This visualization shows the relations between people. Each chord represents a common project between the two people.

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This visualization shows the relations between universities. Each arc represents a project that has people in more than one university.

• Using the date slider allows the map to only show universities and their relations from the specified year.
• To highlight a University and its relations, check/uncheck the Universities you wish to highlight.

• T0x-P0x - .Mock project title

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• T01-A01 - Development of a Four-Electrode Electrochemical Dummy Cell for Rapid Assessment of Biocrude Corrosion

  This project focuses on developing a new technology to help refineries efficiently process biocrude oil (made from renewable sources like plants and waste) with traditional petroleum. While using biocrude helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it also causes serious corrosion issues in refinery equipment. Current methods to test for corrosion are slow and expensive.

  We aim to create a four-electrode electrochemical (EC) dummy cell that quickly and cost-effectively measures how corrosive biocrude is, even when mixed with petroleum. This tool will make it easier for refineries to adopt biocrude and reduce their environmental impact. Supported by industry partners like Imperial Oil and Kemetco Research, the project combines advanced research with practical applications.

  By 2026, we plan to develop a portable version of this tool, helping industries transition to cleaner energy while supporting Canada’s goals for sustainability and innovation in the energy sector.

• T01-C01 - PCM Booster: Enhancement of the thermal properties and energy savings analysis of bio-based phase change materials

  Thermal energy storage is an effective means to enhance energy efficiency in buildings, reducing energy consumption and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Phase change materials (PCMs) absorb or release large amounts of heat at a constant temperature while changing phases. When PCMs are at their phase-transitioning temperature, adding or removing heat results in no temperature change. This project will convert biomass wastes into specialty fatty acids and embed these into construction materials. Incorporating PCMs with a carefully selected melting point in buildings allows providing thermal comfort while reducing energy bills and environmental impacts. Biomass-derived PCMs will be embedded into medium density fibreboards (MDF) and particle boards produced from straw. This technology valorizes currently underutilized biomass residues, opens new opportunities for employment in the bioindustrial sector and green construction, and directly enhances the energy efficiency of buildings.

• T01-P02 - Investment decisions and policy analysis

  This project will inform investment decisions and policy development by integrating economic modelling – designed for decision making under uncertainty – into the biomass energy supply chains.

  A major impediment to the growth of the bioenergy sector is the current uncertainty with respect to the reliable supply large quantities of feedstocks to feed processing facilities of sufficient scale. Reducing this uncertainty would help inform future bioenergy policies and private investment decisions.

  The overall goal of this research is to construct three types of models: (i) feedstock supply models, (ii) product options models, and (iii) supply chain models. These models will estimate the amount, location, and costs of cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks available over time, which are sensitive to changes in market prices and yield variability. The information will be valuable to bioenergy producers considering new investments, as well as to policy makers interested in attracting such investments

• T01-P03 - Bioconversion of single-­carbon waste into biofuels and biofuel precursors

  FES Administration Comment: Original project end date 2024-09-30.

   

  Biomass is a complex class of material with great potential as feedstock for the production of a wide variety of compounds, including biofuels. Its complexity, based on the variety and composition of the materials making up biomass depending on origin or source, means that a large variety of approaches must be used, ideally in an integrated manner, to fully realize this potential.

  Methane and methanol are common by-products of many industrial sectors, including energy, agriculture and forestry. In fact, they are often found in waste effluents of many biomass conversion processes, be it from chemical (e.g. methanol from pulping), biological (e.g. methane from anaerobic digestion) or thermal (e.g. methane from pyrolysis) processing.

  Rather than be disposed of as waste or used in marginally economically viable strategies, these single-carbon compounds (C1) can be used as low-cost feedstocks for the production of valuable bioproducts, such as biofuels and biofuel precursors, through bioconversion by methylotrophic bacteria – bacteria that can use C1 compounds as sole carbon source. This approach can be advantageous on many fronts.

  - Most importantly methylotrophs convert methane and methanol to higher value products, such as designer fuel or isoprenoids for jet fuel. This, also considering that C1 compounds must often be disposed of at a cost, provides an economically viable alternative to by-product management.

  - Because methylotrophic bacteria are generally robust and versatile, little or no pretreatment is required before sending C1 effluent streams for bioconversion, further improving the cost-effectiveness and economic prospects of the biofuels produced.

  - Climate change creates a strong motivation to reduce industrial emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Methane is a common low-value industrial by-product with a global warming potential 28-36 times greater than CO2 based on a 100-year period. It is sometimes recovered for energy production or simply flared, releasing CO2. Hence, the conversion of methane effluents to valuable products can greatly reduce GHG emissions and the carbon footprint of methane-emitting processes.

  - Finally, the possibility of converting methane and methanol, rather than sugars, to biofuels means there is no impact on the food chain.

  The aim of this project is to develop a platform technology for the bioconversion of C1 compounds resulting from forestry activities (fermentation, thermal processing, anaerobic digestion) into biofuels (alcohols, lipids) and biofuel precursors (e.g. isoprenoids). This platform will be integrated in the greater context of biomass conversion by, for example, using by-product streams from other bioconversion activities (e.g. anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis) as feedstock.

  The collaboration between the Sauvageau (Engineering) and Stein (Science) labs will create a unique setting for the development and industrialization of methylotrophic bacteria. The main areas explored will be:

  • the identification of biofuels and biofuel precursors naturally produced by methylotrophic bacteria
  • the mapping of relevant metabolic pathways
  • the implementation of advanced bioprocessing strategies to methylotrophic cultures for improved productivity
  • the development and adaptation of a methanotrophic bacteria chassis for industrial applications
  • the production of high value biofuels and biofuel precursors from methylotrophic bacteria
  • the development of efficient cell lysis and product recovery strategies
  • scale up and integration with point source industrial emitters of methane

  This project will impact the energetic, economic, environmental and social aspects of biomass as a source of energy. The platform technology develop will be implementable in a variety of sectors, from energy to forestry, agriculture to waste treatment.

• T01-P05 - Hydrothermal torrefaction of high moisture content biomass

  There is a lot of potential for biofuel and bioenergy production from forests and agriculture residues. However, delivery cost of biomass to a conversion facility is high and have distinct economic and technological challenges. Pipeline transport of forest biomass in the form of slurry (a wood chip-water mixture), on the other hand, provides an alternative approach that enables bio-based energy facilities achieve higher capacities. Biomass transported through pipeline in the form of a slurry with water would have high moisture content. However, integrating pipeline delivery with efficient hydrothermal (HT) biomass processing technologies could transform the bioeconomy. HT processes uses biomass in the form of a slurry and produces liquid fuel/gas/solids which can be used for production of fuels and energy. HT processing is a state-of-the-art thermochemical conversion using biomass feedstock with high moisture content (60-80%) especially in slurry form. This conversion process converts biomass into useful solid product with high calorific value and very low moisture content which can be for producing fuels and electricity. This integration of technologies can help in producing biofuel and power at significantly lower cost. This project is aimed at developing a transformative solution through integration of the pipeline transport of biomass with HT processing technologies. Pipeline transport helps in reducing the transportation cost compared to truck and rails and HT technologies help in processing biomass with high moisture content. Hence marrying these two technologies could be transformative and help in solving key challenges in development of a bioeconomy in Canada. 

• T01-Q03 - Corrosion in Biomass/Fossil Fuel Co-Processing

  Sustainable and renewable energy resources are getting more attention due to the gradual depletion of fossil resources and the deterioration of the environment. Biomass is a renewable energy source with great potential. Currently, pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction are two important thermo-chemical conversion processes that convert the organic constituents in biomass into a liquid fuel commonly referred to as “bio-oil”. Pyrolysis is the most widely used process for bio-oil production which operates at moderate to high temperature and atmospheric pressure without solvent involvement, while liquefaction is a low-temperature and high-pressure process with solvent participation. Liquid bio-oil produced from biomass by thermal-chemical processes has been widely accepted as one of the promising substitutes for fossil fuels. Bio-oil is energy-intensive and carbon-neutral, and attracting much attention and investment. For example, it can be co-processed with petroleum fractions in existing refineries for the production of renewable and cleaner fuels compared with refining 100% fossil fuels; it also has great potential to be blended with current marine fuels (also known as fuel oil, or furnace oil) used in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, to green up that industry. In order, it is necessary to have an adequate understanding of their overall fuel properties. Thorough understanding of bio-oil and its blends with petroleum fractions is a necessary precondition for researchers to develop and promote new technologies for the successful utilization of bio-oils.

  Despite of the advantages as described above, bio-oils are totally different from petroleum fuels. Bio-oil produced from these processes is a complex mixture of several hundreds of organic compounds like acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, phenols, and oligomers, etc.. It often has the undesirable properties such as high viscosity, poor volatility, high ash content, low heating value, and high corrosivity, etc.. Therefore, when discussed with Canadian refiners or power industries, the potential of co-processing bio-oils with conventional petroleum feedstocks was generally viewed with skepticism. Even though there are several advantages of blending with bio-oil fractions, industry people will rarely risk running entirely new, entirely chemically different feedstocks without performing additional process performance tests. There are certain unknown risks. With regards to these new crude oils, stability problems during storage as well as corrosion are unknown, and might occur as a consequence due to the abundant free fatty acids in vegetable and residual oils and animal fats. Further, different bio-based feedstocks present different risk profiles to refineries and will require differing degrees of testing and evaluation before they can be integrated into the refining system. From the refiner’s perspective, they will require due diligence and a large database of results to ensure that the operations can continue to be safe, reliable, predictable and profitable before processing any biomass-based feedstocks. The requirements for co-processing crude pyrolysis oils are high. A general rule is that the closer a bio-based feedstock is to conventional petroleum feedstocks and products, the easier the path will be to integrating the bio-feedstock into refineries. The real question behind is, what are the biomass/fossil fuel mixtures that a refinery will accept? To answer this question, I propose a project on developing applicable technology pathways for co-refining pyrolysis oil and fossil fuel in a safe and cost-effective manner.

