About 40 students from all over Germany are learning about steam technology
About 40 selected students and just under 20 professors from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences, the universities of applied sciences in Erfurt and Münster, the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (Gelsenkirchen), Ostfalia HAW (Wolfenbüttel), the Technical Universities of Cologne, Mannheim, and Central Hesse (Giessen), as well as the universities in Biberach, Bremerhaven, Esslingen, Munich, and Offenburg, came to Hochschule Offenburg shortly before the start of the semester to participate in this year’s Baelz Foundation seminar. This marked the third time that Hochschule Offenburg has hosted this program, which aims to promote engineering education in the field of building services engineering. The topic this time was steam technology. Professor Dr. Manuel Lämmle and Prof. Elmar Bollin from the Institute for Sustainable Energy Systems (INES) at Hochschule Offenburg had organized a multi-day program for students in utility and energy engineering programs, as well as for professors from the Building Automation and Energy Systems Working Group.
To kick things off, Rector Prof. Dr. Stephan Trahasch welcomed the visiting guests and introduced them to Hochschule Offenburg, the economic structure of the Upper Rhine region, the trinational collaboration between Hochschule Offenburg and its partners in France and Switzerland, and the university’s special connection to small and medium-sized enterprises. In doing so, he also drew a connection between the university’s own steam locomotive and the seminar’s topic of steam technology. Subsequently, INES Director Prof. Dr. Michael Schmidt provided a brief overview of the institute’s work. Andrea Bälz, managing director of W. Baelz & Sohn GmbH & Co. and, as a member of the founding family, an advisory board member of the Baelz Foundation, presented the family-owned company from Heilbronn as well as some of its products in the fields of measurement, control, heating, and steam technology. “Without steam, for example, there would be no crisp gherkins in the supermarket,” explained Andrea Bälz.
Afterward, the seminar participants got down to business—both literally and figuratively. Michael Hasselbach, a sales representative and, as of October 1, sales manager at W. Baelz & Sohn GmbH & Co., introduced them to the fundamentals of steam technology as well as the practical aspects of steam generation and distribution in two technical presentations. After covering the various applications of steam in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, in the production of paper and cardboard, food, textiles, tires, and wood products, as well as in hospital sterilization departments and laundry facilities and in district heating systems, the discussion turned to specific topics such as pipe sizing, control technologies, and heat exchangers.
This was followed by guided tours of the INES labs as well as excursions to the Port of Kehl and the Badische Stahlwerke, featuring an impressive, up-close look at steel production. On the second day of the seminar, the program in Freiburg included a visit to City Hall in the Stühlinger district, the university hospital and its combined heat and power plant, as well as specialized technical presentations by Sauter-Cumulus GmbH and Badenova Wärmeplus GmbH & Co. KG. These presentations provided interesting insights into current practices and potential future developments in Energie- und Gebäudetechnik, building automation, and steam technology.
The participants were thrilled. After all, the students had already cited their desire to contribute to the energy transition as a reason for choosing their field of study during the get-together evening. The various program items now provided many exciting ideas for the energy transition and highlighted opportunities for collaboration. And so, the group meals as well as a get-together on the final evening—featuring musical accompaniment by the professors’ band “Out of Control”—were also used to further discuss the many topics raised and to network beyond the seminar.
The Baelz Foundation
The Baelz Foundation supports engineering education at universities in the field of building services engineering. The foundation is supported by the Bälz family and the company baelz automatic, which develops energy-saving components and systems for industry and buildings. The foundation is administratively based at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and is led by an advisory board chaired by Prof. Dr. Peter Ritzenhoff of Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. Each year, it invites selected students from 13 universities of applied sciences in Germany to a special seminar. The goal is to support students in utility and energy engineering programs in developing innovative approaches to sustainable energy supply and to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical experience. In addition, every two years, as part of a user seminar, outstanding final theses for bachelor's degrees and master's degrees are awarded attractive prize money.
