An innovative strategy for stormwater remediation and reduction of contaminant supply from catchments. Many urbanised harbours world-wide are polluted and the main source is stormwater. Currently, emphasis is to remove gross pollutants from stormwater using numerous devices scattered through the catchment. In a radical shift from traditional approaches, we will identify primary contaminant sources in the catchment for later targeted education and regulation and a single remediation device will r ....An innovative strategy for stormwater remediation and reduction of contaminant supply from catchments. Many urbanised harbours world-wide are polluted and the main source is stormwater. Currently, emphasis is to remove gross pollutants from stormwater using numerous devices scattered through the catchment. In a radical shift from traditional approaches, we will identify primary contaminant sources in the catchment for later targeted education and regulation and a single remediation device will remove most toxic substances in stormwater currently discharged to estuaries. Stormwater reuse will provide a new valuable urban resource. This paradigm shift in traditional stormwater strategy will ensure biodiversity and ecologically sustainable development of urbanised ports. Port Jackson is used as a test case.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the productivity of wastewater desalination. Climate change is causing reduced rainfall over much of populated Australia. New technology to enable membrane desalination of wastewater treatment effluent will be developed to provide secure reliable water supplies for Australian (and international) urban and regional communities. Application of the technology to Western Treatment Plant at Werribee will provide up to 10 gigalitres/year of recycled water to the local agricultural, business ....Enhancing the productivity of wastewater desalination. Climate change is causing reduced rainfall over much of populated Australia. New technology to enable membrane desalination of wastewater treatment effluent will be developed to provide secure reliable water supplies for Australian (and international) urban and regional communities. Application of the technology to Western Treatment Plant at Werribee will provide up to 10 gigalitres/year of recycled water to the local agricultural, business and tourism precincts. The economy, community and environment will benefit due to reduced use of potable, river and ground water. Wide application of this technology to wastewater and brackish water will lead to similar benefits and an environmentally sustainable Australia.
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A novel process for removing phosphorus microbiologically from wastewater. Australia is a water limited continent, and its rivers and lakes are priceless assets, but because of climatic conditions, these are especially sensitive to blooms of 'blue green algae'. Some are highly toxic, and water containing them is unsuitable for most purposes. Current technology for P removal requires constructing complex plant configurations, and most of these operate unpredictably and unreliably. This project ....A novel process for removing phosphorus microbiologically from wastewater. Australia is a water limited continent, and its rivers and lakes are priceless assets, but because of climatic conditions, these are especially sensitive to blooms of 'blue green algae'. Some are highly toxic, and water containing them is unsuitable for most purposes. Current technology for P removal requires constructing complex plant configurations, and most of these operate unpredictably and unreliably. This project will develop and fully evaluate a revolutionarily different alternative with a fully aerobic system, capable of being added onto the end of a conventional treatment plant, making protection of rivers and streams simpler and more feasible. Read moreRead less
Zeolitic Nanoflake-Polymer Composite Membranes for Low Energy Desalination. The desalination of seawater is becoming an important source of drinking water for Australia. The current desalination process using polymer membranes is energy-intensive. The proposed project will contribute to the development of low energy desalination technology by advancing membrane design and fabrication techniques. The use of zeolitic nanoflake-polymer composite membranes developed in this project is expected to su ....Zeolitic Nanoflake-Polymer Composite Membranes for Low Energy Desalination. The desalination of seawater is becoming an important source of drinking water for Australia. The current desalination process using polymer membranes is energy-intensive. The proposed project will contribute to the development of low energy desalination technology by advancing membrane design and fabrication techniques. The use of zeolitic nanoflake-polymer composite membranes developed in this project is expected to substantially reduce energy consumption in the desalination process. This research will produce important economic and environmental benefits by developing a green technology for fresh water production and water treatment for power generation, irrigation and other industrial uses.Read moreRead less
Lowering membrane fouling by matching pre-treatment to membrane type. Delivery of potable and recycled water to communities and industry increasingly uses membrane treatment to ensure high standards of water quality, particularly as water scarcity leads to the use of poor quality water sources. Fouling of membranes occurs as water is treated, adding expense and complexity to the process. Reducing fouling will lower the cost of water treatment and improve the economics of treating water in smal ....Lowering membrane fouling by matching pre-treatment to membrane type. Delivery of potable and recycled water to communities and industry increasingly uses membrane treatment to ensure high standards of water quality, particularly as water scarcity leads to the use of poor quality water sources. Fouling of membranes occurs as water is treated, adding expense and complexity to the process. Reducing fouling will lower the cost of water treatment and improve the economics of treating water in smaller systems at source. This will enable greater reliability of localised treatment, which will reduce pumping requirements and decrease both cost and carbon emissions. Read moreRead less