  This proposal will focus on 3 fronts: (1) characteristics of crude pyrolysis oils and their blends with fossil fuels; (2) enhancing the stability and miscibility of pyrolysis oils with fossil fuels for co-refining; (3) assessment of toxicity and corrosivity of pyrolysis oils and the blends. The proposed research program will combine classical experimental methods and new surface modification & characterization techniques, leading to advances in our understanding of the co-processing technology.

• T02-A01 - Field Trial of Hydrogen Storage in Canadian Bedded and Domal Salts

  Hydrogen (H₂) is an energy carrier for storing and utilizing renewable electricity. However, existing H₂ storage technologies cannot be used for grid-scale storage. The UofA team proposed large-scale H₂ storage in salt caverns. The lab-scale research was initially supported by NSERC, Alberta Innovates, and Mitacs. This phase of project aims at field-scale implementation in partnership with industry partners in a domal salt formation in Newfoundland and in a bedded salt formation in Alberta. The research team will work on preserved core samples, representing caprock, roof, and walls of the proposed caverns to evaluate their mineralogy, geomechanical properties, reactions with hydrogen, microbial content, and petrophysical properties such as hydrogen permeability. The core and pressure testing data will be used for designing a full-scale salt cavern for hydrogen storage.

• T02-A02 - Development of additively manufactured high-temperature ceramic structures to avoid clogging problems and reduce hydrogen embrittlement during hydrogen production process through methane pyrolysis

  The primary objective of this research project is to develop state-of-the-art high-performing additively manufactured ceramic insert structures that can be used to reduce current carbon clogging issues occurring in methane pyrolysis hydrogen production reactors, thereby improving reactor longevity and production efficiencies.

  Our research objective is accomplished via high throughput predictive design and modelling, advanced manufacturing, and experimental testing in both controlled laboratory and real-world reactor environments.

  When completed, our cutting-edge research on materials development for future energy systems will significantly advance sustainable hydrogen energy production in Alberta and Canada.

  The project is in collaboration with Innova Hydrogen and Lithoz America, and supported by Sturgeon County and the Edmonton Region Hydrogen Hub.

   

• T02-A03 - Scale-up of geological carbon storage through CO2 plume geothermal and real-time data-driven decision makings

  This project has two themes that aims to provide meaningful research outcomes for the scale-up of the carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), including (1) evaluation and optimization of CO2 plume geothermal (CPG) system in deep sedimentary reservoirs; and (2) development of a cloud-based data-driven modelling, optimization, and decision-making system for subsurface energy development (GeoCloud). Theme 1 is anticipated to address the challenge that brine-based geothermal system is not particularly economic in the deep sedimentary reservoirs in Canada. DEEP Geothermal Corp. has raised and received $50 M funding to build >100 MW geothermal power facilities; thus, they are motivated to investigate the feasibility of CPG operation in southern Saskatchewan and implement CPG in the DEEP geothermal projects. Alberta Innovates will support theme 2, focusing on developing a data-driven decision-support platform using geophysical, geological and multimodal sensing data for CCUS value chain.

• T02-A04 - Machine Learning Control technology applied to decarbonizing H2 fueled vehicles

  The overall goal of this project is to improve the efficiency/emissions of H2/Diesel and H2 Hybrid systems to quickly reduce CO2 and pollutants from heavy duty long haul trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. Some of the expected outcomes are to provide robust and accurate Machine Learning Control (MLC) of an H2/Diesel engine and to also develop MLC control techniques and methods applicable to H2 fueled vehicles. In collaboration with our industrial partner, we aim to answer the question of how much Machine Learning Control (MLC) can help improve the efficiency of H2/Diesel and 100% H2 fueled transportation.

   

• T02-C03 - A comparative study between gas-phase pyrolysis, gas-liquid-alloy pyrolysis, hybrid cold-plasma / photo-catalytic and electron radiolysis in the production of hydrogen from methane

  Hydrogen is an important non-carbon-based fuel and industrial feedstock. There are ~20 ways to produce H2. Methane (CH4) is a key source of H2 because of its high hydrogen to carbon ratio, 4:1. Steam reforming is the most common process, while pyrolysis is an emerging technology to do this conversion. Reforming suffers from producing and usually emits carbon dioxide (CO2), while pyrolysis contends with high sensible energy inputs and material issues at high temperatures. This project is a comparative study between gas-phase pyrolysis, gas-liquid-alloy pyrolysis, hybrid cold-plasma / photo-catalytic and electron radiolysis in the production of hydrogen from methane. The hybrid cold-plasma/photo-catalytic technology offers a promising alternative to steam-methane reforming. Further research is needed on this hybrid technology to optimize the process and develop cost-effective and scalable systems for commercial use. This research will explore ways to improve the energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, photocatalyst development, and photo-plasma coupling.

• T02-P02 - Post combustion capture of CO2 using solid sorbents

  Most fossil-fuel based power plants use post-combustion technology. Addressing the CO₂ capture problem in these power plants is critical if a dent in CO₂ emissions is to be expected. Post-combustion CO₂ capture using solid sorbents has been identified as a powerful alternative for solvent based processes. Some accessible novel solid sorbents have the potential to further reduce parasitic energy.

  However, the design, optimization, and integration of processes involving solid sorbents are poorly understood. Current models are computationally expensive making their use in process and systems optimization challenging. Further, the solution to the problem of finding optimal design and integration of these processes into existing plants remains elusive.

  We propose to attack this problem by developing meta-models and surrogate models using machine-learning techniques, that significantly reduce the computational efforts; validating them against detailed models and experiments, and finally integrating them into systems-level models that provide the optimal way to integrate CO₂ capture processes into power plants. This approach will enable further reduction in parasitic energy and allow for the scale-up and implementation of solid-based capture processes into power plants.

• T02-P03 - Value added conversion of CO2

  Political developments in the US, India and Australia suggest that coal-fired power plants are on the brink of a renaissance. Even so, the problem of carbon emissions will remain. In addition to the technologies being currently considered for CO₂ management at both coal-fired and natural gas-powered thermoelectric power plants, CO₂ conversion is an alternative approach to eliminating the harmful environmental effect of excessive CO₂ in contributing to global warming. Electrochemical CO₂ conversion (ECC) utilizes electricity to directly convert CO₂ into formate, alcohol, or hydrocarbon fuels.

  An intense, world-wide effort is underway in industrial, government, and academic labs to develop efficient and selective earth-abundant ECC catalysts. ECC is distinct from the photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into light hydrocarbons, which does not involve an external bias to drive the reaction. We propose to use light in addition to electrical bias (photoelectrochemical CO₂ conversion) to increase the electrical and photochemical efficiencies for CO₂ reduction. The ultimate goals are to develop highly efficient photoelectrochemical catalysts and a cell that converts CO₂ into liquid fuels and valuable products.

• T02-P05 - CO2 dissolution in saline pore fluids and CO2 EOR

  Due to ample storage capacity among various potential sites, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in deep saline formations is a promising technology for carbon mitigation that has recently been implemented in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Accurate measurements of supercritical CO₂ dissolution rates in brine under various reservoir conditions is knowledge of the utmost importance.  Such data is crucial for not only assessing suitable CO₂ storage sites but also successful numerical simulations for CCS processes. As a novel approach, we will utilize microfluidic platforms to accurately perform such measurements in a timely manner, while mimicking realistic reservoir conditions (at high salinity, temperature, and pressure levels). In addition, for CO₂ utilization we will carry out both pore- and macro-scale investigations of CO₂-EOR using different additives (e.g., polymers, foam, or/and nanoparticles) and aim at the delivery of optimal process to increase sweep efficiency and thus maximize oil recovery rate.

• T02-Q02 - Uncertainty quantification and optimization for the scale-up of geological carbon storage (GCS)

  This project focuses on geological carbon storage (GCS) in deep sedimentary formations where limited geological information is available. Leveraging the available data for measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) program in ongoing GCS projects, an integrated data assimilation and optimization workflow will be developed to manage the geological uncertainty throughout the project life.

  The proposed methodology will provide optimization for injection scheme and monitoring strategy in onshore deep saline formation with comparable geology. The injectivity and storage capacity are the two major metrics while also consider the potential containment risks, including caprock failure, re-activation of faults, and contamination of groundwater. The proposed workflow for uncertainty quantification and optimization is anticipated to provide guidance on the new or expended GCS projects with geological uncertainty.  

