An investigation into the relationships between geology, geometry and wind blast magnitude & intensity in underground coal mining. In some underground coal mines where the roof comprises massive rock, the roof strata do not cave regularly as extraction progresses but hang up, leading to extensive areas of unsupported roof. These areas can suddenly collapse, compressing the air beneath and forcing it out of the void through surrounding openings giving rise to a potentially hazardous phenomenon kn ....An investigation into the relationships between geology, geometry and wind blast magnitude & intensity in underground coal mining. In some underground coal mines where the roof comprises massive rock, the roof strata do not cave regularly as extraction progresses but hang up, leading to extensive areas of unsupported roof. These areas can suddenly collapse, compressing the air beneath and forcing it out of the void through surrounding openings giving rise to a potentially hazardous phenomenon known as wind blast. The aim is to develop a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon and thus provide a basis on which to develop strategies to mitigate the hazard. Outcomes are expected to be improved levels of mining safety, technical viability and economics.Read moreRead less
Hydro-mechanical interactions in coal geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide. One of the most critical environmental issues facing society is that of global warming because of increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide released from burning of fossil fuels. Storage of CO2 in the ground, geo-sequestration, offers the promise of significant reductions in atmospheric CO2 release, particularly from coal fired power stations which produce 40% of Australia's CO2 emissions. The proposed project will lead ....Hydro-mechanical interactions in coal geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide. One of the most critical environmental issues facing society is that of global warming because of increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide released from burning of fossil fuels. Storage of CO2 in the ground, geo-sequestration, offers the promise of significant reductions in atmospheric CO2 release, particularly from coal fired power stations which produce 40% of Australia's CO2 emissions. The proposed project will lead to greater understanding and reduced risks during the injection and storage of CO2 in deep unmineable coal deposits. This will contribute to national efforts to reduce global warming, safeguard the Australian coal industry, and allow continued electricity generation from coal-fired plants. Read moreRead less
An assessment of carbon dioxide storage capacity of water bearing sedimentary basins. Dealing with the problems caused by climate change and global warming is among the greatest challenges facing Australia today. One of the approaches being considered to minimise anthropogenic influence over climate is the geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2). The proposed project will lead to greater understanding of storage capacity of sedimentary basins and identification of optimum injection conditions ....An assessment of carbon dioxide storage capacity of water bearing sedimentary basins. Dealing with the problems caused by climate change and global warming is among the greatest challenges facing Australia today. One of the approaches being considered to minimise anthropogenic influence over climate is the geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2). The proposed project will lead to greater understanding of storage capacity of sedimentary basins and identification of optimum injection conditions for geo-sequestration in such aquifers, and any potential mechanisms that could lead to migration of CO2 from the source rock back to the atmosphere.This will contribute to national efforts to reduce global warming, safeguard the Australian economy, and allow continued electricity generation from coal-fired plants.Read moreRead less
Fundamental theoretical investigation of the chemomechanical properties of clays. Australia faces significant environmental challenges, one of the most important being soil degradation. The aim of this project is to develop new and state-of-the art mathematical models describing the behaviour of clays in soils. This proposal addresses five fundamental problems in clay soil behaviour that have so far remained unanswered. The primary outcomes of this project will be new theoretical insights into t ....Fundamental theoretical investigation of the chemomechanical properties of clays. Australia faces significant environmental challenges, one of the most important being soil degradation. The aim of this project is to develop new and state-of-the art mathematical models describing the behaviour of clays in soils. This proposal addresses five fundamental problems in clay soil behaviour that have so far remained unanswered. The primary outcomes of this project will be new theoretical insights into the chemomechanical properties of clay soils, so providing the understanding required to intelligently engineer and manage our natural and built environments.Read moreRead less
Microstructural Analysis and Modelling of Copper Ore Agglomerates for Heap Leaching. The efficient extraction of valuable metals from mined ore can be considered as a problem of global concern as the world's reserves of such metals quickly diminish. For low grade copper ore, heap leaching has long been recognized as the most efficient mineral recovery procedure. This project aims to apply X-ray microtomography and micromechanical modelling to quantify the critical leaching properties of ore aggl ....Microstructural Analysis and Modelling of Copper Ore Agglomerates for Heap Leaching. The efficient extraction of valuable metals from mined ore can be considered as a problem of global concern as the world's reserves of such metals quickly diminish. For low grade copper ore, heap leaching has long been recognized as the most efficient mineral recovery procedure. This project aims to apply X-ray microtomography and micromechanical modelling to quantify the critical leaching properties of ore agglomerates and to formulate optimal heap leaching strategies. This will allow for better utilization of the Australia's low grade ore reserves. The procedures and methodologies to be developed will be applicable to other types of ore including gold, uranium and nickel.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775616
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
