Fraunhofer ICT-IMM

The Fraunhofer ICT-IMM is part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with currently 67 institutes.
By developing technological innovations and novel systems solutions for their customers, the Fraunhofer Institutes help to reinforce the competitive strength of the economy in their region, throughout Germany and in Europe. Their research activities are aimed at promoting the economic development of our industrial society, with particular regard for social welfare and environmental compatibility.
The main focus of research and development is in the fields of microfluidic systems (industrial analytics, biomedical diagnostics, and environmental analysis) and chemical process technology and engineering (energy technology, mixing, and Fine Chemistry). Expertise in the processes and methods for the realization of microstructures (precision engineering, structuring technologies, surface modifications) as well as their project oriented further development are the unique selling point and as such basis for the success in national and international competition.

Description of the department contributing to the execution of the project

The Decentralized and Mobile Energy Technology department of ICT-IMM is focusing on the application of micro process technology in the fields of hydrogen generation for fuel cells, the utilization of renewable energy sources, heterogeneously catalyzed gas phase reactions in general, and liquid hydrogen processing.
Core competencies are the design of complex process engineering devices (e.g. complete reformer systems), the integrated micro-structured plate heat exchanger technology (temperature range -250°C to 900°C), the development of catalysts and coating techniques for mass production, and the testing of laboratory- and pilot-scale micro-structured reactors and heat exchangers.

Role of Fraunhofer ICT-IMM in the OCMOL project:

Fraunhofer ICT-IMM will design and manufacture an integrated reactor with a heat exchanger-type design allowing the exothermic oxidative coupling of methane and the endothermic CO2 -reforming to be carried out simultaneously.

People involved :

Gunther Kolb, PhD

Gunther Kolb graduated in Chemical Engineering and got his PhD in Reaction Engineering at Erlangen University in 1993. He was 5 years professional for catalyst evaluation at GRACE Davison Germany before joining Fraunhofer ICT-IMM (former Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH), where he currently leads the department Decentralized and Mobile Energy Technology. He is author of more than 50 papers on chemical reaction engineering, fuel processing and catalysis. He has been scientific responsible of ICT-IMM for several EU projects (V FP project MINIREF; VI FP IP project HyTRAN and the VI FP STREP project MOREPOWER and H2&FC JTI projects IRAFC and FC-Gen).

Dr Helmut Pennemann

Team leader catalyst development, is a senior scientist in the department Decentralized and Mobile Energy Technology at the Fraunhofer ICT-IMM. Following a Ph.D in the field of enantioselective catalysis at the University of Oldenburg in 2000, he joined Fraunhofer ICT-IMM (former Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH) in 2001 and has been involved in the development of microstructured reactors and catalysts since then. He has expertise in high temperature applications, in the development of catalysts suitable for microstructured reactors, and in the development of appropriate deposition techniques for these catalysts.