PhD student and Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) recipient, Mehdi Farrokhnejad is attracting a lot of attention. His research was recently ranked as one of the top seven brilliant ideas that could help the auto industry in the AUTO21 national TestDRIVE competition. He was also featured on the cover of Canadian Die Caster magazine for exploring new frontiers in magnesium die-casting.
"Magnesium is an ideal candidate for die-cast components in vehicles because it's substantially lighter than the conventional materials used to build cars and trucks," Mehdi explains. "And building a lighter vehicle means we can lower carbon dioxide emissions and improve fuel efficiency."
This could go a long way in contributing to a sustainable, globally-competitive auto industry in Canada.
The challenge, from a safety standpoint, is to build structural components that bend or break in a predictable way. However, with magnesium, it is not yet possible to predict the size and exact location where breakage will occur.
Mehdi is creating a tailored simulation for the magnesium casting process that can better detect defects. This will allow for enhanced casting designs and more accurate prediction of mechanical properties. Ultimately, part designers will be able to develop components that are of a required strength and optimal weight, reducing the overall mass of the vehicle and the energy required to propel it.
It was his master's work, under the supervision of Engineering professors, Tony Straatman and Jeff Wood, that brought him into a research team supported by the AUTO21 Network Centres of Excellence.
"I consider myself to be one of the luckiest grad students in the world, working alongside leading experts and receiving a scholarship that recognizes my hard work. The OGS award has allowed me to focus on my research and go to workshops that I was previously not able to attend."
"Generous donor support for Mehdi's OGS award has enabled him to pursue his studies within a challenging project," agrees Professor Straatman. "The impact of the award is not only a short-term gain based on the results of his research, but it will also have a longer term impact as Mehdi continues to make contributions to the auto industry through his research."
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