Deep Learning Augmented Intelligent Grinding Mill Simulation and Design. Comminution is a key operation in mineral processing that utilises grinding mills to reduce the size of ore for further mineral enrichment processing. The aim of this project is to provide a step change improvement in the operational efficiency and service life of grinding mills through the development of advanced numerical models to simulate the grinding mill process. The outcome will be a hierarchical deep learning progra ....Deep Learning Augmented Intelligent Grinding Mill Simulation and Design. Comminution is a key operation in mineral processing that utilises grinding mills to reduce the size of ore for further mineral enrichment processing. The aim of this project is to provide a step change improvement in the operational efficiency and service life of grinding mills through the development of advanced numerical models to simulate the grinding mill process. The outcome will be a hierarchical deep learning program to select optimal model parameters from which computational algorithms will optimise grinding mill geometries. This research project will deliver substantial improvements to equipment used to process our most valuable exports and result in immediate industry impact.Read moreRead less
Multiscale engineering of durable absorber coatings for solar thermal power. This project aims to advance the long-term stability and efficiency of high-temperature absorber coatings for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants. Solar energy is a vast and largely untapped resource in Australia. The project will design superior light absorbers and scalable and low-cost approaches for their fabrication. Optimal absorber properties will be achieved by multi-scale engineering of the coating composition ....Multiscale engineering of durable absorber coatings for solar thermal power. This project aims to advance the long-term stability and efficiency of high-temperature absorber coatings for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants. Solar energy is a vast and largely untapped resource in Australia. The project will design superior light absorbers and scalable and low-cost approaches for their fabrication. Optimal absorber properties will be achieved by multi-scale engineering of the coating composition and micro-texturing via modelling of the light absorption and heat transport within these complex nanocomposite structures. The intended outcome of the project is a set of commercially competitive absorber coatings, with superior performance and durability, that support the development of CSP as a competitive technology for energy generation.Read moreRead less
Thermal transport in multi-phase flows for concentrating solar applications. This project seeks to advance the field of heat transfer in high-temperature systems involving liquid metals, with emphasis on energy storage and solar power technologies. The concept couples a tubular sodium boiler with a sodium chloride phase-change storage system for continuous energy supply. Sodium chloride is low cost and has a melting temperature suitable for a wide range of industrial processes. The project plans ....Thermal transport in multi-phase flows for concentrating solar applications. This project seeks to advance the field of heat transfer in high-temperature systems involving liquid metals, with emphasis on energy storage and solar power technologies. The concept couples a tubular sodium boiler with a sodium chloride phase-change storage system for continuous energy supply. Sodium chloride is low cost and has a melting temperature suitable for a wide range of industrial processes. The project plans to address the challenge of sodium stability in highly irradiated tubes by investigating mass, momentum, energy and radiative transport in liquid metals. It is intended that this will inform the design and testing of novel sodium boilers to provide stable and isothermal process heat for continuous or on-demand production of power, chemical fuels and commodities.Read moreRead less
Building Australia's Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure. This project aims to enhance the resilience, safety, and efficiency of electricity grids operated with fast-charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) by developing new control and optimisation frameworks. This project expects to develop new robust controllers for EV fast-charging infrastructure operated in coordination with wind and solar generated electricity. Expected project outcomes include enabling fast-charge EV infrastructure to b ....Building Australia's Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure. This project aims to enhance the resilience, safety, and efficiency of electricity grids operated with fast-charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) by developing new control and optimisation frameworks. This project expects to develop new robust controllers for EV fast-charging infrastructure operated in coordination with wind and solar generated electricity. Expected project outcomes include enabling fast-charge EV infrastructure to be developed and deployed in Australia by the industry partner SwitchDin. Expected benefits including enabling significant reduction in carbon emissions from the transportation sector, accelerating the energy transition to renewables, and placing Australian industry at the forefront of EV grid integration technology.Read moreRead less
Making hydrogen storage work for the new hydrogen economy. This project aims to develop an innovative Liquid Organic Hydrogen Storage technology and prove its energy industry potential. This project expects to expand and validate the performance, safety and scale-up potential of this new technology in an industrial context to promote the development of the hydrogen economy. Expected outcomes include providing practical, efficient, large-scale storage technology for use in intermittent renewable ....Making hydrogen storage work for the new hydrogen economy. This project aims to develop an innovative Liquid Organic Hydrogen Storage technology and prove its energy industry potential. This project expects to expand and validate the performance, safety and scale-up potential of this new technology in an industrial context to promote the development of the hydrogen economy. Expected outcomes include providing practical, efficient, large-scale storage technology for use in intermittent renewable energy storage and hydrogen vehicle refuelling, and addressing legal/regulatory implementation issues. This should provide significant benefits in cultivating the emerging hydrogen energy industry, strengthening industrial competitiveness, enhancing Australia’s fuel security and protecting the environment.Read moreRead less
A 60% efficient solar microconcentrator for electricity and hot water. The aim of this project is to develop a microconcentrator for deployment on house roofs that will produce both solar hot water and solar electricity with a combined efficiency above 60%. The system will have a low profile and will be nearly invisible from the street. The system will track the sun. Concentration will be accomplished by a mixture of refraction and reflection. About 20% of the sunlight will be converted to elect ....A 60% efficient solar microconcentrator for electricity and hot water. The aim of this project is to develop a microconcentrator for deployment on house roofs that will produce both solar hot water and solar electricity with a combined efficiency above 60%. The system will have a low profile and will be nearly invisible from the street. The system will track the sun. Concentration will be accomplished by a mixture of refraction and reflection. About 20% of the sunlight will be converted to electricity using lines of tiny solar cells, with the balance being converted to heat which is removed by cooling fluid and stored in hot water tanks.Read moreRead less