UNews - Ren

Funding brings in much needed technical equipment

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:18:36 +0000

Dr. Claudia Gonzalez (kinesiology and physical education) is interested in how the brain connects vision and motor skills, such as hand movements.

Dr. René Boeré (chemistry and biochemistry) and his colleagues examine the finest details of molecules, among other projects.

The two very different research teams recently received a significant amount of money from the Canada Foundation for Innovation Leaders Opportunity Fund; with matching support from the Small Equipment grant programs from the government of Alberta. Overall, the researchers will receive $547,778 and additional support from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and industry partners brings that total to more than $700,000.

Boeré led a group application to fund specialized imaging equipment that will be used to examine the fine details of nanomaterials ($352,008). Gonzalez will receive funding to obtain equipment that she will use to monitor, in greater detail, how the brain processes motor skill signals that control such activities as hand and eye movement ($195,770).

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Mike Mahon says that investment from the federal and provincial governments, working in partnership, are critical in ensuring that researchers have the tools they need to answer the
important questions facing communities in Alberta, Canada and beyond.

"It cannot be understated how important a strong research program is to the health of an institution that serves undergraduate and graduate students," says Mahon. "Our student-first approach is strengthened because our students are able to interact with talented, supported researchers like Dr. Gonzalez, Dr. Boeré and their colleagues."

Mahon adds that research investments are also critical in ensuring that Alberta and Canada are able to recruit and retain talented faculty and students from across the globe.

"The U of L is in a fortunate position. Researchers, graduate and undergraduate students from jurisdictions where funding to post-secondary sector have been drastically cut are surveying the landscape," he says. "When they see the governments of Canada and Alberta investing in a knowledge economy – as they are today – they are compelled to consider if their research program or educational experience is better suited at a comprehensive university like the U of L."

For Boeré and his research team, the new equipment will dramatically increase their productivity simply because they will no longer have to drive to Calgary to borrow similar research tools.

Gonzalez's projects rely on the accurate measurement of fine motor co-ordination, primarily in a person's hands while reaching for an object. While her current measurement process can pinpoint the motion in a finger joint, for example, her additional equipment will also be able to show which side of the brain is working when that motion or movement is engaged. This will help to determine how dominant the right or left side of the brain is for certain functions.

For a look at the February issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Collaboration yields plumbing solution

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:41:13 +0000

A cooperative effort has helped to thwart a non-compatibility issue and for that, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, staff and faculty can be thankful this winter.

When the Central Plant's hot water heating system began to see a number of its valves fail, their rubber linings chewed away to the point where they no longer held water, TJ Hanson and his Utilities staff suspected something more sinister than wear and tear was at the heart of the problem.

"The last few years we've had a number of incidents where valves throughout the system just weren't holding," says Hanson, the director of Facility Operations and Maintencance. "We would close a valve but water would continue through the line and it made it very difficult to isolate a boiler for service."

A total of three gas fired boilers work in unison to supply closed loop hot water heating to the U of L. With valves continuing to fail and another winter heating season looming, Hanson and the Utilities crew knew something had to be done.

"When we opened the valves up and looked at them they were all deteriorating or completely chewed up," says Hanson. "We had a chemical analysis done of the water in the system and we spoke with the valve supplier, but they assured us their valves were fine."

So, the crew decided to seek out its own expert – and found him in-house.

"Terry Sutton came up with the idea that we should contact someone in our chemistry department," says Hanson.

The chemistry someone in question was Dr. René Boeré, and it didn't take long for Boeré to determine what was wrong with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's failing valves. By examining the 20 or so constituents in the boiler water, their concentration and subsequently checking their compatibility with the rubber material (known as EPDM) of the valves, Boeré found a problem.

"The list from the analyst contained a range of substances, which I compared to a chemical compatibility index," says Boeré. "EPDM is supposed to have good compatibility with the majority of the ingredients in the boiler water. Of those species present that might attack this rubber, I looked at how much was identified as being in the water. Of these, the substance morpholine was one of the highest in concentration and most deleterious to EPDM."

Morpholine is an antiquated agent that has been used in steam and hot water systems because it distributes evenly between hot water and steam, and provides corrosion protection. Chemicals of its type have not been used in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's systems for well over 25 years. However, it has remained present as a legacy chemical and in ever-declining concentration.

"That was, more or less, our smoking gun," says Hanson, who now had a summer project on his hands.

The only solution was to shut down the entire system, clean it out and start from scratch.

"We drained and refilled the entire system twice, and circulated the water each time to flush it out," says Hanson. "Then we began the process of replacing valves on campus, a total of 220, ranging in size from four to 14 inches."

The system is now free of Morpholine and with the heating season on the doorstep, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is prepared, all thanks to the cooperative work of two very distinct ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ units.

"We have to think all the time about the kinds of materials we use to handle a wide range of chemicals, thus we get used to the idea of checking material compatibility," says Boeré. "It was a pleasure to be able to use these skills to help out TJ and his staff as they work to keep us warm throughout the winter. I think it's easy for us in the offices and classrooms to take their work for granted."

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

The science of plumbing

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:05:54 +0000

A cooperative effort has helped to thwart a non-compatibility issue and for that, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, staff and faculty can be thankful this winter.

So, the crew decided to seek out its own expert – and found him in-house.

"Terry Sutton came up with the idea that we should contact someone in our chemistry department," says Hanson.

"That was, more or less, our smoking gun," says Hanson, who now had a summer project on his hands.

The only solution was to shut down the entire system, clean it out and start from scratch.

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Ren

Funding brings in much needed technical equipment

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Collaboration yields plumbing solution

Related Topics

The science of plumbing

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