The illustration below gives an overview of the institutes of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. It depicts a classification according to the research areas.
Acting Executive Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arno Kwade Academic Director: Prof. Dr. habil. Rainer Krull
Biochemical engineering is a key driver in the knowledge-based bioeconomy and enables the sustainable production of biological and chemical products as well as of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The Institute of Biochemical Engineering (ibvt) contributes with lectures, exercises and laboratory courses to the curriculum of the Faculty for Mechanical Engineering and in a bridging role also to the curriculum of the Faculty for Life Sciences. The ibvt research applies and develops bioreactors, classical and systems biotechnological analytics, and modelling methods in order to rationally develop tailored biocatalysts and sustainable bioprocesses using model-based experimental analysis.
Research activities of ICTV are organized in four groups: Sustainable Production Technologies, Innovative Equipment and Plant Concepts, Fouling and Cleaning, and Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Processes. Based on experimental investigations, mechanistic models are developed and implemented in simulations. Hereby, chemical reactions and separation processes are considered, especially for thermal and mechanically sensitive products. Fundamentals as well as the conception and assessment of production processes and the design of optimized equipment are addressed. In teaching, ICTV offers fundamental as well as application-oriented lectures and laboratory exercises in the field of fluid, chemical and thermal process engineering.
Shaping the way we produce or store energy in the future is one of the main areas of research of the Institute of Energy and Process Systems Engineering. Our long-term experience covers modeling and analysis of complex systems, such as batteries, fuel cells and energy storage systems, as well as on complete power plants with combustion processes. Recently we extended our portfolio by research in the area of pharmaceutical engineering. The majority of our research is model-based analysis and optimization, as well as experimental investigation. In all areas of our research we rely on the support of students, whose fundamental knowledge gets imparted in our lectures. Our institute is member of the Battery LabFactory Braunschweig and the Center of Pharmaceutical Process Engineering.
The lectures and courses offered by the Institute of Particle Technology cover the production of particles, using bottom-up routes (such as chemical synthesis) or grinding processes, their functionalization, as well as their processing into products such as tablets, coatings or battery electrodes. The lectures range from basic courses in the field of mechanical process engineering, plant engineering and chemistry to specialized and application-related courses about formulation processes, battery technology, pharmaceutical engineering and nanotechnology. Additionally, comprehensive courses, such as quality management, project management and hygienic design are offered.
At the Institute of Thermodynamics (IfT), we teach and conduct research on molecular thermodynamics, transport processes and interfaces, and thermal energy systems. Bachelor's students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering learn the fundamentals of thermodynamics with us. In advanced courses, Master's students can deepen their knowledge of molecular systems, various transport processes, and the functioning of complex thermal energy systems. In a wide range of research projects, we investigate thermodynamic systems and processes in energy and process engineering on different scales, from molecules to technical plants, both experimentally and through simulations.
The research and teaching at the institute focus on the areas of acoustics, dynamics, modeling, and uncertainty quantification. The work combines fundamental research with application‑oriented developments in the following topics:
Teaching and research at the institute focuses on the following areas: "Electric and Hybrid Drives / Requirement Engineering (3D)", "Conventional Drivetrains, Drivetrains, Transmissions", "Total Vehicle, Chassis, Driving Dynamics, NVH" and "Driver Assistance Systems and Automated Driving". In order to work on the above mentioned research topics, comprehensive test facilities, laboratory equipment and experimental vehicles are available at the institute. Close contacts to industry partners, suppliers, technical service providers as well as external research institutions, the comprehensive test facilities and interdisciplinary and inter-institutional work help to solve challenging problems efficiently and with regard to practice. The research results are integrated into teaching and therefore ensure an up-to-date teaching programme.
Every technical system must satisfy a variety of physical, human, economic and normative requirements. The aim of research at the Institute for Engineering Design (IK) is to provide procedures, methods and tools for the development of modern products that meet these diverse requirements. Our research focuses on the working groups Integrated System Development and Vehicle Concepts (ISF), Digital Engineering (DE), Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AF) and Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
Our teaching aims to provide a practice-oriented education that is geared towards the technical and interdisciplinary challenges of future professional life and promotes the individual development of students. The IK is a member of the Automotive Research Center Niedersachsen (NFF) and is involved in the Battery LabFactory Braunschweig (BLB) and the Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF).
Since 2012 the Institute for Mobile Machines and Commercial Vehicles (IMN) is directed by Prof. Dr. Ludger Frerichs. The main objective of the institute is to establish the basis for the "Next Generation of Mobile Systems of Process, Machine and Procedures". In this systemic context approaches to increase the efficiency and the intelligent cross-linking are investigated particularly. The associated fields of research and teaching of the institute are Processes in Mobile Machines, Mobile Hydraulics, Driveline Technology, Vehicles and Systems as well as Assistance and Robotic Systems. In the lectures as well as in the research projects fundamental and practical issues are covered equally. The applied methods comprise modeling and simulation, laboratory investigations and field tests.
