Energy & Environment
About
Research in the area of Energy and Environment is broad, and focuses on the development of technologies for production, conversion, and utilization of energy. This includes conventional forms of energy, such as coal, petroleum, bitumen, natural gas, non-conventional forms of energy, including biomass, wind, solar, and hydro, and energy conversion technologies, such as fuel cells and internal combustion engines. The interaction between energy use and its effect on the environment drives novel research within this larger area. Management and economic analysis of energy sources are also subsumed in the broad research area of Energy and Environment.
Our faculty members have achieved significant advancements in the areas of techno-economic analysis and assessment of energy systems, design of conventional and non-conventional energy technologies, and mitigation of the impact of energy use. Research in the area of techno-economic assessment has included semi-empirical modeling and simulation of energy systems; energy forecasting and planning; assessment of hydrogen production pathways from conventional energy systems; technical and economic feasibility of clean energy biofuels; and energy storage. In the area of conventional and non-conventional energy technologies, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has contributed to internal combustion engine design and emission reductions; oil sands extraction; oil sands mining and extraction; fuel cells; water electrolysis; and, bioenergy and biofuels. Research on the impact of energy use on the environment has concentrated on areas such as effect of nano-sized particles on climate and environment; estimation of greenhouse gas abatement and abatement costs; and development of technologies for improving water quality.