Profile
Keywords: Energy storage, Flywheel energy storage, Engineering design, Advanced materials, Polymer composites
Dr. Pierre Mertiny , Professor, is the Director of the Advanced Composite Materials Engineering research group. His research and development work has included a variety industrial collaborations, and consulting and technical service activities, primarily in the field of polymer and polymer composite materials and structures for conventional and renewable energy sector applications. He has been invited on several occasions as a Visiting Professor to the Technische University Munich (Germany). In addition to R&D, Dr. Mertiny is dedicated to excellence in teaching, especially in the areas of solid mechanics and engineering design. In this context he received the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, a McCalla Professorship as well as a Vargo Teaching Chair by the University of Alberta, and the Summit Award for Excellence in Education by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
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Enabling transdisciplinary education for energy systems transitions T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2020-01-01 T06-P03 Experimental Characterization of Low-Speed Passive Discharge Losses of a Flywheel Energy Storage System T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2021-01-01 T06-P03 Effects of Viscoelasticity on the Stress Evolution over the Lifetime of Filament-Wound Composite Flywheel Rotors for Energy Storage APA Citation: Skinner, M., & Mertiny, P. (2021). Effects of Viscoelasticity on the Stress Evolution over the Lifetime of Filament-Wound Composite Flywheel Rotors for Energy Storage. Applied Sciences, 11(20), 9544.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2021-10-01 T06-P03 Energy Storage Flywheel Rotors - Mechanical Design T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2022-02-28 T06-P03 Investigation of Failure Modes of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Flywheel Rotors for Energy Storage Systems T06-P03 Publication 2022-09-30 Miles Skinner
T06-P03 Development and Characterization of Field Structured Magnetic Composites T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2021-08-01 T06-P03 Magnetic Filler Polymer Composites - Morphology Characterization and Experimental and Stochastic Finite Element Analyses of Mechanical Properties T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2023-06-01 T06-P03 Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Resin upon Addition of Low-Viscosity Modifier T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2024-01-01 T06-P03 Experimental investigation for short glass fiber reinforced magnetically loaded polymer composites by compression molding on morphology and mechanical-magnetic properties Polymer composites incorporating magnetic fillers offer great potential for applications in energy storage, biomedical devices, and electromechanical systems. To facilitate the design of such components, it is critical to understand the morphology, thermal, mechanical, and magnetic behavior of short glass fiber reinforced, magnetically loaded polymer (SFRMP) composites, which are inherently heterogeneous and potentially anisotropic. In this study, ternary composites consisting short glass fibers (SGFs), isotropic NdFeB magnetic particles, and a modified low-viscosity thermoset matrix were fabricated via compression molding at a total filler volume fraction of 50%, with magnetic particle contents ranging from 27.5 to 47.0% by volume. Microstructural characterization revealed preferential in-plane alignment of magnetic particles and partial planar orientation of SGFs. The elastic modulus increased with magnetic particles content, reaching 17.04 GPa for the highest particle loading, while thermal conductivity increased nonlinearly to 1.71 W/(m·K), approximately 7.6 times higher than the neat matrix. Magnetic characterization confirmed directional dependence in remanence-to-saturation ratios, consistent with XRD analysis indicating slight preferential crystallographic orientation. This study demonstrates a scalable fabrication strategy for producing low-porosity, high-filler-density SFRMP composites with enhanced multifunctional performance.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2026-03-01 T06-P03 Coefficient of thermal expansion of Nd-Fe-B magnetic particle polymer composites – experiments and stochastic finite element modeling Polymer composites containing magnetic fillers show great potential for various applications, including energy storage and medical devices. To aid in the engineering and design of these components, a thorough understanding of the thermal behavior of these inhomogeneous and often highly anisotropic materials is essential, particularly in terms of their coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). To explore this, the authors produced magnetic composites using compression molding and casting techniques. The epoxy polymer matrix was modified with a commercial thickening agent, and isotropic magnetic particles were added as functional fillers. The microstructural morphology of the composites, including the distribution, dispersion, and alignment of the magnetic fillers, was analyzed through microscopy techniques like scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the glass transition temperature of both the polymer matrix and the composites was measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The CTEs of both the polymer matrix and the composites were experimentally determined using a custom-designed setup and analyzed through stochastic finite element analysis (SFEA). Five modeling scenarios were considered to predict the CTEs of the composite systems: fully random distribution, randomly aligned distribution, a ‘bonded’ interface contact, and a ‘no-separation’ interface contact for the in-plane directions of particles. For the out-of-plane direction, the randomly aligned distribution with ‘no-separation’ contact was also explored. Among the in-plane direction scenarios, the case with ‘bonded’ interface contact and randomly aligned distribution yielded the lowest CTE, while the case with fully random distribution and ‘no-separation’ interface contact resulted in the highest CTE. Finally, the experimental and SFEA modeling results were compared and discussed.