Olaf Hinrichsen
From Pellet Scale to Reactor Design
The Hinrichsen group tackles complex problems arising in the interface of science and engineering. This comprises several dimensions in scale: starting from particle design and surface reactions, also macroscopic effects like heat and mass transfer are considered as well as the performance of entire reactors and processes.
Current research focuses on new solutions for energy supply (methanation) and lower olefins production (MTO, ODH), on reactor technologies (fixed bed, fluidized bed, spinning disc) and new catalyst production methods (3D printing). Topics include catalyst synthesis and characterization, measurement and modeling of kinetics or coupling of reaction and transport effects. Moreover, computational fluid dynamics is applied to simulate reactive flows, fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
Key publications:
On the kinetics of the methanation of carbon dioxide on coprecipitated NiAl(O)x, F. Koschany, D. Schlereth, O. Hinrichsen, Appl. Catal., B 2016, 181, 504–516.
CO2 methanation over Fe- and Mn-promoted co-precipitated Ni-Al catalysts: Synthesis, characterization and catalysis study, T. Burger, F. Koschany, O. Thomys, K. Köhler, O. Hinrichsen, Appl. Catal., A 2018, 558, 44–54.
Kinetic Modeling of Catalytic Olefin Cracking and Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) over Zeolites: A Review, S. Standl, O. Hinrichsen, Catalysts 2018, 8, 626.
Simultaneous activity and stability increase of co-precipitated Ni–Al CO2 methanation catalysts by synergistic effects of Fe and Mn promoters, T. Burger, F. Koschany, A. Wenng, O. Thomys, K. Köhler, O. Hinrichsen, Catal. Sci. Technol. 2018, 8, 5920–5932.
Intrinsic Kinetic Model for Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane over MoV- TeNb Mixed Metal Oxides: A Mechanistic Approach, P. J. Donaubauer, D. M. Melzer, K. Wanninger, G. Mestl, M. Sanchez-Sanchez, J. A. Lercher, O. Hinrichsen, Chem. Eng. J. 2020, 383, 123195.