The TU’s educational nuclear reactor first became critical on March 22, 2005 at 7:30 pm. With this facility, teaching and research users have access to the most modern educational nuclear reactor in Germany. Students in the technical fields and natural sciences are the first to profit from these improved educational conditions, but experts in medical physics will also benefit in the future. The facility is also accessible by prior arrangement to the interested public and school children.

In the experimental field of energy process and fuel engineering, employees work on research and development projects in many fields including efficient energy conversion and use, fuel characterization and reduction of corrosive wear, especially in steam generators. Laboratories, technical centers and pilot facilities are available for scientific research. Close cooperation with the facilities’ construction companies and operators enables continuous transformation of research results into practice.

In the teaching and experimental power station, a steam-injected gas turbine with water recovery is available for demonstration and research. Experiments on process performance, steam injection in the gas turbine and on water processing and recovery are carried out. The goal is to make electroenergy and heat from the industrial cogeneration process (CHP) flexible. The experimental power plant is supervised by the Chair of Thermal Power Machinery and Plants.

Complex T of the Center for Energy Technology houses the turbomachinery experimental field. It is supervised by the Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion (Institute of Fluid Mechanics). Important research goals include optimization of design processes for compressor and turbine bladings; increasing stage pressure ratios; increasing the efficiency of turbomachinery with simultaneous reduction of the number of blades and stages; developing ways to expand useable operational areas while guaranteeing operational safety, and much more.

This experimental field is supervised by the Chair of Building Energy Systems and Heat Supply. Experimental facilities include district heating connections and network feed stations, heat and cold storage, heat pumps, µ CHP, drinking water installations, solar heating, photovoltaics, degassing and climate chambers. Both within research projects or on commission, we work on developing more energy efficient individual components and devices, on storage optimization and on tests for module and system efficiency. Our research focuses on expanding energy efficiency potential and integrating renewable energy in energy systems.