Heat Transfer Mechanisms in an Indirectly Fired Rotary Kiln with Lifters and Its Role in Scaling. This project will apply heat transfer principles to improve and optimise the design and performance of ANSAC's innovative kiln technology for a wide range of process applications. By understanding the mechanisms of heat transfer involved in the working of the proprietary technology, major factors limiting the performance of the kiln can be identified, resulting in design criteria that link key opera ....Heat Transfer Mechanisms in an Indirectly Fired Rotary Kiln with Lifters and Its Role in Scaling. This project will apply heat transfer principles to improve and optimise the design and performance of ANSAC's innovative kiln technology for a wide range of process applications. By understanding the mechanisms of heat transfer involved in the working of the proprietary technology, major factors limiting the performance of the kiln can be identified, resulting in design criteria that link key operating parameters for the kiln scaling and performance forecast. The research outcomes will provide a scientific basis that underpins the development of an Australian technology and supports the growth of a new Australian small business, creating employment opportunities within Australia.Read moreRead less
Development of a Novel One Step Process for Gas Conversion to Liquid. Australia has a rich natural gas reserve, most of which is in remote locations. This project will lead to a new technology to use the remote gas that would be flared into the atmosphere, thus benefiting both Australian economy and green house gas reduction. It will also reduce the risk of relying on importing oil from Overseas thus contributing to Australia's energy security. In addition, while crude-based oil emits SOx, NOx a ....Development of a Novel One Step Process for Gas Conversion to Liquid. Australia has a rich natural gas reserve, most of which is in remote locations. This project will lead to a new technology to use the remote gas that would be flared into the atmosphere, thus benefiting both Australian economy and green house gas reduction. It will also reduce the risk of relying on importing oil from Overseas thus contributing to Australia's energy security. In addition, while crude-based oil emits SOx, NOx and particulates etc into air, the liquid fuels from gas are pure and burns cleanly thus also contributing to air pollution control. Read moreRead less
Fundamental Data and Thermodynamic Modelling for Cryogenic LNG Fluids to Improve Process Design, Simulation and Operation. This research will contribute to a more environmentally sustainable Australia because it will promote the use of natural gas as a fuel supply which produces significantly fewer greenhouse gases than oil or coal. This project will improve the ability of engineers to reliably simulate LNG production plants as well as test new processes and technologies with the potential to in ....Fundamental Data and Thermodynamic Modelling for Cryogenic LNG Fluids to Improve Process Design, Simulation and Operation. This research will contribute to a more environmentally sustainable Australia because it will promote the use of natural gas as a fuel supply which produces significantly fewer greenhouse gases than oil or coal. This project will improve the ability of engineers to reliably simulate LNG production plants as well as test new processes and technologies with the potential to increase efficiency or revenue. Consequently, the level of over-engineering and, thus, the capital and operational costs of such plants will decrease. This in turn will promote the development of Australian gas reserves, particularly for those fields currently on the margins of economic viability.Read moreRead less
Near zero-emission hydrogen and carbon production from natural gas and bio-methane. Hydrogen is envisaged as a clean fuel for power generation particularly for the transportation sector. In the short- and mid-term future, hydrogen will be derived from fossil fuels. Based on the conventional processes, the route from fossil fuels to hydrogen invariably produces greenhouse gases. Geosequestration is a viable technique of storing carbon dioxide but has an uncertain long-term environmental ramifi ....Near zero-emission hydrogen and carbon production from natural gas and bio-methane. Hydrogen is envisaged as a clean fuel for power generation particularly for the transportation sector. In the short- and mid-term future, hydrogen will be derived from fossil fuels. Based on the conventional processes, the route from fossil fuels to hydrogen invariably produces greenhouse gases. Geosequestration is a viable technique of storing carbon dioxide but has an uncertain long-term environmental ramification. In contrast, our proposed technique avoids the production of greenhouse gases and, instead, engenders high value added graphitized carbon as a by-product. Given the relative stability and value of graphitized carbon, our catalytic cracking process provides another option to geosequestration.Read moreRead less
High-resolution optical studies of solids nucleation in cryogenic processes. During liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, low concentration impurities can freeze and block the cryogenic heat exchangers at the heart of the liquefaction process. Substantial knowledge gaps exist regarding the kinetics of these solids (i.e. the rate at which they form), especially at the part per million concentrations relevant to LNG. This project, in partnership with ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, will us ....High-resolution optical studies of solids nucleation in cryogenic processes. During liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, low concentration impurities can freeze and block the cryogenic heat exchangers at the heart of the liquefaction process. Substantial knowledge gaps exist regarding the kinetics of these solids (i.e. the rate at which they form), especially at the part per million concentrations relevant to LNG. This project, in partnership with ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, will use a proven high resolution optical technique to deliver new insight into solid nucleation and growth kinetics in the high-pressure cryogenic fluids that govern industrial blockage risk. The results will enable energy optimisation to increase liquefaction efficiency as well as tests of innovative blockage-remediation methods.Read moreRead less