Desalting reclaimed wastewater to safeguard Virginia's horticultural industries. Virginia is a major horticultural region of South Australia undergoing rapid expansion. Groundwater resources are depleted and reclaimed sewage effluent from Adelaide is required for irrigation. Unfortunately, the effluent is frequently too saline. Large-scale desalting is being considered. A pilot-scale plant will be built to evaluate suitable desalting processes (e.g. reverse osmosis) for reducing the effluent ....Desalting reclaimed wastewater to safeguard Virginia's horticultural industries. Virginia is a major horticultural region of South Australia undergoing rapid expansion. Groundwater resources are depleted and reclaimed sewage effluent from Adelaide is required for irrigation. Unfortunately, the effluent is frequently too saline. Large-scale desalting is being considered. A pilot-scale plant will be built to evaluate suitable desalting processes (e.g. reverse osmosis) for reducing the effluent's salt content. Original research will: (i) synthesize the best combination of technologies to produce effluent streams of varying salinity for matching different crop requirements; and (ii) optimise delivery and storage of effluent streams using new storage(s) and the region's multiple aquifer and surface storages.Read moreRead less
Optimising biodegradation and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater using constructed wetlands. The urgency of water recycling is dictated by drying climate and rapid expansion of population in Australia. Constructed wetlands are environmentally-benign way to purify wastewater by removing inorganics and facilitating biodegradation of organic pollutants, thus producing recycled water that can be used in a variety of fit-for-purpose applications. This project will produce a dec ....Optimising biodegradation and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater using constructed wetlands. The urgency of water recycling is dictated by drying climate and rapid expansion of population in Australia. Constructed wetlands are environmentally-benign way to purify wastewater by removing inorganics and facilitating biodegradation of organic pollutants, thus producing recycled water that can be used in a variety of fit-for-purpose applications. This project will produce a decision-support system for optimising wetland performance in removing inorganics and biodegrading organic pollutants from wastewater, thus enhancing water recycling and reuse in this drying continent of ours.Read moreRead less
Development of new-generation autoclaved cellulose fibre-cement composites using alumina-silica rich industrial waste. Autoclaved cellulose fibre-cement (FC) composites are used for construction purposes globally. Alumina-silica rich industrial waste, such as fired clay bricks and tiles, are proven to be highly reactive under autoclaving conditions and are generated in abundance either during the production process or demolition of buildings worldwide. The project aims to utilise this renewable ....Development of new-generation autoclaved cellulose fibre-cement composites using alumina-silica rich industrial waste. Autoclaved cellulose fibre-cement (FC) composites are used for construction purposes globally. Alumina-silica rich industrial waste, such as fired clay bricks and tiles, are proven to be highly reactive under autoclaving conditions and are generated in abundance either during the production process or demolition of buildings worldwide. The project aims to utilise this renewable waste for the manufacture of improved FC products. The successful outcomes of the project could allow a new range of cost-effective building products which need less energy for their manufacture, to be realised for both developed and developing countries.Read moreRead less
Catalytic Conversion of Waste Plastics to Hydrocarbon Fuels. This project aims to investigate the catalytic conversion of waste plastics to liquid fuels. Plastics comprise about 20% of municipal waste by volume, and are a major environmental concern as the present practice of disposal by landfilling has long-term hazard potential and is unsustainable. We propose to study the kinetics of the catalytic degradation of pure component plastics as well as their mixtures in a laboratory screw extrusi ....Catalytic Conversion of Waste Plastics to Hydrocarbon Fuels. This project aims to investigate the catalytic conversion of waste plastics to liquid fuels. Plastics comprise about 20% of municipal waste by volume, and are a major environmental concern as the present practice of disposal by landfilling has long-term hazard potential and is unsustainable. We propose to study the kinetics of the catalytic degradation of pure component plastics as well as their mixtures in a laboratory screw extrusion reactor, compare alternative catalysts, and develop process models to be used for scale up. The process and know-how developed will contribute to sustainable development, and provide an internationally competitive advantage to Australia.Read moreRead less
Investigation of Geopolymer based Concretes for the Construction of High Fire Risk Infrastructures. Geopolymer concretes are emerging new materials promising superior fire resistance and durability and potentially cheaper than the widely used high strength concretes, which also consume high levels of Portland cements. Production of 1 ton of Portland cement releases 1 ton of green house gases. Further, the 6.5 million tons/year of cement currently produced in Australia is insufficient to meet the ....Investigation of Geopolymer based Concretes for the Construction of High Fire Risk Infrastructures. Geopolymer concretes are emerging new materials promising superior fire resistance and durability and potentially cheaper than the widely used high strength concretes, which also consume high levels of Portland cements. Production of 1 ton of Portland cement releases 1 ton of green house gases. Further, the 6.5 million tons/year of cement currently produced in Australia is insufficient to meet the industry demand. This project investigates the use of fly ash to make geopolymer concrete, without using any Portland cement, to find usage for part of the 11 million tons/year of fly ash produced as a waste from coal power stations in Australia.Read moreRead less