1. CENTRE OF APPLIED RESEARCH
“ENERGY EFFICIENT HEAT
EXCHANGE AND CATALYSIS:
UNIHEAT”
Energy Efficient Technologies Cluster

2. PREREQUISITES FOR CREATION
• Global oil production 85 m bbl/day;
• Refineries use 5-7% of each crude оil barrel energy for itself - 1.5 times the entire
production of BP just to operate the world’s 720 refineries;
• Great deal of this energy is wasted through inefficient heat exchange:
burnt in furnaces; fouling; wasted heat;
poor energy management; inefficient catalytic processes;
• 2.5% of all man-made CO2 emissions
Crude oil Refined products
current losses could be reduce by ~15%
(saving US$ 3.9 bn p.a. and several million tones of CO2)
as a result of multidiscipline R&D in project

3. GOAL AND RESEARCH AREAS
Project aims at addressing fouling, heat transfer enhancement and energy
maximisation problems across all scales, from the molecular to the process unit
to the overall heat exchanger network
• Intensification of heat exchanging processes for the oil and gas industry for
prevention of deposits and fouling
• Reduction of hydraulic drag in heat exchange equipment and pipelines
• Mitigation technologies including surface treatment and additive development
applied to heat exchangers and pipeline systems
• Improving design of heat exchange equipment, energy recovery networks and
utilisation of waste heat
• Advanced modelling for efficient management of combined heat and reaction
in oil and chemical processes utilising new catalysts
• Catalytic processes and reactors for enhancing energy efficiency and its
generation
• Industrial processes for fuel upgrading and normalisation
generic experimental, experience of key technology transfer highly-trained
modeling and design industrially-relevant program researchers
methods problems solution

4. MAIN PARTNERS
Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch of RAS
 The largest research institute in the world in the field of catalysis
 World-leading specialists in the chemistry and oil characterisation, modelling of the heat
transfer processes in the presence of the catalysts and development of new catalysts for
application to the oil and petrochemical industries
 Wide experience of international and industrial collaboration
 World-leading specialists in oil and deposits chemical and physical characterization,
thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and reaction modeling
 Experience of research practical applications
 Experience in managing multidisciplinary projects and closely working with oil companies
National Research University of Novosibirsk
 Stable functioning staff training system in the field of catalysis – 4 departments: catalysis
and adsorption, physical chemistry, chemical and biological physics, physical methods of
solid substance research
 Full integration with the Institutes of Siberian branch of RAS
British Petroleum (BP Russia)
World's leading international oil and gas company
Exploration and production activity in 29 countries
16 Refineries (wholly or partly owned)
UNICAT Ltd, Novosibirsk
Legal entity with “Skolkovo status” providing infrastructure and coordination of R&D

5. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
Energy-Efficient Heat Exchange and Catalysis
Structure
UNICAT Legal entity with
“Skolkovo status”
Funding:
UNIHEAT
Skolkovo
Foundation Skolkovo
Industry Steering Committee status
Sponsors 2 Directors benefits
Execution:
Boreskov Institute Scientific Industry UNIHEAT
Programme Engagement
of Catalysis Programme
Industrial
Manager(s) Manager projects
Imperial College Shared Individual/partners
Proofs of concept
(Others ?) Pre-competitive Confidential
Separate contract
Industrial Demonstrations
Other UNICAT activities Feasibility studies

6. HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS
 Crude oil fouling measurement under realistic industrial conditions
 Oil and deposit chemical characterization via advanced imaging
 Oil and deposit physical characterization
 Thermodynamics modelling of the phase behaviour of crudes and their blends
 Fluid Dynamics and Rheology near fluid-surface interface
 Deposition and kinetics modelling and validation; Heat Exchange Equipment & pipelines
modelling and design; Whole system integration and efficiency
 High-efficiency heat recovery, re-use and/or conversion to power; advanced (optical)
spatio-temporally resolved fluid flow & heat transfer diagnostics
 Development of catalysts and catalytic reactors for intensification of heat transfer and
recuperation processes in thermodynamic power generation cycles
 Computer simulation of combined heat and reaction in oil and chemical processes
 The development of the catalysts and catalytic reactors for hydrocarbon fuels catalytic
combustion to prevent the deposits and fouling in oil industry
 Heteroatom chemical components of heavy crude oils (HCO): physicochemical
behaviours study to develop a novel refinery processes based on SCF technologies
 Combustion of high-sulfur containing oil in the fluidized catalyst bed reactor with high
heat density

7. HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS
 Crude oil fouling measurement under realistic industrial conditions
 Oil and deposit chemical characterization via advanced imaging
 Oil and deposit physical characterization
 Thermodynamics modelling of the phase behaviour of crudes and their blends
 Fluid Dynamics and Rheology near fluid-surface interface
 Deposition and kinetics modelling and validation; Heat Exchange Equipment & pipelines
modelling and design; Whole system integration and efficiency
 High-efficiency heat recovery, re-use and/or conversion to power; advanced (optical)
spatio-temporally resolved fluid flow & heat transfer diagnostics
 Development of catalysts and catalytic reactors for intensification of heat transfer and
recuperation processes in thermodynamic power generation cycles
 Computer simulation of combined heat and reaction in oil and chemical processes
 The development of the catalysts and catalytic reactors for hydrocarbon fuels catalytic
combustion to prevent the deposits and fouling in oil industry
 Heteroatom chemical components of heavy crude oils (HCO): physicochemical
behaviours study to develop a novel refinery processes based on SCF technologies
 Combustion of high-sulfur containing oil in the fluidized catalyst bed reactor with high
heat density