A local Canadian company that works on designing and manufacturing completely customizable and smart in-door ecosystems for sustainable production of fresh crops is our industrial partner. Our partner is dealing with the presence of ethylene in the atmosphere in the growth chamber. In this research, we will investigate the possibility of implementing an innovative technique that uses ozone assisted catalytic oxidation to convert ethylene to H2O and CO2 that are favorable for the developed technology by our partner.
The current project aims to develop a novel energy management strategy for residential heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Controllable wireless air damping vents will adjust the air flow in different zones of the building allowing independent control of the temperature which results in enhanced thermal comfort and energy savings. The intern will collaborate with the partner organization on studying a novel predictive model to control the damping factor of the vents within fully closed to fully open range.
Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid that is widespread in the environment. Anthropogenic mining activities result in As being released from rock via mining activities in mine tailings, waste rock and process waters. ORANO has a proposed mine site expected to produce waste rock containing As and other metals/metalloids. This waste rock needs to be stored appropriately and the release of its As into groundwater must be limited to minimize environmental impacts.
Over two years a post-doctoral fellow will investigate the electrostatic separation of potash. This will be accomplished experimentally by triboelectrically charging different materials, with and without conditioning agents, and then testing different separation techniques. Separation techniques will include electrostatic separation and a fines removal process.
National Legalization of Cannabis has occurred in Canada. Very little is known about the different compounds in the Cannabis Plant. The two main compounds are THC and CBD. Both of them have shown some benefits for different conditions. We would like to determine the best dose and ratio of compounds within the Cannabis plant for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and Anxiety to build evidence for a large-scale clinical trial. More data will help support safe and effective use of Cannabis, which may provide an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals.
The Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell Division (MBFC) in Burnaby, Canada develops and runs the manufacturing processes required for the assembly of Fuel Cell Stacks prototypes. MBFC uses the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to collect and analyse data from the manufacturing lines to the database system. However, because the size of the collected data is very large, MBFC is not able to detect certain fuel cell defects in a timely manner and sometimes not at all.
In this project, the intern will have the opportunity to work in Perten Instruments Canada and Carbohydrate Chemistry and Utilization Laboratory at the University of Saskatchewan to use the latest model of Rapid Visco Analyzer 4800 (developed by Perten Instruments) to evaluate the performance of resistant starch. The new instrument has the capability to heat resistant starch slurry up to 140°C, which is a significant improvement from previous models as they can only reach a heating temperature of 95°C.
The proposed research project is a follow-up to the SSHRC funded Partnership Engage study entitled: Addressing homelessness in Prince Albert: A multi-disciplinary, intersectoral approach. The purpose of the SSHRC study is to enhance the ability of PA to respond to homelessness by stimulating discussions and mutual collaboration between academic researchers, community leaders, social agencies, front-line workers, and the homeless population.
Saskatchewan is among the largest producer and exporter of pulses to various countries across the globe. However, pulses are not widely consumed in Canada. In Canada, the variety of pulse-based products is limited compared to those made from other legumes such as soybeans or from cereal grains. Consumers, including young children, will consume newly developed pulse-based products and ingredients if these are introduced into their diets.
Prairie wetlands are intricately linked with climate and hydrology. Future climate change, such as warmer conditions, changes in precipitation amount and intermittency, may both benefit and threaten the wetlands over the Canadian Prairies. During the same time, large-scale land use changes have been occurring such as the conversion of natural wetlands to agriculture lands.
