Iron is considered as a promising energy carrier in metal-based energy storage cycles, where energy is released via thermochemical oxidation. As part of this thesis, a laser system for the controlled ignition of single levitated iron particles will be developed, constructed, and commissioned to enable their elemental analysis during combustion using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).

As part of the energy transition, fossil fuels must be replaced by renewable alternatives. One of the key challenges here is the efficient storage and transport of large amounts of energy. A promising approach is the use of iron powder as a CO₂-free energy source in a closed material cycle: iron is oxidized, the resulting energy is stored, and the iron oxide is then regenerated.

Advances in avionics technology require a reevaluation of existing certification and regulatory requirements. Understanding applicable requirements is critical for ensuring system compliance, safety, and operational approval. However, the complexity and fragmentation of existing standards present major challenges during development. To support future systems, a structured approach to analyzing and mapping relevant regulations is needed.

In the context of developing a new flight simulation environment, the integration of realistic and dynamic air traffic is essential to enable credible and operationally relevant scenarios. To support situational awareness and decision-making, this traffic must not only be technically simulated but also presented in a way that is intuitive and cognitively appropriate for human users. Therefore, the design of human-centered visualization concepts plays a critical role. The simulation environment should support various use cases, including training and evaluation, where clear and meaningful traffic displays are required. A modular and adaptable traffic simulation framework will form the technical foundation for this work.

OPC UA is an open, platform-independent standard for industrial communication that is particularly suitable for describing industrial robots thanks to its modelable structure. However, the corresponding Robotics Companion Specification (CS) is currently only in the early stages of development. URDF is an XML-based format for modeling robots in the Robot Operating System (ROS) and contains comprehensive information on structure and kinematics. Since both formats are based on XML, structured mapping between URDF and OPC UA appears useful for converting existing models into standardized OPC UA structures.

Increasing networking and standardization in industry are opening up new opportunities for the uniform mapping and control of production systems. In this position, you will have the opportunity to help design a forward-looking digital twin framework based on industry standards that combines machine control, simulation, and monitoring. You will work at the interface between research and practice and develop solutions that can be transferred to a wide range of production machines.

The dynamic behaviour of modern turbomachinery, such as those used in fuel pumps in the aerospace industry (for example in the Ariane 6 launch vehicle), is largely determined by the dynamic properties of combined axial and radial annular gaps. To date, however, such combined gaps have only been designed separately. For this reason, a framework is to be created at the FST on the basis of various preliminary works, which combines the existing tools at the institute for the calculation of purely axial and purely radial annular gaps into a single calculation tool for the investigation of any combined annular gaps.

The dynamic behaviour of modern turbomachinery, such as fuel pumps used in the aerospace industry (e.g. in the Ariane 6 launch vehicle), is largely determined by the dynamic properties of annular gaps. The flow within these gaps is either laminar, transient or turbulent. While the characteristics of these gaps in the asymptotic cases (i.e. purely laminar or purely turbulent flow) are well understood, recent experimental studies reveal a severe lack of understanding of their characteristics within the transition regime. As detection of the flow regime during experiments relies solely on integral values, modern numerical methods such as DNS simulations must be employed to further investigate the observed phenomena, e.g. the decrease in fluid film stiffness.

The aim of the student project is to calibrate the slip length tribometer for measuring slip lengths on surfaces with varying roughness. The student will become familiar with the SLT system, including its operation and measurement procedures. The core tasks include setting up the calibration device, developing and implementing a calibration routine (e.g., using LabView), and performing slip length measurements with upper plates of three different surface roughness levels.

Robots are extremely versatile machines with almost endless application possibilities. In the course of an exhibition, a prototype demonstrator of these diverse applications was developed, in which our 7-axis collaborative robot arm ‘Rica’ is used to draw faces. Images are converted into line drawings and paths to be traversed are calculated from them. This demonstrator is now to be further developed and upgraded.

Robots are extremely versatile machines with almost endless application possibilities. In the course of an exhibition, a prototype demonstrator of these diverse applications was developed, in which our 7-axis collaborative robot arm ‘Rica’ is used to draw faces. Images are converted into line drawings and paths to be traversed are calculated from them. This demonstrator is now to be further developed and upgraded.

