title: Development of a new hybrid photochemical/electrocatalytic water splitting reactor for hydrogen production: design, analysis and experiments

contributor:
Dincer, Ibrahim
Naterer, Greg F.

subject: Hydrogen Photo-catalysis Electro-catalysis Efficiency Hybridization

abstract:
Solar-driven water splitting combines several attractive features for sustainable
energy utilization. The conversion of solar energy to a type of storable energy has crucial
importance. An alternative method to hydrogen production by solar energy without
consumption of additional reactants is a hybrid system which combines photochemical and
electro-catalytic reactions. The originality of this research lies in the engineering
development of a novel photo-catalytic water splitting reactor for sustainable hydrogen
production, and verification of new methods to enhance system efficiency.
The scope of this thesis is to present a thorough understanding of complete photocatalytic
water splitting system performance under realistic working conditions. In this
dissertation, an experimental apparatus for hydrogen and oxygen production is designed and
built at UOIT to simulate processes encountered in photo-catalytic and electro-catalytic water
splitting systems. The hybridization of this system is investigated, and scale-up analysis is
performed based on experimental data using a systematic methodology. The hydrogen
production rate of approximately 0.6 mmol h-1 corresponds to a quantum efficiency of 75% is
measured through illumination of zinc sulfide suspensions in a dual-cell reactor. Utilization
of ZnS and CdS photo-catalysts to simultaneously enhance quantum yield and exergy
efficiency is performed. The production rate is increased by almost 30% as compared with
ZnS performance.
In the next step, an oxygen production reactor is experimentally investigated to
simulate processes encountered in electro-catalytic water splitting systems for hydrogen
production. In this research, the effects of ohmic, concentration and activation losses on the
efficiency of hydrogen production by water electrolysis are experimentally investigated. The
electrochemical performance of the system is examined by controlling the current density,
temperature, space, height, and electrolyte concentration. The experimental results show that
there exists an optimum working condition of water electro-catalysis at each current density,
which is determined by the controlling parameters. A predictive mathematical model based
on experimental data is developed, and the optimized working conditions are determined.
The oxygen evolving half-cell is also analyzed for different complete systems
including photo-catalytic and electro-catalytic water splitting. An electrochemical model is
developed to evaluate the over-potential losses in the oxygen evolving reaction and the
effects of key parameters are analyzed. The transient diffusion of hydroxide ions through the
membrane and bulk electrolyte is modeled and simulated for improved system operation.
In addition, a new seawater electrolysis technique to produce hydrogen is developed
and analyzed from energy and exergy points of view. In this regard, the anolyte feed after
oxygen evolution to the cathode compartment for hydrogen production is examined. An
inexpensive and efficient molybdenum-oxo catalyst with a turn-over frequency of 1,200 is
examined for the hydrogen evolving reaction. The electrolyte flow rate and current density
are parametrically studied to determine the effects on both bulk and surface precipitate
formation. The mixing electrolyte volume and electrolyte flow rate are found to be significant
parameters as they affect cathodic precipitation.
Furthermore, a new hybrid system for hydrogen production via solar energy is
developed and analyzed. In order to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen without the
net consumption of additional reactants, a steady stream of reacting materials must be
maintained in consecutive reaction processes, to avoid reactant replenishment or additional
energy input to facilitate the reaction. Supramolecular complexes
[{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2](PF6)5   are employed as the photo-catalysts, and an external
electric power supply is used to enhance the photochemical reaction. A light-driven proton
pump is used to increase the photochemical efficiency of both O2 and H2 production
reactions. The maximum energy conversion of the system can be improved up to 14% by
incorporating design modification that yields a corresponding 25% improvement in exergy
efficiency.
Moreover, a photocatalytic water splitting system is designed and analyzed for
continuous operation on a large pilot-plant scale. A Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC)
is presented for the sunlight-driven hydrogen production system. Energy and exergy analyses
and related parametric studies are performed, and the effect of various parameters are
analyzed, including catalyst concentration, flow velocity, light intensity, reactor surface
absorptivity, and ambient temperature. Two methods of photo-catalytic water splitting and
solar methanol steam reforming are investigated as two potential solar-based methods of
catalytic hydrogen production. The exergy efficiency, exergy destruction, environmental
impact and sustainability index are investigated for these systems, as well as exergoenvironmental
analyses. The results show that a trade-off exists in terms of exergy efficiency
improvement and CO2 reduction of the photo catalytic hydrogen production system. The
exergo-economic study reveals the maximum hydrogen exergy price of 2.12, 0.85, and 0.47 $
kg-1 for production capacities of 1, 100, and 2000 ton day-1, respectively. These results are
well below the DOE 2012 target and confirm the viability of this technology.


title: Development of upper limb customized non- isomorphic VR interact ions for reaching, grabbing, and placing objects

contributor:
Quevedo, Alvaro Joffre Uribe
Rojas Gualdron, David

subject:
VR
Ergonomics
Interaction
User study
Human-computer interaction

abstract: Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming adopted in education, training, and entertainment due to its growing affordability. The variability of user preferences and physical capabilities in VR requires configurable settings in one-size-fits-all user interactions, such as pre-defined height, camera movements and 3D User Interactions (3DUI) for alleviating problems with reach in Virtual Environments (VE). Alleviating reach has been studied for isomorphic 3DUIs (equal translation of controller movement) whereas non-isomorphic interactions (adjusted controller visuals in VR) are an immerging topic for its benefits by considering user variability and physical limitation in VR. This thesis presents the development of an upper limb customized non-isomorphic 3DUI, Piecewise, studied between three other interaction modes (Normal, Object translation, and Falloff). The study focuses on the impacts on time and task completion, upper body lean, reach, engagement and presence levels within VEs. The results indicate that upper limb customized non-isomorphic 3DUIs are acceptable, engaging, and overall positive.

abstract: University of Ontario Institute of Technology


title: Detection of covert channel communications based on intentionally corrupted frame check sequences

contributor:
Liscano, Ramiro
Martin, Miguel Vargas

subject:
Wireless networks
Covert-channel
Hidden-channel
Behavioural intrusion detection

abstract:
This thesis presents the establishment of a covert-channel in wireless networks in the form
of frames with intentionally corrupted Frame Check Sequences (FCSs). Previous works had
alluded to the possibility of using this kind of covert-channel as an attack vector. We modify
a simulation tool, called Sinalgo, which is used as a test bed for generating hypothetical
scenarios for establishing a covert-channel. Single and Multi-Agent systems have been
proposed as behaviour-based intrusion detection mechanisms, which utilize statistical
information about network traffic. This utilized statistical information is used to detect
covert-channel communications. This work highlights the potential impact of having this
attack perpetrated in communications equipment with a low chance of being detected, if
properly crafted.


title: Investigation of copper deposition on steel in molten copper chloride

contributor:
Dincer, Ibrahim
Rizvi, Ghaus

subject:
Hydrogen
Cu-Cl cycle
Corrosion
Stainless steel
Copper deposition

abstract: Hydrogen is considered as the most prominent candidate for clean energy generation. The Copper Chloride (Cu-Cl) cycle has been chosen as an effective cycle for production of hydrogen due to its comparatively lower operating temperatures and cost. While most materials subjected to the molten Cu-Cl environment are bound to corrode, stainless steel (SS) materials are coated with a layer of copper. This thesis study is primarily aimed at understanding the phenomenon of copper deposition on steel and also investigating the possibility of using this layer as a protective barrier against corrosion. Experiments are conducted with SS material being tested in molten Cu-Cl at 5000C for different immersion durations. Sol-gel coating methods are also tested for their ability to withstand the harsh Cu-Cl environment. Results show that, both the substrate and the copper coatings obtained, disintegrate as the immersion duration in molten Cu-Cl is increased. The sol-gel coating method also fails owing to its high porosity levels. It is concluded that since the iron in steel has more affinity towards chloride ions, it most likely reacts with molten copper chloride to form iron chloride thus leading to the formation of copper layer on its surface. This layer of copper is weak and discontinuous and cannot be construed to behave as a protective barrier against corrosion.


title: The Functionalization of Magnetic Fe3O4@TiO2 by Molecular Motif for the Detection of Mercury (II)

subject:
Mercury
Magnetite
Fluorscence
Surface sensor
Thiophene

abstract: 2,6-bis(2-thienyl)pyridine (L) molecular receptor showed strong potential for Hg2+ detection. The chelation through S,N,S was confirmed as a main binding mode of the ligand with Hg2+ ion based on the results of 1H NMR. L showed a strong characteristic fluorescence signal at 413 nm in the absence of Hg2+; however, this signal was quenched when Hg2+ was introduced and a new fluorescence signal at 563 nm appeared. L was anchored into the surface of the coated magnetite microspheres (L-Fe3O4@TiO2) through a siloxane template layer and was fully characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Detailed emission studies showed the ability of the L and L-Fe3O4@TiO2 not only effectively detect Hg2+ but differentiate it from competing Zn2+, Cd2+,Cu2+,Cr3+,Co2+,Ru3+, Fe2+ ions in solution with minimum interference. Magnetic micropsheres decorated by L showed promising performance as single –excitation -single emission sensor for Hg2+ ions and effective mercury uptake.


