Laurentian University and Cambrian College have formalized an agreement that facilitates the creation of collaborative partnerships and enables faculty, students, and staff at both institutions to pursue large-scale research projects –sharing professional expertise, facilities, equipment, and administrative services in order to boost innovation, productivity, and results.
The aim is to harness the resources and expertise of the two institutions, in order to:
- Enhance the educational experience for student researchers;
- Attract and develop top quality professionals;
- Increase fundamental and applied research capacity and income;
- Strengthen Sudbury’s culture of innovation through post-secondary collaboration.
The memorandum of understanding provides guidelines for new research partnerships to be developed.
At a media conference on March 8, Laurentian University President Dominic Giroux; Vice President of Research Dr. Rui Wang; Cambrian College President Bill Best; and Vice President International, Applied Research and Business Development, Sonia Del Missier, along with guests and members of the media, got a look at one initiative already underway under the auspices of the memorandum of understanding.
The collaborative project is led by Dr. Dean Millar, professor of Energy in Mining at Laurentian’s Bharti School of Engineering, and Energy Director of Laurentian’s MIRARCO. Dr. Millar is investigating how a unique hydraulic air compressor (HAC) system may be developed to clean and cool the air in ultra-deep mining environments, where air temperatures may reach upwards of 40 degrees Celsius. Laurentian researchers are collaborating with Cambrian College faculty and students to conduct trials on the “BabyHAC”, a pilot scale unit installed at Cambrian’s Glencore Centre for Innovation. In the meantime construction of the much larger Dynamic Earth HAC is underway. Faculty and students in Cambrian’s metalworking shops are fabricating a key part of the Dynamic Earth HAC: a 21st-century version of an air-water mixing head last used in the Peterborough Lift Lock HAC in 1967 which was designed by Graduate Students working within Laurentian’s MIRARCO.
This Laurentian-Cambrian collaboration is one part of a long-term, large-scale research project with multiple partners, including industry and government, funded by the Ultra Deep Mine Network, the Independent Electricity System Operator, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and Electrale Innovation Ltd.
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For more information, please contact:
Joanne Musico
Director, Communications
705.675.1151 ext 3445
jmusico@laurentian.ca
Sherry Drysdale
Communications Officer
705.675.1151 ext 3412
sdrysdale@laurentian.ca