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2025-07-01 T06-P03 Short Fiber Reinforced Magnetically Loaded Polymer Composites for Electromechanical Applications Compression molding enables the fabrication of low-porosity, high-quality polymer composite components with minimal tooling requirements and material waste. Polymer composites with magnetic functionality offer great promise for applications such as sensors and permanent magnets in electromechanical devices. The primary objective of this research is to develop methods for designing short fiber-reinforced magnetically loaded polymer (SFRMP) composites - ternary systems composed of short glass fibers, magnetic particles, and a thermoset polymer matrix - targeted for novel multi-rim flywheel rotors with integrated electrical machine functionality in flywheel energy storage systems (FESS). Two types of NdFeB magnetic particles (MQP-15-7 (isotropic) and MQA-36-18 (anisotropic)) were used to fabricate isotropic and anisotropic SFRMP composites. The study focuses on the development of fabrication techniques and characterization of microstructure, mechanical, physical, and magnetic properties. Additionally, microstructure-based finite element analysis (FEA) methods were employed to support material design by predicting properties such as the elastic modulus. The research study is broadly classified into four sections. (i) The first part of the study involves formulating a low-viscosity matrix phase using the low viscosity monoepoxide HELOXY 61. Rheological behavior was characterized via temperature and time ramp tests for two matrix systems: neat epoxy and epoxy modified with 20 wt% HELOXY 61 (L20). The influence of the modifier on curing behavior, thermal properties, and mechanical performance was systematically evaluated. It was found that HELOXY 61 significantly reduced the viscosity with minimal impact on mechanical properties; therefore, the L20 formulation was selected for further work. (ii) In the second section, SFRMP composites were fabricated via compression molding using both isotropic and anisotropic magnetic particles, with and without iii the application of a Halbach array (uniaxial magnetic field strength ~0.3 T) to induce filler alignment. A fixed total filler volume fraction of 50% was used, while varying the magnetic particle-to-short glass fiber ratio across five formulations. Microstructural analysis showed that a formulation with 75 wt% magnetic particles exhibited the highest alignment of magnetic particles (within 0 to 20° relative to the in-plane direction), potentially due to interactions between magnetic particles and short fibers under vertical pressure and horizontal magnetic fields. The composites displayed excellent mechanical and magnetic properties, with uniform dispersion and minimal filler agglomeration. Anisotropic magnetic behavior was observed along three orientations: in-plane (parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field) and out-of-plane. (iii) The third section focused on validating the mechanical properties, particularly the elastic modulus, through microstructure-based FEA. The influence of microstructural heterogeneity - specifically the degree of filler alignment - was analyzed. A subdivision-combination strategy was employed to calibrate the simulated elastic modulus, achieving close agreement with experimental measurements. (iv) In the final section, a low magnetic particle content composite (12vol%) was fabricated to validate the ternary composite design framework. A thickening agent (AEROSIL R202) was used to prevent magnetic particle sedimentation. The elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were experimentally characterized and predicted using a stochastic finite element analysis (SFEA) approach. The simulations considered different filler-matrix interfacial bonding and filler distribution scenarios (fully random versus randomly aligned). Predictive equations were derived to match experimental values effectively. Overall, this research presents a comprehensive framework for designing and modeling SFRMP composites with enhanced mechanical and magnetic functionality, contributing to advanced composite design for flywheel-based energy storage systems. T06-P03 Publication 2026-03-01 Yingnan Wang
