EMPOWER – Experimental Mass Transfer Photoreactor Optimization within Engineered Research

The doctoral project EMPOWER focuses on the development of advanced solar photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic reactors for sustainable hydrogen production and CO₂ reduction. The core objective is to optimise a novel solar photoreactor that directly converts solar energy into chemical fuels within a single integrated process step. By addressing current efficiency limitations, the project aims to contribute to the defossilisation of energy and chemical production.

A key research focus is the in-depth investigation of light distribution, mass transfer, mixing behaviour and gas separation within the reactor. These phenomena strongly affect the overall performance of photoactive systems but have so far received limited systematic attention. EMPOWER applies experimental methods such as laser Doppler velocimetry, spatially resolved light measurements and in-situ gas analysis to identify transport limitations and reaction kinetics in detail. Based on these insights, targeted reactor design modifications—such as adaptations of oscillatory flow, light introduction and gas discharge concepts—are developed and experimentally validated.
The project is closely embedded in ongoing national and European research activities and builds on an existing solar reactor test infrastructure at AEE INTEC. Its results are expected to significantly increase solar-to-fuel efficiency and to be translated into practical design guidelines for solar reactors. These guidelines will support future users in selecting and optimising reactor configurations, thereby accelerating technological development and the market readiness of solar photoreactor systems.