Grants and Contributions

Advances exploratory research under the New Beginnings Initiative

Advances exploratory research under the New Beginnings Initiative

Heavy duty components are often plated with electrolytic hard chrome, to
improve part performance. This process uses environmentally harmful
hexavalent chrome. A potential alternative is High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF)
spraying of WC-Co-Cr, however, this spray technology cannot be readily
applied to confined surfaces or internal diameters. This Project aims to
advance the technological maturity of new inner-diameter (ID) HVOF carbide
coatings. Objectives include defining the processing temperature domain of
ID-HVOF in terms of the fatigue behaviour of the coating/substrate
assemblies and in-service behaviour. A further objective is to benchmark
WC-Co-Cr with alternative sustainable and lighter carbides for wear and
corrosion performance. Expected outcomes of this Project are a new high
value-added coating technology for deep bore parts and difficult to reach
surfaces that will benefit Canadian companies produce better performing
components. Beneficiaries include material suppliers, equipment providers,
coating applicators and original equipment manufacturers.

The Project aims to develop a prototype of a robust and compact portable fiber-integrated frequency comb using novel metamaterials technology. The development will take place at the University of Alberta, where fiber-based ultrafast laser systems and fiber-integrated metamaterials have already been successfully designed and fabricated. The design of the comb system will be done in collaboration with the NRC Metrology Research Centre. The University of Alberta collaborators will design, fabricate, and test components that will serve the comb system design, integrate them into a complete system, and test the system collaboratively with the NRC team. It is expected that the comb will be deployed using both the NRC’s lab-based and transportable 88Sr+ optical clocks.

Advances exploratory research under the New Beginnings Initiative

Advances exploratory research under the New Beginnings Initiative

Digital twin technology is used to model, explain, understand and predict behavior of complex systems in order to make their performance more reliable or to provide an in silico platform for high throughput testing of the effect of different interventions. Models combined under a digital twin umbrella can also be used to study mechanistic phenomena of a disease. While there are extensive data using genetically and environmentally manipulated laboratory mice to model human disease, these data are study- dependent and have yet to interrogate how metabolism dictates outcome and modulates genetic susceptibility. Moreover, there are no in silico models that combine the multiple behavioral outcomes of these in vivo modelling data with the metabolome. The lack of a murine digital twin is a major missing link in intelligent design of therapeutic strategies for complex diseases. The driving hypothesis of this project is that a digital mouse developed through optimized AI approaches and extensive, available biological data can provide a framework to support the design of evidence- based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The main outcome of this project will be an in silico reconstruction and simulation of the dependence of behavior, as a measure of neurodegeneration, on the lipidome and its application in corrective intervention development. The proposed digital mouse will be built using novel AI algorithms and unique, extensive, and longitudinal murine datasets (from birth to death) made available through collaboration.

Monitoring dam structures under climate change conditions is essential in terms of assessing their safety, adapting their operations, and ensuring their long-term viability in the face of changing environmental factors. Such monitoring helps mitigate risks, protect downstream communities and maintain critical water storage and management infrastructure. Canada, with its numerous dams, faces unique challenges like harsh climates and rugged terrain, making innovative monitoring techniques essential. Traditional monitoring methods of dams and their infrastructures have limitations, but Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) offers a cost-effective and non-invasive solution. This project aims to make InSAR technology more accessible and cost-effective for dam managers and operators in Canada. It plans to establish a near-real-time monitoring system for dams using automated InSAR processing and analysis. The system will use SAR data from Sentinel-1 and/or RCM satellites, potentially the future SAR data in L- and S- bands from NISAR mission, and L-band SAOCOM. The chosen InSAR technique, Small Baseline Subset (SBAS), is effective for monitoring and focus earth-fill dams in Ontario, Canada in vegetated areas. Open-source software packages like ISCE and MintPy will be used for data processing. The projects primary objectives include developing a user-friendly monitoring tool and advancing knowledge in the field of remote sensing-based dam safety monitoring. The anticipated outcomes include cost-efficient monitoring, near-real-time monitoring capabilities, and valuable scientific contributions to the field of infrastructure monitoring.

Canada's Fisheries Fund will transform and drive innovation in the fish and seafood sector in Canada with a focus on developing the sector to better meet growing market demands for sustainably sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products.

Canada's Fisheries Fund will transform and drive innovation in the fish and seafood sector in Canada with a focus on developing the sector to better meet growing market demands for sustainably sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products.