Understanding and modifying vortex structures in wind turbine wakes. At a fundamental research level, Australia's active participation in this area of national priority and research strength will be advanced through our published research, which will increase our understanding of wind turbine wakes and their effects in wind farms. This understanding will then be used to produce improved methods of predicting wind turbine performance. Such methods are needed by wind energy designers to produce b ....Understanding and modifying vortex structures in wind turbine wakes. At a fundamental research level, Australia's active participation in this area of national priority and research strength will be advanced through our published research, which will increase our understanding of wind turbine wakes and their effects in wind farms. This understanding will then be used to produce improved methods of predicting wind turbine performance. Such methods are needed by wind energy designers to produce better wind farms. It will also be used to recommend how to improve the aerodynamic design of turbine components, such as the blades and hub. Numerical tools will be developed for industry use, and training will be provided to personnel, thereby increasing the capabilities of Australia's growing wind energy industry.Read moreRead less
Investigation into flow over complex topography and escarpments for wind turbine siting using experimental and computational methods. This project will improve national capability to optimise power production from wind turbine farms in complex terrain by improving the understanding of the flow regime. By better understanding separated regions and the turbulent structures within these regions power production can be optimised and fatigue risks associated with turbine positioning in complex sites ....Investigation into flow over complex topography and escarpments for wind turbine siting using experimental and computational methods. This project will improve national capability to optimise power production from wind turbine farms in complex terrain by improving the understanding of the flow regime. By better understanding separated regions and the turbulent structures within these regions power production can be optimised and fatigue risks associated with turbine positioning in complex sites can be reduced. This will improve confidence in wind farm site assessment techniques and consequently reduce economic risks associated with current wind farm viability assessments. By increasing national capacity to generate clean energy stationary energy emissions can be reduced. This project will also deliver high calibre graduates that will be potential future industry leaders.Read moreRead less
Optimizing blood flow in stented arteries: a fluid mechanics approach incorporating optical coherence tomography. Constriction in coronary arterial blood flow is a leading cause of death in Australia. Insertion of stents can rectify this problem but potentially lead to further complications. This project will use medical imaging data to construct computer models to study blood flow and particle motions in coronary arteries and improve stent designs.
Optimising haemodynamics in complex stented arteries. This project aims to optimise the hemodynamics (blood flow) in coronary arteries with high curvatures and bifurcations. Experience has shown that the build-up of plaque — and the resulting occlusion of blood flow — tends to occur in these complex arterial regions. The most common therapeutic strategy is the insertion of a stent to prop open the artery. However, the nature of the geometry often leads to post-stenting complications such as rest ....Optimising haemodynamics in complex stented arteries. This project aims to optimise the hemodynamics (blood flow) in coronary arteries with high curvatures and bifurcations. Experience has shown that the build-up of plaque — and the resulting occlusion of blood flow — tends to occur in these complex arterial regions. The most common therapeutic strategy is the insertion of a stent to prop open the artery. However, the nature of the geometry often leads to post-stenting complications such as restenosis and thrombosis, ultimately resulting in negative outcomes. In this project, advanced research methods from fluid dynamics and optimisation and control will be used to potentially minimise these highly undesirable effects.Read moreRead less
The elusive upper bound of heat transfer in horizontal convection. The question as to whether lateral variation in global ocean buoyancy resulting from low solar radiation near the poles and higher temperatures in the tropical regions (known as horizontal convection) is a driver for global ocean currents is critical to our understanding of this complex and delicate system that maintains Earth's temperate climate. This question hinges on the relationship between heat transport and strength of buo ....The elusive upper bound of heat transfer in horizontal convection. The question as to whether lateral variation in global ocean buoyancy resulting from low solar radiation near the poles and higher temperatures in the tropical regions (known as horizontal convection) is a driver for global ocean currents is critical to our understanding of this complex and delicate system that maintains Earth's temperate climate. This question hinges on the relationship between heat transport and strength of buoyancy forcing towards global scales; this project proposes a landmark experimental effort supported by detailed simulations to probe the ultimate regime of heat transport in horizontal convection. The project is expected to inform the direction of future ocean and climate modelling efforts to the benefit of humanity.Read moreRead less
