Variable Geometry Cooling Intakes for Passenger Vehicles. Cars reject engine heat via air forced through the grille, radiator and engine bay. The associated "cooling drag" increases total aerodynamic drag by 10-15% hence increasing fuel consumption. The highest heat load that needs to be rejected by the engine determines the quantity of cooling air, resulting in systems that are over designed for typical driving. This research provides a strategy of adjusting the cooling airflow to match the ....Variable Geometry Cooling Intakes for Passenger Vehicles. Cars reject engine heat via air forced through the grille, radiator and engine bay. The associated "cooling drag" increases total aerodynamic drag by 10-15% hence increasing fuel consumption. The highest heat load that needs to be rejected by the engine determines the quantity of cooling air, resulting in systems that are over designed for typical driving. This research provides a strategy of adjusting the cooling airflow to match the engine requirements (via variable geometry intakes that can be under the control of the engine management computer) offering substantial reductions in fuel consumption and emissions.Read moreRead less
Monitoring and Maintaining the Structural Health of Bridges Using Vibration Characteristics. Bridges form an important part of our physical infrastructure system and in Queensland alone there are nearly 3000 bridges with an annual maintenance cost in excess of 20 million dollars and a replacement value in excess of 2 billion dollars. It is necessary to ensure that these bridges function safely and efficiently at all times. Bridge failure will cause disruption to normal lives and expensive repa ....Monitoring and Maintaining the Structural Health of Bridges Using Vibration Characteristics. Bridges form an important part of our physical infrastructure system and in Queensland alone there are nearly 3000 bridges with an annual maintenance cost in excess of 20 million dollars and a replacement value in excess of 2 billion dollars. It is necessary to ensure that these bridges function safely and efficiently at all times. Bridge failure will cause disruption to normal lives and expensive repairs. Towards this end, this project will develop an innovative structural health monitoring system to monitor and maintain the structural health of our bridges. The project outcomes will have immediate applications in Australia and overseas with economic and social benefits to the community.Read moreRead less
Development of advanced lithium ion battery and battery management system for electric /hybrid electric vehicle applications. This project represents a significant scientific and economic development for Australia as it aims to create advanced, high performing, energy storage devices with a focus on safety, that will provide enormous benefits for the environment. An added advantage will be the establishment of local and national expertise in the area of electrochemical energy storage systems, th ....Development of advanced lithium ion battery and battery management system for electric /hybrid electric vehicle applications. This project represents a significant scientific and economic development for Australia as it aims to create advanced, high performing, energy storage devices with a focus on safety, that will provide enormous benefits for the environment. An added advantage will be the establishment of local and national expertise in the area of electrochemical energy storage systems, that will place Australia at the forefront of lithium ion battery research and development. Flow-on benefits will also be created for Australian organizations involved in the manufacturing of electric vehicles and portable devices.Read moreRead less
Aerodynamic enhancement of the capture of fine particle emissions and gaseous pollutants by sorbents. Fine particulate emissions alone, and just within Australia's four largest cities, are estimated to be responsible for some 1600 deaths annually, and are a leading cause of asthma and other lung disease. Hence the economic and social benefits of greatly reducing fine particulate emissions is enormous. Similar benefits can be expected to arise from the enhanced capture of SOx, NOx and heavy metal ....Aerodynamic enhancement of the capture of fine particle emissions and gaseous pollutants by sorbents. Fine particulate emissions alone, and just within Australia's four largest cities, are estimated to be responsible for some 1600 deaths annually, and are a leading cause of asthma and other lung disease. Hence the economic and social benefits of greatly reducing fine particulate emissions is enormous. Similar benefits can be expected to arise from the enhanced capture of SOx, NOx and heavy metals. Many of these pollutants also contribute to the greenhouse effect, so the international exploitation of the technology will also help to mitigate climate change. Should suitable sorbents be developed for CO2 capture, the technology will also enhance carbon capture and storage.Read moreRead less
