Understanding Fugitive Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wastewater Systems for Reliable Accounting and Effective Mitigation. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the most serious challenges facing mankind. Substantial reductions in emissions must be achieved, with responsibility shared by all industrial sectors. Wastewater systems contribute to GHG emission through not only energy consumption but also direct emissions of fugitive GHG such as methane and nitrous oxide. T ....Understanding Fugitive Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wastewater Systems for Reliable Accounting and Effective Mitigation. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the most serious challenges facing mankind. Substantial reductions in emissions must be achieved, with responsibility shared by all industrial sectors. Wastewater systems contribute to GHG emission through not only energy consumption but also direct emissions of fugitive GHG such as methane and nitrous oxide. This project aims to deliver the urgently needed knowledge and technology support to the Australian wastewater industry to achieve reductions in fugitive emissions. The research will also provide support to the greenhouse office via more reliable estimation of such emissions.Read moreRead less
Derivation of Emissions Models from Vehicle Certification Tests. This research project will aim to prove the concept that emissions models capable of modelling changes in driver behaviour can be obtained from data that has been used as part of the vehicles emission certification process. Second by second emissions data from certification tests will be disaggregated into their component phases of acceleration, cruise, deceleration and idle. The emissions characteristics of these phases will be es ....Derivation of Emissions Models from Vehicle Certification Tests. This research project will aim to prove the concept that emissions models capable of modelling changes in driver behaviour can be obtained from data that has been used as part of the vehicles emission certification process. Second by second emissions data from certification tests will be disaggregated into their component phases of acceleration, cruise, deceleration and idle. The emissions characteristics of these phases will be established and analysed to produce empirical models of emissions per unit time versus mode of operation. These models will then be able to describe the changes in emission characteristics under different vehicle operating modes modes for a range of vehicle types.Read moreRead less
PREDICTING THE CLOGGING OF STORM WATER INFILTRATION SYSTEMS. Infiltration systems are widely used in sustainable management of stormwater in both urban and rural areas. They are also an integral part of large stormwater-harvesting facilities. However, they tend to fail due to clogging (infiltration medium gets filled by silt from runoff), and this phenomenon is far from being understood. The aim of this project is to develop a new prediction method of clogging of stormwater infiltration systems. ....PREDICTING THE CLOGGING OF STORM WATER INFILTRATION SYSTEMS. Infiltration systems are widely used in sustainable management of stormwater in both urban and rural areas. They are also an integral part of large stormwater-harvesting facilities. However, they tend to fail due to clogging (infiltration medium gets filled by silt from runoff), and this phenomenon is far from being understood. The aim of this project is to develop a new prediction method of clogging of stormwater infiltration systems. Extensive 1D and 2D laboratory experimental programmes will be carried out. Models of unit processes that occur in infiltration systems will be defined/developed and built into a physically based model of an infiltration system. This model could be used for reliable design of stormwater drainage and harvesting systems, bringing major benefits to the people of drier and more populated areas of Australia.Read moreRead less
Efficient and Robust Prediction at Ungauged Catchments. Hydrological models are an integral part of virtually all environmental models formulated at the catchment scale. They are used in the planning, design and operation of water infrastructure. Despite the importance of these models limited rainfall and streamflow gauging forces these models to be routinely applied at ungauged locations where predictive power is poorly understood and almost always unsatisfactory. This project will directly ben ....Efficient and Robust Prediction at Ungauged Catchments. Hydrological models are an integral part of virtually all environmental models formulated at the catchment scale. They are used in the planning, design and operation of water infrastructure. Despite the importance of these models limited rainfall and streamflow gauging forces these models to be routinely applied at ungauged locations where predictive power is poorly understood and almost always unsatisfactory. This project will directly benefit model users by providing (a) robust framework for quantifying uncertainty and (b) improved predictions at ungauged basins. This will provide more realistic guidance for design engineers and policy makers and be of significant benefit to a large range of Australian water users.Read moreRead less
Managing Fresh-Water Resources in Saline Environments. Australian industry and urban developments often rely on a secure supply of fresh water. In many situations, the fresh water occurs adjacent to large expanses of saline water. This poses special constraints on how the fresh water can be recovered. This project undertakes careful mathematical modelling of fresh water recovery from reservoirs and from within islands (where it may be the only practical source of drinking water). The injecti ....Managing Fresh-Water Resources in Saline Environments. Australian industry and urban developments often rely on a secure supply of fresh water. In many situations, the fresh water occurs adjacent to large expanses of saline water. This poses special constraints on how the fresh water can be recovered. This project undertakes careful mathematical modelling of fresh water recovery from reservoirs and from within islands (where it may be the only practical source of drinking water). The injection and extraction of ground water in novel "mineral leaching" mining technology will also be investigated.Read moreRead less
