Engineering Research Report 2025-Special MUN 100 Edition

MUN 100 SPECIAL RESEARCH REPORT 2025

MAJOR RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

$801,000 $759,073 $1,020,000

STEVE BUTT WITH PARTNERS —Novamera Inc. NSERC Alliance Grant: Surgical Mining for Massive Sulfide Deposits

YAN ZHANG, KELLY HAWBOLDT, AHMED ELRUBY, SHEGUFTA SHETRANJIWALLA WITH PARTNERS

E-Tech Resources Inc. and Torrent Capital Ltd. NSERC Alliance Missions Grant: Characterization and Solvent Extraction of Rare Earth Elements

JONATHAN ANDERSON WITH PARTNERS National Cybersecurity Commission: Securing Critical Marine Systems

$585,400

OCTAVIA DOBRE WITH PARTNERS —Transforming Climate Action: Next Generation Technologies for Transforming Ocean Observation (OCTOPUS)

$250,000

BING CHEN —New Frontier in Research Fund Global Grant: ArctSolution: Arctic Pollution in a One Health Perspective - from Complex Challenges to Sustainable Solutions. Addition to €6M ArcSolution EU Horizon Europe program

MAJOR RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

MESSAGE FROM DEAN AND ASSOCIATE DEAN OF RESEARCH

DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

OUR FACULTY

A LOOK BACK: FEAS THROUGH THE YEARS

RESEARCH STORIES

ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT DAY

FEAS-C-CORE PARTNERSHIP

FEAS-NRC

RESEARCH

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

I AM PROUD OF THE MOMENTUM WE’VE BUILT AND THE DIRECTION WE ARE HEADED.

FROM MILESTONES TO MOMENTUM: DRIVING INNOVATION TO ADDRESS EMERGING CHALLENGES

As Memorial University marks a century of excellence in higher education, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS) reflects on its legacy of growth and milestones-stepping confidently into a new era defined by innovation, intelligence, collaboration and impact at local, national, and global levels. Over the past 56 years, FEAS has flourished into a global leader in engineering education and applied research, driving innovation and addressing complex global challenges with purpose and distinction.

Rooted in exceptional research expertise and capabilities, FEAS has consistently advanced the frontiers of knowledge and technology, making far-reaching contributions and transformative impact across multiple disciplines of civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronic engineering, ocean and naval architectural engineering, and process engineering.

In 2024, our researchers have sustained a strong trajectory of innovation and excellence, securing over $24.6 million in funding through 203 grants and contracts and setting a record in the history. This year highlights the depth and impact of our scholarly contributions and research leadership in many challenging fields, from climate change and renewable energy to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Notable grant successes this year include multimillion-dollar collaborations supported by the NSERC Alliance and Alliance Missions grants, the New Frontiers in Research Fund (partnering with Horizon Europe Program), and the Canada First Research Excellence FundTransforming Climate Action program. These initiatives advance sustainable and critical mineral processing, Arctic pollution mitigation, marine systems security, and nextgeneration ocean observation.

Across departments, our faculty achieved significant milestones. In Civil Engineering, grants were secured for projects on thermoplastic water pipes exposed to ground movements, marine oil spill response, and biochar production from dairy manure. Electrical and Computer Engineering researchers advanced ocean remote sensing technologies, smart grid systems, and robotic swarm manipulation. In Mechanical Engineering, teams explored space surface modelling, advanced alloy coatings, and additive manufacturing. Ocean and Naval Architectural

Engineering researchers focused on autonomous shipping, marine safety, and impact modelling, while Process Engineering faculty worked on clean energy storage, biopolymeric and carbonaceous composite materials, and direct air capture technology.

Over the past year, our researchers and their trainees have produced 444 technical publications, including 147 openaccess articles. Many of these works have appeared in high-impact venues within their respective fields, with some receiving recognition through best paper awards. We also have 15 faculty members who have received institutional, national and international awards such as the Memorial President’s Award for Outstanding Research, fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada and the Engineering Institute of Canada, University of Regina Alumni Crowning Achievement, recognition of Top 2% Scientist in the World by Stanford University, etc. Our members have actively assumed leadership roles in scholarly and professional service, contributing to scientific committees, industrial and governmental advisory boards, journal editorial boards, and community organizations nationwide and worldwide.

Student research and experiential learning remain central to our academic culture. With a steadfast commitment, FEAS continuously strives to cultivate and enhance a stimulating, equitable, inclusive, and diverse training environment, supported by state-of-the-art research facilities, experiential learning opportunities, and robust supervision and mentorship frameworks. Our students and postdoctoral fellows have significantly contributed to advancing knowledge and technological innovation through highquality research outputs, including technical publications, conference presentations, and active engagement in professional communities. Their excellence is reflected in around 30 awards and honours, ranging from NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship and KEGS foundation scholarships to best paper and presentation awards and recognitions by professional associations.

Our Engineering Research Office (ERO) has continued to support the FEAS by offering development opportunities that enhance the quality and competitiveness of research applications and the training opportunities for highly qualified personnel (HQP), while actively promoting collaboration with other faculties and partners. Some of the events include Lunch & Learn sessions, NSERC and CFI application workshops, Research Poster Day, and Industry Engagement Day.

Our local and global partnerships remain key to our success. A testament to enduring collaboration, our long-standing partners also celebrate a shared legacy with FEAS—exemplified by C-CORE, marking five decades of joint contributions to ice engineering, remote sensing, and geotechnical engineering, and by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in St. John’s, reflecting over 40 years of collaborative advancement in ship design and vessel performance in harsh ocean environments. Our strong partnership with Professional Engineers and Geoscientist Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) further reinforces our commitment to professional excellence and the advancement of engineering practice in the province.

These accomplishments underscore our interdisciplinary strengths and unwavering commitment to tackling complex, real-world challenges. FEAS remains dedicated to nurturing a creative, diverse, and inclusive research and academic environment where equity and collaboration are fundamental to advancing technology and training of next-generation researchers and professionals for the future.

As we celebrate a century of excellence at Memorial and 56 years of engineering achievement, I am proud of the momentum we’ve built and the direction we are headed. The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science remains dedicated to nurturing a vibrant research culture that fuels discovery, supports students and faculty, and addresses the most pressing challenges of our time. We thank all our partners, funders, and collaborators who make our work possible and look forward to continued progress in the years ahead.

Bing Chen

PHD, P.ENG., F.CAE, F.EIC, F.CSCE, M.EASA

Interim Dean and Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATE DEAN OF RESEARCH

TOGETHER WITH OUR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND PARTNERS, WE ARE NOT JUST PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE—WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE IT

As Memorial University celebrates 100 years of impact, and our Faculty marks 50 years since the graduation of our first engineering class, we reflect with pride on the extraordinary progress that has brought us to this moment. In this MUN 100th Special Edition of our annual research report, in addition to reflecting on the our own history within FEAS, we proudly celebrate the 50th anniversary of C-CORE and reflect on nearly four decades of collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC). Our longstanding partnerships have been instrumental in positioning our Faculty—and Newfoundland and Labrador—as a global leader in cold oceans engineering. Our shared history is one of bold ideas, pioneering research, and a deep commitment to serving the needs of our province, our country, and the world. From founding the first co-operative engineering program in Atlantic Canada to leading global advances in cold oceans and harsh environment technologies, our faculty’s legacy is one of meaningful innovation and impact.

Today, our research community continues to rise to meet the challenges of our time. From cybersecurity and AI to the energy transition, quantum computing and

communications, green shipping, and sustainable infrastructure, our faculty is creating the knowledge, technologies, and partnerships that will shape the next 100 years.

This year’s Research Report reflects that momentum. In 2024, we secured over $24.6 million in funding, published 444+ peer-reviewed papers, and celebrated major successes in national and international grant programs. These achievements reflect both the diversity and depth of innovation across our faculty. Our students and postdoctoral fellows showcased their work at Research Day, and our strong ties with partners across industry, government, and Indigenous communities continued to grow through our Annual Industry Engagement Day and collaborative initiatives.

You will read about many of these efforts in this report— from Dr. Adam Noel’s pioneering work in molecular communication systems to Dr. Bing Chen’s international leadership on persistent organic pollutants in northern regions. Dr. David Molyneux is advancing safety and search and rescue in remote regions, while Dr. Hodjat Shiri is using

digital twins to enable smarter, more resilient infrastructure. Dr. Jonathon Anderson is helping to secure marine industry technologies against emerging cybersecurity threats, and Dr. Kelly Hawboldt continues to lead in transforming industrial waste into valuable bioproducts to support circular economies in northern and remote communities. You will also read about Dr. Liam Morrissey’s atomic modeling of space weathering, Dr. Ting Zou’s bio-inspired robotics, Dr. Wei Qiu’s work on reducing propeller noise, and Dr. Yahui Zhang’s work on using resins to efficiently separate metals from water and waste

As we reflect on this milestone at Memorial, it is not only a time of celebration, but a time of transformation. As our faculty continues to evolve, adapt, and lead, we do so with a shared sense of purpose. Together with our students, researchers, and partners, we are not just preparing for the future—we are working together to create it.

I invite you to explore this report, connect with our researchers, and celebrate what we have achieved together and the exciting path ahead.

Rocky S. Taylor PHD, P.ENG, MBA

Interim Associate Dean (Research) Professor

DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

CIVIL ENGINEERING

ASHUTOSH DHAR — NSERC Alliance International Collaboration Grant: Thermoplastic Water Pipes Exposed to Ground Movements

BING CHEN AND HELEN ZHANG — NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) Grant: Multi-Functional Wave Tank Platform for Marine Oil Pollution and Spill Response Research and Training (Wave-POL)

NOORI SAADY — Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Investigating Manufacturing of Biochar from Dairy Manure and Studying its Effects on Biogas from Dairy Manure

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

WEIMIN HUANG — NSERC Discovery Grant: Ocean Remote Sensing Using Highfrequency and Microwave Radars: Theoretical Models and Application Algorithms

ANDREW VARDY — NSERC Discovery Grant: Multi-Object Manipulation by Robot Swarms

MOHSIN JAMIL — NSERC Discovery Grant: Innovative Power Electronics Technologies for Power Quality Improvements in Smart Grids

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LIAM MORRISSEY AND KRIS PODUSKA WITH PARTNERS — Canadian Space Agency: From Surface Atom to Exposure: Theoretical multidimensional modelling of Surface Processes on the Moon and Mercury and Their Effects on Predicted Exposures

SIMA ALIDOKHT — NSERC Discovery Grant: Enhanced Surface Engineering of MultiPrincipal Element Alloys Tribological Coatings through Utilization of Third-Bodies Analysis Insights for Harsh Environment Applications

AHMED ELRUBY — NSERC Discovery Grant: The Effect of Microstructural Defects on the Elastoplastic Behavior of Additively Manufactured Multi-metallic Parts

OCEAN AND NAVAL ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING

WEI QIU — Natural Resources Canada: Opportunities and Gaps for the Canadian Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) Sector

BRUCE QUINTON WITH PARTNERS — Femto Engineering: MoD Large Pendulum Impacts

BRIAN VEITCH WITH PARTNERS — Virtual Marine Technology Inc. Mitacs Accelerate: Adaptive Instructional System for Safe Marine Operations in Icy Waters

PROCESS ENGINEERING

YAN ZHANG — NSERC Discovery Grant: Water and Wastewater Treatment by Porous Biopolymeric and Carbonaceous Composite Materials

LESLEY JAMES — NSERC Discovery Grant: Hybrid Data-Driven Molecular to Macro Upscaling for Clean Energy Storage

SOHRAB ZENDEHBOUDI — NSERC Discovery Grant: Assessment of Arctic Carbon Capture with Direct Air Capture (DAC) Technology

OUR FACULTY

ADMINISTRATION

Interim Dean

Chen, B.

PhD, P.Eng., FCSCE, FEIC, FCAE, MEASA; Professor, Civil Engineering

Acting Associate Dean (Graduate Studies)

Hawlader, B.P.

PhD, P.Eng., Professor, Civil Engineering

Interim Associate Dean (Research)

Taylor R.S.

PhD, P.Eng., MBA; Associate Professor, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Acting Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies)

Ahmed, S.

PhD, P.Eng.; Professor, Process Engineering

Director, First Year Engineering

Peng, H.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor, Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering

Director, Ocean Engineering Research Centre Molyneux, D.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor, Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering

Director, Centre for Artificial Intelligence Czarnuch, S.M.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Director, Office of Industrial Outreach

Bruneau, S.E.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor, Civil Engineering

Senior Administrative Officer

Lewis, S.

BBA, B.Ed., MER

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Acting Department Head

Dhar, A.S.

PhD, P.Eng.; Professor

Specialization: Geotechnical engineering; pipe testing; numerical modelling

Acting Deputy Head

Daraio, J.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor

Specialization: Climate change, infrastructure, storm water management, coastal flooding, flood risk

Professors

Chen, B.

PhD, PEng, FCAE, FEIC, FCSCE, MEASA, UArctic Research Chair in Marine and Coastal Environmental Engineering

Specialization: Marine & inland oil/HNS spill response; emerging contaminants under climate change; water & wastewater treatment and reuse

Hassan, A.A.A.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Development; durability; corrosion and service life prediction of concrete structures

Hawlader, B.P.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Finite element modelling; soil-structure interaction; geotechnical engineering

Zhang, B.

PhD, P.Eng., FCSCE, FEIC, Canada

Research Chair in Coastal Environmental Engineering

Specialization: Coastal Environmental Engineering, Environmental Biotechnologies, Emerging Contaminants

Associate Professors Adluri, S.

PhD

Specialization: Research mobilization; entrepreneurship; numerical methods

Bruneau, S.E.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Arctic ships and structures; energy; marine structural design and analysis

Hussein, A.

PhD, P.Eng., FCSCE

Specialization: Advanced composite materials as reinforcement for concrete structures; testing of concrete under generalized stress conditions; constitutive modelling of concrete structures

Saady, N.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Bioenergy; hydrogen energy; carbon capture

Shiri, H.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Offshore Geotechnics, Arctic and Harsh Environment Engineering, Sustainable Infrastructures

Professors Emeriti Jordaan, I.J.

PhD, P.Eng., C.Eng., FICE, FCSCE, FEIC, FRSC

Lye, L.M.

PhD, P.Eng., FCE, FCSCE, FEIC, FCAE

Deputy Head

Masek, V.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor

Specialization: Instrumentation and control; smart sensors and robotics

Professors

Dobre, O.A.

PhD, P. Eng, FRSC, FIEEE, FEIC, FCAE

Research Chair in Ubiquitous Connectivity

Specialization: Wireless communications and networking; underwater communications; optical communications

Duong, T.Q.

PhD, FIEEE, FEIC, FAAIA

Canada Excellence Research Chair in Next

Generation Communication Technology

Specialization: Wireless communications; quantum machine learning; quantum optimization

Gosine, R.G.

PhD, P.Eng., FCAE, FEC

Specialization: Telerobotics; machine vision; pattern recognition

Huang, W.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Remote sensing; ocean radar; machine learning

Iqbal, M.T.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Hybrid power systems; renewable energy systems; passive Houses; electronics and control systems

O’Young, S.D.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Unmanned aircraft; instrumentation; controls and automation; robotics

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Department Head

Zhang, L.

PhD, P.Eng.; Professor

Specialization: Very large-scale integration; design automation; microelectromechanical system

Peters, D.K.

PhD, P.Eng., FEC, SMIEEE

Specialization: Software design and specification; high performance computing; machine learning

Vardy, A.

PhD, P.Eng., Joint appointment (Computer Science)

Specialization: Swarm robotics

Associate Professors Anderson, J.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Cybersecurity; operating systems; privacy

Czarnuch, S.M.

PhD, P.Eng., Joint appointment (Faculty of Medicine)

Specialization: Image processing; computer vision; machine learning

George, G.H.

PhD, CertEd, FRAS, FIMA

Specialization: Calculus; probability

Power, S.

PhD, P.Eng., Joint appointment (Faculty of Medicine)

Specialization: Biomedical engineering; brain-computer interfacing

Jamil, M.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Renewable energy systems; controls and power electronics, AI and machine earning.

Noel, A.

PhD

Specialization: Molecular communication; biophysical communication engineering

Assistant Professors Al-Nahhal, I

PhD

Specialization: Wireless communication; machine Learning

Khan, A.

PhD

Specialization: Power electronics; electric vehicles; energy systems

Shahidi, R.

PhD, SMIEEE

Specialization: Remote sensing; machine Learning, FPGA development

Wanasinghe, T.R. PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Autonomous robotics systems; applied AI and machine learning; digitalization & its socio-economic impact

Honorary Research Professor Moloney, C PhD

Professor Emeriti Gill, E.W. PhD, P.Eng.

Quaicoe, J.E. PhD, P.Eng., FEC

Venkatesan, R. PhD, P.Eng.

MECHANICAL AND MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING

Department Head

Rideout, D.G.

PhD, P.Eng.; Professor

Specialization: Modeling and simulation; vibrations; dynamics

Deputy Heads Mann, G.K.I. PhD, P.Eng.; Professor

Specialization: Robot trajectory control; multi-robotic systems; robotic mapping

Duan, X.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor

Specialization: Heat transfer; multiphase flow; energy

Professors Muzychka, Y.S.

PhD, P.Eng., FCSME, FASME, FEIC, AFAIAA; University Research Professor

Specialization: Fluid dynamics; heat transfer; multiphase flow

Nakhla, S.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Computer aided design; finite element modelling; structural health monitoring (metal corrosion and composites)

Pope, K.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Sustainable energy systems; wind energy; clean hydrogen production; ocean Energy

Sharan, A.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Energy and environment; robotics; artificial intelligence

Yang, J.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: machine design; vibration analysis; wind turbine dynamics

Associate Professors

De Silva, B.M.O.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Navigation systems; robotics, artificial intelligence

Taylor, R.S.

PhD, P.Eng., MBA

Specialization: Ice-load estimation for the design of offshore structures; mechanics of compressive ice failure

Zou, T.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Robotics; machine learning; mechanism design and control

Assistant Professors

Alidokht, S.A.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Surface engineering; additive manufacturing; materials characterization

Elruby, A.Y.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: numerical modeling; mechanical characterization, additive manufacturing; plasticity, failure predictions

Morrissey, L

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Multiscale harsh environment modelling; mechanical properties of nanostructures

Said, M. W. M. E

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Controls; robotics; mechatronics

Teaching Professors Rosales, J.

PhD

Teaching Assistant Professors Etminan, A PhD, EIT

OCEAN AND NAVAL ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING

Department Head

Qiu, W.

PhD, P.Eng., FSNAME, FRINA, FCAE; Professor

Specialization: Ship and offshore hydrodynamics; wave and body interaction; seakeeping; marine propulsion; CFD for marine applications

Deputy Head

Quinton, B W. T.

PhD, P.Eng.; Associate Professor

Specialization: Extreme and accidentals loads; ice impact; structural resilience

Professors Bose, N.

PhD, FCAE

Specialization: Autonomous underwater vehicles; marine propulsion; ocean environmental monitoring

Daley, C.G.

Dr.Tech., P.Eng., FEC, FSNAME, FCAE

Specialization: Arctic ships and structures; marine structural design and analysis; materials and mechanics; offshore and marine safety; safety and risk; simulation; structures and materials

Veitch, B.J.

PhD, P.Eng., FSNAME, FCAE

Specialization: Offshore and marine safety

Associate Professors Moro, L.

PhD

Specialization: Ship noise and vibration

Molyneux, D.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Ocean engineering; marine safety

Peng, H.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Marine hydrodynamics; numerical modelling; wave - body interaction

Walker, D.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Fishing vessel safety and design

Assistant Professors Smith, D.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Complex systems; organizational safety; functional modelling

Professors Emeritus

Haddara, M.R.

PhD, P.Eng., C.Eng.

PROCESS ENGINEERING

Department Head

Imtiaz, S. A.

PhD, P.Eng.; Professor

Specialization: Process control; fault detection and diagnosis; nonlinear model predictive control; machine learning

Deputy Head

James, L.A.

PhD, P.Eng.; Professor

Specialization: CCUS; enhanced oil recovery; reservoir management; fluid-fluid and fluid-rock interactions; digitalization

Professors Ahmed, S.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Process safety and control; alarm system design; system identification

Butt, S.D.

PhD, P.Eng., University Research Professor

Specialization: Natural resources engineering and geology; drilling and mining technology development.

Hawboldt, K.A.

PhD, P.Eng., University Research Professor

Specialization: Chemical engineering; bioprocessing

Zendehboudi, S.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Energy and environment; Process systems engineering; transport phenomena

Zhang, Y.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Chemical and process engineering

Associate Professors Zhang, Y.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Mineral processing; extractive metallurgy; wastewater treatment

Assistant Professor Lin, C.

PhD, P.Eng.

Specialization: Automation in mine geomechanics; underground design; numerical modelling

Teaching Associate Professors Aborig, A. PhD

Teaching Assistant Professor Mamudu, A PhD

Lecturer

Azargohar, R.

PhD, P.Eng.

FEAS THROUGH THE YEARS MEMORIAL TURNS 100 AND FEAS CELEBRATES 56 YEARS

As Memorial celebrates 100 years, the Engineering Research Office (ERO) reflects on the evolution, milestones, collaborations, and transformative impact of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS) during its first fifty-six years.

MILESTONES

1930: The Beginning

In 1930, five years after Memorial University College opened on Parade Street, a three-year engineering diploma program was introduced with Dr. Thomas Winter supervising the first thirteen students.

1949–1968: Becoming a Faculty

In 1949 Memorial University College became Memorial University of Newfoundland, a degree-granting institution. One year later in 1950, the Engineering Department was renamed the Faculty of Applied Science with Dr. Stanley James Carew, who hailed from Bell Island, as its first dean (1950-1968).

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING DEAN YEARS

Prof. Stanley J. Carew

(dean of Faculty of Applied Science before it became a degree-granting program)

Dr. Angus Bruneau (founding dean of the new Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science)

Dr. Robert Dempster

Dr. Colin D. DiCenzo

Dr. G. Ross Peters

1950–1968

1969–1974

1974–1980

1980–1982

1982–1992

Dr. Rangaswamy Seshadri 1993–2002

Dr. Mahmoud Haddara 2002–2003

Dr. Raymond G. Gosine

Dr. John E. Quaicoe

2003–2008

2008–2011

Dr. Ramachandran Venkatesan 2011–2012

Dr. Greg F. Naterer

(Dr. Dennis Peters acting dean from June 2021–July 2022)

Dr. Octavia A. Dobre

(First female dean (interim) of the faculty. Appointed as dean beginning January 1, 2026)

Dr. Bing Chen (Interim dean)

2012–2022

Opposite page: Engineering students and staff (back row S.J Carew, John MC Facey and A.O Nemec) on the steps of the Parade Street Campus. (Source: S.J. Carew Photograph Collection. MUN DAI)

1968–1974: Early Years

In 1968, the engineering diploma program expanded into a full-degree program so students would no longer have to leave the province to get their B.Eng., and Dr. Angus Bruneau, a young professor from the University of Waterloo, became dean of the newly named Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, which offered undergraduate degree programs in three disciplines: civil, mechanical and electrical engineering - as well as a new master’s degree (M.Eng.) in ocean engineering.

From the very beginning, Dean Bruneau decided that Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science would become a hub for cold ocean and harsh environment research. Understanding that offshore oil & gas fields would be developed in the near future, Dean Bruneau, along with Dr. Robert Dempster, who became the Faculty’s second dean, launched the first iceberg classification and towing expeditions in 1971, establishing a link between resource development and the academic community and leading to funding from both the oil & gas industry and the National Research Council (NRC).

2022–2024

2025

LORA-1 (Low Temperature Ocean Research Activity)

Another major project in 1971 was the development of an underwater laboratory called LORA-1 (Low Temperature Ocean Research Activity), which was built from scavenged parts and anchored to the ocean floor in Conception Bay.

The sixteen-foot-long cylindrical laboratory weighed eleven tons and could house students underwater for weeks at a time to study corrosion and metals behaviour, underwater pipelines and sediment movement and the dispersion of pollutants in coastal waters.

1974–1975: Pivotal Years

In 1974, leadership of the Faculty transferred to Dr. Robert Dempster who had the honour, along with Professors John Molgaard and John Allen, of overseeing the graduation of Memorial’s first electrical, mechanical and civil engineers.

David Rees was a member of that first graduating class, a cohort of seventy-six bachelor students. “Studying engineering at Memorial was wonderful; I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “The profs… were at the top of their game in their fields. It was great for us to be trained by them,” said David.

First Female Graduate: Hilary Dawson (B.Eng. 1975)

1975 was another pivotal year for the Engineering Faculty. Hilary Dawson became the first female engineering graduate at Memorial, and the civil, electrical and mechanical disciplines

achieved accreditation by the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL). In November that same year, the Faculty moved to the new S.J. Carew Building which housed the Ocean Engineering Research Centre (OERC) with a fifty-eight-metre tow tank and a hydraulically-actuated wave board to test standard ship resistance, self propulsion and propellers.

Centre for Cold Ocean Resource Engineering

The Centre for Cold Ocean Resource Engineering or C-CORE also opened in 1975 specializing in remote sensing, ice engineering and geotechnical engineering. Harold Snyder was the first director. “C-CORE would not exist if we hadn’t started those field studies in 1971,” said Dr. Dempster. “We started aerial photography using a single-engine plane which allowed us to calculate iceberg mass above the water and determine the portion underneath the surface.”

1980–2011: Years of Expansion and Impact

Shipbuilding

In 1980, Dr. Dempster introduced a new shipbuilding program with only two students and three faculty members, Bill Milne, Dr. Charles Hsiung and Dag Friis.

Today what is known as the Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering allows students to gain experience in construction, management, marine engineering, marine hydrodynamics, ship structures, seakeeping and manoeuvrability, submersibles and small craft design.

