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2015 — Development of Scaling Crieteria for Waterflooding and Immiscible CO2 Flooding in Unconventional ReservoirsAbstract
As conventional oil reserves are depleting, the rising energy demand as well as advancements in well drilling and stimulation technologies have attracted increasingly interests in exploiting the unconventional oil resources (e.g., tight oil and heavy oil). Tight oil resources in Canada are mainly located in Cardium and Viking pools in Alberta, Bakken formation in Saskatchewan, and Western Canada Shale plays, respectively. Also, tremendous heavy oil resources accounting for almost half of the total world heavy oil reserves are mainly found in Western Canada, though they are contained in thin and depleted reservoirs. Such unconventional oil resources either have been deposited … Read more
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2013 — Reaction Kinetics of Biodiesel Production by Using Low Quality FeedstockAbstract
Biodiesel is considered to be one of the potential renewable alternatives to petroleum since it is biodegradable, non-toxic, and has low emission profiles. The main challenge of its commercialization is the associated high production cost due to the high quality feedstock used. Low quality feedstocks such as waste cooking oils are much cheaper and more widely available. However, low quality feedstocks normally contain a large amount of free fatty acids (FFAs), which consume the alkaline catalyst in the biodiesel production, thereby decreasing the biodiesel production rate. An acid-catalyzed esterification process can effectively pretreat the FFAs prior to or during the … Read more
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2012 — Single Camera Photogrammetry Using Novel Calibration TechniquesAbstract
In this thesis, single camera photogrammetry using novel calibration techniques is introduced for the purpose of 3D measurement. A measurement technique using a perspective pinhole camera and a paper-based calibration board is introduced first. Then, we present two algorithms, the triangulation algorithm and epipolar geometry algorithm, to conduct the 3D measurement. The proposed algorithms use a laser projector to replace the paper based calibration board and the 3D coordinates of the laser points in the scene are extracted by using these two algorithms. The 3D coordinates are further processed to measure the dimensions and the orientation of a rectangular box … Read more
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2011 — Ultrasound Testing System for the Detecting of the Shape and Growth of a Vapor Chamber in the VAPEX ProcessAbstract
Acoustic wave detection systems are designed to estimate distances based on the measurement of the time of arrival (TOA) of an ultrasonic wave. It has been used in diagnoses and treatments in areas such as medicine, dentistry, civil engineering, and many other industrial applications. It has also been applied in the oil industry for pipeline inspection and fluid velocity measurement. In this study, a comprehensive experimental program was designed and conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using acoustic waves for detection and monitoring of vapor chamber growth and pressure front movement in porous media during vapor chamber expansion in the … Read more
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2015 — Experimental Study on Foamy Oil Flow by Using Different heavy Oil-Solvent SystemsAbstract
Foamy oil flow that occurs in heavy oil reservoirs under solution gas drive in the primary production process, shows an anomalous production performance compared with that in conventional solution gas drive reservoirs [Maini, 2001]. Although several laboratory experimental studies have been carried out to research the mechanisms of foamy oil flow in physical models, and the production performance effects of pressure depletion rates on foamy oil flow have been studied, it remains difficult to understand the process clearly. Meanwhile, many oil samples used in previous studies were on heavy oil-methane systems or heavy oil-CO2 systems, rarely on heavy oil-propane systems. … Read more
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2019 — Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery Using CO2 Huff 'N' Puff ProcessAbstract
CO2 based enhanced oil recovery methods, such as continuous CO2 injection, intermittent CO2 injection, water-alternating CO2 injection, and CO2 huff 'n' puff, are successfully implemented in heavy oil reservoirs. Among them, the CO2 huff 'n' puff method has been proved as an applicable recovery method. Although many previous researches were conducted on the CO2 huff 'n' puff process applied in heavy oil reservoirs, some technical issues are still not investigated, such as non-equilibrium phase behaviors of foamy oil flow, CO2 diffusion into heavy oil, and the production performance in CO2 huff 'n' puff process coupled with non-equilibrium phase behaviors and … Read more
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2022 — Comparison of Random Forests, Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network Methods for Agriculture Land Cover ClassificationAbstract
Land cover classification is critical in remote sensing. Reliable classification on land cover is required to address a wide range of environmental issues. Over recent years, the application of machine learning techniques in remote sensing has attracted wide attention. Machine learning has the capacity to classify land cover in remotely sensed photos effectively and efficiently. Machine learning techniques, such as Random Forests (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) can be applied in land cover classification. However, putting a machine learning categorization system in place is not easy, especially in the field of agricultural land classifications. Very … Read more
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2014 — Development of Two-Stage Fractional Programming Methods for Environmental Management Under UncertaintyAbstract
