Methane Coupling Using Mixed Conducting Catalytic Ceramic Hollow Fibre Membrane Reactor. The Gas product industry is one of the most important economic sectors in Australia, employing 10000 people with market value of $ 100 billion per year from power generation and LNG export. However, there are increasing concerns over issues of the green house gases emission and petroleum dwindling. This project addresses the technology needs in converting natural gas to more useful chemicals via a more effic ....Methane Coupling Using Mixed Conducting Catalytic Ceramic Hollow Fibre Membrane Reactor. The Gas product industry is one of the most important economic sectors in Australia, employing 10000 people with market value of $ 100 billion per year from power generation and LNG export. However, there are increasing concerns over issues of the green house gases emission and petroleum dwindling. This project addresses the technology needs in converting natural gas to more useful chemicals via a more efficient and cleaner means of methane utilization. The project target is to make the natural gas resources in Australia to delivery high value products with considerable economic benefits and increased employment opportunities. Read moreRead less
Highly efficient electric power and value-added synthesis gas co-generation from methane with zero greenhouse gas emission. This project addresses a novel sealing-free solid oxide fuel cell system producing simultaneously synthesis gas and electricity from methane with zero greenhouse gas emission. The project aims to deliver economic benefits and contribute to environmental protection and increased employment opportunities.
Novel carbon dioxide tolerant ceramic membranes for oxygen separation to improve the viability of clean energy technology. Conventional cryogenic air separation is a major economic impediment to the deployment of these low emission technologies like Callide oxyfuel combustion. This project will lead to the discovery of a new class of oxygen selective membranes for air separation with significantly reduced cost to improve the viability of these clean energy technologies.
A Novel Light-Weight Membrane Reactor for Converting Natural Gas to Syngas. Most of Australia’s natural gas reserves are located in the remote north-west shelf, many of which are small-scale and thus cannot be economically harnessed using conventional methods such as the pipeline transportation or gas liquefaction. In this project, novel light-weight membrane reactors will be designed for converting natural gas to syngas. By integrating advanced membrane and catalysis technologies, this projects ....A Novel Light-Weight Membrane Reactor for Converting Natural Gas to Syngas. Most of Australia’s natural gas reserves are located in the remote north-west shelf, many of which are small-scale and thus cannot be economically harnessed using conventional methods such as the pipeline transportation or gas liquefaction. In this project, novel light-weight membrane reactors will be designed for converting natural gas to syngas. By integrating advanced membrane and catalysis technologies, this projects aim to minimise reactor weight and operational costs, thus potentially making it possible to harness Australia’s remote and stranded gas reserves.Read moreRead less
Concentrating solar thermal energy storage using metal hydrides. This project will investigate energy storage for concentrating solar thermal energy systems. These systems can be used to efficiently generate electricity in remote locations, day and night, using solar energy. The solar energy is converted to heat energy and then chemical energy stored in a metal-hydrogen compound.
Investigation of novel magneto-optic materials exhibiting high Faraday figure of merit. Magneto-optical materials have a wide range of potential applications in consumer products, telecommunications and defence. Nanotechnologies based on these materials offer an even broader range of emerging applications. Understanding and participating in the development of magneto-optic technologies will therefore be critical to maintaining Australia's knowledge base and expertise in future technological adv ....Investigation of novel magneto-optic materials exhibiting high Faraday figure of merit. Magneto-optical materials have a wide range of potential applications in consumer products, telecommunications and defence. Nanotechnologies based on these materials offer an even broader range of emerging applications. Understanding and participating in the development of magneto-optic technologies will therefore be critical to maintaining Australia's knowledge base and expertise in future technological advances. Given the early stages of development of these technologies, Australia's expertise in material science and the patent rights held by Australian companies in this area, Australia has the opportunity to make major contributions to this field, and the potential to capitalise on the application of these technologies in niche markets.Read moreRead less
CO2 Utilisation for Energy Storage. This project aims to develop a novel technology that can convert carbon dioxide into useful products while storing intermittent renewable energy as green stable chemical energy. The project plans to focus on the development of a robust cathode for the conversion of carbon dioxide with optimum physical and chemical structure to achieve long-term stable performance. This technology would make a significant contribution to increasing the proportion of renewable e ....CO2 Utilisation for Energy Storage. This project aims to develop a novel technology that can convert carbon dioxide into useful products while storing intermittent renewable energy as green stable chemical energy. The project plans to focus on the development of a robust cathode for the conversion of carbon dioxide with optimum physical and chemical structure to achieve long-term stable performance. This technology would make a significant contribution to increasing the proportion of renewable energy in our energy supply and reducing our carbon dioxide emissions.Read moreRead less
Atomistic mechanisms of the mechanical behaviour of nanostructured silicon carbide films. Advanced silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics are leading candidates for applications in high-power, high-speed machining and high-temperature structural components. Superhardness and high ductility (or high fracture toughness), which have been realized in some nanostructured (ns) SiC films and nanowires, respectively, are desirable properties for many applications. This project aims to understand the mechanisms ....Atomistic mechanisms of the mechanical behaviour of nanostructured silicon carbide films. Advanced silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics are leading candidates for applications in high-power, high-speed machining and high-temperature structural components. Superhardness and high ductility (or high fracture toughness), which have been realized in some nanostructured (ns) SiC films and nanowires, respectively, are desirable properties for many applications. This project aims to understand the mechanisms behind the exceptional properties in ns SiC and to explore the possibility of realizing the two properties in the same ns SiC. The results obtained from this research will be very important for guiding the structural design of SiC with exceptional mechanical properties which will have a wide range of structural applications.Read moreRead less
Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-den ....Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-density means no chemicals in proppant transportation and application. Successful development of such high-performance proppants will significantly increase Australia oil/gas exploration and production with an environmental acceptable technology, a leap forward for the oil/gas industry in Australia and the world.Read moreRead less
Structurally designed catalysts for high-performance natural gas reforming. This project aims to develop a new class of highly stable catalysts with specially designed physical and chemical structures that can be used in high temperature chemical processes. These catalysts can potentially be used for the reforming of natural gas to produce the synthesis gas, which can then be used to produce liquid fuels and chemicals.