• T02-T01 - CO2 adsorption mechanism of potassium promoted hydrotalcite and its application in high purity hydrogen production

  Elevated-temperature presure swing adsorption (ET-PSA) is a promising technique for high purity hydrogen production, which can reduce equipment investment, avoid sensible heat loss of syngas, and reduce energy consumption for heat regeneration. One of the difficulties in the development of this technique for CO₂ removal is the synthesis and charaterization of CO₂ solid adsorbents that requires high selecitivity and adsorption capacities at elevated tempearatures, adequate adsorption/desorption kinetics, stable working capacites and adequate mechanical strength. Hydrotalcite (HTC) or layered double hydroxides (LDH) has been previously identified as the potential candidate materials for solid sorbent. Based on previous colloboration and common interests on both sides, the current proposed project will focus on ET-PSA hydrogen production system to conduct fundemental research on the adsorption/desorption reaction mechanism and system process configuration of adsorbent. 

• T03-P10 - Existing capacity and best practices for the integration of future energy systems into Canadian cities and First Nations communities

  Cities and towns account for between 37 and 49 percent of global greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Much of this results from burning natural gas to heat residential and commercial buildings, burning gasoline and diesel fuel in the cars and trucks moving throughout the cities every day, and, of course, consuming electricity that still largely comes from coal-fired or natural gas power plants. Future energy systems (FES)—such as solar power, geothermal, wind power, and others—are vital to making communities smart and sustainable, and thus reducing GHG emissions. Direct energy systems, district cooling systems and retrieving energy from the residential waste are some of the ways cities and other communities are combatting current and new challenges. 

  Unfortunately, we do not know enough about how prepared Canadian municipalities and First Nations communities are to adopt to future energy systems, from a governance and policy perspective. The quesiton that Canadian cities are currently grappling with is whether we can plan a city or neighborhood based on energy and emission production scenarios described in the Paris Accord. Using a mixed methods approach to data collection and international comparators as benchmark, this research intends to examine strategic plans, policies, bylaws, and/or projects undertaken by municipalities across Canada to assess how prepared they are to adapt to future energy systems. In the third year of this project, similar information and perspectives will be sought from First Nations communities. 

  Currently, the project is working in three strands to achieve this: 

  1. Municipalities and energy transition: Municipalities across Canada have formulated energy transition plans with ambitious goals of achieving carbon neutrality. However, it is not know if they consider place and space based factors in strategy formulation. This is particularly true in Prairie municipalities that have an incumbent presence of oil and gas. 
  2. Community League and energy transition: Community Leagues are a unique community-led grassroots organization in Edmonton, Canada. We examine the opportunities and barriers that exist for community leagues in diffusing the ideas and practices of energy transition in their communities.
  3. GHG modelling at the neighbourhood level: Energy use and GHG emissions are not uniform across the city as spatial parameters such as area, arrangements, land use, population density, and road network are varied within the city at neighborhood scale. We explore whether the neighborhood and its elements such as building typology, land use, location and travel behavior have any impact on GHG emissions in order to create a configuration of neighborhood that emits the least amount of GHG emissions. 

  As this research will involve close coordination with a wide range of communities across Canada, the research will implement processes to ensure that appropriately inclusive and diverse knowledge, expertise and perspectives are reflected in the methods and personnel employed in each phase of the project. Principal Investigator Sandeep Agrawal, who has conducted human rights and housing research related to economically- and socially-disadvantaged communities in the UAE, Sri Lanka, and across Canada, is currently conducting similar studies in partnership with First Nations communities in Canada’s north. He looks forward to actively including and promoting diverse voices and knowledge from First Nations communities in this project.

• T03-P12 - Energy, housing and homelessness nexus in northern Indigenous communities in Canada

  The high costs of purchasing, transporting, and storing hydrocarbon fuel have a direct impact on housing insecurity, which is a major policy concern in Canada’s North. Building on the PI’s ongoing research works examining intertwined issues related to Northern housing, the project will explore connections between energy supply (primarily provided by diesel generators), relevant public policy, and housing and homelessness in the Tlicho, Sahtu, and Beaufort Delta regions of NWT. It aims to promote the significance of Indigenous community-led housing planning, policy, and provision in advancing reconciliation, contributing to the TRC Calls to Action. The proposal could lead to an application to funding programs targeting Northern issues.

  This foundational research will establish relationships and understandings that enable future energy-and-housing research to be conducted in NWT and across the north, enabling future funding applications to federal council programs. The project will identify connection between an existing energy system and tangible societal problems of housing and community resiliency in northern communities, potentially identifying sites for new energy systems developed by FES research.

• T03-Q01 - Closing the gap: the impact of oil and gas regulations on producing First Nations

  This project examines how regulations affect productivity and environmental outcomes. In Canada, oil and gas production on First Nations land is federally regulated while production elsewhere is provincially regulated. The rules governing production on First Nations land remained effectively the same from their enactment in 1974 until 2019, while provincial rules have been continually updated to reflect industry and technological developments. Using longitudinal data on oil and gas well production and environmental incidents, we compare the implications of two regulatory regimes within Alberta. Our results will shed light on some of the ways in which First Nations have been impacted by federal control over energy projects. This information could be used to advance Indigenous energy sovereignty and economic autonomy, with applications in a range of industries.

• T04-P01 - Speculative energy futures

  Speculative Energy Futures is a multi-year, collaborative, and interdisciplinary project on energy transition as a necessary response to address climate change. It brings artistic and humanities researchers together with science, social science, and policy experts to investigate the challenges of energy transition. Together, participants will produce a large-scale, evidence-based exhibition as well as a series of publications, bringing attention to the importance of arts and humanities perspectives on the social and cultural impacts of energy transition, informed by the latest research coming out of the IPCC, Future Energy Systems, Just Powers, Petrocultures, and other Energy Humanities and environmental organizations around the world. It takes its methodological cue from Immune Nations project, another collaborative, research-based, multi-year, and interdisciplinary) funded by the Research Council of Norway and exhibited at the UNAIDS building during the 2017 World Health Assembly.

  Between now and 2023, participants in Speculative Energy Futures are developing self-generated groupings with other participants, researching a key issue related to feminist and decolonial energy transition, and developing an arts-based engagement with their chosen topic for a high profile exhibition. Artistic research and dissemination methods are well-suited to capturing dissenting opinions on controversial topics and envisioning new futures that, while based in evidence and research, speculate beyond what we understand to be currently possible.

  For more information on Speculative Energy Futures, and to see a full list of our research partners, see the project website: https://www.justpowers.ca/projects/speculative-energy-futures/

• T05-Q02 - Design optimization of ground-source heat pump systems

  Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) are potentially a more efficient technology to provide heating and cooling to buildings compared to conventional systems. However, their large cost, often due to large cost of ground drilling for installation of vertical ground heat exchangers (GHEs), is a major limitation to their wider adoption. Inaccurate engineering design results in oversizing GHEs and an opportunity exists in reducing the system cost by properly sizing GHEs and optimizing their layout within the borefield. This requires developing advanced mathematical models that allow simulation of heat flows in the ground surrounding GHEs and ultimately optimization of GHEs. The objective of this project is to address this issue.

• T06-A02 - Development of high-performance solid oxide fuel cell stack with low degradation rate and fault tolerance for commercial applications

  This project, led by the University of Alberta and Cummins Inc. develops the first demonstration-scale 0.5 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack as a combined heat and power (CHP) unit for residential applications in Canada. Such CHPs at the scale of 5 kW are meant to deliver clean heat and electricity to Canadian households. Currently, the power degradation rate of commercial 1 to 5-kW SOFC stacks is about 1% per 1000 hours, exceeding the required 0.2% degradation rate to make SOFCs a commercially viable technology. The objective of this project is to reduce the power degradation rate of the demo scale CHP to below 0.2% per 1000h and increase its fuel conversion efficiency to higher than 90%. This target will be achieved by developing large planar fuel cells using novel cathode materials developed at UAlberta, optimizing the stack design using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and controlling the operation of the stack using innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.  

• T06-A03 - Using Additive Manufacturing to Fabricate Non-precious Metal Electrodes for Water Electrolysis

  Alkaline exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) was studied in FES T06-P04, as it holds the promise to deliver green hydrogen without the use of scarce and expensive platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. In FES T06-P04, Dr. Secanell's team developed in-house alkaline membrane electrolyzer fabrication and testing capabilities and was able to show excellent electrolyzer performance using anion exchange membrane and PGM catalysts. In parallel, Dr. Qureshi’s group was also able to show that laser power bed fusion (LPBF) 3D printing could be used to fabricate nickel and steel porous transport layers, which are suitable materials for water splitting in alkaline conditions.

  We hypothesize that a non-PGM AEMWE with similar performance to state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane electrolyzers (which require PGM catalysts) can be fabricated using a nickel porous layer and nickel-alloy catalyst layer. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop a proof-of-concept AEMWE using a LPBF porous transport layer and an inkjet-printed non-PGM catalyst layer. The prototype should be able to demonstrate that green electrolysis could be achieved without the use of expensive critical minerals and ‘forever’ chemicals.