T06-P03 Electric Vehicle Load Forecasting in Rural Areas: A Systematic Review The growing adoption of electric vehicles, combined with increasing interdependence between urban and rural areas, raises concerns about the resilience of electrical networks, particularly in rural regions where infrastructure is less robust and more limited in complexity. Accurate load forecasting is therefore essential to support effective planning and mitigate potential stress on the grid. This study aims to evaluate and synthesize methodologies for predicting electrical loads generated by electric vehicles in rural areas, with the objective of identifying current practices, data characteristics, and methodological gaps. Following a systematic review approach, the work compiles and analyzes recent literature to provide a structured reference framework for researchers and practitioners. The findings reveal a growing research interest in this field, particularly in Europe and North America, with both model-based and data-driven approaches used in comparable proportions, and short-term forecasting emerging as the most common horizon. However, a lack of standardization in the documentation of network characteristics remains a significant limitation across studies. The review contributes by clarifying the state of research, highlighting critical gaps, and offering guidance for future work. These results underscore the importance of developing standardized criteria for documenting network properties and integrating diverse data sources to enhance the accuracy and applicability of load forecasting in rural distribution networks.T06-A04 University of Alberta Publication 2025-10-13 T06-A04 Agent-Based EV Charging Simulation for a Rural Tourist Community: A Town of Banff Case Study The accelerating electrification of transport presents new challenges for rural, tourism oriented communities such as the Town of Banff (TOB), Alberta, where visitor traffic far exceeds the resident population. This thesis develops and applies a stochastic, agent-based simulation framework to evaluate the performance of the TOB’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network under increasing levels of EV adoption. The model integrates empirical hourly traffic counts, visitor profiles, and probabilistic driver behavior to simulate individual charging events at public and private slow- and fast charging ports. A Monte Carlo approach captures trends in key system- and user-level performance metrics, including load, utilization, waiting time, and charge failure rate. Validation through sensitivity analysis confirmed that the model responds logically to variations in adoption rate, charger quantity and level, and access type. The baseline scenario (0.38% EV adoption) showed that existing infrastructure meets current demand with negligible waiting. However, scenario analyses revealed three thresholds: onset of queuing near 1% adoption, capacity saturation near 3%, and widespread service degradation between 4–5%. Beyond 10%, exploratory simulations indicated severe congestion, with over 30% of EVs departing uncharged. Although further validation is needed, the framework offers a transferable tool for evaluating infrastructure expansion and policy options in tourism-dependent regions. The findings highlight the need for early, data-driven planning to ensure a reliable transition to electric mobility in small, high-visitation communities.T06-A04 Publication 2026-03-01 Grayden Wiebe
T06-A04 Additive Manufacturing of Magnetically Loaded Polymer Composites: An Experimental Study for Process Development Material jetting is an additive manufacturing technique that allows for the production of three-dimensional solid parts without tooling and with minimum material wastage. In this context, magnetically loaded polymer composites with oriented magnetic particles are promising for many electrical and electronic applications. In this study, permanent magnet based alignment configurations were evaluated and compared in terms of different magnetic flux density using the finite element method. The particle alignment in cured droplet specimens and the stability of magnetically loaded polymer droplets deposited on a substrate were characterized for a material jetting based additive manufacturing process. Particle alignment and droplet deformation under the influence of the magnetic field was captured using real-time optical microscopy. The influence of rheological additives in controlling droplet stability in the magnetic field and mitigating particle settling were studied through experiments. The primary goal of this research was to identify parameters that facilitate high particle alignment, and material combinations that enhance droplet stability and mitigate particle settling. This fundamental research serves to enhance the understanding of processes and material behaviour for material jetting based additive manufacturing.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2017-11-03 T06-P03 Design and multi-objective optimization of fiber-reinforced polymer composite flywheel rotors A multi-objective optimization strategy to find optimal designs of composite multi-rim flywheel rotors is presented. Flywheel energy storage systems have been expanding into applications such as rail and automotive transportation, where the construction volume is limited. Common flywheel rotor optimization approaches for these applications are single-objective, aiming to increase the stored energy or stored energy density. The proposed multi-objective optimization offers more information for decision-makers optimizing three objectives separately: stored energy, cost and productivity. A novel approach to model the manufacturing of multi-rim composite rotors facilitates the consideration of manufacturing cost and time within the optimization. An analytical stress calculation for multi-rim rotors is used, which also takes interference fits and residual stresses into account. Constrained by a failure prediction based on the Maximum Strength, Maximum Strain and Tsai-Wu criterion, the discrete and nonlinear optimization was solved. A hybrid optimization strategy is presented that combines a genetic algorithm with a local improvement executed by a sequential quadratic program. The problem was solved for two rotor geometries used for light rail transit applications showing similar design results as in industry.