Increasing the operational lifetime and optimising the design of crankcase oil-mist filters. Australia is one of the largest (per capita) users worldwide of heavy diesel engines, within sectors such as transport, mining, construction, shipping and power generation (usage of many of the above is concentrated in regional communities e.g. mining). This work will minimise emissions from such industries, as well as reduce lubricant oil usage - thereby maximising waste oil recovery and reuse (approx 5 ....Increasing the operational lifetime and optimising the design of crankcase oil-mist filters. Australia is one of the largest (per capita) users worldwide of heavy diesel engines, within sectors such as transport, mining, construction, shipping and power generation (usage of many of the above is concentrated in regional communities e.g. mining). This work will minimise emissions from such industries, as well as reduce lubricant oil usage - thereby maximising waste oil recovery and reuse (approx 5500 tonnes p.a.). Oil mists can be regarded as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for the purposes of CO2 equivalent emissions, so therefore, the efficient capture of oil mists will reduce carbon emissions from the above industries in Australia.Read moreRead less
Defining Fundamental Principles for the Design and Operation of Membrane Systems from Time-Varying Performance Analysis. To date, much of the process improvement for industrial application of membrane technology has revolved around polymer science based development of membrane materials and process and module changes resulting from the application of basic (often simplistic) engineering principles. While some future improvements may still come from these areas, the most dramatic advances are li ....Defining Fundamental Principles for the Design and Operation of Membrane Systems from Time-Varying Performance Analysis. To date, much of the process improvement for industrial application of membrane technology has revolved around polymer science based development of membrane materials and process and module changes resulting from the application of basic (often simplistic) engineering principles. While some future improvements may still come from these areas, the most dramatic advances are likely to be derived from the application of advanced engineering principles to this complex system. This project will integrate advanced CFD modelling and control principles for the design and operation of membrane systems in order to develop fundamental understanding that should lead to significant process improvements.Read moreRead less
Advanced hierarchical materials for separation applications. The proposed project represents an international collaboration between Monash University and Fudan University and builds on the research strengths within these two Institutions in nano-materials research and applications. The proposed research will lead to a new class of materials for use in the chemical and biological industries, making their operation more efficient and permitting new separations to be performed. The research will ....Advanced hierarchical materials for separation applications. The proposed project represents an international collaboration between Monash University and Fudan University and builds on the research strengths within these two Institutions in nano-materials research and applications. The proposed research will lead to a new class of materials for use in the chemical and biological industries, making their operation more efficient and permitting new separations to be performed. The research will also pioneer new techniques for use in nano-engineering materials and falls within one of Australia's National Research Priorities: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.Read moreRead less
Innovative strategy for salt management and water recovery from newsprint mill effluent using membrane processes. Newsprint mills are a major employer in regional Australia. The mills are located in environmentally sensitive areas, consume large quantities of water and return high levels of salt to the environment. To remain competitive the newsprint industry, like all industries in regional Australia must develop new strategies for water recycling and salt management. Successful execution of t ....Innovative strategy for salt management and water recovery from newsprint mill effluent using membrane processes. Newsprint mills are a major employer in regional Australia. The mills are located in environmentally sensitive areas, consume large quantities of water and return high levels of salt to the environment. To remain competitive the newsprint industry, like all industries in regional Australia must develop new strategies for water recycling and salt management. Successful execution of this project will minimize water consumption in newsprint production, mitigate the effects of increased sodicity in soils irrigated with mill effluent and accelerate the commercial development a hydrophobic microporous membrane for water recycling and salt removal in environmentally sensitive areas of inland Australia.Read moreRead less
Innovative zero-energy membrane technologies to reduce water consumption in the dairy industry. The Australian dairy industry not only plays a critical role in our way of life, but processed dairy products contribute to 12% or $3.27b to Australia's export revenue. It has learnt to adapt to changing market demands through innovative membrane technologies, but now energy and water are key issues. This project aims to reduce water consumption in dairy processing by treating waste streams using nove ....Innovative zero-energy membrane technologies to reduce water consumption in the dairy industry. The Australian dairy industry not only plays a critical role in our way of life, but processed dairy products contribute to 12% or $3.27b to Australia's export revenue. It has learnt to adapt to changing market demands through innovative membrane technologies, but now energy and water are key issues. This project aims to reduce water consumption in dairy processing by treating waste streams using novel membrane processes including membrane distillation. The energy is supplied from low grade waste heat, offsetting the need to supply more power to the plant. Reducing the need for water in a zero-energy way will ensure the thriving dairy industry remains cost competitive and an integral part of Australia's culture and economy.Read moreRead less
Increased liquified natural gas (LNG) production efficiency through nitrogen and carbon dioxide capture using high-pressure cryogenic adsorption onto tailored nanopore substrates. 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 less greenhouse gases than oil or coal. It will contribute to the harnessing of some of Australia's largest gas reserves, like the Gorgon field, whic ....Increased liquified natural gas (LNG) production efficiency through nitrogen and carbon dioxide capture using high-pressure cryogenic adsorption onto tailored nanopore substrates. 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 less greenhouse gases than oil or coal. It will contribute to the harnessing of some of Australia's largest gas reserves, like the Gorgon field, which are contaminated with large amounts of CO2 and are not yet economically viable. The removal of N2 from natural gas will reduce the cost of producing LNG which is the only method Australia can use to access global gas markets. The new adsorbent materials developed for this work may enhance other research programmes attempting to capture and sequester CO2 from industrial flue gases.Read moreRead less