• T06-A04 - Infrastructure Assessment for Electrical Vehicle Charging in the Town of Banff

  The Canadian Government mandates every light-duty vehicle sold to be electric as of 2035. The Town of Banff (ToB) receives a substantial influx of visitors every year. Its 8,300 residents are dwarfed by a Visitor Adjusted Population that rises to 43,000 on peak travel days. Visitors occupy approximately 3,700 hotel rooms and around 25,000 vehicles drive into the town. In response, ToB and the Banff National Park have taken steps to mitigate negative traffic impacts by implementing an electrified public bus fleet. A transition to a full fleet of passenger electric vehicles (EVs) after 2035 poses considerable challenges to ToB in terms of traffic management and electrical infrastructure.
  This project draws on FES projects T06-P02 ‘Operational decision support for smart grids’ (led by Dr. Musilek) and T06-P03 ‘Distributed energy storage’ (led by Dr. Mertiny). Dr. Anders contributes required complementary expertise in terms of public preferences and the economics of energy transition. The team is well positioned to complete this project that aligns with the Accelerator Fund’s goals.

• T06-A05 - Distributed Energy Resources Management for Grid Modernization and Grid Transformation Applications

  An ambitious 100% net-zero emissions target and growing proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) including wind, solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage are ushering Canadian utility companies through a major transformation in how electric grids are managed and operated. Given the rapid rise of DER assets in distribution systems, utility companies are increasingly relying on newer technologies such as advanced distribution management systems and, more recently, exploring the use of state-of-the-art DER management systems (DERMS). However, more research is needed to understand how utility companies can best capitalize on the advanced capabilities of these newer technologies, to optimize the management and control of DER assets in distribution systems.  

  The main objective of this project is to address key challenges being faced by distribution utility companies with regards to their grid modernization and grid transformation efforts, with a focus on advanced operation and management of DERs. In collaboration with the industry partner, a local distribution company, this project will tackle two inter-related research problems. The first aims to improve the management and control of DER assets in distribution systems by capitalizing on the advanced capabilities of nascent DERMS platforms. The second aims to optimize production of energy and water at grid-tied water treatment plants by exploiting nearby DER assets.

• T06-A06 - Composite Electrolyte Membranes for Solid-state Battery: Processing, Prototyping, a Lab-to-Market Endeavor

  Replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with solid ionic conductors attracted increasing attention in the electric vehicle (EV) battery market for improved battery safety. Ceramic ion conductors are mechanically fragile and not ready for applications of small volume and energy-dense batteries in today’s market. Our team developed composite electrolytes that are processed into ultra-thin membranes and demonstrated significantly extended cycle life compared to ceramic electrolytes. Additional coating layers are designed based on the electrolyte composition enabling further enhanced energy output and cycle life. This project aims to accelerate the delivery of the market-ready products – a series of composite electrolyte membranes – to potential users, the EV battery manufacturers. Two industrial partners representing the end-users and stakeholders of the technology proposed will participate in the research, development, scale-up, pilot production, and prototype demonstration of the composite electrolyte materials.

   

   

• T06-A07 - Ultra Low-Loading Noble Metal Catalysts for Enhanced Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyzer Performance

  In this project, we will be working on creating a highly efficient and stable low-loading noble metal catalyst that will be integrated into a 3D porous structure. This catalyst and structure will be used in a 15 kW AEM electrolyzer. Our goal is to assess the enhanced performance and long-term stability of this catalyst when applied to the designed 3D porous structure, which will serve as the gas diffusion layer in the cell assembly.
  Cipher Neutron, the only Canadian AEM electrolyzer company, expresses a strong interest in this project. They are committed to conducting comprehensive testing of all synthesized catalysts with their commercial electrolyzers and share the results with our research team for further improvement. The proposed project will advance the knowledge of catalyst efficiency and degradation rate in a commercial AEM electrolyzer (15kW) The main challenge of the proposed project is to minimize the degradation of the catalyst in an operating 15 kW electrolyzer.

• T06-C02 - Leveraging Automation and Technology to Enhance Demand-Side Flexibility

  A fundamental challenge in electricity markets is the need to balance supply and demand at every instant. While there has historically been a focus on the generation sector, there is increasing interest in leveraging the demand-side of the industry. However, households have remained unresponsive to financial incentives to adjust the timing of their electricity demand. Our research project combines emerging technology with insights from economics to enhance customer’s demand-side flexibility. Working with our industry partner, Optiwatt, we will evaluate the potential role for the automation of smart thermostats and electric vehicles to enhance demand-side flexibility, with a particular focus on better understanding consumers' willingness to accept these types of programs. Our findings have considerable potential to reduce the cost of electricity, as well as improve system reliability.

• T06-P01 - Future smart grids structures

  Most renewable energy based power generation, energy storage systems and modern electronic loads are based on DC technologies. This necessitates new grid structure such as hybrid AC/DC and DC grids, which are key for future smart grids with higher efficiency, better power quality and enhanced capability to accommodate more renewable energy and modern loads. This project focuses on the development of hybrid AC/DC grids technologies, power electronics technologies, and power management technologies.

• T06-P03 - Distributed energy storage

  The main objective of the daily energy storage project is to develop energy storage technologies for the kWh energy range capable of producing at least several kW of power. This energy storage range should be sufficient for household daily energy storage and for grid reliability applications. The average Alberta household consumes ~20 kWh electricity per day (~7200 kWh of per year, www.solaralberta.ca). Assuming all the energy needs to be stored for use during nighttime and a discharge-charge efficiency of 70%, 28.57 kWh will need be stored in the energy storage system. Further, assuming a 4 h discharge time, the power output requirement would be 7.15 kW. The storage system used should be able to sustain at least ~2000 cycles (assuming replacement every 5 years). 

  Many energy storage technologies can be used for daily storage, however, based on current expertise at the University of Alberta, the following two technologies will be developed: a) Flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) and b) Metal-air (in particular zinc-air) battery systems (MAB)

• T06-P04 - Utility scale energy storage

  The main objective of the utility-scale energy storage project is to bring together researchers from science and engineering to develop proof-of-concept energy storage solutions that are suitable for storing energy in the MWh range and provide MWs of power to the grid at competitive costs. Given the high level of maturity for other technologies such as pumped-hydro and compressed air compared to hydrogen storage and the fact that hydrogen can be used to offset negative emissions in transportation, residential and industrial sectors, research will mainly focus on the development of technologies for hydrogen production for storage.

  The anticipated outcomes for this project will be the development new technologies for hydrogen production that exhibit lower capital cost, and higher efficiency and durability, the production of high impact research through internal and international collaborations, and the development of strong partnerships with industry where UAlberta will be playing a central role in research and development.

• T06-P05 - Economic policy and the future electricity grid

  The evolution in electricity markets brought on by new technology (wind, solar, batteries) and new regulations (GHG policy, renewable portfolio standards) will require an economic policy framework which complements this evolution and ensures that we do not suffer from unintended consequences.  Our work focusses on Alberta's electricity grid and local/regional deployment of renewable energy sources and storage options and the policies which complement those technologies.

• T06-P06 - Surface science hub for clean technology (SSH-CT)

  The proposed three projects (interfacial dynamics, wetting, and rheology at elevated pressure and temperature; droplet dynamics; and anti-freezing/anti-icing strategies) are consistent with the strengths of the SSH-CT and its collaborators, as well as the interests of its funding partners.  The brief scientific objective of these projects is in-line with the FES's mandates and Universities of the signature areas, ie., Energy. More importantly, all three projects are currently ongoing with different researchers from various organizations. The successful outcome of these projects will harness and promote SSH-CT’s existing partnerships and fit into the Future Energy Systems deliverables. The proposed projects have logical and natural connections with existing projects within different themes and the shortcoming in these existing projects are addressed in the proposed projects in terms of access to the expertise in the field of interfacial fluid dynamics – with a necessary state-of-the-art facility. In addition to the necessary infrastructure, SSH-CT also has financial support from industry partners and EDT for complementary but essential activities such as lab technicians and research associates. 

• T06-P07 - Energy Management Strategies for Distributed Energy Resources

  The availability of high-resolution historical data from the grid, smart inverters, and advanced metering infrastructure has made it possible to develop accurate models of the state of the power system, available renewable generation, demands, and user preferences. This project aims to develop proactive, data-driven energy management strategies that combine real-time measurements with predictions of these models to optimally control a vast number of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for improved reliability and efficiency. The efficacy of these strategies is evaluated using an advanced test environment available in the Future Smart Grid Technologies lab. Additionally, a state-of-the-art monitoring and control infrastructure will be developed for the smart grid which enables large-scale integration and seamless operation of geographically dispersed DERs. This infrastructure will support the execution of decentralized, proactive, and data-driven energy management strategies, which will play a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency, reliability, and cybersecurity of the smart grid.

• T06-Q02 - Rational Design of Protective Interlayers for Next Generation All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

  All-solid Li batteries offer improved safety and power density yet suffer from drastic capacity fade, a result of electrolyte decomposition on electrode surfaces. We will introduce/optimize an interfacial protective layer that provides Li+ transport pathways and prevents direct exposure of solid electrolyte to extreme potentials. Our unique, in-situ approach allows real-time reaction monitoring during operation. Combined with the battery performance tests, the insights gained will facilitate rational protective layer design. Interlayer materials of interest include: 1) Li+ solvates exhibiting excellent stability at operating temperature, (10 – 50 C) and 2) LiAlS thin films prepared via atomic layer deposition.

