Research Areas and Facilities

• generative design and computer modeling
• additive manufacturing of metals and high-performance materials
• advanced hybrid manufacturing
• advanced characterizing of materials
• computer-aided materials science
• synthesis of advanced materials
• automation and cloud manufacturing
• machine learning in manufacturing and materials

• automation, machine learning and data analytics in manufacturing systems
• 3D printing of metals
• 3D printing of high-temperature thermoplastics
• laser processing of materials (welding, cladding and additive manufacturing)
• robotic welding
• robotic milling
• CAD modeling and advanced design optimization
• 3D laser scanning and reverse engineering
• computer modeling and simulation (solid mechanics, stress/strain, heat transfer, fluid dynamics)
• multi-axis CNC machining (3, 4 and 5 axis)
• vacuum arc melting, sintering, and heat treatment of materials
• vacuum casting
• microscopy (optical and electron microscopy with EBSD and heating stage)
• spectroscopy (LIBS, EDS, XRD)
• mechanical testing (tensile, compression, shear, fatigue, creep, impact, hardness)
• tribological testing (wear resistance, friction coefficient)
• corrosion testing
• thermo-analytical analysis (DSC, TGA)

• Partnering with industry in implementing green-building technologies
• Providing training and education in green-building technologies
• Advancing applied research and development towards the commercialization of green-building technologies

• Net-zero energy
• Building integrated renewable energy
• Architectural ecology
• Smart building management
• Materials and advanced component assembly

• Early-stage business development
• Design services
• Construction consultation services
• Fabrication, prototyping and installation services
• Performance monitoring and management
• Testing services
• Education, seminars and workshops

As an applied research facility, the Green Building Technology (GBT) Lab and Demonstration Centre provide hands-on training and industry-based experience. Working in cooperation with builders, government, regulatory bodies and numerous stakeholders, the GBT team brings new products and processes to the green building marketplace. Our on-campus research facilities are flexible, living laboratories.

Leading the industry in net-zero energy design and integrated renewable energy solutions

With learning opportunities at its core, GBT engages students and researchers from multiple disciplines across different contexts and projects. Projects are typically undertaken by GBT to connect consumers, industry and education to deliver residential and commercial building solutions. The GBT research area offers a broad range of service lines, technical consultation and "R&D" resources, including building-integrated solar and water technologies as well as green materials fabrication, prototyping and product testing.

Facility highlights

The GBT Lab and Demonstration Centre is a 6,350 square foot living and breathing example of energy efficiency, building-integrated green technologies and renewable energy solutions. With additional square footage dedicated to specialized workshops, testing bays, storage and a large construction staging area, the entire facility totals over 16,800 square feet of research infrastructure.

Highlights include:

• Green roof test plots for water dispersion control and building energy monitoring
• Structural testing jigs for new building product performance measurement
• Guarded hot box for wall and roof system performance testing
• Lifecycle testing for wall, roof, cladding and building components
• Electrical, plumbing and carpentry workshops
• 5,800 square foot pre-manufactured construction and staging area
• Solar carport and electric vehicle charging bays
• Smart building monitoring and performance measurement
• Solar aquatic and constructed wetland bio-filtration
• Living wall comparative test plots

Used primarily for research, training and demonstration, the Solar Lab is home to industry-leading technology in solar energy generation, storage and use.

Powering the future of building-integrated renewables

SAIT designed and constructed the Solar Lab to demonstrate building-integrated renewable energy and to test new solar technologies. The complementary rainwater harvesting component was created for the design and testing of building-integrated water reclamation and water-filtration solutions.

The labs are housed in the same compound as the Green Building Technology Lab and Demonstration Centre and continue as two of the facility's flexible, living laboratories for research and development in the renewable energy industry.

Facility highlights

The labs feature fully operational solar photovoltaic (electricity) and solar thermal (heat systems), including rack-mounted and actuating solar panels that are directly integrated into the construction of the building.

The functional onsite harvesting, storage and re-use systems utilize a range of Architectural Ecology (AE) technologies. These AE technologies include green roofs, rainwater collection methods and numerous living walls that filter rainwater for grey water applications such as toilet flushing and irrigation.

The lab also includes green energy solutions and integrated mechanics for seasonal heat storage, battery storage and energy grid configuration. The latest addition to the lab is a solar carport, equipped with an electric-car charging station.

The Solar Roller Mobile Lab is used for research, training, education and outreach events.

Generating power anywhere, anytime

The Solar Roller is a fully functional, mobile trailer that is equipped with solar power generation and off-the-grid telecommunications equipment.

