Innovative Projects Realized

Dynamics of Viscous Fingering in Porous Media in the Presence of Injected or In Situ Generated Particles

In general, when a more viscous fluid is displaced by a less viscous one, instabilities grow at the interface between them which are referred to as viscous fingering. Viscous fingering is of paramount importance in many applications including, but not limited to, contamination transport in underground waters, enhanced oil recovery, filtration, and chromatographic separation of chemical species. As a result, understanding the dynamics of mixing induced by viscous fingering has received much attention, and has been the focus of many works. In this regard, the effects of dispersion, chemical reaction, heterogeneity, melting, non-monotonic viscosity, non-Newtonian fluids, multiple diffusivity, and non-isothermal displacement have been addressed in the past. In my PhD, I am working on the effect of injected (nanoparticles and nanocatalysts), and in situ generated (asphaltene) particles on the dynamics of viscous fingering in porous media. So far, this research led to publication of two papers and submission of two manuscripts.
Despite a large number of studies on viscous fingering, currently, there is an obvious knowledge gap in this area. In addition, an up-to-date critical review elaborating on various aspects that identifies critical areas for further research is lacking.

Évaluation des processus dominant le comportement géochimique de résidus miniers en conditions restaurée et non-restaurée par la modélisation de transport réactif

Les résidus de la Mine Raglan contiennent des minéraux pouvant réagir avec l’eau et l’air et potentiellement produire un drainage acide et riche en métaux s’ils ne sont pas gérés d’une manière optimale. Des essais au laboratoire ont permis de déterminer la qualité d’eau qu’ils produisent et leur comportement géochimique. La présente étude vise à évaluer des modélisations numériques simulant les réactions chimiques et l’écoulement de l’eau pour évaluer les processus contrôlant la production de contaminants. Des simulations seront effectuées pour cibler les principales réactions qui influencent la production de contaminants et pour évaluer le comportement des résidus pour davantage de scénarios et à plus long terme que ceux effectués au laboratoire. Ce projet apportera de l’information pour améliorer la gestion environnementale des résidus et sera utilisée dans le plan de restauration du parc à résidus.

Investigation of the relationship between firefighting water additive formulation and environmental fate and toxicity

Firefighting water additives are a mixture of chemicals that are mixed with water to more effectively extinguish fires (i.e., residential, industrial, forest fires). The use of these additives is likely to increase in fighting forest fires due to the projected increase in forest fire occurrence and intensity due to climate change. Ingredients of firefighting water additives used in the past were found to be persistent and detrimental to the environment. The Canadian company FireRein is working to design new firefighting water additives that are effective at fire suppression but also pose a relatively low risk to the environment. This project will investigate the toxicity of individual ingredients used by FireRein and new formulations water additives designed by FireRein on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The objective of this project is to provide data that will allow FireRein to optimize the formulation of their new water additives so that they are as effective at fire suppression as additives currently on the market while also pose a relatively low risk to the environment.

Isolation et caractérisation de mégacaryocytes humains du sang adulte et du sang de cordon

Initialement découvert dans les neurones, le Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) est un facteur de croissance qui module la survie neuronale et la plasticité synaptique. Il joue un rôle important dans des pathologies cognitives comme la maladie de Parkinson et d’Alzheimer. Or, le BDNF se retrouve aussi dans la circulation où il est emmagasiné dans les plaquettes à des concentrations qui peuvent atteindre jusqu’à 1000 fois les concentrations neuronales, ce qui en fait le réservoir périphérique le plus important. L’origine de tels niveaux demeure débattue puisque les plaquettes sont dépourvues de noyau, ce qui limite leur capacité de synthèse peptidique. Étant donné le rôle important du BDNF dans le système cardiovasculaire, il est primordial d’élucider son origine dans les plaquettes et les mécanismes régulant son stockage. Nous émettons l’hypothèse que la majorité du BDNF et de son ARNm sont hérités des mégacaryocytes, cellules précurseures des plaquettes, mais que les plaquettes peuvent aussi l’internaliser de la circulation. Notre but est donc d’élucider l’origine du BDNF et de ses isoformes dans les plaquettes ainsi que les mécanismes de sa biosynthèse et de son stockage.

Photo-identification du dauphin de Peale dans le détroit de Magellan

Il existe actuellement très peu de données sur le dauphin de Peale qui permettent aux autorités gouvernementales de prendre des décisions éclairées en termes de conservation. Le projet de recherche tente de développer un répertoire photographique du dauphin de Peale que l’on retrouve au sud du Chili, en Patagonie. Le but est d’identifier les individus qui fréquentent les eaux côtières qui se situent entre la ville de Punta Arenas et Agua Fresca. La création d’un répertoire photographique permettra l’identification des individus et ainsi de connaître les différentes habitudes de vie de chaque dauphin. De plus, il sera possible d’évaluer avec une grande précision le nombre d’individus que l’on retrouve dans cette portion du détroit de Magellan. Par ailleurs, une première utilisation rigoureuse d’un drone afin d’effectuer le suivi du dauphin de Peale permettra d’évaluer les avantages et les inconvénients associés à l’utilisation d’un tel instrument. Toutes les données recueillies seront incorporées au système d’information géographique Web intitulé iCetacea afin de permettre le partage de données entre les groupes scientifiques et les citoyens voulant en apprendre d’avantage sur les mammifères marins.

