Review: Annual Meeting 2024 of the DECHEMA/VDI Divisions Heat and Mass Transfer (WSUE) and Drying Technology (TRO)

The joint annual meeting 2024 of the DECHEMA/VDI specialist groups Heat and Mass Transfer (WSUE) and Drying Technology (TRO) took place in Magdeburg from 11.03. to 13.03. The annual meeting was opened with two plenary lectures: "State of the art and outlook in microwave process engineering of thermal processes" and "The use of gray box models for monitoring fouling conditions in heat exchangers".

Other contributions at the DECHEMA/VDI expert group meeting included the evaluation criteria for assessing the efficiency of heat transfer from periodic open cell structures (POCS) with flow through them, the development of a new type of mechanically regenerating desublimator for freeze-drying systems in the food industry and the calculation of local heat transfer for propylene in a horizontal pipe during flow condensation. There was also the opportunity to visit the laboratories and pilot plants of the Chair of Thermal Process Engineering at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

Dipl-Ing. Johannes Manthey (Chair of Energy Process Engineering, TU Dresden) was on site and presented his work on "Bubble evolution in the cooling-circuit of the PEM-electrolysis" as part of the H2Giga project. This is one of three lead projects in the German government's hydrogen sector, which is aiming for the series production of electrolysers. The Chair of Energy Process Engineering is working on optimizing the cooling circuit of PEM electrolysis , taking into account the influence of bubble formation on heat transfer.

In his contribution, Mr. Manthey presented a model that can be used to predict the formation of bubbles due to supersaturation in a pipe flow. This will enable a more effective design of the periphery of electrolysis plants in the future.