Publications

Journal Papers

  1. Mahdian, M., Bouchard, D.J., Asker, D., Hatton, B., and Bilton A.M., “Feasibility of polyurethane-based foams for water disinfection,” ACS Omega, Vol. 10, No.33, pp. 37294-37304, August 15, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c02721
  2. Karim, N., Sarker, N.R., Asker, D., Hatton, B., and Bilton A.M., “Can UVC-LEDs mitigate biofouling in community-scale photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis systems?” Water Supply, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 779-791, April 2, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2025.044
  3. Greenwood, H., Choi, A., Dehghan, R., Big Canoe, B., Dubrawski, K., Gilpin, E., Ross, M.C., Wilson, E,. and Bilton, A.M., “Learning from past collaborative experiences: Setting a pathway for natural sciences and engineering researchers to support Indigenous-driven aims,” Facets, Vol. 10, March 13, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2024-0165
  4. Sarker, N.R., Cherukupally, P., Sodhi, R., and Bilton, A.M., “End-of-the-day Rinsing for Improved Maintainability of Intermittently Operated Small-scale Photovoltaic-powered Reverse Osmosis Plants,” Desalination, 599, pp. 118439, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.118439
  5. Cotera, P., and Bilton A.M., “Development and Validation of an Accessible Analytical Model for Small-Volume Feces Composting,” Journal of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Development, 14, No. 12, pp. 1371-1385, 2024. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2024.250
  6. Chen, Y., Wong, K., Rudy, E., Patino, A.D.L., Hofmann, R., and Bilton, A.M., “Decentralized Water Innovations and Peri-Urban Water Security: Policy Challenges and Opportunities in Rainwater Harvesting Initiatives in Mexico City”, Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, 2, No. 3, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3138/jccpe-2023-0015
  7. Dimayuga, P., Choi, A., Sur, S., Greenwood, H., Galloway, T., and Bilton, A.M., “A Review of Respectful and Collaborative Research Practices with Indigenous Peoples in Engineering, Energy, and Infrastructure Development in Canada”, Energy, Sustainability, and Society, 13, No. 1, pp. 1-15, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-023-00382-8
  8. S. Ruzzante, R. Hoque, M. M. Rahman, and A. M. Bilton, “A cross-over experiment for on-farm evaluation of a novel pond aquaculture aeration device in Bangladesh,” Aquaculture Research, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1111/are.16108
  9. N. R. Sarker, P. Cherukupally, I. Gourevich, J. Wilbur, S. D. Jons, and A. M. Bilton, “Multi-scale visualization of incipient CaCO3 scaling on the polyamide layer of reverse osmosis membranes,” Desalination, vol. 539, 115956, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.desal.2022.115956
  10. F. C. Cruz, A. Marouchos, and A. M. Bilton, “Experimental characterization of an oxygen transfer model of a fine pore diffuser aerator,” Aquacultural Engineering, vol. 98, 102259, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.aquaeng.2022.102259
  11. Y. Chen and A. M. Bilton, “Water Stress, Peri-Urbanization, and Community-Based Water Systems: A Reflective Commentary on the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City,” Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, vol. 4, 790633, Apr. 2022, doi: 10.3389/frsc.2022.790633
  12. M. Akhshik, A. M. Bilton, J. Tjong, C. V. Singh, O. Faruk, and M. Sain, “Prediction of greenhouse gas emissions reductions via machine learning algorithms: Toward an artificial intelligence-based life cycle assessment for automotive lightweighting,” Sustainable Materials and Technologies, vol. 31, e00370, Apr. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.susmat.2021.e00370
  13. P. Cherukupally, W. Sun, D. R. Williams, G. A. Ozin, and A. M. Bilton, “Reclamation of Oily Wastewater at High Temperatures Using Polyurethane-Nanosilicon Sponges,” ACS Applied Polymer Materials, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 1544-1550, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1021/acsapm.1c00944
  14. N. R. Sarker, and A. M. Bilton, “Real-time computational imaging of reverse osmosis membrane scaling under intermittent operation,” Journal of Membrane Science, vol. 636, 119556, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119556
