UOIT Gets Donation for NG Transportation Research (Canada)

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will accelerate its alternative fuel research efforts thanks to a $1.5-million donation from Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sure Energy Inc. Jeffrey Boyce, The donation, the largest gift UOIT has received from an individual, will fund the Jeffrey S. Boyce research chair in Natural Gas (NG) as an Alternative Transportation Fuel.

“The future of transportation demands alternative energy sources and NG represents great potential,” said Boyce, a Calgary-based entrepreneur. “UOIT’s research endeavours will help us develop natural gas vehicle (NGV) opportunities, discover NG fuel efficiencies, encourage greater consumer investment in NGVs and expand the national infrastructure needed to realize the full potential of NG.”

The search for the research chair is underway. The chair will provide visionary and transformative leadership in taking an energy systems view of the use of NG for transportation including the technology and its economics, environmental impact and social acceptability. The research outcomes will include improving the design of equipment and systems for providing compressed natural gas (CNG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the transportation sector. It will have applications for use in cars and light trucks, such as the design of vehicle structures and gas tanks to store CNG and LNG, to optimize flexible fuel engine designs in terms of emissions, power and viability including hybrid systems that combine NG with biogas, hydrogen and other fuels. NGVs have several advantages over electric cars such as travelling further distances and being more reliable in inclement weather.

“Mr. Boyce’s incredible generosity will help UOIT conduct game changing research in alternative fuels and improve Canada’s contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change,” said Dr. Michael Owen, associate provost, Research, UOIT. “This contribution will leverage UOIT’s expertise and investment in the recently constructed Energy Research Centre and the General Motors of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence by finding innovative solutions.”

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Source: UOIT, June 23, 2011;