• T06-Q03 - Novel rechargeable battery technology based on zinc-ion intercalation materials

  The overarching goal of the proposed research is to develop high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries, a novel clean energy storage technology that addresses energy and environmental—two major challenges of modern society. In order to achieve this goal, new energy materials with desired and unique nano-/micro-structure and morphology exhibiting excellent zinc-ion intercalation ability will be designed and investigated for outstanding electrochemical behaviors. Research will mainly focus on the synthesis of carbon materials and transition metal oxides/sulfides, and the correlation of electrochemical behaviors with their microstructures/morphologies. The success of the proposed project will significantly contribute to battery industries.   

• T06-Q04 - Rational design of next generation lithium-sulfur batteries for clean energy storage

  The proposed project aims to develop high-performance Li-S batteries (LSBs) that exhibit much higher energy than conventional Li-ion batteries by addressing the shuttle effect and lithium dendrite growth, two major challenges of LSBs. Highly stable S-based cathode will be achieved through synergistic encapsulation of soluble intermediates polysulfides by designing hierarchically porous host and controlling interactions at S-host interface.  Reliable Li anode will be realized through tailoring Li metal surface by introducing 2D or 3D protection layer of carbon. Preliminary development of solid or semisolid electrolyte with excellent ion conductivity and stability will also be conducted towards future fabrication of all-solid-state LSBs. 

• T06-Q06 - Resilience of electric vehicles during disasters

  This project will conduct a scenario analysis of electric vehicles (EVs) before, during, and after a disaster/emergency to determine their impact on the electrical grid and power supply. The project will focus on large-scale power outages and wildfires. Using results from an online survey, the project will develop discrete choice models to identify evacuation intentions and EV-enabled actions in disasters. These results will feed into an agent-based model (ABM), which will simulate multiple scenarios of EV usage, evacuations, and fluctuations in power supply. The scenario analysis will identify if current power grids in Western Canada are capable of handling EV loads and what strategies are needed to meet EV demand.

• T06-Q07 - Interaction of converters in emerging smart grids: Stability analysis and control design

  The national grid is shifting from centralized AC to distributed DC power generation and distribution with an increasing number of multiple-operational and variable sources and loads. The converters catering to these various terminations interact through the local or main grid. Such interaction may have an adverse impact on stability and performance. Traditional methods based on standalone converter models fail to address these issues satisfactorily, and this calls for new tools and approaches.

  This project aims to develop stability analysis and control design approaches for interacted converter systems in emerging smart grids that are majorly DC. The key idea is to treat variable characteristics of terminations as discrete events or variables and capture the interactions through a connection graph model. In so doing, the entire system can be analyzed and designed under the framework of hybrid distributed systems.

   

• T06-Q08 - Solvent-driven Crystallization of Lithium Hydroxide from Concentrated Aqueous Solution

  In recent years, lithium compounds have emerged as pivotal catalysts driving advancements across diverse fields, including electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and electronics, shaping the trajectory of modern life. Among these compounds, lithium hydroxide stands out as an exceptionally valuable component, commanding a higher market value and demonstrating superior suitability for use in batteries. The production process of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) involves crystallization, the final step in obtaining the desired product, lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH⋅H₂O). The traditional crystallization process demands significant energy for water evaporation. Additionally, precipitates formed by evaporative crystallization tend to have impurities, requiring substantial water usage to remove undesirable ions prior to crystallization.

  This project aims to introduce a more efficient and environmentally friendly approach: solvent-driven extractive crystallization for the production of lithium hydroxide monohydrate. This alternative pathway holds the potential to revolutionize lithium hydroxide production by reducing energy costs, minimizing water consumption and contributing to an overall decrease in the carbon footprint of processing. Over a 3-year research program, three research activities will be completed. 1) Investigation of phase equilibria in the ternary system; 2) Process optimization and studies on the impact of impurities; and 3) exploration of solvent recovery. Through these efforts, we anticipate contributing to a more sustainable and efficient future in lithium hydroxide production.

• T06-Q09 - Bifunctional Structural Battery Composites: Synergizing Mechanical Strength and Energy Storage Performance

  In the pursuit of sustainable and efficient energy solutions, a groundbreaking concept is emerging that could transform how we power our world: structural batteries. Imagine if the walls of buildings, the blades of wind turbines, or the bodies of electric vehicles could not only provide structural support but also store energy. This innovative approach integrates energy storage directly into the load-bearing parts of structures, turning them into multifunctional components that enhance efficiency and open new avenues for design.

  By combining the roles of structural materials and batteries, we can significantly reduce weight and improve performance. For instance, replacing traditional car parts with structural batteries could decrease vehicle mass, leading to longer driving ranges and better efficiency. This integration also promotes safety and resilience by distributing energy storage throughout the structure.

  The main challenge lies in creating materials that are both strong and capable of storing energy effectively. Traditional batteries aren’t suitable for this purpose because they lack the necessary mechanical strength. Our research focuses on overcoming this hurdle by exploring advanced carbon architected materials that serve as both sturdy frameworks and active energy-storing elements.

  Through innovative material science and engineering, we aim to develop a new class of structural batteries that meet the rigorous demands of modern technology. This advancement holds the potential to revolutionize not just transportation, but also renewable energy systems and the construction of smart, energy-efficient buildings. Our goal is to contribute to a more sustainable future by redefining how energy is stored and utilized in everyday structures.

• T06-Q10 - Additive Manufacturing of High Corrosion Resistant Materials for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors as a Clean Energy Source

  Small modular reactors (SMRs) offer a reliable and cost-effective solution to energy needs in Canada. These compact nuclear reactors provide a secure source of clean zero-carbon energy sources for Canadian, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing energy resilience in remote areas. To ensure the longevity and affordability of SMRs, it is crucial to utilize advanced materials capable of withstanding the high temperature and corrosive conditions inherent to these reactors.

  Laser directed energy deposition (DED), an additive manufacturing (AM) process, has gained increasing interest in processing materials with advanced functionalities. This project aims to optimize laser DED parameters for a high-temperature corrosion-resistant nickel-based superalloy, with the goal of making it more affordable and accessible for SMRs. With the aid of laser DED, nickel-based superalloys will be used for critical components of SMRs. Key objectives of this project include overcoming metallurgical challenges during the laser processing, such as avoiding the formation of defects due to incomplete fusion and alloying element vaporization. Through a combination of experimental design, mechanical, microstructural, and corrosion analyses, this research aims to comprehensively unravel the difficulties during laser DED of nickel-based superalloys.

  At the completion of this project, the successful processing of a new high-temperature corrosion-resistant superalloy using laser DED will lead to Canadian-made AM solutions for producing on-demand parts for SMRs that can be utilized in rural and remote communities in Western Canada. This will support Canada's plans to encourage the deployment of nuclear SMRs in Canada as affordable, reliable future energy systems.

• T07-C01 - Unlocking the physics and chemistry of bitumen/water/solvent/porous media interfaces - an enabling technology for new production process development

  The oil sands industry currently faces significant challenges. Its social license is in question at a time when environmental regulation is tightening, all coupled with depressed oil prices and high capital costs for new projects. In the near term at least, oil sands-related activity will likely not focus heavily on development of new large-scale surface-facility capital projects. Instead, the focus will and should be on developing and applying new technology to improve the effectiveness of ongoing sub surface operations. Improvements to ultimate recoveries from reservoirs, improvement in energy efficiency (i.e. reduced steam-oil-ratio) in heterogeneous reservoirs, and the ability to access the parts of current producing fields that have production challenges such as top gas and bottom water. New insights into these problems will allow for extension and improvement of existing thermal operations, provide access to top gas/bottom water zones that are currently second tier resources, and promote the development of next generation production technologies with significantly lower environmental impacts. One leading suggestion to achieve these goals is the use of solvents combined with alternative technologies for steam generation.

• T07-C04 - Computational Seismic Full Waveform Inversion
  One of the primary challenges facing 3D exploration and monitoring seismic technology in the coming 5-10 years is to formulate, validate, and bring on-line the set of procedures known as seismic full waveform inversion (FWI) as applied in onshore (land data) reservoir environments. 
   
  The main objective of this project is to develop a 3D field data FWI workflow for structural imaging in the presence of complex topography for land dataset. It targets to remove the presence of high nonlinearity propertiesintroduced by free-surface effects due to presence of complex surface topography. Currently, the modeling engine for 3D FWI  has been developed and hopeful we are able move to 3D FWI velocity model building applications in the presence of  rugged topography and address the challenges.
• T07-C05 - Geophysical investigation of Peace River induced earthquakes associated with local bitumen recovery

  Over the past decade, earthquakes in Alberta have garnered broad scientific interest and public scrutiny.  A number of energy-related industry operations have been linked to earthquakes, most notably hydraulic fracturing, enhanced oil production, and wastewater disposal on the Duverney shale play. These event clusters necessitated critical changes to the existing Provincial regulations (Alberta Energy Regulator, 2015).

  The latest, and most prominent, example of induced earthquakes in western Canada occurred on November 30, 2022, ~50 km away from the town of Peace River, Alberta. These earthquakes were broadly felt by residents throughout central Alberta.  Two earthquakes (with a maximum magnitude over 5.0) triggered hundreds of aftershocks that lasted for over a month. The two major earthquakes were initially deemed to be natural by Alberta Energy Regulator (AER, 2022), but a subsequent re-examination (by Ryan Schultz and coauthors) of disposed wastewater from in-situ oil recovery offered compelling evidence for their induced nature. To date, the November 30 Mw 5.2 earthquake is the largest known earthquake induced by human activities in Canada.  The nature of the Peace River earthquake swarm, the stability of subsurface faults, and their connections to the nearby disposal wells are critical issues for regional energy regulations and practices.   

