Using cancer drugs precisely, extending the service life of wind turbines and making electrical grids more stable: Young scientists at Hamburg University of Technology are working on these exciting topics. They have now been recognized for their achievements with the Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation's science awards for innovative solutions with prize money totalling 10,000 euros. This is the tenth time that the foundation has honored outstanding researchers at TU Hamburg.
Award winner Malte Hausig
Malte Hausig began his studies in civil and environmental engineering at the TU Hamburg in 2019 and completed his Bachelor's degree in 2023 with an excellent grade.His Master's degree is planned for 2025.His project investigates the fatigue of wind turbine tower structures that can be damaged by changing loads. Although they can withstand static loads, cyclic stress leads to material failure. Wind turbine towers, which are only designed for 20 years, therefore require improved fatigue resistance. Literature studies and calculations suggest a reduction in wall thickness from 72 mm to 43 mm, but this results in increased stress and requires high quality welding. The simulations show that a wall thickness of 50 mm with certain welding techniques offers an optimal balance between material efficiency and safety without the need for complex welding processes.
Award winner Jana Kamma
Jana Kamma specialized in wind energy during her master's degree in Renewable Energies (M.Sc.) and wrote her master's thesis on converters at the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering.Her master's thesis deals with the stability problems in electrical grids caused by the increasing use of converters, which are necessary for renewable energies such as wind and solar energy as well as battery storage systems.The fast dynamics of the converters can offer advantages in primary control as well as cause stability problems due to interactions with conventional plants and grid impedances.The thesis investigates the suitability of different modeling approaches, in particular phasor and EMT models, to represent and analyze stability effects.The results show that EMT models are most suitable for analyzing fast dynamics with a high share of renewable energies and thus enable a more precise stability analysis.
Award winner Daybith Venegas-Rojas
Dr. Daybith Venegas-Rojas is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Microsystems Engineering at Hamburg University of Technology.His work, "A Novel Microfluidic Bypass as a Tumor-on-a-chip:Design, Development and Experimentation with Confined-3D Cell Culture" deals with the development of a microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip (TOC) prototype.This system combines the advantages of microfluidics and three-dimensional cell cultures to better simulate in vivo conditions and more accurately predict the efficacy of cancer drugs.The prototype enables the continuous supply of nutrients and oxygen to tumoroids, the removal of waste products and in-situ characterization. By optimizing the design and using PDMS and glass, a significant increase in cell growth was observed. The TOC has been successfully tested in drug research and shows great potential for use in personalized medicine.
The Sick Science Prize
To promote engineering and the natural sciences, the Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation at the TU Hamburg awards a prize for outstanding work in the field of "Technical and scientific progress for the benefit of mankind and society". In awarding the science prizes, emphasis is placed both on fundamental scientific findings and on technical practical relevance. The significance of innovative technology, in particular measurement methods, sensors or measurement technology systems, for a sustainable benefit for people and society should be recognizable in the work.
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The Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation
The Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation was established in 2002 by Gisela Sick, the widow of Dr.-Ing. e. h. Erwin Sick, the founder of SICK AG.Since then, the founder has dedicated herself to the comprehensive education of young people, which goes far beyond the transfer of specialist knowledge.In recognition of her late husband's life's work, Gisela Sick places a special focus on science and technology in her foundation's activities. The foundation has been involved at TU Hamburg for many years, in particular by awarding science prizes and supporting numerous German scholarships. Renate Sick-Glaser, the daughter of the entrepreneurial family, has headed the Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation as Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees since December 2019.
More information: www.sick-stiftung.org/ges/
