Written by Dr. John Conrad, Director, Innovation and Business Engagement
Our team of SLC Research Engineers, Graduate Research Assistants and Student Researchers have been busy assisting local companies with collaborative SLC-industry research projects.
This project was recently completed. The Applied Research Group worked with company principals to investigate and validate prospective proof-of-concept techniques to measure heat transfer resulting from current flow through neutral electrodes used in electrosurgery medical procedures. Neutral electrodes are attached to a person’s skin for these applications. This NSERC Engage project also resulted in the development of a simulated skin material that exhibited heat transfer and electrical impedance characteristics like those of real human skin. This work forms the foundation for the development of a new QC Integrated electrode tester product.
This NSERC ARD project is a multi-year initiative involving the testing of Purafy’s prototype grey water remediation system. The system uses novel electrochemical technology to remove contaminants in residential grey water (non-sewage wastewater). The Applied Research Group is evaluating system and subsystem electrical consumption and overall water remediation effectiveness. This work also includes the collection and chemical/biological analysis of water samples.
This company’s nano-scale encapsulation technology is being evaluated for use with an organic fungal inhibitor. This fungal inhibitor can be applied to fruits and vegetables to extend their shelf life, thereby reducing food wastage. In conjunction with the River Institute (Cornwall ON), the Applied Research Group is evaluating the effectiveness of the anti-fungal formulation on berries and assessing spray and dunk tank methods of application. This project is near completion and is funded by the NSERC ARTP grant.
SLC continues to assist FireRein in the development and applicability of their proprietary Eco-gel water gelling agent used to extinguish fires. This latest project will investigate the effectiveness of the Eco-gel and water mixture to put out fires in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. EV batteries utilizing lithium compounds are particularly difficult to extinguish completely. There have been many instances where electric vehicles fire, initially declared completely extinguished by firefighters, have re-ignited hours or even days later. The Applied Research Group is currently working with FireRein personnel to formalize test plans and procure and fabricate and components for tests to be conducted at a local fire training site. Instructors and students in the Automotive Service Technician – Apprenticeship program (SLC Cornwall) will be involved in preparing used EV battery modules for the tests. This project is funded through the NSERC ARTP grant.
This small, local enterprise is producing and selling hydroponic grown, fresh vegetable seedlings. They wish to expand their facilities to increase production and to use sustainable energy for operations. Through oversight, project management and direction of the Applied Research Group staff, a student team in the ESET 540 class will develop a software model to predict the energy and water needs of a proposed expansion of the company’s production facility. This NSERC ARTP funded project aims to bring a real-world engineering and development challenge into the classroom environment for contribution from undergraduate students.
The Lure Lab
The fishing lures designed and produced by this local company have a high worker labour input. The objective of the NSERC ARTP funded project is to develop a custom, semi-automatic injection molding machine that can reduce labour input, increase production capacity, and improve quality control of the lure products.