Innovative Projects Realized

Experimental investigation of a new ammonia synthesizer for practical application

In order to move towards a sustainable future, it is essential to develop environmentally friendly fuels for energy production. Hydrogen and ammonia are promising candidates for clean fuels as they do not harm the environment when utilized as fuels. Ammonia is one of the leading chemicals produced throughout the world. However, the hydrogen gas required in ammonia synthesis is produced from carbon entailing natural gas that results in various environmental detriments. In this study, an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally benign method to produce ammonia for practical applications will be designed, developed, tested and evaluated.

Integrating Digital Design + Prefabrication Processes into Calgary-based Architecture and Design Firms

Many architecture and design firms in Calgary have a strong desire to incorporate parametric software (BIM) and digital manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technologies into their design processes in order to meet evolving client demands, regulatory requirements, and sustainability performance targets. These are necessary criteria that constitute high-quality built environments capable of meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders including clients as well as the general public. This proposal asks how architectural projects can be used as a platform for digital design and fabrication research that bolsters in-house digital prefabrication expertise while identifying alternatives to conventional trade-based construction practices. The general objective of the research project is to catalyze the adoption of digital design and prefabrication in Calgary-based architecture and design practices.

Removal of THMs Precursors from High DOC and TDS Water by IBROM Process

Surface waters typically have high levels of natural organic matter. The reaction of this organics with chlorine, which is generally used for disinfection, results in the formation of carcinogenic chlorine disinfection by-products (DBPs). Water treatment plants are obliged to come up with appropriate solutions to meet the set guidelines on maximum acceptable levels for these harmful DBPs.
Different approaches to reduce DBPs have been employed to this day such as enhancing removal of organics in the first steps of treatment, use of disinfectants alternative to chlorine, or removal of DBPs after they have been formed.
The Herbert WTP applies coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation processes followed by a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. This WTP is facing operational challenges related to inadequate organic removal within the pretreatment steps. Historically high levels of THMs have been the primary challenge, which had necessitated the upgrades but with the requirements to blend water, the benefits of organic reduction in order to extend membrane lifespan is the primary drive for this research. […]

Development of an Educational Resource to Assist Not for Profit Organizations in the Formulation and Implementation of Federal Disability Legislation

To ensure the largest impact possible, members of community disability organizations must be involved in the entire process of designing and implementing research. SCI Canada has spearheaded the development of CAIP and FALA, thereby achieving comprehensive input from disability organizations nationwide. Understanding the process of formulating and implementing legislation is a key element for creating important changes in the access and inclusion of Canadian society. Our research will help design an educational resource and evaluate it’s effectiveness in increasing the confidence of partner organizations to become involved in this process. As a whole, our research will contribute to a growing body of evidence that highlights the importance of research being used in practice.

Supporting Light Steering Technology within the Future Cinema Ecosystem

With rapidly improving display technologies used in the home, cinema needs to remain competitive in terms of achieving the highest image quality on screen. While increasing the quantity of pixels is currently rolled out, so far nothing has been proposed to improve the quality of those pixels. Emerging prototype cinema displays are currently being show-cased which brings significant improvement over traditional cinema experience. However new display technology with different pixel quality require modification to the traditional cinema workflow. This project aims at estimating the limits of the human vision system capabilities within a controlled environment to help define the specifications of future cinema display systems. Additionally, algorithm will be designed to allow inter-operability between the difference cinema displays that will exist in the future cinema ecosystem with particular focus on light steering, a revolutionary technology capable of greatly increasing pixel quality for similar power requirements than traditional displays.

Experimental testing of employing large grains as a bank erosion mitigation technique

Traditional engineering approaches to stabilizing stream’s (e.g. dams and cemented banks), typically alter a stream’s natural function and are expensive to maintain. Using large grains naturally found in a stream, could provide a way to stabilize the channel’s banks while still allowing natural system movement. To test if treatments of large grains could be used in river engineering projects, a physical model will be built. The large grain treatments will be subjected to environmental conditions typically experienced by river engineering projects. If successful, these experiments could provide the basis for the partner organization incorporating large grains into future river engineering projects.

Soutenir les entrepreneurs : peut-on faire mieux ?

