A landfill cover that generates electricity: a Microbial Fuel Cell application. Landfills account for over two per cent of Australia’s greenhouse emissions, dominating emissions from waste and wastewater. Methane emissions are inherent to landfills because waste cannot be permanently sealed until a landfill cell is full. In this project, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) landfill cover will be developed as a means of achieving full biogas capture, from the time that waste is placed. The MFC cover syst ....A landfill cover that generates electricity: a Microbial Fuel Cell application. Landfills account for over two per cent of Australia’s greenhouse emissions, dominating emissions from waste and wastewater. Methane emissions are inherent to landfills because waste cannot be permanently sealed until a landfill cell is full. In this project, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) landfill cover will be developed as a means of achieving full biogas capture, from the time that waste is placed. The MFC cover system would consist of a relatively thin and deformable granular graphite layer colonised by current generating methane oxidising microorganisms, overlain by a proton exchange membrane and steel mesh as the anode layer. The MFC cover will provide the benefit of power generation as well as more complete greenhouse gas mitigation. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100393
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,000.00
Summary
Reducing nitrous oxide emission in wastewater systems by pathway regulation. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that can be produced during biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment systems. N2O emissions primarily occur in aerated zones due to active striping, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are the major contributors to N2O production under such conditions. The project aims to carry out a systematic study on N2O production by AOB in mixed culture wastewater treatment ....Reducing nitrous oxide emission in wastewater systems by pathway regulation. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that can be produced during biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment systems. N2O emissions primarily occur in aerated zones due to active striping, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are the major contributors to N2O production under such conditions. The project aims to carry out a systematic study on N2O production by AOB in mixed culture wastewater treatment systems. The project aims to advance the fundamental knowledge on N2O production pathways by AOB under different operational conditions, and deliver a modelling tool for reliably estimating N2O emission from wastewater treatment systems as well as strategies to reduce the emissions.Read moreRead less
Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. This project aims to develop large vacuum insulated windows with higher insulation performance than triple glazing, the best currently available, by toughening glass to increase its strength, flatness and safety. Higher performance windows reduce energy wastage in the developed world, and vacuum glazing’s thin profile means they can be retrofitted into buildings immediately, without the delay of replacing build ....Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. This project aims to develop large vacuum insulated windows with higher insulation performance than triple glazing, the best currently available, by toughening glass to increase its strength, flatness and safety. Higher performance windows reduce energy wastage in the developed world, and vacuum glazing’s thin profile means they can be retrofitted into buildings immediately, without the delay of replacing building stock. The anticipated outcome is a major reduction in energy use for climate control in buildings, a large and rapidly growing energy sector that climate change makes unsustainable; and rapid economic, social and environmental benefits through sustainable climate control in cities.Read moreRead less
Optimising permeable pavements with underlying reservoirs to enhance urban tree performance. This project will determine the optimal configuration of permeable pavements with underlying storage reservoirs and water delivery system to resolve the water security challenges that trees face in urban environments. This project will promote the healthy growth of urban trees and will lead to more liveable and healthier cities.