Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Granular Flow in Hoppers. Handling and processing of bulk solids such as coal and metal ores perform a key function in many industries, and hoppers are the most common devices for storage and discharge of granular materials in this field. The proper design of this equipment is very important. This project provides a systematic investigation of granular flow in hoppers, which is essential in order to avoid structure failures and associated costs. It wil ....Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Granular Flow in Hoppers. Handling and processing of bulk solids such as coal and metal ores perform a key function in many industries, and hoppers are the most common devices for storage and discharge of granular materials in this field. The proper design of this equipment is very important. This project provides a systematic investigation of granular flow in hoppers, which is essential in order to avoid structure failures and associated costs. It will lead to a fundamental understanding of relevant industrial processes, improvement of their efficiency, and hence improved competitiveness of Australian mining/mineral/metallurgical industries.Read moreRead less
Tribological contact of work roll in hot rolling. Steel and aluminium manufacturers form their products by shaping a hot metal billet using, for example, presses and rollers which contact the rapidly cooling metal in the production line. The economic benefits of lubrication, reduced rolling force (up to 25%), reduced roll wear and extended roll life (up to 40%), reduced down time due to roll change, and better strip quality are very significant for these manufacturing processes. This comprehens ....Tribological contact of work roll in hot rolling. Steel and aluminium manufacturers form their products by shaping a hot metal billet using, for example, presses and rollers which contact the rapidly cooling metal in the production line. The economic benefits of lubrication, reduced rolling force (up to 25%), reduced roll wear and extended roll life (up to 40%), reduced down time due to roll change, and better strip quality are very significant for these manufacturing processes. This comprehensive program will provide new knowledge on lubrication and roll wear to help Australian manufacturing industry (e.g. steel and aluminium) to better understand and optimise their processes to achieve maximum benefits.Read moreRead less
Mechanics of mixed film lubrication in strip rolling. Rolling speeds of tandem cold rolling mills for thin steel strip are often limited by hot scratches and self excited chatter vibration, which forces the mill to slow down. Consequently the output is reduced and significant out-of-specification materials produced. Operating practices are guided by experience and trial-and-error method. In this project, a comprehensive model will be produced to quantify the effects of relevant parameters that c ....Mechanics of mixed film lubrication in strip rolling. Rolling speeds of tandem cold rolling mills for thin steel strip are often limited by hot scratches and self excited chatter vibration, which forces the mill to slow down. Consequently the output is reduced and significant out-of-specification materials produced. Operating practices are guided by experience and trial-and-error method. In this project, a comprehensive model will be produced to quantify the effects of relevant parameters that can provide a much better understanding of the rolling process at speeds higher than previously possible, and help to improve its productivity as well as product quality.Read moreRead less
Roll bite lubrication in hot strip rolling. Roll bite lubrication has been applied in hot strip rolling with significant cost savings in reduced rolling force, reduced roll wear and increasede productivity. However the mechanics of roll bite lubrication in the interface is not well understood due to the high temperature of the strip, scale oxide on the surfaces and contact asperities. It is known how the surface roughness is generated after rolling. This proposed project will develop a model to ....Roll bite lubrication in hot strip rolling. Roll bite lubrication has been applied in hot strip rolling with significant cost savings in reduced rolling force, reduced roll wear and increasede productivity. However the mechanics of roll bite lubrication in the interface is not well understood due to the high temperature of the strip, scale oxide on the surfaces and contact asperities. It is known how the surface roughness is generated after rolling. This proposed project will develop a model to simulate the roll bite lubrication process, to determine the roughness transfer from the roll surface to the strip surface, and optimise roll bite lubriation process.Read moreRead less
Contact mechanics in hot strip rolling. The mechanics of roll bite contact in hot strip rolling in the interface is not well understood due to the high temperature of the strip, scale oxide on the surfaces, contact asperities and lubrication mechanism of emulsion entrained in the roll bite. It is not known how the strip surface roughness is generated after rolling. This proposed project will develop a model to simulate the contact of the roll bite and to determine the quality of the surface roug ....Contact mechanics in hot strip rolling. The mechanics of roll bite contact in hot strip rolling in the interface is not well understood due to the high temperature of the strip, scale oxide on the surfaces, contact asperities and lubrication mechanism of emulsion entrained in the roll bite. It is not known how the strip surface roughness is generated after rolling. This proposed project will develop a model to simulate the contact of the roll bite and to determine the quality of the surface roughness transfer from the roll surface to the strip surface. The outcome would be significant cost savings in reduced rolling force, increased roll life, minimal surface defects and increased productivity.Read moreRead less
