PhD students of the Department of Engineering and Communication

Applied research has become indispensable in the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and technical journalism. In the following, we give a small insight into the variety of topics covered by the research work of our doctoral students and list by whom they are supervised at the H-BRS. Further links lead to research institutes, cooperation partners, publications, etc. (Selection, last update April 2024).

Michael Bareev-Rudy, TREE

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier that has received more attention in recent years. Through electrolysis, excess renewable energy can be converted into hydrogen, stored, converted back into electricity at a later time, or used in other energy sectors. Storage systems based on this principle can be implemented at different scales, ranging from self-sufficient energy supply for several houses, to stabilization of energy supply networks. PhD student Michael Bareev-Rudy is working on the meta-modeling of hydrogen-based hybrid storage systems to enable optimal sizing and control for different scenarios. 

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Gerd Steinebach

Mario Bedrunka, TREE
Currents and turbulences surround us every day: we see them pouring milk into coffee, in the smoke of an incense stick or feel them during a turbulent flight. Predicting these flows requires both mathematical descriptions and methods to solve these equations. Mario Bedrunka is researching Lattice Boltzmann methods for calculating these flows. In recent years, these methods have proven to be a mature tool for flow simulations and enable the efficient calculation of turbulence, which is always present in aerospace or electromobility. With the focus on turbulence in porous media, current issues such as hydrogen storage in chemical form can be analysed. Since 2019, Mario Bedrunka is scholarship holder of the research Institute TREE.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Reith

Alexander Busch, TREE
In his doctoral thesis at the EMT department and the TREE Institute, Alexander Busch is optimizing a process for manufacturing blow-molded hollow plastic bodies such as shampoo bottles and canisters. The aim is to use as little material as possible while maintaining sufficient stability. At the same time, the proportion of recycled materials is to be increased.
Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Dirk Reith

Samer Chaaraoui, IZNE
The Ghanaian health sector suffers from an unstable power supply, which is often compensated with diesel generators. However, in addition to the environmental and financial burden, this has also led to a health burden for sick people and residents. Renewable energy sources can help to ensure a clean and cost-effective energy supply, but they pose risks to the stability of the power supply. PhD student Samer Chaaraoui is researching model predictive controls for PV-diesel hybrid systems based on load and radiation predictions. Different prediction methods are investigated, ranging from simple statistical methods and numerical weather prediction models to the implementation of deep neural networks and artificial intelligence.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Meilinger

Dirk Grommes
Despite the search for alternatives, plastics have become an integral part of our daily lives. PhD student Dirk Grommes simulates the behavior of plastics at the molecular level. Computer-aided models can be used to predict properties of plastics that are difficult or impossible to determine experimentally. This makes it possible to better describe the complex behavior of plastics. On the other hand, on the basis of this knowledge, plastic products can be designed as resource-saving as possible.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Reith

Daniel Grotenburg, TREE

Not only people age, but also materials such as plastics. For example, blown plastic hollow bodies such as canisters or industrial tanks for storing different liquids decompose within their lifetime/use period. Due to the aging process of the plastics and the associated decomposition of the material, there is, among other things, a degradation of mechanical properties such as reduced tensile strength.

In cooperation with the industrial company RIKUTEC Germany in Altenkirchen, doctoral student Daniel Grotenburg is investigating the aging process of thermoplastics (HDPE) and the effect of various influences on this process. The focus of his work is on the one hand the simulation-based prediction of the service life of HDPE blow-molded products through a targeted calibration of existing material models and load definitions, and on the other hand the development of product test rigs for the representation and verification of real damage patterns. The test duration is to be significantly shortened by a targeted adaptation of test parameters.
Supervision: Olaf Bruch, Dirk Reith

Vivien Matheis
Women are still not proportianally represented in engineering degree courses. In order to address this problem that affects society as a whole, there is an urgent need for a research perspective that looks at the structures of engineering studies and their effects on female students. Vivien Matheis' doctoral project addresses this research gap and investigates existing mechanisms of exclusion for women in engineering studies. An intersectional perspective is adopted, which takes into account the diversity of women and the interaction of various categories of difference. Finally, inclusion strategies for universities are derived from the empirical research of exclusion mechanisms, which contribute to opening up engineering studies to female students.
Supervision: Prof. Dr. Susanne Keil

Patrick Michels, TREE
Extrusion blow molding is one of the most economical processes for the production of thin-walled plastic hollow bodies, such as bottles, canisters or fuel tanks. After production, shrinkage and distortion of the components occur due to cooling under the pressure of the mould. These undesired deviations from the ideal geometry are still a major problem for the blow molding industry. In cooperation with the Dr. Reinold Hagen Foundation, PhD student Patrick Michels is working on the simulative prediction of material shrinkage and the associated component distortion. The focus of the PhD project is the identification and calibration of a suitable material law for the description of the complex time-, temperature- and process-dependent material behavior of the polymer materials used. The improved models for shrinkage and warpage analysis will then be integrated into the standard CAE workflow of blow-molded plastic hollow parts.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Olaf Bruch