Deep Fraud Detection

Financial fraud is a serious issue that is taking place globally and causing considerable damage at great expense. Statistical analysis and machine learning tools can help financial institutions detect different types of fraud. In some cases however, mislabeling and the cost of classification may actually increase the volume of ‘false positives’ for supervised methods. As the number of normal transactions in financial domains far outweigh the number of anomalous transactions, it is challenging to classify the anomaly labels. In this research project, a combination of semi-supervised and unsupervised Deep Learning methods will be applied to detect outliers from different perspectives.

Techniques and Instruments of Value Production and Translation inCanadian Wild Food Harvesting

This research focuses on the trade of Canadian wild foods, such as morel mushrooms, wild blueberries

and fiddleheads. The major operational challenge in the sector is connecting remote, rural contexts of

production with global, urban centres of consumption. A distributor’s competitive advantage rests on

constant innovation of the informational, social and pricing techniques that motivate casual labour to

travel long distances and work long days for the harvest, and on the development of field processing

instruments that help determine, add to or preserve the value of the product. A commitment to social

and environmental justice in production and trade is also key: ethical concerns are central to wild

food’s perceived value. Conducting ethnographic research as a participating observing living and

working with the harvesters of wild mushroom and plant products, the intern will develop in-depth

knowledge about the array of techniques and instruments presently used to translate between these

varied interests and contexts.

Plateforme Conseils pour la vie Banque Nationale

Le «?bijuridisme?» est l’une des particularités du Canada. Il s’agit de la coexistence de deux régimes juridiques fondamentalement différents : la common law et le droit civil. Pour des entreprises et des particuliers qui possèdent des biens dans plus d’une province ou encore travaillent dans plus d’une province, ce bijuridisme peut causer des maux de tête. En effet, une même situation vécue au Québec et dans une province de common law n’entraînera pas les mêmes conséquences juridiques et fiscales. Tant les étudiants, les professeurs que l’ensemble des contribuables canadiens doivent jongler avec cette particularité. La présente recherche vise dans un premier temps à faire une revue de littérature sur des thèmes portant sur les cycles de vie des particuliers (vie personnelle et famille, vie au travail, retraite, succession…) et à les documenter pour la mise en place d’une plate-forme pancanadienne bilingue et bijuridique.

Development of an Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm for the GHGSat high resolutionGreenhouse Gas Monitoring Satellite

GHGSat has built the first and only satellite that makes measurements of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations at high . spatial resolution (< 50 m). Currently, the GHGSat data processing algorithm only retrieves GHG information from our atmospheric measurement data. However, the atmosphere also contains aerosols that complicate the accurate retrieval GHG concentrations. Developing an appropriate aerosol retrieval algorithm is a complex task that requires a dedicated research effort. If successful, it would significantly improve the accuracy of GHGSat's GHG retrievals and provide GHGSat with a new aerosol data product that could be of interest to industry.

Development of activated carbon from petroleum coke and electrolyte design for electrical double-layer supercapacitors – Part 3

Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices that promise fast charge-discharge rate, high power density, and long cycle life. However, low energy density, high cost, and safety risk of supercapacitors are yet to be addressed in order to deploy the technology into wholesale grid storage. This research project will design low-cost and high-performance electrode and electrolyte for supercapacitors. We will develop activated carbon from petroleum coke as the main component of electrode material, and design a novel high-voltage and safe electrolyte to improve the energy and power density and safety of supercapacitors. This project will help the industrial partner, Atlas Power Generation Inc., commercialize supercapacitor technology for grid scale applications.

Full-scale testing of a liquid cooling system for electric vehicle inverters

It is critical that on-board power electronic components of electric vehicle inverters operate within optimal temperature ranges. Failure to accomplish this results in overheating, oversizing and degradation of electronic components. Moreover, reduced efficiency and motor drive performance will have significant economical impacts on global automakers. This research will further contribute to developing a new thermal management system incorporating impinging-jet-based technology with liquid cooling, for improved heat transfer capabilities; a current prototype had been tested. This investigation will continue with a full-scale model and improved testing facility. A new method of supplying power, emulating electrical switches, will be implemented with the application of cartridge heaters and heater blocks. The objective is to fabricate the full-scale model and testing platform, conduct a comprehensive full-scale test and evaluate performance of the impinging-jet liquid cooling technology at various driving conditions. Favourable outcomes may lead to commercialization, enabling electric vehicles to operate with improved efficiency.

Controls on the formation and geometry of veins and vein arrays at the Tiriganiaq gold deposit, Meliadine project, Nunavut

The Tiriganiaq gold mine is the property of Agnico Eagle Mines ltd. and it represents the first active mining operation in the Meliadine district, Nunavut. This underground mine is hosted by metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Canadian shield and the geometry of the mineralized zones and related veins differ from the one of most gold deposits hosted by metamorphic rocks. Mining of a complex deposit in such an isolated arctic environment necessitates a good comprehension of ore zone geometry in order to optimise grade control and develop exploration models. The objective of the project is to develop a model for vein formation that explains the finite vein geometry, gold distribution and the overall geological context of the Tiriganiaq deposit, in order to define ore zone geometry at the local scale, but also to predict auriferous vein distribution.