Implementing Engineering Experiences in the Middle School. Engineering and science are increasingly recognized as enablers for invention, innovation, and economic growth. Advances in these domains that improve society will increasingly depend on our ability to educate school students about the world of engineering prior to entering university. The study's national benefits include: exposing young students to the world of engineering and its rich career opportunities; showcasing engineering for ....Implementing Engineering Experiences in the Middle School. Engineering and science are increasingly recognized as enablers for invention, innovation, and economic growth. Advances in these domains that improve society will increasingly depend on our ability to educate school students about the world of engineering prior to entering university. The study's national benefits include: exposing young students to the world of engineering and its rich career opportunities; showcasing engineering for female students; promoting mathematics and science as key enabling subjects for engineering; addressing national research priorities including an environmentally sustainable Australia; and engaging engineers and educators, including undergraduates, in seminal collaborative research and resource development.Read moreRead less
Novel Concept for Wastewater Treatment with Integrated Power Production based on Microbial Fuel Cells. Microbial fuel cells are a novel process concept that enables organics, such as sugars, to be converted directly to electricity with the help of naturally occurring microorganisms. This technology has particularly exciting applications in the environmental field, namely in wastewater treatment. It offers significant benefits over current processes, particularly reduced energy consumption or eve ....Novel Concept for Wastewater Treatment with Integrated Power Production based on Microbial Fuel Cells. Microbial fuel cells are a novel process concept that enables organics, such as sugars, to be converted directly to electricity with the help of naturally occurring microorganisms. This technology has particularly exciting applications in the environmental field, namely in wastewater treatment. It offers significant benefits over current processes, particularly reduced energy consumption or even electricity generation and lower sludge production. This project will demonstrate the performance and application of such microbial fuel cells for the removal of organic and nitrogen-based pollutants from wastewater. If successful, this technology offers major advances in both water treatment and renewable energy aspects.Read moreRead less
A multiscale-multifunctional approach to advanced diagnosis and operator performance in complex process systems. Major process system failures and subsequent poor diagnosis continues to produce significant company disruption, environmental damage, injury and possible loss of life. The benefits of this work will be reduced impacts and risks. This work will provide a new integrated approach with structured tools and diagnostic designs for process industries. It should have direct impacts on compan ....A multiscale-multifunctional approach to advanced diagnosis and operator performance in complex process systems. Major process system failures and subsequent poor diagnosis continues to produce significant company disruption, environmental damage, injury and possible loss of life. The benefits of this work will be reduced impacts and risks. This work will provide a new integrated approach with structured tools and diagnostic designs for process industries. It should have direct impacts on company performance through improved diagnosis, more timely response and hence reduced likelihood of major accidents. It will help to improve overall risk management practice in the process industries with less impact on people, property and environment, thus improving operational performance. Local communities will be direct beneficiaries of these reduced risks.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775649
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
An Integrated Multi-Node Microfluidics Facility. The establishment of the proposed facility will enhance Australia's position in microfluidics research, thus contributing to all National Priority areas, particularly the National Priority area 3 through advancement in breakthrough science and frontier technologies. In addition to researchers from participating institutions, the Facility will be made available to other Australian researchers from non-participating organisations at minimum cost. Th ....An Integrated Multi-Node Microfluidics Facility. The establishment of the proposed facility will enhance Australia's position in microfluidics research, thus contributing to all National Priority areas, particularly the National Priority area 3 through advancement in breakthrough science and frontier technologies. In addition to researchers from participating institutions, the Facility will be made available to other Australian researchers from non-participating organisations at minimum cost. The socio-economic potentials of the research carried out using the proposed facility are significant and include: R&D development, small scale high technology manufacture, exports, and improved methods of biochemical processing and medical diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Flue Gas and CO2 Geosequestration in Surat and Bowen Basin Coals. Climate change considerations require that CO2 emissions to atmosphere be severely reduced. This is best done in the short term by permanently storing the CO2 underground. Amongst the cheapest and safest options are to use coal seams, which then release valuable methane. The market value of this extra methane is ~$9billion and this reduces the cost of sequestration from ~$56 to $25/t CO2. Coal has a very strong affinity for CO2, ....Flue Gas and CO2 Geosequestration in Surat and Bowen Basin Coals. Climate change considerations require that CO2 emissions to atmosphere be severely reduced. This is best done in the short term by permanently storing the CO2 underground. Amongst the cheapest and safest options are to use coal seams, which then release valuable methane. The market value of this extra methane is ~$9billion and this reduces the cost of sequestration from ~$56 to $25/t CO2. Coal has a very strong affinity for CO2, so flue gas stream from power stations can be injected directly, eliminating the need for equipment to capture the CO2, providing savings of ~$500million for each large power station.Read moreRead less
