Frank Tillenkamp

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Tillenkamp is a full Professor for Refrigeration Technology, Fluid Dynamics and Energy Systems at ZHAW School of Engineering, where he serves dual leadership roles as Director of the Institute of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering and Department Director of Mechanical Engineering, Energy Technology and Aviatics (MEA). His research focuses on advancing sustainable energy solutions through refrigeration technology, heat pump optimization, and energy efficiency in building systems.

His primary research domains include:

• Advanced refrigeration cycle design and CO2-based systems
• Heat pump hydraulics and performance optimization
• Exergy-based efficiency assessment methods
• Blast safety valve mechanics and fluid-structure interactions
• Energy storage solutions for commercial applications

Publication analysis reveals three dominant research trajectories:

1. Energy efficiency optimization in refrigeration/HVAC systems (6 publications)
2. Safety engineering for blast-resistant components (4 publications)
3. Sustainable energy integration in buildings (3 publications)

Recent work shows increasing focus on computational methods including FSI simulations and computer vision applications.

Professor Tillenkamp leads multiple research initiatives:

• Underground Farming: Investigating sustainable agriculture systems (ongoing)
• Community Energy Storage: Completed project on energy grid integration
• Cooling System Comparison: Analyzing commercial refrigeration configurations (ongoing)

He maintains active industry engagement as Chairman of SNV INB NK 181 standards committee for refrigeration systems and contributes to SIA heating standards. His laboratory focuses on experimental validation of energy systems, with particular expertise in hydraulic network optimization and refrigeration test rigs.