Facility highlights

The mobile lab is a 14 x 8-foot cargo trailer-conversion constructed by SAIT researchers, faculty, industry partners and students. A customized solar module racking system is built into the roof and holds moveable solar modules that sit at a 45-degree angle to capture optimal sunlight. The panels fold in and stack on top of each other for transport.

It features a battery-based solar system that captures and stores energy from the sun, as well as a computer monitoring station, battery storage and lab capabilities for experiential learning.

In addition to providing hands-on research and learning tool for students and industry partners, the Solar Roller is fully functional and doubles as a mobile, remote source of power.

• asset management, process and technology improvement
• software development to support RFID technologies
• hardware integration to support expanded RFID capabilities in existing systems
• vendor-neutral software and hardware integration
• distributed wireless sensor networks that facilitate automated inventory reading, processes or systems

• construction management
• building scanning and modelling
• health and safety inspection
• oilfield facilities inspection
• beyond visual line of sight applications for utility and transportation corridors

• flood risk assessment
• oil and gas leak detection
• greenhouse-gas emissions detection and Flux modelling

• RFID-enabled unmanned systems for hard management

• film and videography
• search and rescue

• developing customized platforms and sensors
• developing solutions customized for client-specific applications
• discovering innovative applications for unmanned systems technologies
• testing and validation of novel products

The expertise available through CIRUS is diverse, with all researchers and faculty contributing their own unique skills and experiences. SAIT is also engaging several of Alberta's leading colleges, allowing us to draw on an even greater pool of expertise when needed.

• manufacturing
• engineering, design and analysis
• rapid prototyping (3D printing)
• 3D scanning
• composites fabrication
• materials analysis, selection and testing
• computational fluid dynamics and aerodynamic assessment
• independent product testing

The Composites Fabrication lab was built in 2012 and is housed within the Aldred Centre utilizing 440,000 square feet of space.

Building and repairing fibre-composed objects

Manufacturing and fabrication capabilities include the creation of moulds, finished fibreglass components and custom finish coatings. The large duct collector booth is where contained sanding and sawing takes place before items head to the paint booth for completion.

Facility highlights

• paint booth | 10' x 16' x 10' 160fsq.ft working area
• dust booth and collector | 10' x 16' x 10' 160 sq.ft working area
• preparation and finishing equipment
• heated vacuum table

The materials testing lab was built in 2012 and is housed within the Aldred Centre utilizing 440,000 square feet of space. The lab's equipment can analyze the components of any material, enabling researchers to conduct non-destructive and destructive tests to determine a material's structural integrity.

Putting materials, products and prototypes to the test

Testing capabilities include environmental stress testing for variables like temperature and humidity, tensile strength and compression, as well as repetitive motion and lifecycle testing. Testing methods are often combined for the most comprehensive analysis.

Facility highlights

The Materials Testing Lab is housed in the Aldred Centre along with the majority of Applied Research and Innovation Services research as well as technology development facilities.

The lab includes:

• class I and IV laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for materials characterization (LIBSCAN50)
• dynamic and static axial testing with support for environmental chambers
• small-scale injection moulding (NISSEI HM7-C, 7-ton capacity)
• rockwell hardness tester (Wilson Rockwell 574R))

The Enerplus Centre for Innovation is situated in a 20,000 square foot multi-lab facility and was built in 2012 and housed within the Aldred Centre utilizing 440,000 square feet.

The Enerplus Centre was made possible by a $5 million gift from Enerplus Corporation.

Solving industry challenges through effective product and technology development

The Enerplus Centre is ARIS' main industrial-scale prototype fabrication and testing space, supporting the development, fabrication, testing and commercialization of innovative technology solutions.

Facility highlights

The Enerplus Centre's main prototype fabrication and testing laboratory space offer a range of state-of-the-art capabilities ranging from environmental control enclosures for the testing of clean energy technologies to metals preparation and joining.

Metals preparation and joining:

• a full complement of welding capabilities
• plasma cutter
• blasting cabinet
• waterjet table
• bending and forming equipment
• positioning and layup tables

Metals machining:

• computer numerical controlled (CNC) lathe
• CNC 5-axis mill
• manual mill and lathe

The Solids Modeling Lab was built in 2012 and is housed within the Aldred Centre utilizing 440,00 square feet. The lab supports prototype development for applied research and innovation projects at SAIT.

Accelerating the prototype development process

Once a part is modelled using a 3D printer it can be tested for size, aerodynamics and fit before being machined in metal. This enables a quick turnaround and numerous, affordable design iterations during the prototype development process.

