Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
University of Western Ontario
$72,000.00
Next generation anti icing technologies - addressing a quintessential Canadian problem
FY 2016-17
Summary
Infrastructure constructed in colder climates is destined to experience stresses consistent with freezing or below freezing temperatures. These conditions impose higher maintenance costs, limited lifetimes and in the case of production facilities (e.g. oil and gas rigs, pipelines or wind turbines) revenue loss is essentially assured. Continued ice build up exacerbates infrastructure downtime, worker health and safety and ultimately economic loss and this problem is, not surprisingly, ubiquitous to colder climates. The only effective methods currently employed for removing/preventing ice build up are active technologies such as resistive heating or vibration of the infrastructure. These are not sustainable deicing methods because of the energy required to implement them. There are no apparent new or emerging passive technologies on or coming to the market.A key industry where anti-ice coatings would serve as a substantial benefit is in the wind turbine market (related industry: Aerospace). Given that the Federal Government has a target to generate 90% of Canada's electricity from non emitting sources by 2020, without a doubt, the wind turbine industry will witness continued expansion over the next 5 to 10 years. However, the wind turbine industry suffers substantial down time because of ice related problems. In this context, this proposal for a Collaborative Research and Development Grant aims to apply a wholly new and innovative way to investigate and potentially remedy the ice accumulation problems within the wind turbine industry. Given the versatility of our new approach to both the application of innovative materials and measurement techniques, it is expected that any progress achieved in this arena could be extended to other areas of economic interest. The wide adoption of this technology will generate employment for Canadians in the materials and manufacturing sectors, and will put Canada at the leading edge of icephobic technology, which we would expect to be adopted globally.
Program
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
474551-2014
Name nom
Ragogna, Paul
Department département
Chemistry
Organization id
36
Institution établissement
University of Western Ontario
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2016
Competition year année de concours
2014
Award amount
72000
Program id
CRDPJ
Program name en
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
508
Area of application group en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application group fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Area of application en
Polymers, rubber and plastics
Area of application fr
Polymères, caoutchouc et plastiques
Research subject code
2004
Research subject group en
Materials science and technology
Research subject group fr
Science et technologie des matériaux
Research subject en
Polymers and coatings
Research subject fr
Polymères et revêtements
Partie
2
Nb partie
3
Application title
Next generation anti icing technologies - addressing a quintessential Canadian problem
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Infrastructure constructed in colder climates is destined to experience stresses consistent with freezing or below freezing temperatures. These conditions impose higher maintenance costs, limited lifetimes and in the case of production facilities (e.g. oil and gas rigs, pipelines or wind turbines) revenue loss is essentially assured. Continued ice build up exacerbates infrastructure downtime, worker health and safety and ultimately economic loss and this problem is, not surprisingly, ubiquitous to colder climates. The only effective methods currently employed for removing/preventing ice build up are active technologies such as resistive heating or vibration of the infrastructure. These are not sustainable deicing methods because of the energy required to implement them. There are no apparent new or emerging passive technologies on or coming to the market.A key industry where anti-ice coatings would serve as a substantial benefit is in the wind turbine market (related industry: Aerospace). Given that the Federal Government has a target to generate 90% of Canada's electricity from non emitting sources by 2020, without a doubt, the wind turbine industry will witness continued expansion over the next 5 to 10 years. However, the wind turbine industry suffers substantial down time because of ice related problems. In this context, this proposal for a Collaborative Research and Development Grant aims to apply a wholly new and innovative way to investigate and potentially remedy the ice accumulation problems within the wind turbine industry. Given the versatility of our new approach to both the application of innovative materials and measurement techniques, it is expected that any progress achieved in this arena could be extended to other areas of economic interest. The wide adoption of this technology will generate employment for Canadians in the materials and manufacturing sectors, and will put Canada at the leading edge of icephobic technology, which we would expect to be adopted globally.
