Statistical methods for quantifying variation in spatiotemporal areal data. This project aims to develop new statistical methods for extracting insights into spatial and temporal variation in areal data. These tools will extend the Australian Cancer Atlas which provides small area estimates for 20 cancers across Australia. The project is significant because it will allow government and other organisations to reap dividends from investment in collecting spatial information and it will enable mode ....Statistical methods for quantifying variation in spatiotemporal areal data. This project aims to develop new statistical methods for extracting insights into spatial and temporal variation in areal data. These tools will extend the Australian Cancer Atlas which provides small area estimates for 20 cancers across Australia. The project is significant because it will allow government and other organisations to reap dividends from investment in collecting spatial information and it will enable modelled small-area estimates to be released without compromising confidentiality. The expected outcomes include new statistical knowledge and new insights into cancer. The results will benefit the many disciplines, managers and policy makers that make decisions based on geographic data mapped over space and time. Read moreRead less
Advanced Signal Processing for Radiation Spectroscopy. Southern Innovation develops and markets world-leading pulse processing technologies for the rapid, accurate detection and measurement of radiation. The underlying real-time signal processing challenge relates to isolating often overlapping pulses, determining when each pulse arrived and the energy of each pulse. Recent advances in the computational power of digital signal processing boards makes it timely to develop innovative pulse process ....Advanced Signal Processing for Radiation Spectroscopy. Southern Innovation develops and markets world-leading pulse processing technologies for the rapid, accurate detection and measurement of radiation. The underlying real-time signal processing challenge relates to isolating often overlapping pulses, determining when each pulse arrived and the energy of each pulse. Recent advances in the computational power of digital signal processing boards makes it timely to develop innovative pulse processing algorithms based on optimal filtering of stochastic processes. It is expected that these algorithms will have widespread impact, both commercially for minerals exploration, materials analysis, medical imaging and security screening, and scientifically for improving the performance of synchrotrons and other equipment.Read moreRead less
Predicting the value and use of urban land. This project aims to develop a comprehensive, robust and user-friendly set of modelling tools to predict land values more accurately. Accurate predictions of land values reduce state government revenue risks and improve resource management. The expected outcome of this project is the development of modelling tools which, can be used to study land use allocation, infrastructure delivery and government taxation revenue. This should provide significant be ....Predicting the value and use of urban land. This project aims to develop a comprehensive, robust and user-friendly set of modelling tools to predict land values more accurately. Accurate predictions of land values reduce state government revenue risks and improve resource management. The expected outcome of this project is the development of modelling tools which, can be used to study land use allocation, infrastructure delivery and government taxation revenue. This should provide significant benefits such as the development of new econometric theory, advanced computational methods and evidence-based guidelines for policymakers.Read moreRead less
Dual Geothermal System for Fresh Water Production and Power Generation. The dual geothermal system for fresh water production and power generation developed in this project will use relatively low-temperature geothermal resources and assist in supplying domestic fresh water as well as electricity to small communities remote from the main electricity grid without any associated greenhouse gas emissions. The technology developed will provide an opportunity for industry development, employment crea ....Dual Geothermal System for Fresh Water Production and Power Generation. The dual geothermal system for fresh water production and power generation developed in this project will use relatively low-temperature geothermal resources and assist in supplying domestic fresh water as well as electricity to small communities remote from the main electricity grid without any associated greenhouse gas emissions. The technology developed will provide an opportunity for industry development, employment creation and export potential through commercial manufacture in Australia of small to medium scale dual geothermal systems (e.g., 0.1 MW, 75000 litres fresh water per day).Read moreRead less
Data Fusion Techniques for Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems. The main focus of this project is to develop data fusion techniques for clamp force estimation and optimum utilisation of redundant information in a brake-by-wire system. Efficient integration of redundant information in an EMB system is expected to significantly improve the reliability and fault tolerance of such systems. The need for costly and complicated clamp force measurement sensors in electric callipers will also be eliminate ....Data Fusion Techniques for Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems. The main focus of this project is to develop data fusion techniques for clamp force estimation and optimum utilisation of redundant information in a brake-by-wire system. Efficient integration of redundant information in an EMB system is expected to significantly improve the reliability and fault tolerance of such systems. The need for costly and complicated clamp force measurement sensors in electric callipers will also be eliminated by accurate estimation of the clamp force signal, through fusion of more readily available measurements. Development of the proposed data fusion techniques influences the design of future EMBs and enhances the functionality of existing brake-by-wire systems.Read moreRead less
