Synthesis and Production of High Value Pyridines Combining the Concepts of Alternative Reaction Media and Process Intensification. This project aims to develop novel syntheses and process route for substituted pyridines by bringing together expertise in the fields of green chemistry and process intensification. Minimisation of waste, energy efficiency, and improved selectivity and control will be the key process and chemistry targets, which will produce high value compounds. Traditional approach ....Synthesis and Production of High Value Pyridines Combining the Concepts of Alternative Reaction Media and Process Intensification. This project aims to develop novel syntheses and process route for substituted pyridines by bringing together expertise in the fields of green chemistry and process intensification. Minimisation of waste, energy efficiency, and improved selectivity and control will be the key process and chemistry targets, which will produce high value compounds. Traditional approaches use organic solvents and preformed salts which are costly, generate waste and the processes are energy intensive due to poor selectivity, low yield and extensive separation steps. This is a generic investigation which will have wide ranging applications in the pharmaceutical, energy and advanced electronic industries.Read moreRead less
Application of process intensification on rotating surfaces (PIRS) in organic synthesis. Process intensification technologies in the form of SDP and RTP are new to Australia and present many opportunities for carrying out the synthesis of organic compounds. They have remarkable versatility in being able to control chemical reactions with greater selectivity than using classical batch technology, at the same time allowing access to new compounds. Moreover, the technologies embrace the principles ....Application of process intensification on rotating surfaces (PIRS) in organic synthesis. Process intensification technologies in the form of SDP and RTP are new to Australia and present many opportunities for carrying out the synthesis of organic compounds. They have remarkable versatility in being able to control chemical reactions with greater selectivity than using classical batch technology, at the same time allowing access to new compounds. Moreover, the technologies embrace the principles of green chemistry in minimising the generation of waste, while operating under continuous flow which is destined to be more attractive to industry. This is likely in the fine chemicals sector, and in drug discovery. The project will provide first-rate research training and promote Australian science. Read moreRead less
Multi-scale Process Modelling for Intelligent Control. Processing and manufacturing systems are inherently multi-scale in their behaviour. From the molecular scale to the enterprise-wide scale. This and other attributes of the individual models create difficulties in the design and control of such systems. This project will develop suitable multi-scale measures (metrics) for process models based on an object oriented assumption based modelling language. It will lead to enhanced intelligent contr ....Multi-scale Process Modelling for Intelligent Control. Processing and manufacturing systems are inherently multi-scale in their behaviour. From the molecular scale to the enterprise-wide scale. This and other attributes of the individual models create difficulties in the design and control of such systems. This project will develop suitable multi-scale measures (metrics) for process models based on an object oriented assumption based modelling language. It will lead to enhanced intelligent control strategies and improved operational performance through use of the most appropriate model. The work will focus on industrially important reaction and particulate processing systemsRead moreRead less
Skid mounted process for on-demand acetylene production. Skid mounted process for on-demand acetylene production. This project aims to develop a new, cheaper, safer and easier process for providing acetylene for the metal fabrication and construction industries. Mains gas (methane) will be converted into acetylene, on-site and on-demand, using a highly compact, transportable skid-based gas generator that is self-operating with a single touch ON-OFF system. This should remove the need to deliver ....Skid mounted process for on-demand acetylene production. Skid mounted process for on-demand acetylene production. This project aims to develop a new, cheaper, safer and easier process for providing acetylene for the metal fabrication and construction industries. Mains gas (methane) will be converted into acetylene, on-site and on-demand, using a highly compact, transportable skid-based gas generator that is self-operating with a single touch ON-OFF system. This should remove the need to deliver bottled acetylene to metal fabrication works, eliminating road transport and storage risks. There is a high potential for export of the plants to countries like China and India that use a calcium carbide-based process as a distributed acetylene source.Read moreRead less
Micro Process Plants - Non-Newtonian flow and particle synthesis in confined geometries. Understanding the flow behaviour of well characterised non-Newtonian fluids within microfluidic and nanofluidic devices is of vital importance to development of novel high-value added services, products and devices within Australia's burgeoning biotechnology, environmental technology, communications and information technology industries. The outcomes of this project will provide new 'systematic' design stand ....Micro Process Plants - Non-Newtonian flow and particle synthesis in confined geometries. Understanding the flow behaviour of well characterised non-Newtonian fluids within microfluidic and nanofluidic devices is of vital importance to development of novel high-value added services, products and devices within Australia's burgeoning biotechnology, environmental technology, communications and information technology industries. The outcomes of this project will provide new 'systematic' design standards for microdevice manufacture for these industries, ultimately leading to the creation of new, exciting avenues for tailoring novel biotechnology and 'point-of-care' products for Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775513
