Innovative Projects Realized

Modelling And Experimental Measurement Of Solution Gas / Solvent Dissolution And Exsolution In Heavy Oil

Foamy oil is commonly observed phenomenon during cold primary production of heavy oil reservoirs. Along with the pressure depletion, a type of anomalous flow of oil and gas phases appears when pressure is lower than the thermodynamic saturation pressure. Foamy oil is believed to bring positive effects to heavy oil recovery and well productivity by promoting favored fluid properties and oil swelling. The proposed study focuses on the description of the complex phase behavior of foamy oil systems to examine equilibrium versus non-equilibrium behaviour at different depressurization rates. It will provide deeper insight of the fundamental mechanisms associated with foamy oil evolution process, verify the influence of “supersaturation” of foamy oil on recovery performance, and establish a methodology to accurately determine the true thermodynamic bubble point pressure. Finally, numerical models which consider the thermodynamic and dynamic aspects for foamy oil phase behavior will be developed for field scale simulation.

PATH: Program to Accelerate Technologies for Homecare

The main objective of this project is to provide a testing and optimization platform that will accelerate the availability of smart systems for seniors’ home healthcare. The interns from this program will start developing a novel versatile connection protocol that will connect different devices and sensors to the hub provided by our industrial partner SMARTONE. Thus, one of the benefits of this proposal is the ability for SMARTONE to integrate many different devices through a single synchronized platform. In the next steps, the system will be installed in four different living labs and 350 real home units across Canada. The developers at SMARTONE and interns will have access to big data from different devices and locations to develop their own algorithms and Application Program Interfaces (APIs).

Measurement of the physical and thermo-physical properties of molten salts and their interactions with materials of construction

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) represent the next generation in nuclear power reactor technology with the benefits of being non-greenhouse-gas emitting forms of power production and providing inherent safety, lower construction and operating costs and proliferation resistance. As part of the recently announced New Brunswick SMR Research and Development Cluster, Moltex Energy proposes to build their first-of-a-kind Stable Salt Reactor (SSR) at the Point Lepreau site in southwestern NB. Research and development activities surrounding the redox control for the SSR fuel and coolant salts are key to ensuring adequate corrosion and degradation rates for the materials of construction. This Mitacs supported project aims to develop the facilities and capabilities required to undertake molten salt properties and corrosion research at UNB and will support the education and training of three highly qualified professionals (HQPs) including a Post Doctoral Fellow, a PhD and a Masters student.

Fusibles parasismiques pour diagonales de contreventements en acier

La solution la plus economique pour rendre une structure de batiment resistante aux charges laterales apportees par les vents ou les seismes consiste a former des cadres rigides en y ajoutant des diagonales. Ces diagonales sont soumises a des efforts axiaux: la traction et la compression. La capacite d’un membre d’acier etant plus elevee en traction qu’en compression, il convient de former un fusible qui rendre son comportment similaire pour ces deux sollicitations. Le projet de recherche s’inscrit dans un cadre d’optimisation des structures exposees a un risque sismique. Les efforts communiques par les diagonales seront limites par un fusible, ce qui permettra de liberer la structure de la surcharge due a une resistance trop importante de la diagonale en traction. Des lors, des economies d’acier sont possibles pour les elements de la structure porteuse, et les assemblages moins sollicites pourront etre reduits: d’ou une economie sur la fabrication………

Laboratory and field scale biodegradability assessment for Pela case products for environmentally end-of-life management

Pela, incorporated under Open Mind Development Corporation (OMDC), manufactures environmentally sustainable products, such as compostable smartphone and laptop cases. Pela aims to lead the industry in taking complete responsibility for its manufactured products and continuously improve their lifecycle so that they have the most renewable and sustainable beginning of life, and the most graceful end of life. The Pela Case is made of Flaxstic®, which is comprised of compostable bioplastic elastomer and flax straw materials. In this proposal, both field- and laboratory-scale biodegradability assays will be conducted for OMDC’s products (i.e., smart cell phone cases) to investigate their end-of-life fate in various controlled and un-controlled bioreactor environments. The field-scale testing will be conducted at Glengrow composting facility (Kelowna, BC), where plant materials such as lawn trimmings and pruning are composted. The laboratory-scale aerobic (composting) and anaerobic (digestion) biodegradability assays will be conducted at Bioreactor Technology Group Laboratory at University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus.

Techniques for Mapping, Analyzing and Improving Complex MultifunctionalProduct Development Processes

Existing methods and techniques for process mapping will be considered to develop a process

framework which will be adapted to perform analysis and provide improvements to the process.

Analysis techniques will be applied to detect redundant, duplicated or misaligned process activities.

Results will provide means to assess and evaluate the discrepancies between the actual and desired

processes. Solutions will be developed to reduce these discrepancies to obtain a smoother, leaner and faster process.

