Optimal control of nonlinear delay systems: theory, algorithms, and applications. Time delays are present in many engineering systems, including robots, irrigation canals, and chemical reactors. This project aims to develop state-of-the-art techniques for controlling systems with time delays in an optimal manner.
Relays and robustness: achieving optimal efficiency in wireless sensor networks. Wireless sensor networks consist of coordinated sensing and relay devices that offer us new ways to observe and interact with the physical world, with direct applications to national security and environmental monitoring. We aim to develop powerful new methods to get the best performance from a planned sensor network through smart relay deployment.
Optimal maintenance planning for critical mining and energy infrastructure. This project aims to develop cutting-edge mathematical algorithms for optimising maintenance activities in the mining and energy sectors. Such maintenance activities are prone to budget and time overruns due to poor planning - the result of outdated, inefficient manual processes. The project is expected to result in new maintenance planning methods, underpinned by rigorous mathematical theory, for reducing manual interve ....Optimal maintenance planning for critical mining and energy infrastructure. This project aims to develop cutting-edge mathematical algorithms for optimising maintenance activities in the mining and energy sectors. Such maintenance activities are prone to budget and time overruns due to poor planning - the result of outdated, inefficient manual processes. The project is expected to result in new maintenance planning methods, underpinned by rigorous mathematical theory, for reducing manual intervention and optimising both short- and long-term maintenance based on real-time sensor data. These new methods will be powerful tools for tackling the complexity of large-scale, time-critical maintenance projects, driving productivity in the resources industry and fostering collaboration between mathematicians and engineers.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100614
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,000.00
Summary
New classes of aluminium-magnesium-silicon alloys via scandium additions. This project aims to establish the knowledge required to be able to improve Aluminium (Al) alloys using scandium (Sc). The transport sector accounts for 20 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, and the use of Al to reduce the weight of vehicles offers the potential to significantly reduce these emissions, however the properties of current Al alloys do not meet the necessary requirements. To overcome this chall ....New classes of aluminium-magnesium-silicon alloys via scandium additions. This project aims to establish the knowledge required to be able to improve Aluminium (Al) alloys using scandium (Sc). The transport sector accounts for 20 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, and the use of Al to reduce the weight of vehicles offers the potential to significantly reduce these emissions, however the properties of current Al alloys do not meet the necessary requirements. To overcome this challenge there is a need for new Al alloys with optimal balance of cost and performance. One opportunity in this area is the use of Sc, however the high Sc price has restricted research thus far. With the recent discovery of rich sources of Sc in Australia, the price of Sc will drop and become a viable solution. This will provide benefits by securing Australia’s position as a leader in the field of advanced Al products for engineering applications.Read moreRead less
Maximisation of value in underground mine access design. This project represents a major advance in the problem of optimising the mine value associated with the access infrastructure of underground mines and providing powerful planning tools for management. The usefulness to the mining industry of the methods and algorithms the project is pioneering lies in their accuracy, flexibility and generality. Not only can they be used for benchmarking value in the design of specific mines, but they can ....Maximisation of value in underground mine access design. This project represents a major advance in the problem of optimising the mine value associated with the access infrastructure of underground mines and providing powerful planning tools for management. The usefulness to the mining industry of the methods and algorithms the project is pioneering lies in their accuracy, flexibility and generality. Not only can they be used for benchmarking value in the design of specific mines, but they can also determine the profitability or viability of mines under the use of new technologies. This is an important project for ensuring that Australia's mining industry remains efficient and internationally competitive. Given Australia’s economic dependence on mineral resources, it will also benefit the country as a whole.Read moreRead less
Nanoarchitectured anti-corrosion coatings for zinc-plated steel. Zinc-plated steel is widely used in buildings, households and vehicles, but the long-term performance is limited due to corrosion resulting from exposure to high humidity or alkaline conditions. Currently, available chromium coatings are toxic, while polymeric coatings lack durability. This project aims to use nanotechnology to develop highly effective, multifunctional anti-corrosive coatings in which long-term protection is achiev ....Nanoarchitectured anti-corrosion coatings for zinc-plated steel. Zinc-plated steel is widely used in buildings, households and vehicles, but the long-term performance is limited due to corrosion resulting from exposure to high humidity or alkaline conditions. Currently, available chromium coatings are toxic, while polymeric coatings lack durability. This project aims to use nanotechnology to develop highly effective, multifunctional anti-corrosive coatings in which long-term protection is achieved by controlling the wettability and self-healing properties. The project is excepted to generate new knowledge in coating materials that limit corrosion and address environmental problems. This advanced manufacturing technology should be of high-value benefit to manufacturers and consumers of zinc-plated steel.Read moreRead less
