Mine Energy and Thermal Advancement Lab (METAL)

“We Are People First.”

METAL fosters an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment that supports researchers worldwide in pursuing their passions and dreams.

2025/06/10 - Group Meeting, Galbraith Building, UofT.
2025/06/10 – Group Meeting, Galbraith Building, UofT.
2026/03/31 - Stephanie Gao, ESC499 Thesis, UofT.
2026/03/31 – Stephanie Gao, ESC499 Thesis, UofT.
2025/09/05 - Group Dinner, Indraprastha Indian Kitchen and Bar.
2025/09/05 – Group Dinner, Indraprastha Indian Kitchen and Bar.
Slide1

Minghan Xu (he/him)*

Assistant Professor, Civil & Mineral Eng.

Team Lead and Principal Investigator (P.I.)

Résume

Slide4

Boyan Gao (he/him)

UG Student, Mechanical & Industrial Eng.

Project: Physics informed neural networks (PINNs) for heat conduction problems with phase change.

Achievement: Summer UG Data Sciences (SUDS) Research Award (2026); CivMin’s UG Summer Research Fellowship (2026); Conference Paper [C28].

Slide5

Daksh Khanna (he/him)

UG Student, Electrical & Computer Eng.

Project: Multi-objective optimization for renewable energy integration in mines.

Achievement: First Year UG Summer Research Fellowship (2025); Poster [O7]; Conference Paper [C24].

Slide9

David Nsa (he/him)

MEng Student, Civil & Mineral Eng.

Project: Numerical investigations of saline mine water decontamination using spray freezing.

Slide3

Helen Li (she/her)

UG Student, Electrical & Computer Eng.

Project: Energy and cost modeling of solar panels and small modular reactors in mines.

Achievement: CivMin’s UG Summer Research Fellowship (2025); Poster [O7]; Conference Paper [C24].

Slide2

Jack Zhang (he/him)

UG Student, Civil & Mineral Eng.

Project: Mathematical modeling of spray freezing for decontamination of mine wastewater.

Achievement: J. Edgar McAllistar Foundation UG Summer Research Award (2025).

Slide10

Karan Kardam (he/him)

UG Student, Electrical & Computer Eng.

Project: Case studies on renewable energy integration in remote mines located in Northern Canada.

Slide8

Stefan Walker (he/him)

UG Student, Electrical & Computer Eng.

Project: Techno-economic assessment of solar power and battery storage for mining operations.

Slide7

Stephanie Gao (she/her)

UG Thesis Student, Engineering Sci.

Thesis: Sustainable electrification of northern mines: A multi-objective optimization framework for wind-diesel hybrid systems.

Achievement: CivMin’s UG Summer Research Fellowship (2026); Conference Paper [C29].

Slide6

Wania Khalid (she/her)

UG Student, Electrical & Computer Eng.

Project: Energy and cost modeling of geothermal heat pumps, hydropower, and storage systems in mines.

Achievement: CivMin’s UG Summer Research Fellowship (2025); Poster [O7]; Conference Paper [C24].

More Photos

2025/09/15 - Dr. Yosuke Hanawa (SCREEN Holdings, Kyoto, Japan), Visit, UofT.
2025/09/15 – Dr. Yosuke Hanawa (SCREEN Holdings, Kyoto, Japan), Visit, UofT.
2025/08/20 - Helen & Daksh, Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD), UofT.
2025/08/20 – Helen & Daksh, Undergraduate Engineering Research Day (UnERD), UofT.
2025/07/24 - Group Dinner, Koh Lipe Thai Kitchen.
2025/07/24 – Group Dinner, Koh Lipe Thai Kitchen.
2025/06/10 - Group Lunch, BIWON Korean Restaurant.
2025/06/10 – Group Lunch, BIWON Korean Restaurant.

Footnotes:

* Preferred pronouns are shared with the member’s consent.