A Fundamental Study on Redox Behaviour of Oxygen Carriers in Chemical Looping Combustion. Our goal here is to acquire fundamental knowledge about the redox behaviour of metal oxide oxygen carriers which, arguably, underpins the feasibility of the Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) concept. Although the proposed work is fundamental and will contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the results will have immediate practical applications in power generation industry at both national and internatio ....A Fundamental Study on Redox Behaviour of Oxygen Carriers in Chemical Looping Combustion. Our goal here is to acquire fundamental knowledge about the redox behaviour of metal oxide oxygen carriers which, arguably, underpins the feasibility of the Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) concept. Although the proposed work is fundamental and will contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the results will have immediate practical applications in power generation industry at both national and international levels. This should significantly contribute to the Australian Government's efforts in producing world class solutions for abatement of greenhouse emissions (Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, Priority Goal 1.4 - Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation).Read moreRead less
Development of a fuel control system for small two-stroke engines. The two-stroke engine is well known not only for its mechanical simplicity and power-to-weight advantages, but also for its high hydrocarbon emission caused by fuel short-circuiting. Driven by new regulations, developing new technologies for small two-stroke engines to meet pollutant emission standards has become urgent. This project aims to develop a fuel control system for reducing hydrocarbon and other emissions of a two-strok ....Development of a fuel control system for small two-stroke engines. The two-stroke engine is well known not only for its mechanical simplicity and power-to-weight advantages, but also for its high hydrocarbon emission caused by fuel short-circuiting. Driven by new regulations, developing new technologies for small two-stroke engines to meet pollutant emission standards has become urgent. This project aims to develop a fuel control system for reducing hydrocarbon and other emissions of a two-stroke engine designed and produced by Australia's leading lawnmower manufacturer. The knowledge and technology developed will be broadly applicable. By reducing engine pollutant emissions and improving fuel energy efficiency, this research addresses environmental and energy efficiency imperatives.Read moreRead less
Nano- and micro-scale engineering of MoS2-based catalyst for conversion of syngas to ethanol. Domestic production of ethanol to provide a 10% blend in petrol (E10) can be achieved from waste methane gas that Australia currently vents or flares to atmosphere. This project aims to develop a conversion process for making ethanol from syngas (the product of coal or methane gasification). Small scale, modularised plants would make ethanol locally to the methane emission source. The benefits of local ....Nano- and micro-scale engineering of MoS2-based catalyst for conversion of syngas to ethanol. Domestic production of ethanol to provide a 10% blend in petrol (E10) can be achieved from waste methane gas that Australia currently vents or flares to atmosphere. This project aims to develop a conversion process for making ethanol from syngas (the product of coal or methane gasification). Small scale, modularised plants would make ethanol locally to the methane emission source. The benefits of local E10 production would be a reduction in the oil trade deficit of $1 billion per year, $500 million per year in lower carbon imposts to industry and government, 25 million tonnes per year of reduced CO2e release to atmosphere and significantly improved urban air through reduced emissions from car transport, with attendant human health benefits.Read moreRead less
Quantification of heat release, NOx emissions and soot from high temperature gaseous flames. The ongoing importance of Australia's minerals processing sector depends on advanced combustion technology to minimise the emission of NOx and other greenhouse gases. The heat release and NOx emissions from the high temperature flames used in such processes is known to depend strongly on the presence of soot. However their optimisation and design is limited by a lack of fundamental data under relevant c ....Quantification of heat release, NOx emissions and soot from high temperature gaseous flames. The ongoing importance of Australia's minerals processing sector depends on advanced combustion technology to minimise the emission of NOx and other greenhouse gases. The heat release and NOx emissions from the high temperature flames used in such processes is known to depend strongly on the presence of soot. However their optimisation and design is limited by a lack of fundamental data under relevant conditions. To address this need, new measurements and analysis will be performed to quantify the complex relationship between turbulent mixing, soot formation, heat release and NOx emissions under high temperature conditions of both fundamental and practical significance.
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Combined Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and CFD modelling to study particle deposition in conduits. System geometry greatly influences flow hydrodynamics and hence the transport of colloidal particles and ionic species from the bulk to the surfaces that result in formation of unwanted deposit matter on the surface. The formation of unwanted deposits has significant environmental and economic penalties. This project uses a new approach that is combining the CFD modelling and experimentation inc ....Combined Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and CFD modelling to study particle deposition in conduits. System geometry greatly influences flow hydrodynamics and hence the transport of colloidal particles and ionic species from the bulk to the surfaces that result in formation of unwanted deposit matter on the surface. The formation of unwanted deposits has significant environmental and economic penalties. This project uses a new approach that is combining the CFD modelling and experimentation including flow visualization by PIV to systematically investigate the effect of channel geometry and flow on deposit formation. The outcomes of the project will result in a better understanding and formulating of the effect of geometry on deposition of colloidal particles and ionic species on the surfaces. The results contribute not only towards the mitigation processes for unwanted deposition; it also advances the knowledge in coating applications.Read moreRead less
Near zero-emission hydrogen and carbon production from natural gas and bio-methane. Hydrogen is envisaged as a clean fuel for power generation particularly for the transportation sector. In the short- and mid-term future, hydrogen will be derived from fossil fuels. Based on the conventional processes, the route from fossil fuels to hydrogen invariably produces greenhouse gases. Geosequestration is a viable technique of storing carbon dioxide but has an uncertain long-term environmental ramifi ....Near zero-emission hydrogen and carbon production from natural gas and bio-methane. Hydrogen is envisaged as a clean fuel for power generation particularly for the transportation sector. In the short- and mid-term future, hydrogen will be derived from fossil fuels. Based on the conventional processes, the route from fossil fuels to hydrogen invariably produces greenhouse gases. Geosequestration is a viable technique of storing carbon dioxide but has an uncertain long-term environmental ramification. In contrast, our proposed technique avoids the production of greenhouse gases and, instead, engenders high value added graphitized carbon as a by-product. Given the relative stability and value of graphitized carbon, our catalytic cracking process provides another option to geosequestration.Read moreRead less