This pilot laboratory is a powerful, mobile and flexible infrastructure for testing and demonstrating, at low cost, and directly in industrial environments or on degraded sites, new remediation and decontamination processes before their implementation on a real scale. . The laboratory team works to develop technologies for the treatment, decontamination and recovery of various matrices polluted by metals and other types of pollutants. The development of processes contributing to sustainable development in the field of environmental technologies is a priority research area of the INRS. The laboratory has a multifunctional mobile pilot plant to operate various types of physical, chemical and biological processes for the treatment of soils, hazardous wastes, gases, as well as industrial residues and effluents directly on contaminated sites.
This station is a common research area for all ÉTS professors and their public or private partners with a total surface area of approximately 703 m2. STEPPE-ÉTS is dedicated to the development and pilot-scale validation of technologies (knowledge and practices) to protect the environment at the preventive, remedial and curative level in a systemic perspective and responsible evolution of human activities. To develop technologies, knowledge and acquire information to protect the environment, the STEPPE-ÉTS infrastructure includes a pilot hall for large-scale studies, two metrological laboratories, a biological laboratory, a computer lab and two rooms with controlled environment.
In addition to these spaces, STEPPE-ÉTS's functionalities make it possible to access a fleet of analytical equipment and pilot treatment or remediation processes (water, atmospheric emissions, soils, residual materials). If a partner so desires, STEPPE-ÉTS can also put him in touch with other services or appropriate human resources to improve his project.
The St. Marthe Experimental Watershed consists of a set of hydrometeorological measurement stations continuously recording the key parameters related to hydrology and snow. These measurement points are located in and near the drainage zone of tributary 29 of Rivière à la Racquette. It has an area of almost 10 km2.
The main objective of this project is to evaluate different final cover scenarios to reduce the production of leachate in a Saint-Nicéphore landfill, located in Drummondville, Quebec. In order to assess the percolation, the Université de Sherbrooke team proposed to build an experimental plan on the existing coverage of the site. Five lysimeters were built in 4 enclosures, that is to say areas where all the runoff water is collected in order to monitor their quantity and quality over time. The quality must be monitored due to the presence of contaminated soil in some of the scenarios under study, while the quantities are used to carry out water balances over time. This project is done in collaboration with the company Waste Management and receives financial support from WM, CRSNG and CRIBIQ.
/// Features:
- Five 1.3-litre bioreactors with a 1-litre working volume
- Tanks enabling the addition of liquid (base, acid, antifoam, substrate feed)
- Possibility to use batch, fed-batch, and continuous processing
- Laboratory-scale fermentation bioprocess exploratory studies and development
/// Examples of applications:
- Aerobic and anaerobic fermentation bioprocess development
- Exploratory studies (O2 transfer rate tests, culture medium tests)
- Optimization of fermentation conditions (O2, ventilation, temperature, pH, agitation, feed)
- Preliminary assessment of bioprocess needs
- Screening tests of microorganisms (wild-type or recombinant); screening tests
/// Features:
- Processing volume: 1 to 4 L
- Operating pressure up to 600 psi
- Feed flow ranging from 1 L/min to 6 L/min
- Membrane coupons for MF, UF, NF, and OI
- Can be adapted to forward osmosis
/// Samples:
- Liquids: effluents, residual liquids, process waters, fluids, etc.
/// Examples of applications
- Scanning and selection of the type of membrane to be used
- Optimization of membrane filtration parameters: flow, pressure, temperature
- Studies of the effects on liquids and membranes (precipitations, clogging, pressure drop, etc.)
/// Features:
- Enables the simultaneous testing of several flocculation / pre-filtration conditions
The purpose of the BEREV is to characterize the water cycle and the surface flows (energy, water and carbon) in a boreal environment in order to increase our understanding of the hydrological and hydrometeorological processes in the presence of abundant snow, in support of a better modeling and better forestry practices. In particular, BEREV has micrometeorological equipment above the canopy. To know more, watch this webinar about the BEREV: https://youtu.be/-bbwMuuYLYg
The main equipment for characterizing the physical and geochemical properties of aquifers is a specialized Geotech 605 drilling rig. With the data collected, it is possible to model the flow of water and the transport of contaminants in aquifers. It is also possible to assess the vulnerability of aquifers to contamination, to determine the most suitable protection methods and methods of exploitation for sustainable management of the groundwater resource. This crawler drill has a real-time recording system of mechanical and electrical soil responses. It also allows soil or groundwater sampling by installing observation wells. The system has two drilling heads, one for drilling by penetration (cone penetration) in loose deposits, and another equipped with a hydraulic hammer for rotary impact drilling up to 50 m in rock and loose deposits according to the conditions.
The research conducted at the Geothermal Open Laboratory is aimed at gaining better understanding of underground heat transfer and flow phenomena for reducing technical risks of geothermal energy. It is an open access laboratory, modeled after open-source software.