The main research objectives of the Institute of Internal Combustion Engines and Fuel Cells (ivb) are the development and research of combustion processes for conventional and alternative fuels, of gas exchange, charge and exhaust gas aftertreatment systems. Engines are investigated in connection with the vehicle-system to optimize the thermal vehicle management. Operating strategies for hybrid vehicles are investigated with focus on the reduction of emissions and fuel consumption. Therefore research is being conducted on engine management by in cylinder pressure measurements, exhaust gas recirculation, high pressure charging of vehicle engines and optimization of the combustion process on DI-Otto- and Diesel-engines. With different research projects all phases of the engine development process from conceptioning over simulation and design to testing are covered at the institute of internal combustion engines. The teaching activity comprehends eleven lecture modules. Four base-modules include the fundamentals, working process, combustion and emissions and design of combustion engines. Seven modules contain topics on a higher degree of specialization that are partly held by guest lecturers. The ivb is a member of the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen.
Retroactive to 01.01.2022, the Institute for Transport Safety and Automation Systems has been renamed: Institute for Intermodal Transport and Logistics Systems
The Institute aims to contribute to road safety through scientific research and academic teaching. This claim is in line with the European objectives in the EU / automotive industry and the intentions of many institutions active in this area such as the European Road Federation (ERF), European Railway Research Advisory Council (ERRAC), the road safety initiative of the European Union (e-Safety ) and the German Automotive Industry (VDA). We want to tackle this complex matter fundamentally in a coherent way, and therefore understand traffic as a networked system of cooperating elements / processes. For this approach, the structuring of our research results in four areas: In application-oriented respects the specific subject areas Vehicles and Transport concentrating on safety as a system property and automation technology as a means for purpose achievement, based on the theoretical and abstract base areas Systemics and Cooperative Systems.
The Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery (IFAS) is mainly focusing on civil jet engines in terms of the overall system as well as on future propulsion systems. On the one hand, engine performance during operation in conjunction with economic and technology driven maintenance aspects is a major research area. On the other hand, future basic propulsion concepts especially with regard to aircraft integration are a further competence of the institute. The broad curriculum of the IFAS gives our students the opportunity to gain their knowledge in the area of jet engines. There are both, bachelor and master courses within the aerospace technology studies at TU Braunschweig. Apart from basic thermodynamic engine cycles and courses about engine architectures, aspects of engine operation and maintenance especially with regard to airline requirements are also teached.
The institute is mainly concerned with flight test and measurement technology, flight meteorology, positioning and navigation, man-machine problems, flight simulation and flight control. The spectrum ranges from investigations of energy transfer between wind and glider to basic research in the field of flight control problems of supersonic aircraft.
Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Heimbs Chair of Aircraft Structures
Chair of Overall Aircraft Design: Prof. Dr. Ingo Max Werner Staack
The Institute of Aircraft Design and Lightweight Structures (IFL) covers in research and teaching the entire spectrum from the global overall design of aircraft and new fuselage concepts to detailed structural design, strength and damage analysis as well as optimized manufacturing processes, primarily using fiber-reinforced composite material solutions. The focus here is on new concepts targeting at sustainable, eco-efficient flying.
The concrete research focus is on the multidisciplinary optimization of aircraft designs, the investigation of the static and dynamic strength behavior of high-performance lightweight materials and structures, the analysis of the geometrically and physically nonlinear behavior as well as the coupled multi-physics simulations of structures using the finite element method, the investigation and optimization of the high-velocity impact and crash behavior of lightweight structures as well as the testing of new technologies in flight tests with the help of (scaled) flying demonstrators.
Equipped with extensive experimental testing facilities from small coupon scale to large components tests, as well as high-performance computing solutions with state-of-the-art commercial and in-house software codes, these studies are both performed experimentally and digitally/numerically.
The fundamental work of the institute's spaceflight technology is knowledge and application of general and higher orbital mechanics. The main research fields consist of orbital dynamics for all objects on Earth orbits (space debris), orbit survey and orbit prediction, especially for light satellites and the re-entry of hazardous objects. The research field of the astronautics are covering: Precise calculation of satellite orbits including all involved forces, trajectory and re-entry prediction of light satellites, Space Debris: Determination of object distribution densities for satellites, rocket stages and debris particles in low Earth orbits; calculation of collision probabilities.The working group satellite technology and satellite operations is focusing on the development and verification of technologies that can remove space debris objects from orbit. In particular the Institute is doing research in the field of bio-inspired materials (so-called Gecko materials) for Active Debris Removal (ADR) missions.
The main research areas at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics are aerodynamics of aircraft, measurement and manipulation of flows, scale-resolving simulations of aeroacoustic sources, multiphase flow and icing as well as flow modeling and control. The spectrum ranges from fundamental research of model generation of turbulent flows, transition and multiphase flows on aircraft, to more applied research on future aircraft and ground vehicle aerodynamics. In the applied research, the main focus is on active methods of flow control.
