Freshwater biofouling of hydraulic conduits: impact, mitigation, and control, and the consequences of Climate Change. National economic and environmental benefits will flow from increased outputs of renewable energy from hydroelectric power systems. Improved performance of canals and pipelines will enable energy and water losses to be reduced and will provide the National Electricity Market with additional renewable energy, lowering the requirement for fossil fuels. Knowledge of the impacts of ....Freshwater biofouling of hydraulic conduits: impact, mitigation, and control, and the consequences of Climate Change. National economic and environmental benefits will flow from increased outputs of renewable energy from hydroelectric power systems. Improved performance of canals and pipelines will enable energy and water losses to be reduced and will provide the National Electricity Market with additional renewable energy, lowering the requirement for fossil fuels. Knowledge of the impacts of Climate Change will enable industry to manage changes in rainfall pattern and conduit biofouling. An improved understanding of biofilms can be applied to achieve wider national benefit in water reticulation, irrigation systems and maritime applications. The team will develop research skills and technical expertise and train PhD students and industry counterparts.Read moreRead less
Smart Irrigation: integrating UAV soil moisture maps & variable rate sprays. This project will develop a state-of-the-art precision irrigation system for optimising water use and crop yield. Specifically, a novel UAV soil moisture mapping system based on passive microwave satellite remote sensing technology at L-band will be developed for near-surface soil moisture mapping at accuracies and spatial scales currently not attainable. These soil moisture maps will then be merged with irrigation wate ....Smart Irrigation: integrating UAV soil moisture maps & variable rate sprays. This project will develop a state-of-the-art precision irrigation system for optimising water use and crop yield. Specifically, a novel UAV soil moisture mapping system based on passive microwave satellite remote sensing technology at L-band will be developed for near-surface soil moisture mapping at accuracies and spatial scales currently not attainable. These soil moisture maps will then be merged with irrigation water delivery models to calibrate for spatial variation in soil properties and/or correct errors in spatial variation of rainfall and evapotranspiration inputs. Ultimately the water balance predictions will be used for implementation of variable rate irrigation control at scales hitherto unattainable.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing millennial-scale streamflow variability to assess near-future risks to water-generated renewable energy. Hydroelectric power is a key component of Australia's national renewable energy policy. The project will combine Hydro Tasmania's water supply and distribution network with historical reconstructions of streamflow variability to conduct stress tests of future water supplies and hydroelectric generating capacity for the Australian power grid.