Novel Characterization of Porous Structure and Surface Chemistry of Carbon. The aim of this project is to develop novel characterisation methods that probe the structure and surface chemistry of carbons, ranging from highly graphitised thermal carbon black through ordered mesoporous carbon to disordered porous activated carbon. The project plans to develop a new generic molecular model based on wedge-shaped pores. Conventional parallel sided pore models fail to account for real structures and th ....Novel Characterization of Porous Structure and Surface Chemistry of Carbon. The aim of this project is to develop novel characterisation methods that probe the structure and surface chemistry of carbons, ranging from highly graphitised thermal carbon black through ordered mesoporous carbon to disordered porous activated carbon. The project plans to develop a new generic molecular model based on wedge-shaped pores. Conventional parallel sided pore models fail to account for real structures and therefore for the physics of adsorption in real materials. The project then plans to back the theoretical model with high-resolution experimental measurements. It is expected that the model will unify the structural analysis for all carbons and account for all experimental isotherms within a rational and physically plausible framework.Read moreRead less
Novel conversion process for carbon dioxide to chemicals. This project aims to develop a novel sorption enhanced material and system to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol. Climate change is one of the primary long-term problems confronting humankind today. Since the production of CO2 through burning fossil fuel is far greater than the current usage of CO2, there is currently little alternative to storage. As a result, there is concerted effort globally to develop alternate use ....Novel conversion process for carbon dioxide to chemicals. This project aims to develop a novel sorption enhanced material and system to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol. Climate change is one of the primary long-term problems confronting humankind today. Since the production of CO2 through burning fossil fuel is far greater than the current usage of CO2, there is currently little alternative to storage. As a result, there is concerted effort globally to develop alternate uses and conversion technologies for CO2. This project will help further this goal.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100820
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,000.00
Summary
Nanowire photoelectrodes for carbon dioxide conversion. Returning carbon dioxide (CO2) to a useful state is a significant and challenging problem which requires appropriate devices and energy input. By utilising sunlight as a promising and green energy input, the conversion of CO2 into liquid fuel would positively impact the global carbon balance. This project aims to prepare abundant, non-toxic and sufficiently active photoelectrodes with one dimensional nanostructure, then develop appropriate ....Nanowire photoelectrodes for carbon dioxide conversion. Returning carbon dioxide (CO2) to a useful state is a significant and challenging problem which requires appropriate devices and energy input. By utilising sunlight as a promising and green energy input, the conversion of CO2 into liquid fuel would positively impact the global carbon balance. This project aims to prepare abundant, non-toxic and sufficiently active photoelectrodes with one dimensional nanostructure, then develop appropriate and robust photoelectrochemical devices to convert CO2 into liquid fuels. This project aims to help reduce the atmospheric CO2 concentrations and explore a new energy source.Read moreRead less
A novel approach for chemical looping gasification of municipal solid waste. Conventional methods of municipal solid waste disposal, such as landfill and incineration, face strong community opposition because of their adverse environmental impacts. The proposed gasification process with its features, such as low energy demand, inexpensive manufacture, and simplicity, will offer an effective and alternative solution to the problem of municipal solid waste disposal. If deployed across the country, ....A novel approach for chemical looping gasification of municipal solid waste. Conventional methods of municipal solid waste disposal, such as landfill and incineration, face strong community opposition because of their adverse environmental impacts. The proposed gasification process with its features, such as low energy demand, inexpensive manufacture, and simplicity, will offer an effective and alternative solution to the problem of municipal solid waste disposal. If deployed across the country, the volume reduction of waste will be 5 million tonnes per year. The corresponding reduction in greenhouse gases will be 15 Mega tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent or 2.7 per cent of the net national emissions. About 9 Terra Watt hours of electricity (3 per cent of the national demand) can also be produced, generating $700 million per annum.Read moreRead less
