Development of Ex-situ Mechanical Durability Tools and Thermo-mechanical Design Curves for Fuel Cell Membranes – Year two

Hydrogen powered polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a clean energy technology that generates electricity without harmful emissions at the point of use. Current R&D efforts mainly target to commercialize PEMFCs through cost reduction and durability enhancement. The lifetime of PEMFC is limited by the degradation and failure of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). […]

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Improvement of the fire resistance of Discontinuous Long Fiber Thermoplastic Composites for gas turbine engine applications

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is interested to further investigate the use of novel Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC’s) technologies, in order to improve their products by reducing weight and increasing performances of their engines. Current applications of PMC’s in P&WC’s engine are mostly limited to cold section parts (< 100°C), nonstructural external components, and nacelle […]

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Evaluation of additive manufacturing technology for the fabrication of wind-tunnel model parts featuring static pressure channels

The objective of the proposed project is to evaluate the use of additive manufacturing technology for the fabrication of wind-tunnel model parts featuring static pressure channels. The long-term aim of this research to devise an innovative manufacturing process that reduces the cost and lead time required to fabricate aerodynamic wind-tunnel models. The suggested methodology is […]

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Development and characterization of polyester/graphene coatings

Environmental aging is responsible for many industrial failures. Using a protective coating is one of the most common and also efficient methods to protect material surfaces against environmental attack, and consequently extend their life. For modern coatings used for industrial applications, besides high chemical stability and good adhesion, new functionalities such electrical conductivity or anti-static […]

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Recycling of Landfill Waste Plastics for the Manufacture of Fence Structures

The project examines the use of recycled plastics sourced from waste landfills for construction and infrastructure applications such as fence panels, an idea developed by EcoFence. Through the course of this project a comprehensive study is conducted to evaluate the mechanical and physical characteristics, such as strength and sound absorption. The measured data is compared […]

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Investigation and development of an air-core dry-type reactor noise prediction model

Air-core dry-type electrical reactors are integrated into power system infrastructures to limit current and regulate voltage in transmission lines. These reactors, are designed and built to facilitate customer specific requirements using an elementary noise prediction model, which was developed almost 30 years ago. With increasingly stricter noise emission guidelines set by the environmental regulatory bodies, […]

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Development Of A Machine Condition Monitoring Platform Using A Wireless Sensor Network

Machine maintenance is a necessary task to keep production lines or individual machines running in a healthy condition. Predictive Maintenance (PdM) can effectively reduce maintenance cost and machine down time. However, it requires online machine condition monitoring systems to obtain the relevant parameters of the machines. Conventional distributed-control-system (DCS) -based monitoring systems use wires/cables to […]

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Novel Elastomeric Chitin Nanocomposites for Coatings and Adhesives

The proposed project is a characterization study on chitin nanowhisker nanocomposites. Chitin nanowhiskers are derived from chitin, a naturally occurring biopolymer found in arthropod exoskeletons, and offer great potential for reinforcement and property enhancement once blended with typical engineering plastic matrices. Compared to traditional inorganic fillers such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, chitin nanowhiskers are […]

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Development of new techniques for power system model validation and calibration

Dynamic modeling is one of the most important tools for the power system operation and planning purposes. In order to study the behavior of the system, which is subjected to disturbances, a valid knowledge of parameters of system components is essentially required. The objective of this project is to propose an applicable algorithm to identify […]

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Automatic Estimation of Walking Speed in Older Adults Using a Smartwatch

Walking speed is a fundamental indicator of health status in older adults that can be used for early detection of several chronic illnesses and smartwatches are promising tools for ambulatory measurement of walking speed. To address the problem of walking speed estimation in older adult using a smartwatch, arm swing motion during walking will be […]

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Portable Sensor for rapid, onsite detection of bacteria in water

Harmful bacteria in drinking water can be a great threat to humans, causing diseases and possibly death. This project is aimed at determining the safety of drinking water for consumers, especially in communities where access to sophisticated laboratory facilities is limited. This research project will help to further develop a portable bacteria sensor for water, […]

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Waste heat recovery in aluminium smelters: technical and economic analysis

Aluminium smelter are energy intensive and not particularly energy efficient, as most of the energy required to produce aluminium is lost along the production line. This is the reason why it is mandatory to perform a detailed analysis of the thermal wastes produced in these factories. The main objective of this project is to investigate […]

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