Robots are extremely versatile machines with almost endless application possibilities. In the course of an exhibition, a prototype demonstrator of these diverse applications was developed, in which our 7-axis collaborative robot arm ‘Rica’ is used to draw faces. Images are converted into line drawings and paths to be traversed are calculated from them. This demonstrator is now to be further developed and upgraded.

Robots are extremely versatile machines with almost endless application possibilities. In the course of an exhibition, a prototype demonstrator of these diverse applications was developed, in which our 7-axis collaborative robot arm ‘Rica’ is used to draw faces. Images are converted into line drawings and paths to be traversed are calculated from them. This demonstrator is now to be further developed and upgraded.

Robots are extremely versatile machines with almost endless application possibilities. In the course of an exhibition, a prototype demonstrator of these diverse applications was developed, in which our 7-axis collaborative robot arm ‘Rica’ is used to draw faces. Images are converted into line drawings and paths to be traversed are calculated from them. This demonstrator is now to be further developed and upgraded.

Robots are extremely versatile machines with almost endless application possibilities. In the course of an exhibition, a prototype demonstrator of these diverse applications was developed, in which our 7-axis collaborative robot arm ‘Rica’ is used to draw faces. Images are converted into line drawings and paths to be traversed are calculated from them. This demonstrator is now to be further developed and upgraded.

Heat pumps are also becoming increasingly important for industrial applications in steam generation. A particularly good thermodynamic model for balancing and developing operating load profiles is therefore of particular importance.

Fundamental investigations into flow phenomena and interaction mechanisms in modern high-pressure turbines are carried out at the Large Scale Turbine Rig (LSTR). The focus is on a Reynolds-scaled high-pressure turbine rotor, which was scaled using a Mach-like high-pressure turbine test rig. Reynolds scaling offers decisive advantages for experimental investigations, but does not reproduce Mach number effects.

The efficient assessment of a component’s structural integrity using deep learning enables the joint optimization of material selection and distribution. This allows for a more flexible and exploratory design space exploration, fostering the development of more holistic design solutions.

This master’s thesis investigates the integration of metallic energy carriers into large-scale energy systems. Metallic energy carriers are first implemented in the open-source framework PyPSA (Python for Power System Analysis). Subsequently, their role and potential in future multimodal energy systems are analyzed.

Subject areas:

1. Simulate Contact Deformation in FEM (Siemens NX)

2. Parametric Simulation Studies

3. Stress Distribution and Stiffness Analysis

4. Computational Tolerance Analysis

Electric machines generate heat due to electrical losses and mechanical friction, with cooling in the rotor-stator gap typically limited to air circulation. This study explores the effect of introducing small liquid droplets into the airflow to enhance heat transfer. By investigating aerosol-based cooling, this research aims to enhance thermal management and improve the efficiency of electric machines. The project involves designing a small gap (outer cylinder), and connecting it to an existing setup, then conducting experiments to generate and analyze aerosol flow in the gap. The impacts of droplets will be recorded and analyzed, then the aerosol generator with 3 different nozzles will be characterized.

The Institute for Simulation of Reactive Thermo-Fluid Systems (STFS) conducts cutting-edge research on reactive flows and alternative energy carriers. One of our focus areas is the combustion of metallic fuels, which have the potential to play a key role in future energy systems.

Aluminum, in particular, undergoes a unique combustion process where evaporated metal reacts with steam, forming hydrogen and aluminum oxide. The global reaction and transport rates are controlled by a multitude of tightly coupled processes, including phase changes, gas phase reactions, thermophoresis, and droplet shape evolution—key aspects that are not yet fully understood.

In this thesis, you will contribute to refining numerical models for these processes using OpenFOAM-based simulations. Your work will help improve the predictive capabilities of existing models, enabling more accurate simulations of aluminum combustion.

Do you have experience in CFD, physical modeling, or programming (Python/C++) in a Unix-based environment? If not, are you eager to develop these skills? If so, we encourage you to contact us for more information!

Subject areas:

1. Finite Element Method (FEM), via Siemens NX

2. Parametric Simulation Studies

3. Stress Distribution and Stiffness Analysis

4. Computational Tolerance Analysis