DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to und ....DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to understand and quantify factors influencing droplet deformation. Coupling non-Newtonian characteristics with microfluidic geometries will allow the continuous manufacture of micro-particles of specified size and shape for existing and new applications, and will provide guidance for further extending the process to nano-particle manufacture.Read moreRead less
Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface cha ....Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface charge, and the numerical predictions. This understanding will complement development in related projects on non-Newtonian drop and particle formation in microfluidic flows which envisage continuous particle manufacture for novel materials possessing programmable, enhanced functional properties.Read moreRead less
Design and Construction of Novel Thermal Interferometers. This project aims to invent thermal interferometers, which take advantage of the interference effect of thermal waves to display standing temperature interference fringes on a surface of prism. Two coherent thermal waves are input from two other surfaces of the prism in a similar way as an optical interferometer does. By inventing such a device, the project will demonstrate a new instrumentation mechanism which may lead to its applicati ....Design and Construction of Novel Thermal Interferometers. This project aims to invent thermal interferometers, which take advantage of the interference effect of thermal waves to display standing temperature interference fringes on a surface of prism. Two coherent thermal waves are input from two other surfaces of the prism in a similar way as an optical interferometer does. By inventing such a device, the project will demonstrate a new instrumentation mechanism which may lead to its application in medical technology. Furthermore, the principle of temperature localisation due to thermal interference may provide new insights to account for the cause of conformational changes of proteins that result in diseases.Read moreRead less
From Nanosecond Timing to Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Detection. Radio pulsars are the collapsed cores of once-massive stars that are renowned for their exceptional rotational stability. Ever since their discovery Australia has played a prominent role in the discovery and monitoring of these enigmatic sources. The timing and discovery of millisecond pulsars is an area where Australia is a world leader. This programme will use a powerful new instrument on the Parkes radio telescope to search for ....From Nanosecond Timing to Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Detection. Radio pulsars are the collapsed cores of once-massive stars that are renowned for their exceptional rotational stability. Ever since their discovery Australia has played a prominent role in the discovery and monitoring of these enigmatic sources. The timing and discovery of millisecond pulsars is an area where Australia is a world leader. This programme will use a powerful new instrument on the Parkes radio telescope to search for the minute influence of gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries on the millisecond pulsars.Read moreRead less
New Pulsar Instrumentation for Gravitation Wave Detection and Understanding the Emission Mechanism. Millisecond pulsar timing currently provides the most sensitive method of detecting long-period gravitational waves which permeate the Universe. Parkes leads the world in the discovery and timing of millisecond pulsars. This has motivated the development of three new advanced instruments including a cyrogenic dual-band receiver, a very wide-band correlator and a baseband recorder with an in-built ....New Pulsar Instrumentation for Gravitation Wave Detection and Understanding the Emission Mechanism. Millisecond pulsar timing currently provides the most sensitive method of detecting long-period gravitational waves which permeate the Universe. Parkes leads the world in the discovery and timing of millisecond pulsars. This has motivated the development of three new advanced instruments including a cyrogenic dual-band receiver, a very wide-band correlator and a baseband recorder with an in-built supercomputer. We aim to exploit these new technologies to systematically study the pulsar population. We will establish a timing array which can detect gravitational waves, enable GLAST to identify over 100 gamma-ray pulsars and study the pulsar emission mechanism at sub-microsecond time resolution.