1984: The National Research Council Facilities in St. John’s

Four years after the debut of the shipbuilding program, the National Research Council (NRC) set up on Memorial campus. The NRC’s 200-metre towing tank and ninety-metre ice tank, one of the largest in the world, allow for ice modelling and scale-model testing of ships.

The Faculty was led by several deans over these years including Drs. Colin DiCenzo, Ross Peters, Rangaswamy Seshadri, Mahmoud Haddara, Ray Gosine and John Quaicoe.

During Dr. Colin DiCenzo’s short tenure as dean, the Faculty employed seven professors, twenty-seven associate professors, nine assistant professors and two forestry professors. For his contributions to engineering and science education, he was appointed as a Member of Order of Canada in 1972.

Dr. Ross Peters led the Ocean Engineering Research Group, served as chair of PEGNL’s board and received the Order of Canada for his work on the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.

Dr. Rangaswamy Seshadri established new industry partnerships, started the Office of Industrial Outreach and worked to attract the first Canada Research Chairs to the Faculty.

In 2002, long before he became dean, Dr. John Quaicoe played a leading role in introducing transition and fast-track programs to allow high school students direct entry into the Faculty.

In 2004, recognizing the demand for a course-based postgraduate education in computer engineering, a Master of Applied Science in Computer Engineering (MASCE) was developed by Dr. Venkatesan, who had become associate dean of graduate studies and research and Dr. Ray Gosine, who was then dean. These programs were developed in response to both opportunities and challenges that had been identified by Dr. Mahmoud Haddara,

previous associate dean of graduate studies and research and interim Dean.

Then between 2003 and 2008 the Faculty, under the leadership of Dean Ray Gosine, redesigned the undergraduate engineering curriculum to reduce the length of the bachelor’s degree program from six to five years. Dr. Gosine, who also served as chair of PEGNL, was instrumental in mentoring several start-ups such as Intrignia Solutions and Verafin, which was acquired by Nasdaq in 2020 for $2.75 billion USD.

2009: MASc in Oil & Gas Engineering

In response to the need for engineering solutions to oil & gas industry challenges, programs in process engineering and a master’s in oil & gas engineering were introduced, and in 2013, the Hibernia Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Laboratory opened in the Bruneau Centre.

2008–2011: Suncor Energy Offshore R&D Centre

In 2008, the position of associate dean of graduate studies and research was split into two positions with Dr. Brian Veitch becoming the first associate dean of research. Dr. Veitch with Dean John Quaicoe solicited support from industry to finance the 2014 Suncor Energy Offshore R&D Centre, the 14,200-squarefoot expansion of the S.J. Carew Building which enabled the university to take on large offshore engineering research projects in collaboration with industry partners.

2012–Present: Years of Innovation and Global Reach

In 2014, the Faculty launched the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE) in partnership with the Faculty of Business,

which has led to the creation of companies like CoLab Software, BreatheSuite and Mysa Smart Thermostats. The Faculty also houses the Student Design Hub (SDH), which provides hands-on space and resources for students to collaborate, develop prototypes and innovate through engineering design projects and competitions.

From 2008-22, under the leadership of deans John Quaicoe and Ramchandran Venkatesan, the number of international students in the Faculty continued to increase to the point that today the Faculty has graduate students from more than thirty countries.

During the ten years Dr. Greg Naterer was dean (2012-22), undergraduate enrollment increased by over twenty per cent and graduate enrolment approximately doubled.

In 2022 Dr. Octavia Dobre became the Faculty’s first female dean (interim). “Solving problems to enhance the community and the country continues to be the main focus of the Faculty,” she said. “From its humble beginnings in 1930 with thirteen students and one professor, we have grown to thirty-degree programs across seven disciplines – twenty-three graduate and seven undergraduate. From one female student in the class of 1975, today Memorial is a leader of student diversity and women in engineering. For the past two years, Newfoundland and Labrador has had a significantly high percentage of female undergraduate engineering students nationally, at over 29 per cent.”

Dr. Bing Chen now leads the faculty as the interim dean. Since the first engineering students graduated in 1974, the Faculty has grown to 1,300 undergraduate students, 925 graduate students, roughly 1,000 co-op work term placements per year. External research support has also grown from under $2 million in the mid-1990s to nearly $25 million in 2024, reflecting the faculty’s expanding role in research and innovation. Over the past three decades, the faculty has secured more than 4,440 external research grants, totaling over $266 million.

Today, in addition to its concentration on ocean technology; the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has become a research centre for information and communication technology and is home to the Canada Research Chair on Ubiquitous Connectivity, the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Next Generation Communication, the Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as the Quantum Communications and Computing Centre.

From iceberg tracking and classification to designing and building communication satellites, the only way for the Faculty to go is up.

A full-length version of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s history is availble on our website.

FEAS EXTERNAL RESEARCH FUNDING, 1995–2024

$25,000,000

$20,000,000

$15,000,000

$10,000,000

$5,000,000

(Source: MUN fact sheet)

HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE

MEMORIAL RESEARCHER AT THE FOREFRONT OF MOLECULAR COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

DR. ADAM NOEL

Can you imagine a future in which humans have implants to help regulate their metabolism? Or, how about a fleet of tiny robots working together to destroy cancer cells?

Dr. Adam Noel, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, certainly can.

“It all comes down to being able to manipulate how cells communicate - if we can strengthen certain signals or weaken those that are harmful, we can then target diseases and conditions where there’s a breakdown of communication,” said Dr. Noel, who came to Memorial in 2024 from the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK, where he spent six years doing research into what is known as molecular communication engineering.

“Molecular communication engineering is a collaboration between engineering, chemistry, biology and medicine that can lead to devices that listen and talk to cells. Cancer and bacterial infections, for example, tell the body to reproduce undesirable cells too quickly whereas in the case of neurodegenerative disease, cells become less efficient at sending signals. Being able to manipulate cell communication would be a gamechanger for helping those suffering from diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinsons where cell communication is damaged.”

Futuristic? Yes. Doable? Also, yes.

But let’s back up a bit and explain how Dr. Noel became one of the most renowned researchers in this field.

When Dr. Noel first began his studies in communication engineering, he was immersed in the more traditional communications fields involving wired (fibre-optic cables or Ethernet) or wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth or 5G) communications;

the latter based on transmitting electromagnetic waves. In these more well-known fields, many devices can be connected in a web, like the Internet; or one device can communicate directly with another without going through a hub - think walkie talkies which use a transmitter and receiver. Currently, Dr. Noel shares this engineering knowledge with Memorial students through courses on random process and digital signal processing (DSP). He is also supporting the new mechatronics program that is shared with the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering with a course on microprocessors and digital logic.

When Dr. Noel began his PhD, however, his research ventured beyond the systems we currently use to explore communication between human cells. Communication at a molecular level is a whole new ballgame for communications models, with millions of cells transmitting chemical molecules.

“The attempt to understand how specific cells and organisms use molecules to communicate is what interests me,” said Dr. Noel. “Once we understand this, perhaps the day will come when scientists can manipulate cells to strengthen signals or weaken those that are harmful. Designing and analyzing communications systems in which the signalling - transmitters and receiversrely on molecule propagation is the definition of molecular communication engineering.”

The first step is to study the environment where the molecular communication takes place. A mathematical model is made to represent these molecular communications systems, then a hypothesis can be formed as to how the transmitting and receiving cells act under various conditions, including how they react to changes like cell growth and increases in temperature. Hypotheses can then be tested from the model itself (e.g., numeric evaluation) and from computer simulations. This is the focus of the research

in the newly established Biophysical Communication Engineering Lab in the Core Science Facility at the St. John’s campus.

“We are looking for experimental validation in the lab; we want to run a model and make predictions on how actual biology works,” said Dr. Noel. “Biological processes are complicated; we want to replicate them in a lab setting. Is the model accurate enough to make predictions? We will make progress through different iterations, by engaging with collaborators over an extended period.”

Of course, the long-term success of this research requires collaboration outside of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, for which Dr. Noel is well-positioned at Memorial with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s new home in the Core Science Facility. The building also hosts the Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry, which makes interdisciplinary engagement much easier. Even though engineers and biologists can have very different perspectives and be interested in different research questions, collaboration can produce mutually beneficial results, as Dr. Noel has already demonstrated in England.

“All of my Ph.D. students in the UK had a co-supervisor or collaborators from a different discipline,” said Dr. Noel. “This is necessary for us to do impactful work in molecular communication.”

And the big question - how exactly does one mimic molecular communication or achieve the ability to communicate with molecules in a lab setting?

Lab-on-a-Chip

In one approach, Dr. Noel and his team model lab-on-a-chip technology, which are miniature-scale lab benches. A lab-on-achip can be about the size of a deck of cards and include multiple interconnected compartments. Pumps can push fluids through the chip to mimic processes like human metabolism.

During his years in England, Dr. Noel was principal investigator on a project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the equivalent of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) in Canada. The research looked at different ways in which communication engineering tools could be applied to understanding microbiology.

MOLECULAR COMMUNICATION

ENGINEERING IS A COLLABORATION

BETWEEN ENGINEERING, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE THAT CAN LEAD TO DEVICES THAT LISTEN AND TALK TO CELLS.

While there are clear connections with Dr. Noel’s research and the life sciences, his link with mechanical engineering through the new mechatronics program might be unexpected. However, understanding molecule diffusion and other types of transport within the body relies on a good understanding of fluid dynamics - a fundamental mechanical engineering topic.

— Dr. Adam Noel

Of course, theory doesn’t tell the full story - prediction and control of biophysical systems at a microscopic level is not child’s play. So much can happen in a practical lab bench setting. Has there been contamination? Are the cells too young or too old? Where is the sweet spot in terms of environmental conditions in which the cells are grown?

The study was also supported by AstraZeneca Sweden, who were doing a lot of R&D in the lab-on-a-chip space with the goal to replace animal testing in drug trials with lab-on-achip products. AstraZeneca supported Dr. Noel with expertise they were developing and data they were generating in their lab-on-a-chip projects. The benefit to AstraZeneca was new insights to understand their platforms at a microscale level and design future experiments.

“We had a focus on metabolism; they were interested in glucose regulation for diabetics,” Dr. Noel explained. “On their labson-a-chip, each compartment represents an organ like the liver or pancreas. Tubes fed into the chip to drive a pump. The compartments, each about half a centimetre in diameter, are filled with liquid and contain clusters of cells, liver cells for example, with each cluster about half a millimetre in diameter. It is these large clusters of cells operating together, known as spheroids, that we are interested in. We can model spheroids as receivers and transmitters and how signals might pass between them over time.”

“The mathematics involved are quite interesting. We look at the mathematical modelling to study how waves of molecules dissipate, get amplified, or how they react when passing through a spheroid,” he said, explaining that the concept of diffusion has been studied for more than a century; Einstein himself wrote a paper on it in 1905 (https://einsteinpapers.press.princeton.edu/ vol2-trans/137). Diffusion can describe how molecules spread when inside a fluid. For example, if you add food colouring to water, the dye initially spreads through the water like a cloud. If you were to zoom in more than on what the naked eye could see, then you would notice that the dye molecules move in random patterns; they don’t spread out evenly.

Randomness is important

“What I’m interested in is the random processes - these could be in how the molecules move around, or how they bind to receptors on the surfaces of cells. The randomness is actually very important; I didn’t appreciate this until I engaged with people from a life sciences background.”

It was during Dr. Noel’s time in the UK when he realized that one exciting application of his work on spheroids was for modelling cancer cells and tumour progression, in part because spheroids themselves are grown from cancer cells.

Just like organs and artificial mini-organs such as spheroids, tumours are not homogenous. As tumours grow, there are cells inside with different properties, and they can develop layers with different thicknesses. Denser layers can slow down propagation which can prevent effective drug delivery to a tumour. The questions Dr. Noel is concerned with include whether drugs can penetrate a tumour or whether some of the drugs will stay outside the tumour and damage healthy tissue.

One method proposed to improve drug penetration is to engineer miniature drug carriers packed with drugs for targeted drug delivery. So, in the case of a tumour, a carrier should only release the drugs once inside the tumour, thus delivering a more potent payload with less damage to healthy cells outside.

“The ultimate goal would be to develop technologies that can communicate with cells in our bodies,” said Dr. Noel. “Geneticallymodified cells or robots using biochemical components could potentially monitor cell communications within the human body, detect where and when they are not performing or communicating optimally, and trigger a response to fix these problems. This is the killer app that we hope to create.”

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Memorial University of Newfoundland

Dr. Adam Noel is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Memorial, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2009. He received his master’s in electrical engineering in 2011 and PhD in electrical and computer engineering in 2015, both from the University of British Columbia.

While completing his PhD, Dr. Noel did a stint as a visiting scientist at the Institute for Digital Communication at FriedrichAlexander-University in Erlangen, Germany. Following his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa and the University of Montreal (2016-2018).

In 2018 Dr. Noel took a job at the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK, where he spent six years before returning to his home province to establish the Biophysical Communication Engineering Lab at Memorial.

His research interests include the prediction and control of biophysical systems at a microscopic level, biophysical communication engineering; molecular communication; and reaction-diffusion processes.

...WE WANT TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND MANAGE THE ENVIRONMENT IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY.

— Dr. Bing Chen

PERSISTENT, EMERGING AND ORGANIC POLLUTANTS: MEMORIAL RESEARCHER INVESTIGATES TOXIC COMPOUNDS IN NORTHERN CANADIAN SOIL AND WATER BODIES

DR. BING CHEN

In today’s world, flame retardants are incorporated into a wide range of products—curtains, furniture, electronics, vehicles and building materials, to reduce fire hazards. A key class of these chemicals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), can leach from discarded items into soils and water bodies, posing risks to human health and the environment. They have been widely recognized as a typical compound of the persistent, emerging and organic pollutants (PEOPs).

It has been reported that PBDEs are detected in Canadian drinking water supplies and across northern communities, from human breast milk to polar bears, seals and fish. Their multiple brominated aromatic rings confer environmental half-lives of years to decades. Toxicological studies have linked PBDE exposure to endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental deficits and immune alterations. Once released into the environment, these compounds bioaccumulate in lipid-rich tissues and resist natural degradation.

“In Canada, the production of PBDEs is banned, and commercial mixtures of penta-, octa- and deca-BDE are prohibited,” says Dr. Bing Chen, Professor and UArctic Chair of Marine and Coastal Environmental Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “Yet imported goods containing these mixtures continue to enter the market. We urgently need comprehensive monitoring and mitigation strategies for all congeners and their existence in soils and waters to understand and reduce their negative impact.” Canada has banned some commercial PBDE mixtures, including penta-, octa- and deca-BDE, but routine monitoring programs seldom include the full suite of lowerbrominated congeners. The contamination status in northern regions remains largely unclear, leading to challenges in developing/ improving suitable regulatory programs and management practices.

NRPOP Lab

Dr. Chen’s Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control Laboratory (NRPOP Lab) was established with support from the

Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Industrial Research and Innovation Fund (IRIF)

See Facility Spotlight in the 2023 Annual Research Report, p. 50. https://issuu.com/memorialu/docs/rr_2023_web?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ

“For a large number of PEOPs, we don’t know if they are in drinking water because many compounds are not regulated and thus not included in routine monitoring programs,” says Dr. Bing Chen, explaining that analyses are infrequent and expensive. “All chemicals can be toxic at high enough doses—the dose makes the poison,” he adds. While there are existing and new treatment technologies that can remove some PEOPs, more in-depth R&D, pilot testing and field validation are much desired.

To develop methods for analyzing and removing PEOPs from soil and water (including freshwater and saltwater) in harsh environmental conditions and under climate change, Dr. Chen’s NRPOP Lab has partnered with many collaborators and partners from the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions in Canada and globally. For example, he has recently conducted a project funded by the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) through collaborating with the North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA), representing Indigenous Métis communities in the North Slave region. Dr. Chen’s team, which includes master’s student Hongjie Wang and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Xing Song, has completed four sampling campaigns in Yellowknife and sounding the Great Slave Lakes, targeting both surface soils, permafrost and water. For soil, stratified cores are collected every five centimetres to depths of 1.5–2 metres; permafrost samples require a heavy-duty auger. Local community members have been trained by the team and have worked closely with the team on the project. The team has also gained unique opportunities in learning traditional knowledge and incorporating it into research.

“We have 36 sampling sites and over 300 soil and water samples from areas near landfills, remote locations, and multiple points surrounding Great Slave Lake and adjacent ponds,” reports Dr.

Members of the NRPOP Lab (L-r)Masoumeh Bavadi (PhD), Anran Wang (BSc), Moein Shahwan, Dr. Bing Chen, Runbo Yuan (PhD), Mojtaba Zarea (BSc), Hongyi Li (PhD), Hao Wu (BSc), Hongjie Wang (PhD), Xueyan Xu (PhD), Lidan Tao

Discussion on a mesoscale separation, demusification, and enhanced oxidation system for oil water emulsion (L-r) Masoumeh Bavadi (PhD), Xueyan Xu (PhD), Runbo Yuan (PhD), Dr. Bing Chen, Moein Shahwan, Hongyi Li (PhD), Hongjie Wang (PhD)

Chen. “PBDEs have been detected in approximately two-thirds of the 300 samples tested so far.”

The team has also studied the potential sources of the PBDEs which may originate from nearby landfills, industrial activities, or be transported long distances through rivers and surface runoff and deposition from the atmosphere via rain and snow.

Testing poses significant challenges. “The process requires extensive pretreatment,” explains Dr. Chen. “We separate solids from water, extract analytes, and analyze samples by an advanced analytical technique, gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), for separating and identifying chemical compounds.” The NRPOP Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art advanced instruments for PEOP analysis.

Dr. Chen notes that the high cost of comprehensive testing presents one of the key challenges of large-scale monitoring. The other challenges are also associated with the technical and financial limitations in mitigation and management practices.

Future Goals

“PBDEs are just the tip of the iceberg considering the persistent, emerging and organic pollutants. We have a long way to go for our regulatory programs to include the key PEOPs. It requires comprehensive and interdisciplinary research and development effort and continuing, significant investment in monitoring, assessment, treatment, management and policymaking.”

Still, Dr. Chen hopes his research will not only enhance understanding of pollution mechanisms but also help governments and industries improve mitigation practices for PEOP-related environmental problems, yielding both short- and long-term ecological, economic, and social benefits. His research also helps inform our northern communities, including Indigenous people, with scientific understanding and support for their capacity building and proactive participation in environmental management and policy making. Complementing the NRPOP Lab’s work, Dr. Chen leads several major initiatives that investigate the fate, transport and impacts of PEOPs (including oil spills, microplastics, PBDEs, and PFAS) and develop new treatment techniques for the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions and waters, such as the recent ArcSolution project funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund and the European Union Horizon Program with collaboration with more than ten other institutions from the countries around the Arctic.

“We want to provide scientific evidence to support our government in regulatory improvement and our industry in sustainable development, and we want to protect our northern communities and the environment from those persistent, emerging and organic pollutants.”

Dr. Bing Chen (B.Eng. (Jilin), M.Sc. (Peking), PhD (Regina), P.Eng.) obtained his B.Eng. and M.Sc. from Jilin and Peking Universities in China, respectively, and his PhD from the University of Regina, Saskatchewan. He worked as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia and conducted visiting research with Environment Canada before joining Memorial University in 2006. He is currently the interim Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, a professor and UArctic research chair in the Department of Civil Engineering and director of the Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control Laboratory (NRPOP Lab). He is also the founding director of a pan-Canadian and global Network of Persistent, Emerging, and Organic PoLlution in the Environment (PEOPLE Network or NSERC PEOPLE CREATE Program).

Dr. Chen has developed novel engineering and managerial solutions by integrating environmental engineering with nano-/ bio-technologies and advancing physical and numerical modelling methods. He has acted as PI or Co-PI in over 60 research projects and contracts. He has authored or co-authored more than 560 technical publications, including over 190 refereed journal papers and three books, and has eight patents/disclosures. He has supervised or co-supervised more than 100 thesis-based graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows, who have received awards and are well placed in the field of their training locally, nationally and internationally.

Dr. Chen is a fellow of the Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), and a former member of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) College. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Systems Research, President (2024-25) of CSCE, and Vice-President of the Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ). As a registered P.Eng., he provides advice to governments, industries, NGOs, and communities in Canada and worldwide.

SAFER OCEANS MEMORIAL AND DALHOUSIE COLLABORATION HELPS KEEP MARINERS SAFE

DR. DAVID MOLYNEUX

It is a common fact that commercial fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous professions. In July 2024, seven Newfoundland fishermen were forced to abandon their fifteen-metre fishing vessel after a fire in the galley caused it to sink.

The seven men, only five in immersion suits, spent two days at sea in a life raft that had no communications equipment to alert rescuers to their location. Their plight was further hampered by a dense fog which prevented the four Coast Guard vessels, Cormorant helicopter and Hercules military aircraft that had been dispatched by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Halifax from finding them. PAL Airlines also sent out aircraft

equipped with sensors to try to locate the vessel, while other inshore fishing vessels in the area searched on water.

But for two days, no one could find any trace of the life raft, despite using drift charts which help calculate where a vessel may have ended up.

The SAR helicopter passed low enough that the fishermen could hear it, but they could not see each other due to the thick blanket of fog.

Finally, two days after they abandoned their vessel, the fishermen were successful in alerting a rescue helicopter to their location using a handheld rocket flare.

This story had a happy ending when the fishermen were brought on board a Coast Guard vessel, warmed up, given food and water and brought home. The fact this happened in the summer contributed to their survival.

Because incidents like this are so common, researchers at four universities have teamed up to attempt to increase mariners’ odds of survival at sea.

“If you are adrift in a lifeboat in a heavy traffic area, you have a good chance of being found or rescued by one of the four main elements of the Canadian SAR system: helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, dedicated Coast Guard vessel or by a ship of opportunity, which just happens to be in the area,” said Dr. David Molyneux, associate professor of ocean and naval architectural engineering (ONAE) and director of the Ocean Engineering Research Centre. “But what about if you go missing in late fall or in a less frequented area? What if you are drifting off the coast of Labrador where

fewer vessels pass through and which has no dedicated Search and Rescue lifeboat station?”

If you map lifeboat distribution, there’s really good coverage in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and around the Atlantic provinces until you get to the tip of the Northern Peninsula and the coast of Labrador. Right now, if you run into trouble offshore in the Labrador Sea, a responding helicopter might have to make several stops to refuel. A fixed-wing aircraft could respond more quickly and has the ability to drop a pump if water is coming in or even drop off a SAR technician who can board the vessel and stay with crew until help arrives. But with no Coast Guard lifeboat stations along the Labrador coast, what would more likely happen is Coast Guard would task either a ship of opportunity or another Coast Guard vessel, not necessarily a SAR lifeboat, to respond.

Would things improve if there was a seasonal lifeboat station up there?

That is just one of the questions Dr. Molyneux and his collaborator, Dr. Rob Brown, senior research scientist in the School of Maritime Studies at the Marine Institute, hope to answer in a project called Future Ocean and Coastal Infrastructures (FOCI) sponsored by Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI). The part of the research they are involved in, called Search and Rescue in Remote Coastal Regions, also includes Drs. Ron Pelot and Floris Goerlandt at Dalhousie University, Dr. Peter Kikkert at St. Francis Xavier University and Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer at Trent University.

“If there’s more activity in the north with more shipping, at what point is it reasonable to introduce rescue services in areas that are not currently covered?” asked Dr. Molyneux. “That’s what we’re looking at in the FOCI project. Part of sustainable coastal infrastructure is the ability to help people when they get into trouble offshore.”

ULTIMATELY, WE THINK THIS WORK WILL IMPROVE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE LIVING AND WORKING IN COASTAL REGIONS.

— Dr. David Molyneux

“The goal of the overall project is to improve our understanding of the main factors that affect search and rescue performance, with the hope that future decisions on equipment procurement and positioning can be informed by our models,” said Dr. Brown. “Ultimately, we think this work will improve safety for people living and working in coastal regions.”

Indeed, this research comes at an opportune time as the Canadian Air Force is in the process of changing their SAR aircraft from Hercules to Kingfishers, which are smaller with a shorter range.

“Although the Kingfishers are smaller with a shorter range, they have a much higher probability of detecting someone or something in the water because of the instrumentation on board. What we’re looking at is how the response time changes as a result of switching out planes,” said Dr. Molyneux.

The research team consists of five engineering co-op students and three graduate students at Memorial (two at the Marine Institute and one in the faculty of engineering) plus five master’s students at Dalhousie who are funded through linked projects.

Three Memorial engineering co-op students include Aya Ibrahim (Process Engineering), who carried-out a literature review and summarized existing research in the field in the early stages of the project, while Mohannad Alrefai (ONAE) and Samia Nusrat (Computer and Electrical) have analysed traffic patterns using a free open-source website called Global Traffic. With a year’s worth of ship density data downloaded, they can look at ship hours per month in one-kilometre grid squares. Mr. Alrefai has also analysed the role of life boats.

“This gives us a realistic distribution of ship positions and helps determine if our modelling works,” said Dr. Molyneux, adding that the group has had funding from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and continues to share research results with them.

The fourth co-op student, Lucas Frampton (Mechanical), has analysed Transportation Safety Board data looking at the location and types of shipping accidents and collated this data into a single database while the fifth MUN Engineering co-op student, Mohammad Awad (Mechanical), is continuing this work this semester, to help ensure datasets are ready for the Master’s students to use in their models.

Three graduate students also worked or are working on the project. Mohammad Zarrin Mehr completed his Master’s of Science (Maritime Studies) at the Marine Institute and now works for Hatch while Evan Lane is currently researching ships of opportunity and CCG lifeboats for his Master’s of Engineering and Yang Ji is investigating and modelling fixed-wing aircraft at the Marine Institute for his Master’s of Science (Maritime Studies).

“It is because of these talented students, coupled with the efforts of the master’s students supervised by our co-investigators, Dr. Ron Pelot and Dr. Floris Goerlandt at Dalhousie, that the modelling work has come as far as it has,” said Dr. Brown. “We are excited to see how far we can take this research and what impact it has on SAR planning and preparedness in the long term.”

