Home
FUTURE STUDENTS SUPPORT UWINDSOR
Faculty of Engineering

News and Events

 

Researchers examine second lives for EV batteries

Sep 15th, 2021

While electric vehicles produce zero emissions, their batteries composed of raw materials are difficult and costly to recycle.

Transportation electrification is steadily increasing across the globe and expected to add 200 million electric vehicles (EV) to the roads over the next decade.

“Batteries are becoming an important commodity in the Canadian economy; however, we still lack technical leadership on the safety, efficiency and reliability aspects of battery applications and reuse,” says Balakumar Balasingam, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Windsor.

With an expected spike of used EV batteries at recycling facilities on the horizon, Dr. Balasingam is leading a team that aims to offer another route to their disposal.

“Even though considered irrelevant in electric vehicles, these batteries have value in other applications, such as home electrification, short-range transportation and microgrids.”

Many “end-of-life” EV batteries still have up to 70 per cent of their capacity left, he notes. One potential pathway for used EV batteries is to repurpose them in e-bikes. Nikola Robotics Lab, one of many partners on the project, will work with the team on the design of this cost-effective solution while Bike Windsor-Essex will advocate for their adaptation

Building resiliency in our homes

Sep 15th, 2021

​

An increase in natural disasters and pandemics has prompted an engineering researcher to create a solution that enables the resilient construction of multi-unit, residential buildings.

Apartments are gaining popularity in Canada, says Rajeev Ruparathna, a civil engineering professor at the University of Windsor.

“Considering the increase in frequency and magnitude of natural disasters and the recent tragic condo collapse in Miami that killed nearly 100 people, we see an urgent call for more resilient Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs),” he says.

But Dr. Ruparathna says there is a lack of resources to support this, especially during design and construction. His latest project addresses this gap by developing resources to ensure the resiliency of MURBs through a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based rule set that allows engineers and architects to check a building design for resiliency principles.

The BIM rule set will be based on guidelines in the National Building Code, Canadian Electric Code, National Fire Code, Canada Standard Association (CSA) standards, and BOMA Canada Resilience Brief.

Dr. Balachandar to helm journal specializing in fluid mechanics

Aug 27th, 2021

​

The editor of a new journal hopes it will highlight the contributions of University of Windsor researchers while engaging industry partners.

Ram Balachandar will be the specialty chief editor of Fluid Mechanics, operating under the umbrella of Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering.

“Most of the journals in this field are extremely academic or industry-focused,” he says. “I saw a need for an applications-related journal.”

He has pulled together a team of associate editors that draws on colleagues from the University of Windsor — including Vesselina Roussinova of mechanical engineering and math professor emeritus Ronald Barron — while reflecting a broad international scope.

“I didn’t envision the amount of work involved,” Dr. Balachandar admits. The publication launched last week.

Engineering alumnus honoured by professional colleagues

Aug 25th, 2021

An alumnus of the University of Windsor has been named an Officer of the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Order of Honour.

Sean McCannDedicating over two decades to the advancement and promotion of engineering, Sean P. McCann (BASc 1989, MASc 1993) has been recognized for his voluntary contributions to the community and engineering profession. He was inducted into the Order at a virtual gala on June 19, 2021.

McCann was inducted as a Member of the Order of Honour in 2006 and serves as a PEO Windsor-Essex Chapter executive. He has also taken positions on PEO’s Continuing Professional Development, Competency and Quality Assurance Task Force, and Advisory Committee on Volunteers.

Researchers aim to optimize Ambassador Bridge traffic through study

Aug 12th, 2021

​

Researchers at the University of Windsor are upgrading a network of cameras and sensors on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge in a project that aims to better predict border traffic and improve safety.

Engineering professor Hanna Maoh (pictured at left) and lead researchers at UWindsor’s Cross-Border Institute hope to begin installing the equipment along Huron Church Road this fall. They’ve received $150,000 through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund toward the $206,000 project.

“We’re trying to understand how traffic moves through this major node,” said Dr. Maoh. “Collecting data in real time is critical for any meaningful analysis.”

The Cross-Border Institute, founded by political science professor Bill Anderson in 2008, researches ways to better move people, goods, and services across borders. This latest project will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to measure and predict traffic patterns, improving the efficiency of border crossings. Data from cameras and sensors near the bridge will be transferred wirelessly in real time to servers at the institute for analysis by a team of researchers from a variety of disciplines.

Traffic sensors in place right now measure the number and size of vehicles. This project will collect additional data on factors such as lane changes, vehicle speed, and the interaction of large trucks and smaller passenger vehicles.

The information collected will not only assist truckers and local traffic, but could also improve air quality for local residents, improve the supply chain operation between Canada and the United States, and increase the competitiveness of manufacturers and the transportation industry.

