Innovative Projects Realized

Development of a Co-Simulation Platform for Electrical Systems

The proposed research aims to develop better computer simulation tools for the study of large electrical power systems. The premise of the research is based upon the concept of co-simulation, wherein two specialized computer simulation tools, each with unique features and strengths, are used in conjunction to solve a large electrical system. In the particular case of the proposed research work, this will be achieved using an interface between an electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulator and a dynamic-phasor (DP) simulator. The interfaced DP-EMT simulator will be able to simulate systems much larger than what is possible with an EMT solver and with reduced computational intensity, which will result in saving in computing time and resources.

Field Study of Community-Based Personal Support Workers’ Occupational Exposures to Injury Risk Factors

Personal Support Workers (PSWs) provide 70-80% of all paid home care. Unfortunately, they experience occupational injuries at more than twice the rate of the general population. These injuries increase costs for home care providers, reduce the availability of skilled workers, reduce workers’ quality of life, and impact the consistency of care that can be provided to clients.
This project is part of a larger study to directly measure the physical risk factors for common injuries as PSWs assist with daily activities in clients’ homes. This internship will focus on understanding how consistent these physical demands are when caring for a given client, and on making data analysis efficient, to improve the efficiency of the overall study. A better understanding of the physical demands of providing home care will allow home care agencies to improve their injury prevention programs and avoid the costs associated with PSW injuries.

Nanostructured functional materials from the bottom up

In this series of collaborative projects, we propose a combination of computational and experimental investigations of the preparation and dielectric properties of new, mixed inorganic materials. We will optimize the fabrication process of standard oxide dielectrics and semiconductors, and mixed derivative materials for efficiency and costs, and study the effects of making small modifications to the material’s composition on its field response. The materials proposed here have the potential to evolve in a new class of energy storage and related technology within the next 10 years. Additionally, we will computationally optimize surface deposition processes and identify reactants, substituents, catalysts, and precursors for thin film deposition of materials, including dielectrics and semiconductors for electrode and barrier applications. This in itself will be a significant part of the theoretical and practical R&D work that will be carried out.

Crowd-Sourced Bathymetry in the Northern Canada areas

The main objective of these two subprojects is to provide a web portal for uploading hydrography related data of sensors system embedded on fishing boat of volunteers in Canada Northern communities. Indeed, the geospatial portal will provide a comprehensive framework to allow for the storage, discovery and accessibility of the bathymetric and related oceanographic data from a data repository enabling to be functional including low Internet connection setup. Once, the data uploaded on the server, cross-validation and data format standards will be checked through the system. A complete metadata form will be designed in order to enhance the possibility of study on data quality and uncertainty assessment of group or individual data provider. Geospatial knowledge discovery methods will be applied to develop a Geospatial Business Intelligence (GeoBI) system in order to visual analytic purpose for geospatially informed decision-making.

Methodology Research on Business Process Reengineering with a Neutral Information Modelof ERPs

McCoy recognizes U of A’s capability in engineering informatics and has approached U of A

to conduct a joint research program to investigate a methodology applicable to McCoy’s

unique business practice nature for implementing a new enterprise resources planning

system. The most challenging research aspect of novelty is the requirement of a neutral

information model that is to be developed in support of the transition from the existing ERP to

the future system with the minimum data reengineering effort. McCoy and U of A would like to

leverage MITACS Internship Cluster Program to anchor this joint research effort. Under this

program, over a period of 2 years, 12 intern units are planned for three graduate students.

The key benefits for McCoy Company are the development of a well investigated

methodology framework and the manpower knowledge fusion and training throughout the

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project. These benefits will greatly reduce the risks of implementing a new and more…

Understanding DETA in the Strathcona Tailings Area

Glencore is considering the use of DETA (diethylenetriamine), a mineral processing reagent, to improve process performance in Strathcona Mill, located near Sudbury, Ontario. DETA forms soluble complexes with nickel and copper ions, and can cause the concentration of these metal ions to exceed the value permitted in the final effluent. The objectives of this project are to conduct geochemical modeling to determine the concentration of metals in solution with DETA under conditions relevant to the Strathcona Mill tailings area, and to determine how much DETA adsorbs on the mineral solids, and how much remains in solution. The results will be used as the basis for a larger research project. If Glencore can safely use DETA, the company will be able to improve nickel recovery and concentrate grade, which will have a large economic benefit.

