CFI Funding Announcments
CTRI is very happy to share the news that two proposals in the clean tech space have been funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Infrastructure Fund. Congratulations to all the team members!
Advanced Sustainable Energy Technology (ASET) Research Program
Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy source on the planet and the best option for transitioning Canada to a low-carbon economy. Given the intermittent nature of renewable energy (wind and solar), storage of energy in batteries and in the form of fuel is essential to increasing its use in an ever-growing energy market.
Led by Erin Johnson and Michael Freund, the Advanced Sustainable Energy Technology (ASET) program research program will produce breakthroughs in solar energy conversion and storage, positioning Canada as a scientific leader in renewable solar energy technology. This will be the most comprehensive program of its kind in Canada and the only one presenting a convergence of expertise in fundamental materials research, battery knowledge, and integration, leading to viable sustainable energy solutions. The other Dalhousie team members are Jeff Dahn (Physics and Atmospheric Science) , Mita Dasog (Chemistry), Ian Hill (Physics and Atmospheric Science), Ghada Koleilat (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Mark Obrovac Chemistry), Lukas Swan (Mechanical Engineering) and Josef Zwanziger (Chemistry).
Next Generation Manufacturing of Advanced Ceramics
Advanced ceramics are utilised across a broad range of industries, including transportation, biomedical, architecture, petrochemicals, mining, pulp and paper – all markets that are vital to the Canadian economy. However, manufacturing of advanced ceramics for these applications is expensive, with many component geometries (i.e. multiple internal channels for fluid or gas flow) extremely challenging or even impossible to produce conventionally.
Led by Kevin Plucknett and Vincent Sieben, this research is focused on eliminating the barriers to the manufacture of advanced ceramics, through the investigation and development of state-of-the-art approaches for ceramic manufacturing. Working with a broad variety of industrial partners, from international organizations to small-to-medium enterprises, the research team will ultimately develop a selection of higher technology readiness level demonstrator components. These will focus on bio-implants for health care, highly robust sensors for ocean and down well monitoring, “smart” architectural building components, solar energy, and highly wear-resistant coatings. The other Dalhousie team members are Brian Lilley (Architecture), Zoheir Farhat and Stephen Corbin (Mechanical Engineering), and Ghada Koleilat (Electrical and Computer Engineering).
There is more information about the other successful CFI proposals from Dalhousie at Dal News.