  The main objective of this proposal is two-fold: 1. to understand the root causes of Peace River seismicity, and 2. to provide practial models/recommendations to the oilsands operators for reduced seismic hazards.  To accomplish this we will combining data from recent nodal seismic deployment, geology, potential field (magnetism and gravity) and satelite imagery. We hope to address the following specific questions in connection with seismic mitigation in the Peace River area,

  1. what role does each individual well (3 in total) affect the seismic sequence, both temporally and spatially?  Is there effect of triggering among the different earthquake clusters in this region?

  2. do steam injections and other industrial operations near Peace River impact the subsurface conditions and fault criticality?

  3. to what extent is the seismicity influenced by the geological history of the region, especially in connection with past episodes of crustal intrusions and coral reef development?

  4. what practical models or recommendations could we provide to the day-to-day operations in Peace River area for oilsands recovery?

  To address the above questions, our group aims to provide a new earthquake catalogue of earthquakes from 2022-2023. This catalogue will be the most accurate and complete, in comparison with other regional catalogues, due to the use of the nodal array deployed by the University and Alberta Geological Survey.  A short list of deliverables will include earthquake source solutions, slip and fault models, subsurface seismic velocities, attenuation structure and simulated ground motions.

• T07-P04NP - Developing microwave sensor technology

  The world is seeing a wireless technological revolution in communication and sensing. With the ever-increasing demand for additional smart functionalities in existing technologies, a significant amount of research has been directed towards sensing devices. As a result, microwave devices and systems, which constitute the backbone of all communication systems, have significantly advanced in recent years. Microwave sensors are by-products of this recent revolution and have been widely utilized for chemical sensing. They are used to report very small environmental changes and provide feedback for informed decision-making. In this research, we are utilizing this knowledge to develop sensors to obtain real time in-situ information.

• T07-P05 - Reservoir engineering and enhanced oil recovery

  The industry is facing serious challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions and poor understanding of in-situ recovery mechanisms. This FES project will investigate the fate of injected solvents, i.e. CO2 and lean gas, by conducting experiments using a state-of-the-art laboratory system to characterize and visualize solvent-oil-rocks interactions under reservoir conditions. The focus will be on solvent injection into mature oil reservoirs with the ultimate goal of enhancing oil recovery and energy conservation. After evaluation of the concept at the laboratory scale, the University of Alberta research team will collaborate with the industrial partners to conduct a pilot test. It is expected that the results of this research will pave the way for optimizing in-situ recovery techniques by injecting solvents.

• T07-P06NP - Wireless communication and power delivery

  In order to improve the accuracy of data acquisition and monitoring system, increasing the safety, and reducing the carbon footprint of the oil and gas industry, new technologies such as sensor networks and internet of things (IoT) need to be integrated into the conventional systems. This industry has unique features that make the adaptation of IoT challenging; hence, a complete smart system for monitoring of oil and gas systems should be proposed. The objective of this project is to propose different configurations for monitoring of pipelines and wellbores. Having a distributed, low-power, and low-cost monitoring system can increase the efficiency and safety of the industry while reducing the total GHG emissions and costs.

• T07-Q01 - Advanced Electromagnetic Heating Modeling for Eco-Friendly Oil Production

  In-situ recovery of heavy oil is a critical challenge due to the high viscosity of heavy crude, which significantly impedes its flow and extraction efficiency. The current state-of-the-art relies heavily on thermal techniques, such as steam injection, which are energy-intensive and less environmentally friendly. Electromagnetic heating presents a promising alternative, offering the potential for more efficient, controlled, and environmentally friendly heavy oil recovery. Unlike conventional steam injection, electromagnetic heating targets the oil directly, minimizing environmental impact.

  This research aims to develop advanced computational models and algorithms to optimize electromagnetic heating processes for in-situ heavy oil recovery. This involves the precise control of electromagnetic fields to heat heavy oil reservoirs uniformly and efficiently, thus reducing viscosity and enhancing oil flow without the extensive use of water or natural gas.

• T08-P01 - Solvent recovery and removal from NAE extraction gangue

  This project addresses the economics (solvent recycling) and the environmental impact (residual solvent in extraction gangue) of the NAE process.  Both thermal (microwave) and non-thermal processes (surfactant solution) are studied to recover cyclohexane from the extraction gangue so that it can be reused in the NAE process.  To this end, the adsoprtion/absorption behaviour of cyclohexane on the gangue materials are stuided and microwave interaction with the water and solid phases in the extraction gangue are studied. Another focus is to identify the microorganisms that are able to remove cyclohexane from the gangue materials and the conditions such microorganisms work most effectively. 

   

• T08-P02 - Bitumen solvent product cleaning

  Nonaqueus extraction (NAE) of oil sands can eliminate the use of fresh water in recovering bitumen from oil sands. However, the extracted bitumen must be free of water and mineral/clay solids so that it can be used directly as a refinery feed without the need of upgrading.

  This project is a systematic investigation of various physical and chemical methods aimed at cleaning up the NAE bitumen recovered from oil sands to meet this target while maintaining high bitumen recovery.

• T10-A01 - Scale-up of Electro-Oxidation Processes

  Electro-oxidation is a promising decentralized solution for treating wastewater, known for its flexibility and energy-saving capabilities. However, its widespread adoption in industrial wastewater treatment is limited by the constraints of traditional two-dimensional reactors. These limitations lead to suboptimal current efficiency, decreased treatment efficacy, higher energy consumption, and increased equipment expenses.

  Since most industrial and municipal wastewater is conveyed through pipelines from production sites to storage facilities or tailing ponds, a novel approach would be to integrate electro-oxidation treatment directly within the pipes. This simultaneous treatment during transportation could revolutionize the industry by offering significant savings in time, cost, and space allocation.

  Based on our encouraging results of lab-scale experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of electro-oxidation for process water treatment, the main objective of this project is to improve the technology of electro-oxidation reactors. This would pave the way for their widespread implementation and commercialization.

• T10-A02 - Combining Adsorption and Low-pressure Membrane Technologies for High-quality Water Production

  This project extends our previous FES projects, combining the advanced membrane technology with the adsorption technology for treating oil sands produced water. In our previous project, we designed low-pressure membrane modules with exceptional impurity separation targeting bacteria, viruses, and oil. We integrated silver-based MOFs and eco-friendly additives like lignin for effective contaminant removal. The membranes had nearly 50% lignin content, reducing costs. To address high-pressure tolerance, we'll use liquid lignin oligomers produced in Dr. Ullah’s lab. With prior FES support, Drs. Ullah & Siddique developed sorbents with high removal efficiencies. With ongoing support, we aim to develop large-scale sorbents, conduct desorption studies, and optimize adsorption and membrane technology for a combined, single-step water treatment process. Collaborating with industrial partner Fourien, we'll design, simulate, fabricate, and test a prototype reactor, advancing toward commercialization as an alternative treatment technology for contaminated waters. The hybrid technology will be provided to other industries for testing and early adoption. Our low-pressure membrane tech, combined with chicken feather keratin-based biopolymer adsorption, outshines current methods by efficiently removing multiple contaminants from produced water using eco-friendly materials. Canada, with its substantial production of food and wood products, possesses significant long-term potential to leverage lignin and keratin-based biopolymers for crafting value-added products.

  The proposed technology's key areas of impact are:

  Water Benefits: The oil sands industry's growth may face limitations due to increased water consumption. Current inefficient water treatment methods strain freshwater resources, risking environmental sustainability. Our technology addresses these challenges, mitigating risks associated with surface water depletion, water disposal, and groundwater contamination.

  GHG Emissions Reductions: The proposed technology's impact on GHG emissions reduction is twofold upon market implementation: First, our materials' carbon footprint is less than that of their commercial counterparts. Second, after the successful deployment of our technology, water recovery and energy efficiency of industrial processes increase, leading to fewer GHG emissions.

  Recyclability and degradability: We would test the recyclability and degradability of adsorbents at the end of life. We would also test the partial degradability of membranes containing 50% or higher lignin content.

   

• T10-P04 - Resilient reclaimed land and water systems

  Research has addressed numerous land and water issues associated with energy systems, driving industrial reclamation practices and informing regulatory changes. Integrated research is needed on a wider array of land and water issues and problems that cross industries and energy systems, ranging from prevention to intensive reclamation of highly disturbed sites. Crucial knowledge gaps to be addressed are the lack of scientific basis for many current remediation and reclamation criteria; sustainability and resiliency of reclaimed landscapes; reclaimed community diversity and dynamics; treatment and release of process water to the environment; cost analysis of strategies and more green and low energy treatments, pilot scale tests and prediction of risks to discharging treated process water into natural ecosystems and using by products as soil building materials; methods of engagement and governance for sub-regional issues; refreshment of existing regional frameworks for land and water use and quality; engaging more organizational players across levels in new and extant frameworks; more well trained specialists in these fields who can engage with policy makers.