  15. S. Ruzzante and A. M. Bilton, “A Meta-Analysis Dataset of Empirical Agricultural Technology Adoption Literature,” Data-in-Brief, vol. 38, 105599, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107384
  16. S. Ruzzante, R. Labarta, and A. M. Bilton, “Adoption of agricultural technology in the developing world: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature,” World Development, vol. 146, 105599, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105599
  17. S. Amrose, A. M. Bilton, and B. Kramer, “The future of development engineering: Our vision for the next generation of publications in DevEng,” Development Engineering, vol. 6, 100059, 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.deveng.2021.100059
  18. P. Cherukupally, W. Sun, D. R. Williams, G. A. Ozin, and A. M. Bilton, “Wax-wetting sponges for oil droplets recovery from frigid waters,” Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 11, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc7926
  19. M. Akhshik, S. Panthapulakkal, J. Tjong, A. M. Bilton, C. V. Singh, and M. Sain, “Cross-country analysis of life cycle assessment–based greenhouse gas emissions for automotive parts: Evaluation of coefficient of country,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 138, 110546, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110546
  20. A. Abidli, Y. Huang, P. Cherukupally, A. M. Bilton, and C. B. Park, “Novel oil-water separator skimmer for oil spill cleanup and oily wastewater treatment: from conceptual system design to the first pilot-scale prototype development,” Environmental Technology and Innovation, vol. 18, 100598, May 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2019.100598
  21. P. Cherukupally, W. Sun, A. P. Y. Wong, D. R. Williams, G. A. Ozin, A. M. Bilton, and C. B. Park, “Surface-engineered sponges for recovery of crude oil microdroplets from wastewater,” Nature Sustainability, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 136-143, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41893-020-0472-2
  22. M. Freire-Gormaly and A. M. Bilton, “Impact of intermittent operation on reverse osmosis membrane fouling for brackish groundwater desalination systems,” Journal of Membrane Science, vol. 583, pp. 220-230, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.04.010
  23. K. Mahmudov, A. Mahmoud, S. Sur, F. C. Cruz, and A. M. Bilton, “Feasibility of a wind-powered aeration system for small-scale aquaculture in developing countries,” Energy for Sustainable Development, vol. 51, pp. 40-49, Aug. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2019.05.003
  24. M. Freire-Gormaly, and A. M. Bilton, “Design of photovoltaic powered reverse osmosis desalination systems considering membrane fouling caused by intermittent operation,” Renewable Energy, vol. 135, pp. 108-121, May 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.11.065
  25. D. Powell, A. Ebrahimi, S. Nourbakhsh, M. Meshkahaldini, and A. M. Bilton, “Design of pico-hydro turbine generator systems for self-powered electrochemical water disinfection devices,” Renewable Energy, vol. 123, pp. 590-602, Aug. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2017.12.079
  26. M. Freire-Gormaly, and A. M. Bilton, “Experimental quantification of the effect of intermittent operation on membrane performance of solar powered reverse osmosis desalination systems,” Desalination, vol. 435, pp. 188-197, Jun. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.desal.2017.09.013
  27. P. Cherukupally, E. J. Acosta, J. H. Hinestroza, A. M. Bilton, and C. B. Park, “Acid-Base Polymeric Foams for the Adsorption of Micro-oil Droplets from Industrial Effluents,” Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 51, no. 15, pp. 8852-8560, Jul. 2017, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01255
  28. M. Freire-Gormaly and A. M. Bilton, “An experimental system for characterization of membrane fouling of solar photovoltaic reverse osmosis systems under intermittent operation,” Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 73, pp. 54-63, Apr. 2017, doi: 10.5004/dwt.2017.20391
  29. H. Elasaad, A. M. Bilton, L. C. Kelley, O. Duayhe, and S. Dubowsky, “Field evaluation of a community scale solar powered water purification technology: A case study of a remote Mexican community application,” Desalination, vol. 375, pp. 71-80, Nov. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.desal.2015.08.001
