Press Release
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Research & development collaboration between ThermaRay Inc. and Université de Moncton
Photo 1 : Dr. Bassel A. Samad (research collaboartor at the Department of Physics & Astronomy), Pierre Doucet (Innovation Officer – Intelligent Infrastructure Lead), Kevin Kilbride (ThermaRay owner) and Dr. Pandurang Ashrit (Principal investigator and Dean of the Faculty of Science)
Photo 2 : Dr. Bassel A. Samad (research collaboartor at Department of Physics & Astronomy), Pauline Roy (Innovation Officer – Energy Lead), and Kevin Kilbride (ThermaRay owner)
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An agreement to carry out a Research & Development project was signed recently between Université de Moncton and the local company ThermaRay Inc. of Fredericton.
ThermaRay Inc. was established in 1985, providing radiant heating solutions for residential and commercial applications. The aim of the present collaborative R & D project is to fabricate and study a novel nanotechnology-based heater element. This approach to new generation heater elements has not only the potential to increase the efficacy of radiant heating systems but also provide an environmentally friendly solution.
The lead scientist of the R & D project is physics professor Pandurang Ashrit who is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Université de Moncton. Professor Bassel A. Samad of the Department of Physics & Astronomy is a research collaborator on the project. The year-long project is financed through the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation’s (NBIF) Innovation Voucher Funds (IVF). The above-named researchers have already collaborated with ThermaRay Inc. in a project involving the testing of their existing heater elements.
The success of the current project has the potential to create a spin-off company locally fabricating such new heater elements within the province. This has the potential of alleviating the problems associated with importing these products from other countries and reducing supply chain dependencies. The local fabrication of these heater elements also has the potential of creating jobs in NB and contributing to its economy.
The UMoncton Innovation Support Office is instrumental in fostering relationships with industry as it continues to push for value-added homegrown technologies to be used to improve NB’s energy efficiency and NetZero goals.
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