Although funding from the Ocean Frontier Institute wraps up in the summer of 2025, Dr. Molyneux hopes the research will continue.

“This is a long-term planning tool. We hope the Coast Guard and the JRCC will pay attention to our results. It is a challenge to turn decision-making and planning into rules and computer code,” said Dr. Molyneux. “And the biggest challenge is making sure the study is realistic; if it doesn’t reflect what happens in the real world, it’s useless. Every situation is different but if we can come up with the average time and extreme time, our research will be a success.”

Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Memorial University of Newfoundland

DR. DAVID MOLYNEUX

Dr. David Molyneux arrived at Memorial in 2015 after a career in research and consulting in both public and private sectors. He worked at the National Research Council (NRC) in St. John’s from 1985 until 2008 carrying out research into marine safety, hydrodynamics and performance of ships and offshore structures in ice. In 2008 he moved to Oceanic Consulting Corporation to manage the development and acquisition of computer codes for predicting the performance of ships and offshore structures in harsh environments.

Dr. Molyneux’s research highlights include numerical and experimental predictions of ice loads on ships and offshore structures; the safety of RO-RO Ferries against flooding and capsize, after damage; particle image velocimetry measurements of flow around ships with yaw angle; the performance prediction of escort tugs at large yaw angles; and the safety of fishing vessels against capsizing.

Dr. Molyneux completed his B.Sc. (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne), M.Sc. (University of British Columbia), and PhD (Memorial). He is a professional engineer in Newfoundland and Labrador.

DIGITAL TWINS MEMORIAL RESEARCHER DEVELOPS DIGITAL TWINS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY

DR. HODJAT SHIRI

Wouldn’t it be nice to know in advance when your roof shingles are going to fail? Or your hot water boiler? Or heating system? Imagine if you had a digital replica of your house right down to the thermostats that could help you keep on top of maintenance. That would save time, money and a lot of headache. The idea of a digital twin of your private home may be a little way off, but you’d be surprised at how many companies are turning to digital twins to help make corporate life easier.

“Using digital twins in industry is progressing at a scorching pace,” said Dr. Hodjat Shiri, associate professor of civil engineering at Memorial. “The fast advancements in building information modeling (BIM), artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and cloud computation have significantly expanded the power of digital twins. There is a huge demand for developments in this area and more and more companies and industries are adopting digital twins in their daily operations.”

What exactly is a digital twin?

Most people think of a digital twin as a virtual model of a physical object that can be used to simulate what happens to the object in real life. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), a digital twin receives data sent from sensors to simulate behaviours, monitor operations, analyse performance and predict future behaviours. On a production line, for example, a company can use a digital twin to monitor temperature, pressure and environmental conditions to detect if something is off balance. Or a digital twin of a ship engine can be modeled in order to test, monitor, predict failures and determine when preventive maintenance is required. Or an electric vehicle can send real-time operational data on things like battery life and motor function allowing the manufacturer to update software and predict maintenance for the vehicle’s entire life cycle.

Here in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil fields, the Hibernia Platform uses a digital twin of its power generation system and through simulations, electrical loads can be adjusted to ensure optimal power use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Where did the idea of digital twins come from?

Although the term digital twin was not used until 1997, the concept was introduced by NASA after Apollo 13 made an emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean in 1970 and simulators were used to evaluate the failure of Apollo’s oxygen tanks. Today digital twin applications can be found everywhere, not just in manufacturing and operation of equipment, but in complicated infrastructure like transportation systems including bridges and tunnels, mines, hydro plants, refineries and renewable energy sites, offshore platforms, marine ports and airports. NASA even has a digital twin of the Earth System.

The continuous and targeted observations provided by digital twins allow people to build more sustainable infrastructure, and it is this idea of infrastructure sustainability that most interests Dr. Shiri.

“Digitalization can be used for design, construction and operation monitoring of infrastructure, but sustainability is something more. You may have an infrastructure that has been designed and constructed in a way that has not considered the socio-economic effects; that has been designed only for the current generation, not for the future; that is not going to be sustaining and resilient against climate change effects over time. Digital twins integrated with BIM can effectively help resolve all of these issues.”

“Achieving this is not possible with conventional tools,” Dr. Shiri explained. “But digital twins are an excellent solution because they allow you to make a virtual but interactive copy of the physical infrastructure that can run numerous simulations and update the input data, and then use AI to predict the future performance of the infrastructure for potential corrections. The integration of digital twins with BIM creates an extremely powerful tool that enables virtual interaction with the infrastructure during the initial concept and design, continuous monitoring, fault detection, maintenance planning, and testing new ideas or what-if scenarios.”

“In simple terms, our infrastructure shall be designed, built and operated in a manner to not only have positive socio-economic impacts, but also be environmentally sustainable,” said Dr. Shiri. “Our goal is to preserve the natural environment and conserve resources for the well-being of both present and future generations.”

Dr. Shiri’s journey towards digital twin research has been at least fifteen years in the making; he spent about two decades in infrastructural construction, maintenance, and operation industries in the early part of his career. Once he joined Memorial as a faculty member and Wood Group Chair in Arctic and Harsh Environment

Engineering in 2015, his research journey evolved from conventional geotechnics to using AI algorithms to investigate the effects of soil interaction on the structural performance of onshore and offshore pipelines and risers and his current work in sustainable infrastructure.

“Moving from industry to academia in 2015, I was always trying to find the best way to implement my industry experience into my research projects,” said Dr. Shiri. “I did this partly by establishing courses with more practical industry-oriented contents. Although it was quickly acknowledged by Canada pipeline industries, it was not enough. It wasn’t until 2019 that we began discussing the idea of setting up a program in Sustainable Infrastructure at the Department of Civil Engineering at MUN. This led me to the idea of working on digital twins, which had become more popular in industry, to develop more sustainable infrastructures.”

The following year, 2020, the Department of Civil Engineering initiated the Sustainable Infrastructures Program, and in 2024, thanks to a sabbatical, Dr. Shiri established a modern drone lab with a range of sensors, facilities, and a high-performance computation cluster to facilitate developing digital twins for airborne-assisted real-time monitoring of sustainable infrastructures.

“Over the past five years, trying to stay aligned with trending technologies, we started using AI and Computer Vision (CV) algorithms for airborne and satellite-assisted monitoring and assessment of some infrastructural challenges,” said Dr. Shiri. These challenges include iceberg damage to subsea infrastructure,

cold-region roads and pothole detection, ground movements, and climate change-induced environmental geohazards.

“To develop a digital twin of an existing infrastructure, first we create a 3D virtual interactive copy of the infrastructure by using cameras and LiDAR sensors mounted on drones, as well as terrestrial and hand-held instruments. These 3D models along with other semantic and operational data, for example from internet of things (IoT) sensors, are then introduced into digital twin platforms for further analyses,” said Dr. Shiri.

Using powerful AI algorithms and the results of simulations, the lifecycle performance of the infrastructure can also be predicted. These predictions can assist in decision-making and improve the performance of infrastructure over time to achieve sustainability targets.

What this means is they loop the virtual observations with the real infrastructure to attain the desired performance. For example, a digital twin of a smart building can simulate energy consumption patterns based on weather forecasts. Using these simulations, building managers can optimize heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to reduce energy consumption while maintaining occupant comfort. Another example is geotechnical engineering, where digital twins can have a huge impact on the planning, design, construction, monitoring and maintenance of

large-scale projects involving complicated geotechnical aspects including deep excavations, slope stabilities, ground movements, liquefaction, and settlements.

Dr. Shiri and his team have had both financial and technological support from industry as well as funding from the provincial Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Mitacs, and Memorial University.

Currently, Dr. Shiri’s team working on AI-assisted assessment and monitoring of infrastructures, includes two Postdoctoral researchers, three PhD and three master’s students. He also has other students working on conventional geotechnical research projects.

These students and others who follow them will be trained by Dr. Shiri to help develop digital twins in the province, country and worldwide for a variety of infrastructure sustainability projects including urban planning, traffic optimization, port management, structural health monitoring of bridges, dams, tunnels, buildings, power plants, wind turbines and other renewable energy systems, forestry and aquaculture, archeological sites, building performance, smart cities and waste management.

Dr. Hodjat Shiri, associate professor of civil engineering, completed his BSc degree in civil engineering (Urmia University, Urmia, Iran, 1996), his M.Sc. in geotechnical engineering (Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran, 1999), and his PhD in offshore geotechnics (University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 2010). During his PhD, he worked at the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems (COFS)) with Professor Mark Randolph, the world’s renowned geotechnical scientist, on fatigue performance of Steel Catenary Risers (SCR). After his studies he worked on some of the world’s largest offshore oil and gas projects as design engineer, offshore installation engineer, project engineer, project manager, offshore installation manager, and project director.

Dr. Shiri joined Memorial in 2015. Since then, he has supervised more than forty students including post-docs, PhDs, master’s and undergrads. In 2022, he received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in supervision of graduate students. These research works have resulted in about 150 journal and conference papers.

From 2015 to 2020, Dr. Shiri was Wood Group Chair in Arctic and Harsh Environment Engineering. In 2024, he was recognized among the world’s top 2% most cited scientists by Standford University. He also obtained a certificate of expertise from Harvard University in launching tech ventures to further support students’ entrepreneurship after graduation and several of his students have established their own start-up companies.

MARINE CYBERSECURITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND MARINE INSTITUTE DOUBLE DOWN ON SECURITY AT SEA DR. JONATHAN ANDERSON

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians would be hard pressed if supplies couldn’t arrive by ship. Any type of disruption in shipping would send ripple effects through every supply chain. And not just in this province; throughout the world, it’s estimated that eighty to ninety per cent of cargo is transported by ocean-going vessels.

One of the biggest threats to global shipping is cyber attacks. Things can go sideways pretty quickly if marine systems are hacked with malicious intent.

But have no fear. Dr. Jonathan Anderson (PhD, P.Eng.), associate professor of computer engineering at Memorial, is determined to improve marine cybersecurity and has received $1.8M in funding from the National Cybersecurity Consortium to make it happen.

“The supply chain is important; we take it seriously,” said Dr. Anderson, explaining the first thing he and his research team want to do is make ships and seafarers safer and more secure from attack.

“We need to beef up security against cyber warfare,” he said, explaining the two main research projects he’s involved in. The first project is called Securing Critical Marine Systems (SCMS) and it’s in conjunction with the Marine Institute as well as Dalhousie’s Department of Computer Science.

A second project, Marine Cybersecurity Training (MCT), is also in partnership with the Marine Institute and Thales Canada, an aerospace and defence firm, and will teach mariners how to recognize and respond to cyber attacks.

The training curriculum they develop will give mariners and organizational leaders the tools they need to deal with cybersecurity incidents onboard ships, with the aim of keeping

everyone in the marine industry safe, as well as the environment and the ships themselves.

“Our team is fantastic,” said Dr. Anderson. “At the Marine Institute we have Dr. Steven Mallam; Capt. Christopher Hearn, director of the Marine Institute’s Centre for Marine Simulation; and Maria Halfyard, manager of business development, research and strategic partnerships. Here at Memorial, there will be researchers involved from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and at Dalhousie we have Drs. Srini Sampalli and Nur Zincir-Heywood from the Faculty of Computer Science.

(l-r) Dr. Jonathan Anderson (PhD, P.Eng.), associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and his student Grace Pearcey, show off a model ship and hardware Grace built to demonstrate the vulnerability of communications systems on board vessels. For more on her research, see the Journal of Ocean Technology, v18n4, p. 14. https://issuu.com/journaloceantechnology/docs/v18n4_book_issuu)

Securing Critical Marine Systems

One of the biggest challenges to cybersecurity lies in the fact that increased connectivity means increased chances that someone can infiltrate a marine system and bring it to its knees. Like the small iceberg that cracked one part of Titanic’s hull and managed to sink the entire ship, if a hacker can infiltrate one compartment in a ship’s electronic systems, they may be able to infiltrate the entire ship and other connected systems.

“Should we wait for a major incident after which we have to undo everything?” asked Dr. Anderson. “No, it’s best not to wait.”

So, what Dr. Anderson looks at is the area of greatest vulnerability - malware infiltration.

Grace Pearcey, who will graduate in April with a degree in Computer Engineering, worked with Dr. Anderson to develop hardware and software to demonstrate the vulnerability of communications systems on board vessels. Her project demonstrated how a person can maliciously block a ship’s GPS position, make a ship disappear from tracking systems or show it travelling in exactly the opposite direction.

“Grace showed how easy it is to cut wire and splice it in a malicious device,” said Dr. Anderson, explaining that he and his team want to not only make devices more secure, but they want to ensure a bug introduced into one part of a system cannot travel through the entire system.

“Today, if a malicious code is smuggled into one compartment of a ship’s operating system, it can move through all the others; we want to make it so the code can’t infiltrate the other compartments. For example, if you use telephone banking on your phone, in an area where someone is actively trying to break into your system, your phone should be so secure, the hackers won’t be successful. That’s what we want for ship components.”

TO HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON OCEAN CYBERSECURITY, WE HAVE TO GET REGULATORS ON BOARD.

— Dr. Jonathan Anderson

Yet, the components in use on ships today are not nearly as secure as the average cell phone. Ship systems are not designed that way. Dr. Anderson and his team from the Marine Institute and Dalhousie University hope to change that so that each device used in the marine industry will be much more resilient to attack.

“At the same time, we want the components on ships to be intelligible to humans,” he explained. “We want the marine industry to permeate the tech industry and vice versa. Computer systems on new vessels replace user-serviceable parts with opaque software, a common approach in the tech industry that takes control away from users. Such an approach doesn’t make sense in an environment where seafarers are responsible for every detail of the safe operation of their vessels.”

Ship components should be secure by design with security built into the technology; although a ship’s infrastructure is complex, access to and understanding of components doesn’t have to be. Yet, in today’s shipping world, control of vessels is complicated, with computerized parts that cannot be accessed or fixed on site and usually require a technician from another country to fly in to assist.

Standards and regulations

Dr. Anderson hopes to change that by developing a set of standards and regulations that everyone can meet.”

“The cyber attack industry is advancing so quickly, it’s hard to keep pace with attacks,” he said. “What we want is to develop standards on how to build marine systems, including what manual fallbacks should be in place.”

“We’d like to change the way things are built. What we want to see is standards where a vessel operates under the control of people on that vessel,” said Dr. Anderson. “The seafaring industry wants it to be more convenient for those writing software, but is that good for security? Software developers sometimes, unfortunately, operate under the philosophy of ‘ship it first, and worry about bugs later.’”

“I want people in the marine industry to know that the fusion of information technology with marine technology is very vulnerable. I’d like people in the industry to reach out and talk to us, build partnerships. We can help with vulnerabilities. To have a real impact on ocean cybersecurity, we have to get regulators on board.”

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Memorial University of Newfoundland

DR. JONATHAN ANDERSON

Dr. Jonathan Anderson (PhD, P.Eng.), associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is a cyber security expert. He completed his B.Eng. (2006) and M.Eng. (2008) degrees at Memorial and his PhD at the University of Cambridge (2012). After two years at Cambridge as a postdoctoral research associate, he returned to Memorial to teach and continue his research into computer security and privacy. Dr Anderson and his team of researchers improve privacy and security for users in a wide range of fields. They build and evaluate fundamental software security technologies and apply them to improve medical device privacy, the cybersecurity of marine systems and the security of the general-purpose computers that we all depend on.

BIOCARBON,

CARBON CAPTURE AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

MEMORIAL

RESEARCHER USES

CIRCULAR APPROACH TO CAPTURE, STORE, AND UTILIZE CARBON FROM STATIONARY POINT SOURCES TO BENEFIT REMOTE COMMUNITIES

DR. KELLY HAWBOLDT

Dr. Kelly Hawboldt, professor of chemical engineering at Memorial, specializing in bioprocessing, wants to help remote and northern regions engage in a circular economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.

For decades, Dr. Hawboldt has engaged in research on waste management and finding useful solutions for municipal and industrial waste biomass, such as wood waste (bark, saw chips, sawdust), fish offal and shellfish waste.

Now Dr. Hawboldt and her collaborators propose taking this research one step further by using the processing by-product from the fishing and forestry industries and using it as an adsorbent to capture carbon from industrial, ship, and smokestacks, (for example, think of the stack at Memorial’s power plant).

The team’s ingenious ideas don’t end there. Next, they will take that captured carbon and use it as an ingredient in building materials like asphalt, concrete and cement that otherwise rely on non-renewable components.

Biocarbon in Construction Materials

Biocarbons are produced when biomass, such as wood waste or fishery byproducts are heated, without oxygen, to high temperatures to produce a solid. “This process captures the carbon that would have been emitted if we just left the waste biomass to go to a landfill, or left piles of sawdust lying around, it

would degrade and emit greenhouse gases like methane,” said Dr. Hawboldt. “We’ve gotten to the point where we proved the converted biomass (biocarbon) can capture carbon dioxide and other contaminants from stacks. Now we want to see if we can put that same biocarbon used in carbon capture in construction materials. So, we are using ‘local’ biomass, converting it to a biocarbon, then using it as an adsorbent in stacks and finally testing the ‘used’ biocarbon as a component of asphalt, concrete and cement. Then it will be captured forever; it’s a truly circular approach.”

The research to develop carbon capture adsorbents that can be used in construction is supported by NSERC and the Hebron Project and is managed by Energy Research & Innovation

WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITIES AND INDUSTRIES IS IDEAL, AS IT MEANS WE ARE ADDRESSING A REAL ENGINEERING PROBLEM

— Dr. Kelly Hawboldt

Newfoundland & Labrador. Dr. Hawboldt is a principal investigator along with Drs. Kris Poduska, Professor of Physical Oceanography at Memorial; Stephanie MacQuarrie, Chemistry Professor and Dean of Science at Cape Breton University; and Xiomara SanchezCastillo, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of New Brunswick. They are also collaborating with industry, government, and community-based partners to translate the “lab” to the larger world.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage or CCUS, is common on a large scale (such as refineries and petrochemical facilities), but more challenging to do on a smaller scale such as ships or offshore drilling platforms. “Smaller point sources such as ships burn petroleum and biofuels and produce carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere,” said Dr. Hawboldt. “Although they are small emitters, there are thousands of these smaller sources. We are designing these adsorbents with these smaller sources in mind, which can help Canada reach its carbon emission reduction goals and help small communities play a part in mitigating climate change.”

“Storing captured carbon in cement/mortar is particularly appealing in remote and rural locations where costs related to disposal of waste and infrastructure costs can limit economic development,” said Dr. Hawboldt. “Our strategy is a cradle-tocradle approach in greenhouse gas (GHG) management, where the waste from one industry is used to treat another’s waste and then stored in a useful carbon-fixed product. This would not only utilize the captured carbon but also permanently store it.”

“Our study is comprehensive; it covers the entire life cycle of the biocarbon,” added Dr. Hawboldt. “For example, we look at if asphalt or concrete is broken up at a later date, can gases escape? That’s where Dr. Kris Poduska comes in, to see how tightly the carbon is bound in the adsorbent.” More reliable and comprehensive data is critical to establish what makes a ‘good’ biocarbon for adsorption and subsequent cement/asphalt properties, which Dr. Castillo-Sanchez will study. Dr. MacQuarrie, a collaborator with Dr. Hawboldt for more than ten years, is an expert in producing and modifying the biocarbon surface to be a more effective adsorbent and tailor properties for a variety of other applications such as catalysis and electrochemistry.

Transforming Climate Action

The biocarbon produced can not only be used in carbon capture and construction materials but also in soils and as a wastewater adsorbent, depending on the process (biomass to biocarbon) conditions used. Dr. Hawboldt is working on another project called Transforming Climate Action or TCA which deals with the urgent need to understand how carbon and greenhouse gases (GHGs) impact the ocean and ways to mitigate climate impacts on our oceans. https://www.ofi.ca/programs/transform-climate-action.

“Coastal communities are both creators of GHGs and vulnerable to climate change, such as the changes or loss of fish stocks, extreme weather events and sea level rise,” said Dr. Hawboldt.

In the TCA project, the research cluster Dr. Hawboldt is involved in is focused on carbon mitigation in the ocean industries. This research cluster is led by Hugh Macintyre, professor of biology at Dalhousie in Halifax. Dr. Hawboldt is involved in developing carbon neutral processes that convert waste biomass from the fishery industry and macroalgae into carbon sinks and then figuring out the best end use of these converted materials perhaps as soil amendments, in algae cultivation (photosynthetic carbon capture) or in green building materials.

Local Collaboration: Biocarbon as wastewater treatment

In a related project with the Burin Peninsula Regional Service Board, Dr. Hawboldt’s team is investigating the use of biocarbon to treat local water and wastewater, removing metals and nutrients like ammonia. The project is in partnership with BMS North America, a Newfoundland and Labrador-based manufacturer of packaged wastewater treatment systems, with lead Al Ducey.

“We are investigating whether local biomass can be used – either as is or when converted to a biocarbon – to treat landfill leachate and/or single house wastewaters,” says Dr. Hawboldt. “Working in collaboration with communities and industries is ideal, as it means we are addressing a real engineering problem – in this case, clean water-and getting real time feedback on different approaches.”

All this would not be possible if not for the great team of students who are engaged in biocarbon research. Dr. Hawboldt’s past and current students include Sadegh Papari, Hanieh Bamdad, Anke Krutof, Zahra Ghanbarpour, Sara Ahmadkelayeh, David Hopkins, Shantelle Mercer, Atefe Rabar, post-doctoral fellow Dr. Jian Shen, research engineer Masoumeh Rostami, as well as undergrad Global MITACS exchange student from Zimbabwe, Mitchell Moyo.

Process Engineering

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Memorial University of Newfoundland

DR. KELLY HAWBOLDT

Dr. Kelly Hawboldt, (B.Sc. (Saskatchewan), M.Sc., PhD (Calgary), P.Eng.) is a professor of chemical engineering with a particular interest in the sustainable processing and extraction of natural resources, from marine and forestry residues to offshore oil and gas, particularly as it applies to engaging remote and rural regions in the circular economy.

Her research focus is on valorization of forestry and fishery residues where remoteness presents operational and sustainability challenges. Dr. Hawboldt addresses the research gap in this area through the development of processes and products that are appropriate to the region and the feedstock.

Dr. Hawboldt collaborates with biochemistry, functional food, soil and ocean scientists, and chemistry to ensure any products developed meet quality requirements for aquaculture, nutritional, or medical applications. Her lab, which develops green processes to extract value added chemicals from fishery, has provided guidance to forestry policy for government and positioned MUN as a hub for Atlantic Canada in valorizing forestry and fishery processing residues.

In 2023, Dr. Hawboldt was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE).

Plasma sputtering apparatus used with collaborators at Columbia University to study the irradiation of crystalline surfaces and powders

MEMORIAL SCIENTIST USES ATOMIC MODELING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND SPACE WEATHERING

DR. LIAM MORRISSEY

For rent: cozy two-room habitat on the Moon

Many believe that a sustained human presence on other planets will most likely happen, perhaps not in our lifetimes, but certainly in the future. This may seem far fetched, but if you look at the advancements in science just in the last century, you may reconsider.

Besides understanding what resources are available on a planet like the Moon or Mercury, scientists also need to understand how infrastructure will hold up in a place that doesn’t have an atmosphere to protect it. You wouldn’t, after all, want your fancy titanium spaceship to disintegrate two-weeks into your stay.

What’s a space traveller to do?

Enter Dr. Liam Morrissey, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Memorial, who spent two years as a post-doc doing work for NASA and is now collaborating with them and many others to build a team that conducts atomic modelling of materials in space.

“On earth we have an atmosphere to protect us,” said Dr. Morrissey. “But airless bodies like the Moon and Mercury are not protected by an atmosphere. In space, the environment is complicated and harsh, with streams of energetic ions coming from the sun and constantly impacting the surface. These ions, known as solar wind, are a major contributor to space weathering, which is basically the breakdown of minerals exposed to the environment. You can think of it like a form of natural erosion.”

Even though Earth is protected by an atmosphere and magnetosphere, we can sometimes see this solar wind at the magnetic poles as the Northern Lights. Without the protection of the atmosphere and magnetosphere, Earth would be far less habitable. Researchers like Dr. Morrissey are trying to better understand the role solar wind plays on modifying the surface of airless bodies like the Moon and Mercury, contributing to the

exosphere, and potentially changing the properties of structures exposed long term.

“The reason why this is important is two-fold,” said Dr. Morrissey. “From an operational point of view, if we’re going to have a longterm presence on these planets, we have to do more than hit golf balls; we have to understand the interaction of the environment with the people and structures we bring up there. Second, scientifically, this process helps eject atoms into a thin layer of gas around the planet called an exosphere. In many cases, for planets far away, we cannot see the body itself but the gases around it.”

“We need to find a better way to look at the gases around a planet and connect them to what is happening on the surface of that body; this is fundamental in space science,” said Dr. Morrissey, whose research is focused on airless bodies, like the Moon and Mercury.

Sputtering

But investigating the surface exosphere connection on a planet like Mercury that is 48 million miles away is not easy. That’s why scientists like Dr. Morrissey use atomic modeling to better understand space weathering or sputtering, which occurs when solar wind atoms collide with a surface causing particles to be emitted from the structure’s surface.

To study sputtering experimentally, Dr. Morrissey needs access to complex laboratory equipment, which can cost millions of dollars.

International Collaboration

This is where his international collaborators like NASA, ESA, and Columbia have really been paying off.

“I don’t need to purchase a sputtering device here; I just have to have access to one elsewhere,” said Dr. Morrissey. “NASA has

hired me as a contractor and helps fund the travel and equipment fundamental to understanding these questions.”

