Can renewable energy provide a stable and affordable source for our electricity demands? And how will we create efficient electricity grids to meet these needs? These are the kinds of questions that get Martin Staadecker (EngSci 2T4) excited.
The recent graduate, from the Energy Systems major within the Division of Engineering Science (EngSci), has published a research paper in Nature Communications on a key issue in wind and solar energy generation: how to provide a stable electricity supply from sources that literally change with the weather.
During his time in EngSci, Staadecker spent an academic year and summer working with Professor Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez at the University of California San Diego. They created computational models of different energy infrastructure scenarios to determine which types of technologies and government investments are most likely to be beneficial.
“Martin’s research — using advanced power grid modeling and optimization to determine optimal policy targets for energy storage — exemplifies the exciting, multidisciplinary problems being tackled at the forefront of Energy Systems Engineering,” says Professor Zeb Tate (ECE), chair of EngSci’s Energy Systems major.
Staadecker is one of many EngSci students who spend their summers in university research labs at U of T and around the world through EngSci’s Engineering Science Research Opportunities Program (ESROP).
“ESROP specifically helps students pursue independent research opportunities at top institutions around the world,” says EngSci’s associate director for Years 3 & 4, Professor Arthur Chan (ChemE). “It’s wonderful to see students like Martin work with leading researchers on solving some of the world’s biggest challenges.”
In addition to ESROP, the university supports summer research through its Centre for International Experience, the University Toronto Excellence Awards, NSERC USRA, and many department-specific summer research programs. Engineering students who conduct research on campus can present their work at the annual Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD) conference every August.
Writer Christina Heidorn connected with Staadecker to learn more about his experience.
How did this ESROP experience come about?
In 2nd year, Professor Hidalgo-Gonzalez posted in the EngSci newsletter a student opportunity in her Renewable Energy + Advanced Mathematics Lab at UC San Diego. I liked the idea of using math and software to solve problems related to climate change, a topic I am passionate about.
I ended up working with her lab part-time during the school year, which was online at that time due to the pandemic, on a project about long-duration energy storage. With the help of an ESROP – Ex-Op grant, I then moved to San Diego to continue the work full time in the summer.
This research was a multi-university collaboration. As the only undergraduate student, I felt very fortunate to be surrounded by such an experienced team of researchers who provided constant support.
Although most of the work was completed over that summer, the paper was written over the following year. We then went through multiple rounds of submissions, peer-review and editing. It was a multi-year process, which made our publication all the more rewarding.
What is the context for this research and why is it important?
Governments across the world are shifting from polluting fossil fuels towards wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy. Powering your electrical grid with, say, 50% renewable energy is not too hard — many countries are already doing that. But reaching a 100% emission-free electrical grid is difficult.
One challenge is providing power when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. Today, grid operators compensate at those times by ramping up fossil fuel powered plants. We’d like to find non-polluting ways to provide that energy.
Using big batteries to store renewable energy is part of the solution. They are great at providing bursts of electricity but typically for just four hours or less, not nearly long enough to power a city for days or weeks of cloudy or windless weather.
This is why many are working on long-duration energy storage (LDES) that can provide power for up to several weeks.
There are many types of LDES. Some work like an underwater balloon that stores energy when electricity is cheap by pumping compressed air into a large underwater cavern, and releases the entrapped air through a turbine to generate power when needed. Some use zinc batteries as a cost-effective way to store the large amount of energy needed. Others convert electricity into hydrogen fuel for storage, and then convert it back to electricity as needed.
Our work tried to understand how LDES technologies could impact our electrical grid and electricity prices, and under what circumstances they might be most useful.
To do this, I ran a mathematical optimization model to find the cheapest way to build and operate a 100% emission-free electrical grid using different assumptions — for example, different LDES costs or the cost of building new transmission lines.
We found that several factors could lead to LDES technologies playing a bigger role in our grids than we might have previously thought. For example, if droughts were to intensify — as we are starting to see in many places in the world — then hydropower generation would diminish and LDES would often be the most cost-effective way to fill the gap when wind or solar are unavailable.
LDES could also be cost effective if expanding or relying on transmission lines were to become difficult. For example, wildfires are increasingly forcing utilities to temporarily turn off transmission lines, and negotiations with land owners and neighbouring governments can be difficult.
Most exciting to me is that our research shows that government investment in LDES technologies would lower the cost of electricity and reduce large spikes in electricity prices — for example, when the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing.