title: The role of nurse navigators indiagnostic phase of adult patients with lung cancer

subject:
Cancer care
Nurse navigators
Patient experience

abstract: Cancer is a major concern in today’s health care field, especially in Canadian adults. The diagnostic phase is a clinical process that involves mapping the patient journey, identifying and prioritizing the symptoms, and corresponding the symptoms with relevant treatment. Oncology nurse navigators are professional nurses who educate and advocate for, and navigate the cancer patient throughout his/her entire cancer treatment. Although nurse navigation is recognized by many provinces as a key element of an integrated system of cancer care, it is not yet delivered in a standardized way across Canada. The significance of this study is that it will contribute to evidence that if a connection is found between positive patient experience and the role of nurse navigators, this will allow for a more standardized delivery of nurse navigator programs across Canada. The phenomenological study of the role of oncology nurse navigators within the diagnostic phase was undertaken to understand the impact it had on patient experience, particularly lung cancer patients. Carried out in one of Ontario’s largest cancer centres, Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC) at Lakeridge Health, this study involved interviewing four patients and a focus group with four nurse navigators who were employed at DRCC. A newly designed Bi-Dimensional Framework (Fillion et al., 2012), which focuses on continuity of care and patient empowerment, was used to guide conceptualization of the study, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Through the use of thematic analysis, transcripts were analyzed. The resulting interpretation of the role of the nurse navigators on patient experience is that of patient-focused cancer care; conduct needs assessment, care planning, shared decision-making; easily accessible, identify and eliminate barriers; patient advocate, educational support; personalized symptom management education; and resource navigation. Together these themes identify core areas of practice which can be used as a foundation to develop and maintain the skills to practice in the oncology field, in order to develop the nurse navigator’s role to its full potential.


title: Understanding factors that influence college faculty in deciding to adopt digital technologies in their practice.

subject:
Digital technologies
Web technologies
Motivation
Faculty adoption
Decomposed theory of planned behavior

abstract: College faculty in Ontario are using a variety of digital technologies, at differing levels, in their teaching and learning practices. College administrators are looking to faculty to help meet the challenges associated with increasing enrollment and the need to deliver curriculum to a diverse student population with a range of learning needs who have unlimited access to information and communication channels through the World Wide Web. This research provides some understanding of specific motivating factors that have led many in community college faculty to adopt digital and Web technologies into their teaching and learning practices as well as those factors that may lead other college faculty to adopt similar technologies into their practices. A modified decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB) was implemented as a theoretical framework for this study and data collection was undertaken using a mixed-method approach using both quantitative and qualitative methods in an effort to fully realize and categorize the factors necessary in a faculty decision to adopt digital technologies into their teaching practice. Findings indicate that digital technologies are employed by faculty in some cases only to achieve efficiency in communication and administrative tasks favouring traditional teaching methods in their classrooms. Others are exploring and experimenting in exciting new ways with digital technologies in an effort to enhance the learning experience for their students in and out of their classrooms. In addition to the varying teaching and learning beliefs held by faculty there are other factors that should be considered by college administrators when attempting to motivate faculty to adopt digital technologies into their practices. There are also many challenges facing college administrators and faculty who should revisit traditional approaches to assigning workload, providing support and training, and the overall approach to teaching and learning, all of which carry with them financial and cultural implications.


title: Provocation, intent and harm: factors affecting public support for restorative justice processes

subject:
Restorative justice
Procedural justice
Deservingness

abstract: This study tested whether observers’ support for restorative justice is contingent on the perception that an offender deserves respectful treatment. In a 2 (Intent: High, Low) x 2 (Harm: High, Low) x 2 (Provocation: High, Low) between-subjects experimental vignette study, we manipulated circumstances surrounding an assault. Results showed that participants judged the restorative justice procedure to be more respectful than court and whether the offender intended to harm the victim, the amount of harm the victim suffered, and the level of provocation from the victim before the assault impacted participants’ views of how deserving the offender was of respectful treatment. Although there were interactions among the predictors on perceived deservingness of respectful treatment of the offender, perceived deservingness did not predict participants’ choice of restorative justice versus court for deciding the offence. The implications of public support for restorative justice procedures are discussed.


title: Enhancement of lateral stability for a multi-wheeled combat vehicle using various control strategies

subject:
Active All-Wheel Steering
Torque Vectoring
Differential Braking
Semi-active suspension
Linear quadratic regulator

abstract: This thesis investigates various active chassis control strategies for multi-wheeled combat vehicle to enhance its lateral stability at limit handling. The proposed control strategies are Active All- Wheel Steering (AWS), Torque Vectoring (TV) and Differential Braking (DB). At high-speed cornering maneuvers, the vehicle experiences higher load transfer which can lead to a loss of the grip between the tires and the ground. Consequently, deterioration of vehicle handling capability can occur. Hence, integration of Semi-Active Suspension (SAS) is introduced to each control strategy to enhance the vehicle’s lateral stability at high-speed cornering maneuvers. The evaluation method is conducted by executing the simulations utilizing a validated TRUCKSIM vehicle model in co-simulation with the proposed controllers in MATLAB SIMULINK. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that the integration of SAS has a significant enhancement on the vehicle lateral stability at a high coefficient of friction, unlike at a low coefficient of friction.


title: Wireless transmission with energy harvesting and storage

subject:
Energy harvesting
Online policy
Stochastic optimization
Wireless

abstract:
In this dissertation, online power control strategies are proposed for wireless communication
systems equipped with energy harvesting devices and finite-capacity batteries. The
methods are proposed for the unbounded fading environment. Due to the time-dependent
and random behavior of the energy arrival and fading, this dissertation focuses on the
stochastic optimization problem to maximize the long-term average transmission rate.
Leveraging the Lyapunov technique, online algorithms are designed based on the current
battery energy level and fading condition. The performance gaps to the optimal scenarios
are mathematically derived. The proposed algorithms do not require any statistical information
(of the energy arrival and fading) and have a novel behavior of conservative energy
harvesting and opportunistic transmission. The algorithms are designed for point-to-point,
and relay networks.
For a point-to-point channel, a three-stage closed-form online power control policy
is proposed. The proposed algorithm has an opportunistic behavior based on the energy
arrival and channel fading. The proposed methodology is shown to be applicable for multiantenna
beamforming scenarios including MISO, SIMO, and MIMO. The analytical performance
gap to the optimal solution is presented. The simulations are compared with other
online algorithms in the literature and provides a superior performance.
A joint online power control strategy is designed for a two-hop amplify and forward
(AF) network. Both transmitter and relay are equipped with finite capacity batteries and
energy harvesters. The proposed algorithm is a joint closed-form scheme that has an unique
behavior in terms of the channel fading and energy arrival of both hops. Analysis is provided
to illustrate the performance gap of the proposed algorithm to the optimal solution.
The simulation results show that the performance significantly higher than that of existing
online algorithms.


title: Simulation-based fault propagation analysis of process industry using process variable interaction analysis

subject:
Fault propagation
Fault diagnosis
Fault semantic network (FSN)
TE process

abstract:
There are increasing safety concerns in chemical and petrochemical process industry. The huge explosion of Nowruz oil Field platform that happened in Persian gulf-IRAN at 1983, along with other disastrous events have effected chemical industrial renaissance and led to high demand to enhance safety. Oil and chemical Industries involve complex processes and handle hazardous materials that may potentially cause catastrophic consequences in terms of human losses, injuries, asset lost and environmental stresses. One main reason of such catastrophic events is the lack of effective control and monitoring approaches that are required to achieve successful fault diagnosis and accurate hazard identification. Currently, there are aggressive worldwide efforts to propose an effective, robust, and high accuracy fault propagation analysis and monitoring techniques to prevent undesired events at early stages prior to their occurrence. Among these requirements is the development of an intelligent and automated control and monitoring system to first diagnose faulty equipment and process variable deviations, and then identify hazards associated with faults and deviations. Research into safety and control issues become high priority in all aspects. To support these needs, predictive control and intelligent monitoring system is under study and development at the Energy Safety and Control Laboratory (ESCL) – University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). The purpose of this research is to present a real time fault propagation analysis method for chemical / petrochemical process industry through fault semantic network (FSN) using accurate process variable interactions (PV-PV interactions). The effectiveness, feasibility, and robustness of the proposed method are demonstrated on simulated data emanating from a well-known Tennessee Eastman (TE) chemical process. Unlike most existing probabilistic approaches, fault propagation analysis module classifies faults and identifies faulty equipment and deviations according to obtained data from the underlying processes. It is an expert system that identifies corresponding causes and
consequences and links them together. FSN is an integrated framework that is used to link fault propagation scenarios qualitatively and quantitatively. Probability and fuzzy rules are used for reasoning causes and consequences and tuning FSN.


title: Modelling the movement of superparamagnetic beads engulfed in endothelial cells

subject:
Superparamagnetic beads
Magnetic fields
Numerical scheme
Tissue engineering

abstract:
Colonization of porous scaffolds with cells is of increasing importance for various
tissue engineering applications. Controlled placement of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) within a micro-porous, poly-caprolactone scaffold is facilitated with superparamagnetic beads introduced to the cells by phagocytosis. It is shown that the dominant motion of the affected cells is determined by the viscous drag of the medium and the amount of coupling with an externally imposed magnetic field. An efficient numerical scheme to compute the trajectories of the cells is presented as the first step in the optimal placement of a large collections of cells with varying numbers of embedded beads.


