Community Engagement

Silicon Valley Connection

The entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley (and the warm weather!) have drawn many Applied Sciences alumni south of the border. Last fall, SFU president Andrew Petter visited companies in the Valley and hosted an Alumni and Friends event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Francisco on Oct. 18. Thanks to all Applied Sciences alumni who attended to reconnect with SFU and to those who supported the event!

Special thanks to Mark Chua, a Computing Science alumnus currently working at Twitter in San Francisco, who has volunteered to coordinate alumni events in the Bay area. If interested, Mark can be reached at ymc3@alumni.sfu.ca.

Ballard Power and SFU take fuel cells into new frontiers

Ballard Power Systems and SFU have received a recent injection of funds to build a joint state-of-the-art, fuel-cell testing facility.

Ballard Power and SFU have collaborated for several years already to build more durable, lower-cost fuel cells for transportation use. Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) recently provided the partners $3.4 million to purchase new Nano X-ray Computed Tomography tools that will become part of a nationally unique fuel-cell testing and characterization facility. This project is estimated to cost a total of $6.5 million, and is the second major project that builds on the SFU-Ballard relationship.

“This will be an unprecedented, world-class testing facility dedicated entirely to this project over the next four years,” says principal investigator Erik Kjeang, an internationally known fuel cell expert and director of SFU’s Fuel Cell Research Laboratory (FCRel). “Beyond its capabilities, that’s a strength in itself.”

Says Ballard’s Research Manager Shanna Knights: “It’s a unique opportunity, to have dedicated access to highly specialized equipment and access to university experts who are focused on Ballard’s needs.”

Researchers will use the facility to develop and advance the technology required for the company’s next generation of fuel cell products, helping to meet its targets related to extending fuel cell life while improving efficiency.

Kjeang, an assistant professor in SFU’s School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, says the new, sophisticated nano-scale scanning capabilities will enable researchers to see inside the fuel cell micro-structure and track how its components degrade over time. The research will play an important role in the university’s focus on advancing clean energy initiatives.

“Partnerships with leading companies such as Ballard solidify SFU's reputation as a world-class innovator in fuel cell research," says Nimal Rajapakse, dean and professor, Faculty of Applied Sciences. “This testing facility will be used for cutting-edge research and training of HQP (highly qualified personnel) that will help to strengthen the competitiveness of the Canadian automotive and clean energy industry. We are grateful that Automotive Partnership Canada has provided new funding to support the SFU-Ballard research collaboration.”

APC supported the first major project between SFU and Ballard in 2011 with $4.1 million in funding. The funding was directed towards joint efforts in creating the next generation of heavy-duty (bus) fuel cells with enhanced durability. Kjeang continues to lead this complementary project with Ballard that involves nearly 40 students and researchers.

Kjeang began his career at Ballard in 2008. He later joined SFU to continue his research interests while keeping a foot in industry.

Other notable research partnerships between Mechatronic Systems Engineering and Ballard Power Systems:

• Professor Farid Golnaraghi – assisting Ballard in developing a test bed to support fuel cell advancements related to durability, servicing and safety.
• Associate Professor Majid Bahrami – developing improvements in the performance of air-cooled fuel cell systems.
• Assistant Professor Krishna Vijayaraghavan – working with Ballard to identify performance degradation in the occurrence of cross-over leaks in large fuel cell stacks.

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Using technology to combat crime

SFU researchers will help law enforcement agencies fight crime by deploying the latest 21^st century technology.

SFU professors Uwe Glässer (Computing Science), Patricia Bartingham (Criminology) and Martin Andersen (Criminology) are creating the Public Safety and Security High Performance Computing (HPC) lab. This lab will store large volumes of crime data, entrusted by agencies such as the RCMP and Vancouver Police Department, to be sorted and analyzed for revealing patterns. The team just received $200,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to fund the lab.

