Innovative Projects Realized

Effets d’un entraînement à l’effort sur les adaptations hémodynamiques de patients coronariens: vers la détermination de variables prédictives de réponse à l’entraînement.

L’impact bénéfique de l’activité physique dans le traitement de nombreuses pathologies est largement démontré et son importance dans la réadaptation cardiaque est avérée. En parallèle, l’utilisation de différents biomarqueurs comme évaluation des processus physiopathologiques relatifs à la maladie coronarienne et l’IC est de plus en plus répandue. Cependant, il n’existe pas à ce jour « un » marqueur spécifique ou « un ensemble spécifique » de marqueurs prédictifs de l’évolution de la pathologie en lien avec un programme d’entraînement.
Dans ce contexte, je souhaiterais collaborer avec le Dr. Mathieu Gayda, PhD du Centre EPIC de l’Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal (ICM). Grâce à cette collaboration, il me sera possible de mesurer des paramètres cardiopulmonaires et hémodynamiques (VO2, débit cardiaque, pression de remplissage diastolique ventriculaire) associée aux évaluations cérébrales (Doppler transcrânien, fNIRS) afin de déterminer le caractère répondeur ou non répondeur des patients à l’entraînement.
Les résultats potentiels de ce projet permettront à moyen terme d’améliorer la qualité de vie des patients en leur permettant d’acquérir plus d’autonomie dans leur vie quotidienne en limitant les réhospitalisations grâce à un programme d’entraînement personnalisé.

Schools, Austerity and Privatization in the Pandemic Era

This project critically assesses the work of K-12 educators has been affected by the policies of the Ontario government under Premier Ford, both prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, including class size increases and mandatory e-learning, as well as during the pandemic, including its public health policies, the pivot to virtual learning and alternative school timetables. This project argues that the government’s policies during both periods were broadly consistent with an approach of fiscal austerity for public education, the pursuit of opportunities for private actors, a disregard for the professionalism of educators and an adversarial posture towards their unions. The project combines analysis of government and school district policies with interviews with experts including government policymakers, school district officials, union leaders, academics and education activists. Comparisons will be made with pandemic responses in other jurisdictions. A comprehensive research report will be provided to the Ontario Teachers’ Federations and its affiliates.

Micropatterned Surfaces for Fouling-Resistant Oil Sands Instrumentation

The Canadian oil sands industry has undertaken substantial research and development efforts aimed at improving oil sands tailings treatment processes, with the goal of reclaiming tailings deposits and returning the environment to its natural state. Instrumentation plays a key role in optimizing tailings processing, but implementation of new technology has been hampered by issues related to fouling due to residual levels of bitumen present in tailings streams. The proposed research will investigate surface engineering techniques aimed at reducing or eliminating fouling. In particular, microscopic patterns inspired by natural materials such as shark skin will be laser-etched into materials commonly used in tailings instruments, such as stainless steel or sapphire. Successes in this area would improve process reliability, reduce maintenance requirements, and allow commercial application of promising new instruments. The knowledge gained through this project will increase the understanding of the utility of surface patterning for processes in the oil sands and other industries.

Design of a Compact Accelerator Based Neutron Source

The Mitacs Globalink Award will empower an interdisciplinary research effort which is geared towards the realization of a prototype Compact Accelerator-based Neutron Source in Canada (CANS) at the University of Windsor. Three beamlines are being planned for the CANS facility and they are intended to serve applications in materials sciences, medical sciences and fluorine-18 radioisotope production.

Critical research and development needs to be conducted on three major aspects of the CANS infrastructure – the source, neutron transport and beamline instrumentation. The collaboration with Forschungszentrum Jülich will provide key training to Canadian researchers in the use of the Vitess software package which is utilized for modeling neutron instrument performance. This project will be geared towards the optimization of neutron transport and instrumentation for the small-angle neutron scattering instrument.

Thermophotovoltaics for waste-heat to electric power conversion on spacecrafts – Year Two

Space missions are very costly, limited and often short-lived. The capabilities and value of a space mission depends on the energy and power available on a space craft. For many space missions it is not possible to bring an energy source that can supply the required power throughout the entire duration of the mission. Furthermore, spacecrafts often generate excess heat that is largely unused. Cooling systems on spacecrafts are designed to radiate unwanted heat into space to prevent overheating. However, unwanted heat on spacecrafts has great potential to generate electric power.

The objective of this project is to integrate a novel thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device into a spacecraft propulsion system. TPV devices use a photovoltaic cell to convert radiant heat into electric power. The TPV system in this project comprises a novel optical cavity structure that concentrates radiant energy from a heat source onto a PV cell. This TPV system is made of durable and inexpensive components, has no moving parts, and does not generate vibrations which could hinder the operation of a spacecraft.

Unpaved forest roads as a source of suspended sediment in the Honna River watershed

The Honna River is the drinking water source for the Village of Queen Charlotte (pop. 950), and is also important salmon habitat. Sediment from unpaved forest roads near the river may be entering the channel in significant quantities. In a previous internship, intern David Reid implemented a channel reach-scale study of all sediment sources in the Honna River in an effort to determine the total volume of sediment contributed from the road, and also how this volume compares to natural sediment sources. The goal of the proposed internship is to complete the reach scale sediment budget by taking second measurements of channel profile to estimate bank erosion rates, and sediment storage in channel. The measurement of suspended sediment concentration and discharge has been ongoing, and will continue during this internship. Collected data will be analyzed to assess the impact of forest roads at the reach scale. Specifically, the effect of traffic will be examined, and the role of the timing of sediment input investigated. Results will be used to manage wet weather road use in the Honna River watershed, and will also fill research gaps related to reach-scale sediment input from roads to rivers.

