Sewer corrosion reduction through model-supported ventilation control. Ventilation is one of the key technologies for sewer corrosion control. However, its design and operation are currently based on experience and empirical equations, often leading to unsatisfactory results. By integrating in-depth laboratory and pilot-sewer studies under defined conditions with extensive field investigations, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop critical models to predict the corrosion process in res ....Sewer corrosion reduction through model-supported ventilation control. Ventilation is one of the key technologies for sewer corrosion control. However, its design and operation are currently based on experience and empirical equations, often leading to unsatisfactory results. By integrating in-depth laboratory and pilot-sewer studies under defined conditions with extensive field investigations, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop critical models to predict the corrosion process in response to ventilation and dynamic wastewater and atmospheric conditions, enabling model-based sewer ventilation design and operation. The project also aims to deliver novel, field-demonstrated ventilation strategies. The project findings will be incorporated in the Australian ventilation design and operation guidelines.Read moreRead less
Sewer Monitoring and Management in the Digital Era. Overflow, flooding, corrosion, and odorous emissions are persistent issues for utilities managing sewers. Current sewer maintenance is reactive, and focuses on solving problems in local networks, despite that optimal solutions require a system-wide approach. Capitalising on recent development in IoT sensors, wireless transmission, and machine learning, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop digital-twin supported data analytics for proa ....Sewer Monitoring and Management in the Digital Era. Overflow, flooding, corrosion, and odorous emissions are persistent issues for utilities managing sewers. Current sewer maintenance is reactive, and focuses on solving problems in local networks, despite that optimal solutions require a system-wide approach. Capitalising on recent development in IoT sensors, wireless transmission, and machine learning, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop digital-twin supported data analytics for proactive sewer management including network-wide real-time control. The project aims to generate significant social, environmental and economic benefits by enabling utilities to better protect public and environmental health, reduce sewer odour and greenhouse gas emissions, and extend sewer asset life.Read moreRead less
Reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from urban wastewater systems. This project aims to develop a systematic framework for water utilities to monitor and reduce direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater systems. A standardised monitoring protocol will be developed to conduct an unprecedented nationwide sampling campaign. The obtained data, with microbial characterisation and mechanism analysis, will be used to develop novel models for accurate prediction of GHG emissions. Expect ....Reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from urban wastewater systems. This project aims to develop a systematic framework for water utilities to monitor and reduce direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater systems. A standardised monitoring protocol will be developed to conduct an unprecedented nationwide sampling campaign. The obtained data, with microbial characterisation and mechanism analysis, will be used to develop novel models for accurate prediction of GHG emissions. Expected outcomes include protocol to accurately monitor emissions, models to predict emission under various conditions, and mitigation guideline for typical plant configurations. The anticipated benefit is a significant reduction in GHG emissions from urban water industry and support it to meet net-zero-emission goal by 2050.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100422
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,637.00
Summary
Feasible quantification of greenhouse gas emitted from wastewater treatment. This project aims to develop an accurate and practical approach to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater treatment. Australian water utilities have pledged to net-zero emissions. However, most utilities do not know its actual emissions due to lack of feasible quantification method. This project will apply an interdisciplinary approach via mechanism investigations, mathematical modelling, and field work ....Feasible quantification of greenhouse gas emitted from wastewater treatment. This project aims to develop an accurate and practical approach to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater treatment. Australian water utilities have pledged to net-zero emissions. However, most utilities do not know its actual emissions due to lack of feasible quantification method. This project will apply an interdisciplinary approach via mechanism investigations, mathematical modelling, and field works to develop and validate a new feasible quantification method. This project will also advance knowledge on GHG emissions to guide quantification design. The outcomes will be translated into industry protocols and disseminated into industry. The outcomes provide timely support to water sector on its pathway to net-zero.Read moreRead less
Brain-skull interface: discovering the missing piece of head biomechanics. Overall objective of this project is to measure, mathematically describe and implement in software mechanical properties of brain-skull interface – a critical component of current large and sophisticated computational models of the brain and the last missing piece of brain biomechanics knowledge. This will allow increased reliability of comprehensive biomechanical models used to simulate realistic injury and surgery scena ....Brain-skull interface: discovering the missing piece of head biomechanics. Overall objective of this project is to measure, mathematically describe and implement in software mechanical properties of brain-skull interface – a critical component of current large and sophisticated computational models of the brain and the last missing piece of brain biomechanics knowledge. This will allow increased reliability of comprehensive biomechanical models used to simulate realistic injury and surgery scenarios.
