A theoretical investigation into the effect of nonlinear wave interactions in promoting transition-to-turbulence. The problem of transition-to-turbulence remains one of the fundamental unanswered questions in fluid dynamics. An understanding of the processes leading to transition is necessary if the active control of turbulence is to be achieved. This project will focus attention on a new class of waves, which have only recently been described the CI, in order to determine how they are triggered ....A theoretical investigation into the effect of nonlinear wave interactions in promoting transition-to-turbulence. The problem of transition-to-turbulence remains one of the fundamental unanswered questions in fluid dynamics. An understanding of the processes leading to transition is necessary if the active control of turbulence is to be achieved. This project will focus attention on a new class of waves, which have only recently been described the CI, in order to determine how they are triggered and how they may serve to actively promote the early development of turbulence in a broad class of fluid flows.Read moreRead less
The effect of diffusive mass transfer on interfacial fluid instabilities. A wide variety of industrial and physiological fluid flows fall into the general class of two-layer fluids wherein a fluid of one density/viscosity flows over another of a different density/viscosity. Such flows can ultimately become turbulent (that is, chaotic) through the growth of small background disturbances. An understanding of this process is important in controlling fluid dynamical mixing. This project will conside ....The effect of diffusive mass transfer on interfacial fluid instabilities. A wide variety of industrial and physiological fluid flows fall into the general class of two-layer fluids wherein a fluid of one density/viscosity flows over another of a different density/viscosity. Such flows can ultimately become turbulent (that is, chaotic) through the growth of small background disturbances. An understanding of this process is important in controlling fluid dynamical mixing. This project will consider two layer flows in the case when diffusive mass transfer acts at the fluid interface with the aim of determining how diffusion affects the process of transition-to-turbulence.Read moreRead less
Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result ....Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result in an increase of the overall capacity and performance of engineering systems. This will contribute significantly to reductions in power consumption and improvements in productivity and work environment, leading ultimately to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Investigation of a Novel Fan. Fans are very widely used for cooling and heating, thrust and mass transport and are one of the most common fluid mechanical devices. An optimal fan design will maximise flow velocity and pressure rise for minimum energy requirements and noise production. De Rolfe has recently developed a new fan that shows considerable promise in comparison to conventional designs on single point tests.
In this project experimental and computional fluid dynamics investigations o ....Investigation of a Novel Fan. Fans are very widely used for cooling and heating, thrust and mass transport and are one of the most common fluid mechanical devices. An optimal fan design will maximise flow velocity and pressure rise for minimum energy requirements and noise production. De Rolfe has recently developed a new fan that shows considerable promise in comparison to conventional designs on single point tests.
In this project experimental and computional fluid dynamics investigations of the new fan will be carried out to determine the basic fluid mechanics and to obtain performance curves. Scaling laws will be obtained and, if possible, the fan will be further optimised.Read moreRead less
Modelling of unsteady natural convection in a reservoir sidearm. Horizontal exchange flows induced by daytime heating and night-time cooling through water surface play an important role in the transport of water properties in the shoreline regions of reservoirs. This project is aimed at exploring the driving mechanisms of these flows through a closely linked experimental, numerical and analytical research program. At the completion of this project, significant advance in experimental methodology ....Modelling of unsteady natural convection in a reservoir sidearm. Horizontal exchange flows induced by daytime heating and night-time cooling through water surface play an important role in the transport of water properties in the shoreline regions of reservoirs. This project is aimed at exploring the driving mechanisms of these flows through a closely linked experimental, numerical and analytical research program. At the completion of this project, significant advance in experimental methodology will be achieved, and reliable experimental and theoretical data will be available that can be used to estimate the heat and mass transfer in the coastal regions which is important for water quality management and environmental planning.Read moreRead less
Simulating two-phase electrodynamic flows in droplet-based microfluidic circuit elements. The knowledge, data and analysis tools developed within this project will facilitate the economical production of electrodynamically controlled integrated droplet-based microfluidic devices for critical high-demand applications such as: genome sequencing; protein evolution, synthesis and crystallisation; micro-structured pharmaceuticals; disposable devices for biomedical analysis; portable point-of-entry (b ....Simulating two-phase electrodynamic flows in droplet-based microfluidic circuit elements. The knowledge, data and analysis tools developed within this project will facilitate the economical production of electrodynamically controlled integrated droplet-based microfluidic devices for critical high-demand applications such as: genome sequencing; protein evolution, synthesis and crystallisation; micro-structured pharmaceuticals; disposable devices for biomedical analysis; portable point-of-entry (biochem)security analysis devices. Hence this project is an investment in enabling technologies to benefit Australia's growing biotech, pharmaceutical and micro/nanotechnology sectors. Tangible community benefits (e.g., in improved diagnostic technologies, pharmaceuticals) will result.Read moreRead less
Process scalability and performance prediction of Viscous Transfer Micro Turbines for use as miniaturised power supplies. This project aims to predict the performance and scalability of viscous transfer turbines. The work will be carried out with Micromachines Ltd., a firm developing working turbines with 50 mm rotors. The goal of the research is to gain an understanding of the scaling laws for these turbines, in order to predict their performance. Viscous transfer turbines have a very simple di ....Process scalability and performance prediction of Viscous Transfer Micro Turbines for use as miniaturised power supplies. This project aims to predict the performance and scalability of viscous transfer turbines. The work will be carried out with Micromachines Ltd., a firm developing working turbines with 50 mm rotors. The goal of the research is to gain an understanding of the scaling laws for these turbines, in order to predict their performance. Viscous transfer turbines have a very simple disc construction making them ideal for manufacturing as small-scale units (with a 5 mm rotor). Small enough to replace batteries, but with a higher power output, they would provide the need for higher power output devices to replace batteries.Read moreRead less
DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to und ....DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to understand and quantify factors influencing droplet deformation. Coupling non-Newtonian characteristics with microfluidic geometries will allow the continuous manufacture of micro-particles of specified size and shape for existing and new applications, and will provide guidance for further extending the process to nano-particle manufacture.Read moreRead less
Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface cha ....Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface charge, and the numerical predictions. This understanding will complement development in related projects on non-Newtonian drop and particle formation in microfluidic flows which envisage continuous particle manufacture for novel materials possessing programmable, enhanced functional properties.Read moreRead less
Natural convection induced exchange flows between near shore and central regions of reservoirs. Inland discharges into reservoirs often carry rich nutrients, pollutants and biological species into the coastal regions, which are redistributed across the central regions of reservoirs through dynamical mixing processes. One of the important mixing processes is the horizontal exchange flow between the near shore and central regions induced by diurnal heating and cooling through the water surface, wh ....Natural convection induced exchange flows between near shore and central regions of reservoirs. Inland discharges into reservoirs often carry rich nutrients, pollutants and biological species into the coastal regions, which are redistributed across the central regions of reservoirs through dynamical mixing processes. One of the important mixing processes is the horizontal exchange flow between the near shore and central regions induced by diurnal heating and cooling through the water surface, which is classified as a natural convection process. This process will be investigated in this project through a closely linked analytical, experimental and numerical research program. The output from this research will have direct application in water quality management and environmental planning.Read moreRead less