Closing the Gap in Pipe Condition Assessment using Hydro-Acoustic Waves. Worldwide, the deterioration of water distribution pipeline infrastructure is driving an unsustainable explosion in maintenance and repair costs. In collaboration with industry leader Detection Services, this project will develop new methods to detect pipe condition faults at a scale and precision not currently possible. The outcome will be an advanced, yet practical, technology that provides critical information on pipe co ....Closing the Gap in Pipe Condition Assessment using Hydro-Acoustic Waves. Worldwide, the deterioration of water distribution pipeline infrastructure is driving an unsustainable explosion in maintenance and repair costs. In collaboration with industry leader Detection Services, this project will develop new methods to detect pipe condition faults at a scale and precision not currently possible. The outcome will be an advanced, yet practical, technology that provides critical information on pipe condition using new innovative active hydro-acoustic signal generators and sensors, combined with state-of-the-art signal analysis methods. The unprecedented cost-effectiveness of the technology will ensure a broad use in the water industry for targeted and efficient action, creating jobs and saving costs.Read moreRead less
Algal control using multi-functional, cold plasma activated microbubbles . Climate change is driving a proliferation of nuisance and harmful algal blooms in our water supply systems, which urgently require cost efficient and effective control strategies. Paradoxically, algal biotechnology is a growth industry with application in food, agriculture and energy; realising this potential requires state-of-the-art technology to optimise production, harvesting and extraction. The aim of this proposal i ....Algal control using multi-functional, cold plasma activated microbubbles . Climate change is driving a proliferation of nuisance and harmful algal blooms in our water supply systems, which urgently require cost efficient and effective control strategies. Paradoxically, algal biotechnology is a growth industry with application in food, agriculture and energy; realising this potential requires state-of-the-art technology to optimise production, harvesting and extraction. The aim of this proposal is to develop cutting edge technology that uses cold plasma activated microbubbles to control algal populations. We propose that by tuning the plasma composition, this technology could both selectively disrupt and destroy algal matter and enhance algal cell growth, benefiting both water and biotechnology industries. Read moreRead less
Detecting developing cracks before pipe bursts using smart sensor systems. This project aims to significantly reduce the number of pipe bursts in cities by detecting the leaks from developing cracks on water supply pipes just in time. New techniques will be developed for reliable and timely detection using the existing sensor network in the Adelaide CBD. Specialised monitoring stations will be developed with adaptive noise-cancellation algorithms to detect small leak signals in noisy city enviro ....Detecting developing cracks before pipe bursts using smart sensor systems. This project aims to significantly reduce the number of pipe bursts in cities by detecting the leaks from developing cracks on water supply pipes just in time. New techniques will be developed for reliable and timely detection using the existing sensor network in the Adelaide CBD. Specialised monitoring stations will be developed with adaptive noise-cancellation algorithms to detect small leak signals in noisy city environments. Expected outcomes include an effective pipe burst early warning system and the implementation of an active burst prevention and targeted pipe replacement strategy. This should significantly reduce the burst rates and associated interruptions in Adelaide and save millions of dollars every year in pipe relay programs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100479
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$424,835.00
Summary
Resilient design flood estimation for Australia. The total costs of natural disasters in Australia are forecast to more than double in the next 20 years - with floods one of the costliest natural disasters faced. The damage and cost of floods can be managed, but rapid developments in the understanding of rainfall and flood projections has resulted in national flood guidelines that are not consistent with current science. This project proposes a novel but practical technique for design flood esti ....Resilient design flood estimation for Australia. The total costs of natural disasters in Australia are forecast to more than double in the next 20 years - with floods one of the costliest natural disasters faced. The damage and cost of floods can be managed, but rapid developments in the understanding of rainfall and flood projections has resulted in national flood guidelines that are not consistent with current science. This project proposes a novel but practical technique for design flood estimation that will accommodate the key changes to flood behaviour that are expected in the future. This will include consideration of changes in extreme rainfall intensities, catchment wetness, and patterns of storm behaviour.Read moreRead less
Next-generation smart water network for performance-driven asset management. This project aims to develop smart water network systems and techniques for continuous monitoring and early detection of structural failure in water distribution systems. Water assets are critical infrastructure, and they consist of a network of buried pipes that are old and deteriorating, with an annual maintenance overhead exceeding $1billion per year in Australia. This project is expected to deliver next-generation s ....Next-generation smart water network for performance-driven asset management. This project aims to develop smart water network systems and techniques for continuous monitoring and early detection of structural failure in water distribution systems. Water assets are critical infrastructure, and they consist of a network of buried pipes that are old and deteriorating, with an annual maintenance overhead exceeding $1billion per year in Australia. This project is expected to deliver next-generation smart water technology that enables continuous assessment of the actual performance of water pipe networks, guide “just in time” pipe replacement and optimise operations. This technology will assist asset managers to make informed decisions, strategically prioritise investment and extend asset life.Read moreRead less
