Innovative Projects Realized

Multi-Fidelity Design Optimization of Hydro Turbine Runner Blades

From an energy production perspective, the mobile component of the turbine, the runner, plays a key role in the operation of a water turbine. In the present competitive situation of deregulated energy markets, there is a great demand for more efficient runners which can withstand severe operating conditions. Traditional trial-and-error runner design methods largely depend on the designers’ experience, and always need long design cycles. In this project, a new design optimization methodology has been developed, which uses a combination of highly accurate evaluations and inexpensive moderately accurate evaluations in a proper design cycle, to integrate their advantages and alleviate their weaknesses, with respect to important industrial design limitations such as time and cost. This robust methodology is able to consider several different design objectives and constraints to obtain high-performance runners. Since the majority of Canada’s power stations work with water turbines, even by a few percentage points improvement of runner efficiency and durability, extra millions of dollars can be gained each year.

Embedded security markers in metal additive manufacturing parts and detection via high-frequency ultrasound systems

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are now frequently used in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors for fabricating end-use components. The digital nature of the supply chain involved for metal AM production becomes increasingly susceptible to numerous types of cyber- and cyber-physical threats. There is a need for developing security and traceability markers embedded in products, as well as low-cost non-destructive testing (NDT) methods such as ultrasonic testing (UT) for detection of such security markers benchmarked against computed tomography (CT) characterization data. The collaborative project between FUJIFILM VisualSonics and the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Laboratory will investigate the design tradeoffs for embedding such security features to ensure manufacturability via metal AM, material performance, as well as meet UT detection limits based on the newest generation of phased array ultrasonic probes. The outcomes of this program have the potential of multidisciplinary academic discovery and opening a new market sector for VisualSoni

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell catalyst layer degradation

Clean electrochemical energy conversion is critically needed to build energy security that reduces Canada’s reliance on fossil fuels. The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a particularly important part of a clean energy future as an attractive alternative to the internal combustion engine for transportation applications. PEM fuel cells offer zero local emissions, fast-start ups, and use of clean hydrogen that can be produced from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. However, the widespread adoption of PEM fuel cells in Canada is currently hindered by high costs and limited lifetimes, largely stemming from the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which includes expensive platinum. For this project, the University of Toronto (Prof. Bazylak) and Ballard Power Systems Inc. developed a new partnership to elucidate the sulphonic degradation of the ionomer and coverage of platinum catalyst sites through ex situ and operando imaging, electrochemical performance characterization, and transport property analysis.

Multilingual Voice Recognition

Have you ever imagined a world where you can control everything at home and at work with your voice, even without having to read an instruction manual? Speech technologies based on artificial intelligence models promise to make that happen by teaching machines to recognize voice. However, these systems currently support only a few languages, and it remains a particular challenge to support languages for which large datasets do not exist. The proposed research will explore various state-of-the-art deep learning techniques to improve the performance of voice recognition for low-resource languages. This will help Picovoice to provide the same quality of service for diverse users and help language communities, where language is the only means of expression, to access important information they could not otherwise obtain.

Monitoring Stress Changes and Microseismic Events in Pillars During Potash Mining

Mining-induced stress in the area around tunnel openings represents a major design consideration in potash mines. In the past, induced stress has been monitored using an array of techniques derived from the hard rock mining industry, one of the key assumptions being linear-elastic deformation behaviour of the rock. When using these methods in a soft rock like potash, issues can arise with the accuracy of these assumptions. The proposed research will build on a recent project that developed improved methods for stress measurements in potash, and will supplement stress change measurements with microseismic monitoring technologies that can track yielding and creep in pillars by detecting the acoustic energy released when cracks develop. The results will lead to better methods for measuring the response of pillars to mining operations, which in turn will enable refinement of the models used to predict pillar response. Improved monitoring and modeling methods will allow more proactive engineering controls to be implemented at lower cost than reactive methods.

Stationary methanol steam reforming to hydrogen fuel for fuel-cell filling stations

Renewable hydrogen (H2) carriers such as methanol (MeOH) can be reformed back into H2 and is a fundamental chemical conversion for the long-term viability of the H2 economy due to its high density and ease of transportability compared to H2. MeOH is an especially important carrier as it is a simple C1 chemical that can be produced from solar-PV-generated H2 and direct-air-captured CO2 with a current commercially practical solar-to-fuel efficiency of 10% from renewable solar energy. MeOH steam reforming (MSR) in stationary systems next to H2 fuel-cell filling stations can eliminate the need for on-board mobile reformers and the former systems can be more robust in terms of attaining strict H2 product specifications. MeOH, with properly handling, is also a safe, lossless and a compact medium for long-term H2 storage. Both thermal- and photo-catalysts are viable options for achieving stable, long-term performance of stationary MSR systems.