Investments in LDES could bring low, stable and predictable electricity prices, reducing financial risks for businesses and household electricity costs.
You can read more detail about our paper here.
What was especially memorable about your time on ESROP – ExOp?
My experience in San Diego helped me clarify my career and personal life priorities.
Before my ESROP-ExOp, I was considering going into the EngSci Robotics major but the passion I saw in the scientists I worked with motivated me to choose the Energy Systems major instead. I discovered the immense value of having a supportive team focused on a topic I’m passionate about.
I also learned that building computational models, while useful and fun, can never fully capture the possibilities of our unpredictable future. This encouraged me to broaden my horizons and explore less mathematical work. I joined Professor Aimy Bazylak’s (MIE) electrochemical research group for a summer and later interned as laboratory scientist in a small U.S. startup.
Living in San Diego also made me appreciate the importance of friendships and one’s environment. Moving abroad during COVID was lonely at times and I learned to value the friends I had and the new ones I made, some of whom I still talk to and visit occasionally. Surfing weekly on San Diego’s beaches or exploring the nearby rock climbing areas is an experience I miss.
What are you doing now?
I just started a two-year Master’s at MIT in their Technology and Policy Program, researching ways to measure greenhouse gas emissions from a company’s supply chain — an essential and mostly uncharted subject. My days are spent reading about the field while taking courses on economics, supply chains, sustainability and the interface of science, technology and policy.
What are your future plans?
My principal goal is to work on ambitious climate-related projects, whether that be in industry, government or academia. On the short term, I’m looking at doing a summer internship abroad in the environmental consulting space.
Do you have any advice for current students?
Try not to underestimate your value as a student! Most employers or research advisors are not so concerned about experience but are looking for an excited and hard-working student to come knocking on their door. My ESROP journey started with a carefully-worded email to a professor I didn’t know asking to work in a field I had no experience in. That’s also how I landed an internship a few summers later. If there’s something you’re interested in doing, reach out even if you don’t feel qualified!
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering have used machine learning to design nano-architected materials that have the strength of carbon steel but the lightness of Styrofoam.
In a new paper published in Advanced Materials, a team led by Professor Tobin Filleter (MIE) describes how they made nanomaterials with properties that offer a conflicting combination of exceptional strength, light weight and customizability. The approach could benefit a wide range of industries, from automotive to aerospace.
“Nano-architected materials combine high performance shapes, like making a bridge out of triangles, at nanoscale sizes, which takes advantage of the ‘smaller is stronger’ effect, to achieve some of the highest strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, of any material,” says Peter Serles (MIE MASc 1T9, MIE PhD 2T4), the first author of the new paper.
“However, the standard lattice shapes and geometries used tend to have sharp intersections and corners, which leads to the problem of stress concentrations. This results in early local failure and breakage of the materials, limiting their overall potential.
“As I thought about this challenge, I realized that it is a perfect problem for machine learning to tackle.”
Nano-architected materials are made of tiny building blocks or repeating units measuring a few hundred nanometres in size — it would take more than 100 of them patterned in a row to reach the thickness of a human hair. These building blocks, which in this case are composed of carbon, are arranged in complex 3D structures called nanolattices.
To design their improved materials, Serles and Filleter worked with Professor Seunghwa Ryu and PhD student Jinwook Yeo at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. This partnership was initiated through U of T’s International Doctoral Clusters program, which supports doctoral training through research engagement with international collaborators.
The KAIST team employed the multi-objective Bayesian optimization machine learning algorithm. This algorithm learned from simulated geometries to predict the best possible geometries for enhancing stress distribution and improving the strength-to-weight ratio of nano-architected designs.
Serles then used a two-photon polymerization 3D printer housed in the Centre for Research and Application in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT) to create prototypes for experimental validation. This additive manufacturing technology enables 3D printing at the micro and nano scale, creating optimized carbon nanolattices.
These optimized nanolattices more than doubled the strength of existing designs, withstanding a stress of 2.03 megapascals for every cubic metre per kilogram of its density, which is about five times higher than titanium.
“This is the first time machine learning has been applied to optimize nano-architected materials, and we were shocked by the improvements,” says Serles. “It didn’t just replicate successful geometries from the training data; it learned from what changes to the shapes worked and what didn’t, enabling it to predict entirely new lattice geometries.
