Innovative Projects Realized

Pore Pressure Prediction, Hydraulic Fracture Propagation and Huff-and-Puff Gas Injection in Multiple-Porosity Shale Reservoirs

Shale reservoirs store gigantic volumes of petroleum (oil and gas). However, because of the complex nature of the reservoir rock, it is difficult to recover the oil and/or gas stored in shales. Under normal conditions, it is possible to extract only as much as 10% of the resources in place, thus leaving behind a huge potential that promises to satisfy the energy needs of Canada for several decades. The proposed research project aims to provide a scientific methodology whose practical application will allow increasing the recoveries from shales, i.e., getting more oil and/or gas out of the reservoir. The project is therefore aligned with the interest of Canada for boosting its shale industry.

Light Weighting Structural Injection Molded Parts for the Automotive Industry

Light weighting in the automotive industry is ever becoming important. The overall objective of this research project with Axiom Group Inc. is to develop an innovative, cost-effective and industry-scale technology that can produce lightweight automotive products with good impact strengths. The project is aiming to achieve the cellular morphology to maximize weight reduction (20-30%) without sacrificing (or even while enhancing) impact properties of the product. This high-performance and more environmentally-friendly automotive product will be developed with zero ozone depletion potential blowing agents to further improve the sustainability of our environment. Various parameters such as material choices, filler/fiber contents, mold designs, processing conditions and others will be investigated in detail. The outcome of this project will offer Axiom a solution to produce lightweight structural injection molded automotive parts in its product lineup in response to the global trend.

Action research on youth physical literacy

Physical literacy means developing the foundational skills and the confidence required to participate in regular physical activity, play a sport or get to the podium. Research shows that physical activity levels start to decline as children enter into adolescence. Recreation organizations, such as YMCA Calgary are interested in finding out how their programs help support youth to stay active. Through action research, a unique strategy where researchers and practitioners work together on a particular project, this project aims to investigate the coaching and instructional approaches used in youth programs that focus on helping youth stay active taking place at YMCA Calgary. A PhD student from Brock University will work alongside the staff at YMCA Calgary, as well as youth in the community to determine what works well and learn about what changes they could make to help youth develop confidence, motivation and the skills to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

Bacteriophage Endolysin Proteins Development

In response to the antimicrobial resistance crisis, several nations (including Canada, U.S., and Europe) have drastically limited the use of medically important antibiotics for livestock production. As a result, alternative methods must be explored for disease prevention and treatment in animals from bacterial infections. The intern will explore the effects of using toxic proteins that destroy bacteria derived from viruses that only infect and kill bacteria as a plausible alternative. The benefit of this research to Cytophage Technologies Inc. is the development of a procedure that can be used to test the ‘kill activity’ of future proteins against the growth of bacteria. In addition, if a protein is found that is of high interest (kills different types of bacteria), it can potentially be used to help fight off bacterial infections in livestock anima

Efficacy Assessment and Improvement of an Allergen Dispersion System in an Exposure Room

Red Maple Trials (Ottawa, ON) created a new facility where patients can be exposed to airborne allergens. In this facility, the patient’s symptoms (with or without medication intervention) can be monitored in a controlled manner. In the current project, airborne allergen (pollen and dust mites) concentration and size distribution will be monitored in time. It is expected that more homogeneous allergen concentration and spatial distribution in this exposure room will allow better competitiveness for the company to attract pharmaceutical companies. Nevertheless, allergy research regarding the approval of new medication (with better efficacy) can impact a significant portion of allergic patients in Canada and abroad.

Development of a supervised and transparent prediction model for predicting bond credit rating migrations in real-time for short to moderate time frame

The purpose of this research is to develop a supervised prediction model that will be used to predict whether a bond credit rating will migrate down to a lower credit rating in a short to moderate time frame. The problem will consist of the development and optimization of a bond credit-rating migration prediction model; the development of a framework that gives the model transparency and explain-ability lending weight to the credibility of the results; and the integration of the credit migration prediction into a portfolio allocation optimization for bond portfolios.

The model will provide insight into the short-term creditworthiness of corporate bonds that will be used to develop a platform for which the probability of credit rating migration will be available to a broad network of financial professionals in real-time. This can play a significant role in reducing the losses due to an un-expected bond credit rating downgrade.

