This project will integrate normal temperature battery (NTB) that is cheap but only can discharge above-20?, and low temperature battery (LTB) that is expensive but can work at -40? into an insulated housing with a smart hybrid battery management system. And a heat pipe with design trigger temperature will be integrated to the housing to […]

Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices that promise fast charge-discharge rate, high power density, and long cycle life. However, low energy density, high cost, and safety risk of supercapacitors are yet to be addressed in order to deploy the technology into wholesale grid storage. This research project will design low-cost and high-performance electrode and electrolyte […]

This research is aimed at the development of new modeling and simulation algorithms of interconnected AC and DC supergrids for power flow and transient stability analyses. The efforts will be focused on the following technical areas: Advanced modeling methods of AC/DC power converters and controls for the integration of renewable energy resources in power systems. […]

This study aims to produce a feasibility report on establishing a district energy system in Toronto, Ontario. The district energy system will be powered by wood chips sourced by a local, privately held forest and transported by rail to the proposed combined heat and power facility. Areas that will be examined in this study include […]

Presently, platinum (Pt) nanoparticles are required to catalyze the desired redox reactions at the anode and cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The high cost of this precious metal catalyst remains a barrier to the wide spread commercialization of PEMFCs, particularly for automotive applications. In an effort to reduce the Pt loading in […]

Inline coherent imaging (ICI) may be used to take real-time one dimensional measurements of laser material processes such as industrial laser welding. Multidimensional coherent imaging and measurement of the vapour capillary (or ‘keyhole’) created during the welding process is a critical evolution of the technology for implementation in manufacturing production addressing many needs. This project […]

Power prices are a significant contributor to the overall risk of almost any large-scale industry. In particular, energy companies such as TransAlta who are active participants in many regional power markets have a strong interest in understanding the long-term risks they are exposed to. This project seeks to develop a model that will help TransAlta […]

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has emerged as an eminent technology to address today’s growing energy crisis and environmental issues. PEMFC technology faces multiple challenges before widespread commercialization. Water transport inside a PEMFC has a significant impact on the cell performance and durability. In this internship a numerical model is implemented to study the transport […]

Biomass combustion is used to generate combined heat and power (CHP). The combustion furnace of this study (WiseWay) has been providing heat in small scales using wood pellets. The target of this project, however, is to upgrade the stove’s design (for larger scale purposes and other biomass types) and integrate it with a steam microturbine […]

This proposal builds on 4 years of research in the award winning HEAT (Heat Energy Assessment Technologies) project. Every year, billions of GJ of wasted heat leave millions of buildings in thousands of cities world-wide. In an effort to support urban energy efficiency, this research proposes four novel image post-processing techniques to improve/ verify the […]

HVdc is the preferred approach for transmission of bulk power into existing AC network from point to point and from remote generation resources because of technical advantages, including low transmission losses. Integration of HVdc grid with existing AC grid provides considerable economic benefits while throwing up challenges for effective control of both the grids at […]

The photosynthetic performance of certain desirable plants and algae depend strongly on the exact spectrum and light/dark cycle of their illumination. Several modern and emerging technologies have the energy efficiency, and the spectral and temporal characteristics to provide optimal lighting in an amenable form factor. This project aims to compare the costs and benefits of […]