“Machine learning is normally very data intensive, and it’s difficult to generate a lot of data when you’re using high-quality data from finite element analysis. But the multi-objective Bayesian optimization algorithm only needed 400 data points, whereas other algorithms might need 20,000 or more. So, we were able to work with a much smaller but an extremely high-quality data set.”
“We hope that these new material designs will eventually lead to ultra-light weight components in aerospace applications, such as planes, helicopters and spacecraft that can reduce fuel demands during flight while maintaining safety and performance,” says Filleter. “This can ultimately help reduce the high carbon footprint of flying.”
“For example, if you were to replace components made of titanium on a plane with this material, you would be looking at fuel savings of 80 litres per year for every kilogram of material you replace,” adds Serles.
Other contributors to the project include Professors Yu Zou (MSE), Chandra Veer Singh (MSE), Jane Howe (MSE, ChemE) and Charles Jia (ChemE), as well as international collaborators from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rice University in the United States.
“This was a multi-faceted project that brought together various elements from material science, machine learning, chemistry and mechanics to help us understand how to improve and implement this technology,” says Serles, who is now a Schmidt Science Fellow at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
“Our next steps will focus on further improving the scale up of these material designs to enable cost effective macroscale components,” adds Filleter.
“In addition, we will continue to explore new designs that push the material architectures to even lower density while maintaining high strength and stiffness.”
Researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the University of Toronto, led by Professor Leo Chou (BME), have developed a new method to precisely control the structure and function of immune complexes (ICs) using DNA origami. The findings, published in a recent issue of ACS Nano, could advance the understanding of immune system responses and pave the way for improved vaccines and immunotherapies.
Immune complex formation is a critical process in the body’s defense, occurring when antibodies bind foreign antigens, marking them for destruction by the immune system. The immune responses triggered by immune complexes depend on their physical properties, such as size and composition. However, traditional methods for synthesizing ICs produce heterogeneous assemblies, limiting the ability to predict or control these responses.
A cornerstone in Chou’s research is DNA origami, which uses DNA — the same biological building block that makes up the genome — to create nano-sized structures onto which molecules can be positioned with nanometre precision.
The research team designed DNA nanostructures decorated with antigens and studied their interactions with antibodies. By tuning factors such as antigen spacing and valency on the nanoparticle, the researchers discovered that the spatial pattern of antigens controlled the formation of immune complexes as either single monomers or large aggregates. This could significantly change how these structures interact with immune cells and elicit downstream immune responses.
“We were surprised that a difference of just a few nanometres in antigen spacing had such a drastic effect on immune complex structure. This could have implications for vaccine and immunotherapy design,” says Chou, the corresponding author of the study.
“DNA origami provided us with the perfect tool to tackle this question.”
Using DNA origami, the researchers were able to design a library of synthetic immune complexes of various configurations, and test their uptake by immune cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells. The experiments demonstrated that IC structure directly influenced how these cells engaged and internalized the complexes.
“By engineering the structure of immune complexes using DNA origami, we were able to systematically explore how IC design impacts their interactions with immune cells,” says Travis Douglas (BME PhD student), the study’s lead author.
“These synthetic immune complexes are quite versatile and can be programmed with different functionalities. We are excited to explore their utility, such as delivery systems for immunotherapies and vaccines.”
Looking ahead, the team plans to expand their research by studying how these synthetic ICs can be formed from different types of antibodies as well as how they behave in vivo.
“This is only the beginning of this project. We’ve created immune complexes that do not exist in nature. We need to better characterize their immune responses both in vitro and in vivo,” says Chou.
“We believe DNA nanotechnology offers an exciting opportunity to create programmable immune interventions.”
Minghan Xu has joined the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto as an assistant professor.
CivMin writer Phill Snel spoke with Xu to learn more about his research direction, passion for teaching and what attracted him to Toronto from Montreal.
“We wholeheartedly welcome our newest faculty member to the department,” says CivMin Chair Marianne Hatzopoulou. “Students will benefit from the exciting new elements Professor Xu brings to the department in teaching and research. Join us in offering our newest professor a warm welcome to CivMin.”
Please tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Dalian, Northeast China, and later spent over a decade in Montreal. I obtained both my bachelor of engineering and PhD from McGill University, focusing on sustainable mining practices and renewable energy technologies in cold climates. I also had the opportunity to work at a CanmetENERGY research centre for a year. Before joining CivMin at U of T, I was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia.
Could you explain the focus of your research?