title: Analysis and optimal planning of nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems for ships

subject:
Nuclear power
Renewable energy
Life cycle cost
Optimal planning
Sensitivity assessment

abstract: Ocean-going ships are one of the sources of global GHG emissions. Several actions are being taken to reduce the GHG emissions from maritime vessels, and integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) is one of them. Due to some limitations, RESs are not suitable for large ships and often mix with fossil fuel-based generators. Fossil fuel-based generators need to be replaced by emissions-free energy sources to make marine ships free from emissions. Nuclear energy is emissions-free, and small-scale nuclear reactors like Microreactors (MRs) have the potential to replace fossil fuel-based generators. In this study, the technical, economic, and environmental competitiveness of Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems (N-R HES) in marine ships are assessed. The results determine that N-R HES has the lowest NPC compared to the other conventional energy systems. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to see the impact of different system parameters on this study's findings.


title: A study on the impact of global replacement of fossil fuel based electricity generation, transportation and domestic heating with nuclear generated electricity using a modified VENSIM DICE model

subject:
Climate change
Fossil fuel
Nuclear
DICE model
Electric vehicles

abstract: While much debated across current media, electricity generation using nuclear energy is proposed as one of the means of addressing the global negative impacts of climate change – notably ongoing accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (FF). In this thesis, different transition scenarios were investigated in replacement of FF electricity generation, vehicle transport and domestic heating, using the macro-economic Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy (DICE) model. The model was modified by replacing FF sources by nuclear power plants, electric vehicles and heaters, across global scales. Based on declared national target year to attain net-zero carbon status, simulations were carried out based on parametric targets. Simulations results indicate that replacing all FF generation plants, vehicles and heaters would reduce CO2 emissions roughly 25%. For a net zero target of 2060, CO2 concentration will reduce by 82 ppm. This result predicts a reduction in global warming of 0.3°C by 2100.


title: A generic methodology for the three dimensional display of radiation fields

subject:
Visualization
Radiation
Nuclear
Google SketchUp

abstract: The radiation field visualization options available for engineers, scientists and health physicists have traditionally been based in the 2d realm, with techniques such as the generation of isodose curves. From the perspective of a health physicist the creation of 3d visuals to illustrate radiation levels within an environment is an invaluable tool both for training and As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) radiation dose planning. This thesis describes a novel technique for the creation of 3d visualizations of radiation fields. The methodology is developed and shown to be effective within the Google SketchUp Computer Aided Design (CAD) software package. The methodology takes an input file of information stored in coordinate form with a representative value at each point. It constructs elemental shapes automatically within Google SketchUp at those coordinates. All shapes are associated with an intensity value related to a pre-defined scale. The shapes are colorized and enhanced with transparency effects to complete a radiation field visualization scene.


title: Development and characterization of a high resolution portable gamma spectrometer

subject:
Gamma spectrometer
High resolution
LaBr3(Ce)
Portable detector

abstract: The recent disaster of Fukushima in Japan combined with the high demand to enhance nuclear safety and to minimize personal exposure to radioactive materials has a significant impact on research and development of radiation detection instrumentation. Currently, there is ample effort worldwide in the pursuit of radiation detection to maximize the accuracy and meet international standards in terms of size and specifications to enable radiation protection decision making. Among the requirements is the development of a portable, light-weight gamma-ray isotope identifier to be used by first responders in nuclear accidents as well as for radiation security and identification of illicit material isotopes. From nuclear security perspective, research into advanced screening technologies has become a high priority in all aspects, while for occupational safety, and environmental radiation protection, the regulatory authorities are requiring specific performance of radiation detection and measuring devices. At the applied radiation laboratory of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology the development of a high resolution spectrometer for medium and high energy gamma ray has been conducted. The spectrometer used a newly developed scintillator based on a LaBr3(Ce) crystal. The detector has been modeled using advanced Monte Carlo code (MCNP/X code) for the response function simulation and parameter characterization. The simulation results have been validated by experimental investigations using a wide range of gamma radiation energies. The developed spectrometer has been characterized in terms of resolution and response in different fields. It has also been compared with other crystals such as NaI(TI) and LiI(Eu).


title: Patient’s experience with home hemodialysis: a qualitative study

subject:
Home hemodialysis
Experience
Benefits
Barriers
Health belief model

abstract: As the number of chronic kidney disease patients increases so does the need for a renal replacement therapy (RRT). Increasing patient age, medical complexity, and a shortage of organs for transplantation are contributing factors to the rise of patients starting a RRT known as dialysis. The purpose of this research was to explore the patient experience using home hemodialysis (HHD) and identify common benefits and barriers that exist. Twenty HHD patients from a community based hospital participated in a semi-structured interview. Four overarching themes were identified: perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived severity and self-efficacy. This study identifies key elements of the HHD patient experience and provides a basis for improving HHD programs.


title: Beyond the noise: an exploration of informative sound design in video games

contributor:
Nacke, Lennart
Mirza-Babaei, Pejman

subject:
Game audio
Game design
Games user research
Mixed methods

abstract:
Informative sounds in video games are those that are played with a functional
purpose. These sounds are meant to inform the player of some change in the
state of the game, be it in their character’s status or something in the environment
around them. This thesis seeks to deepen the understanding of this type of
audio through a series of experiments measuring the play experience of a game
as affected by different sonic conditions. The results show a need for informative
audio feedback, and define the boundaries between abstract and non-abstract
game sounds, showing that there is a contextual difference in effectiveness and
experience between the two. There were, however, no statistically significant physiological
effects relating to the absence or presence of these sounds. From these
results, a set of sound design guidelines are contributed, as well as a deeper understanding
of game sound and several areas for future research.


title: A content and thematic analysis of Reddit discussions about When They See Us

contributor:
Clow, Kimberley
Zannella, Lesley

subject:
Wrongful conviction
Media
Exonerees
Content analysis
Thematic analysis

abstract: As the number of wrongful conviction media productions increases, an understanding of their impact on viewers is prudent. In this thesis, I investigated the effect of watching When They See Us – a dramatized miniseries depicting the wrongful conviction of five racialized teenagers in 1990 – on the nature and duration of Reddit users’ conversations about wrongful convictions. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted on users’ posts. Posts about wrongful conviction were the third most frequently encountered (following posts reviewing the miniseries and mentioning other parties involved in the case) and thematically covered the issues of Risk Factors, Exoneration and Beyond, and the Innocence Movement. Additionally, wrongful conviction was discussed more during the release of When They See Us than before, suggesting that that these conversations emerged due to watching the miniseries, but were rarely posted six months afterwards. The findings are discussed in terms of slacktivism and implications for innocence advocates.

abstract: University of Ontario Institute of Technology


title: Novel opposition-based sampling methods for efficiently solving challenging optimization problems

subject:
Opposition-based learning
Large-scale
Noisy
Sampling methods
Evolutionary algorithm

abstract:
In solving noise-free and noisy optimization problems, candidate initialization and sampling
play a key role, but are not deeply investigated. It is of interest to know if the entire
search space has the same quality for candidate-solutions during solving different type of
optimization problems. In this thesis, a comprehensive investigation is conducted in order
to clear those doubts, and to examine the effects of variant sampling methods on solving
challenging optimization problems, such as large-scale, noisy, and multi-modal problems.
As a result, the search space is segmented by using seven segmentation schemes, namely:
Center-Point, Center-Based, Modula-Opposite, Quasi-Opposite, Quasi-Reflection, Supper-
Opposite, and Opposite-Random. The introduced schemes are studied using Monte-Carlo
simulation, on various types of noise-free optimization problems, and ultimately ranked
based on their performance in terms of probability of closeness, average distance to unknown
solution, number of solutions found, and diversity. Based on the results of the
experiments, high-ranked schemes are selected and utilized on well-known metaheuristic
algorithms, as case studies. Two categories of case studies are targeted; one for a singlesolution-
based metaheuristic (S-metaheuristic) and another one for a population based
metaheuristic (P-metaheuristic). A high-ranked single-solution-based scheme is utilized
to accelerate Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm, as a noise-free S-metaheuristic case
study. Similarly, for noise-free P-metaheuristic case study, an effective population-based
algorithm, Differential Evolution (DE), has been utilized. The experiments confirm that
the new algorithms outperform the parent algorithm (DE) on large-scale problems. In the
same direction, with regards to solving noisy problems more efficiently, a Shaking-based
sampling method is introduced, in which the original noise is tackled by adding an additional
noise into the search process. As a case study, the Shaking-based sampling is
utilized on the DE algorithm, from which two variant algorithms have been developed and
showed impressive performance in comparison to the classical DE, in tackling noisy largescale
problems. This thesis has created an opportunity for a comprehensive investigation
on search space segmentation schemes and proposed new sampling methods. The current
study has provided a guide to use appropriate sampling schemes for a given types of
problems such as noisy, large-scale and multi-modal optimization problems. Furthermore,
this thesis questions the effectiveness of uniform-random sampling method, which is widely
used in of S-Metaheuristic and P-Metaheuristic algorithms.


title: Aerodynamic and thermal analysis of a heat source at the underside of a passenger vehicle

subject:
Automotive aerodynamics
Thermodynamics
Cross-winds
Computational fluid dynamics
Wind tunnel

abstract: The first part of this thesis involves full experimental and numerical studies to understand the effects of cross-winds on the automotive underbody aero-thermal phenomena using a 2005 Chevrolet Aveo5 with a heat source affixed to it to create a baseline. The results show that irrespective of the yaw angle used, only temperatures in the vicinity of the heat source increased. The rear suspension also deflected the airflow preventing heat transfer. The second part of this thesis investigated using a diffuser to improve hybrid electric battery pack cooling. It was found that the diffuser led to more consistent temperatures on the diffuser surface, suggesting the same for the battery.


