Design tools for optimising data centre layout to minimise energy usage. Data centres are major consumers of energy worldwide, mainly through the need to cool the equipment. It has become imperative to develop the science for reducing this consumption. Rising computing demand, increasing power density, and increasing infrastructure and energy costs are major issue for data centres around the world. Our research will provide a powerful alternative to conventional thermal management techniques for ....Design tools for optimising data centre layout to minimise energy usage. Data centres are major consumers of energy worldwide, mainly through the need to cool the equipment. It has become imperative to develop the science for reducing this consumption. Rising computing demand, increasing power density, and increasing infrastructure and energy costs are major issue for data centres around the world. Our research will provide a powerful alternative to conventional thermal management techniques for cooling high-density heat loads in mixed-density environments. We will address the key issue of energy minimisation through a detailed flow analyses by the use of numerical simulations and optimisation algorithms.Read moreRead less
Conjugate natural convection boundary layers. Conjugate natural convection systems occur when a conducting vertical wall separates fluids at different temperatures (that is at a window separating the interior of a room from the outside or when a container of fluid is placed in a refrigerator). This project will provide accurate predictions of such flows together with scaling relations.
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0453648
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$144,184.00
Summary
Modelling of coupled heat and water flow through layered soils with an extension to heat flow through granulated soils. The main aim of this project is to develop a mathematical model to simulate coupled heat and water flow through layered soils. The coupling of the two processes will allow us to examine the interaction between heat and water flow. The project also aims to extend the heat component of the flow model to granulated heterogeneous soils by developing a model that encapsulates heat e ....Modelling of coupled heat and water flow through layered soils with an extension to heat flow through granulated soils. The main aim of this project is to develop a mathematical model to simulate coupled heat and water flow through layered soils. The coupling of the two processes will allow us to examine the interaction between heat and water flow. The project also aims to extend the heat component of the flow model to granulated heterogeneous soils by developing a model that encapsulates heat effects at the microscopic and macroscopic level. The model will be applied to two problems 1) hydraulic barriers in cover liner designs for landfills and 2) assessing the ability of heat sensors to measure various soil properties under field conditions.Read moreRead less
Novel framework for optimising battery-cooling microchannel heat exchangers. Thermal overheating can affect the capacity, safety and life expectancy of batteries for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles. Microscale heat exchangers are a potential high-efficiency, low-bulk solution. This project aims to develop a novel computational methodology to optimise the design of those heat exchangers in which viscoelastic fluids are used to control flow instabilities and enhance heat transfer at ....Novel framework for optimising battery-cooling microchannel heat exchangers. Thermal overheating can affect the capacity, safety and life expectancy of batteries for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles. Microscale heat exchangers are a potential high-efficiency, low-bulk solution. This project aims to develop a novel computational methodology to optimise the design of those heat exchangers in which viscoelastic fluids are used to control flow instabilities and enhance heat transfer at the microscale. A new microscopic fluid physics model will provide data for an innovative neural network framework to optimise the working fluid conditions and microscale design, which could contribute to increased adoption of renewable energy technologies that are supported by microscale heat exchangers.Read moreRead less
Time dependent stratified flows in a differentially heated cavity under realistic conditions. Flows driven by the application of a horizontal temperature gradient has applications in nature and engineering. Although much progress has been made in the analysis of the case of a sudden application of temperature differences to the vertical walls of a container with insulating horizontal walls containing an isothermal fluid, the reality is that neither the insulated walls nor the initially isotherma ....Time dependent stratified flows in a differentially heated cavity under realistic conditions. Flows driven by the application of a horizontal temperature gradient has applications in nature and engineering. Although much progress has been made in the analysis of the case of a sudden application of temperature differences to the vertical walls of a container with insulating horizontal walls containing an isothermal fluid, the reality is that neither the insulated walls nor the initially isothermal fluid can be achieved. This project will, by analytical, numerical and experimental methods, make a preliminary investigation of the influence of conducting horizontal walls and an initially stratified fluid.Read moreRead less
Expanding the scramjet operating envelope through oxygen enrichment. This project aims to investigate the benefits of expanding the operating envelope of scramjets to higher altitudes and speeds by enriching their fuel with oxygen. This is expected to enhance the performance and flexibility of hypersonic air-breathing engines designed to form the core of a more reliable and economical access to space system. Expected outcomes of this project are a validated understanding and mapping of how oxyge ....Expanding the scramjet operating envelope through oxygen enrichment. This project aims to investigate the benefits of expanding the operating envelope of scramjets to higher altitudes and speeds by enriching their fuel with oxygen. This is expected to enhance the performance and flexibility of hypersonic air-breathing engines designed to form the core of a more reliable and economical access to space system. Expected outcomes of this project are a validated understanding and mapping of how oxygen enrichment can augment scramjet thrust at high altitudes and speeds, and a performance evaluation of a launch system optimised for this approach. This could provide significant benefits to the performance of reusable, air-breathing launch technology, where Australia is leading the push towards commercialisation.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100397
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Advanced waste heat recovery systems. Vehicle emissions have recently driven the research, development, and commercialisation of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems. The development of novel EGR gas coolers for such systems will probably lead to the breakthrough necessary for advancing EGR technologies, benefiting Australian clean energy supplies in general and transport vehicles in particular. The project aims to produce lighter and cleaner EGR systems at lower costs. This project also aims ....Advanced waste heat recovery systems. Vehicle emissions have recently driven the research, development, and commercialisation of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems. The development of novel EGR gas coolers for such systems will probably lead to the breakthrough necessary for advancing EGR technologies, benefiting Australian clean energy supplies in general and transport vehicles in particular. The project aims to produce lighter and cleaner EGR systems at lower costs. This project also aims to enhance the international reputation and impact of Australian research in the internationally focused fields of microporous materials and clean transport technology.Read moreRead less
Solar-driven massive hydrogen production from biomass and biomass/coal mixtures by supercritical water gasification. Cheap and massive hydrogen production from renewable resources is one of the key challenges to achieve a hydrogen economy that promises to ultimately solve critical problems, such as energy depletion and climate change. This project exactly falls into this research and development priority and will benefit Australian economy and environment.
Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result ....Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result in an increase of the overall capacity and performance of engineering systems. This will contribute significantly to reductions in power consumption and improvements in productivity and work environment, leading ultimately to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Modelling of unsteady natural convection in a reservoir sidearm. Horizontal exchange flows induced by daytime heating and night-time cooling through water surface play an important role in the transport of water properties in the shoreline regions of reservoirs. This project is aimed at exploring the driving mechanisms of these flows through a closely linked experimental, numerical and analytical research program. At the completion of this project, significant advance in experimental methodology ....Modelling of unsteady natural convection in a reservoir sidearm. Horizontal exchange flows induced by daytime heating and night-time cooling through water surface play an important role in the transport of water properties in the shoreline regions of reservoirs. This project is aimed at exploring the driving mechanisms of these flows through a closely linked experimental, numerical and analytical research program. At the completion of this project, significant advance in experimental methodology will be achieved, and reliable experimental and theoretical data will be available that can be used to estimate the heat and mass transfer in the coastal regions which is important for water quality management and environmental planning.Read moreRead less