Rarefied hypervelocity separated flow in the transitional to continuum regimes. The transition regime for low-density flows is a no-man's-land between free-molecular and continuum flow, where the flow behaves differently to the assumptions typically used for modelling either flow type. Bird's direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is typically thought to be the best way of modelling these flows, but has not produced excellent agreement with previous experiments on low-density separated flow ....Rarefied hypervelocity separated flow in the transitional to continuum regimes. The transition regime for low-density flows is a no-man's-land between free-molecular and continuum flow, where the flow behaves differently to the assumptions typically used for modelling either flow type. Bird's direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is typically thought to be the best way of modelling these flows, but has not produced excellent agreement with previous experiments on low-density separated flows, due to computational limitations and lack of knowledge of the flow's internal energy. This proposal is a blind test of the best current DSMC codes against our experiments and a hypersonic continuum code, with the full internal energy state of the flow experimentally quantified for the first time.Read moreRead less
Transport phenomena in foam fractionation. Foam fractionation has a number of immediate applications in mineral and food processing but its most exciting potential is as low cost alternative for recovering and purifying high value biosurfactants. These are materials used to stabilise interfaces in living systems, and can be used as antibiotics and antiviral agents. The affinity for biosurfactants to collect at an interface suggests that foam fractionation is an ideal process to concentrate valua ....Transport phenomena in foam fractionation. Foam fractionation has a number of immediate applications in mineral and food processing but its most exciting potential is as low cost alternative for recovering and purifying high value biosurfactants. These are materials used to stabilise interfaces in living systems, and can be used as antibiotics and antiviral agents. The affinity for biosurfactants to collect at an interface suggests that foam fractionation is an ideal process to concentrate valuable products. Clearly, a cost-effective and reliable method of enriching streams of biosurfactants will make their use even more attractive and will engender the development of more novel biomaterials, such as pepfactants.Read moreRead less
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MECHANISTIC MODELS FOR BUBBLY FLOWS WITH HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER. Commercially available CFD computer codes are currently widely used in many Australian industrial sectors. It is clearly recognised that the state-of-the-art models for dealing with complex bubbly flows with/without heat and mass transfer in these computer codes require further developments and improvements. This research project will address the prevalent deficiency in many of these computer codes. It is antici ....THE DEVELOPMENT OF MECHANISTIC MODELS FOR BUBBLY FLOWS WITH HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER. Commercially available CFD computer codes are currently widely used in many Australian industrial sectors. It is clearly recognised that the state-of-the-art models for dealing with complex bubbly flows with/without heat and mass transfer in these computer codes require further developments and improvements. This research project will address the prevalent deficiency in many of these computer codes. It is anticipated that through this major development of new models capable of predicting a wide range of industrial bubbly flow problems and implementation thereafter in these computer codes, industries will experience significant benefits especially reduce time and costs in their design and production.Read moreRead less
Forces on Particles in Flows Traversing a Magnetic Field. The influence of magnetic fields on the motion of particles near surfaces will be examined using quiescent and shear flow fields at low Reynolds numbers. This theoretical and experimental study will produce a precise theoretical understanding of the motion, including the shear induced lift-force, and hence a basis for controlling the interaction of the particle with the adjacent surface. This fundamental study will provide the foundations ....Forces on Particles in Flows Traversing a Magnetic Field. The influence of magnetic fields on the motion of particles near surfaces will be examined using quiescent and shear flow fields at low Reynolds numbers. This theoretical and experimental study will produce a precise theoretical understanding of the motion, including the shear induced lift-force, and hence a basis for controlling the interaction of the particle with the adjacent surface. This fundamental study will provide the foundations needed to apply magnetic fields to a broad range of emerging problems in nano-technology and biotechnology, and help train and educate a student at the PhD level in the area.Read moreRead less
Turbulent mixing of a passive scalar. Turbulence is the usual state of fluid motion. This proposal will increase Australia's expertise in fundamental turbulence research, especially in the area of turbulent mixing, which is of major importance in many natural and engineering problems involving combustion, chemical reactions and pollution. A better knowledge of mixing at small scales will lead to more efficient combustion, savings in energy expenditure as well as a reduction in pollutant emiss ....Turbulent mixing of a passive scalar. Turbulence is the usual state of fluid motion. This proposal will increase Australia's expertise in fundamental turbulence research, especially in the area of turbulent mixing, which is of major importance in many natural and engineering problems involving combustion, chemical reactions and pollution. A better knowledge of mixing at small scales will lead to more efficient combustion, savings in energy expenditure as well as a reduction in pollutant emissions. Read moreRead less
Interstellar Gas Dynamics. The conversion of interstellar gas into stars is a key process in the life-history of galaxies and the formation of planetary systems. Star formation takes place within a heterogeneous, dynamic cloud, and entails a million-fold contraction controlled by a complex interplay between gravity, magnetic forces, ionisation balance, chemical reactions and particles of interstellar dust. Previous modelling has adopted inappropriate approximations for the evolution of the mag ....Interstellar Gas Dynamics. The conversion of interstellar gas into stars is a key process in the life-history of galaxies and the formation of planetary systems. Star formation takes place within a heterogeneous, dynamic cloud, and entails a million-fold contraction controlled by a complex interplay between gravity, magnetic forces, ionisation balance, chemical reactions and particles of interstellar dust. Previous modelling has adopted inappropriate approximations for the evolution of the magnetic field. This research will bring a rigorous treatment of magnetic diffusion to bear on the theory of cloud evolution, shock waves, star formation and protoplanetary discs.
