From exploration to mining: new geological strategies for sustaining high levels of copper production from the Mount Isa district. Mineral production at the Mount Isa copper and Ernest Henry copper-gold mines is worth more than $ 1 billion per year and this has underpinned the northern Queensland economy for a number of years. These resources are being depleted at a high rate, and no significant new discoveries have been made in over a decade. This project will provide some of the tools to defin ....From exploration to mining: new geological strategies for sustaining high levels of copper production from the Mount Isa district. Mineral production at the Mount Isa copper and Ernest Henry copper-gold mines is worth more than $ 1 billion per year and this has underpinned the northern Queensland economy for a number of years. These resources are being depleted at a high rate, and no significant new discoveries have been made in over a decade. This project will provide some of the tools to define new resources for the next generation, ensuring the prosperity of the region and bolstering the Australian economy. The timing is critical given the long lead time between discovery and production (in the order of 5 to 10 years). If successful the research may have major financial impacts at local, regional and national scales. It may also improve mine safety.Read moreRead less
Supercomputer Simulation of Multiscale Dynamic Behaviour in Multiphase Deformable Porous Media. This project will establish and consolidate links between leading groups in China and Australia to develop a new and unique multiscale computational model and algorithm for simulating multiphase nonlinear behaviours of the porous media under dynamic loading conditions, and improve technology transfer between the two groups by the mobility of the ARC International Fellow. This will aid Australian geosc ....Supercomputer Simulation of Multiscale Dynamic Behaviour in Multiphase Deformable Porous Media. This project will establish and consolidate links between leading groups in China and Australia to develop a new and unique multiscale computational model and algorithm for simulating multiphase nonlinear behaviours of the porous media under dynamic loading conditions, and improve technology transfer between the two groups by the mobility of the ARC International Fellow. This will aid Australian geoscience and mining industry, such as in HFR geothermal/UCG energy facility design, construction, risk assessment and production and could help Australia shift away from greenhouse gases and become a world leader in the emerging worldwide HFR geothermal/UCG industry.Read moreRead less
Sustainable usage of dredged clay materials as land reclamation fills. Millions of cubic metres of dredged materials are removed from river and sea beds every year in dredging projects. It is common to dump a significant portion of the dredged spoils into the sea which can result in serious environmental problems such as deterioration of water quality, damage to aquatic habitats, disruption of ecosystems and dispersion of fine clay particles in seawater. The proposed use of dredged clays as land ....Sustainable usage of dredged clay materials as land reclamation fills. Millions of cubic metres of dredged materials are removed from river and sea beds every year in dredging projects. It is common to dump a significant portion of the dredged spoils into the sea which can result in serious environmental problems such as deterioration of water quality, damage to aquatic habitats, disruption of ecosystems and dispersion of fine clay particles in seawater. The proposed use of dredged clays as land reclamation fill will lead to a substantial reduction in or even eliminate the need for dumping dredged clays into offshore dumping locations. The stabilized dredged clays have great potential if their geotechnical characteristics are adequately understood.Read moreRead less
Supercomputer Simulation of Hot Fractured Rock Geothermal Reservoir Systems. The project aims to develop an advanced computational model to simulate fractured geomaterials for Hot Fractured Rock (HFR) geothermal energy exploitation in collaboration with Geodynamics Ltd which is developing Australia's first HFR field site. The site has enough stored energy to provide all Australia's energy needs for up to 70 years. The model has the potential to provide the predictive capacity for geothermal ener ....Supercomputer Simulation of Hot Fractured Rock Geothermal Reservoir Systems. The project aims to develop an advanced computational model to simulate fractured geomaterials for Hot Fractured Rock (HFR) geothermal energy exploitation in collaboration with Geodynamics Ltd which is developing Australia's first HFR field site. The site has enough stored energy to provide all Australia's energy needs for up to 70 years. The model has the potential to provide the predictive capacity for geothermal energy extraction required to successfully exploit the immense potential of HFR energy. The expected outcome is a new supercomputer simulation tool to aid in HFR energy facility design, construction, risk assessment and production that will help Australia become a world leader in the emerging worldwide HFR geothermal industry.Read moreRead less
The Influence of particle shape fragmentation and compaction on 3D hopper flow. According to world-leading material scientist Patrick Richard, "Granular materials are ubiquitous in nature and are the second-most manipulated material in industry (the first one is water)". Our research will produce massive three dimensional computer simulations predicting and analysing the influence of particle size and shape on the morphology of industrial and natural granular flows. The results will have directl ....The Influence of particle shape fragmentation and compaction on 3D hopper flow. According to world-leading material scientist Patrick Richard, "Granular materials are ubiquitous in nature and are the second-most manipulated material in industry (the first one is water)". Our research will produce massive three dimensional computer simulations predicting and analysing the influence of particle size and shape on the morphology of industrial and natural granular flows. The results will have directly and immediately relevant applications in a range of Australian industries, including mass mining and minerals processing and will further make a major contribution to understanding and modelling a variety of geo-hazards.
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Dynamic Gas Permeability Investigations of Highly Stressed Coals. Coal Bed Methane (CBM) is an emerging energy resource in Australia, which has multi-billion dollar CBM reserves. Gas is clean burning, produces little greenhouse gas and almost no disruption to surface activities (like farming) during extraction. These environmental benefits, with low cost, make gas the fuel of choice for power and heat worldwide. This project seeks to assist development of CBM engineering from deep coal seams. Th ....Dynamic Gas Permeability Investigations of Highly Stressed Coals. Coal Bed Methane (CBM) is an emerging energy resource in Australia, which has multi-billion dollar CBM reserves. Gas is clean burning, produces little greenhouse gas and almost no disruption to surface activities (like farming) during extraction. These environmental benefits, with low cost, make gas the fuel of choice for power and heat worldwide. This project seeks to assist development of CBM engineering from deep coal seams. These contain the most gas, but are technically more difficult to develop than shallower reservoirs. In particular, it examines how natural and induced stress fields can be used to improve productivity, by understanding the relationships between different coal types, their environment and gas production rate.Read moreRead less