Distributed nonlinear control based on differential dissipativity. This project aims to investigate the process control methodologies crucial to smart manufacturing It aims to develop a distributed optimisation-based nonlinear control approach for plant-wide flexible manufacturing, which can achieve time-varying operational targets including production rates and product specifications to meet dynamic market demands. This includes a contraction-based nonlinear distributed control framework that e ....Distributed nonlinear control based on differential dissipativity. This project aims to investigate the process control methodologies crucial to smart manufacturing It aims to develop a distributed optimisation-based nonlinear control approach for plant-wide flexible manufacturing, which can achieve time-varying operational targets including production rates and product specifications to meet dynamic market demands. This includes a contraction-based nonlinear distributed control framework that ensures plant-wide stability at any feasible set-points or references and a distributed economic model predictive control approach that coordinates autonomous controllers to achieve plant-wide economic objectives in a self-organising manner. The outcomes of this project are expected to form a process control framework for next-generation smart plants.Read moreRead less
Dissipativity based distributed model predictive control for complex industrial processes. This project will extend and improve the model predictive control technology, which is the most widely used advanced control approach in process industries. The results will potentially benefit the Australian mineral processing industry where many processes are geographically distributed, leading to more cost-effective operation.
Integrated Approach to Plantwide Fault Diagnosis and Fault-tolerant Control. This project aims to develop a new approach to detect and reduce the impact of faults in industrial plants. Operations of modern industrial processes increasingly depend on automatic control systems, which can make the plants susceptible to faults such as sensor/actuator failures. Based on the concept of dissipative systems, the project aims to develop a novel integrated approach to distributed fault diagnosis and fault ....Integrated Approach to Plantwide Fault Diagnosis and Fault-tolerant Control. This project aims to develop a new approach to detect and reduce the impact of faults in industrial plants. Operations of modern industrial processes increasingly depend on automatic control systems, which can make the plants susceptible to faults such as sensor/actuator failures. Based on the concept of dissipative systems, the project aims to develop a novel integrated approach to distributed fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control for plant-wide processes. It aims to capture the key dynamic features of normal and abnormal processes by their dissipativity properties, and to use these to develop an efficient online fault diagnosis approach based on process input and output trajectories.Read moreRead less
Improving the Durability and Performance of Hollow Fibre Membranes with Nanocomposite and Inorganic/organic Hybrid Materials. Water is a critical resource for societies worldwide and Australia is one of the driest nations on Earth. Options to treat ‘used’ or lower quality waters for reuse are becoming a necessity. This project aims to implement advanced nanotechnology solutions to improve performance characteristics of widely adopted water treatment membranes, which have the potential to reduce ....Improving the Durability and Performance of Hollow Fibre Membranes with Nanocomposite and Inorganic/organic Hybrid Materials. Water is a critical resource for societies worldwide and Australia is one of the driest nations on Earth. Options to treat ‘used’ or lower quality waters for reuse are becoming a necessity. This project aims to implement advanced nanotechnology solutions to improve performance characteristics of widely adopted water treatment membranes, which have the potential to reduce water treatment costs in Australia. This is made possible by the collaboration with Australia's largest manufacturer of water treatment membranes. The outcomes will lead towards a lower maintenance water treatment technology available to communities, at lower cost. The application of such a technology will span from local small scale to major installations worldwide.Read moreRead less
Adsorption and Removal of Trace Organic Compounds by Membrane Processes used in Water Treatment and Wastewater Recycling. Recycling of municipal wastewaters is of growing importance as a resource-conservation and environmental-protection measure in Australia. A major impediment to increased rates of water recycling is a lack of knowledge regarding the presence, fate and removal of key trace organic compounds. Among these key contaminants are pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and steroid ....Adsorption and Removal of Trace Organic Compounds by Membrane Processes used in Water Treatment and Wastewater Recycling. Recycling of municipal wastewaters is of growing importance as a resource-conservation and environmental-protection measure in Australia. A major impediment to increased rates of water recycling is a lack of knowledge regarding the presence, fate and removal of key trace organic compounds. Among these key contaminants are pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and steroid hormones. This research will lead to a thorough understanding of the mechanisms involved with the removal of these compounds by membrane treatment applications. Major benefits will be enhanced ability to undertake risk management and a lowering of costs associated with full-scale water treatment applications.Read moreRead less