Electrohydrodynamically-Driven Microcentrifugation for Microfluidic Applications. Microfluidics has the potential to revolutionise the way we live. Imagine portable pocket sized devices for cheap and rapid medical diagnostics and drug delivery. Or miniaturised chemical/biological sensors as early warning detection systems against terrorist threats. The research is thus intended to not only commercially benefit various industries, but also to improve the quality of life as a whole by making medic ....Electrohydrodynamically-Driven Microcentrifugation for Microfluidic Applications. Microfluidics has the potential to revolutionise the way we live. Imagine portable pocket sized devices for cheap and rapid medical diagnostics and drug delivery. Or miniaturised chemical/biological sensors as early warning detection systems against terrorist threats. The research is thus intended to not only commercially benefit various industries, but also to improve the quality of life as a whole by making medical diagnosis or chemical/biological detection more readily accessible, portable and more efficient. Moreover, the fundamental studies, aimed at generating an understanding of the complex physics involved, has generic benefits to researchers in applied physics as well as providing practical protocols for microdevice development.Read moreRead less
Dynamics and control of fluid-structure-free surface interactions. This project aims to research the apparently opposing effects of vortex shedding and free surface damping, individually and jointly, and the control or excitation of the vibrations for two generic bluff bodies: the cylinder and the sphere. Flow-induced vibrations of bluff bodies under or piercing water surfaces can damage floating off-shore marine structures and tethered bodies. On the other hand, harvesting energy from ocean cur ....Dynamics and control of fluid-structure-free surface interactions. This project aims to research the apparently opposing effects of vortex shedding and free surface damping, individually and jointly, and the control or excitation of the vibrations for two generic bluff bodies: the cylinder and the sphere. Flow-induced vibrations of bluff bodies under or piercing water surfaces can damage floating off-shore marine structures and tethered bodies. On the other hand, harvesting energy from ocean currents needs large flow-induced vibrations. The intended outcomes are new modes of body vibration, wake transitions and means to control fluid-structure interactions. This research could benefit many processes in offshore marine engineering, submarine bodies and mixing vessels, where understanding and controlling fluid-structure interactions of bluff bodies can mitigate costly and dangerous induced vibrations.Read moreRead less
Wake Transitions and Fluid-Structure Interactions of Rotating Bluff Bodies. Flow-induced vibrations of bluff bodies can lead to severe damage in many applications, such as off-shore marine structures and tethered bodies. Rotation of bluff bodies can result in huge increases in lift forces, which may promote these vibrations, whereas a nearby free surface may stabilise the vibrations. This project aims to discover the mechanisms underpinning the apparently opposing effects of vibration and free s ....Wake Transitions and Fluid-Structure Interactions of Rotating Bluff Bodies. Flow-induced vibrations of bluff bodies can lead to severe damage in many applications, such as off-shore marine structures and tethered bodies. Rotation of bluff bodies can result in huge increases in lift forces, which may promote these vibrations, whereas a nearby free surface may stabilise the vibrations. This project aims to discover the mechanisms underpinning the apparently opposing effects of vibration and free surface, individually and jointly, and the excitation of two- and three-dimensional instabilities in the wakes of two generic bluff bodies: the cylinder and the sphere. The expected outcomes are the discovery of new modes of body vibration, wake transitions and means to control fluid-structure interactions.Read moreRead less
Dynamics of bluff body interactions with walls. Spherical bodies are continually impacting or rolling on solid surfaces, from leukocytes to dust grains to golf balls, and larger. A joint Australian-French team will pioneer new research on the flow and mixing created by these bodies and understand the role these play in important commercial and environmental flows.
Advancing unsteady bluff body aerodynamics: applications to elite cycling. Delivering a better understanding of unsteady wakes has real potential to further our future capabilities of reducing bluff body parasitic drag. The national benefit derived from this project is the advancement of knowledge of a complex fluid mechanics problem, with secondary benefits arising from the specific and practical application to sports aerodynamics. By better understanding the wake structure and its interaction ....Advancing unsteady bluff body aerodynamics: applications to elite cycling. Delivering a better understanding of unsteady wakes has real potential to further our future capabilities of reducing bluff body parasitic drag. The national benefit derived from this project is the advancement of knowledge of a complex fluid mechanics problem, with secondary benefits arising from the specific and practical application to sports aerodynamics. By better understanding the wake structure and its interaction with a locally oscillating bluff body this knowledge can feed into the field of active flow control in the transport sector. The potential for emissions mitigation by lowering aerodynamic losses in the ground transportation section through active aerodynamic control is significant.Read moreRead less