Facility highlights

The Enerplus Centre's main prototype fabrication and testing laboratory space offer a range of state-of-the-art capabilities ranging from environmental control enclosures for the testing of clean energy technologies to metals preparation and joining.

• SolidWorks and Geomagic computer-aided design (CAD)
• Creaform EXAScan handheld 3D scanner
• Fusion Deposition Modelling (FDM) rapid prototyping (Fortus 400mc; 16" x 14" x 16" build size)

• Air quality monitoring, strategic solutions and technologies for greenhouse gas challenges
• Soil characterization, soil salinity reduction and impacted soil remediation technologies
• Frac-and produced-water treatment, wastewater remediation, water de-oiling and desalination using a membrane and thermal technologies

There are four state-of-the-art Advanced Mobile Labs managed by the Environmental Technologies research area and the IRCC program. These labs are used to facilitate on-site pilot testing and off-site pilot demonstration or field trails of clean technologies. The mobiles labs are also employed in research associated with quantification, treatment and remediation.

Taking the lab to the researcher

The Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS) at SAIT supports industry partners in the evaluation of advanced environmental technologies. One of the ways in which we offer this support is by supplying access to our mobile testing and field sample collection facilities. Each lab is housed within a self-contained trailer that can be transported for field research at remote locations as needed.

Facility highlights

Mobile Water Treatment Laboratory

• A 48-foot temperature controlled trailer, with lavatory, sink and cold storage for samples
• Skidded modular process equipment (e.g. UV-AOP water treatment, Modular Steam generators high temperature and high-pressure systems)

Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Laboratory

• A 26-foot, temperature controlled trailer
• Analyzers for CO2, SO2, NOx, CO, Methane-Non Methane, PM 2.5/PM 10.0, O3 and H25
• Dilution Calibrator
• Zero Air Generator
• Meteorological sensor to measure wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, pressure, precipitation and solar radiation
• Remotely monitored - DR Das SCADA

Mobile Greenhouse Gas and Atmospheric Emissions Laboratory

• A 48-foot temperature controlled trailer, with lavatory, sink and cold storage for samples
• Methane Gas Chromatography (GC)
• Analysis of C1 to C5 GC
• Analysis of CO2, CH4, N2O in an air matrix GC
• Multi-gas Analyzer Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR)
• H2, N2 and Zero Air generators with dedicated compressor
• Remotely monitored - DR Das SCADA

Mobile Chemical and Environmental Analytical Laboratory

• A 48-foot, temperature controlled trailer, with lavatory, sink and cold storage for samples
• Electro-Magnetic Salinity Meter for determining salt contamination in soil
• Oil Sands Tailings verification of remediation technologies
• Chemical and environmental instrumentation will be fitted up based on specific field trails

The Chemical and Environmental Analysis Lab is managed by the Environmental Technologies research area. The lab was built in 2012 and is housed within the Aldred Centre utilizing 440,000 square feet of space. The lab is equipped to conduct a range of analyses including wet chemistry, spectrometry and chromatography.

Supporting the development of clean technologies

The Environmental Technologies team works in partnership with other ARIS research areas and with industry small-to-medium sized enterprises, technology providers and other collaborators to explore clean technology applications.

This lab supports the development, testing and verification of clean technologies through chemical composition analysis of water, air, greenhouse gases, tailings and soil.

Facility highlights

Analysis capabilities include measurements for trace metals, anions, cations, alkalinity, salinity, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total carbon, total dissolved solids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-VOCs, particle size and greenhouse gases.

Lab equipment and processes include, but are not limited to:

• X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis
• Microwave digestion and preparatory systems
• Potentiometric titration
• Gas chromatography and mass spectrometer (GCMS)
• FTIR analyzer
• Inductively coupled plasma with atomic emission
• TOC analyzer
• Ion chromatography (IC) system
• Laser diffraction particle size analyzer

The Process Operations Lab refers to space and equipment that supports process engineering capabilities available within the Enerplus Centre for Innovation. It is managed by the Environmental Technologies research area and the IRCC Program.

Pilot-projects that solve real-world problems

The Environmental Technologies research area utilizes process engineering capabilities at the Enerplus Centre to develop prototype pilot systems in collaboration with industry partners and many stakeholders.