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2018-07-30 T06-P03 Characterization of magnetic particle alignment in photosensitive polymer resin: A preliminary study for additive manufacturing processes Material jetting 3D printing is an additive manufacturing technique that allows producing complex parts without tooling and minimum material wastage. In this study, orientation control of randomly shaped, anisotropic hard magnetic ferrite particles is demonstrated for material jetting-based additive manufacturing processes using a developed particle alignment configuration. Strontium ferrite and PR-48 photosensitive resin were used as the base materials. An automated experimental setup with two neodymium permanent cube magnets capable of generating a dipolar magnetic field was built to align magnetic particles in the resin. Particle alignment was characterized for directionality using images obtained through real time optical microscopy. The orientation of magnetic particles was observed to be dependent on the distance of separation between the cube magnets and the magnetization time. X-ray diffraction was used to indicate the c-axis alignment of the hexagonal strontium ferrite particles in the cured specimens. The influence of process parameters on particle orientation was evaluated, employing a full factorial experiment analysis. This fundamental research serves as a basis for constructing and optimizing the magnetic particle alignment setup for additive manufacturing processes.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2018-05-30 Balakrishnan Nagarajan, Alejandro Federico Eufracio Aguilera,
" Michael Wiechmann
" , Ahmed Jawad Qureshi,
Mertiny, P. T06-P03 Additive manufacturing ferromagnetic polymers using stereolithography – Materials and process development Magnetic field responsive polymer composites find applications in many electrical and electronic devices. In this study, composites with magnetic fillers were manufactured using a stereolithography based AM process. Magnetic suspensions developed with an objective of controlling particle settling were characterized for rheological properties. A stereolithography based commercial 3D printer was utilized to fabricate components using the developed magnetic suspensions. Resulting magnetic composite structures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, a coordinate measuring machine and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Through this research an enhanced understanding of filler modified polymers development, material behaviour and the process for manufacturing magnetic field responsive composites using stereolithography is obtained.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2019-08-01 T06-P03 Development and Characterization of Stable Polymer Formulations for Manufacturing Magnetic Composites T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2020-01-01 Balakrishnan Nagarajan, Milad Kamkar, Martin AW Schoen, Uttandaraman Sundararaj, Simon Trudel,
Qureshi, A. ,
Mertiny, P. T06-P03 Magnetically loaded polymer composites using stereolithography\textemdash Material processing and characterization T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2020-12-01 T06-P03 Rheology-Assisted Microstructure Control for Printing Magnetic Composites\textemdash Material and Process Development T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2020-09-01 T06-P03 Design Strategies for Flywheel Energy Storage Systems in EV Fast Charging With rising numbers of electric vehicles to curb greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating strain on the electrical grid from EV charging, specifically fast-charging applications, has become a significant challenge, especially since adapting grid infrastructure is not only complex but costly. Long service life, high power charge capacity, and the ability to mitigate peak loads to the electrical grid are some of the requirements for energy storage systems (ESS) to support electric vehicle fast charging. In this context, interest in flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) has been growing in recent years due to the favorable power characteristics and lack of cycle aging that FESS offer over electrochemical ESS such as second-life batteries. Typically, flywheel design has focused on small-scale transportation and large-scale grid frequency regulation applications. The present paper presents design strategies for FESS in fast-charging applications, which signifies a promising and innovative approach for reducing the strain that fast EV charging imposes on the electrical grid. This study considers design strategies to achieve low material and fabrication costs, a high safety standard, and operational advantages.T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2023-02-08 T06-P03 Modeling and Simulation to Improve Real Electric Vehicles Charging Processes by Integration of Renewable Energies and Buffer Storage The present study explores a simulation model combining system dynamics and discrete-event simulation for an electric vehicle charging system. For the representation of the charging demand the model employs data from an actual facility for vehicle charging. While being connected to the electrical grid, the system is augmented by a solar photovoltaic installation and stationary battery energy storage. Multiple simulation runs were performed to analyze the considered energy system over a 1-year period and compare relevant output parameters for different system configurations and system locations. Results show that a solar photovoltaic installation can be effectively integrated. For the degree of self-sufficiency, high values of 87 % can be achieved with combined solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems.
© 2022 IEEE.T06-P03 University of AlbertaPublication 2023-01-23 T06-P03 Multifunctional Hybrid Fiber Composites for Energy Transfer in Future Electric Vehicles T06-P03 University of Alberta Publication 2022-09-08 T06-P03