Design of Thermal System for Electric Wheels

A new cooling system will be designed for electric wheel system which is being developed on partner site to commercial vehicle. The electric wheel system can increase the dynamic performance, flexibility of operation and efficient of electric vehicle.

Improving Signal Prediction of a Real-time Radiotherapy Beam Monitor using Artificial Neural Network

The science and technology of Radiotherapy for treating cancerous tumor more accurately and precisely is improving constantly with the availability of cutting-edge imaging systems in Radiation Treatment room, and advancements in computer technologies. However, these improvements are associated with complexities and potential risks. To mitigate the risks, a new class of Quality Assurance (QA) systems are emerging. In this research project, the student will investigate further enhancements in the performance of a recently commercialized QA system (IQM system) by incorporating a Machine Learning method. It is expected that an Improved IQM system can be an enabler for clinical deployment of advanced Radiotherapy techniques, and consequently our industry partner will benefit from the improvements in the customer demands of the IQM system.

Dynamic Binary Instrumentation of Embedded Systems

The proposed research project focuses on the dynamic analysis of embedded systems. The project has a duration of six months and aims to achieve two objectives: (1) to evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of a newly proposed QoS-aware dynamic instrumentation framework on real-word time-sensitive applications, and (2) compare the outcome to that of an existing state-of-the-art framework. For this purpose, the intern will get access to real-world applications provided by the partner, Labforge, Inc. As an expected benefit, the outcome of the project will help Labforge reduce its overall development cost and time-to-market, by cutting down the testing and debugging time.

Defining and measuring responsible gambling behaviour: National validation of the Positive Play Scale

The recently developed Positive Play Scale (PPS; Wood, Wohl, Tabri, & Philander, 2017) is the first ever questionnaire that can evaluate responsible gambling (RG) beliefs (e.g., knowing the odds of games) and behaviours (e.g., monitoring time and money spent gambling) amongst players. Importantly, however, the PPS was initially developed using exploratory statistical methods and with samples of players residing in British Columbia. That said, the first objective of the proposed research is to examine whether the PPS is a valid measure using confirmatory statistical methods with samples of players from all Canadian jurisdictions (i.e., provinces/territories). The second objective is to establish high/medium/low cut-off scores for the PPS based on the Canadian national sample. The findings will be instrumental in helping gambling operators to more effectively develop and evaluate the outcomes of their RG programming (e.g., educating players about the odds of success) for their player base.

Modelling wood quality and lumber recovery in variable retention stands part II

For many reasons, forest management in Canada will be constrained by ecological and social forest management objectives. Along with meeting the diverse needs of society, forest managers will need to consider increased demands for renewable resources, such as wood. Wood, as opposed to concrete and steel, has a positive impact on the global carbon cycle but is also strong enough to build large buildings. Therefore, there will be an increased demand for stronger wood in the future. Many factors influence the strength of wood, such as the species, the speed at which the tree grows and the environment where the tree is growing. We are attempting to understand how the properties that affect the strength of wood change when forest managers must also meet social and ecological goals. We propose to develop computer models that simulate wood strength properties in response to forest management. TO BE CONT’D

Novel OER catalysts and rapid screening methodology for reversal tolerant PEM fuel cell anodes

Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising alternative to meeting today’s transportation demands. Longer lasting and more robust fuel cells are essential for commercial applications. A common issue with the longevity of a fuel cell stack is the tolerance to repeated start-up shutdown cycles. During these cycles, the fuel cell can become starved of fuel due to blockages in the channels. Without fuel to react, the fuel cell will begin to break down the carbon supports causing catastrophic cell failure. To prevent this type of failure, new catalyst materials must be benchmarked quickly and efficiently to determine their properties and durability. We will investigate the interactions of the catalysts and support materials and compare the results to real world tests to find new and exciting fuel cell catalysts.