The Canadian energy sector has developed standard practices to ensure that oil and gas pipelines remain safe as they age. For the past decade, these standard practices have been influenced by a team of researchers, including one University of Alberta professor and his industrial partners, who use neutron beams to better understand stress and corrosion in pipeline steel. Continue reading Ensuring oil and gas pipeline integrity using neutron beams
The world’s oldest major research reactor closes next year, but Canadian scientists are looking to the future through the Canadian Neutron Initiative, according to Science Magazine on Sept 21. Continue reading Science Magazine covers Canadian Neutron Initiative
The 2017 CINS Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been postponed.. Continue reading 2017 Annual Meeting – Update
Highlights from “Scientists raise alarm over future of neutron beam research capacity” in the Sept 6, 2017 edition of Research Money:
Canadian researchers whose work relies on access to a neutron beam source have issued an urgent appeal to the federal government for stop-gap funding to offset the looming impact from the March 2018 closure of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River ON. Continue reading Canadian Neutron Initiative in Research Money
The University of Saskatchewan and McMaster University have issued the following press release on behalf of the Canadian Neutron Initiative, on :
University-led group urges plan to address Canada’s looming shortage of neutron beams for materials research
A non-profit group of Canadian university and industry researchers says Canada must act now or it will lose access to a critically important scientific tool—neutron beams—when the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River closes in March of 2018.
One University of Calgary geoscientist is demonstrating how to use neutron beams to determine the manner in which the pores in shale deposits store oil and gas—knowledge that could be used to select the best extraction method for maximizing oil and natural gas production, as well as to reduce emissions by helping researchers to better understand how excess carbon dioxide could be stored in shale.
Continue reading Using neutrons to increase extractable oil and gas and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
After using neutron beams to better understand materials required for safer energy storage, University of Calgary chemists and their international collaborators were able to demonstrate a prototype battery that showed major improvements to performance.
Continue reading Neutrons help to remove barriers standing in the way of safer, better batteries for electric vehicles
One of the University of Waterloo’s top scientists uses neutron beams to help develop the energy storage technology needed to power electric vehicles—and to reduce the need for fossil fuels to back up wind turbines.
Continue reading Clean Energy Storage Research Using Neutrons
Neutron beams provide unique information about materials, and cannot be replaced by other research techniques. In our membership survey, scientists and engineers who use neutron beam facilities all rated these facilities as important. They describe the barriers they face in using neutron beams as lack of operational support and difficulty in obtaining beam time in the face of high demand for these scarce resources. Continue reading Membership Survey Results
Please reserve June 28, 1-2:30pm (Eastern Standard Time), for a special meeting of CINS to discuss the future of Canadian neutron scattering, and how you can be involved immediately to help forge that future.
At this meeting, more details on the Canadian Neutron Initiative (CNI) will be presented, including its vision, scope, and progress with government.
The CNI is a working group of research leaders formed to establish a new framework for leadership, management and funding of Canada’s capacity for materials research with neutron beams, building on existing national and international resources, following the shutdown of the NRU reactor and expiry of Canada’s participation in the Spallation Neutron Source – both in 2018.
The meeting will take place as an online meeting using your computer and telephone.
Instructions to participate will be provided in an email from AnyMeeting.com.
Please contact webmaster@cins.ca if you do not receive the instructions.
