Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Prof. E.h. Dr. h.c. Stefan Heinrich
Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)
Director of the Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology
Denickestraße 15 (K)
21073 Hamburg
Office
Building K
Room 2516
Phone
Tel: +49 40 42878 3750
Fax: +49 40 42878 2678
Personal data
| Name | Stefan Heinrich |
| Nationality | German |
Degree programme
| 1991-1996 | Studies of Process Engineering and Diploma (Dipl.-Ing.), University of Magdeburg, Germany |
| 1996 | Diploma (Dipl.-Ing.) in Process Engineering, University of Magdeburg, Germany |
Doctorate
| 01.12.2000 | Modelling of the heat and mass transfer as well as the particle populations in fluidized bed spray granulation (“summa cum laude”), University of Magdeburg, Germany, 2000 (supervisor: Prof. L. Mörl) |
Stages of academic/ professional career
| since 04/2008 | W3 Full-Professor and Director of the Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany |
| 2011-2012 | Dean of the School of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, TUHH |
| 2006 | Habilitation and Venia Legendi in “Particle technology”, University of Magdeburg, Germany |
| 2005 | Guest Professor at the University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands (advisor: Prof. Hans Kuipers) |
| 2002-2008 | Junior professor (Associate professor, W1) for “Dynamics of property-distributed systems in solids process engineering”, University of Magdeburg |
| 2000-2002 | Assistant professor (C1), University of Magdeburg |
| 1996-2000 | Research assistant, University of Magdeburg |
Teaching activities - BSc and MSc courses
Responsible for various BSc and MSc courses (Lecture and Exercises) at Hamburg University of Technology: Introduction to Particle Technology (BSc), Particle Technology Laboratory (BSc), Advanced Particle Technology (MSc), Fluidization Technology (MSc), Particle Technology for the international Master Program
Teaching activities - University courses for industry + academia
- Professional Course “Fluidization Technology - Fundamentals and Applications in Drying, Granulation and Agglomeration”, since 2009 (with Prof. Tsotsas, University Magdeburg)
- Professional Course “Drying Technology – Fundamentals and Applications”, since 2014 (with Prof. Tsotsas, University Magdeburg)
Activities in the Research System
| 2025-2026 | Host for the Humboldt Research Awardee Assoc. Prof. Chigozie Francolins Uzoh (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria) |
| since 2025 | Member of the DFG Research Training Group 3068 „Climate Informed Engineering” (CIE) |
| since 2025 | Member of the Senate Committee for Collaborative Research Centres (CRC’s) and Scientific Member of the Grants Committee for CRC’s of the DFG |
| 2025 | Chairman of the 11th International Granulation Workshop, Hamburg, Germany, July 2025 (200 participants) |
| 2025 | Member of the International Advisory Board of the Int. Conference on Sustainable Energy and Process Technologies, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, October 2025 |
| since 2024 | Affiliated Institute Member of the United Nations University (UNU) Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change at TUHH |
| since 2023 | Selection Committee Member of the NWO Spinoza Price and NWO Stevin Prize |
| since 2023 | Member of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1615 “Smart Reactors” |
| 2020-2ㅤㅤ022 | Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Johannes Möller Foundation for Science and Research, Hamburg (member 2014-2022) |
| 2019ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ | Chairman of the Partec 2019 - International Congress on Particle Technology, Nürnberg, Germany, April 2019 (600 participants) |
| since 2019 | Member of the judging panel for the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Derek Geldart Medal |
| 2019-2025 | Vice-Spokesperson of the DFG Research Training Group 2462 „Processes in natural and technical particle-fluid-systems” (PintPFS) |
| 2017 | Chairman of the 2nd Nordic Baltic Drying Conference (NBDC 2017), Hamburg, Germany, June 2017 (150 participants) |
| since 2017 | Member of the International Advisory Board of the International Conference on Fluidized Bed Technology (CFB) |
| since 2017 | Chairman of the Working Party on Agglomeration of European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) |
| since 2017 | Member of the Selection Committee of the DAAD |
| since 2016 | Member of the Executive Committee of the Partec Congress |
| since 2016 | DFG Liaison Officer of the TUHH |
| since 2016 | Member of the Doctoral Degree Committee of the TUHH |
| since 2016 | German Delegate of the Working Party on Mechanics of Particulate Solids of European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) |
| since 2016 | Chairman of the DECHEMA/VDI Working Party on Agglomeration and Bulk Solid Materials |
| since 2015 | Member of the Centre of High-Performance Materials (ZHM), Hamburg |
| since 2015 | Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering (RCPE) of the TU Graz, Austria |
| since 2015 | Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resources Technology, Freiberg, Germany |
| since 2014 | Host for the Humboldt Research Awardee Prof. Sankaran Sundaresan (Princeton University, USA) |
| since 2014 | Scientific Committee of the World Congress on Particle Technology |
| 2013-2020 | Coordinator of the DFG Priority program 1679 “Dynamic Simulation of Interconnected Solids Processes” |
| since 2013 | Scientific Committee of the conference “Fluidization” |
| 2012-2024 | Member of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 986 “M3” |
| since 2007 | Scientific Committee of the International Granulation Workshop |
| since 2006 | Member of the Executive Board of the Working Party on Population Balance Modelling of Disperse and Polymer Systems of the Competence Network Process Engineering Pro3 |
| since 2005 | Member of the DECHEMA/VDI Working Party on Drying |
Memberships in Editorial Boards of International Journals
- Editor of the Elsevier journal Powder Technology, Editorial Board, since 2024
- Thematic Editor of the Elsevier journal Particuology, since 2015
- Executive Editor of the Elsevier journal Advanced Powder Technology, since 2014
Supervision of Researchers in Early Career Phases
Since 2008, Stefan Heinrich has supervised and graduated (as main supervisor) 34 PhD students, 38 Diploma thesis students (until 2014), 124 Master students and 131 Bachelor students.
