Aaron LiuScience & Technology Co-op Student

Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting AgencyJan 04 – April 29, 2016

Intern with AEMERA

About myself:

2nd year Mechanical Engineering Student at University of Alberta

Passionate about engineering, technology and finance

1st Coop work term: Interned with AEMERA

4 month’s duration: Jan – April, 2016

My objective:

Gain exposure to environmental knowledge

Acquire experience working at government agency

Learn advanced technology in environmental monitoring

Improve communication skill and technical capacity

Core Projects & Responsibilities:

Literature Search & Report Writing

• Autonomous Water Monitoring Buoy Report

• Investigation of year 2011 Forest Fires in Alberta Oil Sands Region

Statistical & Trend Analysis

• Meteorological Parameter Correlation Analysis

• Comparative Analysis between GC-MS, Orbitrap and OSA

Alberta Air Mapping Tool

• Time Series Trend Analysis

• Examination of Data Interpolation Accuracy

Autonomous Water Monitoring Buoy Report

Report(Collectively compiled by me and Diane) featured: History and evolvement of monitoring

buoys Benefits of applying the technology Investigation of monitoring buoy’s

platforms, sensors and telemetry Deployment, Maintenance and

Calibration

Objective: Investigate automation of water monitoring process via use of robot boat or buoy

Very positive feedback from colleagues!

Objective: Investigate the spread of plume activities, its coverage area and PM 2.5 spatial impact due to forest fires

Investigation of year 2011 Forest Fires in Alberta Oil Sands Region

Key findings:

PM 2.5 level elevated and remained highly concentrated near CNRL Horizon monitoring station in many plume episodes, suggesting the source of emission

The PM 2.5 spatially covered a large portion of northern and central Alberta in many plume episodes

PM 2.5 level seemed very volatile due to constantly-changing meteorological factors, such as wind speed and directions

The color variation of plumes suggests PM 2.5 outward spreading direction that often aligns with wind direction

Web-based Application Report

Report covers:

Web Server

Web Hosting Services

Server-side Scripting Language – PHP

Client-Side ScriptingLanguage – JavaScript

Database

User Interface

Objective:

Investigate the working mechanism behind Web-based application Explore the steps needed to build a user-friendly tool that allows user to

query/access environmental data and images online

Biodiversity Management Framework(BMF) Factsheet

Objective: Summarize key information to inform executives on Biodiversity Management Framework under South Saskatchewan Regional Plan

10

First time introduced to the idea of Factsheet

Learnt the purpose of Factsheet:• Great tool to communicate information• Inform/Educate people on certain subjects• Cultivate broader support and better understanding

Refined Internet-search skill

Ability to extract key and relevant information

Improved technical writing, e.g. Reports, Factsheets and Team meeting minutes

Received report revision from team to push for greater improvement

Lesson Learned:

11

Examination of Alberta Air Mapping Tool Data Interpolation Accuracy

Objective: Determine the level of accuracy Alberta Air Mapping Tool interpolates data

Method: Purposely delete data entry in year 2015 for a particular station and use its built-in function, Time Series Data Interpolation, to estimate the missing data value via interpolation

12

Key Findings:

Among all 5 tested parameters (SO2, NO2, PM 2.5, CO, O3), SO2 appears to be the worst performing parameter with the greatest discrepancy between actual and interpolated(estimated) data due its relative low concentration.

CNRL Horizon station in year 2015SO2 vs. PM 2.5

VS.

13

Key Findings:

Among all tested stations in the Oil Sands region, Fort Chipewyan and Wapasu Stations seem to be the worst performing stations due to their relative isolated position and long distance to nearby stations.

VS.

Comparative analysis of different quantification approach for naphthenic acids in water

Naphthenic acids are seen as principal toxicants present in oil sands process-affected waters GC-MS/Orbitrap ≈ Total Organic Acid/Naphthenic Acid

The lower NA concentration, the less proportion it accounts within total organic acid

Meteorological Parameter Correlation Analysis

Key Findings:

CO and PM2.5 have substantial positive correlation

NO2 has notable negative correlation with O3 and Temperature

Data selected from Jan. 2013 to Jan. 2016Station: Fort McMurray-Athabasca Valley

Extension on the findings…

Since both CO and PM2.5 are usually the byproduct of combustion process, the positive correlation should come as no surprise.

The inverse relation between NO2 and O3 can be explained by:

NO+O3 → NO2 + O2

The inverse relation between NO2 and temperature is also the result of a chemical reaction:

2NO + O2 → 2NO2

The reaction is accelerated towards the right when lower temperature causes less repulsion between 2 NO molecules.

Greatly improved Excel proficiency

Better statistical & trend analysis skill

Lifetime goal: Strive to become an Excel wizard!

A slightly tweaked quote from Jim Davis:

“Excel is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice... or terrify, all depending upon how we conduct it today. ”

Lesson Learned:

“An imagination is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can

entice... or terrify, all depending upon how we conduct ourselves today. ”

Alberta Air Quality Mapping Tool

Great way to visualize concentration variation

Allows dynamic display of concentration change via animation

Facilitated the Investigation of year 2011 Forest Fires in Alberta Oil Sands Region by displaying multiple episodes of plume activities

Standards & Protocols Inventory

Categorization of Standards & Protocols

Work revolves around group’s core responsibilities

Chinese New Year Potluck

Good Times

In summary…

Exposure to a variety of projects and tasks

Excellent learning experience

Friendly colleagues, e.g. nice treats that magically appear in the kitchen

Inclusive work culture, e.g. laughers in the office

Would highly recommend this internship to other students

Next Step…

Back to school for 8 months, May to Dec.

Road trip to Vancouver and Victoria in August

Seek future coop opportunities in manufacturing or energy sector

Graduate in April, 2019!