Materials and technologies to increase the sustainability of industrial activity in the oil, natural gas and biofuels sector

• Grant number: 25/02558-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Pérez Bergmann
• Grantee: Carlos Pérez Bergmann
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Porto Alegre , SP, Brazil
• Pesquisadores principais: Adriane Prisco Petry ; Afonso Reguly ; Andrea Moura Bernardes ; Andrés Armando Mendiburu Zevallos ; Annelise Kopp Alves ; Carla Schwengber ten Caten ; Carlos Eduardo Fortis Kwietniewski ; Célia de Fraga Malfatti ; Daniel Milbrath De Leon ; Diogo Elias da Vinha Andrade ; EDUARDO ANDRÉ PERONDI ; Felipe Amorim Berutti ; Felipe Roman Centeno ; Felipe Tempel Stumpf ; Fernando Marcelo Pereira ; Francis Henrique Ramos França ; Guilherme Henrique Fiorot ; HUGO MARCELO VEIT ; Ignacio Iturrioz ; Istefani Carisio de Paula ; Jakson Manfredini Vassoler ; Leticia Jenisch Rodrigues ; Ney Francisco Ferreira ; Paulo Smith Schneider ; Thomas Gabriel Rosauro Clarke

Abstract

This proposal aims to continue research and training of human resources in the area of Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels, which have been developed more intensively since PRH-38, in force until 2017, whose research was very successful in generating scientific knowledge in the area of energy efficiency and technological development in Engineering, with the publication of a large number of articles and technical papers, in addition to the training of 3 Doctors, 7 Masters and contributed to enriching the training of 14 undergraduate students who developed their course completion projects in the program. Excellent work was expanded in the current PRH13.1, where the research areas were expanded, dedicating intensely to the themes of Hydrogen, Biofuels, Energy Storage, Strategic Minerals for the Energy Sector and Sustainable Thermoelectric Generation Technology, which can be proven through the technical production report attached to the FAP of this proposal with the following name: Annex- Item 9PropCompl-PT. It is important to highlight that studies on these priority topics will be intensified in developing this proposal, and other topics relevant to the sector will be added to it. The excellence of the current PRH 13.1 can be demonstrated in numbers, in terms of publications presented in this proposal and the number of completed works. We had 6 Master's degrees completed, 11 undergraduate students, and 3 Post-doctorates. In addition, the undergraduate student Alice Guimarães Wendelstein, from PRH13.1, also stands out in winning awards, receiving the award for Best Final Course Work in Materials Engineering - 2024/1 for the work: "Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide produced from grape stalks for application in biodiesel production", developed under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Carlos Pérez Bergmann. Currently, PRH 13.1 has an Occupancy Rate of 99%; that is, it has 4 PhD students, 5 Master's students, and 16 undergraduate students in progress, in addition to 1 post-doc.It is also worth highlighting the excellence of the research groups that make up this proposal. Regarding the School of Engineering-UFRGS, which hosts this proposal, of the five Engineering programs that make it up, two (Materials Engineering and Production Engineering) have the highest score (grade 5) in the IGC/INEP, and the other three (Energy Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering) have a score of 4. In addition, the participating postgraduate programs also have the highest score (grade 7) in the CAPES Evaluation - PPGE3M, PPGEP, and PROMEC, with a score of 6. It should be noted that these three PGs previously worked together to train 42 Petrobras Engineers at the Master's level in the Equipment Inspection Specialty, meeting the specific demand of this company in the period 2010-2012. Thus, it can be inferred that this proposal presents a highly qualified team capable of training professionals who are qualified and skilled to develop activities in the area of Energy, Materials and Sustainability (and their interfaces) in the industrial activity of the Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels sector. Thus, through this proposal, we seek the possibility of training 16 more undergraduate students, six Master's students, four Doctoral students and post-doctoral internships, in addition to enabling two students to undertake international exchange.It is intended, therefore, to count on the collaboration of the ANP Human Resources Training Program to intensify the role of our institution EE-UFRGS in pursuing its institutional purposes that result in an effective contribution to the Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels sector. (AU)