title: Maximizing efficiency of solar energy harvesting systems supplying a microgrid using an embedded system

subject:
Kalman Filter
Photovoltaic panel
MPPT
Boost converter
Modelling

abstract:
Due to the high initial capital cost of photovoltaic (PV) panels and their low conversion efficiency, it is imperative to operate the PV system at its maximum power point (MPP). In this context, the goal in this thesis is to develop and improve the PV system, by contributing to the optimization of energy withdrawn from the PV panel using an embedded system. For this purpose, the model of the PV panel is first studied in accordance with the real behavior of the PV panel. The single diode model of the PV panel is first developed in Matlab environment to obtain an excellent correspondence to manufacturer’s published curves and represent the effects of insolation and temperature on the solar characteristics. Secondly, the small-signal model for DC-DC Boost converter, with/without parasitic elements, operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM)/discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) is developed to understand the basic features of the switching system and investigate the effects of parasitic elements and losses on the model accuracy, the efficiency and the dynamic performance of the system. Next, this work proposes a design of a feedback controller for a DC-DC Boost converter to yield a robust, closed-loop controller structure with stable static and dynamic characteristics over the whole operational range of the converter. Moreover, a study of different numerical integration methods is presented to enable the implementation of real-time models in embedded hardware platforms.
The primary objective of the research proposed is to control the output voltage or current of the PV array to generate maximum possible power at a certain irradiance and temperature. This can be achieved by implementing the maximum power theorem for load matching using the relationship between input and output impedances. To achieve this objective, the popular MPPT Perturb-and-Observe (P&O) technique is used as a test bench. This is followed by the development of a novel intelligent method using a Kalman Filter as an alternative to provide an acceptable performance against both the noises and dynamic environmental changes. Due to the excellent estimation ability of the Kalman Filter in the dynamic system within a noisy environment, an accurate MPP can be predicted without any reduction of system dynamics.
A PV test system with a 100 kW PV array and MPPT controller using the traditional P&O and KF algorithms was used. The PV panel output power was controlled by three methods: (a) without any MPPT (i.e. open loop), (b) with an MPPT using the P&O algorithm, and (c) with an MPPT using the proposed KF algorithm. The obtained results clearly highlight the superiority of the proposed method with a very high level of robustness, reliability and accuracy. Furthermore, a Matlab simulation model yields an efficiency of 99.38 % under the standard test condition (STC), which is almost 5 % higher than the conventional P&O method under the same conditions. Finally, a hardware implementation of the system is tested on an FPGA chip Altera Cyclone II EP2C20F484C7 to verify the efficiencies and tracking speeds in a real-time environment.


title: Design and implementation of the crypto-assistant: an eclipse plugin for usable password-based column level encryption based on hiberate and jasypt

contributor:
Vargas Martin, Miguel
Thorpe, Julie

subject: Security Usability Software Tool Encryption

abstract: The lack of encryption of data at rest or in motion is one of the top 10 database vulnerabilities according to team SHATTER [72]. In the quest to improve the security landscape, we identify an opportunity area: two tools Hibernate and Jasypt that work together to provide password-based database encryption. The goal is to encourage developers to think about security and incorporate security related tasks early in the development process through the improvement of their programming system or integrated development environment (IDE). To this end, we modified the Hibernate Tools plugin for the popular Eclipse IDE, to integrate it with Hibernate and Jasypt with the purpose of mitigating the impact of the lack of security knowledge and training. We call this prototype the Crypto-Assistant. We designed an experiment to simulate a situation where the developers had to deal with time constraints, functional requirements, and lack of familiarity with the technology and the code they are modifying. We provide a report on the observations drawn from this preliminary evaluation. We anticipate that, in the near future, the prototype will be released to the public domain and encourage IDE developers to create more tools like Crypto-Assistant to help developers create more secure applications.


title: Understanding the role of aquatic plants in stormwater management pond performance in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

subject:
Urban ecology
Stormwater management ponds
Water quality
Aquatic vegetation

abstract: Stormwater Management Ponds (SMPs) are engineered to receive, store, and treat stormwater runoff before it enters receiving waters in urbanizing landscapes. While these systems are not considered natural, they are typically colonized by aquatic plants. Although submergent and emergent vegetation is common in SMPs, not much is known about their potential impacts on SMP performance. The aim of my thesis project was to investigate the effect of aquatic plants on the water treatment capacity of 15 SMPs in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, over two years (2018-2019). I determined that overall, SMPs serve as sinks for certain water quality parameters including chloride and nitrogen, while being a net source of phosphorus to tributaries. The effect of plants on SMP performance was mixed. Increasing submergent plant biomass was associated with decreasing nitrogen concentrations at outflow locations (p = 0.002, cor = -0.316). Emergent vegetation had no significant impact on stormwater treatment overall, but the invasive species, P. australis was associated with decreasing outflow nitrogen concentrations. Overall, I determined that pond characteristics, including pond size, age, and drainage area are significant drivers of established plant profiles.


title: Development of eco-driving control system for connected and automated hybrid electric vehicles

subject: Eco-driving

subject: Energy management strategy (EMS)

subject: Connected and automated hybrid vehicle (CAV)

subject: Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)

subject: Intelligent transportation system (ITS)

abstract: Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) were designed as a potential solution to the ever-increasing global problems of the energy crisis and global warming through flexibly utilizing both fuel and electrical energy. Besides, the emerging technologies of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) have provided huge possibilities to push the boundaries of HEVs even further and thus have been extensively studied. In this study, a bi-level MPC-based eco-driving strategy for CAHEVs is proposed and designed to improve fuel economy, reduce exhaust emissions while ensuring driving safety under the most common driving scenarios. First, the HEV powertrain is modelled, and the real-time data sources are in the intelligent transportation system (ITS) are introduced. Next, the multi-objective problem is formulated with three goals, namely, driving safety, fuel economy and emission reduction. The simulation is carried out on a map with realistic driving conditions. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed eco-driving strategy for CAHEVs.


title: Investigation of a novel high temperature solid oxide electrolyzer for solar hydrogen production

subject:
Solid oxide electrolysis
Photoelectrochemical cell
Hydrogen production
SOFC
SOEC

abstract:
This thesis proposes and investigates a new generation of photoelectrochemical cells for solar hydrogen production based on high temperature Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells. Therefore, a set of experiments are designed to develop and select the most promising materials and configurations. Furthermore, the study includes a design of a novel testing station built to accommodate the various parameters to be tested in order to assess the performance of the proposed Photoelectrochemical Solid Oxide Cell (PSOC). As part of the design process, a material survey was conducted to screen potential semiconductors that are capable of operating at high temperatures. Subsequently, promising materials are selected and applied through specific chemical processes which can provide the required structure and surface properties. The material processing strategies to develop a light absorbing surface are made on commercial button cells; which has been tested and its performance is well-characterized under different operating conditions. Thus, improvements brought about by the developed photoactive layer can be detected under different types of light.
The research further includes the thermodynamic and electrochemical modeling of a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC). In this regard, the energy and exergy aspects of a single cell performance, as well as the performance of Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) stack, are investigated. The exergoeconomic aspects of utilizing SOE plant at a large-scale is also considered through a detailed exergoeconomic analysis. Last, the models are used to examine the SOE performance sensitivity to variation in operating parameters and conduct an exergetic optimization to highlight the trade-offs between economic and technical performance optimums. In addition, the integration of SOE in solar tower power plant for hydrogen production is examined considering continuous operating by using thermal energy storage and a high efficiency supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) power cycle. The findings of this thesis are expected to make a new solar hydrogen production pathway that is efficient, environmentally friendly, and in near-future expected to be economically competitive.


title: Detector integration of severe accident management instrumentation for robotic applications at nuclear reactor facilities

subject:
Radiation detection
Severe accident management
Air sampling
Robotics

abstract: In the aftermath of a nuclear accident, robots can be used to monitor and assess radiological contamination, preventing harmful exposure to plant personnel. In this work, several detectors were evaluated to be supplemented onto the Husky UGV. Specifically, the RadEye Gamma Survey Meter, the PurpleAir Air-Quality (PA) sensor, and the NaI(Tl) scintillator were examined and their measurement parameters optimized. Optimization was done to satisfy mitigation requirements outlined in regulatory severe accident management guidelines (SAMGs). A software component (Severe Accident Radioactivity Classification; SARC) was developed with the detector components, facilitating detector integration and analysis to aid emergency responders. For the RadEye, 20 seconds was determined to be the optimal collection time; the long term stability and short-term sensitivity of the PA was evaluated; and two spectra measured with the NaI(Tl) were examined. Future work involves further integration of SARC and the addition of advanced capabilities such as infrastructure damage detection.


title: A coherent point drift algorithm for breast image registration via surface markers

contributor:
Ebrahimi, Mehran
Bohun, C. Sean

subject:
Image registration
Coherent point drift algorithm
Breast MRI

abstract:
Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a reliable imaging tool for localization and
evaluation of lesions prior to breast conserving surgery (BCS). MR images typically will
be used to determine the size and location of the tumours before making the incision in
order to minimize the amount of tissue excised. The arm position and configuration of
the breast during and prior to surgery are different and one question is whether it would
be possible to match the two configurations. This matching process can potentially be
used in development of tools to guide surgeons in the incision process. Recently, a Thin-
Plate-Spline (TPS) algorithm has been proposed to assess the feasibility of breast tissue
matching using fiducial surface markers in two different arm positions. The registration
algorithm uses the surface markers only and does not employ the image intensities. In
this Thesis, I apply and evaluate a coherent point drift (CPD) algorithm for registration
of 3D breast MR images of six patient volunteers. In particular, we evaluate the results
of the previous TPS registration technique to the proposed rigid, affine, and deformable
CPD registration algorithms on the same patient datasets. The results suggest that the
CPD deformable registration algorithm is superior in correcting the motion of the breast
compared to CPD rigid, affine and TPS registration algorithms. The CPD registration
results reported in this thesis took 0.2 to 0.4 seconds, which is significantly lower than the
computation time using TPS (under a minute).


