Infrastructure
CENGIVRE has a major and avant-garde research infrastructure, consisting of several laboratories with specialized equipment and instruments. These laboratories are located in the Applied Sciences Technology Park and the Icing Research Pavilion.
- Icing simulation, nanotechnology and anti-icing materials laboratories, including many climatic chambers (down to -60°C) and a refrigerated wind tunnel (down to 110 m/s)
- High-voltage laboratory, with an 800,000-volt impulse generator, two 350,000-volt and 120,000-volt AC transformers, a 300,000-volt DC transformer, and two modular 100,000-volt and 240,000-volt DC, AC, and pulse voltage systems
- Electric Machines Identification and Control Laboratory
- Power equipment characterization and diagnostics laboratory equipped with high-performance equipment for standardized testing in accordance with American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM) procedures
- Laboratories for the characterization of de-icing products for aircraft, intelligent and icephobic coatings
- Numerical modeling and simulation laboratories with a large number of computers and specialized software
- Natural icing sites at UQAC.
Researchers also have at their disposal a set of specialized equipment related to nanotechnology research projects as well as test benches for the control and command of electric machines. They also have a large number of devices for physicochemical, mechanical and electrical tests on power equipment and powerful computers and softwares. In such a context, and considering that the research fields on atmospheric icing, geo-mechanics of northern environments, high voltage and power engineering, nanotechnology and development of diagnostic tools are multidisciplinary in nature, CENGIVRE can be defined as a most stimulating environment for research, thanks to the modern and imposing infrastructure which is unique in its kind and to the expertise available.
