Innovative Projects Realized

Evaluation of New Technology in TechnipFMC’s Operations

TechnipFMC is a global leader in subsea, onshore, offshore, and surface technologies. They use innovative technologies to help their clients develop their oil and gas resources. The purpose of this project is to research and evaluate two new technologies to determine the best fit for deploying the technology in TechnipFMC’s operational environment.

Optimizing the Delivery of Programs to Immigrants through Targeted, Mixed, and Universal Services

Drawing from immigrants? and service providers? experiences, the current project will explore what type of programming for immigrants is best suited to be delivered through universal (non-targeted programming), targeted (programming specifically for immigrants), or mixed services, so that these programs are most effective and well-utilized. This project involves a partnership between the United Way of London and Middlesex and the University of Western Ontario, and will use multiple forms of investigation across three sites in London, Ontario (participant observation, interview and focus groups, spatial analysis) as well as a survey of survey providers throughout the city, to achieve its goals. The final product will be a report to the United Way describing the research findings and providing recommendations on optimizing service delivery to promote the integration of immigrants in London and Middlesex. Given their broad relevance, we will also write the research up for publication in a peer reviewed……..

Development of natural antioxidant formulation for improved Vitamin A soft gelatin capsules stability and shelf-life

The Marquardt Group at the University of Windsor intends to better understand the stability and degradation of Catalent’s vitamin A soft gel supplement, including the effect of various antioxidants on the degradation. Catalent is one of the largest suppliers of Vitamin A palmitate capsules to Nutrition International (previously Micronutrient Initiative), which is an organization aimed at eliminating malnutrition throughout the world. A team of Marquardt’s graduate students will develop and implement a novel antioxidant (preservative) mixture to extend the shelf life of the current vitamin A soft gel supplement using only “natural” antioxidants. The knowledge gained through this will lead to novel formulations designed to improve the stability of the vitamin A system and thereby improving the lives of people in the developing world.

Social Enterprise, Impact and Sustainability Using the Logic of Business Models

Social enterprise is an approach that applies business tactics to solving a social or environmental challenge. Social entrepreneurship can be found in any organizational setting: non-profit, business, and government. This Research Project is designed to study innovative social enterprises, with the goal of creating a taxonomy of business models in social entrepreneurship. Taxonomic information is useful in creating shared language in emerging field. Further a taxonomy of existing business models systematically used in order to tackle pressing social problems supports further innovation by providing guidance on the types of models employed in various circumstances. The findings from the proposed research will establish a path to financial sustainability enabling innovative social enterprises to survive and ultimately thrive with minimal or no support / donation dollars. Additionally, practitioners and scholars will glean new insight into how to scale up a successful social enterprise to achieve a wider and deeper impact.

Attenuation of cortisol in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) during the breeding season and associated cognitive abilities

Ring-tail lemurs (Lemur catta) are a highly social species with distinct breeding seasons. During the breeding season, ring-tail lemurs have been shown to experience elevated fecal glucocorticoid concentrations, a known marker of physiological stress. The social buffering literature suggests that some of this stress may be alleviated by increased levels of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in reproductive behaviour. However, the physiological effects of social buffering have not yet been analyzed in a reproductive context. To fill this research gap, I will analyze the relationship between cortisol and oxytocin in ring-tail lemurs during and outside of the breeding season. I will analyze banked blood samples at the Duke Lemur Center, and additionally, I will analyze the behavioural effects of this hormonal interaction using cognitive tests. TO BE CONT’D

Measurement-based Distribution System Models for Distributed Energy Resources Control

The integration of significant capacities of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as renewable wind and solar generation for a more sustainable energy future creates several challenges to the reliable and efficient operation of power distribution systems. These include: (i) Uncertain and intermittent nature of renewable generation compromises power quality for end-customers. (ii) Up-to-date distribution system network topologies are not well known and their real-time monitoring is limited. As a result, effective management of DERs is challenging. (iii) Establishing full network observability may be prohibitively costly. (iv) Accurate DER control may require solving complex optimization problems.
To this end, the goal of this research project is to study measurement-based methods to design DER management systems by developing equivalent, reduced-network models of distribution systems from real-time measurements.