My research aims to tackle today’s pressing energy and climate challenges by decarbonizing energy systems in mines. I work at the intersection of thermofluids, energy science and mining engineering. More specifically, I innovate, develop and implement clean energy solutions in northern and remote mines. These efforts help the mining industry adapt to a changing climate while accelerating its global transition toward a net-zero future.
Why did you choose U of T?
First and foremost, I’m grateful to U of T for choosing me. I chose U of T because of its world-class reputation in both education and research. I admire many of the people who have worked, or continue to work, here. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to interact with experts from so many disciplines. Above all, Toronto is a vibrant city. I’ve always felt its energy every time I’ve visited, and the people here are so convivial. I’m excited to start this new chapter with my family.
As a new professor, what one piece of advice would you give to new students?
Finding what you enjoy and turning it into your career will bring immense fulfillment to your life. Please be mindful that you have limitless potential at this stage, so dream big. If you haven’t found your passion yet, keep exploring and don’t be afraid to try new things. The university offers a wealth of resources to support you. Once you’ve found your path, maximizing your focus, putting in consistent effort and being patient with the process are, in my opinion, the key ingredients to achieving your ultimate goal.
What do you hope to accomplish during your time at U of T Engineering?
I hope my research team will lead the development of sustainable energy solutions in cold regions, with a focus on mining and beyond. I also want to help reshape the image of the mining and minerals industry as a responsible sector, both in Canada and globally. I believe this can be achieved by incorporating renewable energy and sustainability, as well as increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in the workforce. These values are at the core of my research program.
What is the most memorable experience in your career so far?
The most memorable experience in my career has been when my work proved beneficial to others. It’s also what motivates me to get up early every morning. Over the years, I’ve dedicated a lot of time to fundamental research on the freezing process that enables clean energy technologies for northern mines. Although it’s theoretical, I was thrilled each time mining companies reached out to apply my knowledge in practice. I was also excited to see other sectors find value in my work, such as in wastewater treatment, vaccine storage, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Three U of T Engineering professors and two alumni have been recognized by the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) for their distinguished contributions to engineering. Professors Ali Dolatabadi (MIE), Deepa Kundur (ECE) and Milos Popovic (BME), along with alumnus George Anders (ElecE PhD 8T0) have been elected EIC fellows for “excellence in engineering and services to the profession and to society,” while alumnus John Bianchini (ChemE 8T5) has received the Julian C. Smith Medal for “achievement in the development of Canada.”
Dolatabadi is associate chair, research in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and associate director of the Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies at U of T. He is a leading researcher and educator in the field of multiphase flows and surface engineering; his research on multiphase flows develops fundamental understanding of sprays for thermal spray processes, and of droplet dynamics, heat transfer and phase change for the development and characterization of novel functional coatings. His research group has developed electro-catalytically active electrodes for hydrogen evolution, micro filtration membranes, superhydrophobic, icephobic and slippery coatings. He has published more than 150 journal articles and 100 conference papers. Dolatabadi has also provided valuable leadership in the engineering community on many fronts. He served as president of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) from 2014-2016 and as president of EIC from 2020-2022, and is currently chair of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant Evaluation Committee for Mechanical Engineering. Dolatabadi is a fellow of CSME, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE).
Kundur is a leading researcher in the areas of cybersecurity, informatics and cyber-physical systems. Her work has led to several pioneering technical contributions with wide-reaching impact. She is also an academic leader at U of T Engineering, having served as chair of the Division of Engineering Science from 2017-2019 and as chair of The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering since 2019. In these roles, she created the first engineering major in Canada in machine intelligence and has been a champion for equity, diversity and inclusion; under her leadership both programs witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of women-identifying students. Kundur has also led significant efforts to raise the visibility of Canadian research in energy infrastructure security. She has organized and chaired more than 20 leading conferences in Canada and has been involved in tech transfer to Canadian industry. She also served as chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Evaluation Group for the NSERC Discovery Grants Program from 2017-2020. Kundur is a Fellow of the CAE and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and is the Canada Research Chair for Cybersecurity of Intelligent Critical Infrastructure.
Popovic is director of the KITE Research Institute at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network and director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. A world-renowned neural engineer, he has had a tremendous impact on the field of functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapies, the use of electrical stimulation to improve motor function in individuals with disabilities. Popovic has developed more than 100 different FES therapy protocols for improving walking, reaching and grasping in stroke and spinal cord injury patients, a series of which have been commercialized through his start-up company MyndTec Inc. In addition to his own research, Popovic has spearheaded the development of research enterprises, which are advancing the neurorehabilitation field. These include the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Association, the Centre for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA), and the Neural Engineering and Therapeutic Team at the KITE Research Institute. Under his leadership the KITE Research Institute has been ranked the top rehabilitation research enterprise in the world. Popovic is a fellow of CAE, IEEE, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.