Advanced Testing Facility for Geological Sequestration of Greenhouse Gases. Predicted climate changes can cause disastrous impacts on nation's human health, agriculture, infrastructure and natural ecosystems. The reduction of greenhouse emissions as required by Kyoto Protocol while protecting Australian industries and jobs is a massive challenge. The long-term sequestration of CO2 in deep geological formations is considered to be the most viable solution. This technology, however, is at its i ....Advanced Testing Facility for Geological Sequestration of Greenhouse Gases. Predicted climate changes can cause disastrous impacts on nation's human health, agriculture, infrastructure and natural ecosystems. The reduction of greenhouse emissions as required by Kyoto Protocol while protecting Australian industries and jobs is a massive challenge. The long-term sequestration of CO2 in deep geological formations is considered to be the most viable solution. This technology, however, is at its infancy and a concerted national research effort is urgently required. The multi-user Facility will enable closer collaboration with researchers in academia and industry, and will be integral in training the next generation of Australian scientists in the geological sequestration and wealth from the earth and the ocean.Read moreRead less
Modelling of shrinkage crack development in porous media. Australia has interesting land formations comprising various reactive soils and rock. The formation of cracking patterns due to material shrinkage during either drying or cooling has a significant influence on their origin and subsequent behaviour. The shrinkage cracks significantly affect the performance of buildings, roads and buried pipelines. The possibility of their formation is important in many engineering designs, ranging from ....Modelling of shrinkage crack development in porous media. Australia has interesting land formations comprising various reactive soils and rock. The formation of cracking patterns due to material shrinkage during either drying or cooling has a significant influence on their origin and subsequent behaviour. The shrinkage cracks significantly affect the performance of buildings, roads and buried pipelines. The possibility of their formation is important in many engineering designs, ranging from few millimetres thick material film to hundreds of metres long clay barriers used in hazardous waste landfills. Despite their wide-spread significance, quantitative methods to predict the crack formation and interpretation are not yet available, and this project will provide a solution to this problem. Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354778
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Deep Earth Resource Characterisation and Extraction - An Integrated Geoscience Approach. Sustainability, economy and safety in resource recovery require a high level of understanding of the mechanics of geomaterials in their natural conditions and a multidisciplinary approach to the geotechnical issues involved. This initiative aims to bridge gaps between geotechnical disciplines, to combine the testing, analytical skills and experience of the research groups and to incorporate expertise and ide ....Deep Earth Resource Characterisation and Extraction - An Integrated Geoscience Approach. Sustainability, economy and safety in resource recovery require a high level of understanding of the mechanics of geomaterials in their natural conditions and a multidisciplinary approach to the geotechnical issues involved. This initiative aims to bridge gaps between geotechnical disciplines, to combine the testing, analytical skills and experience of the research groups and to incorporate expertise and ideas from the cognate disciplines of geology and geophysics so that innovative engineering practice will develop. This approach should achieve breakthroughs in understanding the behaviour of, and the safe economic extraction from deep resources including minerals, coal, gas drainage, petroleum and geothermal energy.Read moreRead less
Seeing the discrete in a continuum: an integrated numerical-rheological-experimental approach towards high resolution micromechanical continuum models of granular media. Processes involving granular materials are complex and rarely reach more than 60% of the design capacity, due to inadequate understanding of granular rheology. The short term benefits of the proposed project are: improved insights on the rheology of granular media; experimentally validated micromechanical constitutive models ....Seeing the discrete in a continuum: an integrated numerical-rheological-experimental approach towards high resolution micromechanical continuum models of granular media. Processes involving granular materials are complex and rarely reach more than 60% of the design capacity, due to inadequate understanding of granular rheology. The short term benefits of the proposed project are: improved insights on the rheology of granular media; experimentally validated micromechanical constitutive models with unmatched predictive capabilities; modelling techniques in the analysis of multiscale processes, germane to the Science of Complex Materials. The long term benefits are models of the required reliability for computer-aided design, production and management of particulate systems. These simulation tools will enhance Australia's competitive edge in the multi-billion dollar particulate and geotechnical industries.Read moreRead less
Modelling and simulation of emergent behaviour in particulate assemblies under terrestrial and microgravity conditions: a focus on force propagation. Systems and processes involving particulate matter are complex, and due to inadequate understanding and modelling capabilities, rarely reach more than 60% of the design capacity. Given the prominence of these materials in Australia's leading export industries, the potential economic and social impact of this research program is significant. For exa ....Modelling and simulation of emergent behaviour in particulate assemblies under terrestrial and microgravity conditions: a focus on force propagation. Systems and processes involving particulate matter are complex, and due to inadequate understanding and modelling capabilities, rarely reach more than 60% of the design capacity. Given the prominence of these materials in Australia's leading export industries, the potential economic and social impact of this research program is significant. For example, Australia holds the largest known resources of iron ore with annual exports exceeding $3.8 billion; annual wheat exports exceed $3.4 billion and 90% of Australia's sealed roads (granular paved) cost $1 billion per year to maintain. This research will advance knowledge of fundamental behaviour and deliver predictive tools to control and optimise processes involving particulate matter.Read moreRead less