Because the physics underlying these processes is often difficult to study solely in a lab, Dr. Morrissey uses molecular dynamics, modeling space weathering on an atomic scale involving millions of atoms. “What we are trying to do is dive down to the scale of atoms and study the physics underlying many of these key processes. Our goal is to address and improve approximations that are inherent to these global models,” explained Dr. Morrissey.

As a part of this work, Dr. Morrissey spends a lot of time at New York’s Columbia University which is leading one of these major NASA grants. It is also home to one of his mentors, Dr. Daniel Savin. “Daniel has been instrumental in pushing me as a scientist while also connecting me with a broader community of likeminded scientists with a range of backgrounds,” said Dr. Morrissey, explaining that Columbia also houses sputtering equipment capable of doing measurements that cannot be replicated at other labs around the world.

Dr. Savin also helped connect Dr. Morrissey with some of the best minds in Astrophysics and Planetary Science at the American Museum of Natural History, which has a limited number of research scholar appointments, where scientists are given formal access to the museum and office space for collaboration and research.

“After getting connected with these scientists through Daniel, and being hosted as a visiting speaker, I was recently appointed to one of these positions, one of my biggest accomplishments in my career thus far. I owe him a lot, more than I would like to admit,” Dr. Morrisey said with a smile, adding that this position has helped him further develop the international collaborations needed to take his research to new levels.

Recently, Dr. Morrissey was appointed as a co-investigator on the Bepicolombo mission to Mercury, led by the European Space Agency headquartered at The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. I’m the only Canadian co-investigator on that mission; it’s super exciting.”

Research Opportunities in Space Science Program (ROSS)

That appointment has led to funding from the Canadian Space Agency through the Research Opportunities in Space Science Program (ROSS). This program is unique in that it funds only two Canadian researchers to conduct relevant planetary science. This award, which is worth more than $130,000, has allowed Dr. Morrissey to rapidly hire five graduate students from Canada, Greece and Russia and to realize his vision for a space research hub at Memorial.

A major goal of Dr. Morrissey’s is to share the opportunities and connections with his students. Last year three students went to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for collaboration and research, and this year he has already had students at meetings in Paris and Bern, Switzerland.

Dr. Morrisey and his team can use data from the Mercury mission to study sputtering. “Many of the missions can produce really exciting observations of the exosphere,” said Dr. Morrisey. The goal is to then use global modelling to understand the connection between the surface and the exosphere.”

Fitting

“Many inputs for exosphere models are derived by turning knobs until a model matches what we actually observe; this is called fitting,” said Dr. Morrissey. “But it’s not enough to just use fitting; we have to use physics. There are many ways to make it fit. But we must want to get the physics right and then see if it fits. We’re adding a better understanding of physics so we can have more confidence in the results.”

“The onus is on us to convince the broader community that this level of detail matters and is needed,” said Dr. Morrissey, stressing the importance of collaboration. “Everyone is well connected in the global space committee. Collaborating with NASA and other space agencies is much better than just publishing our results and hoping they read them. My post doc demonstrated this research tool is really useful. As a result, I was hired to develop a team that can grow this research.”

So far, one of the team’s biggest findings is realizing the inputs need to be mineral specific.

“Their values were the same regardless of what a planet was made of. In other words, they were not making their inputs mineral specific. But different minerals sputter more or less easily than others. The inputs need to be mineral specific; whether a planet surface is icy or rocky determines how tightly things are bound to it.”

Dr. Morrissey and his team can use the Moon and Mercury to validate their models, but if planets are too far away to observe the exosphere, they have to make sure their models are correct.

“It’s difficult to sample surface planets that are far away, but we can view the exosphere. If we can understand the connection between the planet’s surface and its exosphere, we can determine if it’s a planet that’s rocky or icy. We want to be a one-stop shop for understanding these processes. We want to understand icy bodies,

which are poorly understood. Newfoundland and Labrador has a lot of expertise in ice,” said Dr. Morrissey, who has started a collaboration with Dr. Rocky Taylor, an ice expert and Interim Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial.

The Future

Some may argue, if there’s no need to vacate planet Earth in our lifetimes, what’s the rush to explore the surfaces of other planets?

“It’s a fundamental human question to understand the environment around us; to explore and understand our place in all of this,” said Dr. Morrissey. “It’s also the pursuit of knowledge. Can we have a sustained presence on another planet? The Moon is just a start, how far can we go? I think this is a question we have asked for centuries and will continue to do so in the future. You can’t overengineer your way there. You can’t bring everything you need. You need to sustain yourself there.”

Dr. Morrissey invites graduate students (Master’s or PhD) who have strong computational abilities and are interested in projects related to multiscale simulations of space weathering on Mercury and the Moon to get in touch with him.

Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Memorial University of Newfoundland

DR. LIAM MORRISSEY

In 2022 Dr. Liam Morrissey began teaching mechanical engineering at Memorial, his alma mater for all three degrees: B. Eng., Master’s (Earth Sciences), and PhD, which focused on using atomistic modelling to quantify the effects of harsh environments on material properties, their subsequent behavior and reliability.

After completing his PhD, Dr. Morrissey turned his attention to space and worked for two years with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, a space research lab in Maryland near Washington, DC. There he studied the interaction of solar wind on exposed surfaces and materials. This work was applied to both Mercury and the Moon where sputtering and damage are of great scientific importance.

He has expertise in multiscale harsh environment modelling; solar wind sputtering on planetary surfaces; and molecular dynamics modelling.

BAT DRONES AND CRAB SPIKES

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK FOR MEMORIAL ENGINEERING ROBOTICS RESEARCHER DR. TING ZOU

Dr. Ting Zou, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, has spent the past sixteen years conducting robotics research, in particular advancing robotic technology to perform tasks in environments that are dangerous and challenging for humans.

As director of the Robotics, Mechanical and Control Laboratory (RoMeCoLa) at Memorial, she supervises or co-supervises eight PhD students and four master’s students who focus on the design, control, and machine learning of robots; and have worked on everything from a super efficient robotic recycling-sorting system with Ever Green Recycling to technology that improves how fourlegged robots move over uneven terrain.

Her latest project is the design of a realistic flying robotic bat.

This is not as easy as it sounds.

First of all, a bat wing is a complex structure. A bat’s wings and movements are more complicated than most other flying creatures. Unlike an airplane wing which is fixed or a pigeon wing that flaps only, bat wings can fold and extend while flapping and are enclosed in a soft flexible membrane.

“Our design of a flapping wing aerial robot is based on millions of years of evolution of flying animals,” said Dr. Zou. “The unrivaled agility and maneuverability of bat flight inspired our research.”

In order to build a prototype, Dr. Zou required biological data from real bat movements. For that she collaborated with an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto in Mississauga, evolutionary biologist, TV host and author, Dr. Dan Riskin, who studies among other things, the physical mechanics of bat flight.

“Basically, with help from Dan, we attached sensors to bat wings and then measured changes in the joint angles of the wings,” said Dr. Zou. “Using this data, we designed a bio-inspired bat robot from scratch. Not easy.”

To mimic the texture of the real bat wing, Dr. Zou used silicone to hold in place the joints and motors that move them. “We manufactured the robot wing using a silicone membrane, attached to the wing skeletons, which are crafted from carbon fiber plates. The wing fabrication is challenging, but very interesting.”

The robotic arm implementing the spine removal task: in the simulation vs. in the real environment

In order to manipulate the silicone without damaging it, Dr Zou’s team had to design a custom tool using a computer aided design model that was then manufactured by Memorial’s technical services.

“It’s been a long journey on the wing design. We came up with the idea in 2019, almost six years ago,” said Dr. Zou. “Once we had the prototype, my PhD student, Tingting Sui, conducted wind tunnel tests in the engineering building to improve the design to mimic as closely as possible the movements of a real bat wing.”

“Tingting is currently doing data analysis from the wind tunnel tests. She’s using machine learning algorithms for system identification of aerodynamic parameters to improve the lift-to-drag ratio,” said Dr. Zou, adding that this research, funded by an NSERC Discovery Grant, is set to finish around May 2025.

Why is it important to build a drone based on a bat?

Dr. Zou’s bat drone is capable of complex movement not available to fixed-wing drones. “We can use morphing wing characteristics to better monitor or perform surveillance tasks. For example, the bat drone won’t disturb other animals if doing wildlife surveillance.”

Indeed, the bio-inspired bat drone uses less energy and is quieter than fixed-wing drones. And with its shape-morphing wings, it is far more manoeuvrable. Other applications include documentary films and agriculture, land management, and ecosystem monitoring. By

virtue of its quiet and safe flight, a flapping-wing bat robot has great potential in the expanding camera drone market.

Crab Spine Removal

A second research project, now completed, concentrated on automating the processing of porcupine crabs, members of the king crab species, that live in the Atlantic Ocean and are super prickly. Despite the fact porcupine crabs are notoriously hard to handle, their processing is still largely manual.

With funding from Mitacs, Dr. Zou has been working with Nunavut Fisheries Association (NFA) to develop a control method that enables a robot to intelligently remove the long, sharp spines of the porcupine crab by autonomously detecting the position, shape and orientation of the crab with the aid of computer vision technology.

In 2022, Dr. Zou and her team including Haodong Wu at Memorial, Heather Burke and Stephen King at the Marine Institute, and Brian Burke with the Nunavut Fisheries Association (NFA), proposed a novel method for complex, flexible surface scanning and robot trajectory planning for applications like porcupine crab spine removal. “The methodology was simulated and verified in the ROS RViz simulation environment,” said Dr. Zou, adding that the simulation verified the robot spine removal tool can accurately despine the crab in a continuous manner.

“The porcupine crab’s long, sharp spines pose substantial challenges to the conventional manual processing method. Our method involves autonomous cutting of the spines before further processing.”

Despite the significant development of automated equipment to identify and process some seafood products, there is still a great deal of research needed for robotic processing of seafood, with random, flexible, and complex shapes like the porcupine crab.

Another big challenge in automating seafood processing lies in the fact that each piece of equipment is normally designed to process only one specific species of seafood and each piece of equipment also takes up an enormous amount of valuable floor space. “We anticipate advancing the equipment to be able to process more than one species,” said Dr. Zou. “Up to now, existing equipment can only process different species if they have only minor differences in size and features.”

“We strive to enhance the automation and intelligence level of the Newfoundland seafood industry while generating socio-economic benefits,” said Dr. Zou, explaining that this research was funded by Mitacs and Nunavut Fisheries Association through the Mitacs Accelerate Award.

Dr. Zou loves her research in robotics and mechatronics despite the challenge of having to master several different academic fields. “Robotics is a challenging field of research, based on a robust integration of transdisciplinary realms of study, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, control, computer science and human-machine interaction. I look forward to working with experts from different backgrounds to advance robotics research at Memorial University.”

Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Memorial University of Newfoundland

DR. TING ZOU

Dr. Ting Zou graduated from Xi’an Jiaotong University (China) with a bachelor in electrical engineering in 2005 and master’s in automation in 2008. She completed her PhD in mechanical at McGill University in 2013, focusing on mechanism design and fabrication of an innovative bi-axial accelerometer based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and its strapdown to ease current rigid-body pose (position and attitude) and twist (velocity and angular velocity) estimation.

She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Intelligent Machines at McGill. With research concentrated on two projects: optimum design of the next-generation multi-speed transmissions for electric vehicles and nonlinear motion control of autonomous tracked vehicles for mining drilling operations.

In 2018 Dr. Zou joined the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Memorial as assistant professor. Her current research focuses on the mechanism design of robotic mechanical systems, biologically inspired robots, mobile robots, nonlinear control and state estimation of robotic systems, advanced human machine interaction, applied machine learning for robotics, intelligent manufacturing, and oceanic robots.

PRECISION-MILLED PROPELLERS:

A QUIETER FUTURE FOR MARINE VESSELS

MEMORIAL RESEARCHER PARTNERS WITH INDUSTRY TO STUDY HOW PROPELLER MANUFACTURING TOLERANCES AFFECT PROPELLER

PERFORMANCE AND UNDERWATER

RADIATED NOISE

DR. WEI QIU

A new ship propeller is not only a work of art, but also a highly sophisticated and engineered piece of rotating machinery. The majority of propellers are manufactured by a process that involves rough machining of a propeller casting on a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) milling machine, followed by robotic grinding of blade surfaces and manual grinding of blade edges and tips, which are finished to fit templates.

The problem with this manufacturing process is that blade edges and tips, the most sensitive parts of the propeller, are handfinished, a process which is error-prone, non-repeatable and timeconsuming. If human error sneaks into the final product, that can lead to a severe drop in propeller performance, leading to a big increase in noise and vibration.

“One tiny imperfection, for example, in the leading edge of a propeller blade can result in a significant increase in cavitation and therefore vibration and noise at a ship’s design cruising speed, which affects the wellbeing of people onboard and marine life,” said Wei Qiu, professor and head of Ocean and Naval and Architectural Engineering Department, who studies the effects of propeller manufacturing defects on cavitation performance in partnership with Transport Canada, DRDC Atlantic and Dominis Engineering.

Propeller cavitation is one of the main causes of Underwater Radiated Noise (URN), Dr. Wei Qiu explained. When studying URN, researchers look at Cavitation Inception Speed (CIS) which is the point at which bubbles form at the blades of ship propellers.

“The closer the geometry of the manufactured propeller is to the original design geometry, the closer the performance of the propeller will be to the intentions of the propeller designer,” said Dr. Qiu. “For example, if the propeller was designed with CIS of 14 knots, the manufactured propeller should not cavitate for ship speeds below 14 knots.”

“Propeller cavitation is typically of major concern for naval warships, research vessels and cruise ships since it is the predominant source of propeller-generated noise and vibration,” said Dr. Qiu. “Cavitation not only influences low frequency propellerinduced pressure fluctuations on the ship hull but also increases high-frequency noise levels in ships. For naval ships, this aspect is particularly disturbing. The increase of underwater self-noise with increasing cavitation reduces the ship’s sonar-detection capabilities considerably. Naval or research vessels need to have propellers with a maximum cavitation-free speed range. With the recent attention to the reduction of URN in order to minimize its impact on marine mammals, concerns about propeller cavitation have been extended to commercial ships at normal operating

The initial phase of the project was supported by the federal Quiet Vessel Initiative which funds projects and activities that address the impacts of underwater vessel noise on the marine environment and vulnerable marine mammals.

Manufacturing tolerances for new ship propellers are specified by the International Standards Organization (ISO) 484 manufacturing

CAREFUL CONSIDERATIONS HAVE TO BE MADE ON HOW PROPELLERS ARE DESIGNED AND HOW THEY ARE MANUFACTURED.

— Bodo Gospodnetic, President of Dominis Engineering

484/2 defines the tolerances for propellers with diameters from 0.8 m to 2.5 m.

Four classes of tolerances are defined in each standard, with each class intended for a specific type of vessel. Among the four classes, Class S denotes the smallest tolerance and thus offers the highest precision, which is used for high-performance vessels like naval ships or advanced research vessels.

“We’ve carried out four different studies to investigate the effects of manufacturing tolerances on the cavitation performance of propeller blades; the first using a 2-D propeller blade section for computational fluid dynamics or CFD simulations; the second, 3-D simulation of the foils with the same section; and the 3-D foil tests were conducted by Dominis Engineering in the large cavitation tunnel K1 at the Brodarski Institut in Zagreb, Croatia,” said Dr. Qiu, explaining the most recent study was focused on open-water CFD simulations of a full-scale propeller.

“Our conclusions were consistent in all four studies, showing that one tiny tolerance defect in Class S, for example, a 0.5-mm-deep leading-edge imperfection on a 2.3-metre-diameter propeller, causes a great decrease in cavitation inception speed. We knew when we started the project that if we changed the propeller geometry, we would change performance, but we didn’t know it would be a difference of up to forty percent. People in the

propeller manufacturing industry were not surprised, but others may say the propellers are going to be damaged anyway, so why worry about a manufacturer’s defects. That’s like saying, why polish your shoes; they’re going to get dirty later.”

By better understanding the effects of manufacturing defects on propeller performance, Dr. Qiu and his partners can help improve the ISO standards so that manufacturers develop appropriate, cost-effective processes for quieter propellers.

The next step is to conduct sea trials to validate the performance predictions of propellers with defects operating behind the ship hull. Dr. Qiu is planning full-scale trials involving new partners, as well as existing ones like Dominis Engineering Ltd., the company that carried out the cavitation tests in Croatia. Dominis, a Canadian manufacturer of large, high-precision marine propellers headquartered in Ottawa, has developed a production process that eliminates hand grinding from the manufacturing process and uses CNC milling alone to produce propellers free of imperfections. This process is called “CNC milling to final form and finish.” Dominis propeller milling process is eighty per cent automated at the moment, with the final goal having unattended operation and production of propellers.

“To reduce URN generated by ships, careful considerations have to be made on how propellers are designed and how they are manufactured. For close replication of the propeller design, the

propeller should be CNC milled to final form and finish without any robotic or hand grinding,” said Bodo Gospodnetic, President of Dominis Engineering.

For sea trials, the plan is for Dominis to manufacture a custom propeller with small defects to be tested on a selected vessel. They would then swap out that propeller for another custom propeller without defects and then compare the cavitation inception speeds of both.

This project is possible thanks to the Canadian Network for Innovative Shipbuilding, Marine Research and Training or CISMaRT.

The Ultimate Goal

Because so little attention has been paid to the effects of propeller manufacturing defects or tolerances on performance, and no published papers in the past address this issue, Dr. Qiu wants industry and government to heed the results of this research that leading-edge defects significantly reduced the cavitation inception speeds.

“Our future goal is to inform ISO that their international standards need to be more stringent,” said Dr. Qiu. “I don’t know how long it will take, but something needs to be done.”

Dr. Wei Qiu joined Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science in 2004 and is currently head of the Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering. He obtained his B.A.Sc. in naval architecture in 1990 and an M.A.Sc. in ship structural mechanics in 1993 both from Dalian University of Technology, China. He completed a PhD in marine hydrodynamics from the Mechanical Engineering Department of Dalhousie University in 2001.

Before joining Memorial University, Dr. Qiu worked as a hydrodynamicist at Martec Limited and at the Centre for Marine Vessel Development and Research at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Qiu’s research is in marine hydrodynamics and its applications to ships and offshore structures. He specializes in solving fluidstructure interaction problems using experimental and numerical methods, including CFD and potential-flow-based methods.

Dr. Qiu is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).

REMOVING TOXIC METALS FROM THESE WATER ECOSYSTEMS WILL RESULT IN HEALTHIER ECOSYSTEMS, FISH AND WATER RESOURCES.

— Dr. Yahui Zhang

RESINS TO THE RESCUE

MEMORIAL RESEARCHER USING RESINS TO EFFICIENTLY SEPARATE METALS FROM WATER AND WASTE MATERIALS

DR. YAHUI ZHANG

Do you remember the 2000 film Erin Brockovich that examined health impacts of the chromium contamination of wastewater in Hinkley, California?

If so, you’ll know that chromium is a heavy metal that after ingesting in drinking water can accumulate in the liver, spleen, soft tissues and bones of humans with devastating consequences.

At Memorial, an associate professor in the Department of Process Engineering has been exploring a new way of tackling this problem. Dr. Yahui Zhang (PhD, P.ENG., ACS & CIM Member), who has been working on the removal of toxic metals from wastewater since 2012, is currently experimenting with using resins to not only deal with toxic metals, but also to separate and recover valuable metals from mine tailings and recycled electronics.

The Resin Solution

“Resins seem like they have hooks,” said Dr. Zhang. “With resins, we can catch toxic metals and most importantly, we can be selective as to what metal a particular resin will catch. For example, if we want to separate lead from a solution, we can find a particular resin that can selectively remove it.”

In resin adsorption, the first step is to activate small resin beads measuring about 0.5 mm using acid or alkaline. Dr. Zhang’s team then adds a certain amount of resin to a solution and agitates it so that the resins come into full contact with the metal ions in the solution. The resins are able to remove specific metals/elements such as selenium by adsorbing them and leaving other metals in the water.

“There are tens of thousands of different resins, which have adsorption preference to specific metal species,” said Dr. Zhang.

“Our studies determine the most efficient resins for specific metals. We then summarize the relationship between the resin structure and its metal absorption power. In this case, we can design or choose the most favourable resins for our proposal, either for metal recovery, separation or removal from the environment.”

Dr. Zhang’s novel approach has been rewarded with several rounds of NSERC funding including the most recent Discovery Grant which began in 2023 and will continue until March 2028.

Hydrometallurgy Lab

In the Hydrometallurgy Lab in the Bruneau Centre, Dr. Zhang and his team not only study the most efficient way to remove different toxic metals from the environment, but they also work to recover valuable metals like gold, uranium, cobalt, copper and nickel from the leaching solutions of metallic ores and mine tailings. They can

also separate valuable metals from recycled electronics, as well as from mineral formations on the ocean floor called polymetallic ocean nodules.

“We want to do research that has multiple applications,” said Dr. Zhang. “We chose this area to cover two objectives togethermetal recovery and removal. Metal recovery can be used for metal production and metal removal can improve the environment.”

Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic Chemicals

Dr. Zhang and his hydrometallurgy team are particularly interested in environmental remediation and are working to find the most efficient resins to remove Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic Chemicals or PBTs, such as cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic, from the environment in wastewater and polluted water systems.

PBTs cannot be excreted by humans. And as the name PBT suggests, small amounts of the toxin accumulate in the body, can be passed through the umbilical cord from mother to babies, and as the levels increase, can attack the kidneys and heart.

If not properly disposed of, these toxic metals can leak into both freshwater and ocean water. Cadmium found in some batteries, for example, is so poisonous to human organs that even if its content is as low as one microgram per litre (0.001 ppm), it can be detrimental to the heart and kidneys.

In Japan, there is serious cadmium pollution due to volcanic eruptions. Cadmium usually links to lead and zinc, and is thus found in high concentrations in areas where zinc and lead smelting takes place; in these areas, cadmium also contaminates freshwater systems.

Dr. Zhang has collaborated with the University of Alberta on a patent to remove cadmium from wastewater. “Once we complete the removal process, the cadmium content in wastewater can be very close to the content in tap water,” he said.

The five Great Lakes have also been contaminated by mining activities in the area. During the process of nickel smelting around Lake Ontario, toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead and arsenic can escape in fly ash and settle on the lake.

“All heavy metals are harmful to humans; once they build up to a certain amount, these metals can poison proteins and organs in the human body,” said Dr. Zhang. “Rain can also wash the toxic ash downstream into rivers and other lakes, making the resident fish not suitable for human consumption. Removing toxic metals from these water ecosystems will result in healthier ecosystems, fish and water resources.”

So, what he and his team of students are investigating is what type of resin is most effective for a metal recovery or removal.

Two PhD students and one master’s student graduated from Memorial University have studied Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, and Cd recovery or removal from metal leaching solutions and wastewater, and found efficient resins with various functional groups having adsorption preference for specific metals.

Currently, one PhD student, Sharmin Sultana Israt, is conducting research on the removal of arsenic, chromium and mercury pollutants from water. A second PhD student, Fakhri Ali Salem Mohammed, is working on recovery/recycling of rare earth elements (neodymium and dysprosium) from spent magnetic materials, while another PhD student, Zeinab Ayatollahi, is working on selective removal of selenium from a nickel-plating bath. There is also a master’s student, Tyler Evans, working on selective iron removal from a Cu, Ni, and Co leaching solution.

Valuable Metal Recovery

With the depletion of quality metal ore resources, industry is looking at novel ways to obtain the metals needed to satisfy the demand for modern industries such as batteries for cell phones and e-vehicles.

One way this can be done is to extract the needed metals from low grade ores left behind after mining completion or in old tailings.

A project Dr. Zhang’s team is working on is the recovery and recycling of valuable metals from substances that speed up chemical reactions - catalysts - as well as from electronic waste. The latter is known as urban mining. Using resins, Dr. Zhang and his team have been able to separate rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium from spent magnetic materials through leaching and resin adsorption process.

“These are the gourmet elements of industry,” said Dr. Zhang, who has one patent granted and two patents applied for extractive metallurgy of rare earth elements (REE), precious and nonferrous metals. “If you don’t have rare earth elements, it is hard to produce high-end products.”

Industry Collaboration

Dr. Zhang’s team has cooperated with Vale Long Harbour Hydrometallurgy Plant to work on iron removal and reducing the amount of gypsum accumulation in pipelines. Lime is used to purify the leaching solution, and lime contains calcium which forms gypsum.

“In winter when it’s cold more gypsum sediment gets stuck on walls of the pipeline, shrinking the interior size until the pipeline is blocked. Then, temporary bypass pipelines need to be set up, slowing down production and making the project more difficult and expensive. This affects nickel production. We hope to solve this problem for them by replacing the lime with resin,” said Dr. Zhang, adding that one of his PhD students is working with Vale.

A second project with Vale involves trying to remove selenium from a nickel-plating bath using resin adsorption as too much selenium can affect the production of nickel alloys. “Vale’s nickel coins are up to 99.9% pure; even a small content of selenium can affect the quality of downstream products.”

What’s in store for the future

Because there is currently no effective theoretical guidance for resin selection, we need to explore the relationship between the resin structure and metal adsorption performance through both molecular simulations and experimental tests.

“We would like to establish the scientific rules on how to find which resins are best suited for extraction of specific metals,” said Dr. Zhang. “Publication of these rules could guide other researchers to further explore effective resins to recover valuable metals or remove toxic metals.”

Process Engineering

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Dr. Yahui Zhang joined the Department of Process Engineering at Memorial in 2016. Before that, he was a professor in mineral processing and hydrometallurgy at Northeastern University in China. He also worked as a senior metallurgist in Beijing General Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (BGRIMM) for more than nine years.

He earned his first PhD degree in mineral processing from the Central South University, China in 1996, and a second PhD degree in materials engineering from the University of Alberta in 2005.

Dr. Zhang has more than 20 years of research experience in mineral processing and extractive metallurgy and more than a decade teaching mineral processing and materials engineering. He has been principal investigator on more than twenty research projects; has published more than 120 papers in peer-reviewed journals; and filed fifteen patent applications, eight of which have been granted.

