Characterising and suppressing vortex induced vibration. Vortex-Induced Vibration has become the design limiting factor in offshore design of elements such as the flexible pipelines that bring oil and gas to the surface. With rising oil and gas prices it is becoming more economic to explore such resources in deeper waters, which exacerbates the problem. Currently, high factors of safety must be used in the design of such pipelines because of our current lack of understanding of when the vibratio ....Characterising and suppressing vortex induced vibration. Vortex-Induced Vibration has become the design limiting factor in offshore design of elements such as the flexible pipelines that bring oil and gas to the surface. With rising oil and gas prices it is becoming more economic to explore such resources in deeper waters, which exacerbates the problem. Currently, high factors of safety must be used in the design of such pipelines because of our current lack of understanding of when the vibrations occur and their frequency and amplitude. This study will provide insight into the character of such vibrations and also look at means of suppressing them.Read moreRead less
TRANSIENT VIBRATION IN PIPELINE SYSTEMS. Although the threat of transient vibration to the safety of pipeline systems has been widely recognised, neither the coupling characteristics in transient wave propagation are clearly understood, nor accurate tools are available for analysing them. The aims of this project are to develop effective analytical and experimental methods, to study the interactions between transient waves of different types at pipe joints and bends, and to experimentally charac ....TRANSIENT VIBRATION IN PIPELINE SYSTEMS. Although the threat of transient vibration to the safety of pipeline systems has been widely recognised, neither the coupling characteristics in transient wave propagation are clearly understood, nor accurate tools are available for analysing them. The aims of this project are to develop effective analytical and experimental methods, to study the interactions between transient waves of different types at pipe joints and bends, and to experimentally characterise the transient excitations. The understanding and techniques developed from this project hold promise in providing reliable tools for safe design of complex pipeline systems in petroleum, chemical and refinery industries.Read moreRead less
Cyclic Fatigue Mechanisms in New Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics. Piezoceramics are an important component in many items in modern day Australian life. However, they present a growing environmental concern, particularly for disposal, because they contain lead oxide and must often be disposed of prematurely due to component failure. Furthermore, many key Australian industries manufacture and use piezoceramics in fields ranging from mineral exploration, to imaging to biomedical devices. This proj ....Cyclic Fatigue Mechanisms in New Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics. Piezoceramics are an important component in many items in modern day Australian life. However, they present a growing environmental concern, particularly for disposal, because they contain lead oxide and must often be disposed of prematurely due to component failure. Furthermore, many key Australian industries manufacture and use piezoceramics in fields ranging from mineral exploration, to imaging to biomedical devices. This project will enable the development of lead-free alternatives to current materials and more reliable materials which will reduce the need for waste disposal.Read moreRead less
Active control of vibration in marine riser systems. Effective control of vibrations of riser/drill rigs and vessels is an important measure of the technical quality, productivity, and environmental protection from pollution of the oil and gas industry in a country. The successful completion of this project promises to put the Australian oil and gas industry in a leading position in this area. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of this project, the development of this section of the shipbuildi ....Active control of vibration in marine riser systems. Effective control of vibrations of riser/drill rigs and vessels is an important measure of the technical quality, productivity, and environmental protection from pollution of the oil and gas industry in a country. The successful completion of this project promises to put the Australian oil and gas industry in a leading position in this area. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of this project, the development of this section of the shipbuilding industry will also stimulate the development in many other areas such as structure dynamics, control sensors, actuators, electronics and control.Read moreRead less
Development of Cyclic Fatigue Degradation Criteria for Piezoelectric Ceramic Components. Piezoelectric ceramics are widely used in advanced engineering applications such as actuators in the automotive industry, sonars for submarine mineral exploration and defence, and a broad range of medical devices, e.g. ultrasound probes. The reliable operational lifetime of these devices is, however, severely limited because they suffer cyclic fatigue leading to both degradation in performance and device fai ....Development of Cyclic Fatigue Degradation Criteria for Piezoelectric Ceramic Components. Piezoelectric ceramics are widely used in advanced engineering applications such as actuators in the automotive industry, sonars for submarine mineral exploration and defence, and a broad range of medical devices, e.g. ultrasound probes. The reliable operational lifetime of these devices is, however, severely limited because they suffer cyclic fatigue leading to both degradation in performance and device failure. The proposed project seeks to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of fatigue and develop a design model for engineers such that piezoelectric ceramic devices can be operated for longer periods with higher levels of reliability.Read moreRead less