Scientific Results and Publications
- ORCID: 0000-0002-7901-1698 , h-index: 50 (Scopus), 55 (Google Scholar)
- 3 Monographies, 16 Book contributions, 6 Patents, 5 Patent applications, 276 Peer-refereed journal contributions, more than 400 Conference proceedings
- Invited plenary and keynote speaker at major international conferences, e.g.:
- AIChE Annual Meeting (Boston, 2025)
- 9th European Drying conference - Eurodrying 2025 (Wageningen, 2025)
- KAUST Research Conference “Catalyzing the Energy and Chemical Transition toward Circularity” (Thuwal, 2025)
- 5th Aspherix® & CFDEM® Conference (Vienna, 2024)
- 14th Int. Conf. on Circulation Fluidized Bed Technology - CFB14 (Taiyuan, 2024)
- 9th UK-China Powder Technology Forum (London, 2023)
- 8th Asian Pacific Particle Technology Symposium (Osaka, 2021)
- UK-China Int. Particle Technology Forum VII (Edinburgh, 2019)
- Particulate Processes in the Pharmaceutical Industry IV (Potsdam, 2016)
- AIChE Spring Meeting (Houston, 2016)
- Fluidization XIV (Noordwijkerhout, 2013) and Fluidization XVI (Guilin, 2019)
Academic Distinctions
| 2025 | Shell Thomas Baron Award in Fluid-Particle Systems of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) |
| 2023 | Honorary Professor of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia, Bulgaria |
| 2017 | Editorial Excellence Award 2017 of the Elsevier journal "Advanced Powder Technology" |
| 2016 | DECHEMA-Prize 2015 of the Max Buchner Research Foundation |
| 2016 | Robert Pfeffer Lecture at the Joint IFPRI Robert Pfeffer Symposium & UK Particle Technology Forum 2016 |
| 2015 | Honorary Doctor of the DonNTU (National University of the Ukraine, Pokrowsk) |
| 2008 | Call for a W3 Full-Professorship for Mechanical Process Engineering and Materials Treatment Technology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany (denied) |
| 2006 | Research prize of Saxony-Anhalt (together with Prof. Peglow), Germany |
| 2005 | 55th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Participation Award (Interdisciplinary) |
| 2005 | “Otto” Economy Award of the municipal utility of Magdeburg, Germany |
| 2004 | Hugo-Junkers Innovation Award of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany |
| 2004 | Honorary Ring of the VDI, Düsseldorf |
| 2002 | Award for the German patent 10004939 C1 „Controllable gas upstream device for spouted beds“, VDI Magdeburg |
| 2001 | Best doctoral thesis award of the Faculty of Process Engineering and Systems Technology, University of Magdeburg |
| 2000 | Award for the German patent 19902786 „Method to candy coffee beans“, VDI Magdeburg |
| 2000 | Best doctoral thesis award, VDI Magdeburg |
| 1996 | Best diploma award, VDI Magdeburg |
Research areas
- Fluidization technology (spouted, bubbling, transient or turbulent fluidized bed configuration; circulating fluidized beds; prismatic spouted beds, rotary fluidized beds)
- Particle formulation with granulation, coating, agglomeration (also in fluidized beds) and spray drying
- Particle-based simulation methods (discrete element modelling incl. coarse graining, population balance modelling) and coupling with continuum approaches (CFD)
- Measurement techniques for multiphase flows for invasive and non-invasive monitoring (solid concentration profiles + bubble velocity and size):
- Fiber Optical Probes and Capacitance Probes
- Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography (ECVT) incl. cluster detection in riser
- Magnetic Particle Tracking (MPT) for rotation and position of particles
- Digital Particle Image Velocimetry and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PIV-PTV)
- Pressure probes and Boroscope techniques
- Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
- In-situ Impedance Spectrometry (novel Lagrangian sensor for temperature, humidity, layer thickness)
- Online gas concentration measurements of CH4, CO, CO2, H2 and O2 in fluidized beds and CO2 as tracer gas
- Contact, deformation and breakage mechanics of particles
- Particle and bulk powder characterization
- particle size (dry, wet, offline, online)
- particle strength (compression, impact, attrition)
- structure, flowability, rheology, morphology, moisture, sorption kinetics, hygroscopicity
- viscosimetry, tensiometry, reconstitution and contact angle
- Multiscale simulation of complex solid systems
- Steady-state and dynamic flowsheet simulation of solids processes
- Particle-based chemical reaction processes (chemical looping combustion (CLC) + devolatilization / gasification, fluidized bed pyrolysis)
- Food process engineering