Optimal management of corrosion and odour problems in sewer systems. Pollutants in wastewater undergo complex changes in sewers, leading to the production and release of odorous and corrosive compounds. Despite major efforts and expenditure by water utilities to mitigate these problems, odorous emissions from sewers are still commonly occurring in urban areas. Furthermore, the value of public assets is significantly diminished due to sewer corrosion, costing hundreds of millions of dollars a yea ....Optimal management of corrosion and odour problems in sewer systems. Pollutants in wastewater undergo complex changes in sewers, leading to the production and release of odorous and corrosive compounds. Despite major efforts and expenditure by water utilities to mitigate these problems, odorous emissions from sewers are still commonly occurring in urban areas. Furthermore, the value of public assets is significantly diminished due to sewer corrosion, costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year in Australia alone. This project is a major joint effort by the Australian water industry and world-leading scientists to generate advanced knowledge and develop effective technologies for optimal odour and corrosion management in sewers, delivering large social, environmental and economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Understanding and mitigating nitrous oxide emission from wastewater treatment plants. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most serious challenges that mankind is facing. Substantial reduction in emissions must be achieved, with responsibility to be shared by all industrial sectors. Wastewater systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through not only energy consumptions but also direct emissions of fugitive greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. This project aim ....Understanding and mitigating nitrous oxide emission from wastewater treatment plants. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most serious challenges that mankind is facing. Substantial reduction in emissions must be achieved, with responsibility to be shared by all industrial sectors. Wastewater systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through not only energy consumptions but also direct emissions of fugitive greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. This project aims to provide knowledge and technology support to the Australian wastewater industry to minimize the emission of nitrous oxide during biological nitrogen removal from wastewater. This is critically important for this industry to achieve greenhouse gas neutral wastewater management.Read moreRead less
Sewer corrosion reduction through model-supported ventilation control. Ventilation is one of the key technologies for sewer corrosion control. However, its design and operation are currently based on experience and empirical equations, often leading to unsatisfactory results. By integrating in-depth laboratory and pilot-sewer studies under defined conditions with extensive field investigations, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop critical models to predict the corrosion process in res ....Sewer corrosion reduction through model-supported ventilation control. Ventilation is one of the key technologies for sewer corrosion control. However, its design and operation are currently based on experience and empirical equations, often leading to unsatisfactory results. By integrating in-depth laboratory and pilot-sewer studies under defined conditions with extensive field investigations, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop critical models to predict the corrosion process in response to ventilation and dynamic wastewater and atmospheric conditions, enabling model-based sewer ventilation design and operation. The project also aims to deliver novel, field-demonstrated ventilation strategies. The project findings will be incorporated in the Australian ventilation design and operation guidelines.Read moreRead less
An integrated approach to iron salt use in urban water systems. The project aims to develop and demonstrate an integrated and innovative strategy, and the associated science and technologies, to achieve multiple beneficial uses of iron salts in an urban water system. The project intends to use iron chloride to replace the most commonly used alum as a coagulant in water treatment. The same iron is then further used for corrosion and odour control in sewers, phosphorus removal in wastewater treatm ....An integrated approach to iron salt use in urban water systems. The project aims to develop and demonstrate an integrated and innovative strategy, and the associated science and technologies, to achieve multiple beneficial uses of iron salts in an urban water system. The project intends to use iron chloride to replace the most commonly used alum as a coagulant in water treatment. The same iron is then further used for corrosion and odour control in sewers, phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment reactors and hydrogen sulfide removal from biogas in an anaerobic digester. The strategy is expected to substantially reduce the use of chemicals in the entire urban water system, delivering large economic and environmental benefits to urban water utilities.Read moreRead less
Rating and ranking sports players and teams using minimum message length. All sorts of games and sports could use better systems for rating and ranking teams. This is as true in sports-mad Australia as any other country. Improved and more accessible rating systems across a variety of activities should encourage the general public to take a greater interest in the mathematics, statistics, information theory and machine learning behind the systems. With Cadability as our Australia-based interna ....Rating and ranking sports players and teams using minimum message length. All sorts of games and sports could use better systems for rating and ranking teams. This is as true in sports-mad Australia as any other country. Improved and more accessible rating systems across a variety of activities should encourage the general public to take a greater interest in the mathematics, statistics, information theory and machine learning behind the systems. With Cadability as our Australia-based international industry partner, the global use of these systems will be to Australia's economic advantage. Having a more accurate rating system which is wider-reaching both in the number of sports and games and the number of participants per sport and game should also encourage greater participation from the general public.Read moreRead less