R.A.W.M. Henkes

R.A.W.M. Henkes is a Full Professor of Multiphase Flow in Pipelines at the Department of Process & Energy, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering (3mE), Delft University of Technology, and serves as Scientific Director of the JM Burgerscentrum for Fluid Dynamics since 2021. Concurrently, he holds an industry position as Principal Technical Expert Fluid Flow at Shell Projects & Technology in Amsterdam since 2018, building on 25+ years of industrial fluid dynamics experience.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Heat and Mass Transfer (Natural-Convection Boundary Layers), Delft University of Technology, 1990
• MSc in Aerodynamics (Separating Boundary Layers), Delft University of Technology, 1985

Henkes' research integrates theoretical fluid dynamics with industrial applications, specializing in multiphase systems for energy infrastructure. His fingerprint reveals dominant themes: pipes (100%), water (87%), simulation (79%), annular flow (62%), and surfactants (56%), reflecting decades of pipeline transport innovation. The work bridges fundamental turbulence modeling with practical solutions for oil/gas and CO2 transport systems.

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a cohesive focus on computational stability for multiphase flows, featuring energy-stable discretizations, entropy-preserving model reduction, and interfacial wave simulations. These studies consistently address thermodynamic equilibrium in CO2 systems and turbulent annular flows, with direct applications to industrial pipeline design and safety.

Key recognitions:

• Senior Research Fellow, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (1993-1995)
• Junior Research Fellow, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (1990-1993)

With 69 research outputs and 6 supervised students, Henkes maintains a dual academic-industry trajectory. His Shell collaboration since 1997 represents sustained industry funding for pipeline flow research, while his university role drives fundamental advancements through the JM Burgerscentrum network.

He leads Delft's Multiphase Flow research group and national fluid dynamics initiatives through the JM Burgerscentrum, coordinating academic-industrial partnerships that translate theoretical models into energy sector applications.