Automatic construction layout marking using ground and aerial vehicles

The proposed research aims to map and locate pollutant sources by deploying a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) after a natural or human induced disaster in order to sense, assess and aid in search-and-rescue operations. We aim to use a heterogeneous team, armed with an array of gaseous and aerosols sensors, in order to assess and map the current state and risks. These heterogeneous robotic teams are better suited to handle tasks in catastrophic events that might cover a large geographical area (e.g., earthquakes) or present complex scenarios (e.g., collapsed building).
The project will use small UAVs, in coordination with a UGV, to detect air pollutants. This will be an initial demonstration which will be done indoors with a motion tracking system and small aerial vehicles all controlled from a central computer. TO BE CONT’D

Large scale parameters controlling convection in the tropics: CAPE, CIN, Moisture, and Vertical Velocity

The representation of moist convection and clouds in global climate models is one of the hardest problems in contemporary meteorology. The problem arises because the phenomenon of convection and cloud processes occur at much smaller spatial scales than current computers allow in terms of horizontal grid resolution. Nonetheless, theoretical and empirical knowledge led the climate modelling community to propose a certain number of convection schemes or parametrizations to deal with these issues. However, the two-way dynamical interactions between these large scale parameters and the convection process, and what they are remain open for debate. In this project, we will use numerical simulations based on the publicly available Weather Research and Forecast code to assess how these parameters influence the initiation, intensity, lifetime, and depth of convection. TO BE CONT’D

A mechanistic study of the association between poverty and executive functions in early childhood: Contributions of early brain development and the early caregiving environment

Poor cognitive and academic outcomes are common consequences for children growing up in economically poor families. Poverty is associated with alterations in brain development, communication and cognitive skills. Children living in poverty are exposed to poverty-related risk factors and stressors, including less language exposure. Little is known about the early development of language and cognitive skills relative to brain structures. We will test whether aspects of children’s early experience known to impact the development of cognitive skills also explain the association between poverty and brain development. An intensive home visit at 6 months of age will include observational and objective measures of caregiver behavior, language exposure (via Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system speech recorders) and sleep hygiene. We assume that poor language interactions would impact children’s brain development. The results of this study will guide early prevention and intervention efforts to enhance the development of children living in poverty.

J.P. Metras Sports Museum: Oral History Project, Preserving the Voices of the Past

This project involves the audio and visual recording of interviews with past and present

athletes, coaches, and administrators of the varsity athletic program in London and the

surrounding areas in Ontario. The over arching objective of the project is to create an

ongoing database of stories to supplment the active archival research already taking place at

the Metras Sports Museum. Because of close ties with the Public History Department, the JP

Metras Sports Musuem has witnessed significant expansion and subsequent exposure. By

creating an oral history research collection, the “w” Club will continue to fulfil its mission in

“The enhancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics at Western University.”

Furthermore, it is vital to capture these stories before they are lost. This project would make

this possible.

An order-reduced simulation framework for 3D multiscale geophysical electromagnetic problems

The goal of this research is to investigate the extension of upscaling and multiscale methods and their application to efficiently simulate (frequency-dependent and time-dependent) electromagnetic fields in geophysical scenarios that include metallic-cased boreholes and fractures filled with conductive/resistive fluids. Simulating this type of geophysical settings is quite challenging because they consider highly heterogeneous media and features at multiple spatial scales that require a very large mesh to be accurately represented. This results in a system of equations to be solved that often exceeds the limits of average computers. Thus, the key is to reduce the problem size but retain the accuracy of the electromagnetic responses, which is what upscaling and multiscale methods aim to do efficiently. The research-based solution proposed in this project is relevant to advance the prediction and simulation capabilities for geophysical electromagnetic problems in the context of Hydraulic fracturing. TO BE CONT’D

Development of high-dimensional robust split regression models to measure data quality for improved use of sensors and diagnostics in a heavy industrial setting

We propose the development of novel statistical methods to improve upon detection of normal and abnormal behaviours in industrial sensors. The ability to detect subtle changes in sensor performance in a wide range of operational conditions has significant potential for MineSense Technologies Ltd., which operates sensors in challenging conditions. It can be very difficult to perform reactive sensor system maintenance in an active mine, as it may require shutdown or suspension of critical operations. Therefore, the ability to detect abnormal behaviours and thus perform preventative maintenance is valuable. The main objectives of this project are to (1) characterize and monitor system data quality, (2) develop high-dimensional, robust split regression models for sensing system telemetry data, and (3) develop approaches to integrate these models into broader system health monitoring. TO BE CONT’D