Sigma Innovation Lab

About Sigma Lab

• Name of the Lab
  • Sigma because the lab is about “integration” [∫] and “summation”
  • Sigma because the Greek symbol is used in nuclear physics concepts (micro’[σ] and macroscopic [Σ] cross-section); all nuclear engineers know it
  • Sigma because in order to integrate, one needs a diverse team
  • Sigma because “energy” is what the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science does.
• Purpose
  • To gain via EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. Increasingly this will be via interactions with professionals as they start to visit the lab.
  • The high-level goal of the Lab is to engage the student early on, (1st year) and throughout, including graduate students, and thus to share knowledge and skills.
  • The Lab addresses the experiential learning expectations across the Faculties and importantly, initiates our emerging interests in Small Modular Reactor conceptual design.
  • ERC 2054 features Virtual Reality hardware/software and other “wearable” tools for projects.
  • ERC 2054 is intended to promote diverse collaborative, data visualization and hands-on both new and ongoing projects.
  • The Lab will be used by both FESNS undergraduate and graduate students selected to take on projects in groups of 3-5 members.
  • Initial projects will be eligible for seed funding and are expected to be directly or near-term applicable to the nuclear or energy industries.
  • Student teams are expected to spend at least 10 hours per week and up to 30 hours as a team. Otherwise we can’t make progress on projects.
  • Progress reports, final project report and poster presentations are expected.
• How to Become a Member

  Please email sigma.lab@ontariotechu.ca indicating which project you are interested in and you will be sent a registration and consent form.

Projects

• Project 001 – Develop Submersible, 2.0
  • Goal. Develop the next generation submersible craft based on the existing generation 1.0 model.
  • What does the current project look like? Original model from 2004. Last model is at Sigma Lab storage
  • Number of students projected. 3 to 4
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Yes, for 2 or more members; Arduino, Raspberry Pi or similar; mechanical skills will also be needed
  • POC. Callan Brown, Robert Ulrich, Akira Tokuhiro, Sharman Perera

  Spent fuel is kept in underwater storage bays for seven years after they are discharged from a nuclear reactor.

  These storage facilities have the difficult task of storing the fuel safely and keeping a procedure for fixing any leaks that occur.

  The goal of this project is to upgrade the current design of the underwater nuclear rover - that can be used to detect radioactive leaks within the storage bays.

  The rover must be able to propel itself through the water and be controlled remotely.

• Project 002 – Assemble, test safecast bGeigie kit
  • Goal. The Safecast bGeigie Nano is a mobile, GPS enabled, logging, radiation sensor. Carefully assemble with Callan Brown, the bGeigie kit, tests its operation, do a environmental test and upload to the Safecast world community.
  • Updated Status. This Project was started. Thus any new student should pick-up where the first student finished.
  • What does the current project look like? Kit looks like >>>
  • Number of students projected. 2 to 4
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Yes, for 1 or more members
  • More information available at:
    
    • https://blog.safecast.org/
  • POC. Callan Brown, Akira Tokuhiro, Sharman Perera
• Project 003 – Pickering GS plume model & ACE wind-tunnel testing
  • Goal. Make an initial model of PGS at a scale appropriate for the FESNS wind chamber. Set up a test protocol using the wind chamber. Test flow visualization of plume release. Then make a model scaled for the ACE wind tunnel.
  • What does the current project look like? The Pickering nuclear Generation Station is at right. An initial model of Pickering should be tested in the Wind Chamber lab.
  • Number of students projected. 2 to 5
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Yes, for 1 or more members
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Sharman Perera
• Project 004 – Add intelligent control and communication to appliances
  • Goal. Design and demonstrate an intelligence monitoring and control system for household appliance usage to optimize the energy usage
  • What does the current project look like? We have old washer, dryer and refrigerator in the Sigma Lab.
  • Number of students projected. 4 to 9 in groups of 3 to 4
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Raspberry Pi or Arduino or similar. Electronics – putting together data acquisition and communication protocols
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Sharman Perera
• Project 005 – Design and build an Automated Neutron Spectroscopy system
  • Goal. Convert the current neutron detector into a Neutron Spectroscopy system.
  • What does the current project look like: Please see the picture to the right.
  • Number of students projected. 2 to 3
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? MCNP and Machine Learning
  • POC. Sharman Perera, Tony Waker, Ed Waller, Callan Brown Robert Ulrich
• Project 006 – Develop conceptual design of an SMR in ERC Building
  • Goal. To leverage CAD skills of FESNS students and generate conceptual SMR CAD drawings to use in design discussions
  • What does the current project look like? A thermal-fluid mockup loop is under construction in ERC. Photo at right.
  • Number of students projected. 4 to 20 in groups of 3 to 4. One current capstone team
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Siemens NX or similar. Hands on design engineering.
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Sharman Perera
• Project 007 – Think and demonstrate how to get energy data and from analyses on big screens
  • Goal. Display energy consumption and carbon footprint data from source onto the big screens; demonstrate data crunching results on the same
  • What does the current project look like? New project.
  • Number of students projected. 4 to 12 in groups of 3 to 4.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Downloading real live data such as the one from UOIT/DC facilities of geothermal performance; display in graphically appealing ways
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Sharman Perera, Dan Hoornweg
• Project 008 – Building UG teaching labs using CANDU pressure tube
  • Goal. Build UG teaching labs for Engineering Graphics and Design, Fluid Mechanics, Integrated Engineering Labs and Strength of Material courses using a CANDU pressure tube
  • What does the current project look like: We have a CANDU pressure tube with end fittings
  • Number of students projected. 4 to 12 in groups of 3 to 4
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Siemens NX, MATHLAB and LabVIEW.
  • POC. Sharman Perera, Callan Brown and Robert Ulrich