  30. A. M. Bilton and L. C. Kelley, “Design of power systems for reverse osmosis desalination in remote communities,” Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 55, no. 10, pp 2868-2883, Aug. 2015, doi: 10.1080/19443994.2014.940641
  31. A. M. Bilton and S. Dubowsky, “A Computer Architecture for the Automatic Design of Modular Systems with Application to Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis,” ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, vol. 136, no. 10, 101401, Oct. 2014, doi: 10.1115/1.4027879
  32. M. U. Siddiqui, A. F. M. Arif, A. M. Bilton, S. Dubowsky, and M. Elshafei, “An improved electric circuit model for photovoltaic modules based on sensitivity analysis,” Solar Energy, vol. 90, pp. 29-42, Apr. 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2012.12.021
  33. A. M. Bilton and S. Dubowsky, “The modular design of photovoltaic reverse osmosis systems: making technology accessible to nonexperts,” Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 51, no. 4-6, pp. 702-712, 2013, doi: 10.1080/19443994.2012.700786
  34. A. M. Bilton, R. Wiesman, A. F. M. Arif, S. M. Zubair, and S. Dubowsky, “On the feasibility of community-scale photovoltaic-powered reverse osmosis desalination systems for remote locations.” Renewable Energy, vol. 36, no. 12, pp. 3246-3256, Dec. 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2011.03.040
  35. A. M. Bilton, L. C. Kelley, and S. Dubowsky, “Photovoltaic reverse osmosis — Feasibility and a pathway to develop technology,” Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 31, no. 1-3, pp. 24-34, 2011, doi: 10.5004/dwt.2011.2398
  36. A. Bilton, Y. Ishijima, L. Lichter, and S. Dubowsky, “Sensor Architecture for the Robotic Control of Large Flexible Space Structures.” Journal of Field Robotics, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 297-310, Apr. 2007, doi: 10.1002/rob.20190

Conference Papers

  1. Guo, P., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “Surface Modified Polyester Polyurethane Foams with Varying Pore Sizes for Decanted Water Treatment in Oil Spill Response,” Polyurethanes Technical Conference, September 30-October 2, 2024, Atlanta, GA, USA.
  2. Mahdian, M., Bouchard, D.J., Hatton, B., and Bilton, A.M., “APTES Modified Polyurethane Foam for Bacteria Removal from Water,” Polyurethanes Technical Conference, September 30-October 2, 2024, Atlanta, GA, USA.
  3. Zhou, A., Leir-Taha, G., and Bilton, A.M., “Optimizing an Ocean Current Energy Conversion Device for Powering Marine Sensors,” Oceans 2024, Sept. 23-26, 2024, San Diego, CA, USA.
  4. Rudy, E., and Bilton, A.M., “Evaluation of Distributed Sensor Configurations for Rainwater Harvesting Monitoring Systems,” ASME International Design and Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC), August 25-28, 2024, Washington, DC, USA.
  5. Karsli, S., Otto, K., Li, W., Bilton, A.M., and Hölttä-Otto, K., “Barriers to Product Repair: Exploring Motivations and Capabilities Among Operators,” ASME International Design and Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC), August 25-28, 2024, Washington, DC, USA.
  6. Sarker, N.R., Chen, Y., Liedo, M., and Bilton, A.M. “From Insight to Impact: A Ground-Up Approach for Strengthening Decentralized Water Technology Adoption and Regulation”, IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, August 11-15, 2024, Toronto, Canada.
  7. Rudy, E., Chen, Y., Liedo, M., and Bilton, A.M. “Understanding Adoption and Performance of Rainwater Harvesting Systems Using Sensors: A Pilot Study”, IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, August 11-15, 2024, Toronto, Canada.
  8. Naik, M., Rao, B., and Bilton, A.M. “Device to Continuously Detect the Sludge Volume and Physico-chemical Characteristics of Faecal Sludge within a Septic Tank for Informing Treatment Plant Design”, IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, August 11-15, 2024, Toronto, Canada.
  9. Mahdian, M., Bouchard, J., Hatton, B., and Bilton, A.M. “Surface engineering of polyurethane for E. coli removal from water”, IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, August 11-15, 2024, Toronto, Canada.
  10. N. Dawe, L. Romkey, A. M. Bilton, and K. Moozeh, “Identifying curriculum factors that facilitate lifelong learning in alumni career trajectories: Stage 1 of a sequential mixed-methods study,” presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Jun. 26-29, 2022.
