students,

d|b|t|a announces its lectures for the upcoming (online) winter term!

• Prozess- und Anlagendynamik/Proces modeling (Videos + Live online Q&A Sessions)
• Process Simulation (Lecture Videos + Live online Exercises)
• Thermische Grundoperationen (Videos + Live online Q&A Sessions)
• Process Systems Engineering (Live online Sessions)
• Matlab PAD (Lecture Videos + Live online Sessions)
• Computergestützte Anlagenplanung (Live Sessions at University + Exercise videos + Live online Q&A session)
• Lab Prozess- und Anlagendynamik (in presence at university)
• Lab Thermische Grundoperationen (in presence at university)

ISIS courses are going online now. More information on d|t|b|a's teaching activities here.

The d|b|t|a warmly invites all female students to the upcoming first digital “Women in Chemical Engineering Day” on the 25th of January 2021. We offer an interactive one-day event to get to know the research and employees of the d|b|t|a. Furthermore, you get the chance to talk to former alumnae and external guests from the industry. We would like to create an easy-going atmosphere to network and give you an insight into different career paths. In addition, there will be a workshop held by an experienced trainer to encourage an engaging discussion about self-empowerment and women in engineering. The event will be held in English. For more information and registration please contact us at: wce@dbta.tu-berlin.de (number of participants is limited to 20 - The event is already fully booked. You can still request a place on the waiting list).

On November 20, Dr.-Ing. Katja Meschke successfully defended her PhD-thesis with the topic "Selective separation of the strategic elements germanium and rhenium from multicomponent leaching solutions by nanofiltration". The d|b|t|a sincerely congratulates and wishes all the best for her future.

D|b|t|a's team successfully conducted a long-term operation over 200 hours of its mini-plant connected to the collaborative research centre TR 63 "Integrated processes in liquid multiphase systems InPROMPT". The objective was to realize the reductive amination of undecanal together with diethylamine based on first promising lab-scale results. This reaction was conducted as a homogeneous catalysis within a novel surfactant-based multiphase reaction system - so called microemulsions. These highly efficient reaction media and connected properties of switchable phase behavior applicable for efficient separation processes are important contributions onwards Green Chemical Processes and Green Chemistry.

During the plant operation, a steady-state continuous operation was obtained and maintained for over 120 hours together with high product yield and product selectivity of the reaction. In this case, the reaction was even outperforming benchmark kinetics obtained from the lab. The complex phase separation for recycling catalyst, surfactant, and further additives was consequently stabilized and controlled, yielding three liquid phases.

This successful early-stage proof of concept was obtained by applying tailored methods for system analysis, process design, and operation developed within InPROMPT. It proves, that even such complex reaction and phase systems can be handled and successfully realized after short process development time frames.

We gratefully thank all d|b|t|a staff and our partners. Without their efforts and prudence regarding the SARS-CoV2-Situation such a long-term plant operation would not be possible!

Contact: markus.illner@tu-berlin.de

On October 23, Dr.-Ing. Robert Wilhelm successfully defended his PhD-thesis with the topic "Prozessentwicklung und Methodische Versuchsplanung zur Charakterisierung neuartiger Lösungsmittel für die CO₂-Absorption". The d|b|t|a sincerely congratulates and wishes all the best for his future.

We are very happy to anounce that Mrs. Khalimendyk will take over the lead of our secretariat and will represent Mrs. Szapanski in the near future. Welcome at the d|b|t|a!

On July 3rd, Dr.-Ing. Stephan Holz successfully defended his PhD-thesis with the topic "Experimentelle und theoretische Analyse von nass-oxidativen Gasentschwefelungsverfahren". The d|b|t|a sincerely congratulates and wishes all the best for his future.

We are happy to release version 3.0.1 of MOSAICmodeling. With this version, we have made some major architectural changes. Most importantly we have now switched to the next long-term support version of Java. The respective runtime environment JRE 11 is now directly included in MOSAICmodeling and does not need to be installed separately anymore.

The installer for the new version, which can be found here: Downloads

For further information, please refer to our post on www.mosaic-modeling.de

On May 7th, Dr.-Ing. Markus Illner successfully defended his PhD-thesis with the topic "Rigorous Analysis of Reactive Microemulsion Systems for Process Design and Operation". For the first time at our department, the defense took place in a digital online meeting room. We congratulate Markus for his achievements and wish him all the best for the future.

We proudly announce that thanks to Prof. Repke’s nomination, Prof. Lorenz T. Biegler of Carnegie Mellon University received the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award. Prof. Biegler is an international expert on nonlinear optimisation and long-term friend of our research group. Parts of the award are earmarked for an extended stay with us. More details will certainly be published as soon as the COVID-19 is contained.

Prof. Biegler is most well-known for the nonlinear optimization solver IPOPT, his work on dynamic optimization including moving-horizon state estimation and nonlinear model-predictive control. The whole d|b|t|a congratulates him cordially. More information on Prof. Biegler’s work can be found here: http://numero.cheme.cmu.edu/

Although TU Berlin's buildings might be closed, the d|b|t|a is still very much at work. Greetings to all of you from our offices at home! Stay safe, d|b|t|a.