Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by th ....Wearable thermoelectric textiles for portable microelectronics. Wearable thermoelectrics enable the power generation from the temperature difference between human body and ambient temperature by using thermoelectric effect. This project aims to design eco-friendly wearable thermoelectric textiles to realize high-efficiency solid-state power generation and meet individual needs with human comfort and health. The target is to achieve a power density in the as-designed thermoelectric textiles by the optimization of materials and device design. The outcome will open up a new platform for the green and sustainable charge for portable microelectronics, which will lead to an innovative technology for energy management, which will place Australia at the forefront of wearable electronics and textile industry.Read moreRead less
Carbon accounting for managed urban environments: creating a conceptual process-based model. This project will develop a process-based model of the carbon cycle of a complex urban system - Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Melbourne, and validate the model in the RBG, Sydney. It will test alternative means by which carbon emissions information may be reported to provide information that is useful for the decisions made by diverse stakeholders.
Methane and nitrous oxide in agro-ecological systems: novel technologies and understandings to improve ecosystem management. Methane and nitrous oxide are critical greenhouse gases but globally we lack ecosystem scale analyses of the balance of emissions, including animal emissions, and soil oxidation. This project will quantify this balance for a range of agro-ecosystems, and explore and develop opportunities for improving soil-based Greenhouse Gas (GHG) mitigation measures.
Unlocking mine waste potential: carbon sequestration and metals extraction. This project aims to systematically investigate a proof-of-concept engineering process for transforming mine waste into value. The research will develop and employ state-of-the-art tools to advance our knowledge of efficiently sequestering carbon dioxide using ultramafic nickel mine tailings, while also enabling the extraction of critical metals—particularly nickel—and the production of value-added products, such as high ....Unlocking mine waste potential: carbon sequestration and metals extraction. This project aims to systematically investigate a proof-of-concept engineering process for transforming mine waste into value. The research will develop and employ state-of-the-art tools to advance our knowledge of efficiently sequestering carbon dioxide using ultramafic nickel mine tailings, while also enabling the extraction of critical metals—particularly nickel—and the production of value-added products, such as high-purity magnesium carbonate hydrate and silica. Successful outcomes from this research will provide benefits for mitigating global warming, supplying critical metals for renewable energy technologies, and facilitating the transition of Australia's mining industry towards sustainability.Read moreRead less
The effect of non-homogeneous roughness on full-scale drag predictions. Partnering with AkzoNobel, one of the world’s leading suppliers of anti-fouling marine coatings, this project will deliver new tools for predicting the drag penalty on ships fouled by the settlement of marine organisms on the hull. All available predictions assume a homogeneous distribution of roughness. Yet we know biofouling is always patchy, hence prediction methods need an upgrade. Making a compelling business case to sh ....The effect of non-homogeneous roughness on full-scale drag predictions. Partnering with AkzoNobel, one of the world’s leading suppliers of anti-fouling marine coatings, this project will deliver new tools for predicting the drag penalty on ships fouled by the settlement of marine organisms on the hull. All available predictions assume a homogeneous distribution of roughness. Yet we know biofouling is always patchy, hence prediction methods need an upgrade. Making a compelling business case to ship operators is contingent on such predictions, where the cost of anti-fouling solutions is weighed against that of continued operation with a rough hull. The novel tools developed here will therefore lead to increased ship efficiency by empowering ship operators to optimise hull cleaning and repainting schedules.
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Lower greenhouse at lower cost: maximising the potential of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in passenger vehicles. This project will develop tools for designing internal combustion engines that simultaneously achieve low greenhouse emissions without added consumer cost. The project aim is to be achieved through the effective use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is an affordable fuel that has potentially low emissions if used properly.
3-D Printed Catalytic Monoliths for Energy Efficient Carbon Conversion. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is an essential pathway for reducing carbon in the Earth's atmosphere. However a major hurdle in the carbon utilisation part is that the conversion technologies often rely on energy derived from fossil sources. Electrification of carbon conversion processes can overcome this hurdle by providing this energy via renewables. This project aims to develop an electrically powered energy efficie ....3-D Printed Catalytic Monoliths for Energy Efficient Carbon Conversion. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is an essential pathway for reducing carbon in the Earth's atmosphere. However a major hurdle in the carbon utilisation part is that the conversion technologies often rely on energy derived from fossil sources. Electrification of carbon conversion processes can overcome this hurdle by providing this energy via renewables. This project aims to develop an electrically powered energy efficient catalytic process for carbon conversion. A modular 3-D printed monolithic catalytic reactor prototype powered by induction or resistive heating will be developed to minimise energy loss in the carbon conversion process. An expected outcome of this project is translation of this prototype in a CCU pilot scale facility.Read moreRead less
Modelling Energy Efficiency of Next-Generation Networks. The focus of this project is to develop modelling techniques for energy consumption in next-generation telecommunication networks. A growing problem for telecommunication providers is how to minimise the energy consumption of their networks. This is important in reducing their operational expenditure and meeting the energy demands of future growth in network traffic. There is an emerging trend towards next-generation networks (such as 5G w ....Modelling Energy Efficiency of Next-Generation Networks. The focus of this project is to develop modelling techniques for energy consumption in next-generation telecommunication networks. A growing problem for telecommunication providers is how to minimise the energy consumption of their networks. This is important in reducing their operational expenditure and meeting the energy demands of future growth in network traffic. There is an emerging trend towards next-generation networks (such as 5G wireless and network function virtualisation), which will use highly dynamic network architectures. Project outcomes are intended to enable real-time management of energy usage, and the assessment of the financial benefits of different investment strategies in network infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Greening procurement of infrastructure construction: optimising mass-haul operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This project will develop and prototype tools to reduce the high environmental impact of mass haul operations in road and rail infrastructure projects. Both contractors and clients need practical methods for calculating, optimising and procuring optimal solutions, because mass haul is one of the few areas where a contractor can reduce carbon dioxide impact.
Multi-service assessment of intertidal treatment wetlands. This project aims to investigate the use of constructed intertidal wetlands to reduce nitrogen pollution while providing co-benefits including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. This research will generate a holistic assessment of the services, disservices, and cost-effectiveness of intertidal treatment wetlands compared to traditional wastewater treatment approaches. Expected outcomes include a full-scale multi-disciplinary environm ....Multi-service assessment of intertidal treatment wetlands. This project aims to investigate the use of constructed intertidal wetlands to reduce nitrogen pollution while providing co-benefits including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. This research will generate a holistic assessment of the services, disservices, and cost-effectiveness of intertidal treatment wetlands compared to traditional wastewater treatment approaches. Expected outcomes include a full-scale multi-disciplinary environmental and economic assessment of a constructed treatment wetland in a new urban development, providing industry and government partners the knowledge required to broaden uptake of intertidal wetlands as a cost-effective solution to growing levels of coastal anthropogenic pollution.Read moreRead less