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UNB Scholar is an institutional repository initiative of UNB Libraries intended to collect, preserve, showcase, and promote the open access scholarly output of the UNB community. Use UNB Scholar to explore specific collections, or search all content in the repository. Material submitted to the repository will also be freely discoverable online through Google and other major search engines.
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Development of an unsteady indicial response model for horizontal submarine maneuvers
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-11) Marshall, Craig; Jeans, Tiger L.; Gerber, Andrew G.
The safe operating envelope of a submarine is designed by careful analysis of a series of recovery maneuvering simulations. To ensure the accuracy of the design limits, hydrodynamicists rely on estimation models that predict the maneuvering loads on the vehicle. Traditional reduced order modeling methods neglect the history of the wake using a quasi-steady assumption, but previous research suggests that these effects may be significant for a submarine in operationally relevant conditions.
This work used an unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes simulation method to study the hydrodynamic phenomena affecting a generic submarine vehicle in horizontal plane maneuvers. The simulation method was validated in comparison to model scale experimental wind tunnel and towing tank tests. An analysis of an unsteady oscillation maneuver database showed that, although the in-plane hydrodynamics are dominated by quasi-steady phenomena, the out-of-plane hydrodynamic loads in horizontal plane maneuvers are highly unsteady.
Indicial responses, which describe the time evolution of the viscous wake, were used to model the unsteady hydrodynamic loads. The indicial responses for the fully appended submarine were found to exhibit non-linear history dependence and cross-coupling characteristics, which a baseline modelling approach could not account for. A rate correction coefficient was introduced to approximate the history dependence of the out-of-plane indicial responses, and it is shown that a simple linear fitting can significantly improve the qualitative behavior of the out-of-plane hydrodynamic model. Subsequently, a constant pivot point approach was adopted to limit the achievable kinematic range of the vehicle, where the cross-coupling effects could be studied directly.
With these additional contributions the unsteady indicial response model significantly improved the hydrodynamic predictions for oscillation maneuvers in comparison to a traditional quasi-steady model. Specifically, it was found that the rolling moment experiences substantial interference effects due to the convection of the sail tip vortex. Furthermore, the indicial model captures a complex stern-rising phenomenon that occurs when the vehicle changes direction, which the standard quasi-steady model has no mechanism to predict.
Re-establishing pathways for HT9 fuel cladding production and examining fuel cycle options for sodium fast reactors
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-08) Flood, John Alexander; Cook, William G.
The ARC-100 sodium fast reactor (SFR) developed by ARC Clean Technology Canada is currently in the pre-licensing stage with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The commercial demonstration unit (CDU) of the ARC reactor is expected to be deployed at NB Power’s Point Lepreau site in the early 2030s; availability of fuel supply and fuel qualification are major considerations for its economic and licensing basis. Recent sanctions imposed on the Russian state have constrained the global nuclear fuel supply chain, resulting in the only commercial supplier of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel becoming unavailable. Furthermore, the fuel cladding material of choice, HT9, has not been produced in commercial quantities in several decades. Thus, re-establishing the production pathway for cladding tubes is a critical fuel qualification activity for the ARC project.
An experimental thermomechanical treatment (TMT) process for HT9 plate material has been developed. The microstructure and mechanical properties were optimized to provide a balance between void swelling resistance and fracture toughness, two attributes which dictate the service life of fuel cladding in sodium fast reactors. The microstructure and mechanical properties were confirmed to be consistent with the historical material, allowing the extensive experience of HT9’s performance as fuel cladding gained in previous test reactors to be leveraged.
A neutronics model was developed to evaluate the feasibility of transitioning the ARC reactor to a lower enrichment fuel, the supply of which is available in a timeline complementary to the deployment of the ARC commercial demonstration unit. The model demonstrated that there was sufficient excess reactivity to retain the desired 20-year fuel cycle, though the reactivity continued to increase throughout the cycle. To maintain adequate safety margins in transient events, a limit was imposed on the excess reactivity.
A fuel management scheme was devised, consisting of periodic shuffling and withdrawal of fuel assemblies during scheduled plant outages, which kept the excess reactivity below the imposed limit. As an added benefit, shuffling assemblies maintained the fast neutron irradiation damage in the fuel cladding within the operational experience envelope, which provides strong justification for the licensing readiness of the ARC fuel design.