The research activities include theory, experiments and numerical simulations. The courses offered by the Institute of Fluid Mechanics cover the main areas of fluid mechanics, aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. Fields, where the students are involved in current research projects.
The Institute for Materials Science explores innovative concepts to design new materials for future applications. In the field of high-temperature materials, currently used nickelbase superalloys are optimised and completely new alloying concepts are developed to allow a further increase of the energy efficiency turbines. Thermal barrier coatings are investigated for applications in turbines and rocket engines. Titanium alloys are improved with respect to machinability, strength and costs. Nano-porous metallic membranes are a new material class showing promise for many applications.
Research methods range from computer simulations to material synthesis and mechanical testing. The syllabus of the institute contains lectures on fundamentals of materials science, applied topics and lectures focusing on special groups of materials.
Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Böl | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Sinapius
We represent the basic subject of mechanical engineering, technical mechanics, in research and teaching. We research and develop multiscale multi-field models with a focus on biomechanics and adaptronics. In our laboratories we perform the necessary validation experiments. We develop material laws for the description of different materials, from biodegradable polymers to biofilms and functional materials for adaptronics. As an interdisciplinary science of engineering, adaptronics deals with the research and development of self-adapting components and constructions from the entire field of mechanical engineering ...
Only the appropriate joining technology makes it possible to manufacture innovative products with new materials. The focus of the institute of joining and welding in research and teaching is therefore in the fields of hybrid lightweight construction, production technology and electro mobility as well as in classic joining methods such as (beam) welding, adhesive bonding and mechanical joining methods. For this purpose, not only lectures are held but also current research projects are dealt with, for example within the Open Hybrid Labfactory or in the Battery LabFactory. In addition, the long-time research activities in the field of joining technologies for aluminum die casting components are concentrated in the light metal center Soltau founded in 2014.
The Institute of Microtechnology (IMT) with its 300 m² class 5 clean room plus adjoining laboratories and modern equipment offers the ideal setting for R&D in the fields of micro technological processes and micro systems. Current work is on lab-on-chip systems for medical, pharmaceutical, and biological applications, sensors for aviation and measurement technology e.g. tactile microprobes for coordinate measuring. The 2014 installed femtosecond laser system allows for new strategies in micro structuring and production. A new focus is the setup of innovative micro systems on flexible substrates. The IMT offers courses and project work for Bachelor and Master degree students in microsystem technology, mechatronics, actuators, microprocessor technology and electronics.
The Institute of Production Measurement Technology (IPROM) unifies teaching and research in the field of metrology. The emphasis lies on the acquisition of geometric quantities. Fields of application can be found in all phases of the process of product generation, starting from development and design up to the use in automated production systems. The work of IPROM is focused on optical measurement techniques, either as stand-alone solutions or in multisensory arrangements.
Referring to a holistic consideration of industrial production, metrology is treated as an integral part of quality management. IPROM is contributing modules to different study programs of TU Braunschweig and, moreover, is responsible for the master study program "Metrology and Analytics".
Director: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Dröder, | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann
The Institute for Machine Tools and Production Technology (IWF) has comprehensive expertise in the fields of production technology and process automation as well as sustainable manufacturing and life cycle engineering. Exemplary research areas include design and optimization of manufacturing process-es, tool and process development, development of new machine concepts, simulation, process and quality monitoring, assembly, factory automation, handling and gripping technology, manufacturing processes for hybrid lightweight components, battery production and electric mobility, energy and re-source efficient factory, digital Factory, industry 4.0, Circular Economy, Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing.
The scope of research and development projects ranges from fundamental and cooperative industrial research at national and international level up to direct industrial cooperation. The dissemination of knowledge is established via lectures, the (direct) involvement of students in research projects as well as innovative teaching-learning concepts, such as business simulations, case studies or the provision of methodological knowledge in education and training in the "Lernfabrik".
The Entrepreneurship Hub is a joint institution of the Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. We have played a decisive role in establishing a successful and sustainable start-up culture at these two universities. In order to maintain and further develop this, we offer various teaching, learning and research opportunities that cover almost all aspects of founding innovative and technology-based companies. Our extensive offer is aimed at students, doctoral candidates as well as research assistants of both universities. From the introduction to entrepreneurship through our schools, to the deepening of their knowledge in the context of the master’s specialization, to student research projects and theses, as well as doctoral workshops in the high-tech sector, we offer the entire spectrum of start-up-supporting formats and measures. In addition, we regularly organize casual networking and community events in conjunction with our MBA program “Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management” to keep the exchange between experienced founders, entrepreneurs and students active and lively. In order to further accompany a technology-based spin-off project with competent partners, we also work closely with the Technology Transfer Office of the TU Braunschweig. Our goal is to communicate entrepreneurship to people as an attractive and fulfilling career path to solve the major problems and challenges of our time.
Institutes of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in alphabetical order
