Lightly Loaded Energy Farm Foundations in Cracked Desiccated Soil. This project aims are to understand the effects of seasonal changes in moisture on piles in clayey soils that develop desiccation cracks during dry times of the year. The project is significant because the economics of energy farms requires low cost foundations for their viability, but current methods of foundation design require long piles to overcome uncertainties in capacity and serviceability when soil shrinks in dry periods ....Lightly Loaded Energy Farm Foundations in Cracked Desiccated Soil. This project aims are to understand the effects of seasonal changes in moisture on piles in clayey soils that develop desiccation cracks during dry times of the year. The project is significant because the economics of energy farms requires low cost foundations for their viability, but current methods of foundation design require long piles to overcome uncertainties in capacity and serviceability when soil shrinks in dry periods and swells in wetter periods. The main outcome of the project will be recommendations for the design of lightly loaded pile foundations in soils that shrink and swell significantly. The benefits will be the reduced risk and cost associated with the geotechnical aspects of foundation design.Read moreRead less
Enabling technology unlocking full potential of high bandgap chalcopyrite . This project is aimed at solving the fundamental challenges of high bandgap chalcopyrite light-harvesting material to unlock its full potential as the top cell for photovoltaic tandem cell and the photocathode for photoelectrochemical applications. This will be realised by dynamic optimisation of its performance in photovoltaic solar cell device through understanding of its defects origins, enabling defects controlling t ....Enabling technology unlocking full potential of high bandgap chalcopyrite . This project is aimed at solving the fundamental challenges of high bandgap chalcopyrite light-harvesting material to unlock its full potential as the top cell for photovoltaic tandem cell and the photocathode for photoelectrochemical applications. This will be realised by dynamic optimisation of its performance in photovoltaic solar cell device through understanding of its defects origins, enabling defects controlling technologies, and microscopic carrier loss mechanism analysis via systematic macro-to-micro characterisations combined with 3D device simulation. The project completion will reinforce the next-generation tandem cell and photoelectrochemical technologies with the efficient, stable, RoHS-compliant and thin chalcopyrite devices.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101249
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,000.00
Summary
Nanotechnology-based multifunctional smart window development. This project aims to develop a multifunctional smart window which combines thermal regulation of the indoor environment with solar energy harvesting by regulating thermal and light transmittance through the window while harvesting solar energy. This project expects to generate a low-energy building fabric for green building construction. The new product is expected to lead to a reduction in heating and cooling energy consumption in b ....Nanotechnology-based multifunctional smart window development. This project aims to develop a multifunctional smart window which combines thermal regulation of the indoor environment with solar energy harvesting by regulating thermal and light transmittance through the window while harvesting solar energy. This project expects to generate a low-energy building fabric for green building construction. The new product is expected to lead to a reduction in heating and cooling energy consumption in building and industrial applications, a reduction in carbon emissions and electricity generation for indoor lighting. This will provide significant benefits by expanding fundamental knowledge of material science and advanced manufacturing, and enhancing Australia's research capacity by promoting high quality research opportunities for early career researchers.Read moreRead less
Luminescence-based imaging system for industrial tandem solar cells. This project aims to develop an Australian-made inspection system for next-generation solar cells. Besides allowing, for the first time, fast measurements of large-size tandem solar cells, the system will also enable the determination of key parameters that cannot be measured by current methods. This capability is expected to generate new knowledge in the areas of perovskite and tandem solar cells.
The expected outcomes include ....Luminescence-based imaging system for industrial tandem solar cells. This project aims to develop an Australian-made inspection system for next-generation solar cells. Besides allowing, for the first time, fast measurements of large-size tandem solar cells, the system will also enable the determination of key parameters that cannot be measured by current methods. This capability is expected to generate new knowledge in the areas of perovskite and tandem solar cells.