title: Pre- and post-offence behaviours of healthcare serial killers as a confidence game

subject:
Serial homicide
Healthcare serial killers
Victim cultivation
Confidence men
Con men

abstract:
Extant literature, while plentiful on the topic of serial homicide in general, does not
adequately examine the phenomena of healthcare professionals who serially murder their
patients. Using a sample of 58 healthcare serial killers located within North America,
South America and Europe between the years of 1970-2010, this study examines notable
pre- and post-offence behaviours of healthcare serial killers. Patterns related to offender
etiology, victim cultivation, crime scene behaviour and techniques of evasion were
explored. The findings from this study suggest that the pre- and post-offence behaviours
of healthcare serial killers can be examined from the theoretical framework of confidence
men or ‘con men.’ The findings from this study also suggest that healthcare serial killings
and offenders who perpetrate them continue to be elusive and warrant additional
scholarly attention to reduce their likelihood of engaging in homicide undetected for
extended periods of time. Policy implications are also discussed.


title: Compressive sensing based non-destructive testing using ultrasonic arrays.

subject:
Compressive sensing
Sparsity
Non-destructive testing
Array signal processing
Ultrasound imaging

abstract:
In this thesis, we apply compressive sensing approach and the notion of sparse signal
recovery to the non-destructive testing application, using ultrasonic arrays. In many
signal processing applications including array signal processing, there is a remarkable
effort to use the concept of sparsity to solve an under-determined system of equations
which governs today's signal acquisition devices. The research interest in this area is to
recover sparse signals using much fewer number of measurements which is offered by the
traditional methods.
In this study, using a frequency-domain model for the signals received by an ultrasonic
array, we propose three approaches to convert the model to the format used by
compressive sensing theory. Each proposed approach is tested on the experimental data
and their performance is compared with three of the existing array processing algorithms
in the time and frequency-domains. The  first rearrangement proposed in this thesis, is
using the measurement data obtained from individual transmitter elements in the array
at a single frequency bin. Multiple problems of this form, for different transmitter indices
at different frequency bins have been solved to obtain an image of the region of
interest. The experimental results of this approach show the applicability of the compressive
sensing in the ultrasonic non-destructive testing application. This method is
called incoherent compressive sensing throughout the thesis. The second rearrangement
proposed for the model is based on multiple measurement vectors, which allows us to
coherently process all the measurement vectors from all dfferent transmitters at each
frequency bin. The results of this approach show better imaging performance than the
incoherent compressive sensing approach. These results also show that using only half
of the ultrasonic elements in the array, we can obtain an image which has comparable
performance with other known array processing algorithms. The last approach we have
proposed is suing compressive sensing along with synthetic aperture imaging model. In
this approach, we show that compressive sensing can be applied to the synthetic aperture
imaging in which much fewer spatial measurements are available.


title: Planning and optimization of nuclear-renewable micro hybrid energy systems for off-grid applications

subject:
Nuclear power
Renewable energy
Hybrid energy system
Energy management
Sensitivity assessment

abstract: Resilient operation of medium/large scale off-grid energy systems is a key challenge for energy crisis solutions, which requires continuous and sustainable energy resources. In this context, microreactors are incorporated with renewables to provide a continuous, reliable, and sustainable energy supply. The research is apportioned into two parts. In the first part, the study proposes three methods of hybridization for planning and identifying the most efficient Nuclear-Renewable Micro Hybrid Energy System (N-R MHES). Based on proposed hybridization techniques, mathematical modeling of N-R MHES's economy is carried out. An artificial intelligence optimization technique is used to achieve the optimal system configurations of different N-R MHESs and determine the best hybridized nuclear-renewable system. In the second portion of the study, a traditional technology, diesel-fired Micro Energy Grid (MEG), is compared with the best configured N-R MHES. This study of the comparison indicates that microreactor-based MEGs could be a potential replacement for diesel-fired MEGs.


title: The synthesis and in vitro evaluation of short interfering RNAs that contain internal modified alkyl spacers

subject:
siRNA
Alkyl spacer
Chemical modification

abstract: The ability to silence genes effectively at the pre-translational level through the use of short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) has become a widely studied area since the discovery of the RNA interference pathway in 1998. The ability to silence genes at this point in the central dogma of cell biology offers the chance for excellent gene knockdown specificity as the gene silencing tool is tailored for an exact messenger RNA sequence. There are some inherent problems associated with this type of technology which arise from the chemical structure of RNA including poor cell permeability due to the polyanionic backbone or due to the fact that RNA is a natural substrate for nucleases. In an attempt to mitigate these problems there has been considerable focus on chemical modification of siRNAs such as alteration of the ribose ring or backbone. Backbone alterations such as abasic alkyl linkers have been shown to retain, if not improve, gene-silencing capability while providing a means of centrally destabilizing the siRNA duplex, even when occupying the site of the catalytic protein, Argonaute2, whose action was thought to be an essential part of the RNA interference pathway. This study herein reports the synthesis of novel abasic alkyl linkers and an evaluation of their dose-dependent ability to silence genes in vitro while occupying central regions within the sense stand.


title: Impact of environmental conditions on expression levels of resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pumps and outer membrane porins in Acinetobacter baumannii

subject:
RND efflux
Acinetobacter baumannii
Environmental conditions
Gene expression

abstract: Acinetobacter baumannii is a globally emerging Gram-negative pathogen accounting for a variety of nosocomial conditions, including pneumonia, meningitis, peritonitis, urinary tract infections and, in particular, wound infections in soldiers. One of the major reasons for A. baumannii success as a human pathogen is attributed to a tremendous potential of this organism for development of the multidrug resistant phenotype (MDR). This organism’s ability to regulate expression of its intrinsic antibiotic resistance determinants, such as Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division (RND) efflux pumps and outer membrane proteins, is regarded to be amongst the most important strategies in the arsenal of this pathogen. Despite considerable efforts being dedicated in the attempt to understand the underlying mechanisms in the development of the MDR phenotype in A. baumannii, the role of environmental stress factors is often overlooked. Evidence from other Gram-negative pathogens suggests that adaptive responses of the bacterial cell to environmental stress often target the same cellular processes that are exploited by antibiotics, therefore indirectly promoting the emergence of the MDR phenotype. This study shows the impact of a variety of environmental factors, namely iron(III) availability, oxidative stress, salicylate exposure, steady-state osmotic stress, ethanol shock, exposure to different incubation temperatures and exposure to blue light on expression levels of three RND efflux pumps and three outer membrane porins of A. baumannii. In addition, we investigated the difference in expression levels of the selected two-component systems between a type strain of A. baumannii, ATCC 19606, and two clinical isolates with the MDR and biofilm-forming phenotypes. The quantitative-real time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that levels of iron(III) in growth medium, oxidative stress and ethanol shock were amongst the most potent factors capable of influencing expression of RND efflux pumps and outer membrane porins.


title: Computational studies of semiflexible polymer translocation in nanopore systems

subject: Polymer Semiflexible Translocation Physics Nanopores

abstract: The translocation of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) through nanopore systems is a field with rich physics and many promising technological applications. Double stranded DNA is not fully flexible, and the translocation dynamics of semiflexible molecules are not very well understood. In this thesis, in a set of articles, several aspects of translocation with semiflexible polymers in various nanopore systems are explored using molecular dynamics simulations. We look at the effect of the capture process on the translocation dynamics of semiflexible chains for standard nanopores in detail. In collaboration with experiment, we use simulations to explore the dynamics of dsDNA in a nanofiltered nanopore device with potential applications in DNA sequencing technology. A secondary use for the nanofiltered nanopore device as an entropic cage for DNA is also examined. Simulations are used to obtain insight into the dynamics of molecules during the trapping phase.


title: Investigation into the role of binding loop E on the function of the nematode cys-loop GABA receptor.

subject: Haemonchus contortus

subject: Hco-UNC-49

subject: GABA

subject: Loop-E

subject: Substituted cysteine accessibility method

subject: Ligand-gated chloride channel

abstract:
Haemonchus contortus is a parasitic nematode that infects the abomasum of
ruminants. While several classes of anthelmintic drugs exist to control nematode infections,
H. contortus is resistant to all of them. Therefore, novel drug targets such as ligand-gated
chloride channels (LGCCs) need to be characterized. The objective of this thesis was to
further characterize the agonist binding pocket in Hco-UNC-49BC, the LGCC gated by γ-
aminobutyric acid (GABA) within H. contortus. To meet this objective, each amino acid
residue in binding loop E was changed to a cysteine and analyzed via electrophysiology
and the substituted cysteine accessibility method. It was found that of the 18 loop E mutants
analyzed, His142, Ser144, Arg147, and Ser157, all played a role in channel activation and were
sensitive to modification by a methanethiosulfonate reagent. In addition, mutants lacking
His142 showed increased sensitivity to a variety of agonists and produced maximal chloride
conductance to the previously characterized partial agonist 5-aminovaleric acid. Overall,
this thesis has revealed potential differences in the agonist binding pocket between
nematode UNC-49 and mammalian GABA receptors that could be exploited in the design
of novel anthelmintics.