La recherche porte sur la formation des entrepreneurs naissants et nouvellement démarrés et possède trois volets distincts mais complémentaires. Le volet 1 porte sur la santé des entrepreneurs et son impact sur l’engagement de ces derniers dans une démarche de carrière entrepreneuriale. Un outil (Capital santé entrepreneur) sera créé et deux expérimentations seront menées pour voir l’effet d’une prise de conscience par questionnaire ainsi que l’effet d’ateliers sur la question. Le volet 2 porte sur l’efficacité de la formation des entrepreneurs. Un bilan des besoins auprès des entrepreneurs sera réalisé, puis sur la base des travaux recensés, un nouveau parcours de formation sera proposé puis testé via une expérimentation. Finalement, le volet 3 concerne les compétences numériques et fera le bilan des connaissances pour développer et valider un outil d’évaluation pour ensuite investiguer la perspective de la formation et de l’accompagnement des entrepreneurs souhaitant améliorer leurs compétences numériques.

eChaperone Computer Vision Application in Healthcare Analytics

Providing high quality healthcare service is important in a society not only for the patients but also for their families and friends, who devote time to take care of their loved ones. In order to meet the healthcare demands of citizens, especially for the baby booming generation, an increasing number of long term care facilities are necessary. There are many challenges to run these facilities to ensure safety and care compliance. The echaperone project will apply state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning techniques in video analytics. The goal is to monitor residents’ safety and alert the facility management when suspicious events occur, while at the same time protecting the residents’ privacy. The echaperone alert system will also be available on mobile devices so that authorized supervisors, families or friends can be informed just-in-time if attention is needed. TO BE CONT’D

Validation du modèle d’arthrose provoqué par la MIA chez la souris

Il y a peu de traitements efficaces pour réduire les symptômes de douleur associés à l’arthrose. Ceci est en partie dû à nos connaissances limitées sur le sujet. Plusieurs modèles ont été développés et celui qui se démarque est celui de l’injection intra-articulaire de mono-iodoacétate (MIA). Bien que le modèle de MIA chez le rat soit bien établi avec des résultats cohérents et fiables, il ne représente toutefois pas un modèle adéquat pour l’étude de différentes molécules. Le but de ce projet est de valider le même modèle chez les souris. La validation se fera en 2 phases. Dans la première, nous déterminerons la bonne souche de souris ainsi que la concentration adéquate de MIA. Dans la deuxième, nous établirons la dose optimale d’un produit de référence utilisé en tant que contrôle positif. Le développement de ce modèle nous permettra de pouvoir étudier chez différentes espèces l’effet de molécules thérapeutiques.

A digital technology platform for supply chain: Development of scenario planning and forecasting models and tool for the engine build program to assess the impact of variations in sales forecast on inventory planning

Industry 4.0 is the digitization of a company’s physical assets and the company’s integration into digital ecosystems with its value chain partners, from suppliers to customers. It uses smart technology and the use of real-time data to increase flexibility, customization, efficiency and productivity, and to reduce time, costs and innovation cycles. This project will focus on adapting novel concepts to an enterprise to meet these challenges, with an emphasis on smart processes as a means to achieve the transition to Industry 4.0. This research aims to provide new light and help our partner industry to generate different problems in their supply chain by developing scenario planning and forecasting (Sales & Operations Review Board (SORB)) approaches and tool for inventory management to optimize the working capital and increase response to customer demand. This project will allow partner to identify and implement a tool that consolidates data and achieve visibility across the supply chain to support supply chain improvement and growth, highlighting exposure to inventory liabilities and increasing transparency between supply chain partners.

Product Modularity Enhancement and Engineering Analysis for CPP Dredge

Canada Pump and Power (CPP) Corporation has approached University of Alberta (UofA) to conduct

a joint research program by leveraging MITACS Accelerate Internship Cluster Program on “product

modularity enhancement and mechanical engineering analysis” for CPP’s existing dredges with its

uniquely selected pumps for different user requirements. The methodology adopted includes

parametric feature-based design and system simulation-based engineering analysis. The research

novelty is the associative engineering analysis with product selections, and configuration

management information model that can be reused for different product configurations with minimum

reengineering effort. This research has a 2-year period; 16 intern units are planned for graduate

students. The key benefits for CPP are the development of a well investigated modularity framework

with reusable engineering and computerized design models. These benefits will enhance CPP’s

flexibility in satisfying the variety of user requirements and reduce the risks and costs of reconfigured

systems which will lead to direct efficiency and profit gains.

Mapping associations between drought and simultaneous fires across space and time within the Southern Canadian Cordillera

The sequence of costly wildfires that burned at multiple locations in British Columbia and Alberta during fire seasons in 2003, 2015, 2016 and 2017 remind people that fires play an important part in forests of southwestern Canada. However, people are also increasingly recognizing the role of fire in providing ecological renewal and diversification. As a testament to this growth in understanding, forestry companies are embracing practices which include emulating historical fire regimes that exhibit a wide range of spatial and temporal characteristics such as fire shape and severity. Unfortunately, for the most complex fire regimes, those of mixed-severity, climate drivers remain poorly understood. Since many forests in the Southern Canadian Cordillera have evidence of these fire regimes, increasing our knowledge of fire-climate relations across these forests can help identify patterns of fires over space and time. Such knowledge can also help anticipate changes to fire regimes due to human driven climate change.