Engineering the Building Blocks of Novel Interfacial Metastable Oxide Materials. This project aims to engineer the building blocks of a new family of materials recently discovered and patented as interfacial metastable oxide (i-MOx). A key discovery is the interfacial columnar atom alignment adjacent to crystal structures, conferring the materials exceptional ionic conduction well beyond the state-of-the-art, with a broad appeal to ionic transport membranes, electrodes in fuel cells and thermal ....Engineering the Building Blocks of Novel Interfacial Metastable Oxide Materials. This project aims to engineer the building blocks of a new family of materials recently discovered and patented as interfacial metastable oxide (i-MOx). A key discovery is the interfacial columnar atom alignment adjacent to crystal structures, conferring the materials exceptional ionic conduction well beyond the state-of-the-art, with a broad appeal to ionic transport membranes, electrodes in fuel cells and thermal cycling oxygen production. Advanced characterisation techniques will be employed to fundamentally elucidate the role that the interfacial structure plays to deliver remarkable performance. The outcomes will lead to possible breakthroughs in advanced materials for emerging green energy applications.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101094
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Precision Spectroscopy of CO2 Exchange in Hydrates for Clean Energy Production. Carbon dioxide capture and sequestration is a widely considered climate change mitigation strategy. Clathrate hydrates of natural gas, found in deep-water ocean sediments, represent a tremendous opportunity for simultaneous carbon dioxide sequestration and clean energy production. By injecting carbon dioxide into the hydrate reservoir, methane can be displaced and replaced by carbon dioxide. This project will use Ram ....Precision Spectroscopy of CO2 Exchange in Hydrates for Clean Energy Production. Carbon dioxide capture and sequestration is a widely considered climate change mitigation strategy. Clathrate hydrates of natural gas, found in deep-water ocean sediments, represent a tremendous opportunity for simultaneous carbon dioxide sequestration and clean energy production. By injecting carbon dioxide into the hydrate reservoir, methane can be displaced and replaced by carbon dioxide. This project will use Raman spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance imaged core-flood experiments to develop a fundamental understanding of the exchange mechanisms governing the replacement of the methane molecule in the hydrate cage with carbon dioxide. This knowledge will be critical for future development of these resources to safely extract methane from sub-sea hydrates.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100109
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,000.00
Summary
A facility for non-destructive quantification of coal structures, composition and percolation fluid flows in energy and environmental applications. The facility will advance our scientific understanding of 3D micro- and nanostructures of coal under various mechanical and chemical conditions. It will help develop process innovation and breakthrough technologies for energy and environmental applications. It will also enhance the research capabilities of the collaborating institutions.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100098
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,000.00
Summary
A comprehensive gas/vapour sorption facility for the fast advancement of decarbonised energy technologies. Solutions to clean energy production, storage and use are critical to Australia’s prosperity, yet there is a significant lack of targeted research facilities for the development of the highly needed materials and technologies for powering a sustainable Australia. This facility will bring research efforts closer to practical solutions.
Effective and efficient keyword search for relevant entities over Extensible Markup Language (XML) data. This project aims to greatly improve the relevancy of returned XML entities by keyword queries as well as the efficiency of searching. Effective approaches and efficient algorithms for finding relevant entities from large number of XML data sources will be delivered.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100523
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,446.00
Summary
Tailoring efficient photo-thermal catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction. This project aims to develop a highly solar-efficient and environmentally-friendly approach to reducing greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable fuels that will be beneficial for relieving energy shortage and improving global sustainability. New multifunctional catalysts will be constructed by combining various catalytic active centres and optical promoters, for optimising energy efficiency and reaction activity. ....Tailoring efficient photo-thermal catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction. This project aims to develop a highly solar-efficient and environmentally-friendly approach to reducing greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable fuels that will be beneficial for relieving energy shortage and improving global sustainability. New multifunctional catalysts will be constructed by combining various catalytic active centres and optical promoters, for optimising energy efficiency and reaction activity. Such knowledge gained is essential for the success of the low-carbon industry and a more environmentally-friendly energy economy in Australia.Read moreRead less