This project aims to design sustainable new microsystems to power data monitoring buoys that can provide a sustainable power source using the ocean waves dynamics. The proposed project will result in significant advances in three long-standing challenges in energy harvesters-based micro devices powering the data monitoring buoys using the ocean waves. These include low frequencies of the ocean waves, mechanical failures due to (high mechanical stress) of the ocean waves, and the efficiency of the energy harvesters-based microdevices.

Across Canada, electricity is becoming a scarce resource as there are increasingly urgent calls to electrify fossil fuel loads. Furthermore, even if ample generation is present, the electrical grid will be unable to accommodate the increased demand. This research project will propose and investigate tangible solutions to optimize the power flow and usage within the distribution network so that existing electrical grid infrastructure will be able to deliver more energy with fewer losses, while ensuring the grid remains safe and stable.

The primary objective of this project is to provide Canadian petroleum companies with a set of reliable data derived from experiments conducted on reservoir-on-the-chip platforms that facilitate the visualization of pore-scale interactions between solvent and heavy oil during the CO2-based CSI process in the presence of complex wormhole systems in post-CHOPS reservoirs. The reservoir-on-the-chip is particularly effective in capturing the effects of the governing operational parameters on foamy oil stability and the overall performance of a CO2-based CSI process.

Aerosol holding chambers are essential inhaler attachments used by millions of patients suffering from the two most common respiratory illnesses around the world, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They give patients more control over their inhalers, and have a nearly 70 year history of improved symptom control by increasing the amount of medication that reaches the lungs. They also have a 70 year history of being bulky, cumbersome and for some patients a source of embarrassment.

In Canada, industrial hemp occupied 22,243 ha of land in 2020. Canadian hemp producers are faced with major challenges associated with production wastes. The aim of the proposed project is to characterize an antimicrobial cellulose-derived aerogel insulator, synthesized from Canadian hemp wastes, and apply it between the exterior and interior layers of the 3D printed walls of future homes by the industry partner.

A large amount of plastic waste poses a threat to the environment. In recent years, there has been a movement to develop biodegradable composites. UBCO’s Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites Laboratory (NPNL) aims to develop biocomposites filaments with appropriate physical properties for 3D printing in collaboration with Advanced BioCarbon 3D (ABC3D). We intend to use poly(lactide acid) (PLA) as the matrix, and biobased fillers, such as lignin as the reinforcing agent, with a focus on enhanced mechanical properties.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) it is an immunochemical test that utilizes an enzyme (a protein that facilitates a biochemical reaction) and an antibody or antigen (immunologic molecules) to detect and quantify specific substances in a biological solution. The development of an ELISA protocol presents several challenges, however. For example, ELISA technology currently is developed largely on a “trial and error” basis, rather than being executed systematically, and is not capable of performing large numbers of assays in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Considering the challenge of feeding a growing population, with an increase in the demand for more animal-source foods, efficient use of resources will be essential. Livestock and aquaculture are major contributors to climate change, being responsible for 14.5% of the global greenhouse gas emissions in addition to nutrient losses, leading to water contamination. However, feed additives have been identified as potential pathway to decrease the environmental impact of animal production, in addition to contributing to food safety and animal health.

Computer vision involves creating algorithms capable of interpreting scenes. A key challenge is automatic generation of analytics to mimic human ability. Generating analytics from ice hockey video is one such application where human-captured analytics typically focus only on puck-centric events and it is not feasible for humans to interpret all game events.

The material properties of thermoplastic polymer composite parts manufactured by the fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing process are highly dependent on the thermal history. A good understanding of the heat transfer in fused filament fabrication is crucial for an accurate stress prediction and subsequently for repetitive, high-quality printing. A numerical simulation to model the thermal history dependent crystallization and fusion bonding kinetics of a 3D-printed fiber reinforced semi-crystalline thermoplastic composite will be developed and experimentally validated.