The expected outcomes include the development of new characterisation methods for advanced solar cells and improvement of their quality, as well as enhancing Australian capabilities in building sophisticated characterisation instruments. This should provide benefits such as cheaper solar energy and the development of local inspection industry.Read moreRead less
High performance durable perovskite solar cells for space applications . There has been a rapid growth in space exploration and experimentation fuelled by global support. Space hardware needs to be powered by a sustainable source of energy. The use of solar photovoltaics is the preferred choice. As we move into the era of 'commercial space', cost will become paramount necessitating the development of new cost effective photovoltaic technologies. Metal halide perovskite solar cells show the great ....High performance durable perovskite solar cells for space applications . There has been a rapid growth in space exploration and experimentation fuelled by global support. Space hardware needs to be powered by a sustainable source of energy. The use of solar photovoltaics is the preferred choice. As we move into the era of 'commercial space', cost will become paramount necessitating the development of new cost effective photovoltaic technologies. Metal halide perovskite solar cells show the greatest potential. They have a higher power to weight ratio and are significantly cheaper to be manufactured compared to incumbent space cells. This project aims to develop and demonstrate perovskite solar cells to achieve high areal power conversion efficiencies and long operating lifetimes withstanding space environment. Read moreRead less
Data-driven development of photocatalytic and optoelectronic perovskites. This project aims to use materials informatics to discover new, high efficiency perovskites for synthesis and testing in optoelectronic applications. This project expects to identify perovskite composition-property relationships to overcome current drawbacks of high performance perovskites (contain rare or toxic elements and low stability in oxidative and humid environments) by considered selection of elements and their pr ....Data-driven development of photocatalytic and optoelectronic perovskites. This project aims to use materials informatics to discover new, high efficiency perovskites for synthesis and testing in optoelectronic applications. This project expects to identify perovskite composition-property relationships to overcome current drawbacks of high performance perovskites (contain rare or toxic elements and low stability in oxidative and humid environments) by considered selection of elements and their properties. Expected outcomes from this project include new perovskites with commercial potential in critical areas such as energy conversion, photocatalysis and luminescence. This should provide significant benefits including approaches to materials discovery, novel materials and in renewable energy and environmental areas.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the morphology of organic semiconductors at an atomic level. Controlling morphology and self-organization at a molecular level is key to advancing the performance of optoelectronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes and organic photovoltaic cells. Current device development relies on a costly and inefficient empirical design cycle (material synthesis followed by device fabrication and testing). In addition, the active layers often involve multiple components and their nano ....Elucidating the morphology of organic semiconductors at an atomic level. Controlling morphology and self-organization at a molecular level is key to advancing the performance of optoelectronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes and organic photovoltaic cells. Current device development relies on a costly and inefficient empirical design cycle (material synthesis followed by device fabrication and testing). In addition, the active layers often involve multiple components and their nano-scale morphology is difficult to probe experimentally. Recently developed molecular simulation techniques can provide unique insight into atomic-level structural details that determine device efficiency. The project will determine if such simulations are sufficiently accurate to be industrially useful.Read moreRead less
Stable perovskite-unlocking the full potential of low-cost solar cells. Despite impressive conversion efficiency, the perovskites' poor stability impedes their commercialization. This project aims to develop strategies for stable perovskite solar cells. This will be realized by a thorough understanding of the degradation origins with stimuli, and development of degradation mitigation strategies including materials and interfaces engineering, defect control and passivation, synergized by a system ....Stable perovskite-unlocking the full potential of low-cost solar cells. Despite impressive conversion efficiency, the perovskites' poor stability impedes their commercialization. This project aims to develop strategies for stable perovskite solar cells. This will be realized by a thorough understanding of the degradation origins with stimuli, and development of degradation mitigation strategies including materials and interfaces engineering, defect control and passivation, synergized by a systematic degradation evaluation, state-of-art multi-scale material and device characterizations and device modeling providing feedback for optimization. The project will bring new scientific findings, key technological step-change solutions, unlocking the full potential of perovskites for cheaper photovoltaic technologies.
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Metal Halide Perovskite Metal-organic Framework Crystal-Glass Composites. This project aims to investigate the highly stable and efficient semiconductive composite materials, recently discovered by my group, consisting of metal halide perovskite embedded in metal-organic framework glass. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to study the structures and interfacial bonding mechanisms that govern the highly sought-after properties for the composites. Expected outcomes ....Metal Halide Perovskite Metal-organic Framework Crystal-Glass Composites. This project aims to investigate the highly stable and efficient semiconductive composite materials, recently discovered by my group, consisting of metal halide perovskite embedded in metal-organic framework glass. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to study the structures and interfacial bonding mechanisms that govern the highly sought-after properties for the composites. Expected outcomes are a new generation of environmentally safe perovskite devices for energy, environmental and health applications, e.g. lighting, displays, X-ray sensing, photocatalysis and photovoltaics. This project will position Australia at the forefront of semiconducting device research and create commercial opportunities. Read moreRead less
Advanced Microgrids for Residential, Commercial and Industry Buildings. The project aims to develop and commercialise an Advanced Microgrid Energy-Management System (AM-EMS) to enhance the energy efficiency of residential, commercial and industry buildings. It will allow the industry partner to integrate their existing products in AM-EMS with maximum returns. The intended outcome of the project is an AM-EMS with optimised energy scheduling and distribution, incorporating renewable energy sources ....Advanced Microgrids for Residential, Commercial and Industry Buildings. The project aims to develop and commercialise an Advanced Microgrid Energy-Management System (AM-EMS) to enhance the energy efficiency of residential, commercial and industry buildings. It will allow the industry partner to integrate their existing products in AM-EMS with maximum returns. The intended outcome of the project is an AM-EMS with optimised energy scheduling and distribution, incorporating renewable energy sources and battery storage systems. End-users will benefit from reduced energy costs, improved energy efficiency and reliability, with the added benefit of new and innovative clean energy technology. The research community will benefit from new knowledge that will underpin international improvements in energy efficiency.Read moreRead less