Assessment of the Mass Flux in a Benthic Boundary Layer of a Stratified Lake. Understanding the underlying processes responsible for Benthic Bundary Layer (BBL) mass flux in stratified lakes is of fundamental ecological importance. By verifying the ability of the current Centre for Water Research hydrodynamics models to reproduce the dynamics of the BBL, Australia will cement its position as an international leader in the development of technologies to guide the management of lakes, reservoirs, ....Assessment of the Mass Flux in a Benthic Boundary Layer of a Stratified Lake. Understanding the underlying processes responsible for Benthic Bundary Layer (BBL) mass flux in stratified lakes is of fundamental ecological importance. By verifying the ability of the current Centre for Water Research hydrodynamics models to reproduce the dynamics of the BBL, Australia will cement its position as an international leader in the development of technologies to guide the management of lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and coastal areas. Furthermore, these water bodies are important sources and sinks of carbon and the extent to which they contribute to the national and international carbon inventory can be assessed using this technology.Read moreRead less
Factors controlling phytoplankton patchiness in a seasonally stratified lake. This project will determine what processes result in the formation of phytoplankton patches in lakes, over what scale, and how they can be parameterized into models to assist in managing aquatic systems. This will allow key parameters to be measured at the correct time and space scales. The Controlled Lagrangian Drogue coupled with correctly parameterized hydrodynamic and water quality models will provide the Austra ....Factors controlling phytoplankton patchiness in a seasonally stratified lake. This project will determine what processes result in the formation of phytoplankton patches in lakes, over what scale, and how they can be parameterized into models to assist in managing aquatic systems. This will allow key parameters to be measured at the correct time and space scales. The Controlled Lagrangian Drogue coupled with correctly parameterized hydrodynamic and water quality models will provide the Australian and International water industry with tools to measure and predict phytoplankton patchiness and make decisions about water quality treatment, offtake regimes and reservoir management. This will minimize the economic costs of water quality management and enhance the security of the quality of our water resources. Read moreRead less
Derivation of Emissions Models for Commercial Vehicles. This research project will develop emissions models for commercial vehicles that are capable of modelling changes in driver behaviour. Second by second emissions data from certification tests will be disaggregated into their component phases of acceleration, cruise, deceleration and idle. The emissions characteristics of these phases will be established and analysed to produce empirical models of emissions per unit time versus mode of opera ....Derivation of Emissions Models for Commercial Vehicles. This research project will develop emissions models for commercial vehicles that are capable of modelling changes in driver behaviour. Second by second emissions data from certification tests will be disaggregated into their component phases of acceleration, cruise, deceleration and idle. The emissions characteristics of these phases will be established and analysed to produce empirical models of emissions per unit time versus mode of operation. These models will then be able to describe the changes in emission characteristics under different commercial vehicle operating modes for a range of commercial vehicle types.Read moreRead less
Tidal dynamics of a subterranean estuary: Processes and functions. Coastal environments and resources are of great significance for Australia economically and socially. Water pollution in many coastal areas is a serious environmental problem, threatening marine and estuarine ecosystems. High nutrient levels in coastal waters are causing alarming damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The proposed project investigates an important mechanism underlying the chemical transfer from the aquifer to the ocea ....Tidal dynamics of a subterranean estuary: Processes and functions. Coastal environments and resources are of great significance for Australia economically and socially. Water pollution in many coastal areas is a serious environmental problem, threatening marine and estuarine ecosystems. High nutrient levels in coastal waters are causing alarming damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The proposed project investigates an important mechanism underlying the chemical transfer from the aquifer to the ocean. It will provide better understanding of the pathway of land-derived nutrients and contaminants entering coastal waters, leading to (1) improvement of strategies for sustainable coastal resources management and development and (2) integration of upland and lowland catchments management.Read moreRead less
CO2 sequestration in deformable, chemically interactive, double porosity media. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) level is emerging as one of the most serious issues affecting humanity. Models, theories and relationships derived from this research will have a direct and immediate impact on the design, construction, maintenance, management and risk assessment of sequestration systems in Australia and overseas, and will assist Australia and Australian community to meet its target reducti ....CO2 sequestration in deformable, chemically interactive, double porosity media. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) level is emerging as one of the most serious issues affecting humanity. Models, theories and relationships derived from this research will have a direct and immediate impact on the design, construction, maintenance, management and risk assessment of sequestration systems in Australia and overseas, and will assist Australia and Australian community to meet its target reductions in CO2 emission. The work will also benefit Australia and the Australian research community through the development of a new expertise in Australia, which will have a significant potential for export to other countries.Read moreRead less