Homogeneous Combustion Catalysts for Efficiency Improvements and Emission Reduction in Diesel Engines. Australia currently consumes about 25 billion litres of diesel annually through the mining industry, road transportation and electricity generation for remote communities which presentins a significant cost and carbon footprint. A small reduction of say 2.5% in diesel consumption nationwide by improving engine performance and energy efficiency can result in more than $0.5 billion in savings and ....Homogeneous Combustion Catalysts for Efficiency Improvements and Emission Reduction in Diesel Engines. Australia currently consumes about 25 billion litres of diesel annually through the mining industry, road transportation and electricity generation for remote communities which presentins a significant cost and carbon footprint. A small reduction of say 2.5% in diesel consumption nationwide by improving engine performance and energy efficiency can result in more than $0.5 billion in savings and a reduction of 1.75 million tonnes in greenhouse gas emission annually. The homogeneous combustion catalysts, to be developed in this research for direct doping into diesel supply system, will help realise these objectives and contribute to the development of an environmentally sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Modelling and Gear Shift Simulation of Powertrains with Dual Clutch Transmissions. The project will make a significant contribution to the development and commercialisation of dual clutch transmissions, which represent a breakthrough vehicle transmission technology. The acquired knowledge and advanced simulation tools will enable engineers to design superior vehicles with improved fuel efficiency and performance. The project will hence benefit the nation and community, resulting in:
1) ....Dynamic Modelling and Gear Shift Simulation of Powertrains with Dual Clutch Transmissions. The project will make a significant contribution to the development and commercialisation of dual clutch transmissions, which represent a breakthrough vehicle transmission technology. The acquired knowledge and advanced simulation tools will enable engineers to design superior vehicles with improved fuel efficiency and performance. The project will hence benefit the nation and community, resulting in:
1) powertrains with improved fuel efficiency, drivability and gear shift quality at the lowest production cost;
2) increased employment in the automotive sector benefiting from leading the world in applying the frontier technology to vehicles;
3) increased knowledge base on complex dynamic systems, well trained researchers and engineers.
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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
Combining mathematical programming and constraint programming to solve large-scale integrated scheduling problems. This project will target major savings in the airline industry, with resulting benefits for others such as tourism. The efficient use of airline fuel, which will be directly addressed in the project, is very important for the environment. The algorithms developed can improve cost and quality of service for Australian transportation, manufacturing and other industries.
The solut ....Combining mathematical programming and constraint programming to solve large-scale integrated scheduling problems. This project will target major savings in the airline industry, with resulting benefits for others such as tourism. The efficient use of airline fuel, which will be directly addressed in the project, is very important for the environment. The algorithms developed can improve cost and quality of service for Australian transportation, manufacturing and other industries.
The solutions developed within the project will be sold by the industrial partner, CTI, into major companies worldwide, and the technology will be used to develop further products.
Finally the project will extend Australia's lead in constraint programming and expertise in optimisation. This creates a major opportunity for the Australian software industry.
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From Tactical Planning to Operational Control - Bridging the Chasm. All organisations plan, and all organisations suffer from the disruptions that occur when plans are put into practice. Few organisations manage to balance operational control with planning to as to maintain both efficiency and flexibility to deal with the unexpected. This project addresses this requirement for the transportation and logistics industries.
The results discovered within the project will enable the industrial ....From Tactical Planning to Operational Control - Bridging the Chasm. All organisations plan, and all organisations suffer from the disruptions that occur when plans are put into practice. Few organisations manage to balance operational control with planning to as to maintain both efficiency and flexibility to deal with the unexpected. This project addresses this requirement for the transportation and logistics industries.
The results discovered within the project will enable the industrial partner, CTI, to develop solutions for major companies worldwide. The technology will be used to build further optimisation products.
Moreover the project will extend Australia's lead in constraint programming and expertise in optimisation. This creates a major opportunity for Australia's software industry.
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Advanced IC engine diagnostics. The techniques to be developed will greatly improve the reliability of diesel engines, many of which are used in the mining and transport industries, extremely important to Australia's economy, and often remotely located. Not only will unforeseen costly breakdowns be minimized, but also the cost of excessive maintenance operations. This Australian developed technology will gain prestige from association with the internationally recognised company LMS International ....Advanced IC engine diagnostics. The techniques to be developed will greatly improve the reliability of diesel engines, many of which are used in the mining and transport industries, extremely important to Australia's economy, and often remotely located. Not only will unforeseen costly breakdowns be minimized, but also the cost of excessive maintenance operations. This Australian developed technology will gain prestige from association with the internationally recognised company LMS International, who supply test and simulation systems to most of the world's leading manufacturers of vehicles, aircraft etc.Read moreRead less