Wild blueberry geospatial image analysis

We will develop complex image analysis processes to advance and tighten our current processes and more accurately and speedily identify bare spots and in addition develop new processes to identify specific weeds that cause problems in wild blueberry fields. Using spatially accurate drone photography of wild blueberry fields the intern would use custom programming logic to develop image analysis software code to identify entities within those fields. Foreign entities include bare ground, weed species and grasses. Once identified these entity areas would be converted into polygons and stored in a geospatial database for use in developing prescription maps.

Developing and Implementing Marketing Strategies, Parados with UNB Catlayst

Parados is seeking a dynamic group of students to prepare for our initial launch.

Parados Cerebral Solutions Inc. is a multiple award-winning start-up, founded in 2020 that helps assess, monitor and improve key physical & mental predictors of health and performance. As a team of engineers and advisors with personal experience as pro athletes, coaches, analysts, trainers and agents we work closely with several professional athlete trainers, non-profits, and research organizations to develop affordable, accessible and widely applicable products & services. Our main offering is an online platform that enables accurate, remote analysis of biomechanics while we are also in the R&D stages for wearable devices.

During the the internship, students can analyze PARADOS’ current messaging, visuals, marketing strategy while taking a look at what competitors have done during their launch.

Based on students’ work, we hope to develop a data-driven launch strategy then carry it out over the ten week period. Innovations that will help guide us will include investigations according to geography, target market segments, according to when our early adopters’ buying cycles are. PARADOS has conducted over 100 customer interviews -this information can also be reviewed and quantified.

The Communicative Challenges and Implications of Quantum Computing

The industry partner 1QBit has access to a processor that uses an adiabatic annealing technique to address a special class of optimization problems for initial application in finance. Optimization problems have a long and broad relevance to challenges faced in the financial sector. The prospect of quantum annealing as a way to innovate in solving finance optimization problems has been an area of growing interest, though limited in practice due to the lack of suitable analog hardware. 1QBit is bringing together a group of researchers from physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering and finance to investigate the prospect of quantum annealing in financial applications. In this internship project, I will apply my research aims to trace the development of the diverse network that is being built to facilitate quantum computing, understand the communication challenges faced in interdisciplinary public-private technological production, and consider the implications posed by a quantum model of computing to theories of information and the material nature of communication.

Sydney Water Taxi

Mops & Pops Water Taxi business is developed with the idea of creating a tourist activity, business event venue, an expansion in the transit system, and highlights the expanding Sydney Waterfront. The business will start water taxi services under contract with the Sydney Port Authority. The taxi service would be cost affordable and based on early mornings and late afternoon (for the majority of commuters). Off-peak times would focus on tourists and local event-goers.
This project will explore the optimal vessel, create a website, create partnerships, create a social media presence and verify the proposed rate schedule and ensure the viability of the business through a series of surveys and interviews.

Creation of a Prototype Digital Tool for ALC Patient Discharge Optimization from Hospital to Home Care

This project will focus on the creation of prototype digital ALC discharge solution, with an initial scope focused on optimizing discharges to home care. This focused scope will help demonstrate the workflows, technology integrations and efficiencies and allow our team to gather evidence of impact and further the capacity of our partners to user modern solutions in the context care. Building on this project, the prototype and subsequent data gathered will set the stage for the development of a full ALC Patient Discharge Optimization Tool, regardless of the discharge destination (e.g. home care, long-term care, palliative, institutional, etc.).

Gatien UNB Catalyst: Digital Transformations

Laura Gatien & Associates is a local mental health therapy practice offering individual and group mental health counselling to individuals, couples, and families. Our team of 16 therapists have various areas of specialization and treat many unique challenges. Our counselling intern program allows us to offer low-cost counselling as well as a free walk-in clinic; the first of its kind in the area. We treat people from all over the Atlantic provinces (virtually). We are known for challenging stigma, normalizing mental health support for all and removing barriers to seeking mental health services. With increasing awareness of mental health issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura Gatien and Associates works to provide better access to mental health therapy for all.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, services are now offered virtually as well as in-person. Therapists are able to interact with clients from their homes. This creates a huge reliance on digital skills in the workplace for all staff; managing databases, tracking client interactions and communications with clients and internal staff.