‘Recent Advances in Thermal Energy Storage Systems and Applications’ Dedicated to Professor Erich Hahne who turns 75!

Abstract

For those of us who know Prof. Erich Hahne and his legendary vitality it may come as a surprise that he has celebrated his 75th birthday on 2nd February 2007. Over the years, he has made outstanding contributions to the field of solar thermal engineering and to heat transfer in general. Hence, this must be another proof that careful enjoyment of sunshine and continuous dedication to efficient heat transfer reduces the adverse effects of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, in this case in the form of ageing. Erich Wilhelm Perikles Hahne was born on 2nd February 1932, in Athens/Greece. He subsequently grew up and studied in Munich/Germany, where he received his Diplom-Ingenieur degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Munich in 1958. Subsequently, he worked for almost 15 years in the well-known Thermodynamics Institute initially headed by Prof. E. Schmidt and then by Prof. Grigull. In 1964, he was awarded the degree of Dr-Ing. Following a one-year NASA-funded research fellowship at CalTech in Pasadena, U.S.A., in 1973 Dr Hahne was appointed full professor and director of the Institute for Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering (ITW) in the University of Stuttgart. Professor Hahne's research activities are mainly in the areas of solar thermal energy utilization, heat storage, phase change heat transfer and thermophysical properties. His pioneering work on central solar heating plants with seasonal storage, solar collectors and combi-systems and the foundation of the ITW Research & Testing Centre for Solar Systems have firmly established him on the forefront of solar research. To-date, he has authored and co-authored more than 350 journal and conference papers. Being a dedicated teacher he has taught a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as: technical thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, heat exchanger design, optimized energy conversion and solar energy technology. His textbook ‘Technische Thermodynamik’ is now in its 3rd edition. Erich Hahne is well-known as a very active member of the international research community. Being one of the founding members of the International Centre for Heat and Mass Transfer (since 1968 as German representative, later as a member of the Scientific Council, and between 1978 and 1981 as chairman of the Executive Committee), he was the recipient of the 20th Anniversary ICHMT Award in 1988. Presently, he is the German delegate in the Assembly for the International Heat Transfer Conferences which he has served in many responsible positions. Professor Hahne is an editor or co-editor of important international journals, including the Journal of Solar Energy (since 1987) and the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer (since 1966). Accepting and enjoying the internationality of his profession, Professor Hahne has hosted many visiting scientists from all over the world. As the University of Stuttgart liaison officer for Chinese universities, he visited this country several times and became an Honorary Professor at the Shanghai Institute of Mechanical Engineering in 1983. In his private life, Erich Hahne is a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and an accomplished sportsman (tennis and skiing). He also enjoys the theatre, dancing, and the pleasure and leisure of cruise ships. In April 2000, Prof. Hahne retired from his chair in the University of Stuttgart. However, not to anybody's surprise, his is not a restful retirement. He has maintained his office in the Institute for Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering where he continues with many of his activities, including the supervision of doctoral students, the editorship of journals and the organization of conferences such as the recent International Heat Transfer Conferences. This special issue on ‘Recent Advances in Thermal Energy Storage Systems and Applications’ contains several papers from various key people in the area. It is my privilege to dedicate this special issue to Prof. Erich Hahne to acknowledge his accomplishments and significant contributions to the state-of-the-art of thermal energy storage systems and applications, as described in the following Technical Note. On behalf of his many students, colleagues and friends from all around the world, I wish him a very happy birthday and many more productive years.