Investigation into flow over complex topography and escarpments for wind turbine siting using experimental and computational methods. This project will improve national capability to optimise power production from wind turbine farms in complex terrain by improving the understanding of the flow regime. By better understanding separated regions and the turbulent structures within these regions power production can be optimised and fatigue risks associated with turbine positioning in complex sites ....Investigation into flow over complex topography and escarpments for wind turbine siting using experimental and computational methods. This project will improve national capability to optimise power production from wind turbine farms in complex terrain by improving the understanding of the flow regime. By better understanding separated regions and the turbulent structures within these regions power production can be optimised and fatigue risks associated with turbine positioning in complex sites can be reduced. This will improve confidence in wind farm site assessment techniques and consequently reduce economic risks associated with current wind farm viability assessments. By increasing national capacity to generate clean energy stationary energy emissions can be reduced. This project will also deliver high calibre graduates that will be potential future industry leaders.Read moreRead less
Dual Geothermal System for Fresh Water Production and Power Generation. The dual geothermal system for fresh water production and power generation developed in this project will use relatively low-temperature geothermal resources and assist in supplying domestic fresh water as well as electricity to small communities remote from the main electricity grid without any associated greenhouse gas emissions. The technology developed will provide an opportunity for industry development, employment crea ....Dual Geothermal System for Fresh Water Production and Power Generation. The dual geothermal system for fresh water production and power generation developed in this project will use relatively low-temperature geothermal resources and assist in supplying domestic fresh water as well as electricity to small communities remote from the main electricity grid without any associated greenhouse gas emissions. The technology developed will provide an opportunity for industry development, employment creation and export potential through commercial manufacture in Australia of small to medium scale dual geothermal systems (e.g., 0.1 MW, 75000 litres fresh water per day).Read moreRead less
Evaluating modern printing inks: the behaviour of charged particles in concentrated nonaqueous colloidal dispersions. The Partner Organisation in this proposal, Research Laboratories of Australia (RLA) is a small Adelaide-based company which is at the forefront of modern colour printing technology. RLA provides liquid toners to several major international manufacturers of colour printers for use in liquid immersion development processes. This proposal will develop an instrument for characterisin ....Evaluating modern printing inks: the behaviour of charged particles in concentrated nonaqueous colloidal dispersions. The Partner Organisation in this proposal, Research Laboratories of Australia (RLA) is a small Adelaide-based company which is at the forefront of modern colour printing technology. RLA provides liquid toners to several major international manufacturers of colour printers for use in liquid immersion development processes. This proposal will develop an instrument for characterising the properties of liquid inks, enabling continual R&D improvement of RLA's products. Furthermore, the instrument can be commercialised and marketed worldwide to companies dealing with concentrated colloidal dispersions in a wide range of industries including foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and surface coatings.Read moreRead less
Flow generated by ducted surface pumps: buoyant jets at high Reynolds numbers and low Froude numbers. Ducted surface pumps are used in reservoirs to circulate and destratify the water in order to maintain its general quality and reduce the incidence of toxic algal blooms. This project aims to improve our understanding of the circulation and mixing behaviour of the large, low velocity jets, plumes and fountains created by these pumps. Computational fluid dynamics, laboratory and field studies wil ....Flow generated by ducted surface pumps: buoyant jets at high Reynolds numbers and low Froude numbers. Ducted surface pumps are used in reservoirs to circulate and destratify the water in order to maintain its general quality and reduce the incidence of toxic algal blooms. This project aims to improve our understanding of the circulation and mixing behaviour of the large, low velocity jets, plumes and fountains created by these pumps. Computational fluid dynamics, laboratory and field studies will be used to model and map these flow fields. The findings will have a number of potential applications including methods for improving water quality in and downstream of storages.Read moreRead less
Optimising the Capture of Fine and Coarse Particles in Mineral Flotation. The aim of this project is to optimise the physical conditions for the capture of both fine and coarse particles by gas bubbles in flotation. The projects significance lies in the fact that fine and coarse particles represent the major economic loss of minerals in flotation. New methods to characterise the physical environment in flotation, as well as new approaches to modelling flotation will be expected outcomes of the ....Optimising the Capture of Fine and Coarse Particles in Mineral Flotation. The aim of this project is to optimise the physical conditions for the capture of both fine and coarse particles by gas bubbles in flotation. The projects significance lies in the fact that fine and coarse particles represent the major economic loss of minerals in flotation. New methods to characterise the physical environment in flotation, as well as new approaches to modelling flotation will be expected outcomes of the project.