The problem is significant and urgent. Every year in Australia, there are over 22,000 cases of traumatic brain injury, some of which could be prevented by better passive and active countermeasures; and over 12,000 neurosurgical procedures that surgical simulation could make more accurate and therefore safer.Read moreRead less
A predictive framework for the flow control of environmental roughness. This project aims to develop a new framework to accurately predict how macro-roughness controls flow, turbulence and transport in environmental systems. Exemplar systems range from flows over seagrass meadows, coral reefs and permeable beds in aquatic environments to flows over urban roughness in atmospheric environments. The overall health and function of these systems is intimately linked to how they modify the incoming fl ....A predictive framework for the flow control of environmental roughness. This project aims to develop a new framework to accurately predict how macro-roughness controls flow, turbulence and transport in environmental systems. Exemplar systems range from flows over seagrass meadows, coral reefs and permeable beds in aquatic environments to flows over urban roughness in atmospheric environments. The overall health and function of these systems is intimately linked to how they modify the incoming flow and the transport of nutrients, contaminants, heat and biota. Expected outcomes include novel theory and new predictive models to quantify the flow and transport 'climate' in these complex roughness systems. This will transform best practice in our understanding, management and protection of these critical ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Collision Avoidance in Shipping Lanes via Intelligent Sensor Data Fusion . This project aims to develop an online maritime traffic monitoring system for reliable collision/contact avoidance that exploits complementary data from high-resolution airborne sensors and surface vessel sensors. Our approach is based on optimal scheduling and fusion of the sensor data and possibly other sources of data to construct a comprehensive dynamic picture of maritime traffic, in real-time. Moreover, the proposed ....Collision Avoidance in Shipping Lanes via Intelligent Sensor Data Fusion . This project aims to develop an online maritime traffic monitoring system for reliable collision/contact avoidance that exploits complementary data from high-resolution airborne sensors and surface vessel sensors. Our approach is based on optimal scheduling and fusion of the sensor data and possibly other sources of data to construct a comprehensive dynamic picture of maritime traffic, in real-time. Moreover, the proposed methodology enables quantification of confidence in the predictions. This will provide ship owners, directly to their vessels and/or at the fleet management centres, information such as weather reports, reliable collision/no-collision warnings and avoidance strategies, on-the-fly. Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH210100001
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,062,428.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Nutrients in a Circular Economy (NiCE). Urban utilities are in need to design resilient wastewater infrastructure to tackle the pressures of urban intensification, waterways pollution and climate change. This Hub aims to transform the wastewater industry with an unprecedented, city-scale circular economy of nutrients based on urine separation and processing at building level, to produce safe and effective liquid fertilisers. By engaging with stakeholders across the value cha ....ARC Research Hub for Nutrients in a Circular Economy (NiCE). Urban utilities are in need to design resilient wastewater infrastructure to tackle the pressures of urban intensification, waterways pollution and climate change. This Hub aims to transform the wastewater industry with an unprecedented, city-scale circular economy of nutrients based on urine separation and processing at building level, to produce safe and effective liquid fertilisers. By engaging with stakeholders across the value chain, this Hub expects to bring two urine processing technologies to commercial readiness, and to produce new regulations and business models for the circular economy. This will add resilience to the wastewater and urban farming industries, and will create market opportunities for new Australian technologies.Read moreRead less
Unlocking self-healing bio-concrete through multiscale modelling. Self-healing bio-concrete, which uses bacteria as means to repair cracks, has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry and reduce the infrastructure repair and maintenance cost by billions of dollars annually. To unlock this, we need to understand the bacterial self-healing mechanisms for effective control of the performance. This project will develop a multiscale framework to describe the competing mechanisms betw ....Unlocking self-healing bio-concrete through multiscale modelling. Self-healing bio-concrete, which uses bacteria as means to repair cracks, has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry and reduce the infrastructure repair and maintenance cost by billions of dollars annually. To unlock this, we need to understand the bacterial self-healing mechanisms for effective control of the performance. This project will develop a multiscale framework to describe the competing mechanisms between crack widening and healing at the macro-scale, incorporated with key information of substances diffusion and bio-cementation at the meso- and micro-scales. This will enable to optimise the self-healing of bio-concrete via design–test–learn approach and enhance the durability of structures under sustained loads.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH200100009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Transforming Energy Infrastructure Through Digital Engineering. This Research Hub will harness the strengths of data-based and physics-based sciences to transform the operation of Australia’s offshore energy infrastructure. This essential research will create, use and embed observations of past and ongoing activity to engineer tools and approaches necessary to enhance our understanding of the offshore environment, optimise critical operations for existing facilities (includi ....ARC Research Hub for Transforming Energy Infrastructure Through Digital Engineering. This Research Hub will harness the strengths of data-based and physics-based sciences to transform the operation of Australia’s offshore energy infrastructure. This essential research will create, use and embed observations of past and ongoing activity to engineer tools and approaches necessary to enhance our understanding of the offshore environment, optimise critical operations for existing facilities (including installation and maintenance), and efficiently design future infrastructure. The integrated multidisciplinary approach will not only help Operators achieve high productivity through low downtime and optimised maintenance, but also demonstrate, in research and industry, the transformative potential of digital engineering.Read moreRead less