Porous biocarbon derived from rotten wood: Preparation, characterization, and applications for supercapacitors
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-08) Zhang, Weipeng; Ni, Yonghao
The development of nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials derived from naturally decayed rotten wood (RW) for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes applications was studied. By leveraging the natural porosity and surface chemistry introduced via microbial decay, RW is utilized as a renewable, low-cost carbon precursor.
First, a one-step carbonization method using a tube furnace was developed to fabricate nitrogen-doped biocarbon by introducing aqueous ethylenediamine (EDA) as an additional nitrogen source. The resulting material exhibited uniform nitrogen distribution, favorable graphitic domains, and excellent electrochemical properties. The optimized sample, RW-1000, achieved a high specific surface area of 1204 m²·g⁻¹ with a balanced pore structure. As a supercapacitor electrode, it delivered a high specific capacitance of 448 F·g⁻¹ and retained 95% of its capacitance after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles.
The second strategy employed a Borax-K₂CO₃ system to control combustion in an open-air environment, enabling the fabrication of porous biocarbon via a rapid flame-burning method for zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor applications. This system preserved the inherent porous structure of wood while promoting additional pore formation through activation. The optimized sample, RW-15, reached a specific surface area of 2196 m²·g⁻¹. Integrated into a zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor, RW-15 delivered a notable capacitance of 175 F·g⁻¹ at 0.5 A·g⁻¹, maintained 97% of its initial capacitance over 10,000 cycles, and achieved a high energy density of 79 Wh·kg⁻¹.
Lastly, a co-doping strategy introduced iron (Fe) via hydrothermal treatment with FeCl₃, followed by flame carbonization. The resulting material, RW-N-Fe-4, featured a hierarchical porous structure and a surface area of 1601 m²·g⁻¹. Fe acted as a catalytic dopant, enhancing graphitization and generating electrochemically active sites. The device fabricated with RW-N-Fe-4 achieved a specific capacitance of 448 F·g⁻¹ and an energy density of 11.8 Wh·kg⁻¹ with excellent cycle stability.
Overall, this work demonstrates the potential of rotten wood as a sustainable precursor for advanced supercapacitor electrodes and presents scalable, eco-friendly routes to produce high-performance porous carbon materials for next-generation energy storage.
Exploring the role social media plays in female university student-athlete body image
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-10) Dalley, Julia; Shannon-McCallum, Charlene
The purpose of this study was to explore body image perspectives and experiences of female university student-athletes and how engagement with social media influences female athlete body image. Following van Manen’s (1990) phenomenological approach, purposive sampling was used to recruit 11 women between the ages of 18 and 23 who played a team sport at the U SPORTS level. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Detailed line-by-line approaches were used to isolate thematic aspects within the interview texts and to formulate four major themes: “Body Image Differences Across Training Seasons”, “Identity and Confidence Between Environments”, “Appearance Confidence and Performance”, and “Social Media and Peer Comparison”. Findings suggest that the student athletes have a self-awareness about their body goals, appearance, and differences that may act as a preventative factor to negative body image from unrealistic and idealized content on social media.
Taxon-specific ecological drivers of diatom-dominated microphytobenthos: Experimental and spatio-temporal insights from a temperate hypertidal mudflat
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-10) Kalu, Eke I.; Barbeau, Myriam; Reyes-Prieto, Adrian
Photosynthetic microorganisms form the productive base of many coastal ecosystems. Yet, the relative importance of ecological drivers underlying variability in their abundance, diversity, and species composition remains poorly resolved. To address this, I examined variability in microalgal assemblages in relation to infaunal and epifaunal grazers, heterotrophic microorganisms, and sediment physico-chemical properties in a Bay of Fundy intertidal mudflat. These variables were quantified using environmental DNA metabarcoding, chlorophyll a fluorescence, microscopy, and field measurements. Data were obtained from a field experiment that manipulated epifaunal grazer abundance with exclosures and nutrient availability with fertilizers. My findings suggest differing sensitivities of the biomass and species composition of the diatom-dominated microphytobenthos to ecological drivers. Species composition was more closely linked to biotic interactions, whereas biomass varied under resource-driven control within the broader environmental context. My thesis contributes to ongoing efforts to clarify ecological controls on the productive, carbon-sequestering base of coastal ecosystems.