Cluster hardening of metastable steel alloys produced by thin strip casting. The goal of this project is to generate sufficient knowledge to apply strip casting to a wider range of steel grades and reduce the global energy cost of steel sheet production. Over 1 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year. Direct strip casting is an emerging green technology that reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by up to 90 per cent. This study plans to use advanced a ....Cluster hardening of metastable steel alloys produced by thin strip casting. The goal of this project is to generate sufficient knowledge to apply strip casting to a wider range of steel grades and reduce the global energy cost of steel sheet production. Over 1 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year. Direct strip casting is an emerging green technology that reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by up to 90 per cent. This study plans to use advanced atomic-scale characterisation techniques such as atom probe tomography and high-resolution electron microscopy to understand the non-equilibrium microstructures that develop as a result of the extremely rapid cooling rates experienced during strip casting.Read moreRead less
Data-Driven Multistage Robust Optimization—the New Frontier in Optimization. Robust optimisation is a powerful technology for decision-making in uncertain environments. Yet, developing numerically certifiable optimisation principles and data-driven methods that can be readily implemented by common computer algorithms remains an elusive goal for multistage robust optimisation. But it is crucial for the practical use of multistage optimisation. This project aims to develop this novel mathematical ....Data-Driven Multistage Robust Optimization—the New Frontier in Optimization. Robust optimisation is a powerful technology for decision-making in uncertain environments. Yet, developing numerically certifiable optimisation principles and data-driven methods that can be readily implemented by common computer algorithms remains an elusive goal for multistage robust optimisation. But it is crucial for the practical use of multistage optimisation. This project aims to develop this novel mathematical theory and methods by extending the investigators' recent award winning advances, including the von Neumann-prizewinning Lasserre-hierarchy approach. Results will provide a foundation and technologies for making superior decisions in the pervasive presence of big data uncertainty, enhancing data-driven innovation in AustraliaRead moreRead less
Micromechanic modelling and analysis of the dynamics of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This project aims to develop advanced theories and mathematical models to describe the packing and flow of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This will be achieved through a combined theoretical and experimental program, involving the use of advanced discrete particle simulation and detailed analysis of packing/flow structures, particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions a ....Micromechanic modelling and analysis of the dynamics of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This project aims to develop advanced theories and mathematical models to describe the packing and flow of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This will be achieved through a combined theoretical and experimental program, involving the use of advanced discrete particle simulation and detailed analysis of packing/flow structures, particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions at a particle scale. Research outcomes including theories, computer models and simulation techniques will be applied to representative industrial operations of importance to Australia's economic and technological future.Read moreRead less
Low emission iron and steelmaking using hydrogen to pre-reduce lump ore. This project aims to develop and apply a new route of lump iron ore pre-reduction with hydrogen or H2-enriched gases for ironmaking to minimise CO2 emission from steel production. The route will be built up on the base of H2 reduction kinetics of iron ore and with novel technologies such as CO2 recycle and H2-heating using hot blast, underpinning the hydrogen economy by addressing the environmental concerns in mineral and s ....Low emission iron and steelmaking using hydrogen to pre-reduce lump ore. This project aims to develop and apply a new route of lump iron ore pre-reduction with hydrogen or H2-enriched gases for ironmaking to minimise CO2 emission from steel production. The route will be built up on the base of H2 reduction kinetics of iron ore and with novel technologies such as CO2 recycle and H2-heating using hot blast, underpinning the hydrogen economy by addressing the environmental concerns in mineral and steel industries. It is not only significant for low-carbon steel production, but also for better fundamental understanding to develop the future zero-emission iron and steelmaking with hydrogen. The project will be very beneficent because it increases the use of lump iron ore and expends Australian export of iron ores.Read moreRead less