Mechatronics student receives Creative Research Award

Mechatronic systems engineering (MSE) PhD, Mahyar Ashouri and his research team recently received the most creative research award at the 10th annual Heat Powered Cycles HPC Conference 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

This project was driven by a profound commitment to environmental sustainability and a passionate dedication to a more sustainable future. The primary goal was to revolutionize the utilization of low-grade waste heat by developing innovative sorber beds that will serve as the cornerstone of heat-driven sorption heat transformers. These systems have diverse applications, including district energy networks and thermal energy storage for microgrids. 

The project's innovative aspect lies in the development of a machine learning-based model for membrane-based sorber bed reactors. This approach was born out of the limitations of traditional numerical modeling, particularly in terms of computational efficiency. The team recognized the need for an exceptionally accurate and time-efficient model for optimization, real-time control, and reactor design, and they found the solution in machine learning. The goal is to create a model that can predict the performance, real-time control, and optimization of membrane-based sorber bed reactors with precision and efficiency, ultimately facilitating the broader adoption of this transformative technology.

The support, guidance and expertise of the Mechatronic Systems Engineering faculty have been invaluable to the project's success. Their mentorship and unwavering encouragement, along with the supervision of advisors MSE Professor Majid Bahrami and SFU Sustainable Energy Engineering Lecturer, Amir Shabani, played a pivotal role in shaping the direction and outcomes of this research.