30 March 2015

The Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) is doubly committing itself to industrial energy efficiency with the launch of a research program and chair, both in cooperation with the NSERC, Hydro-Québec, Rio Tinto Alcan, and Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY.

The partnership will enable the development of powerful energy-related technologies and digital tools designed to improve the energy efficiency of industrial processes.

Jacques Beauvais, Université de Sherbrooke, Michel Dostie, LTE Shawinigan – Hydro-Québec, Patrik Doucet, Université de Sherbrooke, Sébastien Poncet, NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Industrial Energy Efficiency, et MikhailSorin, NSERC Collaborative Research and Development

NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Industrial Energy Efficiency

Under the guidance of Professor Sébastien Poncet, the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Industrial Energy Efficiency will develop components for industrial systems in refrigeration, storage, and thermal energy transportation.

In particular, the chair will study magnetic refrigeration, which is more environmentally friendly and economical. This technique may lead to domestic refrigerators that are twice as efficient without using gas.

NSERC Collaborative Research and Development

For its part, the NSERC Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) program focuses on recovery and upgrading systems waste heat, primarily from aluminum and pulp and paper plants.

“The planned developments are targeting the reuse of waste heat, the creation of cold, and the production of electricity, all from waste heat,” explained the principal researcher, Professor Mikhail Sorin.

In all, the research program and chair will involve $4.7 million of investment over five years.

The primary and manufacturing sectors are both heavy users of energy and heavy polluters: in Canada, they represent nearly half of total energy consumption and generate a third of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Université de Sherbrooke received a first NSERC chair in energy efficiency from 2006 to 2011.

Source photo credit: Université de Sherbrooke