Defining Fundamental Principles for the Design and Operation of Membrane Systems from Time-Varying Performance Analysis. To date, much of the process improvement for industrial application of membrane technology has revolved around polymer science based development of membrane materials and process and module changes resulting from the application of basic (often simplistic) engineering principles. While some future improvements may still come from these areas, the most dramatic advances are li ....Defining Fundamental Principles for the Design and Operation of Membrane Systems from Time-Varying Performance Analysis. To date, much of the process improvement for industrial application of membrane technology has revolved around polymer science based development of membrane materials and process and module changes resulting from the application of basic (often simplistic) engineering principles. While some future improvements may still come from these areas, the most dramatic advances are likely to be derived from the application of advanced engineering principles to this complex system. This project will integrate advanced CFD modelling and control principles for the design and operation of membrane systems in order to develop fundamental understanding that should lead to significant process improvements.Read moreRead less
Impact of Fouling on Retention of Contaminants in Electrodialysis for Brackish Water and Wastewater Applications. Water desalination and water recycling are both of utmost importance in the current global water crisis. Reverse osmosis is a commonly used process in both areas but this process has two main limitations (1) it is limited in water recovery by the concentration of salts, and (2) it produces a relatively large amount of concentrates that require disposal. Using electrodialysis to treat ....Impact of Fouling on Retention of Contaminants in Electrodialysis for Brackish Water and Wastewater Applications. Water desalination and water recycling are both of utmost importance in the current global water crisis. Reverse osmosis is a commonly used process in both areas but this process has two main limitations (1) it is limited in water recovery by the concentration of salts, and (2) it produces a relatively large amount of concentrates that require disposal. Using electrodialysis to treat such concentrates will decrease the salinity problem caused by disposal and also increase the water efficiency of the treatment process. In this research project the potential performance limitations fouling and micropollutant removal will be investigated and hence the performance improved.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Water Recycling Applications. Concentrates from reverse osmosis (RO) pose a considerable threat to both the environment but also the successful implementation of reverse osmosis as a technology. Naturally, the concentrate contains everything that the RO retains and hence contaminants such as viruses, organics such as pharmaceutically active compounds and hormones as well as nutrients and salinity. Treatment of such waste streams ....Characterisation and Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Water Recycling Applications. Concentrates from reverse osmosis (RO) pose a considerable threat to both the environment but also the successful implementation of reverse osmosis as a technology. Naturally, the concentrate contains everything that the RO retains and hence contaminants such as viruses, organics such as pharmaceutically active compounds and hormones as well as nutrients and salinity. Treatment of such waste streams will enhance the health of receiving water bodies and reduce the risk of increased build up of contaminants if wastes are recycled into wastewater treatment plants. New ways to treat such contaminants will be explored, the efficiency and cost evaluated in the broader water cycle and sustainability framework.Read moreRead less
Feedback destabilising control of electro-osmotic flow for reducing fouling and enhancing productivity of membrane systems. This project aims to develop a new approach to improving the productivity of membrane systems. With over $9 billion worth of membrane-based desalination plants either in operation, under construction or being planned in Australia, the expected outcomes of this project will lead to significant social and economic benefit and provide greater water security.
Membrane Fouling in Submerged Hollow Fibre Membrane Bioreactor Systems: Theory, Modelling and Fouling Control. The outcomes of this project will provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms of fouling in submerged hollow fibre membrane bioreactors (SHFMBR) and will provide a sound base for optimization of design and operation of SHFMBR systems. Given the crucial role of the SHFMBR in wastewater treatment and water reuse, this project will significantly contribute to the national priority are ....Membrane Fouling in Submerged Hollow Fibre Membrane Bioreactor Systems: Theory, Modelling and Fouling Control. The outcomes of this project will provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms of fouling in submerged hollow fibre membrane bioreactors (SHFMBR) and will provide a sound base for optimization of design and operation of SHFMBR systems. Given the crucial role of the SHFMBR in wastewater treatment and water reuse, this project will significantly contribute to the national priority area of 'an environmentally sustainable Australia (water-a critical resource)'. In addition, the outcomes of this project on quantitative simulation of the gel/cake structure and resulting transport phenomena will promote Australia's reputation for high quality fundamental and applied research in the area of membrane filtration. Read moreRead less