Seit 1996 wird von Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Gerald Gerlach die Buchreihe „Dresdner Beiträge zur Sensorik“ herausgegeben, in der herausragende wissenschaftliche Beiträge der Technischen Universität Dresden, insbesondere auch des Institutes für Festkörperelektronik, publiziert werden. Zu den bisher vorliegenden Bänden sind seitdem weitere Bände hinzugekommen. Das Profil des Institutes wird durch folgende Forschungsgebiete geprägt: Thermische Infrarotsensoren, Piezoresistive Sensoren auf der Basis quellfähiger Hydrogele, Ultraschalltechnik, Funktionelle Dünnschichten, Nanoptische Sensoren. Mit der Berufung von Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Gerald Gerlach auf den Lehrstuhl für Festkörperelektronik zum 01.01.1996 wurde das Spektrum der Forschungsarbeiten insbesondere um die Fachgebiete der Siliziumsensoren für unterschiedliche Meßgrößen und des Entwurfs komplexer Sensor- und Aktor-Systeme in der Mikrosystemtechnik erweitert. Das Zusammenwirken von Physik, Elektronik und Technologie der Mikroelektronik bei Forschung, Entwicklung und Fertigung sowie Applikation leistungsfähiger Sensoren ist Gegenstand von Lehre und Forschung des IFE. / Since 1996 the book series „Dresdner Beiträge zur Sensorik“ edited by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Gerald Gerlach has been published. The aim of this series is the publication of outstanding scientific contributions of TU Dresden, especially of those compiled at the Institute for Solid-State Electronics. The Solid-State Electronics Laboratory (Institut für Festkörperelektronik - IFE) is one of 12 laboratories of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Technische Universität Dresden. Together with the Semiconductor Technology and Microsystems Lab and several chairs of the Circuits and Systems and the Packaging Labs, the Solid-State Electronics Laboratory is responsible for the microelectronics specialization in the Electrical Engineering program. Research and teaching field of the Institute for Solid-State Electronics are dedicated to the interaction of physics, electronics and (microelectronics) technology in: materials research, technology, and solid state sensor operational principles, application of sensors for special measurement problems, design of sensors and sensor systems including the simulation of components as well as of complex systems, development of thin films and multilayer stacks for sensor applications, application of ultrasound for nondestructive evaluation, medical diagnostics and process measurement technology.

Advanced monitoring of the spatio-temporal distribution of process parameters in large-scale vessels and containers such as stirred chemical or bioreactors offers a high potential for the investigation and further optimization of plants and embedded processes. This applies especially to large-scale fermentation biogas reactors where the process performance including the biological processes highly depend on mixing parameters of the complex bio-substrates. Sufficient mixing is a basic requirement for a stable operation of the process and adequate process performance. However, this condition is rarely met in agricultural biogas plants and the process efficiency is often reduced dramatically by inhomogeneities in the agitated vessels. Without a doupt, investigation and monitoring of biochemical parameters, such as the fermentation rate, pH distribution as well as O2 and CO2 concentration is of great importance. Nevertheless, also understanding of non-biological parameters, such as fluid dynamics (flow velocity profiles, circulation times), suspension mixing (homogeneity, location of dead zones and short-circuits) and heat transfer (temperature profiles), is necessary to analyze the impact of mixing on the biological system and also to improve the process efficiency. However, in most industrial scale applications the acquisition of these parameters and their spatial distributions in the large-scale vessels is hampered by the limited access to the process itself, because sensor mounting or cable connections are not feasible or desired. Therefore, state of the art instrumentation of such reactors is commonly limited to few spatial positions where it is doubtfully assumed that the measured parameters are representative for the whole reaction mixture. In this work, a concept of flow following sensor particles was developed. The sensor particles allow long-term measurement of spatially distributed process parameters in the chemically and mechanically harsh environments of agitated industrial vessels. Each sensor particle comprises of an onboard measurement electronics that logs the signals of measurement devices, namely temperature, absolute pressure (immersion depth, axial position) and 3D acceleration. The whole electronics is enclosed in a robust neutrally buoyant capsule (equivalent diameter 58.2 mm; sphericity 0.91), to allow free movement with the flow. The sensor particles were tested in pilot fermenters under comparable flow conditions of biogas fermenters. The experiments proved the applicability of the sensor particles and the robustness to resist the harsh environments of mixing processes. Moreover, the results show the capabilities of the sensor particles to monitor the internal conditions of the vessel correctly and thus deliver significant information about the flow regime. Therefore effects of liquid rheology, vessel geometry, impeller speed and axial impeller position on the macro-mixing process were properly detected. Evaluation of the impeller efficiency and the mixing processes was done based on mixing homogeneity, location of dead zones, axial velocity profiles, circulation time distributions as well as average circulation times, acceleration spectra and temperature profiles that were extracted from the measured data. Furthermore, it is shown, that parameters of mixing models such as circulation number, impeller head, PECLÉT-number and variance of suspended solid particles can be estimated from the measured data. The main achievement of this work is therefore the development and validation of instrumented flow followers for the investigation of macro-mixing effects in agitated vessels. The sensor particles show potential for employment to real applications such as biogas fermenters or large bioreactors and to monitor and improve the mixing and heating regimes.