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Fabrication and Application of Ion-Sensors Based on the Voltammetry of Nanocrystals Adhered to Electrode Surfaces. A significant need exists for the low cost determination of cations and anions in biologically (blood, urine), industrially (process streams) and environmentally (rivers, lakes) important fluids. In this project, skills in sensor design, scientific instrumentation, materials science, electrochemistry and analytical science provided by a consortium of scientists at Monash University ....Fabrication and Application of Ion-Sensors Based on the Voltammetry of Nanocrystals Adhered to Electrode Surfaces. A significant need exists for the low cost determination of cations and anions in biologically (blood, urine), industrially (process streams) and environmentally (rivers, lakes) important fluids. In this project, skills in sensor design, scientific instrumentation, materials science, electrochemistry and analytical science provided by a consortium of scientists at Monash University, the Victorian Institute for Chemical Sciences, Oxford Biosensors and Oxford University will be integrated to fabricate and develop applications of commercially viable ion-sensing systems. The principles to be utilised are based on novel forms of voltammetry of nanocrystals adhered to electrode surfaces.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453911
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,529.00
Summary
Microwave Antenna Testing Facility for Far-Field and Spherical Near-Field Measurements. The proposed facility is for testing broad-beam microwave antennas (1 GHz - 18 GHz), designed and developed by collaborators for several research and commercial projects. These antennas are important in telecommunications, defence and biomedical applications. While facilitating timely pattern measurements of antenna prototypes, it will open new opportunities in antenna experimentation. This facility will enha ....Microwave Antenna Testing Facility for Far-Field and Spherical Near-Field Measurements. The proposed facility is for testing broad-beam microwave antennas (1 GHz - 18 GHz), designed and developed by collaborators for several research and commercial projects. These antennas are important in telecommunications, defence and biomedical applications. While facilitating timely pattern measurements of antenna prototypes, it will open new opportunities in antenna experimentation. This facility will enhance collaborators' highly acclaimed theoretical research by providing experimental results for theory validation. Near-field patterns available from the facility will advance our knowledge on complicated antennas. This will generate researchers skilled in state-of-the art antenna measurements, and will help develop competitive Australian industries in this frontier technology.Read moreRead less
New Membrane Chips For Protein Interaction Analysis. This proposal is based on a strategic partnership between Monash University and Farfield Sensors. We will create a series of new biosensors that will be used to establish a new approach to the structural analysis of membrane protein function. In particular, this technology may lead to the identification of new proteins and drug targets for therapeutic development. The long-term outcome would be the development of improved therapeutics which wo ....New Membrane Chips For Protein Interaction Analysis. This proposal is based on a strategic partnership between Monash University and Farfield Sensors. We will create a series of new biosensors that will be used to establish a new approach to the structural analysis of membrane protein function. In particular, this technology may lead to the identification of new proteins and drug targets for therapeutic development. The long-term outcome would be the development of improved therapeutics which would be coupled to potential economic returns when further commercialisation is achieved. Read moreRead less
Coherent Optical Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing. Coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) incorporates the benefits of OFDM to compensate for distortion and monitor the channel conditions in long-haul optical links. The advantages of CO-OFDM can help meet the challenges of future optical networks that Australia depends upon for its information infrastructure and economic growth. Australia is currently at the forefront of optical OFDM technology, and the ....Coherent Optical Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing. Coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) incorporates the benefits of OFDM to compensate for distortion and monitor the channel conditions in long-haul optical links. The advantages of CO-OFDM can help meet the challenges of future optical networks that Australia depends upon for its information infrastructure and economic growth. Australia is currently at the forefront of optical OFDM technology, and the continuation of these research activities will further improve Australia's international ICT reputation. Furthermore, in the course of the project, a senior research associate and multiple highly-skilled students will be trained and exposed to techniques and innovations in this exciting field.Read moreRead less
Comparison of Techniques for the Removal of Ocular Artefact from the Electroencephalogram: A Validation Study. Although employed extensively for both research and clinical purposes, the utility of the electroencephalograph (EEG) is hampered by the contaminating effects of eye movements on these 'brain waves'. If it can be validated, the recent Australian development of a solution to this problem will mean that the EEG can be measured more quickly and accurately. This purpose of this research is ....Comparison of Techniques for the Removal of Ocular Artefact from the Electroencephalogram: A Validation Study. Although employed extensively for both research and clinical purposes, the utility of the electroencephalograph (EEG) is hampered by the contaminating effects of eye movements on these 'brain waves'. If it can be validated, the recent Australian development of a solution to this problem will mean that the EEG can be measured more quickly and accurately. This purpose of this research is to perform this validation, and its success would mean both more efficient EEG recording for the country, as well as an enhanced scientific reputation.Read moreRead less