Josef Petek

Background

About Josef Petek

My initial interest in chemical engineering was directed to the field of power generation through my research on pyrolysis and gasification of large fuel particles at the Graz University of Technology. Although my PhD work was primarily experimental, it was essential for gaining insight into the underlying physical processes that my co-workers developed a detailed mathematical model that allowed for predicting the behavior under conditions that could not be examined in the test bed. My conviction that simulation is an appropriate way to solve complex problems stems from that experience. Heat balance simulation has been the focal point to my entire professional career since, and given the current revolution and turmoil in the energy industry, I believe that the task of finding the optimal solution for the world’s power supply has never been so complex before, as we are trying to bridge the transition from the fossil era to the renewable future while keeping cost affordable and reliability of supply high. I enjoy working in this field with my long-term partners at ENEXSA (formerly VTU Energy), and I take pride in the fact that our solutions help to improve the energy efficiency of power plants, integrated power & water plants, steel mills and utilities world-wide. Doing business around the globe and meeting people with different cultural background gives me as much pleasure as living in Austria, one of the most beautiful places on earth. Key words: energy efficiency, Energiewende, energy transition, heat balance simulation, power plants, renewable energy, solar power, energy storage, gas turbine, steam turbine, boiler, gas engine