Characterisation of amorphous metal materials. This project aims to develop in-depth understanding of magnetisation mechanisms and accurate characterisation of amorphous metal materials for effectively designing advanced transformers. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of property understanding and modelling of advanced soft magnetic materials through extensive theoretical and experimental studies on material samples and transformer prototypes. The intended outcome is hig ....Characterisation of amorphous metal materials. This project aims to develop in-depth understanding of magnetisation mechanisms and accurate characterisation of amorphous metal materials for effectively designing advanced transformers. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of property understanding and modelling of advanced soft magnetic materials through extensive theoretical and experimental studies on material samples and transformer prototypes. The intended outcome is high-frequency high-power-density transformers, which are crucial in many distributed renewable energy systems. The project would significantly benefit Australian manufacturing industry at the high-end market.Read moreRead less
EMERGENCY CONTROL FOR POWER SYSTEM SEPARATION. In 2003 we saw major blackouts of power systems for US/Canada, Italy and London leading to billions of dollars of lost production and major impacts on many peoples lives. One aspect contributing to some of these is the control of system dynamic response and the targeted use of emergency controls such as load and generator shedding. This project is contributing to the development of an integrated control response such that appropriate levels of emerg ....EMERGENCY CONTROL FOR POWER SYSTEM SEPARATION. In 2003 we saw major blackouts of power systems for US/Canada, Italy and London leading to billions of dollars of lost production and major impacts on many peoples lives. One aspect contributing to some of these is the control of system dynamic response and the targeted use of emergency controls such as load and generator shedding. This project is contributing to the development of an integrated control response such that appropriate levels of emergency controls are determined and the probability of cascading blackouts reduced through automated systems. Read moreRead less
Advanced Planning Tools for the Prevention of System-wide Blackouts of Large Power Systems. In 2003 there had been major power blackouts in US/Canada, Italy and in Scandinavia leading to billions of dollars of lost production and had raised concern about national security. Prevention of blackout should be one of the highest priorities of the electricity industry. National security for any critical infrastructure of any country is more vulnerable for a prolonged blackout. This project will provid ....Advanced Planning Tools for the Prevention of System-wide Blackouts of Large Power Systems. In 2003 there had been major power blackouts in US/Canada, Italy and in Scandinavia leading to billions of dollars of lost production and had raised concern about national security. Prevention of blackout should be one of the highest priorities of the electricity industry. National security for any critical infrastructure of any country is more vulnerable for a prolonged blackout. This project will provide comprehensive planning tools to prevent blackouts in the Australian National Electricity grid. Any benefit to electricity industry will finally result in further benefits to the national economy and security as a whole.
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Electricity Distribution in the Bush: Operation, Control and Energy Management of Grid Connected Distributed Generation Based Microgrids. Increasing the access of electricity by conventional means to remote areas requires a substantial increase in generating and transmission capacities over what is presently available. These will require large capital expenditure and will increase the levels of emissions of carbon dioxide and various nitrous oxides. As an alternative distributed generation (DG) ....Electricity Distribution in the Bush: Operation, Control and Energy Management of Grid Connected Distributed Generation Based Microgrids. Increasing the access of electricity by conventional means to remote areas requires a substantial increase in generating and transmission capacities over what is presently available. These will require large capital expenditure and will increase the levels of emissions of carbon dioxide and various nitrous oxides. As an alternative distributed generation (DG) using renewable energy resources and alternative fuels can be used to mitigate environmental impacts and cost. This project will contribute to the knowledge of operating a microgrid based on various DG energy sources that will be environmentally friendly and renewable. Community and economic benefits will flow from increased diversity of supply and reduced environmental impacts.Read moreRead less
Plasma-assisted on-surface assembly for hydrogen production and beyond. This project aims to discover how to catalyse the formation and control the structure of functional materials with atomic precision using plasmas. New mechanisms of ultra-fast, plasma-catalytic on-surface nanoasembly will translate into energy-efficient, scalable digital fabrication of subnano-cluster and single-atomic-site catalysts over large 3D surface areas, tailored for advanced electrocatalysis. The outcomes including ....Plasma-assisted on-surface assembly for hydrogen production and beyond. This project aims to discover how to catalyse the formation and control the structure of functional materials with atomic precision using plasmas. New mechanisms of ultra-fast, plasma-catalytic on-surface nanoasembly will translate into energy-efficient, scalable digital fabrication of subnano-cluster and single-atomic-site catalysts over large 3D surface areas, tailored for advanced electrocatalysis. The outcomes including new concepts and insights into synergistic action of plasmas and solid surfaces will bridge atomic-scale materials formation and digital fabrication at industrial scales. The benefits including the new nanofabrication platform and clean energy will go beyond the demands of digital manufacturing and hydrogen economy. Read moreRead less