title: Fundamental investigation of fuel cell-based breath alcohol sensors and the cause of sensor degradation in low-humidity conditions

subject:
Breath alcohol sensor
Direct alcohol fuel cell
Electrochemically active surface area
Proton conductivity
Degradation

abstract:
The goal of this research project was to characterize the physical and electrochemical properties of a commercially available fuel cell-based breath alcohol sensor. Characteristics of the existing sensor were compared with state of the art power generating fuel cells with the goal of understanding the factors that limit performance, lifetime and cost effectiveness of the sensors. This will guide the development of the next generation of breath alcohol sensors.
The average lifetime of the current sensor falls short of the industry standards. In particular, sensors operating in dry conditions experience more rapid loss of sensitivity and failure. Two primary causes of degradation were investigated in this study. Loss of proton conductivity as a result of membrane dehydration was shown to be reversible by rehydrating the membrane in humid conditions. Loss of electrochemically active surface area of Pt is irreversible and seems to be caused by a change in sensor morphology after long-term exposure to dry conditions.

abstract: University of Ontario Institute of Technology


title: Probabilistic assessment of the impact of plug-in electric vehicles on power quality in electric vehicles on power quality in electric distribution systems.

subject:
Electric vehicles
Distribution systems
Monte Carlo methods
Power quality

abstract:
The electrification of the transportation sector may have socio-economic benefits such as
reducing greenhouse gases, lowering the soaring gas prices, and ending the reliance on
imported oil. The integration of plug-in electric vehicles into the electric distribution
system may pose potential power quality problems due to the uncertainties in the number
of these vehicles, their charging time and locations. Several power quality phenomena
such as voltage deviations, voltage imbalance, transformer overload and unbalance are
investigated in this thesis. Since the problem is of a stochastic nature, a probabilistic
approach using Monte Carlo simulation is adopted in this work to assess potential impact
on power quality in the distribution system and hence addressing the uncertainties
associated with integrating those electric vehicles. The analysis presented in this work
also considers different vehicle types (i.e., plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles)
for automobiles and pick-up trucks, vehicle penetration and vehicle charging levels. The
results of Monte Carlo simulation reveal that Plug-in Battery Electric Vehicles and level
2 charging contribute most impact on undervoltage and transformer overloading, whereas
level 1 charging contributes most impact to load unbalance on transformers.
Recommendations are made to mitigate such impacts for future work.


title: Thermochemical energy storage systems: modelling, analysis and design

subject:
Thermal energy storage
Thermochemical energy storage
Energy efficiency
Exergy efficiency
First law efficiency
Second law efficiency
Exergy

abstract:
Thermal energy storage (TES) is an advanced technology for storing thermal energy
that can mitigate environmental impacts and facilitate more efficient and clean energy
systems. Thermochemical TES is an emerging method with the potential for high
energy density storage. Where space is limited, therefore, thermochemical TES has
the highest potential to achieve the required compact TES. Principles of
thermochemical TES are presented and thermochemical TES is critically assessed and
compared with other TES types. The integration of TES systems with heating,
ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) applications is examined and reviewed
accounting for various factors, and recent advances are discussed. Thermodynamics
assessments are presented for general closed and open thermochemical TES systems.
Exergy and energy analyses are applied to assess and compare the efficiencies of the
overall thermochemical TES cycle and its charging, storing and discharging
processes. Examples using experimental data are presented to illustrate the analyses.
Some important factors related to design concepts of thermochemical TES systems
are considered and preliminary design conditions for them are investigated.
Parametric studies are carried out for the thermochemical storage systems to
investigate the effects of selected parameters on the efficiency and behavior of
thermochemical storage systems.


title: Pushing the limits of traditional unsupervised learning

subject:
Unsupervised feature learning
Cluster significance testing
Latent semantic analysis
Spectral clustering
Independent component analysis

abstract: Unsupervised learning has important applications in extremely large data settings such as in medical, biological, social, and environmental data. Typically in these settings, copious amounts of data are collected, with the additional burden of high dimensionality and unavailability of class labels. Improving the performance and usability of unsupervised learning algorithms provides improved resource management and delivery of services to users. Although deep learning methods have become popular due to their success in the supervised learning problem of classification and unsupervised learning problems of feature extraction and cluster analysis, traditional machine learning methods can still provide state-of-the-art performance. In this thesis, a novel clustering framework that combines common clustering and feature extraction methods along with careful parameter selection is presented. This framework is able to achieve state-of-the-art clustering performance that is better than many deep learning-based methods on large benchmark and web-based text and image datasets. This pipeline incorporates deep learning-style feature extraction, but without the onerous hyper-parameter tuning procedure. Then two novel methods are provided for testing the significance and reliability of clusters, in which the null-hypothesis statistical distribution is formed either by: (1) a uniform distribution projected onto the principal components of the original data; or (2) a randomized, weighted adjacency matrix. Significance testing of clusters is important when the nature or underlying properties of the data are unknown, especially in large data settings or in nonstandard datasets. Since, a random sample of the population data could contain properties that are not representative of the whole population. Thus, providing a clustering result that is not typical of the population. Finally, given the success of traditional matrix factorization methods in the clustering pipeline, text document classification using a new convolutional neural network architecture that leverages singular value decomposition was developed. This new model provided state-of-the-art document classification accuracy.


title: Exploring capacity and professional development needs of teachers: moving towards inclusive and engaging physical education for girls

subject:
Physical education
Teacher professional development
Teaching physical education
Girl-friendly physical education
Grounded theory

abstract: Physical education (PE) is an important opportunity for girls to accrue physical activity (PA), health benefits, and healthy PA behavioural patterns that track into adulthood. Girls often have negative experiences within PE, leading them to become disengaged. Teachers are influential on girls' experiences in PE. Professional development (PD) for teachers may help address girls’ disengagement and exclusion in PE. Through grounded theory qualitative research, we explored teachers’ capacity and PD needs for including and engaging girls in PE. Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were used to collect data with 10 Ontario teachers (N=10). Results showed that teachers’ capacity to teach girl-friendly PE is multifaceted and is influenced by numerous intrapersonal and institutional factors. Teacher participants were using many evidence-based teaching practices; however, there were gaps to be addressed. This research provides insight and recommendations for future PD that aims to support teachers in girl-friendly teaching practices.


title: Graphene and graphane functionalization using hydrogen and nitrogen electronic optical and vibrational signatures

contributor:
Gaspari, Franco
Chkrebtii, Anatoli

format: application/pdf application/pdf

subject:
Partially hydrogenated
Graphene
Band gap
Graphane
Microelectronic applications
Electronic signature
Optical signature

abstract: Hydrogen is added to Graphene in various compositions and configurations to modify the band structure to produce a suitable band gap for microelectronic applications. Optical and vibrational spectra are calculated as a means of characterization. Calculations performed using DFT and Quantum Espresso.


title: Characterization of neutron fields around an intense neutron generator

subject: Neutron Facility Dose Fluence Simulation

abstract:
Neutron fields in the vicinity of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology neutron facility have been investigated in a series of simulations and experiments. The neutron fluence at several locations around the neutron generator facility has been simulated using MCNPX 2.7E Monte Carlo particle transport program. The P-385 neutron generator is configured to function with a deuterium-deuterium fusion reaction using accelerated charged deuterons colliding with a metal deuteride target. This fusion reaction is characterized by an anisotropic angular and energy distribution in the centre-of-mass and laboratory frames of reference. Three neutron sources were modelled in the simulation with distributions corresponding to different incident deuteron energies of 130 keV, 110 keV, and 90 keV. An idealized isotropic source was likewise simulated for purposes of comparison and determination of the applicability of such an approximation.
Along with the performed simulations and to validate the calculation, a series of experiments have been carried out to determine the dose rate measurement at locations adjacent to the generator. The collected data were used to calculate the neutron intensity of the P-385 neutron generator. The measurements were taken using bubble detectors with different sensitivities. Also, the total dose rates corresponding to applied acceleration potentials were estimated at various locations, utilizing a thin target approximation.


title: Study of fuzzy logic in safety and control systems in nuclear power plants

subject:
Fuzzy lopic controller
Safety
Reliability

abstract: Safety and control systems in Nuclear Power Plants are essentially run without intelligent systems. As nuclear industry starts to become more advanced and vendors are starting to manufacture more advance products, old structures and systems in place will eventually become obsolete needing alternatives to resolve discrepancies. Control System is considered as one protective layer with plant safety systems. Research demonstrates that intelligent control systems improve safety performance of power plants. This research studies fuzzy logic control (i.e. intelligent control system), its methodology, design and applicability to safety related systems in Nuclear Power Plant. Study further investigates fuzzy logic control approach and how it impacts improving safety related system performance. Critical system parameters and trends were studied, research plan developed and results recorded using Matlab & Simulink applications. Two case studies selected demonstrate proposed fuzzy logic with effective results. First study demonstrates how implementing fuzzy logic improves operability of self-contained pneumatic assemblies that impact improving breathing air system performance. Second study demonstrates how fuzzy logic implementation can improve instrument air compressor performance with early detection of solenoid valve failures. Both studies reveal that using fuzzy logic results in better control, precision and performance in maintaining safety related systems and encourages its use to many other applications.


