Innovative Projects Realized

Evaluation and Improvement of High Voltage Module (HVM) of X-ray Generator – Year two

The motivation for this research comes from an overall need to improve the performance of high voltage module (HVM) and to reduce the size and its material costs while maintaining its efficient performance, with no partial discharge, arc or thermal issues. In particular, stable transient and steady state performances must be achieved for medical X-generators under wide load variation, ranging from 40-150 kV output voltage and 0.1-1000 mA output current to obtain defect free images. The desired HV module will combine the optimum cost-effective design with compactness. Therefore, the design must consider eliminating any high electric field and high temperature points in the system that lead to partial discharge and failures. Another concern about the module is its behavior under severe transient load conditions, which can happen when there is an arc in the X-ray tube. Understanding the induced voltage from the field in such a scenario is necessary to improve the design of the module. Additionally, uneven voltage distribution along the diode chains in the voltage multiplier will be a concern due to the parasitic capacitances under high frequency and high voltage conditions. Therefore, the proposed work will address the design improvements of the HVM of X-ray generators.

Health Records over Blockchains – Year Two

It is hard to understate the critical role access to a patient’s comprehensive medical history plays in diagnosing (and treating) patient illness. For a doctor, knowing the latest prescribed drugs of his patient might, for example, point directly to the cause of an illness — which might be just a drug side effect. Yet patients often do not know the names of the drugs they take or even the dates of surgeries and other medical procedures.

A Health register covers the entire log of patient medical treatments, from surgeries through periodic health check-ups and other medical interventions. These records are commonly paper registers, smart cards or online private databases, often owned by hospitals, and not always available on need. Publicly sharing these databases could address the problem — but it would create a new one by violating personal privacy (and Canadian privacy laws).

This project intends to employ blockchain technology to develop a platform that can integrate health registers and enable hospitals and other medical service providers to access health registers securely and promptly. Notwithstanding, the technology we are going to develop is applicable in various research fields.

Fault Detection in Cables: A Machine-Learning Approach

Fault location identification is one of the most common, but challenging, activities that power operators face within industrial plants. Once a fault occurs in the network, protective relays isolate the affected area from the system; then, maintenance crew use special tools and patrol the area to pinpoint the fault. This process may take a lot of time and effort depending on the fault type, detective tools, and cable position. In order to address this issue, the current project seeks to develop an advanced hardware-software package, which will be developed based on machine learning and to be capable of finding exact fault location in a fraction of second. The reported output of the device can be either used as the backup hints, or as the primary detection tool in the foreseeable future to help the operators in different mining plants.

Selective Dissolution of Alloys 400 and 800 in CANDU Steam Generator Environments: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies

This project will study the corrosion of two nickel alloys commonly used in nuclear reactors: Monel 400 and Alloy 800. In the steam generator section of nuclear reactors, the chemistry is complex and may lead to the formation of ammoniacal species such as soluble ammonia (NH3). Ammonia may accelerate the corrosion of these alloys. The project will first study the thermodynamics (the possible chemical reactions) that are occurring within the steam generator, then it will use this information to study the corrosion rate of the nickel alloys. Finally, alterations to the chemistry or the alloy will be recommended based on this project with the end objective of reducing costs and improving reactor performance.

Validation of the Babbly language development app

This study will validate the accuracy of a new artificial intelligence (AI) powered application, which has been developed to track communication and cognition during the babbling stages of development in the first year of life. Once validated, this app will be an asset to both parents and clinicians. It will be used by parents and will be suitable for informing speech-language pathologists and other clinicians about potential developmental communication/cognitive delays during this period. Parents will upload videos of their infants’ communicative interactions and the app will flag children who show signs of an atypical trajectory in their development. Red flags will facilitate both the early assessment of very young children, and appropriate therapies to be put into place. The validation process will include two stages: (1) teaching the AI to identify typical communication behaviors in infancy; (2) testing whether the AI performs accurately with both typically developing infants and those at-risk for atypical development. These will entail, first, manually coding videos for communication behavior (a time-consuming process), then assessing whether or not the AI can accurately categorize these infant behaviors (a time efficient process). Ultimately, this app will enable the earliest identification of language delays in Canadian children.

