Portfolio management is crucial to both individual investors and our economy as a whole. For example, pension funds have large amounts of money to invest, taking their risk and gain potential into consideration. The project partner, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), is one of Canada’s largest and most diversified institutional investment fund managers. AIMCo manages […]

Properties of metallurgical coke are very important in production of iron using blast furnace. About 90% of the coking coals produced are used for this purpose. Coal rank was historically used to evaluate coal for production of metallurgical coke. Coke reactivity index (CRI) and coke strength after reaction (CSR) with carbon dioxide are now routinely […]

Predicting the quantity of mineral (gold, coper, etc) or hydrocarbon (oil, gas) extracted from a given deposit is difficult. One concern is the uncertainty in the resources underground. A few initial wells or drill holes give us access to an estimate of the quantity of resource, but there is great uncertainty because sampling can be […]

Heavy oil production by oil sands surface mining and/or steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processes presents many challenges, but oil and water separation is among the most critical within the industry. The crude oil coming out of reservoir normally carries significant concentration of bitumen and other surface-active species (e.g., asphaltenes, naphthenic acid and even solid […]

Augmented Reality (AR) is the combination of virtual images with real objects in order to improve perception. It is a rapidly growing field and has many applications in medicine. For this research project we would like to apply AR to the surgical site during a simulated operation in order to provide additional information and improve […]

This project aims to provide real-world, verifiable estimates of impacts to watersheds from usage of back-country logging and resource roads. fRI in partnership with the University of Alberta, MiTACS and Canfor is testing computer-based tools developed in the United States to apply them to watersheds in Alberta. Given the different geography, soil types, and relief […]

Harvesting energy from renewable resources, such as wind and ocean waves, is an important issue facing our world today. With the increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, there is a need to move away from nonrenewable resources and to find new methods for capturing energy. Wind turbines operate most efficiently within a narrow […]

Water use, land use and climate change can alter hydrology and effect the downstream availably of water and timing of flows. The Athabasca River is vital for supply of oil sands energy development and in-stream aquatic habitats. Much of the water for the river originates in the Mountain and Foothills Regions, in the Upper Athabasca. […]

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) running on hydrogen are a preferred choice for on-board electricity generation in automobiles. A major challenge associated with this technology is its high cost due to the use of platinum as electrocatalyst. Implementation of inkjet printing as a fabrication tool has been investigated by the applicant and the academic supervisor […]

The washrooms can be equipped with smart objects to be controlled and monitored to increase the customer satisfaction. This technology utilizes connected washroom equipment such as toilet paper, towels, soap dispensers, and water leakage sensors. In smart washrooms, the condition of the washroom is monitored and the management is informed when anything needs attention. This […]

An “internationalized classroom” is a space wherein many of the tensions, possibilities and change factors inherent in the internationalization process are expressed in relationships between and among host students, international students, and instructors. The proposed research is part of a Canada/China comparative study on faculty attitudes towards the internationalized classroom. During Li Mao’s research trip […]

Pipelines are a common means to transport oil, gas, and other petroleum products used by citizens in everyday life. Permanent inward deformations, called dents, can develop along a pipeline, most of which are not a safety concern. The objective of the project is to develop the processes used to accurately assess the safety of different […]