Due to the increasing contamination and resource-scarcity issues, environmental systems management is essential to socio-economic development. However, formulating relevant policies and strategies is often associated with a variety of complexities. It is necessary for decision makers to identify desired management plans to reflect multiobjective features that involve a trade-off between environmental protection and economic development. Moreover, these complexities will be further intensified by multiple formats of uncertainties existent in the related factors and parameters, as well as their interrelationships. Therefore, efficient system analysis techniques for supporting multiobjective environmental systems management under such complexities are required. In this dissertation research, a … Read more
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2020 — Development of Integrated Regional Climate Modeling Methodologies for Impact AssessmentAbstract
Climate change has been one of the most prominent and critical environmental concerns due to its potential impacts. Climate change projections, as generated through global climate models (GCMs), have been widely employed for assessments of such impacts. However, GCMs have difficulty in representing the detailed local features over limited regions. Therefore, advanced metrologies are consequently required to investigate the potential impacts of climate change. In this dissertation research, a set of integrated regional climate modeling methodologies were developed to advance the previous methodologies for potential impact assessments at regional scales under climatic changing conditions, including (a) a coupled dynamical-copula downscaling … Read more
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2016 — Development of Stochastic Factorial Programming Methods for Water Resources Management Under UncertaintyAbstract
Freshwater is a limited and vital natural resource on earth. It also plays a key role in advancing social and economic development. Despite its importance, freshwater is still one of the most vulnerable resources that have not been managed in a proper manner. There is growing recognition in public and private sectors that freshwater resource needs to be effectively conserved, managed, and distributed. This aspiration makes water resources management a prevalent topic from regional to national levels. The need for sustainable water resources management has become even more urgent with the status quo of global water scarcity. In this dissertation, … Read more
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2014 — A Web-Based Learning Support System for Rough SetsAbstract
Web-based learning is gaining popularity due to its convenience, ubiquity, person- alization, and adaptation features compared with traditional learning environments. The learning subjects of Web-based learning systems are mostly for popular sciences. Little attention has been paid for learning cutting edge subjects and no such systems have been developed for rough sets. Rough set theory has obtained signi cant attention as a mathematical approach to data representation and analysis in recent years. To realize Web-based learning for this subject,Web-based learning support systems can provide a reasonable framework. Web-based learning support systems sustain teaching as well as learning by making use … Read more
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2020 — Engaging Chinese International Students in Indigenization Education at University of Regina,Abstract
This qualitative case study research explored how Chinese international students (CIS) perceive and respond to Indigenization Education (IE) at the University of Regina, as well as uncovered ways and strategies to help CIS embrace, understand, and engage in IE. Three questions are addressed by this study. How do CIS perceive, understand, and relate to IE? What are the gaps and misconceptions that CIS’ have in regards to IE? What are the strategies and ways to challenge and broaden CIS’ perceptions and understanding so as to develop a more holistic view of Indigenous peoples, cultures, and their ways of knowing? This … Read more
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2014 — Inexact Fractional Optimization for Multicriteria Resources and Environmental Management Under UncertaintyAbstract
A set of inexact-fuzzy nonlinear programming (IFNP) and inexact fractional mathematical programming (IFMP) methods have been developed for the first time for supporting multi-criteria resources and environmental management under various uncertainties. They include the following methods: (a) an interval-parameter fuzzy robust nonlinear programming (IFRNP) approach for water quality management, (b) a simulation-based interval-fuzzy nonlinear programming (SIFNP) approach for seasonal planning of water quality management, (c) a stochastic linear fractional programming (SLFP) method for waste management, (d) a dynamic stochastic fractional programming (DSFP) approach for capacity-expansion planning of an electric power system, (e) an inexact linear fractional programming (ILFP) method for … Read more
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2018 — Investigate Influence of Anthropogenic Temperature Increase on Climate Extremes Through A Dynamical Downscaling Approach - A Chinese Case StudyAbstract
The study presented in this thesis investigated the relationships between climate change and extreme events in China through high-resolution climate projections, and examination of the compound effects of temperature, among multiple climatic variables, at regional scales. The Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) relation was used to investigate the relationship between temperature increases and precipitation extremes. The likely changes in precipitation and precipitation extremes across the country were also evaluated to help in understanding the local climatic response to global warming. The relationship between temperature increases and changes in high-temperature extremes, and simulations of the compound effects of relative humidity and high-temperature extremes, were … Read more
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2012 — Transient Temperature Analysis of SAGD ProcessesAbstract
Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) is the leading recovering technique for heavy oil and bitumen in Canada. An indispensable condition for a successful SAGD process is the full utilization of the injected steam. However, because of the reservoir heterogeneity and the wellbore hydraulics and undulation, a non-uniform steam chamber will evolve. This study proposes Transient Temperature Analysis (TTA) to evaluate the earlystage SAGD (start-up and ramp-up) steam conformance through analyzing the temperature falloff data after shut-in. Both forward and inverse mathematical models are presented to facilitate the application of this technique. The four 2D forward mathematic models, including three non-condensation models … Read more