  11. N. Dawe, L. Romkey, and A. M. Bilton, A.M. “Survey Results: How Does Lifelong Learning Enable Alumni Careers?,” in Proc. Canadian Engineering Education Association Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, Jun. 18-22, 2022, doi: 10.24908/pceea.vi.15936
  12. G. Leir-Taha, A. M. Bilton, and A. Marouchos, “Ocean Current Energy Conversion for Powering Distributed Sensors,” in Proc. OCEANS 2021: San Diego – Porto, San Diego, CA, USA, Sep. 20-23, 2021, doi: 10.23919/OCEANS44145.2021.9705722
  13. P. Cotera Rivera and A. M. Bilton, “The Development and Testing of Pour-Flush Toilet Sensors for Understanding User Interaction in Peri-Urban Households,” in Proc. ASME 2021  International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, vol. 3B, Online, Aug. 17-21, 2021, doi: 10.1115/DETC2021-67697
  14. N. Dawe, L. Romkey, and A. M. Bilton, “A Review of How Lifelong Learning is Planned and Enacted in Canadian Engineering Programs,” in Proc. Canadian Engineering Education Association Conference, Online, June 20-23, 2021, doi: 10.24908/pceea.vi0.14950
  15. S. Yu, Y. Ko, H. Hu, J. Seo, and A. M. Bilton, “Optimization and System Identification of a Variable Pico-Scale Hydro Turbine for Pressure Regulation,” in Proc. ASME 2020 Power Conference, Online, August 4-5, 2020, doi: 10.1115/POWER2020-16902
  16. Y. Ko, S. Yu, and A. M. Bilton, “Modelling and Experimental Validation of a Controllable Energy Harvester for Pressure Regulation,” in Proc. ASME 2019 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, vol. 6,  Salt Lake City, UT, USA, November 11-14, 2019, doi: doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2019-11514
  17. F. Cruz, K. Mahmoudov, A. Marouchos, and A. M. Bilton, “A Feasibility Study on the Benefits of Feedback Aerator Control in Precision Aquaculture Applications for the Developing World,” in Proc. ASME 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, vol. 2B, Anaheim, CA, USA, August 18-21, 2019, doi: 10.1115/DETC2019-98087
  18. Ruzzante, S., and Bilton, A.M., “Agricultural Technology in the Developing World: A Meta-Analysis of the Literature,” ASME International Design and Engineering Technical Conferences 2018, August 26-29, 2018, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
  19. Walsh, R.W., Hosseinimanesh, H., Nourbakhsh, S., Meshkahaldini, M., and Bilton, A.M., “Modeling and Experimental Validation of a Pico-Scale Francis Turbine for Self-Powered Water Disinfection Systems,” ASME Power and Energy Conference 2018, June 25-28, 2018, Orlando, FL, USA.
  20. Jiang, A., and Bilton, A.M., “Design of a Passive Irrigation Controller for Efficient Water Usage in Low Income Countries,” IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, October 19-22, 2017, San Jose, CA, USA.
  21. Yamani, S., Mahmoud, A., Sur, S., Pavlov, E., and Bilton, A.M., “Long-Term Performance Estimation of Solar Aeration System for Aquaculture in the Developing World,” ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences 2017, August 6-9, 2017, Cleveland, OH, USA.
  22. Cherukupally, P., Bilton, A.M., and Park, C.B. “Cellular polymers for oil/water mixtures separation – evaluation of process conditions,” Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference, Anaheim, CA, May 7-10, 2017. (Winner – Best Paper)
  23. Cherukupally, P., Hinestroza, J., Bilton, A.M., and Park, C.B. “Micro organic pollutants removal using a foam filter through rationally selected hydrophilic media,” Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference, Anaheim, CA, May 7-10, 2017.
  24. Ebrahimi Khabbazi, A., Sur, S., Mahmoud, A., Pavlov, E., and Bilton, A.M., “Design of an Innovative Solar Updraft Aeration System for Fish Ponds in the Developing World Using Thermofluidic Computational Modelling,” ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition 2016, November 11-17, 2016, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
  25. Sur, S., Mahmoud, A., Ebrahimi Khabbazi, A., Pavlov, E., and Bilton, A.M., “Computational Modeling and Field Evaluation of an Innovative Solar Updraft Aeration System for Aquaculture in the Developing World,” ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences 2016, August 21-24, 2016, Charlotte, NC, USA.