Low-temperature plasma processes for high-quality graphene films. The project aims to develop novel plasma-enabled processes for low-cost, energy-efficient, and scalable growth of high-quality graphene films for applications in touch screen, solar cell and other devices. It aims to discover non-equilibrium plasma-surface interactions enabling nucleation and growth of graphene films with large and low-defect domains on metal catalysts at low temperatures, and then develop energy-efficient, enviro ....Low-temperature plasma processes for high-quality graphene films. The project aims to develop novel plasma-enabled processes for low-cost, energy-efficient, and scalable growth of high-quality graphene films for applications in touch screen, solar cell and other devices. It aims to discover non-equilibrium plasma-surface interactions enabling nucleation and growth of graphene films with large and low-defect domains on metal catalysts at low temperatures, and then develop energy-efficient, environment-friendly, and scalable fabrication and device transfer processes. These processes are designed to retain high quality of graphene films upon scale-up and will be compatible with the existing and emerging applications in touch screens and other devices. The expected outcomes include fundamental understanding and novel practical approaches to control synthesis and device integration of two-dimensional atomically-thin materials.Read moreRead less
Stability Analysis of Power System with Massive Power Electronic Devices. The decarbonization of Australia's power systems is to integrate massive renewable energy sources which are interfaced with many power electronic devices (PEDs). The fast and complex dynamics of PEDs have significantly changed the nature of the power system, which limits the applicability of existing tools and methods to assess its stability. The goal of this project is to gain a comprehensive insight into the stability of ....Stability Analysis of Power System with Massive Power Electronic Devices. The decarbonization of Australia's power systems is to integrate massive renewable energy sources which are interfaced with many power electronic devices (PEDs). The fast and complex dynamics of PEDs have significantly changed the nature of the power system, which limits the applicability of existing tools and methods to assess its stability. The goal of this project is to gain a comprehensive insight into the stability of a futuristic power system with high penetration of PEDs. The intended outcomes will be a model and data jointly driven methodology for high-efficient and real-time stability assessment. The methodology developed in this project will support Australia's transition to a stable, secure, and low-carbon power grid.Read moreRead less
Low Loss Distributed Wind Generators with Reduced Electromagnetic Interference and Shaft Voltage Based on Multilevel Converters. Distributed wind generators with minimum electromagnetic interference and bearing spikes are very important for the Australian energy industry because they are an environmentally friendly energy source. Predicting and reducing electromagnetic interferences and mechanical failures in wind farm systems is an important issue especially for the next generation of wind sys ....Low Loss Distributed Wind Generators with Reduced Electromagnetic Interference and Shaft Voltage Based on Multilevel Converters. Distributed wind generators with minimum electromagnetic interference and bearing spikes are very important for the Australian energy industry because they are an environmentally friendly energy source. Predicting and reducing electromagnetic interferences and mechanical failures in wind farm systems is an important issue especially for the next generation of wind systems when fast and advanced power electronic switches can create more EMI noise for both onshore and offshore wind farms. Medium-Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) systems have good performance and low losses, and are of particular interest to states which are close to wind power sources.Read moreRead less
Mitigating the risks of cyberattacks on cyber-physical power systems. Cyber threats are a pertinent issue facing power systems as part of national critical infrastructure. This project will develop a systematic theory to capture the dynamic risk propagation of cyberattacks on cyber-physical power systems. Focusing on the physical domain of cyber-physical power systems, the theory includes offline risk modelling with consideration of attack intentions for risk propagation of cyberattacks, an onli ....Mitigating the risks of cyberattacks on cyber-physical power systems. Cyber threats are a pertinent issue facing power systems as part of national critical infrastructure. This project will develop a systematic theory to capture the dynamic risk propagation of cyberattacks on cyber-physical power systems. Focusing on the physical domain of cyber-physical power systems, the theory includes offline risk modelling with consideration of attack intentions for risk propagation of cyberattacks, an online risk assessment method to quantify the risk propagation of cyberattacks, and resilient control strategies to mitigate cyberattack risks. The outcomes will not only advance knowledge in cyber-physical security but also facilitate an accelerated adoption of the increasing renewable energy sources into the power grid.Read moreRead less
Efficient signal processing using short word-length techniques. It is expected that the research will lead to significant reductions in cost and computational overheads for signal processing systems in general. These cost/speed enhancements have implications for radar, communications, audio, speech, video, aerospace, defence and biomedical engineering. In the last few decades, developments in enhancing the speed of processing signals has been clearly seen to impinge greatly on the lives of all c ....Efficient signal processing using short word-length techniques. It is expected that the research will lead to significant reductions in cost and computational overheads for signal processing systems in general. These cost/speed enhancements have implications for radar, communications, audio, speech, video, aerospace, defence and biomedical engineering. In the last few decades, developments in enhancing the speed of processing signals has been clearly seen to impinge greatly on the lives of all citizens and so positive outcomes from the research can be expected to translate into increased quality of life for the whole country.Read moreRead less