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Nanorheology: Hydrodynamic Slip in Newtonian Fluids. Understanding fluid flow across a surface is essential to a great number of technologies. For over one hundred years it has been assumed that the layer of fluid adjacent to the solid moves with the solid, this is known as the no-slip boundary condition. Recently direct force balance measurements of aqueous Newtonian solutions have indicated the presence of boundary slip. Using a newly developed nanorheology technique we will systematically inv ....Nanorheology: Hydrodynamic Slip in Newtonian Fluids. Understanding fluid flow across a surface is essential to a great number of technologies. For over one hundred years it has been assumed that the layer of fluid adjacent to the solid moves with the solid, this is known as the no-slip boundary condition. Recently direct force balance measurements of aqueous Newtonian solutions have indicated the presence of boundary slip. Using a newly developed nanorheology technique we will systematically investigate the conditions that control boundary slip. This information will be used to quantify, model and control boundary slip, progressing the fields of microfluidics, particle deposition, and colloid stability.Read moreRead less
Feedback Processes in Galaxy Formation. We have an opportunity to combine the best Australian theory with the best local and international telescopes, to probe the murky story of how galaxies form and why they look they way they do today. By looking back to a time when the Universe was only 1 billion years old, and comparing what we see with cutting edge supercomputer simulations plus pure theory, we will gain insight into the birth of entire galaxies. The results will form part of the study o ....Feedback Processes in Galaxy Formation. We have an opportunity to combine the best Australian theory with the best local and international telescopes, to probe the murky story of how galaxies form and why they look they way they do today. By looking back to a time when the Universe was only 1 billion years old, and comparing what we see with cutting edge supercomputer simulations plus pure theory, we will gain insight into the birth of entire galaxies. The results will form part of the study of how the universe works - that is driving astrophysics today, and represents pure research for the sake of advancing knowledge and showing us where we fit into the Universe. In doing so we will also advance Australia's base of theoretical and computational expertise.Read moreRead less
Stochastic methods in mathematical geophysical fluid dynamics. We will develop analytical and numerical methods for long-term weather forecasting and climate modelling. The project deals with the mathematical aspects and fundamental mechanisms underpinning numerical
climate forecasting. We will develop new methodology for accurate modelling of the important and dominant slow global processes without explicitly resolving the precise detail of the weather of each day at all scales. Using sophisti ....Stochastic methods in mathematical geophysical fluid dynamics. We will develop analytical and numerical methods for long-term weather forecasting and climate modelling. The project deals with the mathematical aspects and fundamental mechanisms underpinning numerical
climate forecasting. We will develop new methodology for accurate modelling of the important and dominant slow global processes without explicitly resolving the precise detail of the weather of each day at all scales. Using sophisticated mathematics, this project investigates how to parameterize the fast and small processes by using stochastic processes in a controllable and adaptive way.Read moreRead less
Geometric Methods in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. The need for a reliable weather forecast has never been more evident. This project addresses fundamental problems which are obstacles to more accurate weather forecasts. The dynamics of the atmosphere and the oceans is inherently complex. The complexity of the flow is confined though by conservation laws. This observation has not yet been used in current weather models. These conservation laws will be the guiding principle for the design of a stab ....Geometric Methods in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. The need for a reliable weather forecast has never been more evident. This project addresses fundamental problems which are obstacles to more accurate weather forecasts. The dynamics of the atmosphere and the oceans is inherently complex. The complexity of the flow is confined though by conservation laws. This observation has not yet been used in current weather models. These conservation laws will be the guiding principle for the design of a stable numerical integration scheme.
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