Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100273
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$407,679.00
Summary
Supercomputing to understand track buckling and related train derailments. This project aims to understand the contributions of railway train forces to a dangerous and high-cost track dynamic behaviour called buckling; by developing a supercomputing method that unlocks the capability for large-scale 3D train-track interaction research for railway trains of up to 250 vehicles. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding track buckling, train derailments and train-track dynamics. Expe ....Supercomputing to understand track buckling and related train derailments. This project aims to understand the contributions of railway train forces to a dangerous and high-cost track dynamic behaviour called buckling; by developing a supercomputing method that unlocks the capability for large-scale 3D train-track interaction research for railway trains of up to 250 vehicles. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding track buckling, train derailments and train-track dynamics. Expected outcomes include a new supercomputing method for train-track dynamics and derailment research and a science-based technique to assess track buckling safety. This project should provide significant benefits to the rail industry including enhanced rail safety, lower maintenance costs and improved transport efficiency.Read moreRead less
Novel vibro-acoustic technologies for detecting bearing and wheel defects in rail vehicles. Research will be conducted to provide the basis for the development of a novel automatic system that detects bearing and wheel defects in under-way railway wagons, thus helping to prevent catastrophic derailments and minimise fuel consumption. It will also maintain Australian industry at the forefront of the global track-side monitoring industry.
Plastic deformation and failure of high strength rail steels in heavy haul transportation of mineral products. The Australian Government has made infrastructure, including rail, as a national priority for investment to meet the freight transport demand. This project focuses on the deformation and failure of rail in heavy haul lines to transport ores in the mining industry. The outcomes will be applied to ensure the structural integrity of rail infrastructure.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453398
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$161,075.00
Summary
A Non Contact Facility For Measuring Irreversible Energy, Residual Stress, and Full Field Stresses for Critical Rail Infra-Structure Assessment. To meet the national rail objectives as enunciated in the 2002 Green Paper there is an urgent requirement for a capability for: i) advanced (rail) prototype assessment, ii) rapid assessment of rail infra-structure, iii) for increasing the capacity of existing (rail) infra-structure. To address this we propose a facility with both a dissipative energy m ....A Non Contact Facility For Measuring Irreversible Energy, Residual Stress, and Full Field Stresses for Critical Rail Infra-Structure Assessment. To meet the national rail objectives as enunciated in the 2002 Green Paper there is an urgent requirement for a capability for: i) advanced (rail) prototype assessment, ii) rapid assessment of rail infra-structure, iii) for increasing the capacity of existing (rail) infra-structure. To address this we propose a facility with both a dissipative energy measurement and a 'lock in' thermograpghy capability. Recent Australian developments in thermo-elasticity enables the researchers to extend this facility to measure residual stress in complex components. The ability to measure dissipated energy, residual stress, ultrasonic waves, and full field stress will create a unique research capability.Read moreRead less
Innovative Rubber Vibration Isolators Using a Variable Die Extrusion Process. Derby Rubber's innovative variable-die extrusion process opens new possibilities for vibration-isolation pads, such as those used to isolate industrial machinery and railway tracks. Conceivably, clever, simple inexpensive solutions can be tailored to each application to provide most of the benefits of complex, expensive systems. The market would be large, and the margins attractive. We aim to achieve this via wide-rang ....Innovative Rubber Vibration Isolators Using a Variable Die Extrusion Process. Derby Rubber's innovative variable-die extrusion process opens new possibilities for vibration-isolation pads, such as those used to isolate industrial machinery and railway tracks. Conceivably, clever, simple inexpensive solutions can be tailored to each application to provide most of the benefits of complex, expensive systems. The market would be large, and the margins attractive. We aim to achieve this via wide-ranging innovation based on creativity in conceptual design, ingenuity of production process, and reliability in testing, all underpinned by new analytical capabilities to enable pad designs to be assessed in the design stage and subsequently tailored to a specific application.Read moreRead less