  26. Cherukupally, P., Hinestroza, J.H., Farnood, R., Bilton, A.M. and Park, C.B., “Adsorption mechanisms of emulsified crude oil droplets onto hydrophilic open-cell polymer foams” 32nd Polymer Processing Society International Conference, July 25-29, 2016, Lyon, France.
  27. Freire-Gormaly, M., and Bilton, A.M, “Degradation of Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis Systems under Intermittent Operation,” Desalination for Energy and the Environment, May 22-26, 2016, Rome, Italy.
  28. Mahmoud, A., Nguyen, T., Pavlov, E., and Bilton, A.M., “Development of a Passive Solar-Thermal Aeration System for Aquaculture in Resource-Constrained Environments,” IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, October 8-11, 2015, Seattle, WA, USA. (Runner-up – Best Paper)
  29. Cherukupally, P., Chu, R.K.M., Bilton, A.M. and Park, C.B., “Oil diffusion properties of synthetic adsorbent for oil-water separation and collection system,” 29th Polymer Processing Society International Conference Proceedings, Sept 21-25, 2015, Graz, Austria.
  30. Freire-Gormaly, M. and Bilton, A.M, “Optimization of Renewable Power Systems for Remote Communities,” ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences 2015, August 2-5, 2015, Boston, MA, USA.
  31. Mahmoud, A., Quang, T.N., Pavlov, E., Bilton, A., “Development of a Solar Updraft Aeration System for Pond Aquaculture in Resource-Constrained Environments,” IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference 2015, October 8-11, 2015, Seattle, WA, USA.
  32. Bilton, A.M., and Dubowsky, S., “Modular Design of Community-Scale Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis Systems under Uncertainty,” ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences 2014, August 17-20, 2014, Buffalo, NY, USA.
  33. Bilton, A.M., L.C. Kelley, “Design of Power Systems for Reverse Osmosis Desalination in Remote Communities,” Desalination for Energy and the Environment, May 11-15, 2014, Limassol, Cyprus.
  34. Latin, M., Nagar, Y., Aharonson, V. Bilton, A. M., Dubowsky, S., Dolittle, J., and Alon, Y. O. “Development and Evaluation of a Robotic System to Enhance Mobility of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease,” Israeli Conference on Robotics, November 19-20, 2013, Tel Aviv, Israel.
  35. Reed, E. A., Bilton, A. M., and Dubowsky, S., “Controllable Energy Recovery for a Smart PVRO System,” IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics 2013, July 9-12, 2013, Wollongong, Australia.
  36. Meng, L., Bilton, A. M., You, Z., and Dubowsky, S., “Adaptive Heliostat Solar Arrays using Shape-Optimized Compliant Mirrors,” ASME 2012 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference IDETC/CIE 2012, August 12-15, 2012, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  37. Bilton, A.M., and Dubowsky, S., “Inverse Kinematics for the Control of Hyper-Redundant Binary Mechanisms with Application to Solar Concentrator Mirrors,” International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics 2012, June 24-28, 2012, Innsbruck, Austria.
  38. Bilton, A.M., and Dubowsky, S., “The Modular Design of Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis Systems – Making Technology Accessible to Non-Experts,” Conference on Desalination and the Environment 2012, April 23-26, 2012, Barcelona, Spain.
  39. Kelley, L. C., Bilton, A. M., and Dubowsky, S., “Enhancing the Performance of Photovoltaic Powered Reverse Osmosis Desalination Systems by Active Thermal Management,” ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, November 11-17, 2011, Denver, Colorado, USA.
  40. Bilton, A. M., Kelley, L. C., and Mazzini, F., “Design Optimization of Sustainable Off-Grid Power Systems for the Developing World,” ASME 2011 Energy Sustainability Conference, August 7-10, 2011, Washington, DC, USA.
  41. Bilton, A. M., Kelley, L. C., and Dubowsky, S., “Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis – Feasibility and a Pathway to Develop Technology,” EuroMed 2010, Desalination for Clean Water and Energy, October 3-7, 2010, Tel Aviv, Israel.
  42. Lee, S. J., Bilton, A. M., and Dubowsky, S., “On the Kinematics of Solar Mirrors Using Massively Parallel Binary Actuation,” ASME 2010 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference IDETC/CIE, August 15-18, 2010, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  43.  

