Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is new optical imaging technique similar to ultrasound imaging. It has ten to 100 times higher resolution than ultrasound and a penetration depth of 4-6 millimeters. The use of light is safer to most biological samples than X-\rays or gamma rays, and it also allows for chemical characterization of tumours in tissue. CancerCare Manitoba is interested in using OCT for early detection of breast cancer.

Industrial Systems have become increasingly complex and hence their design requires extensive new tools and techniques. Computers and computer simulations play an important role in helping the design engineers in finding suitable solutions to the design of modern industrial systems. This Mitacs-Accelerate internship aims to improve the methods and techniques used in the computer aided design of power electronic systems incorporating optimization and combining it with a simulation program.

The condition of school facilities is an important, manageable determinant of teaching and learning outcomes. Recent research suggests that the effects of facility conditions on learning outcomes are mediated through “school climate”. However, for both scientific research and practical purposes, the understanding of what “school climate” means and how it is measured is unhelpfully vague.

There are about 180 public water treatment plants in Manitoba relying on surface water as their source of supply. Optimization of water treatment processes offers many operational savings for these plants. Portage la Prairie and Sanford water treatment plants are examples of typical Manitoba water treatment plants. Both plants utilize lime/soda softening processes to remove water hardness. The softening process requires serious water pH control, otherwise it can lead to the precipitation of calcium carbonate particle that causes excessive wear on filters, among other consequences.

Modern society is highly dependant on electricity; large scale blackouts can cost billions of dollars. High-voltage power transmission systems that transmit electricity from the generating stations to load centres could be subjected to a variety of disturbances such as faults, lightening strikes etc. These transmission systems must be protected against faults using suitable protective equipment to ensure the safety of equipment and people.

This research project will develop a numerical model of in-floor-heated slab foundations in Manitoba. With in-floor-heated slab foundations, it is important to know how to insulate the foundation to minimize heat losses to the ground while preventing frost heave. The proposed model will be used to analyze the effects of the amount and placement of insulation and the placement of in-floor-heating tubes in the foundation on energy transfer to the building exterior and ground.

Real-time simulators are increasingly important in power system studies and equipment tests by manufacturers, universities, research institutes and power system utilities. Yet their capability for accurately simulating some aspects of very large systems is limited by the burden of additional hardware requirements. Thus, the aim of this project is to develop an improved wide-band system equivalent technique for the real-time digital simulator (RTDS) that will improve its capabilities on super-large power systems.

This research project is a study of the engineering design process. The goal is to study the design process at Manitoba Hydro to better understand: how design works, how information flows, and how the process is communicated. The intern’s research team will study the design process from within the organizational environment. This will involve a study of how research is conducted and how information flows between different levels within the design groups. The results of this study will be a better understanding of the design process within the corporate environment.

Voltage-source converters (VSC) that use self-commutated valves have been used for such applications as electric motor drives. Recently with the development of switches with high voltage and current ratings, these converters have been considered for high-power transmission as well. This internship with Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba’s major energy utility, aims at developing accurate computer simulation models for DC transmission systems using voltage-source converters.

At the NRC Institute for Biodiagnostics, a developer of non-invasive medical devices and techniques to increase prospects for prevention, earlier diagnosis, improved treatment and prognosis of diseases, a new optical imaging technology is being developed for detecting early dental decay. In collaboration with Dr. Reza Fazel’s group at the University of Manitoba, a suite of image processing and image analysis methods will be developed to extract out clinically relevant parameters from the images.