This project aims to develop a standard that relates the loss of functionality in the porous transport layer (PTL) due to the presence of defects to the performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. This work attempts to screen defects in the PTL using previously developed testing protocols. Currently there are no existing protocols that specify when to reject defected PTL material from external suppliers. These results will help to avoid falsely rejecting material by developing such guidelines for a failure screening method based on experimental data.
The objective of the project is to develop a non-destructive test protocol to accurately and reliably detect cracked, pre-welded automotive parts within the constraints of an industrial assembly cell. This will involve reviewing, developing and testing one or more test procedures based on vibration excitation of the part and the measurement and analysis of the response.
The recent work done in collaboration with the group of prof. Bocher on water erosion mechanisms at ETS showed that the erosion in titanium Ti64 alloy compressor blades is based on crack initiation and propagation. These phenomena are dependent on material microstructure, as well as on the stress level. Ti64 alloys can have various types of microstructures and textures. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of the microstructure and texture is required in order to define the optimum material condition.
Electric golf carts and other low speed electric vehicles use lead acid batteries. There are now more than two million low speed electric vehicles operating in North America. Based on lithium ion replacement and demonstration programs carried out by Electra and our partners, there appears to be a strong interest from these industries and other low speed vehicle manufacturers to convert to lithium ion battery packs. A majority of the fleets using low speed electric vehicles in North America have purchased and set up charging infrastructures for their vehicles.
The automotive industry is striving towards greater fuel efficiency, and one of the ways in which it is trying to achieve this is through light weighting. The use of aluminum alloys in engine blocks to reduce weight is part of the solution for better fuel efficiency. However, the automotive sector is always striving for innovation and greater engine performance. Consequently, another possible solution for fuel-efficiency was proposed.
Due to abundant reserves and environmental cleanliness, natural gas has introduced the environmentally friendly vehicles - natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs), which have the potential of providing a solution to air quality problems. However, low volumetric energy density of natural gas results in NGVs’ short-range driving, inhibiting them from widespread adoption. A conformable pressure tank is considered as a solution to the issues of energy density and onboard fuel storage capacity and therefore, the driving range for NGVs.
The Ford Motor Company is bringing 800 jobs into the Oakville Assembly Plant. These jobs will be concerned with sequencing parts for the new Material Sequencing Centre. To ensure that workers remain healthy, and their productivity and quality output is up to Ford's high standards, Ford (through this fellowship) wants to establish clear ergonomic guidelines for this type of work. The post-doctoral fellow will conduct surveys in the plant, as well as review existing ergonomic guidelines within Ford.
Canadians are increasingly using cycling as a means of transportation. However, understanding the risks is problematic as data is limited. To address this, the Spatial Pattern Analysis and Research (SPAR) Lab has created a web-map, BikeMaps.org, to gather data from cyclists on crashes, near misses, hazards, and thefts. Cyclists around the world have enthusiastically begun to map points. However, BikeMaps.org requires a web-browser, which, in this day and age of mobile devices, limits its functionality.
The proposed internship aims to study how the characteristics and reliability of Permanent Magnet Electric Motors (PMs) affect their life-cycle cost (LCC), including initial, maintenance, and energy costs. First, the effect of the variation of design variables on the performance and initial cost of PMs will be assessed and the cost will be correlated to performance. Second, the effect of materials and processes on the reliability and the LCC of PMs will be studied and LCC will be correlated to reliability. The results will be presented to TM4 in form of a detailed database.
Energy saving is one of the important issues in today world. In order to improve the performance of the industrial motor drives for high-power applications, higher voltage power converters are recommended. Compared with low-power converters, high-power systems have their distinct characteristics and challenges, and usually require converter configurations capable of processing energy conversion at higher power and voltage levels. The technical requirements and challenges for MV systems differ in many aspects from those of the low-voltage AC converters, which have been mostly resolved.
