Thomas MerkleThomas Merkle - M .Eng. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) - has some decades of experience as graduated engineer in the areas of flow technology and energy technology. His experience about pumps ranges from engineering and design up to planning and operation of pumps nd pumping systems. He also obtained experience in the operation and maintenance of water pumps under extremely difficult conditions in remote regions. Since more than 13 years he is working as Chief engineer for the company Schmalenberger in Tuebingen/Germany. In this function he is member of the research working group pumps & systems in the German association VDMA (German engineering association), and in the Network research & development of IHK Reutlingen (chamber of commerce and industry). After his studies, which he finalized with two degrees - one in mechanical engineering and one after a post-graduate course in technical project management - he worked as project engineer, project manager and head of research & development, also overseas, on the topics of renewable energy, flow technology and energy efficiency for many years. He searched at the center for solar energy and hydrogen research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart, in the field of applied solar energy research. During this time, he held a part-time lectureship (1993-1997) as a lecturer at the University of Cooperative Education, Stuttgart, in the subject Renewable Energies. He wrote many publications about pump technology, energy and renewable energy. A handbook for operation of pumps Schaeden an Pumpen und Pumpensystemen has been published by Expert Verlag Publishers. In the context of his work at Schmalenberger, numerous investigations were carried out and solutions worked out to the pump wear topic. He guided many research & development projects - supported by the BMWI (German ministry for economic.) and the BMBF (German ministry for research) - about pumps & systems. Since 2011, he is part time lecturer in the field of pumps and systems at the Technical Academy Technische Akademie Esslingen. Main emphases of his present work are energy efficiency, wear prevention and anti-corrosion protection. Read More Read Less