Dr. Zhang’s research interests lie in the areas of sustainable minerals/metals production including recovering minerals/metals from new and secondary resources, for example, ocean polymetallic nodules processing (ocean mining, four patents granted); treatment of mine tailings, and urban mining; extractive metallurgy of rare earth elements (REE), precious and nonferrous metals (one patent granted and two patents applied); designing and finding new reagents/resins for mineral flotation and metal extraction; novel processes for heavy metals containing wastewater treatment and recycling (one US patent applied); and preparation of nanomaterials and nano powders by electrochemical methods.

ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY

The Engineering Research Office’s Annual Research Day on November 28, 2024, saw the most submissions ever to the Poster Contest with ninety student researchers presenting sixty-eight posters showcasing their work.

Dr. Thomas Browne, an alum and research engineer at the National Research Council, kicked off the day with a keynote emphasizing the value of effective communication in engineering research.

Three judges, Drs. Yan Zhang, Adam Noel and Doug Smith, had the difficult job of ranking the posters.

“The poster contest is really an exercise in communicating research in a concise and efficient manner,” said Dr. Smith, assistant professor of ocean and naval architectural engineering. “I was impressed by the diversity and high quality of the research that was presented. All the poster presenters should be proud of their submissions.”

The winners of the ARD 2024 event are follows:

1ST PLACE: ABDULMOHSEN ALSAUI

Abdulmohsen Alsaui, a PhD student in electrical engineering, took home the top prize for his poster entitled When Are Quantum Algorithms Applicable for Signal Decoding in Wireless Communication?

“Winning the poster competition signifies that I successfully conveyed my research succinctly to an audience with diverse backgrounds. American Theoretical physicist Richard Feynman famously said – ‘If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it. The best way to learn is to teach.’ That is why I continuously strive to improve my technical communication skills,” said Mr. Alsaui, whose supervisor is Dr. Octavia Dobre. “I am immensely glad to be mentored by such a top-tier researcher. The technical knowledge, soft skills, and experience she imparts are invaluable and will undoubtedly help me achieve my professional aspirations.”

Mr. Alsaui’s research grew out of the increasing demand for faster and more reliable communication networks due to the rise of smart cities and Internet of Things devices. He addresses this challenge by integrating quantum technologies into the next generation of wireless networks, known as 6G.

“My research focuses on developing novel quantum algorithms and optimizing existing ones specifically for wireless 6G applications,” he said. “Using simulations and theoretical modeling, I test these quantum algorithms and quantum sensing protocols to assess their effectiveness in real-world scenarios.”

“So far, my findings indicate that quantum algorithms can significantly reduce complexity in network processes. This means faster data processing and more efficient communication. Additionally, quantum sensing improves the sensitivity of network detection, allowing for accurate target detection and localization, even in noisy environments.”

Imagine a world where electronic devices communicate faster and more reliably, even in the busiest cities. Quantum computing makes this possible by decoding complex signals quickly and accurately, boosting the performance of communication networks.

Beyond communication, quantum sensing allows networks to detect and interact with their environment with incredible precision. For instance, in crowded urban areas, it can pinpoint objects or targets with minimal energy use, making it both efficient and powerful.

While the leveraged quantum sensing technology - quantum radar - is still in its infancy and may take at least a decade to mature fully, quantum computing is advancing rapidly, largely driven by industry. It is expected to find widespread practical applications across various sectors within the next few years. To address this transition, Mr. Alsaui’s research group is actively engaging with industry leaders such as IBM and Xanadu to test and implement quantum algorithms on their state-of-the-art hardware, bringing these advancements closer to practical deployment.

Mr. Alsaui has been working in the field of quantum-enhanced communication for four years. As an undergrad, studying both electrical engineering and physics, Mr. Alsaui developed a strong interest in communication engineering and quantum mechanics which inspired him to focus on quantum-enhanced communications in his master’s and PhD research. After completing his studies, he plans to return to the R&D sector, where he worked for over three years before beginning his PhD.

“I want to leverage my expertise for technological advancements that positively impact society,” he said.

2ND PLACE: MASOUMEH BAVADI

2nd Place went to Masoumeh Bavadi, a PhD student in civil engineering, for her poster Development of Biosurfactant-Aided Dispersants: Formation Strategy and Mechanism Exploration.

Ms Bavadi has been working for more than a year to address the environmental damage caused by oil spills in aquatic ecosystems.

“Commercial dispersants, while effective in breaking down oil into tiny droplets for easier removal, often have ecological effects on marine life and may persist in the environment,” said Ms Bavadi.

“Our research aims to create an effective solution for oil spill response by combining biosurfactants with chemical surfactants to develop environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional oil spill dispersants, which can harm marine ecosystems”

Ms Bavadi, under the supervision of Dr. Baiyu (Helen) Zhang, helped create a new generation of dispersant using a mix of natural compounds (biosurfactants derived from biological sources) blended with one chemical surfactant. She then tested the dispersant, in various conditions, to mimic real-life scenarios and compared its performance to commercial dispersants like Corexit, which is widely used for oil spill cleanups. Alongside laboratory tests, she conducted molecular dynamics simulation to understand the mechanism associated with dispersant component interaction.

“The findings offer valuable insights for customizing dispersants to specific conditions, such as different salinity levels or temperatures, making them adaptable to diverse environments,” said Ms Bavadi, adding that the research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) MPRI Program and the Canada Research Chair (CRC) Program. “Beyond oil spill response, it could be applied in industries like wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, where emulsification and ecofriendly solutions are crucial.”

Ms Bavadi said that winning the poster contest strengthened her confidence to push boundaries and inspired her to aim higher and contribute more meaningfully to advancing environmental solutions.

“I aim to translate my research into practical applications that benefit society and the environment,” said Ms Bavadi. “Winning the poster competition highlights the importance of finding sustainable solutions for real-world problems.”

3RD PLACE: YARU GU

3rd Place: Yaru Gu, a PhD candidate in mechanical and mechatronics engineering, won third place for her poster: Enhancing Leg Odometry in Legged Robots with Learned Contact Bias: An LSTM Recurrent Neural Network Approach.

Ms Gu’s research, under Dr. Ting Zou, looks at using motion sensor data to improve the walking ability of robots with legs, especially on rough, uneven or slippery surfaces.

Legged robots are increasingly being adopted for things like mine exploration, industrial inspections, and search and rescue operations. The research conducted by Ms. Gu examined how a legged robot can more accurately estimate its position and velocity during locomotion. This is known as state estimation, which is pivotal in facilitating various aspects of legged robot locomotion, including control, motion planning, and mapping. Without a precise estimate of its states, the robot will not be able to construct an accurate map of the environment, through which it has to navigate.

“Enhanced state estimation allows for more precise movement and decision-making, enabling robots to operate more reliably and efficiently in complex and dynamic environments,” said Ms Gu, who used both simulation and experimental trials to test leg odometry in a Unitree Go1 robot, sending it across uneven terrain, slopes, and stairs, where foot slippage occurs frequently.

“Our results indicate an average 64.93% reduction in translational errors in leg odometry when the learned contact bias is applied,” she said. “This increased accuracy not only boosts the overall performance and autonomy of the robots but also extends their applicability to more challenging tasks and environments.”

“This recognition serves as a powerful motivator, inspiring me to continue my research with even greater enthusiasm and dedication,” said Ms. Gu, whose research took five months and was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a Discovery Grant and the VP Startup Fund from Memorial.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Xin Qiao: WaveTransNet: A Transformer-Based Network for Global Significant Wave Height Retrieval From GNSS-R Data

Fatemah Kafrash: Sizing Optimization and Economic Modeling of a Stand-alone Hybrid Power System for Supplying RO System in McCallum, Newfoundland and Labrador

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT DAY

The third annual Industry Engagement Day, co-hosted by Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and Faculty of Science, took place on June 27, 2024 and changed venue to the St. John’s Convention Centre. The 120 delegates who signed up for the day’s networking events received overviews of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the Faculty of Science, followed by five plenary sessions interspersed and nine break-out sessions which invited lively discussion between local companies and Memorial researchers to discuss current and future research needs.

“Memorial University is actively engaged in research with world leaders in the private sector,” said Dr. Octavia Dobre, Dean, professor, and Canada Research Chair Tier-1, who provided an overview of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “We are open for business; if you have a problem, come talk to us. We would love to solve it for you.”

PLENARY SESSIONS

Tyler Beatty, Education, Research and Training Lead, ExxonMobil

In his role as Education, Research and Training Lead at ExxonMobil, as well as a member of the engineering advisory council; Tyler Beatty hopes to encourage an R&D ecosystem in this province by developing research projects at Hibernia, HMDC and Hebron that encourage growth within the local community.

Mr. Beatty began his talk by asking two questions. Can we improve upon the execution of projects in the province? Have we been listening enough? For example, what are the risks and concerns of Principal Investigators in local projects?

“ExxonMobil is going through change and transformation to become more competitive and engage in external collaborations, both locally, nationally and internationally,”

said Mr. Beatty, who often sets up meetings under Altum the whale in the Core Science Building in order to be fully immersed in Memorial’s research environment.

Mr. Beatty hopes his goal to network with purpose, will play out not only between industry and faculty but also between different faculties and departments. “Newfoundland and Labrador is small but mighty,” said Mr. Beatty. “With one university, one provincial college and several private colleges, we become aware of each other’s strengths and capabilities; as well, strengths and risks in one area can be applied in other areas. Can we apply something used onshore to the offshore without greater risks?”

ExxonMobil fosters a student-oriented STEM programs in AI; additive manufacturing (3-D printing); environmental technologies; and Let’s Talk Science, which introduces young people to the energy economy, encouraging them to learn the skills needed to ensure an abundance of trained workers for the future of energy industries in the province and the world.

Julien Chosson, Lead; Québec-IBM Discovery Accelerator

Julien Chosson of IBM began his plenary session by asking why Quantum and AI matter for the average person and Memorial and advised those present to become quantum ready. “What is quantum and how can it help – or threaten - your business?” he asked. “Memorial should create, leverage and nurture the talent pipeline.”

“IBM is introducing a new way of computing using quantum physics using very small particles,” he added, explaining that IBM has a public development and innovation roadmap on how to reach its computing goals.

In 2023, IBM released the Condor chip, which can describe the quantum experience with updates as they occur. The hope is to move away from imperfect computing and towards perfect computing capabilities within the next five years. IBM has thirty-nine quantum centres worldwide including the first in Canada in Bromont, Quebec which

helps accelerate solutions to problems in the energy, healthcare, manufacturing and environmental sectors.

IBM’s goal is to leverage collaborations with university partners such as those they already have with Drs. Trung Duong and Octavia Dobre at Memorial. According to Mr. Chosson, the area where IBM needs Memorial’s expertise most is in mapping interesting problems to quantum circuits. “When a problem is mapped, results can usually apply to more than one challenge,” said Mr. Chosson, explaining that the next step for IBM is discovering new quantum algorithms.

Michael Reid, Operations Manager, Vale

Vale, a global base metals leader, headquartered in Toronto, has eight core nickel and copper operations and four refineries, with 16,000 employees across four continents.

“We are one of the largest base metal producers in the world,” said Operations Manager Michael Reid, adding that in Newfoundland and Labrador, Vale’s biggest operations are integrated mining, milling and processing with about 900 employees, both direct and indirect.

“Fifty-eight per cent of nickel produced in Canada comes from Vale,” said Mr. Reid. “Canada is the sixth-largest nickelproducing country in the world, and the eleventh-largest copper-producing country in the world. From a carbon content perspective, our nickel is one of cleanest nickels in the world.”

Vale is also a supplier of critical minerals needed to produce things such as copper wire, EV batteries, and cellphones. In Voisey’s Bay, Labrador, Vale ships copper as concentrate to ten markets mainly in Europe; or to its Long Harbour Processing Plant where the copper is processed into nickel, cobalt and copper metal.

In Long Harbour, the chemical plant can store 80,000 tonnes of concentrate. Using hydromet tech, Vale takes finished

concentrate and produces nickel melt and plating rounds as well as electrolytic cobalt rounds and electrolytic copper cathodes.

Mr. Reid explained that because some mega projects are coming to an end, Vale’s R&D team is now concentrating on operational support rather than R&D. “That’s a gap that needs to be filled,” he said. “We hope to be part of recycling efforts, recycling metals and turning them back into batteries.”

Vale’s R&D department could potentially collaborate with Memorial on real-time data analysis; scaling abatement technologies for gypsum-based pipe scale; technologies to reduce environmental footprints; process control/automation using AI; processes to selectively remove selenium from concentrated nickel sulphate solutions; a fundamental study of leaching reaction mechanisms; and technologies to increase pulp density from sedimentation tanks.

Dr. William Lyons, Executive Director, The Boeing Company

Dr. William Lyons, Boeing’s executive director, has a background in radar remote sensing and heads a group responsible for $4 billion a year in R&D, 1,100 annual patents, 4,000 people in thirteen global research centres, and 170,000 employees in twenty-one countries.

“University partnerships are key to inventing the future,” said Dr. Lyons, adding that Boeing currently has research programs with 128 universities as well as a visiting professor program. “We have a PhD hiring program, with twenty-two hires this year, that gives people the chance to see if they want a future with Boeing.”

“If we don’t find ways to disrupt ourselves, somebody else will. That’s key for this program,” said Dr. Lyons, explaining that the keys to collaboration include, among others, investing in long-term relationships and transparency.

“We encourage everyone to think like an innovator. Our challenges are multi-disciplinary. We don’t know the answers and don’t know where the answer will come from,” said Dr. Lyons, who added that Memorial’s expertise with extreme environments could help Boeing.

Dr. David Murrin, Director General of Ocean Coastal and River Engineering (OCRE), National Research Council

“Canada has all the building blocks necessary for an industrybuilding economy,” said Dr. David Murrin, Director General of NRC’s Ocean Coastal and River Engineering (OCRE). “(But) Canada has seen a decrease in business investment in R&D. This leads to productivity gaps.” Dr. Murrin went on to explain that Canada’s productivity is far less compared to the US due to challenges such as Canada’s aging populations, supply chain fragility, and climate change.

“Canada’s economic index is not looking good,” he said, explaining that the index can improve if NRC and partners create spillover technologies that can cross over to other industries.

Dr. Murrin believes that Canada’s path to progress is in the technology sector and NRC funds projects, such as investigating performance evaluation of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) and their equipment through its Industrial Research Assistance Program or IRAP program. NRC has twenty-one projects with Memorial, including building the Harsh Environment Research Facility (HERF) and working with SmartICE to develop slush maps. NRC also helps protect communities from flooding and erosion and the toll of rising sea water.

Because NRC has labs that would be too costly for individual businesses to build on their own, Canadian businesses have depended on NRC’s expertise and facilities to advance technologies for more than 100 years. Small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) are eligible for a 40% fee reduction when doing research at NRC facilities.

Break-Out Sessions

In fact, one of the Industry Engagement Day break-out session presenters, Angler Solutions Inc., which deals in such things as carbon capture, energy storage, vessel emissions reduction, and green fuels for the energy and tech sectors, availed of NRC-IRAP funding to develop a modeling tool used to conduct analysis, known as MESO: Model for Energy Systems Optimization. Angler also invites three Memorial work term students each semester to assist them with challenges such as software development and real-time data prediction.

A second break-out session presenter, Virtual Marine, also works with NRC and Memorial to advance numerical simulation and digital twin assets.

In all, there were nine break-out session including Davie, a Canadian shipbuilding and repair company; Aker Solutions, Avalon Holographics; AltoMaxx; Vard Marine Inc.; C-CORE; and Transforming Climate Action, a group conducting a comprehensive investigation into the ocean’s role in climate change.

C-CORE: 1975-2025

CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS OF ICE ENGINEERING, REMOTE SENSING AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

In the 1970s when Dr. Angus Bruneau was dean of Memorial’s Engineering and Applied Science Faculty, he dreamed of setting up a Centre for Cold Ocean Resource Engineering to better understand the North Atlantic environment in order to help government and industry develop the province’s natural resources in the safest and most cost-effective ways.

Now, fifty years later C-CORE is a world-renowned research organization with over seventy employees focused on remote sensing, ice engineering and geotechnical engineering.

“Today C-CORE is a multi-disciplinary innovative company addressing complex challenges not only in the oceans and on land, but in space,” said Dr. Freeman Ralph, C-CORE’s vice president, Oceans & Energy. “In addition to world-leading specialized engineering support for oceans and energy developments and operational decision support, C-CORE has approximately thirty years of experience in advancing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies for environmental and industrial monitoring, marine surveillance and natural resource management, particularly in harsh environments.”

In 1975 when C-CORE opened, with funding from the Devonian Foundation in Calgary, the group consisted of only three people and one desk in Memorial’s Science Building, which the engineering faculty also called home.

By then Angus Bruneau was vice president of professional schools and community services at Memorial, and as chairman of C-CORE’s governing committee, he appointed Harold Snyder, executive vice-president directing the construction of Churchill Falls hydro-electric plant, as C-CORE’s first director.

“C-CORE came into being as a result of a concern shared by many that Canada has a resource potential in its northern regions, the development of which is impeded by our inability to function in ice-abundant oceans on a year-round basis,” wrote Harold

Snyder in the March 1976 C-CORE News. “… it is necessary that we understand the technology and the environment and most important that we have the people interested and skilled to be able to solve the particular problems associated with cold oceans. C-CORE is specifically charged to conduct research into new concepts for the orderly, safe, reliable and economic future development of natural resources lying adjacent to, in and under the northern oceans.”

C-CORE’s second hire was administrative director David Grenville, who had earlier been an executive with the Anglo-French Channel Tunnel project management team and more recently worked with Harold in planning and directing the construction of Churchill Falls.

Alastair Allan, leader of the Sea Ice Group at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge in England, was invited by Angus Bruneau to be the third employee and head of the sea ice studies field program.

“When I arrived in Gander, the customs official said: Do you know anyone in Newfoundland? I said: Yes, Angus Bruneau. He said: Oh, you’re welcome to come in. That’s how I arrived as a landed immigrant.”

“We had one desk in the old science building that we sat around; Harold in the middle and David and I around the corners. That was C-CORE,” said Alastair, who had previously led several expeditions in the Arctic and east Greenland to study climate change and glaciology. “Harold was my boss, and he was running C-CORE while also completing the Churchill Falls project; we had two secretaries, one dealing with Churchill Falls and one with C-CORE.”

As a natural extension of Memorial University, C-CORE’s first ocean engineering projects expanded on Angus Bruneau’s 1971 iceberg towing experiments with a five-year development grant from the National Research Council.

“From the early days of C-CORE, there was a huge outpouring of vitality and vision,” said Alastair, who had done his apprenticeship with Marconi in England during the very early time of transistors and completed a geography degree at Cambridge. “This was at a time when computers were just coming out, and hi-tech was beginning in Canada,” he said, remembering that 1975 saw the first digital camera and the founding of Microsoft. “Our work forced us into the area of advanced technology for which there was little local understanding and capability outside the university.

“How were we to develop hi-tech in Newfoundland where the whole corporate culture was to preserve the core industries of fishing and forestry? C-CORE broke down those boundaries; that’s the legacy.”

An immediate priority for C-CORE was to develop technology for ice surveillance and using the four means of collection they had at their disposal – ship, shore, aerial and satellite observationsresearchers begun working with other agencies to disseminate ice reports. Ice management was crucial not only to the development of the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore oil & gas industry, but also to safe operations of the fisheries and transportation.

The three initial employees and Angus Bruneau recognized that in order for their research on cold oceans to succeed in coming up with solutions to develop the natural resources of the province, they needed to put together a team of experts from a wide variety of disciplines. The majority of the people hired were engineers with advanced knowledge in the fields of geology, biology, mining, electronics, remote sensing, ice construction and transportation.

“While Dr. Moses Morgan, MUN President, and Dr Angus Bruneau, Dean of Engineering, had a vision to develop our east coast ocean resources, with its unique environmental challenges, that their vision extended nationwide is even more inspiring,” said Freeman Ralph. An excerpt from their 1974 proposal to the Science Council of Canada quotes: “… the frontiers of this country are being rolled back revealing the vastness and wealth of our northern archipelago and the extraordinary seaward extent of our great lands…. To realize the potential benefits these territories and seas may bring this country, massive efforts will have to be made… on a scale and in ways we have not yet imagined. The gathering of scientific data must be continued of course, but must be supplemented with development of engineering systems for the economic utilization of our ocean-based resources in environments different from any in which activity has ever before been attempted. For this basic reason, a Centre for Cold Ocean Resources Engineering (C-CORE) in this country is essential.”

“I believe their vision was clear, to tackle and solve industry’s greatest challenges and barriers to our offshore resource development; to understand this unique environment; and to

develop correct and safe designs. It’s fair to say, we not only took that challenge hook line and sinker, as I reflect, I’m proud to say we’ve certainly delivered, and will continue to deliver and to uphold that legacy.”

Angus Bruneau and Harold Snyder also stressed that C-CORE researchers could not rely on data collected from other areas of the world and expect them to apply to the east coast of Canada.

“Angus and Harold weren’t research scientists themselves, but they had a vision for the future of Newfoundland and Labrador and that vision included diversification and technology,” said Alastair. “They were wonderful days. Harold recruited widely; a young body of expertise from all over the world. Harold and Angus encouraged young people, saying go do it, you’re on the right track. That’s what C-CORE was, not a building.”

Early additions to the team included Byron Dawe, Andrew Gustajtis, Terry Ridings, William Winsor and Rick Worsfold. Joanna Gosse and Mary Greene kept the office running. Later other significant people joined C-CORE - Jamie Rossiter, who specialized in radar systems; Bevin LeDrew; Vaughan Barrie in seabed geology; Chris Woodworth Lynas in iceberg scouring; Ernie Reimer; Ken Butt and Chris Pereira. That’s just a sampling.

With a team in place, C-CORE set out to address their biggest concern: how to accommodate a future hydrocarbon industry that would require year-round operation to ensure its feasibility, when the scientists themselves could only carry out research only during certain months of the year.

With that broad goal in mind, C-CORE began concentrating on three specific areas. According to Harold Snyder, these were “field and theoretical research on sea ice; experimental testing of materials compatibility to cold oceans; and the identification of operational concepts that satisfy criteria dictated by this regime.”

By 1977 exploratory wells had been drilled off the Labrador coast that were extremely promising but also extremely expensive. A major consideration was the possibility of an oil spill in ice-covered waters for which there was very little prior experience. It was thus a priority to “better define environmental conditions, establish baseline conditions, improve forecasts and develop contingencies to contain and clean up oil spills,” wrote Bevin LeDrew in the January 1977 C-CORE News.

“The establishment of C-CORE at Memorial University is an important step in extending our capabilities and building a community of people committed to the study and development of ocean resources. Nowhere in the world is oil and gas being produced under conditions as harsh,” wrote Harold Snyder, perhaps thinking of forces which routinely create up to ten-metrehigh pressure ridges in ice off the coast of Labrador. “Therefore, we cannot allow systems to be installed in our waters that are a duplication or even a mere extrapolation of present technology until its reliability and suitability is proven. Just imagine the complexity of stress and insulation problems to a pipe carrying hot crude oil through a cold sea into an air temperature of -50 degrees F while subjected to pressure fluctuation caused by fifty-foot waves and while impacted by ice pans.”

Angus, Harold and the other C-CORE founders knew that even with Memorial University and C-CORE working together, they could not do all that needed to be done to prepare for resource development; they knew both government and industry had to get involved as well.

Side by Side Since 1975: C-CORE and FEAS connection

In October 1975, C-CORE left its one desk in the science building and became the first occupants of the new engineering building across campus. With a dedicated office and access to labs, the research on ice management and ice behaviour prediction began in earnest.

All the facilities in the new building, like the 200-foot wave tank and the large wind tunnel, were available not only to the engineering faculty but also to C-CORE and Nordco, the provincial crown corporation established at the same time as C-CORE, with an aim of hatching independent enterprises to commercialize the ocean research that came out of C-CORE. In other words, Nordco would deal with the applied research and promote the technological advancement in industry.

In the beginning, Nordco, C-CORE and Memorial engineering were involved in joint ventures such as the so-called ship-in-theice experiment which involved allowing the M.V. Arctic Explorer to freeze into the ice off Labrador in February 1977 and then letting it drift to investigate the feasibility of studying ice from an icestrengthened ship.

“… the total project was a complete, well rounded research effort, a good example of how joint ventures can be carried out,” wrote Jan Furst, president and general manager of Nordco, “a good omen for future ventures into our forbidding north by C-CORE, NORDCO and – to make the ‘Troika’ complete - the Engineering Faculty of Memorial University of Newfoundland.”

Dr. Ross Peters, then associate dean of engineering and applied science, and leader of the Ocean Engineering Group, which had been established by the faculty in 1969 to respond to the upsurge in interest in cold ocean engineering research, had this to say about the plethora of new activity in 1975.

“People outside Memorial University (and sometimes within it) occasionally confess to a certain amount of confusion with regard to the various institutes, groups and centres within and related to the university with some reference to the oceans in their name…” he said, going on to explain the different roles each played and saying, “there is more than enough ocean research to go around.”

By 1976, C-CORE had twenty-five employees including support staff and student assistants, and along with the ocean engineers at Memorial and Nordco, they set up the Ocean Engineering Information Centre to amass a special collection of materials related to ocean engineering and respond to requests for information, an invaluable tool in the pre-Internet age.

C-CORE also began publishing a quarterly newsletter to let the world know what they were accomplishing, particularly the significant issues in the oil & gas industry; and they began writing research papers and sponsoring students through annual graduate fellowships, valued at $8,000 to develop and encourage expertise in cold ocean research. The first fellowship was awarded to Robert MacIsaac, who was researching the use of acoustics and signal processing techniques to investigate ocean bottom sediment properties.

