Andreas Pfeifer reports

During my process engineering degree at Osnabrück Polytechnic I completed a 22-week internship at ThyssenKrupp Uhde. The internship enabled me to find out more about the gas technology division and I was able to work on the construction of a pulverised coal burner for the ThyssenKrupp Uhde proprietary PRENFLO^TM gasification process. I was tasked with using AutoCAD to rework old drawings from an existing pulverised coal burner so that they could be used for future enhancements.

From day one I was well looked after and made to feel part of the team. My work mates didn’t just pass on their technical knowledge, they also gave me a good insight into how the business works. After a semester I applied and was accepted for an undergraduate position in the plant design department as I‘d really enjoyed working there and really liked working on coal gasification. In writing my dissertation it was really important that I dealt with a subject which had real practical relevance.

I’m currently working on the constructive development of a device for cleaning synthesis gas in a coal gasification plant. There is a great deal of variety around the jobs I have to do and they will be used as the groundwork for  a project which is likely to come off in the near future. As well as developing the concept and the graphic implementation, I am also responsible for the design and for requesting quotes for components. This also involves interacting with the suppliers.

My time at ThyssenKrupp Uhde was a great experience for me. I was finally able to apply a lot of the knowledge I’d gained during my degree and put it into practice. And thanks to the fact that I could work autonomously, the work on my dissertation has taught me to be organised and tackle problems systematically to find the solution. My time with ThyssenKrupp Uhde helped me realise that I would like to carry on working in the plant construction industry once I’ve completed my dissertation.