Patrycja Muc, IMEA
Architectural journalism is considered an untapped subject area in science. While there are already empirical studies on journalistic genres such as political, science and technology journalism, there is little knowledge about architectural journalism. In the context of society as a whole, architecture plays a no less important role than politics and business. This becomes clear in questions of urban planning and development, new housing concepts and public building projects. Doctoral student Patrycja Muc therefore examines in content analysis how German daily newspaper editorial offices report on architecture. In addition, guided expert interviews with architects and journalists will shed light on how both actors assess the relevance of architectural issues.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Andreas Schümchen

Juliane Orth
In our society, technology is still rather associated with masculinity. The image of a bearded man holding a heavy drill in his strong arms seems more familiar than that of a petite woman drilling a hole in a wall. The media also contribute to the spread of stereotypical gender images and anchor them in our minds. There have been hardly any studies on the relationship between visual technology communication and gender in Germany to date. In the first phase of her research, PhD student Juliane Orth therefore plans an analysis of current media images of people (in action) using technology. For this purpose, daily newspapers such as the FAZ as well as trade journals such as the Technology Review are to be examined under the magnifying glass. In a second step, the effect of existing and alternative media images will be evaluated by means of interviews with test persons.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Susanne Keil

Markus Rohde
In recent years, 3D cameras based on the time-of-flight method - also driven by the use in smartphones - have increasingly found their way into our everyday lives. The possible applications of this technology are immense, be it for automatic environment detection in the automotive sector, security and automation functions in robotics, tasks of automatic area monitoring, biometric problems or even the contactless control of technical devices. The aim of the research work of PhD student Markus Rohde is to expand the application areas of such 3D cameras. For example, the range for outdoor applications, which is currently limited to about 10 meters, is to be extended to more than 20 meters. For this purpose, innovative infrared laser illuminations are being developed and approaches to signal processing close to the sensor are being researched.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Robert Lange

Steffen Schedler, IZNE

The energy transition that Germany is striving for - away from fossil fuels and toward more renewable energies - requires more storage capacity. The fluctuating energy flows caused by changing weather conditions must be balanced by energy storage systems. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier for this purpose. It can help to create a seasonal balance of solar energy. Hydrogen can be produced from water by electrolysis using electricity from photovoltaics (PV). Hydrogen can then be stored in metals or pressurized gas storage tanks. If required, hydrogen is converted back into electricity by means of a fuel cell, releasing heat in the process. For the FlexHyX project, PhD student Steffen Schedler is developing scenarios for the system integration of such hydrogen storage in the Cologne region. He is investigating how much energy from rooftop PV systems on residential buildings can be temporarily stored and how these storage systems can be integrated into future electricity and hydrogen gas grids. For this purpose, different sources from public databases are combined and the influence of building sizes (single to multi-family houses) is investigated in simulation models.
Supervision: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Meilinger, Prof. Dr. Tanja Clees

Martin Schenk, TREE
Molecular simulations are used for biological questions, such as structural investigations of proteins or the development of medical agents, and for material science problems, such as the determination of thermodynamic material properties or investigations of interface structures. Molecular simulations are therefore always used when real experiments are too expensive, too dangerous or even impossible. In his research, doctoral student Martin Schenk validates and develops atomistic molecular models for the simulation of ionic liquids. His goal is to predict the solubility of gases and gas mixtures in these liquids.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Reith

Philipp Spelten, TREE
The expansion of wind turbines is essential for the energy transition. One challenge is the development of new blade geometries to reduce trailing edge noise. Philipp Spelten is researching numerical optimization methods to develop quieter geometries using Lattice-Boltzmann methods. He has been a scholarship holder of the House of Young Talents at the University of Siegen since 2023.
Supervision: Prof. Dr. Dirk Reith

Robin Strickstrock, TREE
The heart of doctoral student Robin Strickstrock beats in science for molecular computer simulations of hydrocarbons and the force fields required for this. Force fields have a very large influence on the simulation results and are the subject of Robin Strickstrocks' doctorate. The main focus of his research is the (further) development of an automated, algorithm-controlled optimization of the force field parameters, which enables computer simulations to reproduce or predict the properties of new substances at both molecular and macroscopic levels.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Reith

Aleksandra Vujadinovic, Rhine Ruhr Center for Science Communication Research

Within the framework of her research project 'Redesigning Reflexivity in Science Communication' of the Rhine Ruhr Center for Science Communication Research (RRC), Aleksandra Vujadinovic is concerned with what the humanities and social sciences understand by 'theory'. To this end, she examines concepts, ideas, and materialities that are grouped around this discourse and that characterize the corresponding research and publication culture to this day. In doing so, she also poses the question of how 'theory' is given form and takes shape in this way: as a paperback in the publication series of academic and popular publishers? As a theory podcast? Or possibly as a digitally implemented theory blog? With the extension to such popular-cultural media phenomena, the perspective of investigation is finally directed towards the symbolic content as well as the media aesthetics and media history of 'theory', which then not only has an effect within science, but can also find almost a mass distribution in other social systems - as a specific science-communicative practice. 

Supervision: Prof. Dr. Oliver Ruf