Investigation into flow over complex topography and escarpments for wind turbine siting using experimental and computational methods. This project will improve national capability to optimise power production from wind turbine farms in complex terrain by improving the understanding of the flow regime. By better understanding separated regions and the turbulent structures within these regions power production can be optimised and fatigue risks associated with turbine positioning in complex sites ....Investigation into flow over complex topography and escarpments for wind turbine siting using experimental and computational methods. This project will improve national capability to optimise power production from wind turbine farms in complex terrain by improving the understanding of the flow regime. By better understanding separated regions and the turbulent structures within these regions power production can be optimised and fatigue risks associated with turbine positioning in complex sites can be reduced. This will improve confidence in wind farm site assessment techniques and consequently reduce economic risks associated with current wind farm viability assessments. By increasing national capacity to generate clean energy stationary energy emissions can be reduced. This project will also deliver high calibre graduates that will be potential future industry leaders.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101183
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$361,880.00
Summary
Next-generation expanders for renewable power applications: dealing with variability and uncertainty. This project will develop new strategies to design optimum expanders capable of maintaining good performance under uncontrollable working conditions. If these innovative design methods can be applied to engineering applications they will assist Australia to meet the Renewable Energy Target and to become an international leader in the field.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100397
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Advanced waste heat recovery systems. Vehicle emissions have recently driven the research, development, and commercialisation of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems. The development of novel EGR gas coolers for such systems will probably lead to the breakthrough necessary for advancing EGR technologies, benefiting Australian clean energy supplies in general and transport vehicles in particular. The project aims to produce lighter and cleaner EGR systems at lower costs. This project also aims ....Advanced waste heat recovery systems. Vehicle emissions have recently driven the research, development, and commercialisation of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems. The development of novel EGR gas coolers for such systems will probably lead to the breakthrough necessary for advancing EGR technologies, benefiting Australian clean energy supplies in general and transport vehicles in particular. The project aims to produce lighter and cleaner EGR systems at lower costs. This project also aims to enhance the international reputation and impact of Australian research in the internationally focused fields of microporous materials and clean transport technology.Read moreRead less
Flame stabilisation and structure in axially staged combustion. We aim to improve fundamental understanding of flame stabilisation and structure in conditions relevant to axially staged combustion employed in gas turbines, in which an initial ultra-lean premixed stage is followed by a short residence time stage at higher equivalence ratios. This concept enables high turbine entry temperatures and thus high efficiency while limiting emissions of nitrogen oxides, and, importantly, enables improved ....Flame stabilisation and structure in axially staged combustion. We aim to improve fundamental understanding of flame stabilisation and structure in conditions relevant to axially staged combustion employed in gas turbines, in which an initial ultra-lean premixed stage is followed by a short residence time stage at higher equivalence ratios. This concept enables high turbine entry temperatures and thus high efficiency while limiting emissions of nitrogen oxides, and, importantly, enables improved operational flexibility in turndown and in burning fuels with different reactivities, such as hydrogen. This project will apply large-scale direct numerical simulations to advance fundamental understanding of this unusual combustion mode, and develop practical models able to predict its behaviour.Read moreRead less
A novel air-cooled fuel cell system. This project presents a novel cooling technology for fuel cell systems. This new design will not only save up to 50 per cent of the material cost but also leads to 20 per cent less fuel consumption compared to the existing fuel cells. This can save us billions of dollars per year with profound impact on our nation's carbon-emission-free alternative energy sources.
Dynamic tomography: high-resolution, four-dimensional imaging of processes. This project will develop imaging technology that allows us to collect detailed, three dimensional movies of complex, microscopic processes in a laboratory. This technology will have applications in soil science, biology, oil extraction, and carbon sequestration.
Testing theories of two-phase fluid flow in porous media through experiment, imaging and modelling. The process underlying oil extraction, groundwater flow and the sequestration of carbon dioxide is that of one fluid pushing another out of the microscopic spaces in porous rocks and soils. Using the latest three-dimensional X-ray microscopes and computing technology, the project will image and model these fluid flows, allowing theories to be tested for the first time.