Conference Abstracts

  1. Rieder, C., Bernstein, D., Sarker, N., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A., “Pilot-scale Test of a Foam-Based Filtration System for Treatment of Decanted Water in Oil Spill Responses,” Accepted to PEOPLE 2025 International Conference, July 21-25, 2025, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
  2. Guo, P., Sarker, N., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A., “Onboard Decanted Water Treatment in Oil Spill Response Using Polyurethane Foam as Filtration Media,” Accepted to PEOPLE 2025 International Conference, July 21-25, 2025, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
  3. Rieder, C., Bernstein, D., Sarker, N., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A., “Pilot-scale Test of a Foam-Based Filtration System for Cleaning Decanted Water in Oil Spill Responses,” Accepted to Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CSC 2025), June 15-19, 2025, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
  4. Guo, P., Sarker, N., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A., “Foam-based Filtration for Onboard Decanted WatervTreatment in Oil Spill Response,” Accepted to Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CSC 2025), June 15-19, 2025, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
  5. Karim, N., Ratel, L., Sarker, N., Charcosett, C, and Bilton, A.M., “Novel insights into biofouling growth on reverse osmosis membranes through in-situ microscopic visualization,” Desalination for Clean Water and Energy, April 27-30, 2025, Porto, Portugal.
  6. Patino, A.D.L, Chen, Y., and Bilton, A.M., “Evaluating the Feasibility of Agent-based Models to Predict Adoption and Diffusion of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Peri-urban Settings,” ASME International Design and Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC), August 25-28, 2024, Washington, DC, USA.
  7. Mahdian, M., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “Optimization of Amine-Modified Polyurethane Foam for Bacteria Removal from Water Using Machine Learning,” American Chemical Society Fall Meeting, August 18-22, 2024, Denver, CO, USA.
  8. Naik, M., and Bilton, A.M., “Characterizing Fecal Sludge Using Inexpensive Sensors to Inform the Design of Effective Treatment Plants,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  9. Guo, P., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “Evaluation of Polyester Foams for Decanted Water Treatment in Oil Spill Response,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  10. Troiani, D., Bilton, A.M., and Malavasi, S., “The Oasis Smart Valve Solution for Water and Energy Efficiency in Agriculture,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  11. Zhou, A., and Bilton, A.M., “Optimization of an Ocean Current Turbine for Powering Marine Sensors,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  12. Rudy, E., and Bilton, A.M., “Evaluating Sensor Architectures to Understand Rainwater Harvesting Behaviour,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  13. Rieder, C., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “A Pilot-Scale Foam-Based Filtration System for Oil Spill Response,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  14. Sarker, N.R., Chen, Y., Liedo, M., and Bilton, A.M., “Advancing Image-based Tools for Field Measurement of Bacteriological Water Quality to Empower Decentralized WASH Technologies,” CSME International Congress, May 26–29, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  15. Greenwood, H., Choi, A., Dehghan, R., and Bilton, A.M. “It should be, I’m at service to this Nation: Lessons from Experiences of Collaborative Technical Research with Indigenous Nations”, Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference, May 21-23, 2024, Regina, SK, Canada.
  16. Guo, P., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “Comparison of Polyol Based Polyester Foams for Decanted Water Treatment in Oil Spill Response,” International Associate for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Conference on Great Lakes Research, May 20–24, 2024, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
  17. Rieder, C., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “Pilot-scale Test of a Foam-Based Filtration System for Cleaning Decanted Water in Oil Spill Response,” International Associate for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Conference on Great Lakes Research, May 20–24, 2024, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
  18. Wong, K., Hofmann, R., Bilton, A.M., Chen, Y., and Liedo M., “Evaluating UV-LEDs for decentralized rainwater treatment in peri-urban communities in Mexico,” ACS Spring Meeting, March 17-21, 2024, New Orleans, LA, USA.
