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Turning possibility into reality 

Concordia's research is answering questions about alternative energy one watt at a time

By Russ Cooper

Right from the beginning of his presentation at the Faculty Showcase on Jan. 24, Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Pragasen Pillay made it known he wants to shake things up.

"I break all the rules. That's how I am."

Pillay is part of the team in the engineering faculty developing groundbreaking methods in energy efficiency and alternative energy.

Currently, his research falls under the umbrella of 'sustainable energy' under which Pillay wears two hats: One pertaining to energy efficiency and the other with renewable energy. Within renewable energy, Pillay is examining ways to convert different sources of renewable energy (wind, food waste, hydro, etc.) into electricity.

As a result of Concordia's $8 million partnership with Hydro-Quebec (see Journal, April 19, 2007), Pillay was been named Hydro-Quebec Senior Research Chair. His group will receive $1 million over five years towards research. He's also applying for an additional $1 million over five years from NSERC to support his group’s research.

As Hydro-Quebec chair, Pillay is primarily involved with Hydro-Quebec's small electrical systems, rather than larger systems of generation such as enormous dams. His research is also directed towards improving the efficiency of electrical machines and enhancing the capability of machines used on the customer side of industry, such as those driving elevators, motors in electric vehicles, or heating and/or cooling systems in buildings.

"Canada produces 58% of its energy from hydro. In Quebec, that figure is 98%. We have a lot of investment in making our hydro systems as efficient as possible," Pillay said.

He's also working on developing control strategies for power systems in remote rural communities. He’s examining wind turbines and developing technologies of the wind generators for rural applications to help increase the penetration of these technologies into the grid.

"A lot more needs to be done worldwide. The work we're doing will have worldwide impact for those who don't have access to power," he says.

One prospective project would collaborate with Sustainability Concordia to direct tonnes of solid waste generated from Concordia's cafeterias towards something called a 'digester.'

"Basically, this is a tank which works like the insides of a cow's digestive systems. It has similar micro-biological behaviour," Pillay says.

As part of the Waste to Energy project, the digester will be able to process the solid waste and produce methane. The system will then be able to capture the methane and direct it towards diesel engines or, in our case, a water boiler in the Hall building. In turn, the heat produced by the hot water will offset the natural gas requirements of the building, thus reducing energy costs.

The digester technology is currently in use in farm applications worldwide and Concordia will be amongst the first to apply it to the urban environment, depending on the success of funding proposals. Pillay is also working closely with Montreal-based ecological organization Équiterre to help get past the municipal and provincial red tape to allow these technologies to be implemented.

"The work we're doing is socially relevant,” he says. “A lot of the obstruction is not on the technology side, but in the regulatory system."

South African by birth, Pillay was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe, Silver Level, on Oct. 28, 2008, in Pretoria, South Africa. The prize stemmed from his research and manpower solutions that have international impact, but that directly impact the interests of his homeland.

As for his showcase presentation, Pillay's straightforward approach didn't necessarily break all the rules, but his philosophy of waste to energy is as relevant as this technology. His final slide in his presentation read: "The real waste is not using our abilities to the maximum to help society."