Area of Concentration: Process Engineering
Research Line
Industrial Processes
This Line of Research is inserted in the field of engineering with a multidisciplinary performance in the Research Topics described below with direction and applications in the Mining, Metallurgy, Agro-forestry industry and others. In this sense, the chosen line of research aims to produce knowledge and train people capable of developing processes and products in the aforementioned areas and sectors. This line is then subdivided into the following Research Topics:
1 - Process Control and Automation:
The topic of research in Process Control and Automation appears as a response to the need to modernize the various existing industrial plants and to be implemented in the Amazon Region in order to reduce their operating costs and make them more competitive. As one of the topics in the area of Process Engineering, he proposes to: 1) Use systems modeling and identification techniques to obtain representative models of the systems behavior to be studied in their operating ranges; 2) Apply tools for analysis of stability margins and systems robustness; 3) Apply modern and advanced control techniques so that the systems meet the performance requirements imposed according to specific objectives; 4) Use tools for monitoring variables and intelligent diagnosis of systems in order to predict the occurrence of possible faults and study ways to avoid or correct them; 5) Apply control techniques in the analysis of energy systems; 6) Analysis of stability of hybrid energy systems; 7) Control systems applied to energy efficiency and protection of electrical systems.
2 - Industrial Processes:
The topic of Industrial Processes arises mainly as a response to the growing interest in the transformation of mineral resources in the Amazon Region. As one of the topics in the area of Process Engineering, it aims to interpret the physical and chemical phenomena involved in industrial transformation processes; propose models that describe phenomena and processes of industrial interests; as well as developing methodologies for solving fundamental and applied problems of different interests.
This research topic will focus on the use and development of products and processes for processing mineral resources in the Amazon region, as well as on the energy and environmental processes involved in the transformation. As an example, we can mention: exploration of bauxite, iron ore, copper ore, gold, kaolin and others; development of nobler products and processes from available raw mineral inputs, such as in the production of ceramic materials, metallurgical alumina, metallic aluminum, in the development of catalysts, in the study of chemical processes, recycling and reuse of waste from the mining industry, as well as the development of technologies aimed at controlling environmental impacts. Specifically, the research topics of interest are: i) Inorganic industrial transformation processes; ii) The use of knowledge of Thermosciences in the analysis of transformation processes; iii) Analysis of environmental phenomena, related to the transformation processes; iv) Development of processes for reusing waste from the processing industries; v) Conventional and unconventional separation operations (Absorption, adsorption, solid / liquid extraction, steam distillation, particulate transport, etc.).
3 - Productive and Environmental Processes:
This research topic seeks to address the management of production processes linked to industrial production lines, aiming to identify the main causes of stoppages and bottlenecks in industrial production lines. Also, environmental control and treatment of industrial process residues are also sought regarding the emission of industrial effluents.