UBC Mechanical Engineering assistant Professor Patrick Kirchen has received over $120,000 in funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) towards minimizing the environmental impacts of internal combustion engines through the optimization of the combustion process. Kirchen’s innovative approach will allow the research team – in collaboration with Canadian industry partners – to optimize combustion fuels such as natural gas or biofuels through optical studies of the in-cylinder fuel combustion. The research will help to minimize the environmental impact of engines and provide Canadians with viable alternatives to conventional engine fossil fuels.
Eighteen UBC projects were given more than $2.2 million in funding from the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund which is designed to help universities attract top research talent.
“CFI’s continued support helps UBC break new ground in research and discovery,” said John Hepburn, UBC vice president, research and international. “This will allow our researchers to push the limits of inquiry so their projects can have maximum impact on Canada and the world.”