Against the Grain: The nutritional impact of dietary gluten avoidance in the Canadian population

Celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergies and dietary gluten avoidance for other reasons appear to be on the rise in Canada. However, prior to the recently released Canadian Community Health Survey, there has never been an opportunity to investigate dietary gluten avoidance using recent, representative survey data collected throughout Canada. It is important to know the burden of gluten avoidance in Canada and who is affected to advocate for resources. This project will examine estimated nutrient intakes using 24-hour dietary recall data of those adhering to a gluten-free diet (GFD) from a nationally representative sample of Canadians. The outcomes of this study will allow us to describe the potential for nutritional deficiencies among Canadians who adhere to a GFD. This is an opportunity to provide a benchmark by which future studies can assess changes in gluten avoidance in the Canadian population over time using future Canadian survey data. This study will also provide a framework for change and initiatives in the food environment in response to how people following a GFD eat, and what challenges they may face.

Gallium nitride processes for efficient low loss power transistors

The project’s aim is to develop a comprehensive technological platform for the fabrication of
GaN-based electronics devices for applications in telecommunications and power generating
and management systems. As of this date, the progress relative to this technology has been
excellent and sustained. Our team has now established the most advanced fabrication
expertise for GaN-based devices among Canadian universities, and state-of-the-art high
electron mobility transistors are now routinely fabricated. Technologies around the epitaxial
growth of GaN-based materials are also to be developed. Our previous work yielded
promising results with significantly improved gas injector designs for highly efficient gas
usage in an epitaxial tool. Other designs also include a new concept for the gas management
system with a diffusely heated evacuated cabinet that allows for easy maintenance and
cheaper operation. Materials grown within the frame of this project will be evaluated in terms
performance with regards to HEMT microfabrication standards

Norms, Social Mechanisms, and Mexico’s General Law on Disappearances

In October 2017, Mexico’s Congress passed the General Law on Disappearances, the first federal-legal measure of its kind. After eleven years of extreme violence that coincide with the War on Drugs, more than 37,000 (RNPED, 2018) persons are officially disappeared, though it is widely suspected the figure is now in excess of 40,000. This research project examines the social mechanisms that influenced the creation of the General Law after more than a decade of insecurity. Through quantitative analyses in the timeline of the disappearances epidemic, combined with interviews of policymakers, activists, and academics, the project focuses on the role norms and values play in the advancement of policy. Thus, the expected outcome of this research is a deepened socio-political understanding about the Law’s advent and the circumstances that explain its timing.

Assessing the lice cleaning efficacy and diet of lumpfish in Canadian Atlantic salmon sea cages using metabarcoding and conventional diet analysis

The salmon aquaculture industry is a highly profitable industry, known to contribute significantly to the Canadian economy. During this time an ectoparasite called the sea louse may infect the salmon leading to animal welfare concerns a significant economic loss. Lumpfish are a species of cleaner fish used as a biological control for sea lice and offer a more sustainable and ecologically friendly option for sea lice management than previous chemical controls. They are a recent addition to Canadian aquaculture, and their cleaning efficacy must be well understood under Canadian conditions. The identification of whole diet and sea lice presence in lumpfish stomachs using conventional analysis and metabarcoding will aid in future efforts to enhance lumpfish cleaning efficacy. This research will benefit the industry partner, offering potential for economic gain and more efficient aquaculture management. And benefit the intern in completing a MSc thesis.

Enhancing Hyperspectral Image Quality for Chicken Eggs Using Unmixing Approach

The current non-destructive and fast method of hyperspectral imaging technology for the chicken egg-related problems in agri-food processing suffers from the quality of acquired hyperspectral images. Therefore, the results of all existing attempts to deal with those egg-related problems (e.g., freshness, grading eggs, fertility detection and distinguishing abnormal eggs) can be improved since they are highly related to the quality of hyperspectral images taken over eggs. This project aims to address these challenges and present a hyperspectral imaging enhancement scheme to accurately determine the spectral profile of internal components of egg (e.g., yolk, egg white, eggshell) using one of the strong remote sensing tools called spectral unmixing. Eventually, the quality of hyperspectral image of eggs will be enhanced based on unmixing approach along with better estimating the noise level and appropriate denoising technique.

Machine learning classification for pump fault and failure detection

This project aims to develop an automated ability capable of detecting faults with pumps. This is referred as “Automated Fault Detection and Diagnosis” (AFDD). Equipment performance begins to worsen throughout time due to various reasons, where these reasons are referred to as “faults”. Generally, there is an understanding of the various faults and causes for equipment failure, but the challenge arises in development of a tool capable of accurately and automatically detecting these issues. An AFDD tool would receive sensor data from a pump and use various algorithms to 1) “Detect” a fault and 2) “Diagnose” the exact fault. The expected outcome of this project is an algorithm that can read data from installed equipment and use it to determine whether or not the equipment is (a) operating correctly, (b) operating with a problem (fault), or (c) in danger of failing, and provide both the building owners and Armstrong service team with the necessary information to fix it.