Designing for Safe and Durable Structures. This project creates advanced concepts and tools for the analysis/design of new structures, and structural modifications with safety and durability constraints. It involves the marriage of the alternative finite element techniques, for assessing durability, recent developments in structural optimisations, and advances in parallel processing techniques. This project builds on the applicants recent pioneering work, one of which won the best paper award ....Designing for Safe and Durable Structures. This project creates advanced concepts and tools for the analysis/design of new structures, and structural modifications with safety and durability constraints. It involves the marriage of the alternative finite element techniques, for assessing durability, recent developments in structural optimisations, and advances in parallel processing techniques. This project builds on the applicants recent pioneering work, one of which won the best paper award at the 2nd Australasian Conference on Applied Mechanics. By marrying the skills associated with three internationally recognised key researchers this proposal represents a major advance in the basic understanding of structural optimisation and creates unique research linkages.Read moreRead less
Stress Evaluation with Non-Linear Guided Waves. This project plans to investigate a novel approach for in situ measurement of stress in structures based on an internal resonance phenomenon for nonlinear guided waves. Monitoring the stress level of critical structural components is important to ensure structural safety. The project plans to derive the requirements for this internal resonance and its dependence on stress analytically and verify them experimentally for both simple waveguides and mo ....Stress Evaluation with Non-Linear Guided Waves. This project plans to investigate a novel approach for in situ measurement of stress in structures based on an internal resonance phenomenon for nonlinear guided waves. Monitoring the stress level of critical structural components is important to ensure structural safety. The project plans to derive the requirements for this internal resonance and its dependence on stress analytically and verify them experimentally for both simple waveguides and more realistic structures. The expected outcome is the demonstration of the feasibility of a new inexpensive method for continuous monitoring of applied or thermally-induced stresses, which is of great importance in several engineering contexts, such as modern railway track rails, pipelines or pre-stressed strands in concrete structures.Read moreRead less
Optimal Topological Design of 3D Continuum Structures for Crashworthiness. There is a widespread need throughout the Australian transport, defence and construction industries for high performance energy absorption devices. Data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau show that in 2002 there were 1,715 people killed in 1,525 crashes in Australia. The proposed research will develop advanced techniques for improving crashworthiness of vehicles, roadside barriers and other energy absorption devi ....Optimal Topological Design of 3D Continuum Structures for Crashworthiness. There is a widespread need throughout the Australian transport, defence and construction industries for high performance energy absorption devices. Data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau show that in 2002 there were 1,715 people killed in 1,525 crashes in Australia. The proposed research will develop advanced techniques for improving crashworthiness of vehicles, roadside barriers and other energy absorption devices. This will lead to significant reductions in injury to people and damage to structures caused by impact; and thus substantial savings for the nation from the enormous costs associated with the fatalities, injuries and structural damages. Read moreRead less
Towards new generations of lubricants using nanoparticles. Engines are essential to the Australian manufacturing, transport, power generation, mining and construction industries. Our project will develop the basic science for high-performance lubricants and wear-resistant materials using nanoparticles. These lubricants and materials will have a significant impact in reducing system failure from the chronic wear and friction of moving parts and optimise the cost structures of system manufacturing ....Towards new generations of lubricants using nanoparticles. Engines are essential to the Australian manufacturing, transport, power generation, mining and construction industries. Our project will develop the basic science for high-performance lubricants and wear-resistant materials using nanoparticles. These lubricants and materials will have a significant impact in reducing system failure from the chronic wear and friction of moving parts and optimise the cost structures of system manufacturing.Read moreRead less
WAVE TRAPPING BARRIERS. Traditional noise barriers have poor performance when installed as parallel barriers in front of noise sources with large reflection surfaces. This is because that the reflected noise from the far side barrier or from the source surfaces contributes significantly to the noise level at the receiver location. This project involves the investigation of a novel barrier, the wave trapping barrier (WTB), which is capable of retaining the noise between the source and the barrier ....WAVE TRAPPING BARRIERS. Traditional noise barriers have poor performance when installed as parallel barriers in front of noise sources with large reflection surfaces. This is because that the reflected noise from the far side barrier or from the source surfaces contributes significantly to the noise level at the receiver location. This project involves the investigation of a novel barrier, the wave trapping barrier (WTB), which is capable of retaining the noise between the source and the barrier and to provide maximum sound absorption at the frequencies of concern, and thus to minimize the contribution due to the reflection. The aim is to develop a theoretical and experimental model for the physical understanding and optimal design of the WTB. Outcomes include a new generation of noise barriers that are potentially light-weighted, fiberless and with higher insertion loss.Read moreRead less