An innovative two-phase anaerobic process for biogas production from green waste and animal droppings for remote communities. Australia's remote communities, including agricultural and Indigenous communities, are an important part of Australian society and a significant contributor to the Australian economy, yet their access to cheap, secure, reliable and clean energy remains a significant challenge. Building on recent scientific advancement in anaerobic digestion, this project will develop a ne ....An innovative two-phase anaerobic process for biogas production from green waste and animal droppings for remote communities. Australia's remote communities, including agricultural and Indigenous communities, are an important part of Australian society and a significant contributor to the Australian economy, yet their access to cheap, secure, reliable and clean energy remains a significant challenge. Building on recent scientific advancement in anaerobic digestion, this project will develop a new technology for biogas production using locally available resources such as green waste and animal droppings. The outcome of this project will provide clean energy services to regional communities while minimising greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste disposal and thus contribute to the development of an environmentally sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Coarse-Grid Eulerian-Eulerian Multiphase Model for Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit. A fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit is an important refinery unit operation responsible for about 45% of total petrol production. The aim of this study is to improve the petrol production efficiency of Australian refineries thus allowing our country not only to maintain its self-sufficiency but also to permit lucrative exports. This will be done by optimising the performance of the FCC unit through novel computat ....Coarse-Grid Eulerian-Eulerian Multiphase Model for Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit. A fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit is an important refinery unit operation responsible for about 45% of total petrol production. The aim of this study is to improve the petrol production efficiency of Australian refineries thus allowing our country not only to maintain its self-sufficiency but also to permit lucrative exports. This will be done by optimising the performance of the FCC unit through novel computational fluid dynamic simulations. The outcomes of this study will enable refiners to produce cleaner fuel (e.g., fuel with less sulphur) and decrease air pollution from the FCC unit (in the form of CO and particulates) thus helping Australia to preserve its diverse and relatively pollution-free environment.Read moreRead less
Hydrodynamics of Bubble Column Reactors. This project will study the hydrodynamics of bubble columns with the aim of optimising these reactors for offshore gas-to-liquid plants. Along with experiments using the state-of-art techniques such as the particle image velocimetry, radioactive particle tracking, electrical capacitance tomography and optical probes, computational fluid dynamics simulations will be conducted to gain a deeper insight into bubble-induced turbulence and regime transitions in ....Hydrodynamics of Bubble Column Reactors. This project will study the hydrodynamics of bubble columns with the aim of optimising these reactors for offshore gas-to-liquid plants. Along with experiments using the state-of-art techniques such as the particle image velocimetry, radioactive particle tracking, electrical capacitance tomography and optical probes, computational fluid dynamics simulations will be conducted to gain a deeper insight into bubble-induced turbulence and regime transitions in these reactors. This information will then be used to devise scale-up strategies of these complex and industrially important equipment.Read moreRead less
Improvements and Optimisation of Water Electrolysis for Hydroxy Gas Production for Metal Cutting Applications. The current technique for metal cutting mainly uses oxygen-acetylene flames, which means for the large number of Australian remote communities oxygen and acetylene bottles have to be transported from major cities. This incurs significant transport costs and associated environmental emissions and presents major safety concerns. Hydroxy flames using electrolysis of water can alleviate the ....Improvements and Optimisation of Water Electrolysis for Hydroxy Gas Production for Metal Cutting Applications. The current technique for metal cutting mainly uses oxygen-acetylene flames, which means for the large number of Australian remote communities oxygen and acetylene bottles have to be transported from major cities. This incurs significant transport costs and associated environmental emissions and presents major safety concerns. Hydroxy flames using electrolysis of water can alleviate these problems and, by utilising renewable electricity, the new technology to be developed in this research will transform tens of thousands of Australian metal workshops to be more environmentally friendly, safer and more cost-effective, thus contributing to the development of an environmentally sustainable Australia. Read moreRead less
Manufacturing high value carbon products and chemicals from spent tyres. Manufacturing high value carbon products and chemicals from spent tyres. This project aims to develop an innovative and integrated thermochemical process for use of spent tyres. Australia disposes of more than 400,000 tonnes of spent tyres per annum in landfills, stockpiles and random dumping, incurring significant environmental hazards, serious health risks and wastage of resources. This research is expected to result in n ....Manufacturing high value carbon products and chemicals from spent tyres. Manufacturing high value carbon products and chemicals from spent tyres. This project aims to develop an innovative and integrated thermochemical process for use of spent tyres. Australia disposes of more than 400,000 tonnes of spent tyres per annum in landfills, stockpiles and random dumping, incurring significant environmental hazards, serious health risks and wastage of resources. This research is expected to result in new knowledge of the thermal behaviour of rubber and new techniques to identify, extract and use high value carbon materials and chemicals from thermochemical processing of spent tyres. The research outcomes are expected to provide a technological foundation for an emerging industry for environmentally responsible and economically self-sustaining use of spent tyres.Read moreRead less