Academic Events
Conference
(CMFF’25)
26.-29., Aug., 2025.
CRC 287 at the Conference on Modelling Fluid Flow (CMFF’25)
From 26–29 August 2025, CRC 287 contributed to the Conference on Modelling Fluid Flow (CMFF’25) in Budapest, Hungary, by organizing a dedicated workshop session on
“Coupling Discrete Element Method and Computational Fluid Dynamics (DEM/CFD).”
The session, led by Prof. Viktor Scherer (Ruhr-University Bochum) together with Prof. Dominique Thévenin (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg), provided a broad perspective on the modeling of particulate flows, with a strong focus on combining DEM and CFD approaches. Discussions highlighted the challenges of simulating reacting flows, the importance of experimental validation in complex geometries, and novel trends such as machine learning for model enrichment, hybrid resolved/unresolved DEM/CFD strategies, and advances in Immersed Boundary Methods.
CRC 287 members and collaborators presented a series of contributions, including:
Rezvan Abdi, Bo Jaeger, Torben Bergold, Enric Illana, Martin Schiemann, Viktor Scherer
Influence of packing density on the calcination process for lime production: A DEM-CFD studyNinghua Zhan, Enqi Liu, Andrea Dernbecher, Nicole Vorhauer-Huget, Rui Wu, Alba Diéguez Alonso, Abdolreza Kharaghani
Detailed characterisation of pore structure and transport properties of biomass particles during pyrolysisAli Mjalled, Bo Jaeger, Reza Namdar, Lucas Mieg, Enric Illana, Fathollah Varnik, Viktor Scherer, Martin Mönnigmann
Enhancing DEM-CFD simulations with machine-learning-based locally resolved Nusselt number correlationsDavide Mapelli, Don Dasun Attanayake, Berend van Wachem, Fabian Sewerin
Combining the partially stirred reactor with a DEM description: The pyrolysis of biomassBo Jaeger, Rezvan Abdi, Enric Illana, Viktor Scherer
Investigating the influence of particle shape on the pyrolysis of thermally thick particles in DEM/CFDReza Namdar, Mohammad Norouzi, Fathollah Varnik
An application of machine learning to compute thermochemistry of reactive flows: A mixture of experts approachWojciech Sadowski, Christin Velten, Maximilian Brömmer, Hakan Demir, Francesca Di Mare, Katharina Zähringer, Viktor Scherer
Numerical and experimental investigation of low Reynolds number flow in a packed bed of rotated bars
Farshad Gharibi, Dominique Thévenin
Equilibrium positions and dynamic behavior of thermal prolate particles in shear flow: Influence of particle size.
The workshop was well attended and fostered fruitful discussions on current advances and future challenges in DEM/CFD simulations.
16.-18., 06, 2025, Mageburg, Germany:
2nd International Workshop on Reacting Particle-Gas Systems
The 2nd International Workshop on Reacting Particle–Gas Systems was held in Magdeburg from 16 to 18 June 2025. Hosted by CRC 287 BULK REACTION, the event attracted over 140 participants from universities, research institutions and industry to the historic Johanniskirche, which provided an inspiring setting for scientific exchange in reactive multiphase systems.
The scientific programme covered a wide range of topics related to particle-laden reactive flows, including detailed and reduced single-particle reaction models, gas-phase combustion and large-scale CFD/DEM simulations. There was a particular focus on integrating experimental and numerical methods, with sessions dedicated to advanced diagnostics as well as benchmarking and validation strategies. This interdisciplinary approach encouraged collaboration between simulation experts and experimentalists.
Keynote lectures were delivered by internationally renowned researchers Aibing Yu, Tamas Turanyi, Tina Kasper, and Berend van Wachem, providing highlights of the workshop.
A poster session enabled the presentation of ongoing research and emerging results. The diverse scientific backgrounds of the participants contributed to lively discussions and collaborations.
To ensure a lasting impact, a book of abstracts with a DOI will be published, and selected participants were invited to submit full-length contributions to a special issue of Particuology due to be published soon.
Thanks to its high level of attendance and the quality of the science presented, the workshop advanced research in reacting particle–gas systems and strengthened an international network of experts dedicated to this complex and rapidly developing field.
Workshop website:
(Workshop)
26., Sep, 2024.
1st doctoral researcher’s self-organized workshop in funding period 2
The first doctoral researcher’s self-organized workshop in funding period 2 took place in Bochum in September 2024. It included a data-sprint to foster RDM best practices. There was a guest lecture by Anika Weber (PhD student at DLR) on the topic of Development, Modelling, and Experimental Investigation of a New, Innovative Particle Concept for Solar Fuel Production.
24.- 25., Sep, 2024.
3rd Retreat of the CRC/TRR 287 BULK-REACTION in Bochum
The 3rd Retreat of the CRC/TRR 287 BULK-REACTION took place in Bochum in September 2024. It was the first in-person meeting of all CRC members after the 2nd funding period was granted by the DFG in may this year. The team discussed the current status and the strategic orientation of the CRC and a group of new PhD students was welcomed. Prof. Stefan Heinrich (TU Hamburg), invited guest speaker, held a key note lecture about reactive fluidized beds, presenting state-of-the-art measurements techniques in the field of particle technology and giving insight into a topic that is of great interest to the CRC.
13., June, 2024.
Prof. Scherer gave a seminar at University of Salerno, Italy, on June 13 2024 on “DEM/CFD simulation of moving and reacting granular assemblies with gas flow”
(IPNF 2024)
11.- 12., June, 2024.
Prof. Scherer was a keynote speaker at the Modeling and Simulation Session during the International Powder & Nanotechnology Forum (IPNF 2024) in Frankfurt on June 11-12, 2024, entitled “DEM/CFD simulation of chemically reacting, thermally thick particles in moving granular assemblies with gas flow: challenges and recent developments.”
See website for IPNF 2023:https://ipnf2023.com/. The website for IPNF 2024 is yet not online but to be published soon.
Conference
7.- 10., May, 2024.
The CRC 287 organized a mini-symposium during the forthcoming International Conference on Numerical Combustion, Kyoto, Japan (7-10 May 2024) on the topic of tabulation approaches for homogeneous and heterogeneous reacting flows.
2.- 5., April, 2024.
The CRC 287 organized a dedicated session at the upcoming Conference on Industrial Furnace and Boilers (2-5. April 2024, Portugal, Algarve)
This session includes invited lectures of Prof. Bernhard Peters, Luxembourg (XDEM technologies supporting the transition from blast to direct reduction of iron furnaces) and Prof. Stefan Radl (How CFD-DEM Simulations benefit from machine learning), Graz University of technology. These lectures were complemented by contribution of the CRC 287 (measurements on flame wall interaction in packed beds that allows for the validation of DEM/CFD, assessment of the differences of RANS and VLES simulations on the flame structure downstream of packed beds)
April 24th – 26h, 2023
Rouen, France
August 30th – September 2nd, 2022
Budapest, Hungary
June 8th – 9th, 2022
Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
organized by the Collaborative Research Centre 287 BULK-REACTION
September 13th – 15th, 2021
Hotel Leornardo Hannover, Germany