  Lab 1- Engineering Graphics and Design ( Programs: Nuclear Eng. + B.Tech.)

  • Taking geometric measurements of the Pressure Tube, Fuel Bundle and End Fitting using basic engineering measuring tools such as Manual Micrometer, Manual Vernier Caliper and compare the measured values against published data in Canteach
  • Generate a 3D CAD model of the Fuel Channel

  Lab 2 - Fluid Mechanics ( Programs: Nuclear Eng. + B.Tech.)

  • Flow Visualization behind a fuel channel ( We will add a transparent section to one end of the Pressure Tube)

  Lab 3 - Integrated Engineering Lab ( Programs: Nuclear Eng. + B.Tech.)

  • Flow Characterization behind and through a Fuel Channel using Laser Doppler velocimetry
  • Perform a CFD analysis of the flow through a Fuel Channel ( We will provide them the CAD model of the Fuel Channel)

  Lab 4 - Strength of Material Lab  ( Programs: Nuclear Eng. + B.Tech.)

  • Measure the sagging of the Pressure tube using Strain Gauges and calculate the poison ration
• Project 009 – Work with Grandview Children’s Centre to develop a Gait Lab for the kids with disabilities
  • Goal. Compare gait before and after Botox injections, major surgery, and serial casting. Looking at the heel contact, amount of plantarflexion/dorsiflexion and knee flexion used throughout the gait cycle.
  • What does the current project look like? New project.
  • Number of students projected. 4 to 12 in groups of 3 to 4.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Raspberry Pi or Arduino or similar. Electronics – putting together data acquisition and communication protocols. AR and VR.
  • POC. Sharman Perera, Callan Brown and Robert Ulrich, Alvaro Quevedo
  • SME. Lindsay Gurr, PT, MScPT, Physiotherapist, Grandview Children's Centre, (905) 728-1673 Ext. 2348, Lindsay.Gurr@grandviewkids.ca, www.grandviewkids.ca
• Project 010 – Initiate use of Granta Edupack software for material flows in cities, energy footprints
  • Goal. Initiate and demonstrate use of Granta’s EduPack software to consider material flows in a city and it’s energy footprint
  • What does the current project look like? New project.
  • Number of students projected. 2-4 students.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Learn Granta Edupack in general but it’s “sustainability” package in order to look at material flows (in/out) of a city. So, ability to learn and apply software to problems are expected.
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Dan Hoornweg, Matthew Kaye (TBC)
• Project 011 – Work with ‘Cities data’ & Library to prepare beta-launch
  • Goal. Initiate and demonstrate real-time (or close to) monitoring of city-based energy and material flows. Create an easy-to-use ‘app’ for students and policy-makers.
  • What does the current project look like? New project.
  • Number of students projected. 2-4 students.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Familiarity with energy and material flows; web-based data systems.
  • POC. Dan Hoornweg, Meghan Miller (Ontario Tech Library; City of Oshawa)
• Project 012 – Further develop the Nordhaus ‘Dice” Climate change impact model using VENSIM
  • Goal. Initiate and demonstrate use of Granta’s EduPack software to consider material flows in a city and it’s energy footprint
  • What does the current project look like? New project.
  • Number of students projected. 2-4 students.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Learn Granta Edupack in general but it’s “sustainability” package in order to look at material flows (in/out) of a city. So, ability to learn and apply software to problem is expected.
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Dan Hoornweg, Matthew Kaye (TBC)
• Project 013 – Extension of Virtual Reality applications in nuclear/radiation environments
  • Goal. To come up with conceptual engineering design and applications to use waste heat from computer racks . One application is hydroponics.
  • What does the current project look like? Project was successfully completed last year. Further developments sought in models and simulations.
  • Number of students projected. 2-4 students. Ideal for FBIT students.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Learn coding tools used in completed effort.
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Callan Brown, Sharman Perera
  • Media story: https://globalnews.ca/news/5409291/ontario-tech-virtual-reality-radiation/
• Project 014 – Design engineering on using waste heat from computers for sustainability
  • Goal. To come up with conceptual engineering design and applications to use waste heat from computer racks . One application is hydroponics.
  • What does the current project look like? New project.
  • Number of students projected. 2-3 students.
  • Are program skills needed and for how many members? Learn Aspen HYSIS that we plan to purchase. Learn scaling methods as part of project.
  • POC. Akira Tokuhiro, Callan Brown, Sharman Perera