Thermodynamics inversion for mineral systems. This project aims to provide a newly developed science approach to the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP). AusLAMP provides unparalleled geophysical information aimed at unravelling the tectonic history of the Australian continent and its mineral potential. The project will use thermodynamically based geodynamic simulators to jointly analyse and quantify intraplate deformation. This will illuminate the cause of dri ....Thermodynamics inversion for mineral systems. This project aims to provide a newly developed science approach to the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP). AusLAMP provides unparalleled geophysical information aimed at unravelling the tectonic history of the Australian continent and its mineral potential. The project will use thermodynamically based geodynamic simulators to jointly analyse and quantify intraplate deformation. This will illuminate the cause of driving fluid flow thorough the lithosphere, mineralisation phenomena, their datasets and geometries, and dynamic aspects of the processes driving mineral systems.Read moreRead less
Controlling coastlines while generating power. The Project aims to produce strategies for protecting coasts from storms using farms of wave-energy machines, which also generate electricity. Increasing lengths of coast need protection as the climate changes, but conventional barriers create permanent environmental impacts and are a sunk cost usually borne by the taxpayer. The Project expects to derive a strategy for the setting of each machine in the farm, so that they collectively absorb or refl ....Controlling coastlines while generating power. The Project aims to produce strategies for protecting coasts from storms using farms of wave-energy machines, which also generate electricity. Increasing lengths of coast need protection as the climate changes, but conventional barriers create permanent environmental impacts and are a sunk cost usually borne by the taxpayer. The Project expects to derive a strategy for the setting of each machine in the farm, so that they collectively absorb or reflect damaging waves under severe conditions. Under normal conditions, enough wave energy to sustain environmental processes would pass through. Sales of electricity would help to pay back the capital cost. Outcomes would include reduced coastal-erosion costs and a low-intermittency energy supply.Read moreRead less
Commercial scale production of biocrude by hydrothermal liquefaction. The project aims to develop new understanding and tools to support commercial-scale production of biocrude from microalgae or biosolids and enable a breakthrough in cost-effective production of sustainable fuels. A novel hydrothermal liquefaction reactor has been developed that has strong potential to overcome the limitations of Muradel's existing demonstration reactor which, while world-leading, is uneconomical at commercial ....Commercial scale production of biocrude by hydrothermal liquefaction. The project aims to develop new understanding and tools to support commercial-scale production of biocrude from microalgae or biosolids and enable a breakthrough in cost-effective production of sustainable fuels. A novel hydrothermal liquefaction reactor has been developed that has strong potential to overcome the limitations of Muradel's existing demonstration reactor which, while world-leading, is uneconomical at commercial scale. The project aims to develop design tools to optimise the new reactor, comprising a chemical model of the complex, multi-component hydrothermal liquefaction reactions, a computational model of the mixing and heat transfer within it and a network model of the energy and exergy flows.Read moreRead less