Heat Transfer Characteristics of Biological Tissues with Nanoparticles. Heat transfer of laser-irradiated nanoparticles in biological tissues requires a basic knowledge of the unique strong resonance absorption properties and a fundamental understanding of the thermal and chemical conversions as a consequence of these heated nanoparticles. This project aims to investigate the extent of the non-equilibrium heating effects of heated nanoparticles on the destruction of biological tissues. Comprehen ....Heat Transfer Characteristics of Biological Tissues with Nanoparticles. Heat transfer of laser-irradiated nanoparticles in biological tissues requires a basic knowledge of the unique strong resonance absorption properties and a fundamental understanding of the thermal and chemical conversions as a consequence of these heated nanoparticles. This project aims to investigate the extent of the non-equilibrium heating effects of heated nanoparticles on the destruction of biological tissues. Comprehensive experimental studies and computational modelling to be performed are expected to significantly enhance the understanding of laser-induced heating phenomena of embedded nanoparticles in biological tissues and the prediction of the level of destruction that can be experienced by these heated nanoparticles.Read moreRead less
Carbon dioxide-methane exchange in porous media for carbon-neutral energy production. This project aims to incorporate carbon capture and storage into natural gas production from energy reserves. Carbon sequestration could assist in achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Injecting carbon dioxide into natural gas reservoirs or methane hydrate sands would be a nearly carbon-neutral means of energy production. However, this exchange of carbon dioxide for methane is poorly understood in ....Carbon dioxide-methane exchange in porous media for carbon-neutral energy production. This project aims to incorporate carbon capture and storage into natural gas production from energy reserves. Carbon sequestration could assist in achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Injecting carbon dioxide into natural gas reservoirs or methane hydrate sands would be a nearly carbon-neutral means of energy production. However, this exchange of carbon dioxide for methane is poorly understood in both reservoirs and sands because multiple phases like water and sand affect mixing and recovery. This project will combine spatially-resolved Magnetic Resonance Imaging of high-pressure flooding and exchange experiments with multi-scale modelling. The expected outcome is simultaneous carbon dioxide sequestration with enhanced energy production.Read moreRead less
Engineered interlayers of bio-retardant and nano-reinforcement on polymers. This project will address the important need for a highly effective lightweight coating. Different interlayers of bio-retardants derive from organic compounds and two-dimensional sheet-like nanomaterials are fabricated to enhance the charring, thermal barrier and flammability resistance. Molecular dynamics are adopted to deliver more targeted fabrication to achieve increased efficacy of the engineered interlayers and pro ....Engineered interlayers of bio-retardant and nano-reinforcement on polymers. This project will address the important need for a highly effective lightweight coating. Different interlayers of bio-retardants derive from organic compounds and two-dimensional sheet-like nanomaterials are fabricated to enhance the charring, thermal barrier and flammability resistance. Molecular dynamics are adopted to deliver more targeted fabrication to achieve increased efficacy of the engineered interlayers and provide important insights on the combustibility of polymers undergoing mass diffusivity, thermal diffusion and oxidation process at high temperatures. Expected outcomes of the project are lightweight coated polymers possessing elevated resistance to fire with a significant reduction of toxic gas emissions and smoke releases. Read moreRead less
Derivation and calculation of onsager transport coefficients in mass transport and thermotransport. The transport of matter and heat within solids has a profound effect on the functional properties of engineering components. The current description of mass and heat transport has major failings which then lead to major failings for property predictions. This project will establish a new mathematical framework that will redress the problems.
Purging and destratifying of thermal and saline pools in Australia's inland rivers. The health of inland Australian rivers is significantly affected by saline intrusions into deep river pools. This study will provide tools which can be immediately used to predict required flow releases and understand river response to natural or managed flow release. This will improve the efficiency with which water resources can be used.
On the mechanism of boiling instability in microchannels. This project will enable designers to create highly efficient miniaturised devices based on the boiling of fluids such as water or organics. These devices include micro-power generation systems, coolers for computer chips and solar collectors, and micro-chemical process systems. Such devices provide environmental, safety and economic benefits.
The phenomenology of unsteady impinging jets: fluid dynamics and heat transfer. This project comprises a definitive study of a fluid jet impacting a target surface and the effect of added fluctuations on its momentum and heat-transfer characteristics. This will deliver new scientific knowledge and underpin the development of an energy-efficient thermal-control technology for widespread use in many areas of engineering.
Fluid Transport in Materials of Nanoscale Dimensions. This project aims to transform the modelling of fluid transport in materials of nanoscale dimension by determining the coupled interfacial heat and mass-transfer barriers, which critically influence the transport. The outcome will not only be new knowledge on the effects of inherent structural distortion and of the barriers on the fluid flow, but also cutting-edge techniques to estimate system size-dependent transport coefficients in nanoscal ....Fluid Transport in Materials of Nanoscale Dimensions. This project aims to transform the modelling of fluid transport in materials of nanoscale dimension by determining the coupled interfacial heat and mass-transfer barriers, which critically influence the transport. The outcome will not only be new knowledge on the effects of inherent structural distortion and of the barriers on the fluid flow, but also cutting-edge techniques to estimate system size-dependent transport coefficients in nanoscale systems. These will be achieved through a combination of targeted molecular dynamics simulations and experiment, and will have far-reaching implications for nanotechnology and emerging processes in catalysis, gas separation, human health and nanofluidics, and enable design of more efficient systems.Read moreRead less
Heat transfer in novel solar thermal reactors to process minerals and solar fuels. The project will develop new design tools for optimising novel solar reactors for the production of solar fuels and for low emission minerals processing. It will enable substantial cost reductions in these technologies and establish a unique and leading program in solar power tower technology within Australia.
Understanding Turbulent Mixing in Inertial Confinement Fusion. By compressing a small sphere of deuterium-tritium using very powerful lasers in a process called inertial confinement fusion, experimentalists have produced a net gain fusion reaction for the first time. However, the gain is significantly under-predicted using the most advanced numerical tools, primarily due to the growth of fluid instabilities. Understanding and controlling the levels of instability growth is critical to achieving ....Understanding Turbulent Mixing in Inertial Confinement Fusion. By compressing a small sphere of deuterium-tritium using very powerful lasers in a process called inertial confinement fusion, experimentalists have produced a net gain fusion reaction for the first time. However, the gain is significantly under-predicted using the most advanced numerical tools, primarily due to the growth of fluid instabilities. Understanding and controlling the levels of instability growth is critical to achieving more efficient fusion. This international collaboration proposes to employ computations and experiments to deliver a fundamental understanding of mixing layers in implosions and explosions, to provide validation of reduced order models and contribute towards the development of the ultimate energy source.Read moreRead less