The growing number of research projects at HAW Hamburg is also leading to increased diversity in the scientific questions investigated. The projects captured under the label ‘Diverse Research Activities’ address current societal challenges and represent an area of the university’s research with growth potential.
The spectrum of projects includes work on fabrics in clothing technology, the investigation of polyurethane foams, and approaches to combatting social inequality at the European level. Particular mention should also be given to those projects that address the further development of teaching methods, thereby elevating the connection between teaching and research to the systematic-analytical and constructive level.
Research Groups
Dynamics and Interactions of Fluids and Structures
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The research group investigates the numerical simulation of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) in technical systems. This term refers to the physical effects of the mutual interaction of flows and solids. The flows can consist of liquids or gases, and the solids can be rigid or deformable. These pairings and their typically dynamic effects are among the most important multiphysics problems in engineering.
The current projects and research activities cover the fields of fluid-structure interaction of flexible structures with a focus on FSI in wind- and wave-energy systems, computational acoustics, and adaptive systems for sound and vibration control.
Integrated Industrial Business Processes
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The trends in product and production management require solutions that go beyond the purely technical perspective and local needs or phases in the product life cycle. This holistic view of the business process from customer to customer in the international setting necessitates a comprehensive overview from the product idea to production/after sales that takes into account technical, ecological, economic and social aspects.
The research group addresses these issues in projects from the fields of aviation, mechanical engineering, e-mobility, and the service sector that cover three research areas: global business process optimisation; sustainability in industrial value-creation networks; and design and flexibility in the management of people, organisations, and technology.
Optical Sensing
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The research group brings together related and interdependent topics in optical sensing technology within the framework of applied research and development. The experimental and theoretical investigation of optical spectroscopic gas sensors, which is a primary focus, is applied in industrial process measurement technology, emissions control and medical technology.
The second focus, interferometric body composition analysis, is used in vibration and deformation analysis.
Innovation in Medium-Sized Companies
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For some time now, significant changes to the legal framework for international and maritime logistics have been taking place. The effects on companies working together in supply chains are already becoming clear, but their full impact remains to be seen. This research group analyses the impacts of the legal framework on supply chain management and investigates and further develops options for creating security in the organisational and technical fields (e.g. the use of RFID technology).
Virtual Product Development for Mechatronic Systems
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The research group defines processes that describe the connection between the methods, the software and hardware tools, and the employees of various specialty areas, as well as the interfaces for the secure and efficient development of mechatronic systems. The consistent use of computers and the application of virtual product development methods provide the developers of mechatronic systems with tools that can be used at an early stage of development.
