Innovative Projects Realized

Development of a Reliability-Centered Maintenance Battery Program

Battery energy storage systems are used in electric utilities for a variety of applications including back up power for critical equipment. Manitoba Hydro is evaluating two battery chemistries for use in its substations, namely Li-ion and sodium-nickel chemistries. Along with assessment of technical merits of each battery type to determine which chemistry best suits the intended application, Manitoba Hydro needs to develop schemes for maintenance and condition monitoring of these new batteries so that it can maximize their lifespan when in service and prevent any unforeseen outage. This project aims to develop reliability indices and recommendations for operations of these battery energy storage systems.

Development of computationally efficient models for modular multilevel converters with integrated battery energy storage systems

The research project aims to develop new computer models for accurate representation of battery energy storage systems that are used in modern power systems. In particular state-of-the-art modular multi-level converters with integrated dc-dc converters will be considered. The models to be developed will provide high levels of accuracy and feature low computational intensity so that study of battery systems that are integrated into the grid using advanced converter systems becomes feasible on present-day computing systems. The outcomes of this research will enable practicing engineers and researchers to conduct studies with accuracy and low computation burden. The findings of this research will be experimentally verified using scaled-down laboratory setups.

Digital In-Line Holographic Microscopy in the Biological and Medical Sciences

Point Source Digital In-line Holography has been developed by Kreuzer, Jericho and

collaborators over the past fifteen years into an efficient and versatile microscopy that

produces 3-D images at the submicron level and can track the motion of objects like algae,

bacteria, bubbles and sand grains ocean and freshwater environments in real time, hence the

nomenclature 4D microscopy. Resolution Optics currently has three versions of DIHM

systems; the desktop model, the optical microscope attachment, and the self contained,

submersible model. Recent uses have been the (successful) search for algae and bacteria in

cold water springs in the high Arctic [7], in coastal waters of Nova Scotia and in a survey of

phytoplankton at depths down to 6000m in the mid Atlantic. The objective of the research

project is to develop new applications and uses of DIHM in biological and medical imaging is

to develop protocols that allow stable long term imaging over days and months to follow the…

Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) tightness testing using statistical approach

The industry partner, Cantest is establishing a new leak detection procedure for analyzing data sources in aboveground storage tanks and statistical learning models to monitor AST shell dynamics and product activity over time. This is an important problem as identifying leak detection is usually associated with various environmental data and records collected from sensitive sensors attached to the ASTs. Current testing procedure for leak detection uses simple statistical rules and thresholds to detect anomalies. These methods are failing for preventing AST related environmental incidents. Incorporating data records from upgraded evaluation equipment, this research internship will help to identify and create appropriate leak detection procedures for the ASTs and extend and improve the functionality of Cantest’s current leak detection systems.

Evaluating the impacts of landscape development on carnivore activity patterns and species interactions

Understanding the impacts of human-driven disturbance on carnivore communities is an important step for prioritizing conservation decisions and managing land-use policies. Disturbances such as landscape development may influence how species structure their activity periods over the 24-hour cycle and potentially compromise the capacity for competitors to avoid costly encounters with each other. Few studies to date have investigated how landscape disturbance impacts species’ behaviour and interactions across time, and the potential ramifications on community-level biodiversity and structure. Employing camera-trap datasets collected across Alberta, this project will characterize the behavioural responses of carnivore species across a gradient of landscape development and disentangle the interacting effects of disturbance and landscape characteristics on species interactions. Results of this research will benefit the partner organization in providing scientific information to government and industry decision-makers for better conservation practices and land-use management.

Stable isotope analyses for food web characterization in relation to hydrological alteration

Rivers provide important services to people in the form of agricultural irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. However, many of these benefits require dams and river control at the expense of natural systems. Rivers in Spain are of particular interest because globally Spain has the most dams per person. This project will look at the impacts of dams and river control on downstream ecosystems by modeling food webs with stable isotope analysis (effectively tracking nutrient signatures up the food chain). The findings of the project will contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of dams and river control and help inform better river management to maximize both the services that rivers provide and the ecosystems they support.

BC Pulp and Paper Bioproducts Alliance: Development and demonstration of forest residues to renewable natural gas technologies

This proposed project will support our ongoing efforts in scanning and screening existing technologies and de-bottlenecking key technology barriers in converting low-cost biomass residues to renewable natural gas in British Columbia pulp, paper and lumber mills. Specifically, we will focus on developing a bauxite residue (f.k.a., red mud) based catalyst for the removal of tar from gasification syngas to yield clean syngas for methanation to biomethane, and evaluating and improving the commercial methanation catalyst. Over the past 5 years, we have accumulated extensive experience in biomass gasification and catalytic conversion of syngas to liquid biofuels including higher alcohols and biodiesel. For the clean-up of syngas, we have developed a unique low-cost iron-based catalyst derived from bauxite residue, a waste from bauxite processing, which shows promising performance based on the tests in a bench scale fixed bed reactor using naphthalene as the simulated tar. TO BE CONT’D

Printed Organic Electronics – Investigation of Biodegradable Surfactants for Printing Applications

Human Adult Stem Cells for Reconstructive Bone Therapies

Abrasion and attrition modelling of pharmaceutical tablets in finishing operations

Development of a value added chain based on brewery residues

Retina-on-a-Chip: Development of a human retina 3-D model integrating tissue derived from iPSCs