Sensing and Communications for Tactical Radio: Mapping the RF Weather. This project investigates sensing, localisation and communication strategies to improve the performance of modern tactical radio networks. Such networks face all of the well-known design challenges of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) but with added complication of a contested and adversarial operating environment. By exploiting the power of radio nodes to sense the radio spectrum, as well as to communicate over it, a distribut ....Sensing and Communications for Tactical Radio: Mapping the RF Weather. This project investigates sensing, localisation and communication strategies to improve the performance of modern tactical radio networks. Such networks face all of the well-known design challenges of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) but with added complication of a contested and adversarial operating environment. By exploiting the power of radio nodes to sense the radio spectrum, as well as to communicate over it, a distributed network of nodes can create a detailed picture of the surrounding radio-frequency (RF) environment: the nodes can work together to map the “RF weather”. In this project we will design advanced sensing and localisation methods to accurately map the RF spectrum, and then exploit this map in communication system design.Read moreRead less
Electro-Optical Primers for Safe Use and Clean Manufacturing. Conventional primers contain a mechanically-sensitive primary explosive that is used to detonate the more stable propellant in a bullet. This project aims to address the health and environmental impacts of heavy metals in current primers by replacing them with benign, electrically or optically activated silicon-based materials. Modern semiconductor fabrication techniques will be used to develop safe and clean primers through cost-effe ....Electro-Optical Primers for Safe Use and Clean Manufacturing. Conventional primers contain a mechanically-sensitive primary explosive that is used to detonate the more stable propellant in a bullet. This project aims to address the health and environmental impacts of heavy metals in current primers by replacing them with benign, electrically or optically activated silicon-based materials. Modern semiconductor fabrication techniques will be used to develop safe and clean primers through cost-effective doping and deposition protocols. The expected outcomes of the project include a sovereign primer manufacturing capability for Australia. This will provide a significant strategic advantage and health benefits for law enforcement and defence personnel during live fire training and firing range exercises.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101094
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,900.00
Summary
Energy absorption and impact mechanics of origami structures and materials. This project aims to understand the dynamic behaviour of origami structures and metamaterials by utilising interdisciplinary approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of origami engineering and structural mechanics. The success of this project will form a foundation for studying energy absorption and impact mechanics of origami family; the fundamental physics and mechanics will be applied to ....Energy absorption and impact mechanics of origami structures and materials. This project aims to understand the dynamic behaviour of origami structures and metamaterials by utilising interdisciplinary approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of origami engineering and structural mechanics. The success of this project will form a foundation for studying energy absorption and impact mechanics of origami family; the fundamental physics and mechanics will be applied to characterise microstructures and design novel metamaterials and offer a way of exploring new materials with superior and tuneable performance. This should provide significant benefits to improvement of their safety, stability and reliability performance in applications such as vehicles, warships and offshore engineering.Read moreRead less
Multilayered Safety Clothing for Personal Protective Equipment. This project aims to improve multilayered firefighting protective garments and their thermal comfort by utilizing aerogel microparticles containing thermal regulation materials and flame-retardant agents. This research will create new multifunctional fabric designs and engineering techniques to integrate improved heat and flame protection, comfort and smart features into optimized multilayered garments. It will create novel clothing ....Multilayered Safety Clothing for Personal Protective Equipment. This project aims to improve multilayered firefighting protective garments and their thermal comfort by utilizing aerogel microparticles containing thermal regulation materials and flame-retardant agents. This research will create new multifunctional fabric designs and engineering techniques to integrate improved heat and flame protection, comfort and smart features into optimized multilayered garments. It will create novel clothing systems that will better protect wearers and allow them to effectively combat bushfires and save lives and assets. The successful completion will enable industrial capability in next generation advanced protective garments and functional uniforms for broad occupational health safety and well-being applications.Read moreRead less
4D Printed Origami Structures: Deformation Mechanisms and Mechanics. This project aims to understand the physics and self-folding mechanisms of 4D printed origami structures and materials by utilising interdisciplinary approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of origami engineering and structural mechanics. The success of this project will form a foundation for studying shape-shifting and sequential control of smart origamis. The fundamental mechanics will be appli ....4D Printed Origami Structures: Deformation Mechanisms and Mechanics. This project aims to understand the physics and self-folding mechanisms of 4D printed origami structures and materials by utilising interdisciplinary approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of origami engineering and structural mechanics. The success of this project will form a foundation for studying shape-shifting and sequential control of smart origamis. The fundamental mechanics will be applied to characterise and design novel smart materials/structures with tuneable shape-morphing and mechanical performance. This should provide significant benefits to improvement of their safety, stability and reliability performance in applications such as space engineering, wearable technology and smart robotics.Read moreRead less
