Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

29670 Completed Projects

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Projects by Category

Catalytic Reforming, Hydrogenation, and Decarboxylation of Unsaturated Fatty Acid Esters over Non-noble Metal Catalyst

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil or animal fat based diesel fuel consisting of saturated and unsaturated long-chain alkyl esters. Low value biodiesel has been developed on a commercial scale, however the application is limited. The conversion of biodiesel to high value C8-16 n-alkanes currently uses metal catalysts (Pt/C), which is an expensive technique. Designing and preparing non-noble catalysts, such as Ni and Fe based catalysts, is important
for the commercialization of biodiesel carboxylation technology. The purpose of this project is to develop a catalyst that will catalyze the process of reforming, hydrogenation, and decarboxylation for the conversion of unsaturated fatty acid esters to n-alkanes found in aviation fuel.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jesse Zhu

Student:

Partner:

Zhejiang University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

High-efficiency DC-DC converter for TFT touch sensors

This project aims at designing a high-efficiency DC-DC converter for TFT touch sensors. The main task of the converter is to step-up the low and variable input voltage to a higher and more stable voltage that is able to power the touch sensor. The most challenging part of the design is the regulation of the converter, especially since the touch sensor can be powered by different sources such as rechargeable batteries and USB interconnections. The design will be modelled, simulated, and optimized until it is able to achieve the required efficiency. The design will be fabricated and integrated as part of a complete sensor system.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Stefano Gregori

Student:

Partner:

Kapik Integration

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Accelerate

Educational Math Games For Developing Countries

Hundreds of millions of children in developing countries are unable to complete primary education. Mobile devices such as tablets are increasingly inexpensive and becoming accessible in large numbers in such developing countries. We propose developing educational software for such tablets to help children acquire arithmetic skills. To do this, we will develop new ways of gamifying math operations, to apply the principle that says that the gameplay in educational games should have users perform the very skill that they are meant to develop. To do this, we propose breaking down math operations into small steps, each of which can be performed with gestures or with textual input, with appropriate feedback at each step to guide or confirm the user’s actions. We will design and prototype such gamifications in software for mobile devices and evaluate them with primary school students. Beyond this initial project, in the future, we hope to pursue field evaluations with students in India.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Michael McGuffin

Student:

Partner:

Datawind

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

École de technologie supérieure

Program:

Accelerate

The luminescence of cavitation bubble generated by spark discharge in water

Cavitation bubble can be generated by ultrasound, laser or spark discharge underwater. It has good potential in the application of medical treatment, environmental treatment and surface cleaning. When the bubble collapse, the vapor inside will be compressed quickly and the temperature will rise to several thousand Kelvin, even reach ten of thousand Kelvin, and the pressure inside is around several hundred atm. Under such condition, there will be luminescence phenomena inside of the bubble if its energy is large enough. In this project, we want to use simulation and experimental methods to study the luminescence inside of the cavitation bubble. The temperature and pressure variation will be simulated and the intensity and spectrum characteristic of luminescence will be
studied by using high speed photography and emission spectra methods.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jesse Zhu

Student:

Partner:

Zhejiang University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Integrating physics and geology for an improved understanding of rock deformation

The relationship between the structure of rocks near the Earth’s surface and their geophysical properties is little understood. Rock samples from a large, exposed fault will be collected from Serifos, Greece, a region strongly affected by earthquakes and recent tectonism. These samples preserve varying degrees of deformation and structural complexity. The amountof deformation affects the orientations of a rock’s crystals as well as their magnetic properties, consequently influencing the behavior of seismic (earthquake) waves propagating through these rocks. Quantitatively characterizing these parameters will contribute to a better understanding of seismic anisotropy, which is the variation in seismic wave velocities depending on their propagation direction in a material. This in turn will enable more accurate large-scale models of the Earth’s interior and further understanding of earthquakes in densely populated areas, like Greece. The project will comprise Gaudreau’s Bachelor’s Honours Thesis and results will be presented at the international European Geoscience Union (EGU) in Vienna in April 2016.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Schneider

Student:

Partner:

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Ottawa

Program:

Globalink Research Award

First Principles Study of C2 Oxygenates Synthesis Directly from Syngas over Rh-MnOx Catalysts

C2+ oxygenates synthesis directly from syngas is one of the most promising processes for utilizing non-oil fossil fuels cleanly and efficiently. Through previous experiments, it has been found that the reaction rates and selectivity of C2+ oxygenates increases remarkably with the addition of MnOx. However, the detailed mechanism for the promotional effect of MnOx on the reactivity of Rh catalysts remains unclear. In this project, various calculations and experiments will be performed including: density functional theory (DFT) calculations as well as the thermodynamics and kinetics for all possible
elementary steps involved in the formation of C2 oxygenate from syngas. Through these investigations, the role and nature of the Mn promotional effect on the reactivity of Rh catalysts will be elaborated thus enabling industry to make this ‘green’ synthesis more effectual.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jesse Zhu

Student:

Partner:

East China University of Science and Technology

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

The effect of Cu dopant in zeolite on catalytic properties and deactivation incarbonylation of dimethyl ether

Ethanol has gained much attention as a potential fuel alternative or additive due to its environmental and long-term economic advantages. Recently, a method for synthesis of ethanol from syngas has been proposed. The purpose of this research is to explore the effects of Cu on the synthesis process, in order to find the most efficient means of creating ethanol. The expected results of this project, are to determine how exactly Cu contributes to the synthesis
process in the hopes of adding efficiency to the creation of this renewable energy source. In addition, this research project has the purpose of creating a personal link to China through the relationships that I build with colleagues that will help to broaden my understanding of research processes and accelerate my involvement in the development of large scale and economically viable renewable energy sources.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jesse Zhu