Facility highlights

Process operations prototype systems include:

• Electrodialysis pilot water treatment for water destination of saline groundwater for drinking, agriculture, livestock and industrial steam boilers etc.
• Ceramic membrane filtration to remove suspended solids, turbidity, oil and grease and organic carbon from produced water for recycling and reuse in industrial steam boilers and other sectors.
• Reverse osmosis desalination to produce pure water for drinking, agriculture, livestock, industrial steam boilers etc.
• Fractional distillation to separate components within a liquid mixture using evaporation and condensation and to conduct studies on renewable (solar) energy desalination.
• Advanced oxidation processes to reduce total organic carbon and related contaminants, including removal of pathogens.
• Chemical vapour deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced CVD, and plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition to create a variety of thin film layers/coatings for industrial and applied research applications.

The program, labs and related applied-research infrastructure will enable researchers to determine and solve the barriers to achieving high-energy efficiency, enhanced steam quality and water recycle, as well as reduced GHG emissions during in-situ oil sands production. This includes:

• Partnering with industry and small-to-medium-sized enterprises in research on water treatment and recycle, clean technologies and energy-efficient unconventional and alternative energy solutions.
• Providing training and hands-on experiential education through applied research to the next generation of professionals in integrated unconventional and alternative energy technologies for the jobs of tomorrow.
• Transferring innovation and technological advancements to accelerate the commercialization of integrated unconventional and alternative energy technologies and facilitate rapid industry adoption.

Steam Generation Research Facility — Once Through Steam Generation Lab

• Investigating barriers and solutions to boiler tube fouling and tube failures
• Destructive tube testing, analysis of solid deposits using SEM/EDS and XRD
• Analytical testing of boiler feed water from SAGD, CSS and other thermal processes
• Determining improvements to water recycling and GHG emission reduction efficiency
• Assessing energy efficiency and overall thermodynamic performance efficiency

Water Research and Innovation Lab

• Water testing and drinking water treatment systems for indigenous and rural communities
• Testing oil and water separation with novel ceramic, PTFE, hybrid membrane filtration
• Investigating novel nano-materials and advanced membranes for fast water clean-up
• Blowdown water treatment to improve water recycle and minimize waste volume
• Produced water treatment, disposal of water treatment and management
• Prototyping emergency desalination skids from sea-water to supply clean drinking water

Clean Technology Innovation Lab

• Testing high temperature and high-pressure system for process fluid purification
• Coatings with plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition and selective corrosion protection
• Testing oil and water separation with novel ceramic, PTFE, hybrid membrane filtration
• Producing clean water using novel NF, ED, RO and low cost, high-performance systems
• Energy IOT, real-time sensors, SCADA, data analytics, aggregate, ML algorithms, AI
• Alternative energy, low carbon tie-ins, natural gas de-carbonization, CO _² conversion
• GHG fuel cells for clean power, portable batteries, novel energy storage systems

Service offerings

• Access early-stage strategic applied research engagement for business development
• Explore proof of concept, leveraged investment and co-funding opportunities
• Engage in the development, design, build and operation of clean technology prototypes
• Achieve results of technology performance and solutions to technology limitations
• Embrace disruption in tech innovation through credible applied research services
• Avail technology verification and third-party validation services and enhance profitability
• Gain access to local, regional and global innovation networks and drive brand awareness
• Collaborate in education, workshops and outreach, inspire next-gen professionals

The expertise available through CERCUTS and the NSERC-IRCC program is diverse where researchers, students, new graduates and faculty join together from multiple disciplines to contribute their unique skills and experiences to fast forward environmentally sound, unconventional and alternative energy solutions.

ARIS engages several techno-entrepreneurs, industry experts, consultants, post-secondary institutions, industry associations, businesses and community stakeholders — allowing us to learn, share and contribute to an even greater pool of expertise to solve key 21st century and environmental challenges for the economic benefit, well-being and advancement of society.

The Clean Technology Industry Innovation Lab is located in the Aldred Centre on SAIT's main campus. It allows companies to cost-effectively develop, fabricate and test clean technologies, rapidly improve existing energy technologies and test alternative energy and emission reduction technologies prior to commercialization.

Techno-entrepreneurs, technology vendors, SU, SME, businesses, industry and others interested in partnering with us have access to using this lab and are welcome to develop their new products, processes, and technologies for improvement, functional operation, testing and technology verification.

The Water Research and Innovation Lab is located in the Senator Burns Building on SAIT's main campus. It has state-of-the-art infrastructure, equipment and chemical instrumentation to conduct accurate analytical characterization of water and solid contaminants. The sources of water and their contaminants may vary because they come from various sectors such as agriculture, biofuels, biomass, infrastructure, construction wastewater ponds, salty retention ponds from road transportation deicing operations, produced water from formations, process or disposal water from industrial operations to name a few. 

