Development of Efficient Electrodes for an Electrosynthesis Process

The proposed project focuses on the research & development of efficient electrode materials for use in an electrochemical process that produces high-value chemicals for use in a variety of industrial applications. As an electrochemical process, significant portions of the production costs are attributable to electrical power consumption; therefore, improvements in energetic efficiency would result in […]

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Enzyme-aided Hydrogen Peroxide Bleaching of Mechanical Pulp

Irving Paper Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers in the world in making value-added specialty paper (SC) from mechanical pulp which is conventionally used for newsprint. SC paper requires not only more refining (energy) in fibre preparation but also higher brightness of the produced pulp, which adds more to the pulp production costs. Dr. […]

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Monitoring System for Predictive Energy Management and Maintenance of PV Systems

Existing techniques rely on conventional techniques, which are insufficient and do not ensure increased and optimal utilization of freely available PV energy. We propose predictive energy management and preventive maintenance through monitoring system for PV systems, taking futuristic PV potential and weather forecasts into account in association with the operational parameters of the PV system. […]

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Design for Situation Awareness in Future Power Grid Operations

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) coordinates electricity generation and transmission to ensure a reliable and stable electricity supply for the province of Ontario. Human operators monitor the power grid with the help of automated energy management systems. Increasing amounts of data, electricity demand, and renewable generation mean these operators need new tools to help […]

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Nonlinear Frequency Response Analysis for Fuel Cell Diagnostics

In order to enhance the capabilities of fuel cell test stations, a new tool for fuel cell diagnostics based on nonlinear frequency response analysis (NFRA) will be developed. NFRA applies a perturbation of the operating current and measures the voltage response of the cell. By varying the frequency of the perturbation, processes with different dynamics […]

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Experimental and Numerical Investigations of a Rice Husk Pyrolysis Reactor

A rice husk pyrolysis reactor producing syngas and char was developed by GreenGenTech Energy Inc. (Ottawa, ON) and is currently being built and commercialized in China by a partner company called Ruizhantai. The reactor is fully functional and some sites have been running continuously for two years, although requiring skillful operation during start-up or when […]

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Incorporation of biosolids from municipal wastewater processing facilities into Lipid-to-Hydrocarbon (L TH) methodologies for production of biofuels

Biosolids, the materials produced during treatment of sewage sludge, are produced in extremely large amounts each day in every town and city across the globe. This material contains significant amounts of bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can be detrimental to human heath and must be carefully disposed. Added to this, there are currently few uses […]

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Enhancing Corrosion Resistance of Superheater Alloys

The efficiencies of biomass-fueled power plants are much lower than those of natural gas and coal-fueled plants because exit steam temperatures are restricted to inhibit corrosion of superheater tubes. Nexterra needs to raise steam conditions from 403?C to 460?C in future systems in order to satisfy customer demands. The raise in the probability of corrosion […]

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Improvisational Training in the Workplace and Beyond

Corporate improv training is becoming a popular and effective method for enhancing a host of workplace skills such as leadership, communication, problem solving, collaboration, and adaptation. However, there is a lack of empirical research looking at the cognitive impacts of improv training in the workplace. As such, I am proposing to conduct a twelve-week improv […]

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Aiding Leak Detection in Pipelines Using System Identification – Year two

The ultimate goal of this project is to detect and localize leaks in pipelines in real time. Hifi Engineering has developed distributed fiber optic sensors. Measurements are obtained at evenly spaced intervals along the pipeline (called channels). This project aims to develop data processing tools to improve leak detection and localization. Many events occur along […]

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Chemical Synthesis of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials from Value-Added Carbon Obtained by Catalytic Conversion of CO2

CO2 is a greenhouse gas that impacts climate change. The Carbon Upcycling Technologies has developed a technique to attach gaseous CO2 molecules to graphite. In this project, this graphite will be converted to graphene using chemical oxidation methods. The one-atom thin monolayer graphene oxide will have potential applications in variety of industries, such as waste […]

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