Researchers funded to examine microplastic contamination in the Great Lakes system

Jul 26th, 2021

Tirupati Bolisetti at the Credit River bridge in Mississauga

Besides providing drinking water for more than 30 million people in North America, the Great Lakes play a vital role in the economy’s transportation, power and agriculture sectors.

Plastic pollution in these water bodies has been widely acknowledged for a great deal of time, says Tirupati Bolisetti, an environmental engineering professor at UWindsor. 

However, microplastics — particles that are 5 mm or smaller in size — hidden in the water are posing a much bigger problem for aquatic and human life.

“These ubiquitous microplastics are finding their way into the natural waters due to improper disposal of plastics, which degrade into small pieces,” Dr. Bolisetti says. “They come from plastic packaging, cosmetics, textiles, automotive components and plastic litter thrown on the beaches, to name a few.”

Some of these microplastics in the form of synthetic microfibers are also released from our wastewater systems, he adds.

A team of interdisciplinary researchers from the University of Windsor, including Bolisetti and Dr. Ram Balachandar, are collaborating with Dr. Shooka Karimpour and other researchers from York University to understand how microplastics originate and get transported to the western basin of Lake Ontario, called the Niagara basin. 

Engineering profs team with local greenhouse to reimagine electric grid distribution

Jul 5th, 2021

A team of UWindsor engineering researchers envisions a future where electric transport trucks can deliver more than goods.

While loading or unloading zero emission trucks, why not transfer electrons too? The road-bound big rigs can deliver electricity to companies in need to extend the limits of the electrical grid at high-peak hours.

It’s a scenario Rupp Carriveau and Hanna Maoh are mapping out in partnership with Mitacs, Independent Electricity System Operator, 360 Energy, and Leamington-based greenhouse grower, Nature Fresh Farms.

“Let’s say a truck is done for the day and still has an 80 per cent charge,” Dr. Carriveau explains. “That truck can deliver electrons to a nearby company that’s going to be hit with some penalties for having a high draw on the grid — maybe for the lights in a greenhouse or an electric press machine in a warehouse.”

Engineering professor lauded by professional association

Jun 22nd, 2021

Waguih EIMaraghy has been inducted into Professional Engineers Ontario’s Order of Honour for his dedicated contributions to the engineering profession as a volunteer and educator.

The University of Windsor professor was honoured among select engineersacross the province during a virtual awards ceremony June 19.

The licensing and regulating body for the province’s professional engineers cited Dr. EIMaraghy’s intense passion for the profession and community.

With more than three decades as a volunteer on its Academic Requirements Committee, EIMaraghy has pioneered and been instrumental in improving the Professional Engineer designation application process. He serves as the committee’s vice chair and chairs the distance education subcommittee, helping to develop guidelines and criteria for evaluating the credentials applicants acquire through distance education.

Engineering teams take top honours in smart infrastructure competition

Jun 21st, 2021

Two teams of UWindsor engineering students have triumphed in an industry-led, pitch-off competition for their solutions to cross-border congestion at the future Gordie Howe International Bridge.

The teams impressed a panel of industry judges with their suggestions to implement mobile apps to reduce delays at the border and to facilitate the use of alternate modes of transportation to relieve congestion. The students also recommended using machine learning technologies, sensor-based systems, and even a suicide prevention system in plans for the new bridge, which is one of the largest infrastructure projects underway in North America.

The pitch-off competition hosted by Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) challenged post-secondary students in engineering, information technology, and business administration to utilize smart mobility technologies, data analytics, and new payment and security technologies to reduce cross-border congestion and wait times.

Study aims to diversify workforce for clean energy future

Jun 11th, 2021



​A study led by UWindsor researchers aims to equip Canada with a diverse and inclusive pool of leaders for the clean energy sector of the future.

The Environmental Energy Institute’s Lindsay Miller and Rupp Carriveau say a new research program they’re spearheading will help bridge the gaps between the technical, economic, and political aspects of the nation’s energy sector.

“While our energy systems are presently undergoing an unprecedented spectrum of change, the same cannot be said for the conventional educational pathways that were designed to produce the highly qualified people (HQP) to drive the energy sector,” Dr. Miller says.

Using a multi-stakeholder approach, the initiative will inform clean energy curriculum development and encourage underrepresented minorities to pursue clean energy careers.

As leaders of the Climate Led Energy Evolution Network 2040, Miller and Carriveau have developed an international network of stakeholders across universities, businesses and government agencies with a vested interest in the future of energy systems.

This broad and diverse cross section of clean energy sector stakeholders will help identify gaps between skill sets and current Canadian post-secondary clean energy curriculum.