Ice Research: C-CORE’s Early Years of Innovation

Here are some of the collaborative projects C-CORE researchers took on at that time partnering with Memorial, government and industry. In 1976 in Strathcona Sound, a team examined tidal action of fast ice on the dock to better understand ice forces to help design future structures in ice-covered water.

The same year, C-CORE scientist, Vinod Srivastava, began cold room lab studies to investigate the behaviour of steel at low temperatures in order to understand how metal would react in icecovered waters before delving into oil exploration during winter months.

In 1977, C-CORE conducted an Ice Damage Study collaborating with Walter (Wally) Campbell from Memorial to assess ridge

damage to seabed engineering installations by cementing metal and vertical pipes to the seafloor containing a 200-metre length of power cable donated by NL Hydro to monitor electrical conductivity.

Because sea ice and icebergs were the biggest impediments to offshore oil & gas production, C-CORE concentrated on remote sensing technology to characterize sea ice and to establish an optimal system of remote sensors which could operate in all weather.

In May 1977, Operation Early Probe saw forty technical observers board the Canadian CGS Louis St. Laurent, which was attempting to force a passage through the ice in Baffin Bay two months before normal break up. That’s when Alastair Allan had an extremely close encounter with a massive polar bear.

“Polar bear three hundred yards off the port bow and closing. All personnel advised to return to ship. That’s what came out over the ship’s intercom,” said Alastair. “But I couldn’t run with the rest of the guys. Not only was the polar bear between me and the ship, he was standing on my equipment.” And that cable underneath the huge clawed paw, was what Alastair and Harold Snyder needed to measure the draft of a ridge keel with side-looking sonar.

Luckily, they survived the polar bear danger without having to resort to shooting and came back from that trip with a renewed goal of better understanding the physical properties of ice and improving monitoring techniques, re-examining hull design in ice breakers and investigating the feasibility of a refuelling terminal in Canadian Arctic waters, research that is ongoing today.

In 1979, when the oil tanker Kurdistan broke in half and lost almost 30,000 tons of Bunker C oil in the Cabot Strait between Newfoundland and Cape Breton, C-CORE responded to contain and observe the interaction of oil with pack ice in order to design detection and containment methods.

Throughout these early years, when the C-CORE team had field work going on, they’d bring Memorial students with them, for

example, when they used radar to observe ice in the Strait of Belle Isle. From the Point Amour lighthouse, which Memorial used as a research station, the team began active ice surveillance using radar and movie cameras in timelapse mode. The sped-up footage produced compelling visuals of ice drift, which were broadcast on CBC. Then they patented that technology and sold it to the Coast Guard for ship surveillance.

Mobilizing Research into Cold Ocean Technologies.

Strain Meters

“At Scott Polar I had tried to understand natural mechanisms that break ice, for example, by measuring the flex of ice as waves came through,” said Alastair. “So, we developed a super sensitive strain meter capable of highly accurate measurements in a frigid, salty environment. When the results were published, we were asked to supply these instruments to other research organizations around the world. This created a headache as we now had to produce a commercial product in addition to carrying out our own busy research program. At that time, there were no electronic design and manufacturing facilities in Newfoundland, so in keeping with C-CORE’s mandate, Harold wanted to create a company to commercialize cold ocean instrumentation.”

“I never knew what my title was, but I was running all the research at C-CORE when we went into production of these instruments. I went to Harold and said: I can’t handle going to the Arctic, Alaska and all over the place, we need a company to give this to. Harold said: It was your idea, you do it. I said: I’m not an entrepreneur.”

Instrumar and other C-CORE Spin-offs

That is how Alastair Allan came to set up Instrumar with Harold Snyder and Angus Bruneau on the board of directors. “I believe it was the very first successful spinoff from C-CORE and primarily due to Harold’s approach,” said Alastair, referring to

the tech company that designed and manufactured cold ocean instrumentation and still exists today.

“Harold’s approach was wonderful; he was very practically minded,” said Alastair. “You scientists, he’d say. If what you scientists do is successful, we’ll pass it on to industry; if it’s not successful, we’ll move on to something else. Spinoff was important.”

“I was at C-CORE for five years. Even when Instrumar took off, I was pulled back and forth between the two,” said Alastair, explaining that Instrumar, for a time, was still located within C-CORE to continue their mutually beneficial relationship and to facilitate the exchange of ideas and technology. “I so enjoyed working with Harold with his research approach. Instrumar was an experiment in proving that you could grow an industry in a place that really only had fishing and forestry.”

“Angus was central to all of this, and Mose Morgan, Memorial’s president, was a great guy,” said Alastair. “When we were incorporating the company, the Corporations Act dictated we couldn’t compete with anyone else. We couldn’t make margarine or potted meat or import cows. We weren’t allowed to consult, but we had a number of outside people coming to Newfoundland asking for advice. So, we set up Canpolar as a subsidiary of Instrumar, run by Jamie Rossiter and Ernie Reimer, the oil spill expert.”

C-CORE’s culture of industrial development encouraged other early employees to later create their own local companies, including Byron Dawe’s Rutter Inc.; Chris Woodworth Lynas’ Petra, an acoustic seabed analysis company; Ken Butt’s Lotek, an instrumentation company; and Bevin LeDrew’s LeDrew Environmental Research.

“That vision Harold had of bringing experts to go on to found new organizations, we took the lid off people and let them go, it resulted in a tremendous growth in technology,” said Alastair.

By the time Alastair officially left his employment at C-CORE to incorporate Instrumar in July 1980, C-CORE had come up with funds to build their own building next to the engineering building on Long Pond which greatly enhanced their public visibility. They were on such a tight budget; however, they had an elevator shaft but couldn’t afford the elevator. When they took over the new building on November 26, 1980, the elevator shaft became a storage room. Only many years later did they come up with the money to put an elevator in. But that didn’t dampen the C-CORE scientists’ love of research.

First Oil

By 1979, the Hibernia oil field had been discovered, and the following year C-CORE, in collaboration with Mobil Oil, the Atlantic Geoscience Centre and the Geological Survey of Canada, conducted a detailed survey of the Hibernia/Ben Nevis region of the northeastern Grand Banks to develop a sediments dynamics model in preparation for oil production in the area. First oil for Hibernia was 1997.

By 1980, C-CORE had its own constitution, which laid out its purpose to “undertake engineering research designed to assist in the safe and orderly development and utilization of Canada’s ocean-related resources.”

In 1982, when all eighty-four men died after the Ocean Ranger semi-submersible drilling rig capsized, C-CORE’s role in cold ocean research became more important than ever. In order for oil companies to seriously consider producing oil in the western Atlantic, more research and training were needed in order to keep the workers safe.

From 1982 to 1984, C-CORE had no director until John (Jack) Clark, who had first studied the harsh environments and ice impacts during a three-year posting to the RCAF Station in Winisk on James Bay, became the second director after Harold Snyder. This was at a time when the oil & gas industry, which supplied many of C-CORE’s contracts, was in a downturn. Instead of letting C-CORE flounder, Jack Clark, got to work applying for contracts. In just four days, he wrote a proposal for a project with the European Space Agency, and won the contract over the other fifty submissions ushering C-CORE into a new era of working in space.

Iceberg Tracking

In the mid-80s, with offshore drilling activity on the Grand Banks and offshore Labrador, ice and iceberg tracking became a priority. Ever since the Titanic disaster of 1912 the International Ice Patrol (IIP) had been tracking icebergs heading to the Grand Banks from Greenland. In the beginning, the US Coast Guard collected radiation thermometer data on reconnaissance flights and shared it with the world. This data included shape, size, latitude and longitude as well as path prediction of icebergs.

“At that time, drill rig-based monitoring relied on traditional marine radar. However, ranges over which icebergs could be detected at that time were limited. So, to extend the range, drilling folks decided to hire a Cessna airplane out of St. Anthony to fly further upstream and record iceberg positions,” said Freeman.

That was the start of commercial aerial reconnaissance for the offshore industry, which decades later with deployment of aircraft radar and continued radar innovation led to the development of PAL Aerospace and PAL Airlines, the former now servicing fishery surveillance and maritime security.

“Today, C-CORE is committed to developing better and more reliable ice detection services,” said Freeman, explaining how improving ice surveillance is an ongoing challenge and today’s focus is on satellite imagery.

Rutter, the spin-off mentioned above, has developed the world’s most advanced small target high sea state detection radar, called Sigma S6, which not only detects and tracks icebergs, but also measures wave height.

“We continue to ask ourselves, how can we do it better?” said Freeman. “C-CORE is developing the first AI/ML based iceberg detection, tracking and forecasting tool. Monitoring and tracking will start at the birth of an iceberg at the glaciers in Greenland, and continue all the way to the berg’s ultimate fate south of the Grand Banks where the cold Labrador current meets the warm Gulf Stream and the iceberg melts. A decade ago, satellite images were used once a week; now with the Radarsat constellation mission we have twice daily coverage of all of Canada and eightyfive per cent of the icebergs the IIP and CIS report come from satellite imagery.”

Geotechnical Centrifuge

By 1993 Jack Clark had raised the money to install a centrifuge at C-CORE to test the behaviour of structures and soil mechanics at reduced scale in situations where gravity is a primary driving force - things like submarine slope stability, frost heave, sea ice/ iceberg gouging and seismic events. This was not just some rinky dink thing, but a 5.5m-radius geotechnical monolith with a fully computerized control system. It can handle a payload that experiences 200 times the force of Earth’s gravity. It can spin 1,500 pounds of seabed or ground at a rate of 3.5 revolutions per second. Actuators developed to fit the experimental containers can simulate ice loading, wave loads, monotonic and cyclic loading. It is one of the largest centrifuges in the world and the only one in North America designed to model cold region phenomena.

C-CORE’s geotechnical facility is also equipped with soils and model preparation laboratories, which, along with the centrifuge, allow researchers to closely replicate real-world conditions,

including extreme cold; soils comparable to site conditions; and multi-directional stresses and strains, such as those from wave action or earthquakes. The facilities allow pipeline and power cable testing, ice-seabed interaction and soil-structure interaction testing.

These new capabilities brought in more contracts, resulting in more funding, not only for C-CORE, but for Memorial University in the form of hosting work-term students.

Jack Clark stayed at C-CORE until 1997 when he moved next door to Memorial to teach engineering. He was followed by Judith Whittick, Charles Randell, Mark Macleod and Paul Griffin, who took over as president in 2018.

C-CORE’s Second 25 Years

For the second twenty-five years of C-CORE’s history, we turn again to Dr. Freeman Ralph, who is not only vice president, Oceans & Energy at C-CORE but a three-time graduate of Memorial’s Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering with a PhD focused on the design of ships and Arctic ice and probability.

Freeman joined C-CORE in 1999 and has dedicated his career to solving problems and reducing the risks posed by operations in challenging environments, while protecting human safety and the environment. He has worked on ice loads and ice management for developments off Canada’s east coast, the Shtokman program, the Kashagan Field in the Caspian Sea and several arctic regions under consideration for oil & gas exploration and development. In 2011 the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland & Labrador (PEGNL) presented Freeman with their Early Achievement Award to acknowledge his contributions to arctic engineering and community leadership.

Freeman explained that now, unlike in 1975 when grant funding was available, C-CORE’s research is 100 per cent contract-based, receiving no baseline public funding. But with C-CORE’s strong record of initiating, negotiating and stewarding large-scale R&D projects and addressing technical challenges from both operations and research perspectives, C-CORE researchers continue to be contracted for their expert services. “I like to say smaller r and bigger D given our engagement with our clients where we apply what we learn. Innovation is the key word.”

Collaboration

C-CORE continues its close collaborative relationship with Memorial University, contributing about twelve per cent of Memorial’s $120 million research portfolio and supplies dedicated office space for about fifteen Memorial students at any one time. This partnership greatly benefits C-CORE allowing their researchers access to the university’s facilities and diverse academic expertise. C-CORE also collaborates with the National Research Council’s Ocean, Coastal & River Engineering (OCRE).

“C-CORE has employed over 1500 students to date in engineering, science and business, at work term, master’s and PhD levels,” said Freeman Ralph. Students provide valuable assistance in executing projects, and many become employees after graduating. Many of the students who graduate and go into academia, consulting or industry later become collaborators or clients.

This strong student engagement is underpinned by a longstanding and growing partnership with Memorial’s Engineering Cooperative Education (Co-Op) office. “Collaboration and commitment between C-CORE and Memorial’s Engineering Co-Op office has been strong since C-CORE was created and has strengthened in the last number of years. They have continuously been one of the strongest supporters of students, hiring over 20 students a year in the recent past,” says Pat Sullivan, Director of Co-operative Education in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “Engineering Co-operative Education work term students frequently return to C-CORE for placements, commenting that the work assignments are interesting and fulfilling, allowing them to contribute to engineering solutions in industry sectors previously not well known to them. Furthermore, many of the students commented that the professional work environment at C-CORE is friendly, welcoming, and supportive.”

Ice Interactions and Surveillance Today

Now, as in 1975, a lot of C-CORE’s research revolves around ice.

Below are some of the questions C-CORE researchers consider when looking at ice interacting with offshore facilities.

“What ice exists upstream, and what’s the risk of any piece of ice entering my space? What are the forces on offshore structures? What

COLLABORATION AND COMMITMENT BETWEEN C-CORE AND MEMORIAL’S ENGINEERING CO-OP OFFICE HAS BEEN STRONG SINCE C-CORE WAS CREATED AND HAS STRENGTHENED IN THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS.

— Pat Sullivan

elevation should topsides be to avoid iceberg contact? What can satellites tell us about location, size, drift speed and forecasted track?”

These sound a lot like the questions mentioned in 1979s’ editions of the C-CORE news. “Can we build platforms in 1,000 feet of water? Can we divert icebergs regardless of shape and size? How can we protect a 100-mile pipeline to shore from iceberg groundings? Should we confine our facilities to the sub-surface area of the sea? Might we go a step further and work entirely within the seafloor? That is, build the gathering systems, drill the development wells, excavate the storage compartments and establish crew quarters beneath the sea floor.” These were the questions that kept C-CORE researchers up at night.

“Harold never would have expected C-CORE to last as long as it has,” said Alastair Allan. “C-CORE was there to solve an immediate problem for five years or so and then disappear. The problem was: how does the oil industry survive in our waters not only in ice, but other environmental conditions? He thought five years and we’d all be on to something else. But some of the problems we were working on in my day; they’re still working on today.”

What forces would act on a structure if given the opportunity to interact with a piece of ice? This one question has led to collaborative contracts with every major oil development in offshore Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.

“Some of the earliest work leading to the design of structures for the Grand Banks was a Mobil (now ExxonMobil) study where ice crushing pressures were measured inside a very large grounded iceberg in Pond Inlet,” said Freeman. “A cave was excavated inside the iceberg where an apparatus was installed that pushed indenters into the opposite wall of the cave to measure pressures. Later the apparatus was donated to Memorial University where similar tests

were conducted within an excavated trench in a very thick multi-year flow. These trials, in addition to a large iceberg profile measurement campaign, became the basis for the Hibernia Development.”

Later in 1995, C-CORE executed iceberg impact trials on Grappling Island in southern Labrador where bergy bits and growlers were towed into an instrumented panel mounted on a rock face to measure full-scale ice strength and impact forces for the first time. “This led to refined estimates of ice strength that were used in the design basis for the design of the Terra Nova FPSO,” said Freeman. “Then in 2001, we worked with the National Research Council and completed the Bergy Bit Impact Trials off St. Anthony, where the CCGS Terry Fox was used to ram small icebergs collecting real ship type ice pressures. These new insights were incorporated in the design of the Sea Rose FPSO for the WhiteRose development.”

In 2011, building on these field programs and to verify the Hebron design basis, C-CORE led a very ambitious project with Fugro, a geo-data company to profile icebergs and produce the first ever complete 3D iceberg profile dataset integrating stereo-camera and lidar based iceberg tops with multi-beam sonar-based iceberg bottoms.”

Later in 2014, after an even more ambitious ExxonMobil challenge, C-CORE developed the first ever rapid iceberg profiling system that led to the world’s highest resolution and largest set of more than 200 iceberg profiles. These have been used in the design of the Cenovus West White Rose platform, the developing Bay Du Nord FPSO with Equinor, and advancing models for iceberg drift prediction.

The most recent GBS is the West White Rose concrete gravity drilling substructure (CGS), built in Argentia. Once mated with the topsides being built in Texas, the CGS will sit in 120 meters of water and extend approximately 100 metres above sea level; first oil is slated for 2026.

“We decide ice design pressures and how thick hull plating should be, if more steel is needed in the bow or less; determine risk to mooring lines and risers, advise how deep to dig excavated drill centres that house a cluster of wells which can be several kilometres from an FPSO or platform. Will the iceberg keel pass over the top of flow lines without damaging any assets? What protection is required including rock berms? Similarly, we help provide decision criteria to help offshore folks decide whether a piece of ice in a certain sea state is threatening or not and guide decisions concerning ice management actions.”

Considering Risks

Today another priority for C-CORE is ensuring that individual energy companies consider all risks, ensure safety, and with safety satisfied, look for ways to optimize. With three decades of new

knowledge, better understanding of ice strength, and the ability to reliably detect, monitor, and manage icebergs, GBS structures today do not have iceberg teeth like Hibernia gravity base structure, and current floating platforms have less steel than old designs.

“Through innovation, the industry has saved billions by removing over-conservative features,” said Freeman. “We have compiled a legacy of data and developed accurate classifiers for distinguishing ships from icebergs, for example. This is important for the IIP since any false counting of ships and over-reporting of iceberg numbers would shed doubt on reliability.”

C-CORE continues to concentrate on three closely integrated areas of technical expertise – ice engineering, geotechnical engineering and remote sensing. Today about thirty per cent of C-CORE’s business deals with oceans and energy and seventy per cent is associated with remote sensing, including maritime security and Arctic surveillance; earth observation and infrastructure monitoring; and creating custom hardware and streamlining complex systems for harsh environment and space applications – from radio beacons and ice measurement sensors to satellite transponders and space-qualified hardware.

Killick-1

“The Canada Space Agency awarded us a contract for teams of Memorial engineering students of all disciplines to design and build CubeSats. The first micro-satellite, called Killick-1, was delivered to the International Space Station in spring 2024 via a SpaceX rocket, and launched from there into space,” said Freeman, explaining the students custom-designed the satellite’s five subsystems - communication to the ground; power; attitude determination and control; command/data handling; and the payload. Killick-1 travels in the same orbit as the International Space Station, about 400 kilometres above earth, collecting data on ocean waves and presence of sea ice.

“Using that data, we developed the criteria which must be followed and determines when to shut down operations on offshore platforms. If an iceberg is the size of a Yaris, then maybe we don’t worry, but if it’s the size of a large dump truck in higher seas, then it might be threatening and could result in suspension of operations and in extreme scenarios, move off location in the case of floaters,” said Freeman.

Wetlands Mapping

Today one of C-CORE’s focuses is advancing earth observation technologies not only for iceberg and sea ice monitoring, but also oil slick and seeps identification and vessel detection. They monitor river ice, floe edges, ice roads in the Northwest Territories, as well as wetlands mapping.

“Two Memorial PhD students from Iran developed AI tools to process hundreds of thousands of images to classify wetlands all across Canada, starting with Mount Pearl,” said Freeman.

Biomass Satellite Project

Another exciting C-CORE project is the design, construction, fabrication, testing and commissioning of the transponder that will calibrate the European Space Agency’s new Biomass Satellite to be launched this year.

C-CORE and its subcontractors IDS, Hitec and ARUP executed this project for AIRBUS, who is building the satellite. The satellite will measure the total biomass of trees all across the planet, capturing seasonal variation and losses due to industrial harvesting and natural burning and assess the extent of carbon captured in earth’s forests which is critical for monitoring climate change effects.

If a satellite goes out of orbit, it needs to be recalibrated, and one year ago the C-CORE team installed a calibration transponder in western Australia. “With the exception of the main dish, and the global positioner provided by C-COREs subcontractors, the complete build including transponder hardware and controller software was fabricated right here in St. John’s,” said Freeman. “We have a twin of the control unit at C-CORE to troubleshoot and service any issues that may arise with the unit in Australia. Our satellite-based earth observation capabilities, like the air surveillance technologies developed in the 1980s, are all made right here success stories.”

The future

C-CORE’s staff of more than seventy scientists, engineers and other professionals will continue to collaborate with Memorial University and other institutions, governments and industry to lead the world in ice and ocean engineering to help clients mitigate operational risk in ice and iceberg-prone waters world-wide.

“We will also continue to contribute to space surveillance, northern surveillance and Arctic security, including monitoring suspicious vessel activity and threats to Northern infrastructure due to climate change,” said Freeman. “We provide advisory services to mitigate operational risk and help clients improve safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness in remote or challenging environments worldwide. There is no shortage of problems for C-CORE and Memorial to solve, exercising innovation, whether in the ocean, on land or in space. While I’ll be long retired, I’m confident C-CORE will be around for another fifty years at least.”

C-CORE Sails to the Labrador Banks (to the tune of The Banks of Newfoundland)

A song written by Peter Wadhams, of the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge after coming to the aid of the dragger Canso Mariner in March 1978 while conducting collaborative research with C-CORE on the interaction of ocean swell with moving pack ice off the coast of Labrador. The direct transmission of near realtime satellite ice information to ocean vessels was also investigated.

On a winter’s day, the seventeenth, from St. John’s we set sail, Kind fortune did favour us with a fierce and violent gale, We bore away from Amerikay, the wind being off the shore, And with courage brave, we ploughed the wave, Bound down for Labrador

Oh, our captain’s name was Grandy, just sixty years of age, As true, as brave a sailor man as ever ploughed the wave; Our ship was the Gadus Atlantica of the Fisheries Research Board; And with courage brave, we ploughed the wave, Bound down for Labrador

When three days out, to our surprise, we came into some ice; We thought to do an experiment would be extremely nice, Our waverider Buoy we did deploy, while the AES flew over. And profiled the ice with a laser device

On the Banks of Labrador.

Now the storm clouds they did gather, and the icy winds did blow; We heard of a trawler in distress on the Coast Guard radio; Around her screw her net she drew, lying helpless far from shore; So we sailed at speed to meet her need

On the Banks of Labrador

And when we came upon her, ‘twas ten o’clock at night; The mighty waves rolled o’er her, that was a fearful sight; Our rockets hissed, but the fist three missed, though we struck with number four;

But the tow line broke, and we lost all hope, On the Banks of Labrador

All that night long we did lament for our endangered friends, And we were praying unto God to save them from their end; When morning rose, we came in close, and out last shot flew aboard, So we towed her down to St. John’s town

From the Banks of Labrador

The moral of this story, the moral of this tale, For those who venture out to sea to face the icy gale;

Be sure to take some engineers from the group they call C-CORE,

If you want advice while on the h’ice Bound down for Labrador

THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA (NRC) IN ST. JOHN’S: COLLABORATIVE PARTNER WITH MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY SINCE 1984

The NRC’s History: 1916

In 1916, in the throes of the First World War, the federal government set up the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to bring research to assist with Canada’s most pressing problems and opportunities. With a focus on innovation, the NRC has worked diligently to respond to challenges faced by Canadians and to ensure Canada is a world-leader in innovation.

Since its inception, the NRC has collaborated with academic institutions and industry to develop products such as the steam locomotive, the electric wheelchair, and space technologies. Currently the NRC has twelve research centres, which act as hubs, offering scientific expertise in federally funded labs and equipment, incubation space and business development mentoring. Two of these hubs in St. John’s and Ottawa are collectively known as the Ocean Coastal and River Engineering (OCRE) Research Centre.

The National Research Council of Canada in St. John’s is focused on ship design and the performance of vessels in challenging ocean environments, while its counterpart in Ottawa specializes in riverine studies, such as modeling ports and examining coastal erosion and flooding. “In St. John’s, we engage deeply with the marine industry, and other federal departments, providing critical research that supports maritime security and environmental resilience,” said Dr. David Murrin, director general of OCRE. “Our teams in St. John’s and Ottawa collaborate closely, building on each other’s expertise and working alongside academic institutions, governments, and industry partners to drive forward ground-breaking solutions.”

One of the NRC’s biggest collaborators in St. John’s is Memorial University. A prime example of this collaboration is Dr. Jungyong (John) Wang, who has been conducting ice research at the

NRC for over seventeen years. During his PhD in propeller ice interaction, he was co-supervised by Dr. Neil Bose at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University and Ayhan Akinturk at the NRC, working from office space at the NRC on seamless model testing. Jungyong’s journey exemplifies the productive partnership between the NRC and Memorial University, where shared resources and expertise lead to innovative advancements in marine engineering.

When he completed his PhD in 2007, he was immediately hired at the NRC, first as a postdoc research associate. “I had a lot of good mentors,” said Dr. Wang, now a senior research officer at the NRC, who has worked on ice breakers, as well as many projects closer to home in the oil & gas industry. “Ahmed Derradji, Bob Gagnon and Stephen Jones who taught me finite element method; also, David Molyneux and Michael Lau. They had over thirty years experience between them; I learned a lot from them.”

Just as John Wang learned from his seniors when he began at the NRC, he has also shared his expertise with students at Memorial by training grad students and publishing papers with them. As adjunct professor at Memorial, he has given intro classes to ice mechanics and ice breaker history and taught a sessional design course. “We do mentoring,” he said. “Succession planning is an important part of our work.”

“We have good collaboration with Memorial,” said Dr. Wang, adding he has collaborated on studies with Brian Veitch, Bob Gagnon, Claude Daley and Rocky Taylor. “I’ve had a lot of collaborations with Rocky Taylor; our project on iceberg towing was one of the earliest projects in the Karluk Collaboration Space. (The space makes it) really easy to collaborate; it opens up a lot of opportunities. We don’t have to worry about contracts and legal requirements. I think collaboration is my favourite part of the job, working so we can develop something together.”