Friction-based modelling of the dynamics of nanoconfined fluid mixtures. This project will transform the molecular science of fluid transport in nanoconfined spaces by delivering a tool that will be critical to the development of emerging nanotechnologies. The tool will embed a novel theory in a framework for modelling transport over all scales from nano- to macroscopic. The project will have strong benefits for the advancement of leading-edge fundamental research and in its relevance to a numbe ....Friction-based modelling of the dynamics of nanoconfined fluid mixtures. This project will transform the molecular science of fluid transport in nanoconfined spaces by delivering a tool that will be critical to the development of emerging nanotechnologies. The tool will embed a novel theory in a framework for modelling transport over all scales from nano- to macroscopic. The project will have strong benefits for the advancement of leading-edge fundamental research and in its relevance to a number of novel nanotechnologies. It will be particularly relevant to scientific and industrial developments exploiting new nanomaterials such as AlPO4-25, carbon molecular sieves and carbon nanotubes, as well as in nanofluidics.Read moreRead less
Plate Wave Tomography for Reconstruction of Laminar Defects. The proposed project promotes a conceptual advance in the application of plate waves for the quantitative reconstruction of laminar defects by investigating fundamental experimental and analytical aspects of a novel approach in plate wave ultrasonic tomography. A successful development will have a comparable significance in the area of health monitoring of thin structures as computer tomography had in medical imaging. Previous attempts ....Plate Wave Tomography for Reconstruction of Laminar Defects. The proposed project promotes a conceptual advance in the application of plate waves for the quantitative reconstruction of laminar defects by investigating fundamental experimental and analytical aspects of a novel approach in plate wave ultrasonic tomography. A successful development will have a comparable significance in the area of health monitoring of thin structures as computer tomography had in medical imaging. Previous attempts have ignored wave scattering effects, and therefore do not describe the correct physics of the problem. With its combined experimental-numerical approach, the proposed fundamental studies will help to identify the potential of plate wave ultrasonic tomography for in-situ health monitoring of realistic structures and smart materials design.Read moreRead less
Tomographic Imaging of Structural Damage in Plates. The potential benefit of structural health monitoring is highlighted by the socio-economic impact of structural failure, which may result in loss of lives, infrastructure disruptions and loss of productivity. This proposal promotes a fundamental advance in the novel concept of ultrasonic diffraction tomography for imaging early stage structural damage in plates. The successful development will represent an essential advance in quantitative non- ....Tomographic Imaging of Structural Damage in Plates. The potential benefit of structural health monitoring is highlighted by the socio-economic impact of structural failure, which may result in loss of lives, infrastructure disruptions and loss of productivity. This proposal promotes a fundamental advance in the novel concept of ultrasonic diffraction tomography for imaging early stage structural damage in plates. The successful development will represent an essential advance in quantitative non-destructive evaluation of thin structures and enable the transition of the technique to realistic structures with all the potential benefits in mechanical and civil infrastructure management resulting in improved safety, reduced maintenance costs and the use of more efficient structural designs.Read moreRead less
Microfluidic Studies of Stimuli-Responsive Emulsions. Breakthrough 'stimuli-responsive interface technology' has been developed in Australia to allow better control over emulsions, which are oil-in-water mixtures used widely in everyday products such as medicines. This project will increase our understanding of this new technology, by examining how the chemistry of the molecules at the interface interacts with fluid behaviour when the emulsion is made. The research will employ miniature lab-on-a ....Microfluidic Studies of Stimuli-Responsive Emulsions. Breakthrough 'stimuli-responsive interface technology' has been developed in Australia to allow better control over emulsions, which are oil-in-water mixtures used widely in everyday products such as medicines. This project will increase our understanding of this new technology, by examining how the chemistry of the molecules at the interface interacts with fluid behaviour when the emulsion is made. The research will employ miniature lab-on-a-chip systems, to give engineers and scientists design rules for this new technology, opening the way to new products that will improve our everyday lives. One immediate product to be researched is 'precision' double emulsions, which show unique properties for the delivery of chemotherapy medicines.Read moreRead less