THE USE OF WEARABLE VITAL SIGNS SENSOR TECHNOLOGY FOR EARLY PHYSIOLOGICAL DETECTION AND TRACKING OF VIRAL RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS

BACKGROUND: Viral respiratory tract infection (VRTI) is the most common illness in humans, resulting in a total economic impact of $40 billion annually in the United States. Taking into consideration the current novel coronavirus pandemic – impacting billions of people around the world, compromising the global economy, and putting extreme pressure on healthcare systems – it is imperative to identify novel ways to both detect and prevent VRTIs such as COVID-19. GOALS: Determine the relationship between infection dynamics, physical activity type and intensity, and short-term effects on physiological and biomechanical performance, as monitored by novel wearable vital-signs sensors. METHODS: A controlled, longitudinal study involving 30 days of continuous monitoring in 60 healthy adults. The advanced, integrative approach will involve several scientific disciplines (kinesiology, virology, immunology, artificial intelligence) and state-of-the-art technologies. VRTI will be induced via controlled human infection (inoculation). Novel infection detection techniques will be based on host?response signatures enabling measurement of inflammatory status dynamics. Activity-monitoring biosensors will continuously and simultaneously monitor physiological and biomechanical parameters. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: This study will deepen our understanding of whether we can detect, or predict subtle changes in vital signs (prior to the onset of symptoms) that correlate with illness onset, progression, and recovery.

Marine ecosystem changes in Atlantic Canada: drivers of altered abundance and habitat use by waterfowl and marine birds?

Saltmarshes and coastal wetlands in Atlantic Canada are some of the habitats that have experienced the greatest decline in area over the past 400 years. Various organizations have monitored habitat change and bird use of these sites for decades, but no one has undertaken a comprehensive examination of changes in habitats or avian abundance, potential factors that influence those (including government policies), and the perspectives of local stakeholders on the successes and failures of conservation efforts in these region. This project seeks to remedy that through a collaborative examination of 40+ years of scientific data, as well as interviews with stakeholders and local landowners. The results will help direct future, multi-stakeholder land use activities and long-term planning for coastal wetlands in Atlantic Canada.

Pulsating Airlift Pumps for Vertical Farming Applications

The need for food (26.6% increase since the year 2000 according to Statistics Canada 2016) and the cost of energy are increasing rapidly as the world population continues to grow exponentially. Moreover, world-wide demand for fresh water is rapidly increasing while supply is very limited. Agriculture uses 70% of the global fresh water supply as compared to hydroponics that only use 10%. However, these systems require large amounts of energy to operate. Reducing energy cost and improving productivity is critical for the sector to expand. In this project, the new airlift pumping technology developed by FloNergia will be evaluated. This pumping technology operates by air with no moving parts, no lubrication required, no noise or vibration involved and require 50-70% less energy. It improves water quality by circulating water and aerating simultaneously which improves productivity by 10%.

Integration of molecular tools with technological evaluation to improve the performance of starter cultures for yogourt

Yogourt demand has increased significantly over the past decade, accompanied by a fast-paced diversification in types of product, requiring specialized processes. The challenge faced by Lactalis Canada is to continually adapt the fermentation process to obtain consistent and optimum quality, shelf-life and sensory profile using the cooperation of living microorganisms as starters in milk which already contains a variable microbiome. In order to meet this challenge, molecular tools are urgently needed to improve the process of starter production and monitor the performance of starters during milk fermentation. The collaboration with the University of Guelph will provide the expertise to develop these tools and evaluate the genetic and metabolic compatibility of specific strains for predictable yogourt characteristics. This project will expand understanding of bacterial interactions during milk fermentation and their impact on the flavour profile of fermented milk. The results will be used to improve the yield and sensory profile of yogourt produced by Lactalis Canada.

LIDAR urban scene infrastructure asset feature extraction

Canadian Communities are facing a tidal wave of physical infrastructure debt as their physical assets deteriorate due to age. This project aims to use urban LiDAR data (“streetscapes”) and computer vision to identify key physical assets such as (signs, curbs, centerline roads, streetlights, and other features) by there location (latitude / longitude) and key physical characteristics (size (height, width, length, thickness) and other characteristics. The objective is to use advanced technology to speed up the data collection process to aid in the identification of what assets are managed and their location.

Ozone Disinfection of Commercial Goods at Global Scale

This project investigates the possible use of the oxygen coproduct from electrolytic hydrogen production, as a feed to produce ozone for disinfection purposes. The shift to a hydrogen economy will see a significant increase in the amount of oxygen produced, and currently, this oxygen has no use. It is possible to capture the oxygen, and to convert oxygen to ozone. The technological challenge is to determine the limits for safe operation of the ozone disinfection processes. This project will scope the this concept with the proposed application of sterilization in a distribution warehouse.

Moisture accumulation in a cavity-insulated thick-wall assembly with an exterior air barrier system as a result of natural convection in cold climates

The intent of the proposed research project is to measure the performance of a highly-insulated wall assembly system when an exterior air barrier system is used and air movement within and across the wall occurs. In cold climates, the movement of warm, moist air within and across an exterior wall may result in moisture accumulating on some of the surfaces within the wall if the conditions allow, causing long-term damage if it does not dry out. The proposed research will study the amount of moisture that accumulates within a high-performance wall under specific parameters to provide valuable information to the building industry and improve the long-term performance of energy efficient buildings. RDH Building Science is an important partner in this project and will help in the dissemination of the results of this study, contributing to the success of the success and continued growth of the provincial and national building industry.