“High performance computing in a secure lab will enable us to address new research questions that require intensive analysis of massive datasets from diverse sources, using a common computational methodology across different application fields,” said Glässer. “This broader perspective is essential in understanding the ecosystem of organized crime and terrorist activities in the quest for developing effective intervention strategies.”

Potential risk to Canadians of becoming victims of crime depends on many variables such as geography, economic status and lifestyle. In order to mitigate risk and improve crime prevention, detecting and understanding patterns in crime is crucial. Glässer and his team aim to do this by linking criminology research and computing science in the area of big data.

Their plan is to develop new ways to manipulate, analyze and find patterns in massive, complex datasets drawn from surveillance and other crime-related data. Using methods such as computational topology, social network analysis, data mining, and agent-based simulations, the research will link three themes:

1.     Maritime security
2.     Organized crime, and
3.     Urban and rural crime

Maritime security will entail investigating threats – such as smuggling, human trafficking, piracy or terrorism – that may develop in the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, and the Northwest Passage. Using innovative computational models and algorithmic methods, Glässer and his team aim to detect, automatically extract and highlight anomalous behaviour, especially multi-vessel interactions that may point to suspicious activity.

To help combat organized crime, the research will build on existing collaborations with provincial and federal governments, combining computational and mathematical analysis, social network analysis and data mining techniques. This research involves identifying possible criminal organizations in a growing police record database, and understanding how organized crime networks form, strengthen and evolve.

For urban and rural crime, the lab will enable unprecedented analysis of crime patterns, especially the decision process involved in how criminals choose their targets, the similarity of crime sites and the mobility of offenders.

The lab will be built at SFU’s Burnaby campus in an existing secure building. The team’s goal is to reduce the cost of crime prevention and security. With better knowledge and understanding of computational criminology, they hope to support the RCMP and other Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as  policy makers, in reducing and preventing crime.

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Eight undergraduate Mechatronic Systems Engineering students started the SF-1 Team to build an open-wheeled, Formula-One-inspired racing car according to Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) standards. Spencer Steele led the group during the 2012-2013 academic year as founder and captain of the SF-1 Team.

You started the concept for the car with seven other people as part of your final year capstone project in Mechatronic Systems Engineering. How many people are now involved with the SF-1 Team?  

At the moment there are about 30 members on the team. Most have a background in engineering but there are a couple from SFU interactive arts and technology, business and science. The team has a hierarchical structure, with management at the top and structured "sub" teams lower down that specialize in designing various components of the car, as well as in marketing and graphic design.

Did you have a background in the automotive industry or as a mechanic before starting this? If not, what prepared you to tackle this project?

Over the years I have restored and modified a couple of my own cars in our family shop in Maple Ridge but have never pursued professional training in the automotive industry. I had no doubt that I had the abilities and resources to build the car going in, but designing a car from the ground up with nothing to build off was daunting. When it comes to Formula SAE, initiative and motivation prove to be much more important than training or education in my opinion.

What is your role with the SF-1 Team now?

As I am done taking classes and awaiting convocation I have surrendered my position of captain to the new co-captains, Jeremy Thompson and Geordie Goodall, who I believe have the drive to propel the team forward.  As the founder and one of the major sponsors of the team, I still intend to help any way I can, but in more of a supporting role.

What would you consider to be your dream job?

I am currently interviewing at a couple of local companies across the Lower Mainland. My dream job would be at a small company where I can make a difference and be involved in the management, design and fabrication of a specialized technology. I have a couple of my own ideas though and could see starting up my own company in the next couple of years.

What do you hope the SF-1 Team accomplishes next?

SF-1 has always been more than just building a race car; I built this team to improve the reputation of SFU and its students. In order to compete with other universities, colleges and technical schools across North America the team needs a suitable shop space on campus where they can work. Right now, that is the number one goal of the team because without one there is no chance of the team reaching sustainability, let alone competing on an international level.

Who inspires you?

My own father, Mark Steele, inspires me every day. He taught me that hard work is the number one ingredient to being successful and that practice makes perfect. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for him.

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