  We can best fill the gaps by building on our existing knowledge base. We need to incorporate land and water reclamation knowledge into all phases of energy developments and resource extraction processes with a team of professionals; recognize the dynamic nature of reclaimed landscapes and develop appropriate performance metrics and targets spatially and temporally; understand fundamentals of active, semi-passive and engineered passive treatment processes; conduct life cycle assessments and cost analyses of treatments and approaches; assess performance of treatments at pilot scales; and develop a toolbox with the best available reclamation approaches for different scenarios.

  After disturbance from energy focused activities, land and water require reclamation to resilient systems that support desired end land uses. Reclamation success can be achieved if metrics to determine trajectories and final outcomes are robust and science based, with good communication among stakeholders and practitioners. These projects address a systemic approach to energy production and delivery and cross theme benefits.

  Our research is composed of multiple projects across 3 faculties and 6 departments. The projects fall into three research clusters 1) materials synthesis and development for utilization in land and water reclamation, 2) land and water approaches for reclamation of process water and, 3) reclamation success indicators, criteria and policy for energy systems.

   

• T10-P07 - Revegetation at green energy sites for biodiversity and multiple ecosystem goods and services

  Building new solar infrastructure provides opportunities to restore ecosystem function on site, including flower production, pollinator biodiversity and pollination services, carbon storage, and resistance to invasive species. Restoration of the diverse native plant communities that provide these goods and services is challenged by varying establishment success for different species, and this may be further affected by novel conditions under solar panels or weed management methods. To ensure that plantings support target pollinator species, such as rare or crop-pollinating species, we need to know which flowers establish well, and which species pollinators prefer. This study will address all these questions to improve restoration outcomes.

• T10-Q02 - Data-centric flow liquefaction assessment and biomediated tailings improvement: towards safe closure of tailings dams

  Oil sands tailings storage facilities need to be closed and reclaimed at the end of their operational life and transitioned into landform configurations. Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) Manual 19 required 'flowable tailings' to be removed or mitigated for closure of tailings storage facilities (TSF); this mandate concerns a particular devastating failure mode, i.e., flow liquefaction, that affects both the operation and closure of TSF. However, AER 19 does not explicitly define the material characteristics that constitute flowability at closure, mainly due to the lack of understanding of the mechanics of flow liquefaction. There is a critical need to understand the mitigate flowable tailings for operation, closure and reclamation of TSF to reduce the risk of flow liquefaction to As Low As Reasonably Practicable. This work aims to develop a mechanics-based data-centric tool to assess tailings susceptibility to flow liquefaction and to reduce materials mobility through environmentally conscious biocementation. The goal is to enhance a safe operational-to-closure landform transition.

• T10-Q03 - Electrochemical Conversion of Waste Plastics into Hydrocarbon-based Fuels

  Plastic waste has immense untapped potential as a green energy alternative to petroleum feedstocks. Polyethylene and polypropylene, two of the most common type of plastics, consist of long hydrocarbon chains that when broken down into much smaller hydrocarbon fragments can be used as fuels. Pyrolysis, a chemical process requiring extremely high temperatures (~500°C) and considerable energy input, has been employed for chemical recycling of plastic waste to moderate success. This proposal seeks to invent a sequence of electrochemical processes that enable the controlled degradation of polyethylene- and polypropylene-based plastics into short-chained hydrocarbons that can be used as hydrocarbon fuels in various energy systems.

• T10-Q04 - Investigating potential deep borehole disposal solutions in Northeastern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan for used fuel from Small Modular Reactors

  Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) supports on-grid power, industry heat and power, off-grid solutions, district heating, and remote desalination. Canada's SMR market, valued at $5.3B (2025-2040), is highly promising. However, concerns from public, Indigenous, and potential users persist on safety, waste, and costs. Ongoing engagement and research initiatives supported by FES are crucial. With no approved disposal site, nuclear waste in Canada faces uncertainties post-impact assessments. DBD emerges as an alternative for SMR waste management.

  This research, organized into three working packages (WPs), investigates potential DBD solutions in Northeastern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan. WP1 focuses on global deep borehole disposal, emphasizing environmental factors. WP2 evaluates boundary conditions in Western Canada. WP3 explores atomic geothermal energy in DBD for responsible waste disposal. Deliverables 1-4 consolidate findings, establishing the foundation for secure nuclear waste management in Western Canada.

• T10-Q05 - Impacts of refrigerant usage on the environmental presence of trifluoroacetic acid and other persistent chemicals

  Heat pumps are energy-efficient alternatives to traditional air conditioners that function by using refrigerants. New refrigerants have been introduced to protect the ozone layer and reduce greenhouse gases. Newer refrigerants degrade quickly in the environment, however, they form the highly persistent and potentially toxic trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). This work investigates the fate of TFA formed as degradation products of past and present-use refrigerants. We use remote ice cores to gain historical trends of TFA deposition from atmospheric sources, to obtain a baseline of previous contamination, and see how recent changes in usage have increased concentrations over the past 5 years. Laboratory studies will probe two poorly understood reactions that impact environmental TFA: 1) hydrolysis of haloacetyl fluorides, important intermediates in the gas-phase formation of TFA from refrigerant gases; 2) photochemical oxidation of TFA as a potential, but slow, loss mechanism in the environment.

• T11-P01 - Decision support systems for improved construction and maintenance of non-electrical infrastructure for energy

  In order to effectively harness energy sources, we must design and construct facilities to extract, process, and deliver energy to end users. The construction, operation, and maintenance of such facilities require proper planning and execution in order to reduce risks and uncertainty, and to allow for rigorous efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety during each of these stages. Since future energy systems involve new technologies and have far-reaching social, economic, and political impacts, the development, operation, and upkeep of the associated infrastructure poses unique challenges for practitioners. The processes of constructing, operating, and maintaining long-life energy infrastructure assets, in comparison with other aspects of development such as design, pose many complex risks, including weather-related challenges, unproven technology, and unknown stakeholder interactions and interests. Therefore, risks that are not common to the construction and maintenance of other types of infrastructure may arise, and decision making will occur in an environment of considerable uncertainty. Data on such future energy infrastructure projects may be limited, of low quality, or not exist, and in such contexts, expert knowledge will be required in addition to project data for effective modeling and decision making. To address these issues, innovative modeling and decision-making approaches will be developed to address the unique characteristics of such projects, deal with new types of risks, and address data limitations in developing and validating models and decision-support tools.

• T11-P05 - Pilot Scale Production and Field Testing of Dry Water Enhanced Geopolymer

  We will scale up the production of our developed material Geopolymer with Dry-Water (GP-DW) and field test on the Campus.  Ultra-low greenhouse gas emitter cementitious material geopolymers are not new, however, commercial applications have not materialized because of the difficulty of controlling their performance characteristics. We solved this problem by developing a GP-DW system. The dry water is physically in powder form but contains 92% water. We will produce our GW-DW  at the pilot scale and precast. The prepared pavement will be tested for durability during six months under real environmental conditions.

  Dry water was produced with hydrophobic nano silica and then employed in this study to optimize performance characteristics of the alkali-activation of metakaolin-based geopolymers.

  Pavers made by geopymers with dry water additive (GP-DW) is the final product which will be installed in a designated area in the University of Alberta campus.

  End users will be producers of building materials. They have the opportnity to replace high green house gas (GHG) emitter, high energy user Portland cement.

• T12-A01 - Reconfigurable Metasurfaces for Solid-state Beam Steering in Solar Concentrators

  Solar concentrators for solar thermal renewable energy generation track sunlight through the sky and concentrate that energy into a focal point to drive an engine (e.g solar cell or steam turbine). Tracking is performed using a large number of mechanical systems that enable the physical movement of optical components (mirrors, lenses) in the solar concentrator array to maintain the desired efficiency at the engine as the sun moves across the sky. These large, bulky mechanical systems are widely prone to failure and very costly to maintain, drastically reducing the return on investment in such plants. 

  This project centres around the design/fabrication of reconfigurable fully-solid-state solar concentrators made from chalcogenide metasurfaces that enable the reconfiguration of their reflection response from specular to diffuse and control over the direction of reflection to provide unprecedented control over the solar thermal conversion efficiency without the need for any mechanical components for tracking. Tracking will be done by electrically adjusting the effective index of the metasurface phase, providing full two-axis tracking with no moving parts. 

• T12-P01 - High throughput materials discovery through materials genomics

  Discovering better materials is essential for tackling the enormous challenges in developing new renewable energy sources.  The experimental variables that must be considered to optimize a given property are too many and their relationships are too complex to allow anything but incremental improvements to be made.  So how do we think "outside the box" to find entirely new materials?  As part of the larger effort known as the "Materials Genome Initiative," approaches based on data-mining and materials informatics techniques can help screen new compounds with desired properties and features, at greatly accelerated rates, and provide insights into the design principles required to engineer improved materials.  These tools will be used, in particular, to find better photovoltaics (in collaboration with Buriak and Shankar groups) and catalysts for solar fuels (in collaboration with Bergens group).

• T12-P03 - Active, stable, and abundant photocatalytic materials for hydrogen fuels

  A fundamental challenge to the worldwide adoption of solar energy is its intermittent nature. Solar energy must be transformed and stored. The most abundant agent to store solar energy is water. Photocatalysis for Water Splitting (PWS) with sunlight is an essentially limitless and greenhouse-gas free way to store and transform solar energy. The products of PWS are either hydrogen gas, or they are combined with CO₂ to make fuels such as alcohols, methane, or higher alkanes. These fuels can be distributed with existing infrastructures and combusted with existing technology in an entirely CO₂ neutral system. The activity, stability, and efficiencies of state-of-the-art PWS catalysts do not allow for widespread adoption.