Thermophotovoltaics for waste-heat to electric power conversion on spacecrafts

Space missions are very costly, limited and often short-lived. The capabilities and value of a space mission depends on the energy and power available on a space craft. For many space missions it is not possible to bring an energy source that can supply the required power throughout the entire duration of the mission. Furthermore, spacecrafts often generate excess heat that is largely unused. Cooling systems on spacecrafts are designed to radiate unwanted heat into space to prevent overheating. However, unwanted heat on spacecrafts has great potential to generate electric power.

The objective of this project is to integrate a novel thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device into a spacecraft propulsion system. TPV devices use a photovoltaic cell to convert radiant heat into electric power. The TPV system in this project comprises a novel optical cavity structure that concentrates radiant energy from a heat source onto a PV cell. This TPV system is made of durable and inexpensive components, has no moving parts, and does not generate vibrations which could hinder the operation of a spacecraft.

The carbon abatement potential of pine beetle affected wood biochar in British Columbia – Year Two

This project aims at providing a comprehensive appreciation of the net carbon capture potential of using pine beetle affected wood as feedstock for biochar (a carbon rich material) production and use throughout British Columbia. The carbon capture potential will be assessed by balancing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, transport, and amendment of the biochar on agricultural fields with a model of the soil carbon and plant growth impact of biochar addition. Doing so, the project aims to identify areas with high carbon capture potential and, conversely, areas with limited to no carbon capture potential through pine beetle affected wood biochar addition. Theses novel and highly valuable insights aim to inform both the science and policy communities about a long-term carbon capture solution while participating in solving biomass management and soil fertility challenges specific to the Province.

The carbon abatement potential of pine beetle affected wood biochar in British Columbia

This project aims at providing a comprehensive appreciation of the net carbon capture potential of using pine beetle affected wood as feedstock for biochar (a carbon rich material) production and use throughout British Columbia. The carbon capture potential will be assessed by balancing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, transport, and amendment of the biochar on agricultural fields with a model of the soil carbon and plant growth impact of biochar addition. Doing so, the project aims to identify areas with high carbon capture potential and, conversely, areas with limited to no carbon capture potential through pine beetle affected wood biochar addition. Theses novel and highly valuable insights aim to inform both the science and policy communities about a long-term carbon capture solution while participating in solving biomass management and soil fertility challenges specific to the Province.

Distributed traffic management system for future urban mobility

As a solution to reduce congestion on vehicular roads and mitigate longer travelling times, this technology provides the most optimal routes for drivers by guaranteeing the shortest travel time in an eco-friendly environment. The technology relies on communication to road-side intelligent intersection agents with embedded sensors that to estimate routes based on the real-time road link traffic status. The system is capable to distribute traffic in an efficient manner to control and coordinate vehicular movements.

Comportement hydro-géotechnique et stabilité physique de la co-disposition des roches stériles et des résidus miniers dans un remblayage de fosse à ciel ouvert – Year Two

Le développement de l’industrie minière engendre des quantités de rejets miniers de plus en plus vastes. Ceci implique des surfaces affectées plus étendues, avec des impacts environnementaux plus significatifs. Les aires d’entreposage de centaines de millions de tonnes de rejets miniers en surface peuvent occuper plusieurs dizaines d’hectares et présentent de nombreux risques piur la communauté et pour l’environnement. Une alternative pour diminuer la surface impactée dans les mines à ciel ouvert est le remblayage des fosses. Pourtant, la méthode se base principalement sur des procédures développées au cas par cas et relativement peu documentées.
Le plan de recherche se fera en partenariat entre Polytechnique Montréal et la Mine Canadian Malartic (MCM). L’objectif principal est de développer des critères hydro-géotechniques et opérationnels afin d’augmenter la fiabilité des analyses de stabilité physique de la co-disposition des roches stériles et des résidus miniers non réactifs dans un remblayage de fosse à ciel ouvert. On propose de développer des nouvelles méthodologies de caractérisation des matériaux de rejets miniers et de modélisation numérique. Les avancements des connaissances contribueront à encourager les projets de co-disposition et de remblayage de fosses dans l’industrie minière canadienne et internationale, avec des diminutions des surfaces impactées et des avantages environnementaux significatives, ce qui représentera un pas en avant vers le développement durable de ce secteur productif.

Comportement hydro-géotechnique et stabilité physique de la co-disposition des roches stériles et des résidus miniers dans un remblayage de fosse à ciel ouvert

Le développement de l’industrie minière engendre des quantités de rejets miniers de plus en plus vastes. Ceci implique des surfaces affectées plus étendues, avec des impacts environnementaux plus significatifs. Les aires d’entreposage de centaines de millions de tonnes de rejets miniers en surface peuvent occuper plusieurs dizaines d’hectares et présentent de nombreux risques piur la communauté et pour l’environnement. Une alternative pour diminuer la surface impactée dans les mines à ciel ouvert est le remblayage des fosses. Pourtant, la méthode se base principalement sur des procédures développées au cas par cas et relativement peu documentées.
Le plan de recherche se fera en partenariat entre Polytechnique Montréal et la Mine Canadian Malartic (MCM). L’objectif principal est de développer des critères hydro-géotechniques et opérationnels afin d’augmenter la fiabilité des analyses de stabilité physique de la co-disposition des roches stériles et des résidus miniers non réactifs dans un remblayage de fosse à ciel ouvert. On propose de développer des nouvelles méthodologies de caractérisation des matériaux de rejets miniers et de modélisation numérique. Les avancements des connaissances contribueront à encourager les projets de co-disposition et de remblayage de fosses dans l’industrie minière canadienne et internationale, avec des diminutions des surfaces impactées et des avantages environnementaux significatives, ce qui représentera un pas en avant vers le développement durable de ce secteur productif.