AVMRI: 1984

Before we get into OCRE St. John’s current facilities like the Karluk Collaboration Space, let’s back up to 1984 when the NRC first opened the doors to its facility on Memorial University campus under the direction of Dr. Norm Jeffrey. It was known for a short time as the Arctic Vessel and Marine Research Institute or AVMRI.

Dignitaries at the sod-turning ceremony for the Arctic Vessel and Marine Research Institute. Pictured (L–R): The Honourable Leo Barry, Minister of Mines and Energy; Dr. Larkin Kerwin, President of the NRC; the Honourable William Rompkey, Minister of National Revenue; and Dr. M.O. Morgan, President of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Source: The Gazette, Memorial University

“AVMRI or the Ave Maria as it was sometimes referred, was established and built shortly after the (Memorial shipbuilding) program started,” said Dag Friis, a native of Oslo and naval architect who was the second professor hired to teach in Memorial University’s shipbuilding program.

The AVMRI name was short-lived. Used by the NRC’s former Marine Dynamics and Ship Lab in Ottawa, known as M-22, which had been conducting model tank testing with synthetic ice, on a smaller scale, for thirty years previous to the construction of the NRC facility in St. John’s, the name quickly changed to the Institute for Marine Dynamics or IMD.

“I applied for my job, responding to a full-page ad in the Evening Telegram around May of 1984,” said Dr. Jim Millan, former director of research at the NRC. “My original letter of offer, dated September 27, 1984 is on letterhead from the Institute for Marine Dynamics.”

When Jim Millan started his new job in October 1984, the NRC only had possession of the brown brick two-storey L-shaped section of the facility. Dr. Millan, who ended up spending over thirty-four years working at the NRC, explained the research facility was built in phases. “Phase 1 was the office building; Phase 2 the shop areas: and Phase 3 the wave and ice tanks and offshore

basin. I saw major equipment coming in like the eighty-tonne custom-designed carriages for the wave tank that were brought in pieces in a ship from Japan and brought up on flat beds from the harbour. We had wave maker technology from Minnesota from a materials testing company called MTS. There are very few facilities in the world with equipment like ours.”

Origin Story

Many stories about how the NRC came to be set up in St. John’s on the university campus revolve around Labrador MP Bill Rompkey and John Crosbie, who was Member of Parliament for St. John’s West during this period.

“During WWII, the NRC had expanded their campus on Montreal Road in Ottawa moving it from the WWI era building on Sussex Drive, to develop all sorts of technologies like RADAR to further the war effort,” said Jim Millan. “It was all centralized with specialized buildings for conducting various types of research including aerodynamics, chemistry, electrical engineering, physics, and located at building M-22 was the Ship Lab. Around the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the NRC was preparing to invest in a larger ship and offshore structure research facility, to be built in Ottawa on the NRC campus. But the location changed when Newfoundland politicians proposed the Arctic Vessel and Marine Research Institute be built in St. John’s.”

Indeed, in February 1981, the Honourable Bill Rompkey held a press conference to announce Treasury Board approval for the AVMRI to be built on Memorial University campus with construction beginning later that year (C-CORE News Vol. 5, No. 1).

Establishing the NRC on Memorial University campus in 1984 was a major coup, not just in terms of infrastructure, but in terms of expertise and research excellence. Clients who came to the NRC could always rely on the precision of both the instrumentation, tools and machinery as well as those who designed, manufactured and operated them.

“In 1982 when the Ocean Ranger Disaster occurred, it further underscored the need for the research to be closer to where the new offshore oil industry was just beginning,” said Dr. Millan, explaining he was twenty-three years old and had just graduated from electrical engineering when he flew up to Ottawa on October 1, 1984, to begin working at the NRC. “I spent about a month learning the ropes of electronics design for model testing; I was going to design things you couldn’t buy in a store,” said Dr. Millan. “I was ushered into the office to meet the Director General of the AVMRI Norm Jeffrey; he gave me a two-minute pep talk, and then I was led out to the electronics lab to meet Senior Technical Officer Yves Séguin who said, you work for the NRC; second best is not good enough. It’s our national lab; it has to be the best.”

“It was not a matter of making money,” added Dr. Millan, referring to the purpose of the NRC in Canada. “If we’d operated it as a commercial venture, the value wouldn’t have been there. We were the keepers of a major facility. It was science, it can’t lie; can’t be bent; can’t be changed. We have all the measurement standards for the country. These things are crucial and underpin your ability to be the best entity in the world. If you don’t have a lab like this, you’re not a player in the ocean industry. If you don’t have the people who can understand that laboratory, you can’t compete on the world stage; someone else will be taking control of your offshore resources, your ice breakers.”

John Hagerty, a retired machinist who worked at NRC’s facility in St. John’s for thirty years, agrees. “We were the brightest and the best and they came from all over the world to get research done at the NRC in St. John’s,” he said. “When you’re given the resources to do things outside the box, it’s really amazing.”

The name of the NRC’s facility in St. John’s has changed three times since the shortlived Arctic Vessel and Marine Research Institute (AVMRI, 1984) first to the Institute for Marine Dynamics (IMD 1985-2003); then the Institute for Ocean Technology (IOT November 2003-2011); and finally, the current Ocean Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre (OCRE, pronounced Oak-Ree) in 2012. Despite the changes, the research centre’s commitment to excellence and innovative collaboration with its main academic partner, Memorial University, continue through various key facilities.

Towing and Ice Tanks

It also boasted a 200-metre towing tank for scale-model testing of ship resistance, ship self-propulsion, captive and free manoeuvring, as well as seakeeping and hydrodynamic force measurements. The towing tank helps researchers evaluate performance and speed of large vessels including bulk carriers, patrol vessels, icebreakers, sailing yachts and submarines in wind and waves. https://nrc. canada.ca/en/research-development/nrc-facilities/towing-tankresearch-facility

Both the towing and ice tanks have carriages that run the length of the tank on a system of rails, supplied by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding in Tokyo. These carriages are really precisioncontrolled mobile labs that ensure the highest quality of test execution and data acquisition.

WE WERE THE BRIGHTEST AND THE BEST AND THEY CAME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO GET RESEARCH DONE AT THE NRC IN ST. JOHN’S, WHEN YOU’RE GIVEN THE RESOURCES TO DO THINGS OUTSIDE THE BOX, IT’S REALLY AMAZING.

— John Hagerty

The core facilities have also remained consistent. When the building opened in St. John’s, it boasted a ninety-metre ice tank, at that time the largest in the world, that allows researchers to conduct scale model testing of ships and offshore structures in ice in temperatures as low as -25°C. At twelve metres wide and three metres deep, the tank’s dimensions allow enough width for manoeuvring studies and the ability to conduct multiple trial runs for one sheet of ice. https://nrc.canada.ca/en/researchdevelopment/nrc-facilities/ice-tank-90-m-research-facility

Because the towing tank is so long – about the length of two football fields – the manufacturers included a method to compensate for the curvature of the Earth and rails down the tank. “The carriages were heavy enough that they would push the rails out of alignment over a period of a year and the maintenance guys would have to recalibrate them,” said John Bell, who ran the machine shop for over twentyfive years.

He explained that since the surface of the earth is curved, they have to bend the track to maintain a curvature that matches the Earth’s curved surface.

“The physics answer is to put a water trough down the side of the rails like a gutter and that water will match the curvature of the Earth,” he said. “Then you’ll be able to meet constant velocity in tolerances and satisfy the accuracy. We measured the distance of the water in that trough to the carriage rails with a microscope and then adjusted the rails to match the curvature of the Earth. We did this by putting shims under each rail to raise them to the required level with a dial so we could recalibrate them every year.”

Ethylene Glycol Aliphatic Detergent and Sugar (EGADS) Ice

It was not only the NRC’s tanks and their testing capabilities that made people sit up and take notice, but also the homemade ice.

“The ice modelling we developed is the best in the world at model scale,” said Jim Millan, explaining that all types of full-scale ice conditions can be modelled from grey ice to multi-year ice as well as level ice, drifting pack ice, columnar ice, ice ridges, glacial and multiyear ice, bergy bits and growlers.

Dr. David Murrin, who completed his undergrad, master’s and PhD in Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering at Memorial, was quite familiar with the NRC’s world-renowned model ice before he became director general of OCRE in 2018. “Our innovation at the NRC extends beyond the ordinary. We have mastered the art of growing and scaling ice through our groundbreaking EGADS formula - an innovation crafted by one of our researchers, Dr. Garry Timco, to replicate the unique properties of sea ice. Originally incorporating sugar, we adapted our approach through pioneering experimentation, discovering that simplicity led to remarkable results. EGADS remains a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence, producing ice with a fine grain columnar construction and controllable density that mirrors the flexural and crushing strength of sea ice at model scale.”

See link to Feb. 2017 article in Maritime Reporter & Engineering News https://www.marinelink.com/news/interactionstesting422861

Offshore Engineering Basin

The third main feature, the Offshore Engineering Basin (75m x 32m) capable of creating 3D wave profiles, was not quite complete when the facility opened. Today the basin has segmented wave makers on two sides of the tank that can mimic things like multidirectional sea states. The later addition of a wind machine added the ability to apply wind forces over the surface of water and to the above-water portions of a model allowing tests on selfpropelled ships, hydroelectric windmills, lifeboat launch systems, and Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) mooring system models, which can be attached to the floor of the tank. https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/nrc-facilities/ multidirectional-wave-basin-research-facility

“Marine performance evaluation in extreme environments with wind, waves, and ice has always been our bread and butter,” said Pat Marshall, who has worked as project manager at the NRC for the past thirty-three years after completing her master’s in ocean engineering at Memorial, with co-supervisors from Memorial and the NRC. “Our research and technical staff know how to do that in an excellent way to meet the needs of our clients and collaborators, with full-scale tests, for example, instrumenting a Coast Guard vessel and gathering data over a year; then scale model tests in the tanks; as well as numerical modelling. Together the three give a full picture.”

Original People

Dr. Stephen Jones came to St. John’s in late 1984 to head up ice research along with Brian Hill, a renowned and highly experienced senior technical officer. Both men had extensive experience in studying the physics of sea and glacial ice both in the field and the laboratory and worked together to take Dr. Timco’s ice model and apply it to ship testing. Brian brought the practical side and Stephen the scientific. It was this connection between measurements obtained in the field and comparing them to modelscale ice model testing that made the facility a leader in the world.

Dr. David Murdey, second in command to Director General Norm Jeffrey, had been working with the NRC in Ottawa before the advent of AVMRI. “David was the steady hand who had the tank testing experience that only a few of us had in the early years,” said Jim Millan. “He was widely viewed as the authority who knew the intricacies of ship testing. He was for many years our institute’s lead representative to the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) - an association of the world’s most prestigious tank testing facilities that develops and keeps the standards and methods for tank testing. For me, David was personally a great supervisor and mentor.”

Then there was John Bell who left the gas dynamics lab in Ottawa in January 1985 to relocate to St. John’s where he was put in charge of the machine shop under first Bruce Thorne, then Paul Atwood, and later Gary Fudge and finally Tony Randall. The roughly 3,000 square foot machine shop with six-inch parquet flooring to absorb machine vibrations was a busy place. The shop facilities also included a vast pattern and woodworking shop with attached fiberglass and paint booths sufficient to build twelvemetre-long ship models. The wood shop had a one-of-a-kind fiveaxis milling machine for precision computer milling of models.

“John Bell’s background in technical work was second to none in Canada. He was the mechanical brains and backbone of the set up of the wood shop, the model prep shop, the fiberglass and paint booth and the machine shop,” said John Hagerty, adding he also set up the welding booth and reconfigured a second-hand cold room in order to accommodate twelve-foothigh compression tensile materials testing machine used for ice crushing experiments. “John Bell was specially picked and for a good reason. I came on the scene for the machine shop. The wood shop was already staffed with three individuals and they knew their craft. With John’s skills in design, he brought out the best in all of us. He was absolutely brilliant in design; it didn’t matter if it was model design, propellor design, or the painting of the models; it all had to be crack on. If the painting wasn’t right, the research wouldn’t be right.”

Highlights and Milestones

In the forty years since the two Johns began working in the machine shop, they completed hundreds of interesting projects together. Never the same thing twice. And many in conjunction with Memorial researchers and students.

“The building started to get hugely busy with contracts from all over the world,” said John Hagerty. “We started research on the Hibernia project; waves, current, wind, ice, icebergs. That brought me to get to know the researchers - Jim Millan, Chris Norris, Mary Williams, Bruce Parsons.”

Dr. Mary Williams

In 2002, Dr. Mary Williams became the first female director general of Canada’s Institute for Ocean Technology. With a PhD in Applied Mechanics from Simon Fraser, Dr. Williams also taught in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial, where she was NSERC-Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for Atlantic Canada.

Terra Nova FPSO Mooring System

Three projects stand out for John Hagerty. The first is the turret mooring system for the Terra Nova FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel). “John Bell designed the model of the turret mooring system and I made it in the machine shop,” said John Hagerty. “It can turn the ship 360 degrees. That was a big expensive project.”

Designing the turret for the Terra Nova FPSO also stands out for Jim Millan. “We modelled the moorings underwater; it was much more complex than Hibernia,” he said, explaining that some of the early testing for the Hibernia GBS was done in Ottawa before the NRC was established in St. John’s. Later, a more complex model of Hibernia was designed and tested in St. John’s. “We built a dynamic model for studying wave loading and for pack ice and iceberg impact tests. Tow-out tests were also performed on smaller Hibernia models. For Terra Nova we made an iceberg model with sensors in the offshore basin with the vessel on a mooring. We had a current system built for that project. We would drop the mooring with a subsurface turret. How strong does the mooring have to be? What’s the impact force? Can you get people off the FPSO safely in the event of an accident and in rough seas? All those things were tested.”

In fact, over the past forty years, the NRC’s facility in St. John’s has been involved in every major oil & gas offshore project in Canada - Hibernia, Terra Nova FPSO, White Rose FPSO, Hebron, and the new White Rose Concrete Gravity Structure (CGS) - as well as future offshore studies that have not started production yet. Every major Canadian government vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard/Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Department of National Defence (DND) has also been tested in the NRC’s model facilities along with field measurements on the completed vessels.

Turbot War Net Cutter

The second project that stands out for John Hagerty is the net cutter used to cut the Spanish trawler, Estai’s fishing nets in Tobin’s Turbot War in 1995. Then federal Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin wanted to cut the nets on a Spanish trawler that was illegally fishing on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks. “The trawl was in about 5,000 feet of water with 500,000 pounds of turbot in it.” said John Hagerty. “That may have been John Bell’s finest hour; he designed an apparatus to put on the ocean floor to cut the cable, like scissors on a tripod, with fixed blades only a foot long. Dr. Shin Chin was brilliant. The Coast Guard ship made a J-configuration going around the Spanish fishing vessel and when the cable tightened, it cut the net. The blades had to be harder than the cable so we made them out of SPS, a hardening tool steel. We had to buy a huge bag of vermiculite; it holds heat and allows something to cool slowly.”

John Bell said he had help coming up with the design. Dr. Bruce Colbourne had found the book about the Icelandic cod wars with Britain - The Royal Navy in The Cod Wars: Britain and Iceland in Conflict 1958-1976 and loaned it to John. “I followed the Icelandic example and designed a cutting tool,” said John Bell. “Bruce Colbourne said to do the maneuver, it had to have some drag, so I designed it with a long shaft coming down the middle, a large flat plate at the bottom and four arms with cutters in the crutch between the arms and main shaft. The two ropes would cross each other, and the weight of the trawl would hold the one rope tight and the other would slide into the cutter and get cut.”

The sixteen-storey net, which featured a liner with a mesh size smaller than legally permitted by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, was later displayed from a crane near the United Nations in New York while Minister Tobin gave a press conference from a barge.

America’s Cup

The third project that looms large in John Hagerty’s mind after his thirty years of service to the NRC is testing yachts in the prestigious America’s Cup sailing competition which takes place once every four years and is described as the most expensive sport in the world.

“We did research for about ten years with Styrofoam models built in the shops using laminated construction. Word got around that our testing was accurate; yachts we tested won,” said John Hagerty, explaining their magic tool was a dynamometer designed by John Bell that was so delicate it was able to measure forces people didn’t know existed.

A dynamometer, also called a balance, offers a method of measuring lift and drag at varying yaw angles. When the dynamometer is mounted on the carriage and the laminated foam yacht model is floated in underneath it in the wave tank, the two are together driven up the tank at speed and the dynamometer is then able to measure water resistance for the hull, keel and rudder. America’s Cup yachts have to lift out of the water to reduce drag and increase speed. Many different shapes of hulls were tested over and over for months to optimize hull shape and performance in order to maximize a particular yacht’s power and acceleration.

“John Bell is brilliant in mathematics; the dynamometer should have his name on it,” said John Hagerty, adding that of course the project was a tremendous team effort and there were others who made outstanding contributions to its development as well.

“At first no one believed what I had invented worked,” said John Bell. “We developed a method of calibrating the balance. It was a finely choreographed dance that took the whole team ten years to perfect.”

Collaboration with Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

All these successful projects could not have been carried out without partners. From its inception, the NRC has actively collaborated with industry, governments and academic institutions. In the case of the NRC in St. John’s, the academic collaboration has been strongest with Memorial University, which is literally next door.

A lot of researchers from the NRC have publishing partnerships with members of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and over the years many researchers from the NRC have taught courses in Memorial’s engineering program. So, it’s not surprising that hundreds of Memorial engineering students have come through the NRC on undergraduate work terms and as graduate students and post-graduate researchers.

“The collaboration between the NRC and Memorial University is not just a partnership; it’s a legacy that has shaped the future of ocean engineering in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our joint efforts continue to inspire and produce innovative solutions to the challenges faced by vessels and offshore infrastructure in harsh climates,” said Martin Richard, director of research at the OCRE facility in St. John’s.

“The collaboration between the NRC and Memorial University is not just a partnership; it’s a legacy that has shaped the future of ocean engineering in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our joint efforts continue to inspire and produce innovative solutions to the challenges faced by vessels and offshore infrastructure in harsh climates...”

“The partnership between the NRC and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science holds great professional and personal significance for me,” said Dr. Rocky Taylor, interim associate dean research in the Faculty. “One of my earliest research experiences was as a co-op student at the NRC in 2001, an experience that played a pivotal role in shaping my trajectory and ultimately led me to a research career here at Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, where I now collaborate with colleagues at the NRC.”

Assessment of operability, performance, survivability and habitability in Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Craft (TEMPSC)

For Dr. António Simões Ré, former senior Research and Marine Safety Program lead at NRC, one particular collaboration stands out between the NRC, Memorial’s engineering faculty and kinesiology department and the Marine Institute. It was a marine safety research program that began in 2000 to assess the operability, performance, survivability and habitability in lifeboats.

The research project looked at the deployment, lowering and sailing away of lifeboats from fixed and floating platforms in a range of open water environmental conditions. The research was later extended to include the deployment and sailing away in extreme environments in which ice was present.

“I think it was one of the most successful programs at IMD/IOT/ OCRE for the research as well as the training of engineering and kinesiology students, both at the undergrad and grad levels. The program also collaborated with the school board making it possible to have junior high students visit and spend a day at the ice tank, and later, high-school programs had students coming once a week for four months,” he said, adding the program also employed exchange students from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada (IASTE).

Verification of the results of the model experiments began at full scale around 2007 when the institute purchased a sixteen-person lifeboat. “Due to possible dangers to operators of lifeboats in rough environments, the lifeboat was equipped with remote

control allowing it to be operated from shore or a support vessel,” he said. “At full scale, the environmental data inside the lifeboat was recorded - noise, visibility, CO and CO2 levels, temperature and humidity.”

Other means of evacuation, such as life rafts, lifejackets, immersion and survival suits, were assessed for their operability and performance in the same environmental conditions as the lifeboats. All were assessed for the construction and fabrication of standard material limits and for possible alternatives.

Later in the program, the ergonomic assessment of the means of evacuation looked at spatial arrangements and habitability by quantifying their influence on human occupants and their ability to perform the necessary tasks of evacuation in extreme environments.

Finally, all the data collected was used to validate the evacuation appliances training simulators which provide a safe environment in which marine personnel can be trained for expected real life scenarios.

“In total, I believe researchers in the program supervised over fifty MUN co-op students, seven graduate students from both kinesiology and engineering, four high-school educational partnerships, two IASTE exchange students, two WISE exchange students and eighteen junior high excellence programs,” he said, adding the program, which is still ongoing, resulted in four patent applications and one US patent.

Karluk Collaboration Space - a partnership to promote innovation in ocean engineering, technology and science

Since 2019 Memorial’s ocean and naval architectural engineering students have had access to the NRC’s facilities through the Karluk Collaboration Space, a dedicated area in the NRC that provides offices for grad students, who are co-supervised by

researchers from OCRE and Memorial. The goal is to bring different researchers together to develop innovative answers to challenges faced by vessels and offshore infrastructure in harsh climates. Established researchers share with student researchers in the hopes of developing new technology and inspiring a new generation to make a career out of ocean research.

“When the NRC explored the establishment of four collaboration centres across Canada, we seized the opportunity to create the Karluk Collaboration Space,” said Dr. Murrin.

“While some centres focus on specific product development, our mission here is to achieve excellence in ocean engineering. Reaffirming our collaborative relationship with Memorial University was paramount, and seeing students actively engaged in our hallways signifies the vibrant synergy we have fostered.”

“...our mission here is to achieve excellence in ocean engineering. Reaffirming our collaborative relationship with Memorial University was paramount, and seeing students actively engaged in our hallways signifies the vibrant synergy we have fostered.”

“The Karluk Collaboration Space is more than just a physical location; it’s a hub of innovation where students and seasoned researchers alike converge to tackle the pressing challenges of marine engineering. This collaboration not only advances our research but also inspires a new generation to innovate and lead in ocean technologies.”

“Most people working at the NRC in St. John’s have an affiliation with Memorial; we’re a small community with a common history of collaboration,” said Dr. Murrin, who was the inaugural executive director at C-CORE’s Centre for Arctic Resource Development (CARD). “Since the Karluk Collaboration Space has been set up, the number of MUN students has more than doubled.”

In 2025, the NRC’s collaboration with Memorial is vibrant, with twenty-seven projects completed or underway.

This continued collaboration is very important to Dr. Murrin who benefitted from access to the NRC when he was an engineering student at Memorial, both for his undergraduate and master’s degrees as well as his PhD in computational fluid dynamics and vortex-induced vibrations on marine risers. In the 2000s when Dr. Murrin worked at ExxonMobil and was responsible for the R&D obligation for Hebron, he continued to do a lot of work with the engineering Faculty at Memorial.

“Dr. Brian Veitch brought us over to the NRC as students,” he said, explaining that one field trip can really inspire a student and even influence their academic and future career focus. “The Karluk Collaboration Space is a symbol of the NRC and Memorial working together; it’s one I’m particularly proud of.”

Harsh Environment Research Facility (HERF)

Among Memorial’s current projects with the NRC, the biggest is the establishment of a Harsh Environment Research Facility or HERF with funding from the federal and provincial governments, Cenovus Energy and Memorial.

The project is led by Dr. Yuri Muzychka, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and involves a new building which will house a multi-purpose testing facility located next to the NRC tow tank. (see back cover for lead HERF researchers)

“The plan is for the equipment in HERF to build on what is already available so that we have access to equipment we don’t have now,” said Dr. Murrin.

The HERF will do that and more as it contains three major research test facilities. One is a unique materials testing system (MTS) which will allow engineering materials to be tested over a wide range of environment temperatures and very large applied loads. Another is an atmospheric icing wind tunnel situated above a wave basin, which will allow researchers to combine wind, wave generated spray and atmospheric precipitation for cold weather testing at freezing temperatures as low as -20 C as well as wind speeds as high as 100 kilometres per hour. The facility can also be operated as a stand-alone aeronautical icing wind tunnel. Finally, an ice mechanics research facility for testing ice loads on structures will be housed in a very large cold room that can be cooled to -30 C.

Combined under one roof, these unique facilities make the HERF a one-of-a-kind research facility in the world. These facilities will enable researchers to simulate harsh ocean conditions with icebergs and sea ice, high winds, waves, sea water spray, fog, and freezing rain storms. The big draw is that HERF will have the capability of simulating both fresh and salt-water conditions under the same roof. This facility is expected to be completed in early 2026.

“The Harsh Environment Research Facility will help Memorial and the NRC together develop innovative solutions to current and future challenges and help promote expertise in harsh environment research not only in this province, but all of Canada, and around the world. It will make us a leader in cold ocean industries,” said Dr. Muzychka.

“The Harsh Environment Research Facility will help Memorial and the NRC together develop innovative solutions to current and future challenges and help promote expertise in harsh environment research not only in this province, but all of Canada, and around the world. It will make us a leader in cold ocean industries,”

“In the HERF, Memorial will work with NRC and other postsecondary institutions across Canada as well as industry partners to address engineering challenges in three core areas – icing of marine vessels and other structures such as overhead power lines, aircraft and wind turbines; ice-structure interactions including ice management and safety; and advanced material coatings and engineered surfaces.”

Frazil Ice Facility

Another recently completed facility involves the study of frazil ice in the NRC’s ice tank. “Frazil ice is like slush, formed by tiny ice crystals in turbulent, supercooled water,” said Dr. Murrin. “It’s not just a curiosity - it poses real challenges by clogging water intakes and threatening infrastructure.”

Researchers installed a laser scanning system in the NRC ice tank to measure previously elusive parameters of frazil ice, repurposing a series of ship thrusters, transforming the ice tank into the largest indoor frozen river in the world.

“We saw an untapped potential in the ice tank, a chance to expand its capabilities beyond conventional limits,” said Dr. Murrin. “Each test has brought us closer to understanding the behaviour of frazil ice, allowing us to innovate solutions to mitigate its impacts.”

As researchers explored further, they developed innovative engineering solutions to counteract the dangers posed by frazil ice, in order to protect infrastructure.