title: Experience of oncology nurses and cancer survivors during cancer treatment transition from oncology teams to primary care providers teams

subject:
Oncology nurses
Cancer survivors
Treatment transition

abstract:
Cancer care for cancer survivors in treatment transition is fragmented. This phenomenological study explored experience of oncology nurses and cancer survivors in treatment transition.
Patient and nurse participants were recruited by purposive sampling for individual semi-structured interview. Nursing Theory of Transition framework and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach were applied to guide the study for data collection and analysis.
Cancer survivors had concerns under personal transition and faced challenges under care transition. Oncology nurses were well positioned to play key role to provide quality cancer care. However, cancer care received was not sufficient to address cancer survivor’s concerns comprehensively. Positive experience and barriers for cancer care were explored. Implications and recommendations were suggested.
Facing current context of Canadian health system with limited resources, this study would potentially provide helpful information to establish a new model for continuous and coordinated cancer care for cancer survivors in treatment transition.


title: CFD determination of fluid and geometry related localized heat transfer phenomena for supercritical water flow

contributor:
Harvel, Glenn
Pioro, Igor

subject:
CFD
Thermalhydraulics
Supercritical
Water
Heat transfer

abstract:
The proposed concept of Supercritical Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR) as part of the Generation IV International Forum aims to improve the thermal efficiency over current power plants by utilizing cooling water at pressures and temperature above the critical point. At supercritical conditions, however, the properties of the fluid can vary rapidly in response to changes in temperature and pressure, and without a phase change. One example is the specific heat, which exhibits a sharp peak at a point defined as the pseudocritical temperature.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a numerical approach to model fluids in multidimensional space using the Navier-Stokes equations and databases of fluid properties to arrive at a full simulation of a fluid dynamics and heat transfer system. Turbulence models employed in CFD are a set of equations that determine the turbulence transport terms in the mean flow equations. They are based on hypotheses about the process of turbulence, and as such require empirical input in the form of constants or functions, in order to achieve closure.
This work is conducted to further develop an understanding of supercritical water (SCW) flow by analyzing the flow- and geometry-dependent localized phenomena under supercritical conditions using CFD turbulence models. The numerical study employed the Realizable k-ε and the SST k-ω turbulence models. The created meshes are three dimensional to capture the multi-dimensional effects of SCW heat transfer phenomena.
In the first part of the study, the turbulent Pr number effect on SCW heat transfer characteristics is determined by analyzing changes in fluid properties such as temperature profiles, turbulence intensity, and velocity in response to varying the turbulent Pr values in the CFD models. This investigation has shown the energy turbulent Pr to have the most effect on improving SCW heat transfer simulation results under the deteriorated heat transfer regime, by affecting the turbulence production in the fluid due to buoyancy forces. Buoyancy forces were also studied in downward flow under the same conditions and were shown to reduce the deterioration in heat transfer observed in upward flow.
The second part involved an investigation of fluid property effects in complex geometries to determine important flow parameters that capture localized flow phenomena effects.
Two geometries are considered: an annular channel with helical fins, and a tube with a sudden area change. The helicity of the first geometry did not appear to induce additional turbulence in the flow, compared to bare geometries. On the other hand, the sudden area change introduced large levels of turbulence, and while it dissipated quickly, it did show an enhancement in the heat transfer and lowered the outlet wall temperatures. These results can be used as a design input for SCWR fuel geometry design.
As a result, this study contributes to the understanding of the SCW heat transfer fundamentals under normal and deteriorated regimes in bare and complex geometries, and identifies the areas of improvement in the related experimental work. Significant experimental work is needed to verify the findings


title: Breast cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis in Ontarians with and without intellectual disabilities

subject:
Intellectual disability
Breast cancer
Incidence
Stage at diagnosis

abstract:
This thesis examines breast cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis in Ontarians with and without intellectual disabilities. The objectives were 1) To describe and compare the incidence of breast cancer in women with and without intellectual disabilities from 2000 to 2014; 2) To describe and compare breast cancer stage at diagnosis in women with and without intellectual disabilities from 2010-2014.
Manuscript 1 (Incidence): Through a retrospective cohort methodology, breast cancer incidence in women with intellectual disabilities was found to be not significantly different from women without intellectual disabilities.
Manuscript 2 (Stage): A cross sectional study demonstrated women with intellectual disabilities were significantly more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage (II-IV) (odds ratio 1.6; 95%CI=1.03-2.48) when compared to women without intellectual disabilities.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest women with intellectual disabilities have a comparable incidence of breast cancer to women without intellectual disabilities, but they may have an increased risk of being diagnosed at a later stage.


title: Isolation and partial characterization of three acetylcholine-gated chloride channels in Haemonchus contortus

subject:
Acetylcholine-gated ion channel
Haemonchus
Pharmacology

abstract: Haemonchus contortus is a parasitic nematode infecting ruminants causing anemia and poor health due to the parasite’s blood-feeding nature. The ability to manage infection has been confounded by the rapid development of antiparasitc drug resistance in H. contortus populations. The Cys-loop superfamily of ligand gated ion channels are well recognized as critical drug targets for many invertebrate specific compounds. With the rise in resistance seen worldwide to existing anthelmintics, novel drug targets must be identified so new treatments can be developed. This thesis describes the identification of three acetylcholine-gated chloride channelss (hco-acc-1, hco-acc-2, and hco-acc-4) genes from the nematode parasite Haemonchus contortus and provides evidence suggesting that they could be developed as a future anthelmintic targets. While these genes appear similar in sequence to the previously characterized C. elegans acc-1, acc-2 and acc-4 genes, Hco-ACC-2 is about 2-fold less sensitive to acetylcholine, perhaps indicating a different in vivo function within the parasite. Further pharmacological analysis of ACC-2 via two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology demonstrated activity of several agonists including carbachol, which elicited a similar response as acetylcholine. Furthermore, in silico protein modelling and agonist docking of all three channels has revealed a unique agonist binding site with several novel residues that appear to be important for binding to cholinergic agonists. Antibodies were generated against the Hco-ACC-1 protein for use in immunolocaliztion studies. Hco-ACC-1 localizes to the anterior half of the pharynx, specifically in pharyngeal muscle tissue in H. contortus.


title: A study of a piezoelectric energy harvesting system using magnetorheological fluids

subject:
Magnetorheological fluids
Frequency amplification
Spring force
Heaviside function
Yield stress

abstract: This thesis reports the study of a piezoelectric energy harvesting system using a thin layer of magnetorheological fluid as a soft impact mechanism to enhance the frequency of the energy generator. Currently, the major bottleneck of vibration energy harvesting is the dynamic nature of vibrations in the environment which necessitates that vibration energy harvesters change their frequency to match that of the source. This work used the variable rheological properties of magnetorheological fluids to tune the frequency of a piezoelectric energy harvester. The study employed both numerical and experimental studies to investigate the effect of using the fluid in vibration energy harvesting. The results obtained show an increase in the output voltage and frequency of the device by 9.7% and 36%, respectively. For the first time, a soft impact frequency-increased piezoelectric energy harvesting system using magnetorheological fluid is studied in this thesis.


title: Study of LaBr3 (Ce) detector response to high energy helium ions

publisher: University of Ontario Institute of Technology

subject:
Helium ions
Lanthanum Bromide
Scintillator
Response
MCNP/X

abstract: The space radiation environment is a complex mixed field composed of neutral and charged particles such as photons, protons, alpha, and other particles. The mixture of these different particles creates a challenge in any accurate measurement with radiation detection devices. Lanthanum Bromide scintillator detector (LaBe3: Ce) has been successfully used as a gamma spectrometer inside space crafts. However, data on its response to other particles such as charged particles remains limited. From a radiation protection perspective, it is important to understand the response of the LaBr3 scintillator in the presence of heavy ions to provide more accurate measurements of the gamma fields within such a complex radiation environment. A series of Monte-Carlo simulations using MCNP/X version 2.6 have been performed along with a series of experiments using the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba, Japan. Measurements of the detector response function were conducted using He ion beams at various energies.


title: Investigation of energy storage options for sustainable energy systems.

