In research, we are active in the development of smart materials. In the field of additive manufacturing, we also work closely with the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies IAPT.

Our research focuses include:

• Smart materials and their applications
• Smart structures and their manufacture using AM
• Integration of added functionalities and sensors using AM

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) "SMART Reactors"! The Institute for Industrialization of Smart Materials is involved in sub-project C01 - "Integration of components into adaptive geometries", and deals with the research and additive manufacturing of self-regulating structures, among other things. The aim is to react to changing process conditions, such as temperature deviations, in such a way that the reaction is brought back to ideal process conditions. A close collaboration with the Fraunhofer IAPT is established for the Additive Manufacturing topics. Further information on the establishment of the CRC can be found in the press release.

The project 'Integration of components into adaptive geometries' aims to develop self-optimizing lattice structures for SMART reactors with integrated components for in situ detection and self-adjustment, fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM).

Periodic Open Cell Structures (POCS) are used in process engineering for controlling and optimizing heat- and mass transfer, mixing and other properties. Due to their complex and filigree shapes, AM is the production technology of choice for these structures, as it offers outstanding design freedom. Different structures such as strut-based POCS as well as Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) each have shown their specific advantages under different conditions. Thus, a fundamental understanding of the varying effects of such structures is required. The preliminary design of the lattice structures will be determined using Computational Fluid Dynamics, and the fabricated structures will be used for experiments to determine important process parameters like pressure drop, mixing performance, resistance time distributions, bubble size distributions, and mass transfer coefficients.

Based on that, the project aims at identifying ‘ideal’ structures for the exemplary biochemical and chemical hydrogenolysis reaction of glycerol to propanediol as well as for the exothermic neutralization reaction between NaOH and HCl. The figure gives a first impression of the variety of available structures.

Furthermore, the goal is to control reactions based on reactor conditions, such as temperature, pressure drop, or pH-value, and to develop and implement self-adaptive structures. Later, components for in situ detection and self-adjustment will be integrated into the structures to optimize the surface-to-volume ratio and enhance transport processes on all relevant scales.

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a high degree of design freedom compared to conventional manufacturing processes. However, this has not yet been fully exploited for the manufacture of high-quality products in the aviation and energy sectors. BRAVE therefore aims to create an integrated digital framework for optimizing the AM supply chain, and in particular to increase surface quality. On the German side, a camera-based sensor system is to be developed that allows in-situ roughness measurement during the AM process, particularly of internal areas that are difficult to access.

The BRAVE-TUHH sub-project comprises the design and production of test geometries for the roughness investigations, as well as the experimental determination of roughness-optimized process parameters.  Subsequently, components will be developed that enable the integration of the light field camera as a sensor in a PBF-LB/M system (powder bed-based melting of metals using a laser beam), as well as the commissioning and functional tests of the modified system. Comparative measurements are carried out to validate the new roughness sensor technology.

Project partner: Raytrix GmbH, Kiel

Associated project partner: Ampower GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg

Project funding: This Project is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag. Funding reference: KK5570402JO3.

Partners in the frame of the collaborative EUREKA Smart Project 'BRAVE':
Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg; RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB, Mölndal; Ringhals AB, Väröbacka; OKG AB, Simpewarp; Forsmark AB, Östhammar; Höganäs AB, Höganäs; AB Sandvik Coromant, Sandviken; Tribonex AB, Uppsala; GKN Aerospace Sweden AB, Trollhättan; Quintus Technologies AB, Västerås