prof.dr.ir. H.J.M. ter Brake (Marcel)

Marcel ter Brake received his doctoral degree in 1986 at the University of Twente (UT). His PhD work was on a SQUID-based horizontal-access rock magnetometer. Following his PhD, he became member of the Low Temperature Division at UT. Focus of his work was the realization of a Biomagnetic Center equipped with a magnetically shielded room and home-made multichannel SQUID-based neuromagnetometers. These magnetometers were all liquid-helium cooled.

The advent of high-temperature superconductivity in 1986 allowed the use of small cryocoolers that were available on the market mostly for military applications. The interfacing of these coolers to ultra-sensitive devices such as SQUIDs became an important field of Ter Brake’s research. In this work, he started a project on microcooling in 1995. In this ongoing research, MEMS technologies are applied to realize cryocooler components.

In the last 15 years, in addition to microcooling also research was performed on sorption-based compressors combined with Joule-Thomson coolers. These sorption coolers are essentially vibration free and are of interest specifically for space missions but can also be beneficial in terrestrial applications.

Marcel ter Brake was appointed Associate Professor at UT in 2000, and Full Professor and chair holder of Energy, Materials and Systems at UT per January 1^st 2010. Next to cryogenic technologies, this research chair investigates the use of superconductivity in large-current applications, focusing on systems to be applied in future energy chains.

Marcel ter Brake had a 10% Professor appointment at the Technological University of Eindhoven (TUE) from September 2004 to September 2010. He chairs the Cryogenic Society of Europe, and is board member of the International Cryogenic Engineering Committee, and of the International Cryocooler Conference.

He has published more than 220 papers, of which more than 125 in refereed journals.

Committees/boards

International: Chairman Cryogenics Society of Europe, Board member of International Cryogenic Engineering Committee, Board member of International Cryocooler Conference

Organisations

• Faculty of Science and Technology (TNW), Energy, Materials and Systems (EMS)