Abstract
Highly accurate, miniaturized components that consist of a variety of materials will play key roles in the future development of a broad spectrum of products, such as wearable devices, lab-on-chips, subminiature actuators and sensors. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoTs) and Industry 4.0, the development of miniature and reliable devices will be far-reaching in the enhancement of quality of life and economic growth. Smart polymeric nanocomposites are promising new materials applicable as media for nano-patterned surfaces. Much attention is being paid to carbon-based nanoparticles as fillers in polymer matrices, due to their outstanding mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In particular, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphenes are effective in the fabrication of electrically and thermally conductive polymer composites compared to metallic particles or carbon black.
I have co-founded Direct-C (direct-c.ca), a start-up company that develops unique hydrocarbon leak detection sensors for pipelines and tank farms. With unparalleled performance for the integrity monitoring of oil and gas infrastructure, Direct-C’s proprietary technology provides zero false-positives, instant alerts, and the exact locations of leaks. Direct-C’s leak detection products originated from nanoparticle-based coatings developed at University of Calgary by me and my post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Parmar (now the VP of Research and Development for Direct-C). Direct-C incorporated in 2014 in collaboration with University of Calgary and Innovate Calgary’s energy tech accelerator program, Kinetica Ventures. It now employs eight people and has several international customers. Direct-C’s proprietary technology enhances incident reaction time and reduces the risk of undetected leaks, thereby benefiting operators, the environment, and the public. In addition, I have co-founded two other start-up companies to transfer the knowledge into real-world applications. Espark Energy Ltd. (www.espark.ca), is developing next generation nanomaterials for oil and gas. I and my students have formed a start-up company, MakeSens Inc., (makesens.ca) developing wearable devices and competed in the Creative Destruction Lab-Rockies.
Bio
Dr. Simon Park, PhD
Dr. Park is a professor at the Schulich School of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada. He was an AITF iCORE Chair in sensing and monitoring. He is a professional engineer in Alberta and is an associate member of CIRP (Int. Academy of Production Engineers) from Canada. Dr. Park received bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Toronto, Canada. He then continued his PhD at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He has worked in several companies including IBM manufacturing where he was a procurement engineer for printed circuit boards and Mass Prototyping Inc. dealing with rapid prototyping systems. His research interests include pipeline engineering, nanocomposites, petroleum processing printed electronics, sensors, IoTs, batteries and advanced manufacturing. He has also founded three start-up companies in sensing, batteries, advanced manufacturing and partial upgrading of bitumen. He has received several awards including Young Innovator’s Award, Schulich School of Engineering Teaching Award, Schulich School Research Excellence Award, CFI New Faculty Grant, Alberta Innovates New Faculty award, NSERC scholarships, etc. He is also serving as associate editors of several journals. Currently, he is directly supervising over 30 students and scholars at Multifunctional Engineering, Dynamics and Automation Lab (MEDAL, www.ucalgary.ca/medal).
Venue
7pm, February 8th, 2022.
For recording of the presentation, please see the attached video.