The process map to be built consolidates different viewpoints of the process and the engineering

knowledge to reflect the interdependencies and the information flow throughout the process. This will

contribute to improvement of the structural awareness across different functions that contribute to the

process, thus foster more effective coordination of the work. Application of the process suggestions

that will given as the deliverable of the project will allow faster and leaner development proces

Multiphysics modeling of novel electrical powertrain for medium-duty trucks

Electric motors for traction applications come in many types, but in-hub induction motor with concentrated winding is not one of them. This specific configuration is of high interest for Nordresa – an electric truck manufacturer based in Montréal, Canada. In effect, this motor type presents numerous advantages: because of the concentrated winding and the absence of permanent magnet, the manufacturing cost is low; and because of the direct drive configuration, the maintenance and failure modes are reduced to a minimum. However, concentrated windings are not typically used in induction motors due to the high torque ripples caused by the stator harmonics. In the recent years however, researchers gained interest in this moty type due to recent advances in winding configurations and motor performance modeling. We propose the development of an in-hub induction motor with concentrated winding, along with the multiphysics model to predict its performance – a magnetic equivalent circuit model coupled with a thermal model. A cooling system will also be developed concurrently. We aim to maximize the motor’s torque density. The model will be validated with a full-scale prototype.

Automatic Tracking, Localization and Orientation of Hockey Players, Using Broadcast Videos

Automatic analysis of sport videos is an attractive research area in computer vision that is driving the sport analytics towards a more technological edge. By automatically analyzing sport videos, lots of information could be drawn that benefits the teams, coaches, referees, players and even the fans, such as: extracting strategy of the game, technique and performance of each individual player, performance of the referee in a competition, and etc. This area of research, although attracted many researchers in computer vision community, is still in its infancy. This project focuses on automatic analysis of the broadcast hockey videos. Explicitly, in this project, as the initial step towards higher level analysis of the hockey games, precise tracking and localization of the players on the ice-rink will be performed and the body orientation of the players will be determined, using the advanced machine learning and computer vision techniques.

Analyse de stabilité des pentes minières dans l’arctique canadien : le projet Meliadine

L’objectif principal du présent projet de recherche doctorale est de développer et de valider une approche globale et intégrée de l’analyse de la stabilité des pentes minières en milieu arctique. Le cas d’étude du projet minier Meliadine d’Agnico Eagle Mines Ltée sera utilisé. Quatre stages sont prévus. Ils porteront sur les sujets suivants : travaux de caractérisation géomécanique, création d’un modèle géotechnique, analyse de la stabilité et de la fiabilité des pentes et impact des conditions arctiques sur la stabilité des pentes minières.

Les avantages pour AEM sont nombreux et variés. Dans un premier temps les géologues, ingénieurs géologues et ingénieurs miniers impliqués dans le projet pourront bénéficier de l’expertise du candidat. Les travaux réalisés par le candidat seront directement liés aux travaux en cours en entreprise. Ces travaux donneront un éclairage nouveau aux pratiques usuelles de la compagnie. Le projet permettra de développer une approche intégrée de conception en milieu…………………………

ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) as a novel anti-cancer drug target for hepatocellular carcinoma

The net 5-year survival rate for patients suffering from liver cancer is less then 20 percent and the number of cases is rapidly increasing in Canada. Unfortunately, currently available oral chemotherapies can only extend median survival by 3 – 4 months making the development of new and effective drug treatments critical. The proposed study aims to pave the way for a new class of drugs to help fight liver cancer and give hope to patients suffering from this deadly disease.

Clustering de questionnaires de satisfaction clients

L’objectif de ce projet de recherche est d’améliorer la compréhension des membres par les conseillers de la Fédération des caisses Desjardins. Pour ce faire, nous avons mis en place une solution permettant d’analyser l’information provenant des appels et des discussions par chat. Grâce à différents algorithme de traitement automatique du langage, nous pouvons extraire les différents mots-clés et expressions utilisées au sein des conversations. Ces expressions nous ont permis de créer un système de tri des appels et discussions en foction des différents services de l’entreprise. Le but final étant d’extraire l’objet principal de la demande du membre afin d’améliorer le suivi, les redirections d’appel, et les propositions de services faites aux différents membres.

Analyse des outils d’analyse stratégique et de mise enapplication de la stratégie : le cas de la firme GiGa Concept

L’étude portera une réflexion sur les modèles et les outils d’analyse

stratégique et de mise en application de la stratégie pour les petites et moyennes entreprises. On

cherchera à synthétiser et à compléter la littérature sur l’évaluation de l’environnement

concurrentiel et des capacités internes d’une PME, sur le ciblage de sa clientèle, ainsi que sur la

mise en pratique de la stratégie. Le cas GiGa Concept servira d’exemple empirique pour appuyer

l’étude et les cadres d’analyses choisis seront testés sur la réalité de cette firme. Au final, cette

PME québécoise bénéficiera d’une analyse complète et de recommandations quant à l’approche

stratégique qu’elle pourrait envisager, ainsi que les manières concrètes dont elle pourrait mettre

en oeuvre sa stratégie de développement. Outre cela, l’étude permettra de poser un regard critique

sur les outils présents dans la littérature pour soulever les lacunes et suggérer des améliorations.