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Putting an end to hospital-borne infection with micronebulisation of lung-safe disinfectants. Dangerous infections are unfortunately common in hospitals, established and retransmitted via surfaces and handheld items, representing a leading contributor to death worldwide, and potentially a far more serious problem to come as antimicrobial resistance worsens. The project aims to exploit a newly discovered and unique low power nebulisation technology to nebulise a strongly antiviral, antibacterial ....Putting an end to hospital-borne infection with micronebulisation of lung-safe disinfectants. Dangerous infections are unfortunately common in hospitals, established and retransmitted via surfaces and handheld items, representing a leading contributor to death worldwide, and potentially a far more serious problem to come as antimicrobial resistance worsens. The project aims to exploit a newly discovered and unique low power nebulisation technology to nebulise a strongly antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent, triethylene glycol that is too viscous to do so by any other known method. Through refinement and engineering of the technology via this project, handheld and room-based continuously operating nebulisers will produce continuous microdroplet mists of these pathogen-killing agents that deposit on surfaces throughout a hospital.Read moreRead less
Optimizing blood flow in stented arteries: a fluid mechanics approach incorporating optical coherence tomography. Constriction in coronary arterial blood flow is a leading cause of death in Australia. Insertion of stents can rectify this problem but potentially lead to further complications. This project will use medical imaging data to construct computer models to study blood flow and particle motions in coronary arteries and improve stent designs.
Optimising haemodynamics in complex stented arteries. This project aims to optimise the hemodynamics (blood flow) in coronary arteries with high curvatures and bifurcations. Experience has shown that the build-up of plaque — and the resulting occlusion of blood flow — tends to occur in these complex arterial regions. The most common therapeutic strategy is the insertion of a stent to prop open the artery. However, the nature of the geometry often leads to post-stenting complications such as rest ....Optimising haemodynamics in complex stented arteries. This project aims to optimise the hemodynamics (blood flow) in coronary arteries with high curvatures and bifurcations. Experience has shown that the build-up of plaque — and the resulting occlusion of blood flow — tends to occur in these complex arterial regions. The most common therapeutic strategy is the insertion of a stent to prop open the artery. However, the nature of the geometry often leads to post-stenting complications such as restenosis and thrombosis, ultimately resulting in negative outcomes. In this project, advanced research methods from fluid dynamics and optimisation and control will be used to potentially minimise these highly undesirable effects.Read moreRead less
Thermal Optimisation of Gigascale Solar Photovoltaics. Large-scale solar photovoltaics are critical to decarbonising the global economy. Sun Cable is developing the world’s largest solar farm in the Northern Territory, and is considering deploying the 5B MAV solar array. At this scale, temperature-induced panel efficiency losses represent a major challenge that must be overcome through thermal performance optimisation. We will build sophisticated multiscale models to simulate and understand the ....Thermal Optimisation of Gigascale Solar Photovoltaics. Large-scale solar photovoltaics are critical to decarbonising the global economy. Sun Cable is developing the world’s largest solar farm in the Northern Territory, and is considering deploying the 5B MAV solar array. At this scale, temperature-induced panel efficiency losses represent a major challenge that must be overcome through thermal performance optimisation. We will build sophisticated multiscale models to simulate and understand the multiple interacting phenomena that cause panel heating, for the first time. This project will create the tools and know-how to optimise array design and solar farm development, delivering major efficiency gains and enhancing the viability of future gigascale solar projects.Read moreRead less
Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. This project aims to predict how platelets flow through vascular scale geometries, using an experimental and numerical development programme. Platelets maintain a healthy vascular system. Like other cells, they respond to local stimuli: the concentration of chemical agonists, bonds with neighbouring species, fluid dynamic stresses, and even their history. On a single ce ....Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. This project aims to predict how platelets flow through vascular scale geometries, using an experimental and numerical development programme. Platelets maintain a healthy vascular system. Like other cells, they respond to local stimuli: the concentration of chemical agonists, bonds with neighbouring species, fluid dynamic stresses, and even their history. On a single cell level, many of these biophysical processes are not understood or quantified. At the blood vessel level, multiscale modelling techniques cannot translate this single cell knowledge to capture how collections of platelets behave. This project is expected to lead to better therapies for cardiovascular disease and a new class of strongly interacting multiphase fluid dynamics problems.Read moreRead less