A new energy absorption system for brain injury mitigation. This research aims to propose and investigate a next generation high-energy absorbing helmet pad that will protect the Australian Defence Force soldiers against both ballistic and blast threats. New fundamental knowledge in the area of high-energy absorbing metamaterials will be obtained by using numerical modelling and experimental studies. The expected outcomes of the project include the development of a new wearable energy absorbing ....A new energy absorption system for brain injury mitigation. This research aims to propose and investigate a next generation high-energy absorbing helmet pad that will protect the Australian Defence Force soldiers against both ballistic and blast threats. New fundamental knowledge in the area of high-energy absorbing metamaterials will be obtained by using numerical modelling and experimental studies. The expected outcomes of the project include the development of a new wearable energy absorbing pad which can be used as the next generation combat helmet liners and accessories. The novel high-performance energy absorption system will have a wide range of direct applications in future personal armour, as well as sports gears and elderly healthcare products.Read moreRead less
Advanced Combustion Modelling for Scramjets and Rotating Detonation Engines. This project will develop new fundamental knowledge and engineering models underpinning air-breathing high speed propulsion engines employing complex hydrocarbon fuels. Extensive data and new physical understanding will be garnered through analysis of direct numerical simulations of supersonic reacting mixing layers including impinging shock waves. That data will be employed to isolate, test and develop computationally ....Advanced Combustion Modelling for Scramjets and Rotating Detonation Engines. This project will develop new fundamental knowledge and engineering models underpinning air-breathing high speed propulsion engines employing complex hydrocarbon fuels. Extensive data and new physical understanding will be garnered through analysis of direct numerical simulations of supersonic reacting mixing layers including impinging shock waves. That data will be employed to isolate, test and develop computationally efficient engineering models that are accurate and efficient for high speed combustion in rotating detonation engines and scramjets. Expected outcomes are knowledge and tools needed to develop practical and effective supersonic propulsion engines for access to space, defence and high speed point-to-point flight.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100622
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,340.00
Summary
Digital authoritarian practices and the 21st century autocrat. This project aims to examine the emerging digital practices of authoritarian regimes, generating new knowledge on authoritarianism through qualitative methods that are underused in cybersecurity research. It proposes to determine whether such ‘digital authoritarianism’ is a new and distinct phenomenon, or rather the transposition of offline authoritarian practices into the online space. Expected outcomes include enhanced understandin ....Digital authoritarian practices and the 21st century autocrat. This project aims to examine the emerging digital practices of authoritarian regimes, generating new knowledge on authoritarianism through qualitative methods that are underused in cybersecurity research. It proposes to determine whether such ‘digital authoritarianism’ is a new and distinct phenomenon, or rather the transposition of offline authoritarian practices into the online space. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of technology’s impacts on autocratic agendas and generating data that supports effective national security policy. This should create benefits such as (1) furthering knowledge on authoritarianism and (2) supporting evidence-based policies to respond to the authoritarian cyber threat.Read moreRead less
Electron Transpiration Cooling of Hypersonic Vehicles. Future aircraft for flight at hypersonic speeds require sharp leading edges for the best aerodynamic performance. Sharp leading edges incur high heat loads and cannot be adequately cooled with current technologies. The project aim is to investigate novel surface materials that emit electrons when heated. This emission of electrons from the surface can significantly contribute to the cooling of the sharp leading edges. This project is expecte ....Electron Transpiration Cooling of Hypersonic Vehicles. Future aircraft for flight at hypersonic speeds require sharp leading edges for the best aerodynamic performance. Sharp leading edges incur high heat loads and cannot be adequately cooled with current technologies. The project aim is to investigate novel surface materials that emit electrons when heated. This emission of electrons from the surface can significantly contribute to the cooling of the sharp leading edges. This project is expected to deliver new experimental data on novel surface materials exposed to a hypersonic flow environment and computer models that can simulate their cooling effect. This investigation will contribute towards enabling technologies for sustained hypersonic flight by overcoming critical head load limitations.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100975
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,775.00
Summary
Architectured ceramics to combine strength, toughness, and complex shapes. This project aims to develop ceramics that are simultaneously strong and tough, and to form them into complex shapes without compromising their mechanical properties – major challenges in science and engineering. Inspired by the internal architectures that confer these advantages on natural hard materials, it will produce novel ceramics with rationally-designed, highly-controlled dense architectures by developing a fast, ....Architectured ceramics to combine strength, toughness, and complex shapes. This project aims to develop ceramics that are simultaneously strong and tough, and to form them into complex shapes without compromising their mechanical properties – major challenges in science and engineering. Inspired by the internal architectures that confer these advantages on natural hard materials, it will produce novel ceramics with rationally-designed, highly-controlled dense architectures by developing a fast, scalable and versatile light-based 3D–4D printing technique combined with discrete element modelling. Outcomes will be toughened ceramics and new knowledge on processing-architecture-performance relationships, with significant benefits for biomaterials, defence, transport, high-temperature and aerospace applications.Read moreRead less