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2021 — The Application of Fluid Phase Behavior for Bakken Shale ReservoirAbstract
Shale gas and oil has been explored and developed in the recent years. Because of its complex pore structure and reservoir characteristics, fluid properties and mechanisms of fluid flow are always difficult but important topics which need to be recognized and described. It is known that properties of fluid in the shale reservoir will be affected by confined environment, and fluid flow in shale reservoir does not always follow Darcy’s Law such as turbulent flow in the shale gas reservoir. Consequently, it is a significant study for calculating modified properties and describing fluid flow mechanisms within shale reservoirs. Flash calculation … Read more
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2015 — Numerical Simulation of pressure Transient Analysis in Tight Formation and Field Data Categorization and Typical Well Production Data AnalysisAbstract
Low to ultra-low permeability tight oil reservoirs have recently become a significant source of hydrocarbon supply in North America. Production and pressure transient analysis of tight oil reservoirs is one of the most difficult problems facing a reservoir researcher because of the extreme complexity inherent in tight formations, such as producing from multiple layers with effective permeability that is often enhanced by hydraulic fracturing. Unfortunately, limited productivity and unfavorable economics often prevent expenditures of money and time to collect the dynamic data needed for a comprehensive reservoir study. Horizontal well completion along with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing techniques has enabled economic … Read more
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2012 — Numerical Investigation of Solvent and Thermal Hybrid Processes for Thin Heavy Oil ReservoirsAbstract
Western Canada has the second largest oil resources in the world. Over 90% is heavy oil and bitumen. Vapour Extraction (VAPEX), similar to Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) but using solvent to reduce the oil viscosity, has been proposed to produce heavy oil reservoirs in an environmentally sustainable way. However, while this process might work well for thicker reservoirs, such as those in Alberta, it will likely not meet economic thresholds for thinner reservoirs, such as those in Saskatchewan. The low flow rate in the pure VAPEX process is mainly due to three reasons: low mass transfer rate compared to … Read more
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2019 — Transformational Learning Experiences: Changing Relationships and Comfort ZonesAbstract
The purpose of this study was to explore how social and familial relationships are challenged, altered, or sustained following a transformational learning experience. In particular, I explored how students in a university graduate education course that used a transformational approach, experienced changes. The course, Participatory Methodologies and Approaches to Research, Facilitation, and Community Engagement, was offered at the University of Regina in the Summer of 2015. The study focused on the ways three students, as study participants, navigated their way through new and existing social networks and how the transformational experience altered pre-conceived ideas and perceptions. The qualitative study used … Read more
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2023 — The effects of chronic stress on allocentric versus egocentric spatial memoryAbstract
Spatial navigation is a skill that is critically dependent upon an organism’s ability to remember object locations and orient themselves in an environment. Two strategies commonly examined in spatial memory research are allocentric (ALLO) and egocentric (EGO). Individuals using an ALLO strategy orient with respect to a cognitive map of distal environmental boundaries, while those using an EGO strategy orient with respect to themselves and singular proximal landmark cues. Stress affects spatial memory, but it is unclear whether one strategy more than the other enhances processing in the context of chronic stress. The present study examined the effects of chronic … Read more
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2013 — Movement Performance and Physical Activity among Students with Learning and/or Movement DifficultiesAbstract
Approximately 8% of school-aged children have difficulty learning in the classroom and 5 to 6% demonstrate difficulties performing movement skills in the gymnasium. Are these characteristics mutually exclusive or is there some level of functional complexity inherent within each of them? This thesis is comprised of three manuscripts that collectively examine the range of impairments during the performance of movement skills among students 7 to 10 years of age with academic difficulties (AD) and movement difficulties (MD). Understanding similarities and differences in motor impairment among these students will provide valuable knowledge related to the implications of participation in physical activity. … Read more
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2023 — Alerting the nation to famine: The role of the media in exposing Canadians to the Ethiopian famine of 1984Abstract
This thesis explores the coverage by English language media in Canada, specifically that of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the Globe and Mail, and Maclean’s, of the Ethiopian Famine of 1984, and how that coverage generated considerable interest among the Canadian public, including among members of the Canadian government. The CBC’s reporting of the famine in its evening news on 1 November 1984 galvanized many Canadians. Even newly elected Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, and his Secretary of State for External Affairs, Joe Clark, have admitted to being influenced by the reports of the famine on the CBC. Earlier reporting on … Read more
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2013 — Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Survivors of Intimate Partner ViolenceAbstract