  19. Cotera, P., and Bilton, A.M., “Feasibility of Small-Volume Composting for Urine Diverting Dry Toilets in Peri-Urban Settings,” IWA Non-Sewered Sanitation Conference, October 15-18, 2023, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  20. Naik, M., B., and Bilton, A.M., “Comparison of Different Autonomous Sensing Technologies to Measure Solid and Liquid Volumes in Septic Tanks,” IWA Non-Sewered Sanitation Conference, October 15-18, 2023, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  21. Rudy, E., Patino, A.D.L., Chen, Y., and Bilton, A.M., “Designing Sensors for the Study of Rainwater Harvesting in Mexico,” ASME International Design and Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC), August 20-23, 2023, Boston, MA, USA.
  22. Bouchard, D.J., de Jourdan, B., and Bilton, A.M., “Evaluation of Surface Engineered Sponges in a Lab-Scale Column Filtration System for Treatment of Decanted Water,” PEOPLE 2023 International Conference: Collaborative Solutions to Environmental Problems under Climate Change, August 7-11, 2023, Montreal, QC, Canada. (Keynote)
  23. Cotera Rivera, P., Bilton, A., “Small Volume Composting for Sustainable Sanitation in Peri-Urban Environments”, Colorado Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Symposium, March 9-10, 2023, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
  24. Sarker, N.R., Bilton, A., “Machine Learning Forecasting for an Appropriate Supervisory Control System for Community-scale Solar Desalination”, Colorado Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Symposium, March 9-10, 2023, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
  25. Bouchard, D.J., de Jourdan, B., and Bilton, A.M., “Evaluation of Surface Engineered Sponges in a Lab-Scale Column Filtration System for Treatment of Decanted Water,” International Oil Spill Science Conference, October 4-7, 2022, Halifax, Canada.
  26. Guo, P., Bouchard, D.J., de Jourdan, B., and Bilton, A.M., “Using a PDMS-PU Modified Surface Engineered Sponges for the Treatment of Decanted Water,” International Oil Spill Science Conference, October 4-7, 2022, Halifax, Canada.
  27. McGroarty, J., Bouchard, D.J., and Bilton, A.M., “Exploration of Surface Properties of Engineered Sponges that can Effectively Treat Oil-in-Water Emulsions”, International Oil Spill Science Conference, October 4-7, 2022, Halifax, Canada.
  28. Sarker, N.R., and Bilton, A.M. “Teaching an Old Technology New Tricks – Machine Learning Forecasting for Improved Maintainability of Photovoltaic-powered Reverse Osmosis (PVRO) Plants”, IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, Sept 11-15, 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark.
  29. Mahdian, M., McGroarty, J.A., Bouchard, J., Asker, D., Hatton, B., and Bilton, A.M. “Feasibility of Surface Modified Sponges for Water Disinfection”, IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, Sept 11-15, 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark.
  30. Sarker, N.R., Cherukupally, P., Wilbur, J., and Bilton, A.M. “Influence of Polyamide-layer Surface Morphology on Reverse Osmosis Membrane Scaling – A Visualization Case Study on CaCO3 Scaling”, Accepted to Desalination for Energy and the Environment, June 20-23, 2022, Las Palmas, Spain.
  31. McGroarty, J., Cherukupally, P., and Bilton, A.M. “Fabrication of Superwetting Foams for Cleaning Marine Oil Spills: The Effect of Alkyl Chain Length”, Accepted to 36th Polymer Processing Society Conference, May 31-June 4, 2020, Montreal, Canada.
  32. Purivatra, T., Cherukupally, P., and Bilton, A.M. “A Numerical Study on the Scalability of Foam Filters for Oil/Water Separation”, Accepted to 36th Polymer Processing Society Conference, May 31-June 4, 2020, Montreal, Canada.
  33. Cherukupally P., McGroarty, J., Sun, W., Ozin, G., and Bilton, A. “Manipulating sponge surface chemistry to recover gelled crude oil from seawater”, Accepted to 36th Polymer Processing Society Conference, May 31-June 4, 2020, Montreal, Canada.
  34. Sarker, N.R. and Bilton, A.M., “Understanding Reverse Osmosis Membrane Foulin for Continuous and Intermittent Operation through Real-time Visualization”, Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, Toronto, ON, Canada, February 27, 2019.
  35. Cherukupally, P., Kondor, A., Williams, D.R., Bilton, A.M. and Park, C.B. “Organic contamination removal from wastewater using heterogeneous porous media,” Polymer Processing Society Americas Conference, Boston, MA, USA, Nov. 5-9, 2018.
