Maximilian Medicus has been working as a PhD student in the Systems Engineering Group at Fraunhofer IKTS, Dresden, since 2019. He completed his M.Sc. at TU Dresden with investigations of FSP-synthesized Fe-Mn/CeO2 catalysts in heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase reactions. 

As part of his doctoral research, Max is investigating the scaling and shaping of iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts for the production of fine chemicals such as higher alcohols in fixed-bed reactors. His experiments specifically vary catalyst composition and Fischer-Tropsch operating conditions to quantify and predict effects on target productivity. 

He has also conducted experiments on cobalt-based catalysts and is an expert in catalyst characterization and GC analysis. As part of the CARE-O-SENE project, he is assisting with both experimental and evaluation activities of the fixed-bed reactor experiments.

Dipl.-Ing Gregor Herz is a PhD student in the Systems Process Engineering group at Fraunhofer IKTS. In the group, he already completed his studies of process engineering at TU Dresden with a diploma thesis on the simulation of electrolysis-based Fischer-Tropsch processes. Since then, his field of activity has expanded to techno-economic analyses on the utilization of hydrogen in large-scale industrial processes.

 In the CARE-O-SENE project, he will be responsible for modeling the process chain from electrolysis over Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to product separation and upgrading. The main focus will be on the impact of new catalyst generations developed within the CARE-O-SENE project on the efficiency of the complete process chain and the resulting product spectrum.

Judith Mettke came to Fraunhofer IKTS in 2021 to write her master's thesis and was able to gain initial experience in the field of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. After completing her master's degree in chemical engineering and process technology at Nuremberg University of Applied Sciences, she has been continuing her work as a PhD student in the Systems Process Engineering group under the supervision of Dr. Erik Reichelt since 2022. 

In the context of her PhD thesis, she is working on the kinetics of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using spatially resolved concentration profiles and the fixed-bed catalytic testing of catalysts developed in the course of the CARE-O-SENE project.