Ernst-Arndt Reinecke

Dr. Ernst-Arndt Reinecke is Head of the Safety Research department at Forschungszentrum Jülich's Institute of Energy Technology (IEK-6). Holding a PhD from RWTH Aachen University (1999), he has dedicated his career to nuclear safety research with a specialized focus on hydrogen safety and containment phenomena during severe accidents in light water reactors. His leadership extends to international collaborations including founding membership in the International Association HySafe (2009) and participation in the European Hydrogen Safety Panel since 2018.

Dr. Reinecke's research interests center on catalytic hydrogen recombiners, severe accident analysis, and hydrogen mitigation strategies in nuclear containment systems. His work bridges fundamental research with practical safety applications, particularly in developing passive safety systems that prevent hydrogen explosions during nuclear accidents. His expertise spans both experimental validation and computational modeling of hydrogen behavior under accident conditions.

His extensive publication record reveals consistent focus on improving nuclear safety through better understanding of hydrogen behavior, development of passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs), and validation of safety codes. Recent work emphasizes the application of nuclear hydrogen safety knowledge to emerging hydrogen technologies, demonstrating the transferability of nuclear safety expertise to broader energy applications.

As department head, Dr. Reinecke leads numerous national and international projects including AMHYCO and SASPAM-SA, focusing on hydrogen safety in nuclear applications and small modular reactors. His team conducts experimental research using facilities like REKO and THAI to validate computational models for hydrogen behavior and mitigation.