Perspectives in Fluid Mechanics

In addition to 35 university professors, two representatives of the DFG Head Office and the BTU as well as partner institutions were on hand to discuss planned and existing research programs and initiatives such as Priority Programs, Collaborative Research Centers, Research Training Groups and Research Groups of the German Research Foundation (DFG). The development of the funding situation as well as current appointments in fluid mechanics and aerodynamics at universities in Germany and the development of universities here will also be topics of the two-day DFG roundtable.

Another topic will be the next round of the Excellence Initiative. But questions of school requirements for engineering studies in mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics will also be discussed.

"The fact that the university roundtable of German fluid mechanics experts is coming to Cottbus after 22 years is a great honor for the university," says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Egbers, Chair of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics and organizer of this year's DFG roundtable. "The positive development of fluid mechanics in Cottbus is thus excellently acknowledged."

About fluid mechanics at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg

In addition to numerous DFG individual projects, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Egbers had already participated in the nationwide priority program "Meteorology and Fluid Mechanics (METSTRÖM)" in 2007. Over a period of six years, the scientists of the chair investigated flows at the baroclinic wave tank in analogy to atmospheric flows. Egbers led a DFG research group as spokesperson from 2010 to 2017, which focused on near-wall transport and structure formation processes in turbulent flows.

Since 2016, the Fluid Center with its diverse rotating experimental facilities has been funded as a DFG Equipment Center "Physics of rotating fluids". This new DFG center bundles nationally and internationally all research activities in the field of rotating and stratified fluids.

Another outstanding European research cooperation has existed for almost 20 years within the GEOFLOW project. Geoflow I was operated very successfully on the International Space Station ISS from 2008 to 2009, Geoflow II and IIb ran from 2011 to 2018 and sent data to the ground station of the Fluid Center.

The Atmoflow project is in preparation for the ISS in 2026. With the pipe flow test facility (Cottbus Large Pipe Test Facility, CoLa-pipe) at the Fluid-Centrum, the chair of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Egbers was involved in the DFG priority program "Turbulence and Superstructures" for another six years from 2016 to 2022. Currently, the chair is participating in the DFG-funded COVID-19 prevention program.

Prof. Egbers has also been an elected member of Review Board 404 "Fluid Mechanics, Technical Thermodynamics and Thermal Energy Technology" at the DFG for seven years.