  36. Cruz, F.C., Seo, Y.J., and Bilton, A.M. “Aeration Control and its Application in Aquaculture,” Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, October 28-31, 2018.
  37. Satharakulasinghe, R., Jiang, H. and Bilton, A.M. “Characterization of a Passive Drip Irrigation Controller for the Rural Global South,” Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, October 28-31, 2018.
  38. Sarker, N., and Bilton, A.M. “Real-Time Fouling Visualization in a Spacer-Filled Reverse Osmosis Channel Under Intermittent Operation,” Desalination for Energy and the Environment, September 3-6, 2018, Athens, Greece.
  39. Yu, S.M., Hu, H., and Bilton, A.M. “Performance Mapping of a Pico-Scale Turbine with Adjustable Guide Vanes using Computational Fluid Dynamics,” 26th Annual Conference of the CFD Society of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, June 10-12, 2018.
  40. Cherukupally, P., Li, B., Bilton, A.M. and Park, C.B. “Mining the value from oil sands tailings ponds,” Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference, 431, Orlando, Florida, May 7-10, 2018.
  41. Cherukupally, P., Bilton, A.M. and Park, C.B. “Energy-efficient filtration of organic microdroplets through the reusable adsorbent foam,” 33rd International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society, Mexico, S03-464, Mexico, Dec 10-14, 2017.
  42. Cherukupally, P., Nagarajaramani, K.P., Bilton, A.M., and Park, C.B. “Effect of the morphological structure of polymeric foams on the mitigation of organic contaminated water,” 33rd International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society, Mexico, S03-464, Mexico, Dec 10-14, 2017.
  43. Freire-Gormaly, M., and Bilton, A.M., “Optimization of Solar Powered Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Systems,” CSCE Annual Conference and General Meeting 2017, May 31 – June 3, 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Book Chapters

  1. Mahmoud, A., Bilton, A.M., Huang, M., Diosady, L., and Cheng, Y.L., “Mobilizing Higher Education and Research Toward Global Development: The Approach Taken by the Centre for Global Engineering,” in Handbook for Innovation and Appropriate Technology for International Development, New York: Edward Elgar, 2022.
  2. Lienhard, J. H., Antar, M. A., Bilton, A. M., Blanco, J., Zaragoza, G., “Solar Desalination,” in Annual Review of Heat Transfer, Vol. 15, New York: Begell House Inc., 2012.

Patents

  1. McLean, A., Jiang, H., Satharkulsinghe, R., and Bilton, A.M., “A Binary Passive Drip Irrigation Controller for Efficient Water Use,” Invention Disclosure, University of Toronto Innovations & Partnerships Office, Disclosure Reference Number 10004175, June 9, 2021.
  2. Cherukupally, P., Sun, W., Ozin, G.A., Bilton, A.M., and Park, C.B. “Surface Engineered Sponges for Water Treatment and Related Methods,” U.K. Patent Application Number 3, April 23, 2019.
  3. Mahmoud, A., Sur, S., and Bilton, A.M., “A Direct Solar-Thermal Aeration Device for Pond Aquaculture,” Invention Disclosure, University of Toronto Innovations & Partnerships Office, Disclosure Reference Number 10003433, September 9, 2018.
  4. Jiang, H., and Bilton, A.M., “A Passive Drip Irrigation Controller for Efficient Water Use,” Invention Disclosure, University of Toronto Innovations & Partnerships Office, Disclosure Reference Number 10003390, July 31, 2017.
  5. Mahmoud, A., Pavlov, E. and Bilton, A.M., “A Passive Solar-Thermal Aeration Device for Pond Aquaculture,” Invention Disclosure, University of Toronto Innovations & Partnerships Office, Disclosure Reference Number 10003011, October 7, 2015.
  6. Dubowsky, S., Bilton, A. M., and Lee, S. J., “System for Discretely Actuated Solar Mirrors,” US Patent Application Number 12/839479, July 20, 2010.
  7. Dubowsky, S., Bilton, A. M., and Kelley, L. C., “Photovoltaic Reverse Osmosis System with Thermal Management,” US Patent Application Number 13/032896, February 23, 2011.