Anders is principal consultant and president at aco-Anders Consulting, a firm specializing in electric power cable installations. Previously, he established new mathematical models and computer programs for power system modelling and reliability evaluation during 37 years with Ontario Hydro and its successor companies. As a Canadian representative and a long-time co-convener of a working group of the International Electrotechnical Commission — the international standards body for all fields of electrotechnology — Anders helps develop new computational techniques and new standards for power cable ampacity computations. He also discovered practical applications to power system planning and operations issues through numerous Canadian Electrical Association-sponsored projects on cable ampacity computations. A series of highly successful computer programs were developed as a result and have since become industry standards for power cable rating calculations, in use by more than 1,000 institutions in 70 countries. The author of three books and more than 120 published papers in international journals, Anders is passionate about advancing power engineering and has served the profession as a professor at Lodz University of Technology and an adjunct professor at U of T Engineering.
Bianchini has served as CEO of Hatch, an international engineering consultancy, since 2012. He has enjoyed a four-decade long engineering career, having joined Hatch directly after graduating from the chemical engineering program at U of T. Bianchini has been instrumental in expanding the scope and volume of Hatch’s business throughout the world, especially in South Africa, China, Brazil, Peru and Australia. Following his work for the QNI Rehabilitation project, he relocated to Australia for six years to serve as the regional director, then global managing director, for metals. Currently, he is chairing several committees at Hatch aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion, creating more opportunities for young engineers, and developing a more positive relationship with Indigenous communities. Outside of Hatch, Bianchini takes a keen interest in the development and mentorship of young engineers. He is a dedicated supporter of universities and their engineering programs and, through Hatch, sponsors several bursaries and scholarships. As a member of the ChemE advisory board, he has led seminars in engineering and project management and plays an active role in recruiting new engineers to the industry. Bianchini is a fellow of CAE and EIC and an active member of multiple industry organizations.
“These accolades from the Engineering Institute of Canada reflect the impact our faculty and alumni are having on the profession nationwide as researchers, industry and academic leaders, and educators,” says U of T Engineering Dean Christopher Yip. “On behalf of the Faculty, congratulations to these outstanding professors and alumni on their well-deserved recognition.”
Professor Javad Mostaghimi (MIE) has been elected fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors. The Academy honours inventors worldwide who have demonstrated “innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.”
Throughout his career, Mostaghimi has made a series of breakthroughs in the field of plasma physics. In 2017, with his PhD student Sina Alavi (MIE PhD 1T8), he developed an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch with a unique conical design. This conical torch has been a game-changer in the field of ICP; its innovative geometry allows for a significant increase in gas velocity, reducing argon consumption by 50-70% and leading to a more than four-fold increase in power density compared to conventional cylindrical torches. It also reduces the time and cost of analysis tenfold and saves at least 2M litres of argon and 100 MWh of electricity per unit annually, delivering unparalleled efficiency and sustainability for a wide range of analytical and industrial processes.
More recently, Mostaghimi and his colleagues, through the startup Kimia Analytics, have pioneered the development of the first-ever mobile hybrid ICP-mass spectrometer, powered by the conical torch at its core. This torch, by reducing power and gas needs, supports a smaller power supply and gas cylinder, and enables, for the first time ever, a fully air-cooled interface, eliminating the need for bulky and expensive water chillers. This design reduces the size, weight and operating costs of the spectrometer, making it truly mobile and highly cost-effective for field applications.
Mostaghimi is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among many other leading professional societies. He is a recipient of the most prestigious awards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), including the 75th Anniversary Medal of the ASME Heat Transfer Division, the Heat Transfer Memorial Award, and the FitzRoy Medal. In 2019, he was inducted into the ASM-TSS Thermal Spray Hall of Fame. He has also received the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering’s Robert W. Angus Medal — their highest honour — and the NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research.
“As an engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, Professor Javad Mostaghimi has had an exceptional impact on plasma physics, significantly advancing the commercial and scientific possibilities of this field through his technological innovations,” says Christopher Yip, Dean of U of T Engineering.
“On behalf of the entire faculty, our warmest congratulations to him on this richly deserved honour.”