The Facility is focused on research in the following areas:
Characterization of Bitumen Components and Interfacial Properties
Improving the removal of water from oil-based fluids to improve the efficiency of extraction methods for the oil sands industry. This will be accomplished by exploring the interfacial properties at the water-oil boundary.
Improved Processes for Oil Sands Extraction and Water Reuse
Exploring innovative technologies to improve the removal of emulsified water droplets from bitumen. These technologies include dielectrophoresis and membrane filtration. The goal is to improve drastically the use of water in oil sands processes.
Novel Coal Cleaning Technology
Developing clean coal technologies that maximize energy efficiencies and minimize toxic emissions. These studies will focus on the sub-bituminous coal that is found in Alberta. As a part of these efforts, research will investigate ways in which bitumen from oil sands tailings can be used to increase coal combustion efficiencies.
Computational Methods for Predicting Interfacial and Transport Behaviour of Colloidal Suspensions and Emulsions
Employing symbolic computation to advance fluid mechanic studies of complex systems that include colloidal suspensions and emulsions. Unlike conventional numerical approaches, this method results in formulas thus avoiding round-off errors. These studies will improve the description of particle motion within fluids and allow us to better predict the efficacy of processes associated with energy production.