IDEaS invests in greening temporary camps for defence and beyond
Summary
The Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program recently awarded a $2-million grand prize in the Pop up city contest, to build more efficient green energy, water and waste management solutions for camps used by the Canadian Armed Forces.In 2019, the IDEaS program launched the Pop up city contest, a four-round challenge to build integrated energy, water, and waste management systems for temporary and relocatable military camps. Their advanced water treatment system uses high recovery reverse osmosis combined with other processes to produce more potable water while drawing less water from the environment.IDEaS program contest evaluators were impressed with the systems ability to provide a constant flow of warm water on demand, while maintaining enough water quantity in reserve for purposes such as extinguishing fires.The Circular City power solution used portable batteries in shipping containers with a smart grid which triggered a generator only when needed, ensuring stable and sufficient power on demand for the needs of the camp.The Autonomous Resilient Community Systems (ARCS) teams system uses solar panels and small-scale wind turbines to generate power in a system that rolls out in rows from portable containers with minimal maintenance.Contest evaluators were impressed with the systems waste incinerator, which can handle solid and liquid waste from kitchen and facilities, living quarters and work centres, including items that cannot traditionally be safely disposed of in an incinerator such as petroleum, oil and lubricants.The Integrated Utility Management System (IUMS) teams Grengine solution uses a wind turbine array, paired with optional solar panels in an ultra-lightweight and scalable portable solution with rapid set up. The flexibility and resilience of the system stood out because it does not require special training to swap the batteries and inverters.Alongside Canadian Armed Forces representatives, visitors from other government departments and private sector organizations were invited to watch the contest in action. The technology is relevant in multiple civilian contexts, from disaster relief to providing clean drinking water for remote communities.Organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, who are looking to green their field operations, were impressed with the possibilities.We are excited to review some of the entries to determine if there is a potential solution to the challenges we face, and if there could be a role in future operations, said Garth Tohms, senior manager for supply chain systems and business optimization for the Canadian Red Cross.While all finalists brought unique approaches, the entry led by Innocorps Research Corporation took the grand prize. Dubbed Circular City, the team was able to best meet the criteria established under round 4 of the contest and won the $2 million grand prize.Through this collaborative approach, IDEaS, the Department of National Defence, and the Canadian Armed Forces are supporting the development of new technologies, novel approaches, and transformative ideas into real-world applicability,fostering innovation in the defence and security sectors in Canada.