It is with great sadness that Europump announces the death of Prof. Bernd Stoffel, who passed away on June 8th, 2021. All those who had the pleasure of knowing him, both personally and professionally, will mourn his passing. Europump and the wider pump sector has lost a strong, valuable, and committed supporter of many years.
Prof. Stoffel was an enthusiastic scientist and researcher, finding answers to essential pump design questions through his contribution to numerous research projects. Many of the central findings of the topics he studied, such as cavitation or achievable efficiencies in centrifugal pumps, are linked directly to the performance of the European pump industry. As a central figure within of the research landscape in the field of fluid machinery, Prof. Stoffel constantly evolved his role at the TU Darmstadt, sought out new topics and gained insights that helped him to achieve the highest recognition not only in Germany, but also in Europe and across the world.
The pump industry owes Prof. Stoffel huge gratitude for some of the essential standards to which pump manufacturers worldwide follow today. ISO 9906, a standard conceived more than 20 years ago, today still provides the basis for performance testing of pumps after a revision in 2012. Even after his retirement, Prof. Stoffel remained active in the field of pumps. Between 2006 and 2020, he found a new challenge with the European Commission’s energy-saving requirements, to which his usual passion and meticulousness was dedicated.
Prof. Stoffel’s technical and scientific achievements on behalf of the pump industry can never be over-stated, or indeed comprehensively detailed within this obituary – they are simply too numerous! But of equal importance is to pay tribute to Bernd Stoffel as a person. He was – as all who knew him will testify – a fine and special person. He was courteous, accessible, and always a team player who strove to create a productive exchange among colleagues. He was a patient teacher, eager to impart knowledge and enthusiastic when this knowledge was gratefully received. Despite his vast intellect and professional experience, he never patronized or spoke down to people, always engaging with respect and humility. For many, he will be counted as one of those individuals, who they would have liked to have known sooner and for longer!
On behalf of the whole Europump community, our sincere and heartfelt sympathy goes to his wife, his children, and his grandchildren, at this most difficult of times. We will always remember him with fondness, gratitude, and deep appreciation.
Courtesy of Europump.