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Advanced Process Tomography Research Facility for Multiphase System Studies. The establishment of an advanced process tomography facility at UNSW has several important national benefits, including; increased capacity of the collaborating institutions to train highly qualified personnel to meet new and growing demands in the processing industries; the transfer of research-based cheap and efficient technologies to our industries to enhance their position in a competitive global market; the improve ....Advanced Process Tomography Research Facility for Multiphase System Studies. The establishment of an advanced process tomography facility at UNSW has several important national benefits, including; increased capacity of the collaborating institutions to train highly qualified personnel to meet new and growing demands in the processing industries; the transfer of research-based cheap and efficient technologies to our industries to enhance their position in a competitive global market; the improvement in our culture and living standards through superior and inexpensive food, biomedical, water, environmental, materials and military products; and the strengthening of Australian position, through international linkage projects, as a world leader in the development of novel processing technologies.Read moreRead less
Multi-Scale, Multi-Form Approach to the Modelling, Design and Control of Complex Particulate Processes. Many particulate processes suffer from high recycle rates and instability due to lack of knowledge at various scale levels, and on the fitness between model forms and applications. This project will develop a complete model hierarchy ranging from the microscopic scale to full plant scale using a multi-scale, multi-form approach. The joint force of two world class teams will tackle the complex ....Multi-Scale, Multi-Form Approach to the Modelling, Design and Control of Complex Particulate Processes. Many particulate processes suffer from high recycle rates and instability due to lack of knowledge at various scale levels, and on the fitness between model forms and applications. This project will develop a complete model hierarchy ranging from the microscopic scale to full plant scale using a multi-scale, multi-form approach. The joint force of two world class teams will tackle the complex interaction problems covering granulation fundamentals, dynamic modelling, process design and advanced control. The work will lead to significantly improved productivity and quality for a wide range of industrial particulate processes using innovative design and model based control strategies.Read moreRead less
On-demand 3D polymer scaffolds for directed stem cell differentiation. The project will develop new polymer gels that can be sculpted into shapes, representing tissues and organs. This 3D scaffold will provide a surface with biological signals to create functional tissues from stem cells. The approach will create engineered intestinal tissue with great promise to increase the survival rates of colon cancer patients.
Unsteady-State Operation of Slurry and Fixed-Bed Fischer-Tropsch Reactors for Improved Process Performance. The development of efficient gas-to-liquid processes via the Fischer-Tropsch reaction is the most economically viable route for the production of non-petroleum based chemicals and environmentally-friendly fuels from abundant natural gas. This investigation proposes the exploitation of both reactor and catalyst dynamics behaviour to obtain higher hydrocarbon synthesis rate and selectivity n ....Unsteady-State Operation of Slurry and Fixed-Bed Fischer-Tropsch Reactors for Improved Process Performance. The development of efficient gas-to-liquid processes via the Fischer-Tropsch reaction is the most economically viable route for the production of non-petroleum based chemicals and environmentally-friendly fuels from abundant natural gas. This investigation proposes the exploitation of both reactor and catalyst dynamics behaviour to obtain higher hydrocarbon synthesis rate and selectivity not attainable under conventional steady-state operation. With current market conditions of about US$30/bbl for crude oil, even modest process improvements of 30-60% will make the process competitive. Whilst individual national energy policy goals are promoted, the research will further strengthen closer economic and technology ties between France and Australia.Read moreRead less
Helium recovery from liquefied natural gas waste stream using nanoporous mxene materials. The waste streams from many liquefied natural gas (LNG) industries still contains valuable helium, a possible next mineral to sustain our economic growth. This project aims to efficiently separate helium from methane and nitrogen via the layered two dimensional materials. This project will seek to understand the assembling behaviour of these nano-sized Mxene flakes and their molecular sieving properties. Au ....Helium recovery from liquefied natural gas waste stream using nanoporous mxene materials. The waste streams from many liquefied natural gas (LNG) industries still contains valuable helium, a possible next mineral to sustain our economic growth. This project aims to efficiently separate helium from methane and nitrogen via the layered two dimensional materials. This project will seek to understand the assembling behaviour of these nano-sized Mxene flakes and their molecular sieving properties. Australia is playing a leading role in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and trade. This project expects to further position Australia at the forefront of intellectual leadership in the field of gas processing and material development. This will have significant benefits, such as further improving these LNG projects economics by cost-effectively producing helium as a valuable by-product via advanced porous nano-materials.Read moreRead less