Previous research has found a relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; e.g. Basile, Arias, Desai, & Thompson, 2004). The purpose of the current study was to investigate PTSD in a diverse sample of Saskatchewan women who have experienced IPV. This study utilized the Composite Abuse Scale in order to examine whether or not severe combined, emotional, physical, or harassment abuse predict the development of PTSD. The Composite Abuse Scale allowed us to investigate combined forms of abuse, which included sexual violence as well as severe physical violence by an intimate partner. This … Read more
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2017 — The Impact of Intimate Partner Stalking on Women Targets: A Narrative Inquiry Analysis.Abstract
Over the past decade, research on intimate partner stalking has been expanding. The vast majority of these studies have utilized quantitative methods to investigate the impacts of partner stalking on victims. The few qualitative studies that have been conducted were based on an American sample and did not examine women’s experiences with the criminal justice system or various other service providers (e.g., Melton, 2007b). Logan and Walker (2009) call for future research to utilize narrative inquiry methodology in order to expand on previous findings. As such, the purpose of the current study was to collect stories and experiences from women … Read more
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2023 — Potassium sulphate production from an aqueous sodium sulphate waste from lead acid battery recyclingAbstract
In Canada and around the globe, government and regulatory agencies have implemented regulations to regulate the industries' amount and concentration of waste disposed into the environment. The regulations are enacted and executed to protect human, animal or plant health or the environment and other micro-organisms that form part of the ecosystem. Hence, there is a high industrial demand for value-added waste management methodologies, safer management, and disposition of industrial wastes. Also, the high demand for renewable energy sources necessitates the demand for energy storage technologies. Because of the comparative advantages that lead acid batteries have over other energy storage technologies, … Read more
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2019 — Study on the Feasibility of Nitrogen Huff-N-Puff in Heavy Oil ReservoirsAbstract
For heavy reservoirs, conventional oil recovery methods are polymer flooding and Steam-assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). Such methods are affected by various factors including reservoir thickness, formation heterogeneity, heat loss, and cost, especially in heavy oil reservoirs with depths ranging from 1000 to 2000 m. In these relatively deep reservoirs, the temperature is generally around 40 to 50℃. Their crude oil has a viscosity in the tens of thousands of centipoises at surface conditions, but only a few hundred centipoises at high temperature in the reservoirs. At this reservoir condition, there is sufficient mobility of crude oil making it possible for … Read more
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2024 — Using machine learning methods to estimate spruce tree crown and DBH from aerial imageryAbstract
Spruce trees play a vital role in Canada’s forest ecosystems, which is widely used in construction, paper production, and other industries. However, spruce trees are particularly susceptible to wildfires, which pose a major risk to both natural landscapes and human settlements. Therefore, to evaluate the spruce forest biomass volume is an important step to estimate its yield and combustibility. This paper aims to use Machine Learning (ML) approaches to estimate the biomass volume of spruce trees from aerial top-view images. Since the aerial images are only show the tree crown shapes, we set up the relationship between tree crown diameter … Read more
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2013 — Thermodynamic and Experimental Studies of Ionic Liquids for Carbon Dioxide CaptureAbstract
One of the biggest environmental challenges of our generation is global warming. Emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) is possibly the most significant greenhouse gas activity implicated in climate change. As a result, the development of environmentally friendly, energy efficient and economic capture technologies for CO2 from flue gas is becoming a hot topic. There have been an evolution of ideas surrounding capture modalities for CO2; however, none without drawbacks. Ionic Liquids (ILs) offer the potential for a cleaner capture technology compared to current chemical solvents. There is a gap in the industrial applied knowledge and data regarding thermodynamic and physical … Read more
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2018 — Membrane Filtration System for Produced Water Treatment: Experimental and Modeling AnalysesAbstract
Oily wastewaters are produced in large quantities by many different industries with the main contributor being the petrochemical sector. Problematic to treat, these waste streams create substantial environmental dangers. Mandated treatment for environmental compliance can be costly and generate a large financial burden on producing companies. Membrane filtration technology targeting oily water separation has emerged as a solution to the wastewater problem. Despite the advancement of the membrane technology, membrane fouling remains a major concern and drawback from the largescale implementation of this technology. Finding ways to optimize membrane function and to mitigate fouling will prove invaluable to the ability … Read more
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2012 — The Work of Work-Related Learning: An Institutional EthnographyAbstract
This is a study of how texts shape and determine what employees think and do as they work to meet employer expectations about the way in which and the extent to which they are to participate in continuous or lifelong work-related learning as a requirement of their jobs. The study’s problematic arose out of the everyday experiences of employees as they do the “work of work-related learning” associated with the texts that are integral to the administration of employee development planning as a work process embedded in a widely used type of performance management system known as the balanced scorecard. … Read more