This lab is equipped to conduct a range of chemical and environmental testing, allowing partner companies to cost-effectively test water, fluids and solids, or alternatively partner with us to build, operate and test new water treatment technologies, or access testing services for skid mounted or packaged water treatment or pilot desalination systems prior to commercialization.

The Once Through Steam Generation Lab is located at the Energy Resources Research Building in the University Research Park. The funding for this laboratory was made possible by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Alberta Government and COSIA with additional contributions from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Industry Research Chair for Colleges (IRCC) program, and Alberta Innovates (AI). This unique OTSG Lab has two lab-scale OTSG test rigs which will test actual processed water from the regional oilsands facilities.

Top scientists and engineers from ConocoPhillips have provided the intellectual property and innovative engineering for the design and build of the first of its kind lab-scale OTSG test rigs in Canada. These two innovative test rigs along with the supporting applied-research infrastructure will be used by researchers, students, new graduates in collaboration with COSIA members, associate members, academia, scholars, steam boiler experts, technology vendors, techno-entrepreneurs and communities of practice. The outcome of the OTSG applied research is to find key solutions to critical operational and environmental challenges associated with steam generation for in-situ oilsands and rapidly assist the adoption of best in class practices.

Where lab space and guidance combine to advance clean energy technology startups and researchers to design, prototype and test their proprietary technologies.

The Kinetica Innovation Centre at SAIT (KICS) is a facility that helps Alberta innovators and researchers design, prototype and test their proprietary technologies.

The impressive 2,200 square foot facility located on SAIT's campus with easy access to the LRT is designed to accelerate prototyping efforts by offering co-working wet and dry lab space, access to an array of SAIT testing and fabrication facilities and entrepreneur and company development services through the Calgary Regional Innovation Network.

KICS helps energy innovators move their ideas from testing and experimentation to prototype development and companies from startups to going concerns.

Program and facility highlights

A program that helps clients move from idea to prototype, the KICS program includes access to:

The Accelerated Prototype program

• Provides clients with a focused framework to develop their prototype. Clients will receive support to develop and execute a detailed project plan that outlines budgets, milestones, testing and other critical items.

Co-working wet/dry bench space

• Offers inventors and researchers affordable access to a secure lab environment with access to fume hoods, meeting rooms and a lunchroom

World-class research facilities, equipment and talent

• Our ARIS department offers fee-based services for any testing, fabrication or experimentation required during prototype development. Access to ARIS's specialized labs and equipment is complemented by collaboration with students and research staff.

Commercialization services

• Fee-for-service access to specialized services and entrepreneurial development programs for members looking to develop a product and build a company. Services include:
• Intellectual property protection and development assistance
• Grant sourcing and development
• Industry technology championship
• Technology incubation mentorship and accelerator services

The KICS lab offers co-working space for up to eight researchers or innovators. Space includes access to:

• Three fume hoods/chemical workbenches
• Mechanical/electrical workbenches
• Bench ventilation and vacuum systems
• Sinks, compressed air, natural gas
• Internet
• Common lunchroom
• Meeting rooms
• Fee-for-service testing and fabrication facilities

The Technology Demonstration Hall (Tech Hall) was built in 2012 and is housed within the 440,000 square foot Aldred Centre.

Bring your project to life

As part of SAIT's Applied Research and Innovation Services facility inventory, the Tech Hall is an applied research asset accessible to staff, faculty, researchers and students on campus in any discipline. The facility is often used for collaboration with presentations made to business and industry partners.

Facility highlights

The Tech Hall provides a high-tech audio-visual experience made possible by state-of-the-art sound and display equipment:

• large-size video wall
• multi-camera video-conferencing capabilities
• microphone and speaker assisted audio
• lighting designed for optimum video quality

A digitized podium serves as a control panel and can be linked to a presenter's laptop. A mobile, lighting-equipped video camera and tripod are also available for two-way audio-visual streaming from remote locations.

The Industry Innovation Labs were built in 2012 and are housed within the Aldred Centre utilizing 440,000 square feet. These labs are available to industry partners who do not have their own dedicated applied research space.

The labs allow companies to cost-effectively develop, fabricate and test new technologies prior to commercialization. Space can be fit to meet your specific needs throughout the duration of your applied research projects.

Industry partners interested in using this space typically provide their own equipment and resources, although we will work with you to customize the space, plan and build the set-up you need.