“It’s about pushing boundaries and setting new standards in frazil ice research - turning challenges into triumphs,” said Dr. Martin Richard, director of research at NRC in St. John’s. “The account of the frazil ice facility exemplifies the potency of innovation and the unyielding pursuit of knowledge. It is a chronicle of how a bold vision, coupled with an inventive approach, can convert challenges into successes, setting new benchmarks in frazil ice research. This is the essence of OCRE.”

Digital Twinning

OCRE’s strategic initiatives, such as the Digital Twinning Facility, highlight a commitment to leveraging advanced technologies for improving marine operations and safety. This facility, developed through a co-investment agreement with Memorial University, Virtual Marine, and the NRC, exemplifies how strategic partnerships can drive innovation and create new opportunities for Canadian industry.

“Strategic leadership is about more than just setting goals; it’s about creating an environment where innovation thrives and partnerships flourish. At OCRE, we are committed to advancing Canada’s position in marine engineering and ensuring our research leads to tangible benefits for Canadians,” said Dr. Murrin.

Besides academic and industry related research, what else goes on at the NRC?

Beyond scale model testing of vessels and structures in the wave and ice tanks, many things have happened within the walls of the NRC in St. John’s that the public knows little about. Things like the filming of water scenes in movies like Rare Birds and The Shipping News; repairs to the periscope from WWII German U-boat 190 which peeks out of the roof of the WWII Crow’s Nest Officer’s Club in downtown St. John’s; and the NRC’s participation in the Own the Podium program which supports Olympic athletes by allowing them to test their equipment in the NRC’s facilities and providing

them with detailed analysis to enhance their aerodynamics and bring home a record number of Olympic medals.

The Future

Under the leadership of Dr. David Murrin, OCRE is poised to strengthen its role as a leader in marine engineering, guided by its four strategic pillars, Resilient Shores, Zero-Impact Ships, Safe Operations, and Secure Canada. This strategic focus ensures that all projects and collaborations contribute to Canada’s maritime security, climate change adaptation, and technological advancement. It also ensures that the work not only supports Canada’s maritime security and climate adaptation efforts but also propels OCRE into the forefront of marine design and technological advancement.

“In the coming years, OCRE will continue to spearhead innovations in marine engineering, leveraging the collaborative spirit of our partnerships to drive research that enhances Canada’s global leadership in ocean technologies. We are committed to fostering an environment where cutting-edge solutions are developed, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for all Canadians,” said Dr. Murrin.

Through initiatives like the Karluk Collaboration Space and the Harsh Environment Research Facility, OCRE is fostering a new generation of researchers and innovators. These collaborations with Memorial University and other partners ensure that the research not only addresses current challenges, but also anticipates future needs, positioning Newfoundland and Labrador as a global leader in the ocean sector.

“We look forward to strengthening Memorial’s partnership with the NRC for decades to come,” said Dr. Rocky Taylor. “Through the Karluk Collaboration Space and HERF, our students continue to benefit from access to world-class expertise and facilities at OCRE, reinforcing Newfoundland and Labrador’s position as a global leader in the ocean sector. By working alongside the NRC, researchers at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science will continue to drive innovation and develop solutions that enhance the lives of Canadians and people worldwide.”

WE ARE COMMITTED TO FOSTERING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE CUTTING-EDGE SOLUTIONS ARE DEVELOPED, ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR ALL CANADIANS...

— Dr. David Murrin

AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

FACULTY

Andrew Vardy – Awarded, Best Paper, IEEE International Conference on Multi-Robot Systems

Bing Chen – Awarded, Alumni Crowning Achievement, University of Regina Appointed, International Fellow, Chinese Society of Environmental Science

Cui Lin – Awarded, Best Paper, Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Jenna Rosales – Awarded, Association for Atlantic Universities’ Distinguished Teaching Award

Lesley James – Awarded, President’s Award for Graduate Supervision, Memorial University

Octavia A Dobre – Appointed, Fellow, Royal Society of Canada

Awarded, R. A. Fessenden Silver Medal, IEEE Canada

Awarded, Women’s Distinguished Career Award, IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Awarded, Best Communications Letter, IEEE ComSoc Heinrich Hertz Award Awarded, Exemplary Editor, IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials

Sima Alidokht – Recognition, Emerging Leader, Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing

Sohrab Zendehboudi – Awarded, The President’s Award for Outstanding Research Awarded, Professor Appreciation for Exemplary Teaching Performance, Memorial University Recognition, Honorary Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Stephen Butt – Awarded, Regional Service Award, Society of Petroleum Engineers

Trung Q Duong – Appointed, Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada

Awarded, Best Paper, IEEE International Wireless Communications & Mobile Computing Conference

Awarded, Best Paper, IEEE International Workshop on Computer Aided Modeling and Design of Communication Links and Networks Awarded, Best Editor, IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, 2024

Recognition, IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer

Weimin Huang – Recognition, IEEE OES Distinguished Lecturer

STUDENTS

Abdulmoshen Alsaui – Recognition, Student success, School of Graduate Studies

Adwaith Nath – Awarded, CFD Society of Canada Graduate Travel Award

Burak Muhammetoglu – Awarded, Best Paper, IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid

Ehsan Gerashi – Awarded, Outstanding MetSoc-CIM Student Chapter Award

Hamed Azimi & Hossein Janbazi – Recognition, Emerging Innovators in Ocean Research

Jesse Chen – Awarded, Best Student Poster Paper Finalist, MTS/IEEE Oceans Conference

Judith George – Appointed, Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies

Lee Britton – Awarded, International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) Travel Award

Leila Abbasian – Awarded, KEGS Foundation Scholarship Appointed, Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies

Marius Seidl – Awarded, Royal Bank Fellowship in Marine Studies, Memorial University

Maryam Ettelaei – Awarded, Outstanding MetSoc-CIM Student Chapter Award Recognition, Emerging Professional in NACSC

Masoud Salmani Arani – Awarded, 1st Place Team, CMC Quantum Machine Learning Workshop Awarded, Research Mobilization Fellowship Recognition, Best Paper Finalist IEEE APWC

Min Yang – Awarded, NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship

Mohamed. S. Elsayed – Awarded, Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Nirasha Herath – Awarded, Women Engineering Best paper, NECEC conference.

Oluwatimilehin Akindele – Appointed, Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies

William Benson – Awarded, Dean’s Doctoral Award, School of Science and the Environment

Xin Qiao – Awarded, Best Student Poster Paper Competition Finalist, MTS/IEEE Oceans Conference

Yuana Yeskia – Awarded, Translational Research and Development Program Grant

Awarded, SWANA Atlantic Canada Environmental Scholarship

Yuanmei Zhang – Awarded, Best Presentation at the PEOPLE Symposium

Yuna Zhang – Awarded, Dr. Chesley Blackwood Graduate Scholarship in Fisheries Innovation

Zahra Ghanbarpour – Appointed, Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies

RESEARCH SERVICE

PROCESS ENGINEERING

Cui Lin

Chair, Rock Mechanics Technical Session, Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Kelly Hawboldt

Editor, Process Safety and Environmental Protection Journal

Member, Clean Energy Initiative Project Committee, ECONEXT

Member, Materials management stewardship board (MMSB), Scientific advisory board, Gov of NL

Member, Ocean Frontier Institute Scientific Advisory Board, Ocean Frontier Institute

Member, Transforming Climate Action Research Advisory Committee

Evaluator, Engineers Canada chemical and biochemical program

Lesley James

Member, Canadian Council of Engineers Accreditation

VP Publications, Society of Core Analysts

Salim Ahmed

Associate Editor, Journal of the Franklin Institute

Associate Editor, Control Engineering Practice

Editorial Board Member, Process Safety Progress

Regional Editor, International Journal of Reliability and Safety

Sohrab Zendehboudi

Member, NOVA Program Multidisciplinary Committee, FRQ-NSERC Partnership

Member, NSERC Discovery Grant Evaluation Group for Materials and Chemical Engineering Member, NFRF Multidisciplinary Review Panel

Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering

Associate Editor, Special Topics & Reviews in Porous Media

Associate Editor, Energies

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Ashutosh Dhar

Member, NSERC Discovery grant review committee

Bing Chen

Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, the Council of Canadian Academies

Member, National Council, Engineering Institute of Canada

Member, Multidisciplinary Review Panel, New Frontiers in Research Fund

Member, National Review Panel, Research Council of Norway

Member, Review Panel, Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science

Member, Review Panel, Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award

President, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

Helen Zhang

Member, Transforming Climate Action Research Advisory Committee

Member, Royal Society of Canada Alice Wilson Award Evaluation Committee

Member, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Chair, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, NL Section

Associate Editor, Journal of Hazardous Materials

Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering

Hodjat Shiri

Associate Editor, Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice

Associate Editor, Elsevier Journal of Pipeline Science and Engineering

Joseph Daraio

Member, Climate Change Adaptation of Dams oversight committee

Member, Canadian Standards Association review panel

OCEAN AND NAVAL ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING

Bruce Quinton

Member, International Ship $Offshore Structures Conference Specialist Committee

David Molyneux

Technical Co-editor, Journal of Ocean Technology

Heather Peng

Member, Maneuvering Committee, International Towing Tank Conference

Member, NATO Science & Technology Organization AVT-399

Yuri Muzychka

Associate Editor, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Adam Noel

Chair, IEEE ComSoc Technical Committee on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications

Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications

Steering Committee Member, Molecular Communications Workshop

Guest Editor, Special Issue in IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications

Andrew Vardy

Member, John R. Evans Leaders Fund expert review committee

Member, The Fund for Scientific Research review committee

Ashraf Khan

Associate Editor, Energies

Associate Editor, Sensors

Associate Editor, Springer Nature

Ibrahim Al-Nahhal

Editor, IEEE Wireless Communications Letters

Jamil Moshin

Member, NSERC Scholarship and Fellowship Committee

Associate Editor, IEEE Canadian Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Associate Editor, IEEE Access

Editorial Board Member, Energies

Jonathan Anderson

NSERC PromoScience review committee

Member, Steering committee, International Workshop on Security Protocols

Member, Program Committee, IEEE BigData

Lihong Zhang

Member, NSERC Discovery Grant Evaluation Group: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Octavia Dobre

Guest Editor, IEEE Networking Letters

Guest Editor, IEEE Network

Guest Editor, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications

Guest Editor, IEEE Internet of Things Magazine

Guest Editor, IEEE Internet of Things Journal

Oscar De Silva

Chair, IEEE NL Section Meeting

Member, IEEE ANTEM Organization Committee

Sarah Power

Co-Chair, Technical Program Committee, IEEE Conference.

Siu O’Young

Member, Special Committee 228, Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics.

Member, TSO Mirror Committee, Standards Council of Canada.

Thumeera Wanasinghe Arachchige

Associate Editor, Journal of Drone Systems and Applications

Trung Doung

Panel member, Poland National Science Foundation

Panel Member, Irish Research Council

Member, Mitacs Review Committee

Member, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship Review Committee

Weimin Huang

Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing,

Associate Editor, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering,

Associate Editor, IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters,

Associate Editor, IEEE Canadian Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Associate Editor, Frontiers in Marine Science, Frontiers in Remote Sensing,

Associate Editor, Remote Sensing.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Ahmed Elruby

Member, Scientific Committee, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

Guest Editor, Buildings Journal

James Yang

Member, NSERC Discovery Grant Review Committee

Rocky Taylor

Member, Board of Directors. International Society of Polar and offshore Engineering

President, POAC International Committee

Sima Alidokht

Member, NSERC Scholarships and Fellowships Review Committee for Chemical, Biomedical and Materials Science Engineering

Ting Zou

Editor, Nature Portfolio

Guest Editor, Frontiers in Robotics and AI

Guest Editor, Applied Sciences

Editor, Journal of Robotics

Member, New Frontier in Research Fund-Exploration Review Panel

Member, NSERC Discovery Grant Review Committee

Xili Duan

Chair, CSME Technical committee on Advanced Energy Systems

Associate Editor, Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering

THE

$24.6M IN TOTAL FUNDING

APPLICATIONS

RESEARCHERS RECOGNIZED ON THE WORLD’S TOP 2% SCIENTIST 2024 LIST

PUBLICATION BY SUBJECT AREA

Engineering

Computer

Other

Energy

Chemical

PUBLICATIONS

ENERGY

Biogas Plants Accidents: Analyzing Occurrence, Severity, and Associations between 1990 and 2023. Hegazy, H.; Saady, N. M. C.; Khan, F.; Zendehboudi, S.; Albayati, T. M.

Safety Science 2024, 177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2024.106597

Data driven Prediction of Drilling Strength ahead of the Bit.

Mohagheghian, E.; Hender, D. G.; Yousefzadeh, R.; Nikdelfaz, F.; Said, M. M. E.; Clarke, A.; Haynes, R. D.; James, L. A. Geoenergy Science and Engineering 2024, 243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2024.213318.

Effects of Flow Characteristics on the Heat Transfer Mechanism in Taylor Flow. Etminan, A.; Muzychka, Y. S. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 2024, 219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2023.124917

Experimental Study of Kinetic to Thermal Energy Conversion with Fluid Agitation for a Wind Powered Heat Generator.

Javed, M. H.; Duan, X. Energies 2024, 17 (17). https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174246

Integrated Wellbore reservoir Modeling Based on 3D Navier–Stokes Equations with a Coupled CFD Solver. Ahammad, J. M.; Rahman, M. A.; Butt, S. D.; Alam, J. M Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202024018334

Mult injection Downdraft Moving Bed Reactor for Hydrolysis in Thermochemical Hydrogen Production. Broders, J. M.; Pope, K.; Hawboldt, K. A.; Naterer, G. F. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2024, 63, 975–985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.03.243

Safety Analysis of Blended Hydrogen Pipelines Using Dynamic Object-oriented Bayesian Network. Dao, U.; Sajid, Z.; Khan, F.; Zhang, Y. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2024, 52, 841–856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.06.334

OCEAN TECHNOLOGY

An Analysis of Factors Influencing Ice Management Performance in an Experimental Marine Simulator and Their Application to Decision Support System Design. Soper, J.; Veitch, E.; Thistle, R.; Smith, J.; Veitch, B. Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering 2024, 146 (3).

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4063617

An Operational Risk Management Approach for Small Fishing Vessel.

Obeng, F.; Domeh, D.; Khan, F.; Bose, N.; Sanli, E. Reliability Engineering and System Safety 2024, 247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2024.110104

Bulk Adhesion of Ice to Concrete–Strength. Barker, A.; Bruneau, S.; Colbourne, B.; Bugden, A. Materials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions 2024, 57 (10). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527024024958

Improving Detection and Localization of Green Sea Urchins by Adding Attention Mechanisms in a Convolutional Network.

Ahmed, I.; Peña-Castillo, L.; Vardy, A.; Gagnon, P.

Journal of Ocean Technology 2024, 19 (2), 81–97. Deep (Ocean) Learning by JournalOceanTechnology - Issuu

Layered Seabed Effects on Buried Pipeline Response to Ice Gouging.

Ghorbanzadeh, A.; Dong, X.; Shiri, H. Ocean Engineering 2024, 311.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.118955

Probabilistic Analysis of Operational Ice Damage for Polar Class Vessels Using Full Scale Data.

Suominen, M.; Kõrgesaar, M.; Taylor, R.; Bergström, M.

Structural Safety 2024, 107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strusafe.2023.102423

Propeller hull Interaction Simulation for Self-propulsion with Sinkage and Trim.

Ali, M. A.; Peng, H.; Qiu, W. Physics of Fluids 2024, 36 (2). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0183523

Transfer path Analysis to Estimate Underwater Radiated Noise from Onboard Structure borne Sources. Fragasso, J.; Helal, K. M.; Moro, L. Applied Ocean Research 2024, 147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2024.103979

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

A State-of-the-Art Survey on Advanced Electromagnetic Design: A Machine Learning Perspective.

Arani, M. S.; Shahidi, R.; Zhang, L.

IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation 2024, 5 (4), 1077–1094.

https://doi.org/10.1109/OJAP.2024.3412609.

Deep Reinforcement Learning for RIS Aided Full Duplex Systems: Advances and Challenges.

Faisal, A.; Al Nahhal, I.; Dobre, O. A.; Ngatched, T. M. N.; Shin, H.

IEEE Communications Magazine 2024

https://doi.org/10.1109/MCOM.004.2400316

Digitalization and the Future of Employment: A Case Study on the Canadian Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Occupations.

Wanasinghe, T. R.; Gosine, R. G.; Petersen, B. K.; Warrian, P. J.

IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 2024, 21 (2), 1661–1681.

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASE.2023.3238971

Dual Buck Bipolar Buck Boost ACAC Converter with Reduced Semiconductor Devices.

Ahmed, H. F.; Chien, H.; Khan, A. A.; Islam, S.; Akbar, F.; Alzaabi, O.

IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 2024, 71 (9), 10495–10511.

https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2023.3333042

EEG-based Hierarchical Classification of Level of Demand and Modality of Auditory and Visual Sensory Processing.

Massaeli, F.; Power, S. D. Journal of Neural Engineering 2024, 21 (1).

https://doi.org/10.1088/17412552/ad1ac1

Large Language Model Enhanced Multi Agent Systems for 6G Communications.

Jiang, F.; Peng, Y.; Dong, L.; Wang, K.; Yang, K.; Pan, C.; Niyato, D.; Dobre, O. A.

IEEE Wireless Communications 2024, 31 (6), 48–55. https://doi.org/10.1109/MWC.016.2300600

MUN-FRL: A Visual-Inertial-LiDAR Dataset for Aerial Autonomous Navigation and Mapping.

Thalagala, R. G.; Silva, D.; Jayasiri, A.; Gubbels, A.; Mann, G. K. I.; Gosine, R. G.

International Journal of Robotics Research 2024, 43 (12), 1853–1866.

https://doi.org/10.1177/02783649241238358

PiPCS: Perspective Independent Point Cloud Simplifier for Complex 3D Indoor Scenes.

Ebrahimi, A.; Czarnuch, S.

IEEE Access 2024, 12, 126983–127006.

https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3452633

Quantum Deep Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic Resource Allocation in Mobile Edge Computing Based IoT Systems.

Ansere, J. A.; Gyamfi, E.; Sharma, V.; Shin, H.; Dobre, O. A.; Duong, T. Q.

IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications 2024, 23 (6), 6221–6233.

https://doi.org/10.1109/TWC.2023.3330868

Single Input Multi Output Model of Molecular Communication via Diffusion with Spheroidal Receivers. Isik, I.; Rezaei, M.; Noel, A.

IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multiscale Communications 2024

https://doi.org/10.1109/TMBMC.2024.3521984

Workspace Based Motion Planning for Quadrupedal Robots on Rough Terrain.

Gu, Y.; Zou, T.

IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 2024, 71 (8), 9202–9211.

https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2023.3329255

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Numerical Modelling of Upheaval Buckling of Offshore Pipelines with Unstressed and Stressed Initial Imperfections.

Subedi, R.; Hawlader, B.; Roy, K.; Dhar, A. Ocean Engineering 2024, 310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.118781

Application of Artificial Neural Network Technique for Prediction of Pavement Roughness as a Performance Indicator.

Ali, A.; Heneash, U.; Hussein, A.; Khan, S. Journal of King Saud University Engineering Sciences 2024, 36 (2), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksues.2023.01.001.

Challenging Plastic Pollution with Hydrocarbonoclastic Lineages.

Cao, Y.; Zhang, B.; Chen, B. Trends in Biotechnology 2024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.010

Photo showing metabolic link between plastics and hydrocarbons in hydrocarbonoclastic lineages.

Enhanced Defect Detection on Wind Turbine Blades Using Binary Segmentation Masks and YOLO. Rizvi, S. Z.; Jamil, M.; Huang, W. Computers and Electrical Engineering 2024, 120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compeleceng.2024.109615

Failure Mode and Capacity Prediction for Bolted Tstub Connections Using Ensemble Learning. Haggag, M.; Elruby, A. Y.; Ismail, M. K.; AbdelAleem, B. H.; ElDakhakhni, W.

Journal of Constructional Steel Research 2024, 212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2023.108288

Prestress Effect of Metal Bars in Lowstress Separation Technology.

Xu, J.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, Q.; Sun, D.; Zhang, Q.; Yang, J. Journal of Manufacturing Processes 2024, 127, 129–139 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.07.136.

Insights to the Water Balance of a Boreal Watershed Using a SWAT Model.

Islam, K.; Daraio, J.; Sabau, G.; Cheema, M.; Galagedara, L. Environmental Research Communications 2024, 6 (5). https://doi.org/10.1088/25157620/ad495c

Alkaline Subcritical Water Extraction of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidants from Beachcast Brown Algae (Ascophyllum Nodosum).

Zhang, Y.; Hawboldt, K.; MacQuarrie, S.; Thomas, R.; Gebregiworgis, T.

Chemical Engineering Journal 2024, 494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.153109

Subcritical Water Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels, Chemicals and Materials: A Review.

Khandelwal, K.; Seraj, S.; Nanda, S.; Azargohar, R.; Dalai, A. K.

Environmental Chemistry Letters 2024, 22 (5), 2191–2211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311024017502

WaveTransNet: A Transformer Based Network for Global Significant Wave Height Retrieval from Spaceborne GNSSR Data.

Qiao, X.; Huang, W.

IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 2024, 62. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2024.3433397

OTHER/EMERGING AREA OF IMPORTANCE

A Hierarchical Bayesian Network-based Semimechanistic Model for Handling Data Variabilities in Dynamical Process Systems.

Alauddin, M.; Khan, F.; Imtiaz, S.; Ahmed, S.; Amyotte, P.; Vanberkel, P.

Computers and Chemical Engineering 2024, 185.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2024.108659

Generation of Viable Nanocrystalline Structures Using the Melt-cool Method: The Influence of Force Field Selection.

Handrigan, S. M.; Nakhla, S. Philosophical Magazine 2024, 104 (4), 205–238.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14786435.2023.2291479

Mapping the Way: Functional Modelling for Community based Integrated Care for Older People.

McGill, A.; Salehi, V.; McCloskey, R.; Smith, D.; Veitch, B. Health Research Policy and Systems 2024, 22 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961024011966

Minimum Information Variability in Linear Langevin Systems via Model Predictive Control.

GuelCortez, A. J.; Kim, E. J.; Mehrez, M. W. Entropy 2024, 26 (4).

https://doi.org/10.3390/e26040323

Practical Considerations for the Complete 3D in Situ Stress Estimation from Convergence Data Using the D3 Method.

Zou, D. H. S.; Lin, C. Acta Geotechnica 2024, 19 (2), 1063–1081. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1144002301919z

Solar Wind Ion Sputtering from Airless Planetary Bodies: New Insights into the Surface Binding Energies for Elements in Plagioclase Feldspars.

Morrissey, L. S.; Bringuier, S.; Bu, C.; Horányi, M.; Tucker, O. J. Planetary Science Journal 2024, 5 (12), 272.

https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad8eaf

OUR RESEARCH INNOVATION IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDING INITIATIVES. THIS WAY, WE MAINTAIN THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR CORE FACILITIES, WHICH PROVIDE STATE-OF-THEART SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND COLLABORATORS.

— Dr. Octavia A. Dobre

PARTNERS

We would like to extend our gratitude to our Federal and Provincial Governments, and industry partners. The meaningful work within our faculty would not be possible without your support, participation and close collaboration.

• Ambassade de France

• American Bureau of Shipping

• Angler Solutions Inc.

• Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Canada

• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

• BAE Systems Technology Solutions

• Bombardier Inc.

• Cahill Group

• Canada First Research Excellence Fund

• Canada Foundation for Innovation

• Canada Research Chairs

• Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research

• Canadian Microelectronics

• Canadian Space Agency

• C-CORE

• Cenovus

• Chevron Canada Ltd.

• City of St.Johns

• CNERGreen

• Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador

• Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Ltd.

• Defence Research and Development Canada

• Department of National Defence

• Dominis Engineering

• Eastern Health

• Emera

• Energy Research & Innovation Newfoundland & Labrador

• Energy, Matter & Enivronmental Consultants Inc.

• Environment and Climate Change Canada

• Equinor

• Ever Green Recycling

• Exxon Mobil Canada Ltd.

• ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

• Femto Engineering

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada

• FortisBC Energy Inc.

• Genome Alberta

• Genome Canada

• Global Maritime Ltd.

• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

• Harris Centre

• Hibernia Management & Development Company Ltd.

• Huawei Technologies Canada Co., Ltd.

• Hurd Solutions Inc.

• Imperial Oil Ltd.

• INTECSEA Canada

• Kværner

• Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust

• M. A. Procense

• Manitoba Hydro

• Marine Institute

• Memorial Centre For Entrepreneurship

• Mitacs

• National Cybersecurity Consortium

• National Research Council – Institute for Aerospace Research

• National Research Council of Canada

• Natural Resources Canada

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

• Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research

• Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

• Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

• Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association

• Novamera Inc.

• Nunavut Fisheries Association

• Ocean Frontier Institute

• Office of Public Engagement

• Petro-Canada Exploration Inc.

• Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland & Labrador

• Provincial Aerospace Ltd.

• Public Health Agency of Canada

• qualiTEAS Inc.

• SaskEnergy

• Sexton Lumber Co. Ltd.

• Shield Group of Companies

• Standards Council of Canada

• Suncor Energy Inc.

• TechnipFMC

• Town of Pouch Cove

• Transport Canada

• VARD Marine Inc.

• Verafin

• Virtual Marine Technology Inc.

• Waterford Energy Services Inc.

• WSP Canada Inc.

The Harsh Environment Research Facility (HERF) will drive cutting-edge research on ice mechanics, ocean conditions, and marine structures. Leading the initiative are Dr. Rocky Taylor, Dr. Yuri Muzychka (PI), and Dr. Bruce Quinton (L-R).

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Memorial University of Newfoundland

St. John's, NL A1B 3XS