Student:

Partner:

Tianjin University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Experimental and Computational Investigationson Catalytic Mechanism of Ethylene Polymerization over Ziegler-Natta Catalysts

Magnesium chloride (MgCI 2) is a commercial catalyst important for the production of polyolefin material. Although magnesium chloride has been used for over 50 years, the active site is still not entirely known. This research aims to learn more about the active site. The formation of defective magnesium chloride surfaces acts with Ziegler-Natta catalysts and is viewed by using the density functiona l theory (DFT). The density functiona l theory looks at the structure of atoms and molecules in condensed phases. This computational method is used in quantum mechanical modeling in chemistry, and allows for the understanding of electron density and the properties of multiple electron systems. This project also looks at the effects of comonomer, a monomer that makes up a copolymer. The comonomer is a chain transfer agent of hydrogen, and its effects are studied in this project. Fi nally multiple catalysts will be
developed based on mechanistic approaches.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jesse Zhu

Student:

Partner:

East China University of Science and Technology

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Holographie acoustique en champ proche en régime transitoire et application à la détection de défauts dans les plaques

L’holographie acoustique en champ proche (Nearfield Acoustical Holography – NAH) est une technique d’imagerie acoustique permettant de visualiser un champ sonore dans l’espace tridimensionnel. Son fonctionnement repose sur l’acquisition du champ de pression acoustique à l’aide d’une matrice de microphones située dans le champ proche de la source. Le signal obtenu fait office de condition frontière dans la résolution de l’équation d’onde avec la formulation de Green. Cependant, cette technique est limitée lors de l’étude de signaux en régime transitoires. En effet, la non-périodicité de ces signaux est problématique étant donnée l’utilisation de la transformée de Fourier discrète, qui suppose des signaux stationnaires. Dans le cadre du projet doctoral, on démontre que la transformée de Laplace numérique permet d’outrepasser ces difficultés. En résolvant le problème inverse avec des méthodes existantes, on peut déterminer le champ sonore sur la couche limitrophe à la source, et ainsi analyser ses caractéristiques. On applique cette méthode à la détection et l’analyse de défauts dans des plaques subissant un impact mécanique. L’impact permet d’exciter des modes de vibration de hautes fréquences sans toutefois endommager la plaque.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Annie Ross

Student:

Partner:

Université du Maine

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

École Polytechnique de Montréal

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Experimental study of droplet generation and mixing inside droplet in droplet-based microreactors

The proposed summer exchange program is to perform experimental study of droplet generation and mixing droplets in droplet-based microreactors. The droplets are generated by feeding substrate into a tube and letting the substrate form drops from the other side of the tube. Each individual droplet acts as a small reactor under confined conditions. Accordingly, the droplet-base microreactor is a container where the droplets are generating and the reactions are being processed. This type of reactor has demonstrated its great potential for excellent transportation performance and the flexibility to precisely control the reaction process within each droplet. These features allow them to be widely used in many fields, such as preparation of functional materials, chemical synthesis, biochemical engineering, and so on. I expect this research to further develop the theories of the droplet mixing performance through droplet generation.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jesse Zhu

Student:

Partner:

Tsinghua University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Dynamic Modelling of Be Stars Disks

The proposed project is to create dynamic models of a Be Star Disk using the SINGLEBE code. This project will be the next paper in the series of papers titled; The Dynamical Evolution of Be Star Disks around Be Stars part I and III by Haubois and Carciofi et al. This series of papers are important because they examine the general predictions of dynamically active Viscous Decretion Disks (VDD) models and how they compare qualitatively with observations. The 3rd paper in this series will be done by Leandro Rimulo, a PhD student of Dr. Carciofi. This paper will examine how variation in emission lines and magnitude correlate to the emission lines and the photometric colors of a Be Star, by analysing the line profile evolution of VDD disk. I will be responsible for the computation and organization of the models, as well as, the compilation of the set of the representative observations to compare with the models. This research project is extremely unique as no one has produced work that focuses on the type of temporal spectroscopic variability expected in a VDD model.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Carol Jones

Student:

Partner:

Universidade de São Paulo

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

The social, political and material constitution of low-carbonenergy transitions in urban areas: a socio-technical and socio-spatial comparisonof Alberta (Canada) and Ile-de-France (France)

Cities emit approximately 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. It is therefore important to study how urban energy infrastructures can be transformed to lower carbon emissions. But this transformation is not simple for two reasons: (1) it involved variousactors with conflicting interests and visions on what the energy transition should be, and (2) cities are limited in their capacity of actions because of financial constraints and limited institutional powers. My research will compare how energy transitions are happening in the urban areas of Alberta (Canada) and Ile-de-France (France). Specifically, I will look at the following: how energy= transitions are negotiated and implemented in these two contrasting urban contexts (who are the actors involved and what policies are implemented); what factors enable and constrain municipal and individual actors to carry out low-carbon projects; and how the transformation of energy infrastructure by these projects impact the resilience and the social cohesion of energy supply across the city. With this comparison, I aim to identify best practices and policies and to assist urban decisionmakers in lowering carbon emissions.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Byron Miller

Student:

Partner:

Université Paris-Est

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Globalink Research Award