The Technical University of Darmstadt is celebrating an extraordinary success at this year's ERCOFTAC Da Vinci Competition, which took place on October 10, 2024 at Imperial College London. For the first time, the jury, consisting of scientists from the European Research Community on Flow, Turbulence and Combustion (ERCOFTAC), awarded two equal first prizes – both went to scientists from TU Darmstadt's Department of Mechanical Engineering: Dr.-Ing. Matthias Steinhausen and Dr.-Ing. Christopher Geschwindner. Both were among the top 5 finalists from numerous applications and presented their work to a jury of experts, who came to this extraordinary decision.

Outstanding research on flame-wall interaction and sustainable solid fuel combustion

Matthias Steinhausen completed his doctorate in the research institute Simulation of Reactive Thermo-Fluid Systems (STFS) under Professor Christian Hasse. His thesis Modeling of Near-Wall Flame Dynamics in Laminar and Turbulent Combustion investigates complex processes during the flame-wall interaction, which plays a central role in modern gas turbines in particular. The mathematical modeling of such systems is crucial for their efficient and sustainable design. Matthias Steinhausen's research was funded by the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 150 (SFB/TRR 150). He also completed a research stay in Professor Andrea Gruber's research group at NTNU Trondheim.

Christopher Geschwindner conducted research at the institute Reactive Flows and Diagnostics (RSM) under Professor Andreas Dreizler. In his dissertation Optical Diagnostics for Carbonaceous Solid Fuels and Flame Retarded Polymers in Laminar and Turbulent Flows, he developed optical measurement methods that can be used both in sustainable solid fuel combustion – for example in biomass systems with oxyfuel technology for the climate-friendly retrofitting of coal-fired power plants – and for the investigation of flame-retarded polymers. His work was funded by the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 129 (SFB/TRR 129). During his time as a doctoral student, Christopher Geschwindner was a visiting scientist at the University of Edinburgh, where he was able to deepen his research on turbulent multiphase flows with Professor Brian Peterson.

About the Da Vinci Competition

The Da Vinci Competition, organized by ERCOFTAC, is one of the most important awards for dissertations in the fields of fluid mechanics and combustion. Every year, prizes are awarded to dissertations that combine scientific excellence, engineering relevance and innovative approaches. The award ceremony traditionally takes place as part of the ERCOFTAC Autumn Festival, where finalists from all over Europe present their work to an international jury of experts.

Further information on the Da Vinci Competition and the winning entries can be found on the ERCOFTAC website.