Innovative Projects Realized

High yield micro-algal cultures

Upgrading and evaluation for Lake Utopia Paper’s waste water anaerobic treatment plant

Validation at full-scale plants of a model describing ozonation of activated sludge for reduction of excess sludge

High purity nitrogen generator design and optimization

Biofiltration as a pre-treatment for membranes

Solving polynomial systems symbolically on the GPU

Evaluation of the Neuro-Compensator hearing aid relative to wide-dynamic range compression hearing aids on the restoration of normal auditory perception

Affective signal processing: unraveling the mystery of emotions

BI-driven management of patient flows in health care organizations

Research and implementation of haptics device integration with a dynamics simulation engine and applications to milling and drilling force feedback (second stage)

Virtual environments represented by multibody system models play an important role in many applications. Adding the possibility of the user directly interacting with such environments via physical touch using haptics can significantly enhance the usability and range of application of simulated environments. In this project we particularly target two main objectives: (1) the multirate-simulation and haptics challenge to incorporate realistic kinesthetic force feedback in multibody dynamics simulation of geometrically complex mechanical systems, and (2) application to milling and drilling bone in spinal surgery simulation. The partner organization, CMLabs will greatly benefit from this project. The proposed work is of direct relevance to their current work, and will also open up possibilities to broaden the applications of CMLabs’ software platform Vortex. This current proposal represents the second stage of the internship.

Computational nanoscale design of advanced lithium iron phosphate battery cathodes

Advanced energy storage materials are essential to the continued economic prosperity of our society, as we move towards the electrification of the transportation industry and the further development of our renewable energy resources. Accelerating the pace of discovery and development in advanced energy storage materials will therefore be vital to maintaining economic competitiveness in the twenty-first century. These interships will help train students in the development of an urgently needed economic engine for rapid materials innovation through the combined computational design, synthesis, and characterization of novel energy storage materials. The discovery and synthesis of new lithium-ion iron phosphate based battery materials will be facilitated by combining materials modeling at McGill University with the empirical investigation of battery materials at Hydro-Quebec. Through this synergistic approach these Mitacs interships will fuel the Canadian driven discovery, development, manufacturing, and deployment of advanced lithium-ion battery materials (with high energy density and fast charging) at least twice as fast as possible today, at a fraction….

Machining effects on part integrity and life of aircraft materials

Design, manufacturing and maintenance of aerospace products are cornerstones of the economy and social development of Quebec and Canada. In 2009, more than 78 000 Canadian jobs were related to the aerospace industry from which 45 % are in Quebec. These high technology jobs contribute to the quality of life and the economic growth of our province and our country. To maintain and increase these valued jobs, it is necessary to develop Canadian technologies and know-how in this field. The goal of this research project is to contribute to the development of effective and reliable manufacturing methods leading to the weight reduction of aircraft without compromising their performance. The project will address improvement of machining processes and of the quality of machined aerospace components, including parts for gas turbines and landing gears. The research efforts involve a close examination of the manufacturing process and of the mechanical behavior of materials. Two main topics will be studied: 1) the modeling of the turning process and 2) the prediction of the material fatigue behavior. Ultimately, this will lead to the production of lighter, stronger and more reliable components, reducing the weight and the fuel consumption of aircrafts. Such developments, respectful of the environment, will increase the competiveness of the Canadian aerospace industries. The research team carrying this project will count on the expertise of engineers from two main aircraft component manufacturers, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Héroux Devtek. These two partners have a solid professional background and a well-recognized leadership that will guide the research efforts toward original and practical solutions. A multidisciplinary team of world-class academic researchers from four universities located in Montreal will lead the research efforts. Students working on this project will obtain essential technical and professional skills through direct training from the academic team members, but also from collaborations with the industry partners, making them ideal candidates to enter Canadian aerospace industries and strengthen Canada’s role as a leader in aerospace manufacturing.