Strip shape performance at tandem cold mill. The shape of the strip at the cold mill are affected significantly by machine conditions and key process variables, and yet the inter-relationship between these key areas are not known and operators rely on trial-and-error methods to operate the mill. At high speeds, the shape of the strip leaving the mill is not good, causeing problems to rolling mills downstream. The project proposed here will integrate practical knowledge and numerical modeling of ....Strip shape performance at tandem cold mill. The shape of the strip at the cold mill are affected significantly by machine conditions and key process variables, and yet the inter-relationship between these key areas are not known and operators rely on trial-and-error methods to operate the mill. At high speeds, the shape of the strip leaving the mill is not good, causeing problems to rolling mills downstream. The project proposed here will integrate practical knowledge and numerical modeling of the strip shape of tandem cold mill at high speeds to optimise the quality of the strip exiting the cold mill, and enable the mill to operate at higher speeds than the current practiceRead moreRead less
Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Wear Behaviour of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. Exploring high wear-resistant materials is always an active issue in tribology and material engineering in order to extend the life of the wide-ranged wearing components and devices. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) demonstrates a superior wear resistance to stainless steel. This project aims to theoretically and experimentally exam the wear mechanism of NiTi SMA and quantify its wear rate. The expected out ....Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Wear Behaviour of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy. Exploring high wear-resistant materials is always an active issue in tribology and material engineering in order to extend the life of the wide-ranged wearing components and devices. NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) demonstrates a superior wear resistance to stainless steel. This project aims to theoretically and experimentally exam the wear mechanism of NiTi SMA and quantify its wear rate. The expected outcome will discover the contributions of phase transition and plasticity on the wear property of NiTi SMA, formulate a reliable wear model and stimulate the application of NiTi in tribology and modern micro-electric-mechanical systems.Read moreRead less
The use of numerical and experimental techniques to develop energy efficient open refrigerated display cabinets. This project will provide knowledge for Australian industry to develop new energy efficient refrigerated display cabinets, putting Australia in the forefront of commercial refrigeration display cabinet technologies. This will have a significant impact on sustainability of our environment and will assist Australia to meet present and future international climate obligations by contrib ....The use of numerical and experimental techniques to develop energy efficient open refrigerated display cabinets. This project will provide knowledge for Australian industry to develop new energy efficient refrigerated display cabinets, putting Australia in the forefront of commercial refrigeration display cabinet technologies. This will have a significant impact on sustainability of our environment and will assist Australia to meet present and future international climate obligations by contributing to the reduction of greenhouse emissions. The Government has already introduced new MEPS levels, and are planning to increase these to more stringent levels in 2007. The development of the techniques proposed in this application will be essential for manufacturers if they are to economically meet these MEPS level requirements. Read moreRead less
Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment. The proposed Project will make significant contribution towards the both fundamental understanding of heat transfer enhancement using dimpled surfaces and the design of heat exchangers and, in particular to the application of dimpled surfaces in air conditioning and refrigeration industries. Unlike the previous CFD studies which have been made on the assumptions that the flow is steady and decoupled from the ....Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment. The proposed Project will make significant contribution towards the both fundamental understanding of heat transfer enhancement using dimpled surfaces and the design of heat exchangers and, in particular to the application of dimpled surfaces in air conditioning and refrigeration industries. Unlike the previous CFD studies which have been made on the assumptions that the flow is steady and decoupled from the heat transfer calculations in this Project the fully coupled problem will be solved, in which unsteady flows are allowed to occur over a dimpled surfaces. As a result we will be able to more accurately determine the resultant effects on the pressure drop and heat transfer. Read moreRead less
Properties and Characterisation of Magneto-Rheological Materials under Rotating Magnetic Field Excitation. Through the proposed theoretical and experimental studies, new electro-magneto-mechanical phenomena of the MR materials under various vectorial magnetisations will be observed. Based on the in-depth understanding of the complex vectorial magneto-rheological mechanisms, an accurate coupled model will be developed for design and analysis of novel dampers. These outcomes will greatly enhance t ....Properties and Characterisation of Magneto-Rheological Materials under Rotating Magnetic Field Excitation. Through the proposed theoretical and experimental studies, new electro-magneto-mechanical phenomena of the MR materials under various vectorial magnetisations will be observed. Based on the in-depth understanding of the complex vectorial magneto-rheological mechanisms, an accurate coupled model will be developed for design and analysis of novel dampers. These outcomes will greatly enhance the design capacity of Australian industry in smart structures, i.e. using novel dampers to reduce harmful vibrations and protect people in vehicles, buildings, and bridges. This will help Australians to live in a safer and healthier environment, and could save billions of dollars per year nationwide for treatment, recovery, and insurance claims.Read moreRead less