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HomeEducationMasterAll master's programmesMechanical EngineeringSpecialisationsEnergy & Flow

Specialisation in Energy & Flow

Become an expert in the research and development of sustainable energy systems, processes, and equipment with high performance, and minimal environmental impact.

What is the most effective and efficient design for a wind turbine, or a heat pump? Can you find innovative approaches to ensure electric car batteries stay cool and free from overheating risks? And what is the potential of hydrogen as a transformative solution for energy storage and sustainable transport? If you are eager to become a driving force in the development of high-performance, environmentally friendly energy systems, processes, and equipment, the specialisation in Energy & Flow is the right choice for you. You will be at the forefront of engineering and research areas that are essential for the transition to a resilient and sustainable society, using in-depth insights into fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, advanced materials, acoustics and sustainable design.

“Sustainability serves as a fundamental pillar and prerequisite in all engineering disciplines. It’s that awareness that characterises students of this specialisation. These students will emerge as the next generation of engineers who possess the expertise to utilise their mechanical knowledge in diverse applications, driving sustainable innovations across various fields.”

Prof. Dr. Ir. Wilko Rohlfs, specialisation coordinator Energy & Flow

What is Energy & Flow?

This specialisation covers all aspects that deal with the sustainable generation, transport, storage and use of energy. This includes the development and optimisation of energy systems such as wind turbines, solar panels, heat pumps, compressors, boilers, gas turbines and others, but also a deeper, fundamental understanding of the underlying principles regarding the physics of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, solid mechanics, chemistry, (solid or granular) materials, multi-scale mechanics, et cetera. With your expertise, you will be able to address phenomena acting at vastly different scales – from small blood pumps to large hydro-power plants – and translate this knowledge into innovative technologies that can improve or replace current energy systems, processes and equipment.

Examples of courses you might follow during this specialisation:
  • In the course Fluid Mechanics II, building on the basic knowledge of incompressible fluid mechanics, you will learn by scaling analysis to distinguish flow regimes and associated reduced versions of the Navier-Stokes equations for modelling. It provides you with an excellent knowledge base for critical evaluation of flow solutions obtained by numerics.
  • In response to the fluctuating nature of sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar, there is an urgent demand for efficient and dependable energy storage solutions. In the course Energy Storage, you will learn to identify effective solutions, drawing upon the principles of thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and chemistry, and to assess processes on their effectiveness and efficiency.
  • In the course Multiscale Functional Materials for Engineering Applications, you will delve into the art of optimising material functionality. You learn to predict and modify properties like thermal transport, design material for thermal management or energy harvesting applications and explore the application of multiscale functional materials to achieve optimised energy dissipation in e.g. electronics, thermal insulation and waste heat conversion to electricity.

This specialisation entails a strong combination of fundamental, theoretical and experimental knowledge, allowing you to tailor your studies to your interests. Whether you want to dive deeper into the mathematics behind computational fluid dynamics or you want to focus more on experimental design optimisation: you will be able to work on projects that are highly relevant to society and industry, especially sustainable energy systems. This specialisation also offers exciting opportunities in other fields, such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and maritime. You might, for example, work on emerging cooling techniques for aircraft or data centres, or analyse fluid flow in the human brain to gain insights into disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Or what about recovering carbon black from used tires and using it to produce environmentally-friendly tires? The possibilities are endless, and this specialisation provides an excellent foundation for a fulfilling and impactful career.

What will you learn?

As a graduate of this Master's and this specialisation, you have acquired specific, scientific knowledge, skills and values, which you can put to good use in your future job.

  • Knowledge

    After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

    • Possess a solid foundation in physics and engineering, encompassing fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat and energy transfer, and granular flows/processes. This knowledge will enable you to evaluate and analyse (flow) equipment and processes, both in existing technologies and emerging areas, with a focus on enhancing energy efficiency and promoting sustainability;
    • have a high level of expertise in theoretical modelling and computer-based simulation methods, as well as experimental techniques for studying processes and flows in technological applications, including biomedical and physiological contexts;
    • have knowledge of the latest advancements in energy storage, novel materials, and fluid-based material production technologies and up-to-date insights into these rapidly evolving fields.
  • Skills

    After successfully finishing this Master’s specialisation, you:

    • have excellent analytical skills to translate physical knowledge and mathematical models, into numerical simulation algorithms and engineering relations for design;
    • are able to evaluate complex processes and equipment/designs for energy efficiency, and sustainability, and develop improved alternatives;
    • can contribute to a research team in industry as well as in academia with high-level academic skills such as reading and writing up-to-date scientific papers.
  • Values

    After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

    • are highly aware of the social, environmental and sustainability challenges in society and naturally integrate these in your applied and scientific work;
    • have a positive mindset to continuously extend and deepen your knowledge through collaboration and self-study;
    • have an excellent professional work attitude suitable for a company as well as for building a scientific career.

Other master’s and specialisations

Is this specialisation not exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe one of the other specialisations suits you better, like the specialisation in Aeronautics.

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