Smart Pipe Condition Assessment in Water Distribution Systems. The project aims to develop an urgently needed smart pipe fault diagnosis, characterisation and prognosis system. Analysis techniques will be used for the detailed mapping of buried pipe condition between access points using micro-sized transient pressure waves. Water assets are critical infrastructure and they consist of a network of pipes that are often old and deteriorating. The annual maintenance cost exceeds $1b per year in Aus ....Smart Pipe Condition Assessment in Water Distribution Systems. The project aims to develop an urgently needed smart pipe fault diagnosis, characterisation and prognosis system. Analysis techniques will be used for the detailed mapping of buried pipe condition between access points using micro-sized transient pressure waves. Water assets are critical infrastructure and they consist of a network of pipes that are often old and deteriorating. The annual maintenance cost exceeds $1b per year in Australia. The outcome will be a next-generation tool that allows water utilities to move from reactive emergency repairs to proactive repair and predictive replacement. This will enable performance-driven asset management, extending asset life and replacing deteriorated high-risk pipe sections in a timely manner.Read moreRead less
Collision Avoidance in Shipping Lanes via Intelligent Sensor Data Fusion . This project aims to develop an online maritime traffic monitoring system for reliable collision/contact avoidance that exploits complementary data from high-resolution airborne sensors and surface vessel sensors. Our approach is based on optimal scheduling and fusion of the sensor data and possibly other sources of data to construct a comprehensive dynamic picture of maritime traffic, in real-time. Moreover, the proposed ....Collision Avoidance in Shipping Lanes via Intelligent Sensor Data Fusion . This project aims to develop an online maritime traffic monitoring system for reliable collision/contact avoidance that exploits complementary data from high-resolution airborne sensors and surface vessel sensors. Our approach is based on optimal scheduling and fusion of the sensor data and possibly other sources of data to construct a comprehensive dynamic picture of maritime traffic, in real-time. Moreover, the proposed methodology enables quantification of confidence in the predictions. This will provide ship owners, directly to their vessels and/or at the fleet management centres, information such as weather reports, reliable collision/no-collision warnings and avoidance strategies, on-the-fly. Read moreRead less
Assessing Water Supply Security in a Nonstationary Environment. About 25% of the global population currently has inadequate access to safe and secure water. This number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050 due to increased populations and reduced river flows. While a visible water crisis (such as the one in Cape Town in 2018) can culminate in the funding of new water supply infrastructure, a planned push for infrastructure augmentation often stalls due to contradictory projections of how much wate ....Assessing Water Supply Security in a Nonstationary Environment. About 25% of the global population currently has inadequate access to safe and secure water. This number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050 due to increased populations and reduced river flows. While a visible water crisis (such as the one in Cape Town in 2018) can culminate in the funding of new water supply infrastructure, a planned push for infrastructure augmentation often stalls due to contradictory projections of how much water will be available in the future. To address this, a novel alternative for assessing water security is proposed. Our approach assesses change using historical information on river flow and water demand, adapting these to form projections that exhibit greater reliability than currently existing alternatives.Read moreRead less
Multiscale physics for enhanced oil recovery. The project aims to develop a multiscale mathematical and laboratory modelling methodology for combined enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 storage, and synthesise the technology for Santos’s Mulberry oilfield as a test case. The multidisciplinary team will develop advanced reservoir- and laboratory-scale mathematical models and novel laboratory methods to enhance the reliability of modern EOR and CO2 storage and increase its uptake by companies in A ....Multiscale physics for enhanced oil recovery. The project aims to develop a multiscale mathematical and laboratory modelling methodology for combined enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 storage, and synthesise the technology for Santos’s Mulberry oilfield as a test case. The multidisciplinary team will develop advanced reservoir- and laboratory-scale mathematical models and novel laboratory methods to enhance the reliability of modern EOR and CO2 storage and increase its uptake by companies in Australia and globally. The expected outcomes are a pioneering methodology with environmental benefits without additional drilling and reduction of greenhouse effect, and economic benefit to the Australian oil industry through increases in productivity.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100661
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,551.00
Summary
Nanoparticle with Metal Organic Framework for Lithium Recovery from Brine. The project aims to develop technology enabling lithium to be cost-effectively extracted from brine. Today Australia meets the increasing demand for lithium by mining hardrock lithium, an environmentally damaging activity. An alternative is to source lithium from brine produced as industrial wastewater (in desalination or shale gas production). The main challenge that brine presents to selectively extracting lithium is co ....Nanoparticle with Metal Organic Framework for Lithium Recovery from Brine. The project aims to develop technology enabling lithium to be cost-effectively extracted from brine. Today Australia meets the increasing demand for lithium by mining hardrock lithium, an environmentally damaging activity. An alternative is to source lithium from brine produced as industrial wastewater (in desalination or shale gas production). The main challenge that brine presents to selectively extracting lithium is competing ions. By advancing knowledge of nanomaterials and membrane distillation, the project expects to overcome both this technical challenge and other practical challenges. From wastewater, the anticipated system will produce additional clean water and a valuable commodity that can offset the cost of water treatment. Read moreRead less