This paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies to determine the optimal thickness of thermal insulation from basalt fiber and aerogel products for pipelines at temperatures of 300 and 600 °C. We carried out a comparison of the key thermophysical characteristics of the claimed heat-insulating materials. We performed a thermal imaging survey of the furnace chimney, insulated with basalt fiber and aerogel, while controlling the temperature of the flue gases by establishing the required ratio of the flow rate of natural gas and oxidizer. The temperature gradient along the thickness of the thermal insulation was obtained using a numerical tool developed in ANSYS. The results show that aerogel surpasses basalt fiber in all key thermophysical characteristics. At the same time, the only barrier to widespread industrial production and use of aerogel in the high-temperature thermal insulation segment is its market cost, which is still several times higher than that of basalt fiber in terms of an equivalent performance.

In the present work, based on numerical simulation, a comparative analysis of the flow of a chemically reacting gas flow through a catalyst is performed using the example of selective hydrogenation of acetylene in a wide range of flow temperatures variation. Catalyst models are based on open-cell foam material. A comparison is also made with calculations and experimental data for a granular catalyst. The porosity and cell diameter were chosen as variable parameters for the porous catalyst. The results of numerical studies were obtained in the form of component concentration fields of the gas mixture, vector fields of gas movement, values of conversion, and selectivity of the reaction under study. The parameters of the porous material of the catalyst are determined for the maximum efficiency of the process under study.

Today the world economy is handling an economic crisis caused by the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), announced by the WHO, as well as by fluctuations in the international energy market and by the development of “green energy”. The crisis, named the “2020 crisis”, is notable for the divergence of the sectoral dynamics of development, with a declining development trend in some industries and the rapid growth of others. The crisis is etymologically relevant to the energy sector, a sector which is important for the survival and specialization of the Russian Federation. This research is aimed at describing the status and highlighting the socioeconomic effects, constraints (economic and social risks), and “growth points” of the energy sector in the modern realities of the 2020 crisis. Methods. The method of in-depth interview was used. The need for studying expert opinion is based on the fundamental principles of implementation research, according to which the success of state sectoral policy depends on its perception and support by stakeholders. Top managers of energy enterprises acted as the experts (N = 10). The interviews were conducted in April 2020. The method of incremental approximation and coding (open and axial) were used for a high-quality discourse analysis. Results. The conducted study revealed divergence of sectoral dynamics of energy consumption, which is a translation of the immanent features of the 2020 crisis into the energy sector. The detected constraints are reserved development prerequisites of “green energy” and reduced investments in development programs. The potential “growth points” include intensified digitalization of the energy sector and the need for institutional changes in taxation in the energy sector, recognized by experts.