subject:
Renewable energy
Storage
Solar
Exergy

abstract:
Determination of the possible energy storage options for a specific source of
energy requires a thorough analysis from the points of energy, exergy, and
exergoeconomics. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate energy storage
options for sustainable energy systems. A technology description and illustration of
concerns regarding each system is presented. Moreover, the possibility of
implementing each option into different sources of energy is investigated. Thus,
integrated energy systems are developed, utilizing energy storage options with the aim
of achieving more efficient systems.
Energy and exergy analyses are performed for three novel, integrated renewable
energy-based systems. Energy storage methods investigated here include hydrogen
storage, thermal energy storage, compressed air energy storage, and battery. Solar,
wind, and biomass are the energy sources considered for the integrated systems. In
this research, a discussion on various energy storage systems is presented, and the
potential of each storage option in the current and future energy market is studied.
Each of the integrated systems is described and its operating strategy is presented.
The components of the integrated systems are first modeled to obtain their operating
characteristics. The energy, exergy, and exergoeconomic equations are applied to the
components to calculate the rates of energy and exergy flows. The efficiencies are
subsequently calculated. The results of energy and exergy analyses are combined with
exergoeconomic equations to report the unit exergy cost of flows in the components.
System 1 consists of a PV system, a water electrolyser and a fuel cell to generate
electricity for a house. Hydrogen and thermal energy storage are considered as the
storage options. The results show that the capacities of the components depend on
weather data and electric power demand. In System 1, the PV electric power output
exceeds demand during months with high-solar irradiance. The results of a case study
based on the weather data in Toronto, Canada, and the electricity demand pattern of a
Canadian house (5.74 kW maximum demand) are presented. The photovoltaic system
capacity and the electrolyser nominal hydrogen production rate are 37.17 kW and 4.5
kg/day, respectively. The economic investigation of the hybrid system reports an
average cost of electricity of 0.84 $/kWh based on 25 years of operation. The optimal nominal capacity of the fuel cell is found to be 1.5 kW, according to the optimization
results. The optimal exergy efficiency varies from 9.91 to 9.94%.
System 2 consists of a wind park, a PV-fuel cell and a biomass-fuel cell-gas
turbine system. This integrated renewable energy-based system is developed for
baseload power generation and utilizes wind, solar and biomass energy resources. For
a 64 bar compressed air storage system, and a 36 bar gas turbine inlet air pressure,
356 wind turbines are required. The lower the pressure difference between the
compressed air in the cavern and the gas turbine inlet air pressure, the fewer the
number of wind turbines required in the Wind-CAES system. The results also show
that 5.4×105 PV modules (covering 0.66 Mm2 of land) are required to generate 5 MW
of baseload electric power. Optimization of System 2 provides a range of optimal
points at which the exergy efficiency and the total purchase cost of the system are
optimum. At an optimal point, the overall exergy efficiency of the integrated system is
reported as 36.85%. At this point, the optimal values of compression ratio, gas turbine
expansion ratio, and CAES storage capacity are 8, 6.5, and 240 h, respectively.
System 3 consists of a biomass gasifier integrated with a gas turbine cycle
(biomass-GT). As another sub-part of System 3, a PV-electrolyser module is
integrated with a compressed air energy storage system. The overall hybrid system
supplies 10 MW baseload electric power, and 7730 MWh thermal energy. The PV is
accountable for 56% of the annual exergy destruction in the hybrid system, and 38%
of the annual exergy destruction occurs in the biomass-GT system. The overall energy
and exergy efficiencies of System 3 are 34.8 and 34.1%, respectively. The hybrid PVbiomass
system is sensitive to some parameters such as the steam-to-carbon ratio of
the biomass gasifier, and the gas turbine inlet temperature and expansion ratio. A 29%
increase in energy and exergy efficiencies is reported with the increase in SC from 1
to 3 mol/mol. The related specific carbon dioxide emission reduction is from 1441 to
583 g/kWh.


title: Numerical investigation of the fluidelastic instability of two-phase flow in a parallel triangular tube array

contributor:
Mohany, Atef
Hassan, Marwan

subject:
Fluidelastic instability
Steam generators
Two-phase
Approach angle
Frequency detuning

abstract:
Steam generators are always susceptible to vibrations induced by the flow in either the shell or tube sides. The fluidelastic instability phenomenon (FEI) is considered one of the most devastating flow excitations since it may cause excessive wear and structural failure to the tubes in a short time span, yet the phenomenon is not well understood. The U-bend region of the steam generator is very prone to the FEI and the flow in this region is characterized by a two-phase nature. Most studies of this phenomenon have been carried out experimentally on specific tube arrays at certain conditions, and design guidelines were developed based on them. Thus, a need emerges to provide a model to predict the onset of FEI at any flow condition or geometry.
Firstly, this research focuses on developing and validating a model to predict the onset of FEI in two-phase flows. Secondly, the work attempts to address the problem of varying the flow’s angle of attack inside the U-bend, known as flow’s approach angle, and how it influences the onset of the instability. Finally, due to the curvature of the tubes inside the U-bend region, they are not tuned to a single natural frequency, a case known as frequency detuning. The presented work inspects the effect of frequency detuning and the key parameters controlling its influence.
In this study, a model based on Computational Fluid Dynamics was proposed to simulate the onset of FEI. The model was validated and tested for a two-phase air-water flow in parallel triangular array against FEI in transverse and streamwise directions. Predictions obtained were in good agreement with experiments in the literature. Furthermore, the influence of flow approach angle was relatively understood and an efficient approximate semi-analytical model was successfully developed to predict the FEI dynamic forces at any flow angle. Finally, isolation of FEI mechanisms was carried out. Generally, frequency detuning was found to stabilize the tube bundle and its effect is sensitive to the mass-damping parameter. This work is a step forward towards a better understanding and an accurate prediction of the onset of FEI in the U-bend region.


title: Design and validation of high speed active trailer steering system for articulated heavy vehicle

subject:
Long combination vehicles (LCV)
Active steering system
Robust controller
Lateral stability

abstract: Articulated heavy duty vehicles are widely used around the world for its economic and environmental benefits. A-train double is one of the most popular heavy duty vehicles in Canada. Despite its advantages, the spread of A-train is hampered by poor lateral dynamic performance and poor accident avoid ability in highway resulted from its special structure. In order to evaluate the lateral dynamic performance of the A-train double at highway speed, ISO standards have proposed the rearward amplification (RA) measures to characterizing the performance. It has been reported that the RA curves obtained through three different methods proposed by ISO-14791 differ. This thesis studies three proposed methods in detail and analyzes the contributing causes for the inconsistency among three test maneuvers based on A-train double. In order to increase the lateral stability of the A-train double, Active steering systems (ATS) have been designed through two methods: robust LQR-LMI method with genetic algorithm (GA) optimization and H∞ method. The designed controllers are validated by numerical simulation and hardware in-loop simulation. The ATS designed from two methods show good robust stability and improve the lateral dynamic performance of A-train double dramatically at highway speed.


title: A systematic review examining the effects of mHealth interventions on dietary adherence in patients with cardiovascular diseases

subject:
mHealth
Dietary adherence
Hypertension
Coronary artery disease
Heart failure

abstract: A systematic review was conducted to determine if diet-focused mHealth interventions are effective for supporting dietary adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a population where nonadherence is common. A comprehensive literature search identified thirteen studies which met inclusion criteria: adults with a CVD diagnosis, use of an mHealth intervention, and measures of dietary adherence. Studies were excluded if interventions involved open dialogue or were qualitative studies or systematic reviews. Eight studies supported using mHealth interventions for improving dietary adherence, four showed mixed results, and one showed no improvements. Eight studies evaluated text and/or app-based mHealth interventions and found that their interactive features improved dietary adherence more compared to solely information delivering interventions. Overall, most mHealth interventions improved dietary adherence, however, nine studies had high risk of bias due to the outcome measurement, thus caution is advised when applying these findings to clinical settings for patients with CVD.

abstract: University of Ontario Institute of Technology


title: Design synthesis of car-trailer systems with active trailer differential braking strategies.

contributor:
He, Yuping
Ren, Jing

subject: Active trailer differential braking strategies

subject: Car trailer systems

abstract:
To this date, various control strategies based on linear vehicle models have been proposed and developed for improving the lateral stability of car trailer (CT) systems. Is a linear-model-based controller applicable to active safety systems for CT systems under emergency operating conditions, such as an evasive maneuver at high lateral accelerations? In order to address the problem, the following innovative investigations have been conducted: 1) a comparative study of typical linear and nonlinear CT models have been carried out to examine the dynamic responses of the models under the emulated test maneuvers; and 2) the applicability of an Active Trailer Differential Braking (ATDB) controller designed using a linear CT model is tested and evaluated under the conditions that the controller is applied to a CT system represented by the selected linear and nonlinear models. The current research leads to the following insightful findings: 1) the selected linear CT model is effective to predict the lateral stability of CT systems; 2) under the regular evasive maneuvers at low lateral accelerations (less than 0.5g), this linear model can be used to provide dynamic responses that are in good agreement with the selected nonlinear models; 3) the ATDB controller
designed using the linear model can effectively improve the lateral stability of CT systems under regular evasive maneuvers at low lateral accelerations, but the controller is not applicable to CT active safety systems under emergency evasive maneuvers at high lateral accelerations. The insightful findings resulted from the thesis will provide valuable design guidelines for the development of active safety systems for CT systems.


title: The production and characterization of ceramic carbon electrode materials for CuCl-HCl electrolysis.

subject:
CuCl-HCl electrolysis
Ceramic carbon electrode
Sol-gel
Amine functionalization

abstract:
Current H2 gas supplies are primarily produced through steam methane reforming and other fossil fuel based processes. This lack of viable large scale and environmentally friendly H2 gas production has hindered the wide spread adoption of H2 fuel cells. A potential solution to this problem is the Cu-Cl hybrid thermochemical cycle. The cycle captures waste heat to drive two thermochemical steps creating CuCl as well as O2 gas and HCl from CuCl2 and water. The CuCl is oxidized in HCl to produce H2 gas and regenerate CuCl2, this process occurs at potentials well below those required for water electrolysis.
The electrolysis process occurs in a traditional PEM fuel-cell. In the aqueous anolyte media Cu(I) will form anionic complexes such as CuCl2- or CuCl32-. The slow transport of these species to the anode surface limits the overall electrolysis process. To improve this transport process we have produced ceramic carbon electrode (CCE) materials through a sol-gel method incorporating a selection of amine containing silanes with increasing numbers of primary and secondary amines. When protonated these amines allow for improved transport of anionic copper complexes.
The electrochemical and physical characterization of these CCE materials in a half and full-cell electrolysis environment will be presented. Electrochemical analysis was performed using cell polarization, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.