  In collaboration with the other groups in the UAlberta and UCalgary, we will combine fundamental studies and cutting-edge, greatly accelerated photocatalyst development with leads/guidance from the Machine-Learning/Materials Genomics Initiative. This unique, combined approach will develop next generation, earth abundant photocatalysts with seismic improvements in activity, efficiency, stability, and longevity over the current state-of-the-art systems.

  A key objective is to replace precious metals like Platinum and Iridium with earth-abundant alternatives. The fundamental studies, will develop highly advanced molecular, polymeric, and materials photocatalysts/co-catalysts made of earth-abundant atoms. Co-catalysts will be developed that significantly reduce the kinetic barriers to water oxidation or CO₂ reduction, thereby increasing by orders of magnitude the activity and efficiency of the photocatalysts. Hits identified by the Materials Genomics Initiative will be combined with the results from the fundamental studies. The resulting new photocatalysts will be incorporated into advanced prototype units by collaboration with academic and industrial groups within the University, the Province, and across Canada.

• T12-P05 - Regulation and integration of solar PV into electricity markets

  Solar Photovoltaics (PV) will be an essential component of the electricity portfolio of the future. Solar PV costs have declined substantially and installed capacity has grown rapidly. Despite this progress, there are numerous barriers to the adoption and integration of solar into electricity markets worldwide. The objective of our research program is to analyze the impacts of existing policies and regulations and to consider alternative mechanisms to alleviate these barriers. One particular solution to the intermittency of solar PV output that has gained substantial traction over the past couple of years is coupling solar PV systems with battery storage. In several recent research projects, we analyze the interaction between battery storage and solar PV systems. 

  We have written and published several research papers that analyze the impact of regulations and compensation policies on investment in and the electricity network value of solar PV systems. These projects focus on: (i) the interaction between retail rate design and investment in rooftop solar PV and (ii) the impact that renewable compensation policies have on the types of resources that are constructed via renewable procurement auctions. In the next two years, we anticipate submitting and publishing several research papers that analyze the impacts of coupling solar PV and battery storage systems on managing intermittency, carbon emissions, and cost-shifting concerns across different consumer groups. This research aims to improve the design of policies that attempt to motivate the adoption of cost-effective solar PV in the utility industry.

• T12-Q03 - Discovery of single, bi- and multimetallic atom-based photocatalysts on semimetallic titania support for H2 production from water

  Energy and fuel production through solar light harvesting is one of the viable options to decrease carbon emissions. However, a valuable alternative to fossil fuels requires the development of cost-competitive materials. Semiconductor metal oxides are among the most widely adopted materials for solar energy conversion into chemical energy (H₂), produced via photocatalytic water splitting.

  Here, we aim to develop low-cost and energy-efficient artificial photosynthesis units to produce H₂ from water. The system consists of TiO₂ decorated with single-site catalysts, i.e., single-type atoms or a combination of atoms as co-catalyst.

  We focus on synthesizing, discovering, and analyzing the effectiveness of newly designed catalysts based on single, bi-, or multi-atom decorated semiconductors intended for photocatalytic H₂ evolution.

  The result of this research can significantly enhance the normalized photocatalytic activity of the atomically decorated semiconductors compared to a conventional nanoparticle-decorated substrate.

• T12-Q04 - Development of a Modular Concentrated Solar Thermal System for High-Temperature Green Steam Generation

  The decarbonization of industrial heat sector, representing 74% of total industrial energy demand, is critical for combating climate change. Currently, only 9% of this demand is met by renewables, limited by their intermittent nature. An intermittent heating infrastructure lacking long-duration storage (> 24 hr) is unreliable, compromising energy security, especially in harsh Canadian winters. Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) systems, storing solar energy directly as heat, offer promise. In a modular CST system, a field of mirrors concentrate solar energy into a well-insulated tank (receiver) filled with molten chloride salts. These salts absorb solar radiation, converting it to heat. Stored heat is then dispatched as steam via a heat exchanger system on demand. Though promising, these systems are in early development stages and require optimization before commercialization. This Future Energy Systems (FES) funded project will examine the governing physics of receivers operating above 950K and develop design guidelines for commercial scaling.

• T13-C02 - Assessing political pathways for energy transition

  Our project seeks to identify how best to navigate democratic constraints on policy-making by developing an integrated assessment of how public and elite opinion shape policy decisions on energy innovation. This enables us to generate data-driven insights into the political risks associated with various energy transition paths and could help policy makers identify possible policy win-sets for other scholars engaged in CFREF projects.

• T13-P01 - Integrated assessment of environmental footprints for energy scenarios

  The overall objective of this project is to understand the nexus between water demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for different energy pathways. There is a trade-off between GHG mitigation and water consumption for energy scenarios. This project is aimed investigating this trade-off. This will be done through integration of Long-range Energy Alternative Planning systems model (LEAP) which is focused on estimation of GHG emissions and Water Evaluation And Planning system (WEAP) which is focussed on estimation of water demand for energy scenarios. Both these models are bottom-up technology driven models and include detail characteristics of energy demand and supply sectors. The LEAP model for Canada and the WEAP model for Alberta. The focus of the research would be on large Canadian industrial sectors.

• T13-P04 - Assessments of technologies developed under future energy systems

  The overall objective of this project is conduct the life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) of the energy technologies developed under the Future Energy Systems (FES). The technology focused themes including solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, carbon capture utilization & storage, heavy oil, smart grids, non-electric infrastructure and land & water would be the key focus of this project. It is critical for FES to assess these technologies in terms of its life cycle environmental impacts and cost of producing energy/fuels or products from these technologies. The ultimate aim of this project is to identify the technologies which have the potential of being economically viable and environmentally sustainable. The LCA of the technologies would help in estimating greenhouse gas emissions and energy return on investment (EROI) i.e. ratio of energy output to input over life cycle. The TEA of the technologies would help in estimation the cost assessment of energy/products from these technologies. This project would be complementary to Dr. Kumar’s research under the Industrial Research Chair Program (IRC).

   

• T13-Q03 - Capitalizing on opportunities, identifying levers, and overcoming obstacles to the decarbonization of Edmonton’s bus fleet

  Sparse literature on BEB adoption, especially in winter cities, may disconnect academic discourse on transit electrification from on-the-ground realities. Relatedly, emission reduction calculations of BEB implementation are traditionally based on the assumption that an agency will utilize the fleet proportionally. In other words, if 10% of an agency’s fleet are BEBs, then the system-level emissions are assumed to decrease by 10%. Using data from 2022-2023 we will calculate the service kilometers of Edmonton’s fleet by vehicle type monthly. Operations data will then feed into monthly emissions reduction estimations to determine the environmental performance of BEB adoption during our study period. Through this work we expect to identify opportunities to further reduce emissions that point to operational factors (i.e. optimizing the use of BEBs), charging demand management (i.e. avoiding charging BEBs at peak times), and decarbonizing Alberta’s electricity. 

• T14-C01 - Multifunctional lightweight metallic coatings for sustainable energy generation systems in cold climates

  This project involves the development of novel multifunctional, lightweight coatings for wear, erosion and ice resistant wind turbine blades operating under Canadian cold-climate conditions, remote Indigenous communities, and off-shore locations. The coatings can be applied on leading edges of wind turbine blades to prevent both surface erosion due to the impingement of solid particles (e.g., sand, dust, ash, hard rime or clear ice), adhesion of water droplets or ice, or ice formation on the surface. The lightweight coatings and the improved wear resistance will significantly reduce the payloads of the blades, which in turn, will support reduction of ~860 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. To achieve this, we will develop high-strength, wear resistant high entropy alloy coatings with capabilities for high heat load energy generation. The project’s objectives are in line with the design of energy systems for minimal environmental impact.

• T14-P02 - Wind farm operation and grid integration

  Increasing wind power development in Alberta will lead to significant challenges to the Alberta electrical grid in terms of frequency control, short circuit level, interactions with surrounding systems such as High Voltage Direct Current systems (HVDCs), which is a relatively isolated grid that is without strong ties to other systems. In addition, from wind farm’s perspective, it is important that the Wind Turbine Generators (WTG) are working properly without early failure (on blades, gearboxes, generator bearings, power converters, etc.). For a large wind farm with hundreds of WTGs, the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs account for about 25% of the cost of wind power, while maintenance costs plus revenue loss due to downtime represents roughly 15% of the total cost of energy, and there is great cost reduction potential by enhancing the reliability of wind power generation system.

  This project will deal with both the grid operation and wind farm operation issues. Research objective in this project include:

  1) Study the grid impact of 30% wind power in Alberta

  2) Investigate the interaction of wind farm and the surrounding system with HVDC and STATCOM (Static Synchronous Compensator) and develop coordinated control scheme.

  3) Study the WTG interactions within a wind farm particularly under grid disturbance and develop damping approach.

  4) Study the failure mechanism of key WTG components.

  5) Development of WTG state monitoring and prognostics methods, and optimize wind farm operation and maintenance.