Modelling of polydisperse particle-fluid reacting flows. Complex polydisperse particle-fluid reacting flows are widely practised in many industries where particle size distribution is wide and particle number is huge, yet the process design and optimisation are hindered by the lack of fundamental understanding of the complex reacting flows, particularly polydispersity and interactions. The project will tackle this specific challenge by developing a novel particle-scale mathematical model by inco ....Modelling of polydisperse particle-fluid reacting flows. Complex polydisperse particle-fluid reacting flows are widely practised in many industries where particle size distribution is wide and particle number is huge, yet the process design and optimisation are hindered by the lack of fundamental understanding of the complex reacting flows, particularly polydispersity and interactions. The project will tackle this specific challenge by developing a novel particle-scale mathematical model by incorporating new numerical techniques of interphase heat/mass transfers, polydispersity and computation speed-up; and applying it to two typical industry processes for demonstration. The outcomes will be applied across a range of industries of vital importance to Australian economic and technological future.Read moreRead less
Enhanced Fractionation of Mineral Particles According to Density. Aims: -to achieve a significant advance in the hydrodynamic fractionation of particles on the basis of density, and develop an algorithm to deconvolve the fractionation data to produce the underlying density distribution of the particles. Significance: This density distribution, which is used in resource assessment, plant design, and process evaluation in mineral processing, is currently produced using toxic, and environmentally d ....Enhanced Fractionation of Mineral Particles According to Density. Aims: -to achieve a significant advance in the hydrodynamic fractionation of particles on the basis of density, and develop an algorithm to deconvolve the fractionation data to produce the underlying density distribution of the particles. Significance: This density distribution, which is used in resource assessment, plant design, and process evaluation in mineral processing, is currently produced using toxic, and environmentally damaging heavy liquids, despite the emergence of alternative mineral analysers. Expected Outcomes: -a safe, cost effective basis for generating the density distribution. Benefits: -increasing mineral resource recovery through improved access to critical data, while eliminating the need for the toxic heavy liquids.
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Composite clad steel-geopolymer concrete systems for resilient structures. This project aims to develop innovative clad steel-geopolymer concrete composite members that will significantly improve the safe and economical design and construction of civil engineering systems. The expected outcomes will result in improved durability which has become a key issue in the economic justification of civil engineering infrastructure systems. Fire resistance in multi-storey buildings will also be improved t ....Composite clad steel-geopolymer concrete systems for resilient structures. This project aims to develop innovative clad steel-geopolymer concrete composite members that will significantly improve the safe and economical design and construction of civil engineering systems. The expected outcomes will result in improved durability which has become a key issue in the economic justification of civil engineering infrastructure systems. Fire resistance in multi-storey buildings will also be improved through this project, and the coupled use of clad steel and geopolymer concrete in composite systems will reduce consumption and contribute toward Net-zero structural design. This will provide considerable benefits to Australian structural engineers and constructors in advancing their capability in composite construction.Read moreRead less
Environmentally friendly lubricants for higher productivity in cold rolling. This project aims to develop an oil free aqueous lubricant for cold rolling to replace the existing oil-in-water emulsion. The lubricant will be molecularly engineered to combine synergy between nanomechanics and tribochemistry of boundary additives to deliver integrated functionalities in the strip rolling. During cold rolling , lubricant starvation often occurs at high speed and it has restricted the productivity of t ....Environmentally friendly lubricants for higher productivity in cold rolling. This project aims to develop an oil free aqueous lubricant for cold rolling to replace the existing oil-in-water emulsion. The lubricant will be molecularly engineered to combine synergy between nanomechanics and tribochemistry of boundary additives to deliver integrated functionalities in the strip rolling. During cold rolling , lubricant starvation often occurs at high speed and it has restricted the productivity of the rolling mill and affected the strip gauge and surface quality. Expected outcomes of this project include an innovative oil free lubricant with significant environmental benefits and an ability for manufacturers to improve productivity by operating at higher speeds, lower costs, and achieve superior strip surface quality.Read moreRead less
Predicting the recovery of composite mineral particles in froth flotation. This project aims to provide a new method of predicting the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, gold and lithium from ores using the flotation process. The project will provide new way of modelling the behaviour of individual flotation cells, and banks of cells in series. The project will provide benefits to existing operations such as the minerals and coal industries, which are heavy users of flotation technology ....Predicting the recovery of composite mineral particles in froth flotation. This project aims to provide a new method of predicting the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, gold and lithium from ores using the flotation process. The project will provide new way of modelling the behaviour of individual flotation cells, and banks of cells in series. The project will provide benefits to existing operations such as the minerals and coal industries, which are heavy users of flotation technology. New insights into the behaviour of composite particles will lead to more efficient operations and a new way of scale-up in the design of full-scale plant, which will permit designers to optimise circuits and minimise capital and operating costs.Read moreRead less
Energy dissipation characterisation in dynamic brittle fracture. Energy dissipation in dynamic fracture of brittle materials is pivotal in mining, civil engineering and defence. The project aims to develop a novel experimentally-validated multiscale theory, with associated models, for characterising and predicting the complete dynamic fracture process of brittle materials. This theory is expected to generate close-to-reality simulations critical for understanding fundamental aspects of energy di ....Energy dissipation characterisation in dynamic brittle fracture. Energy dissipation in dynamic fracture of brittle materials is pivotal in mining, civil engineering and defence. The project aims to develop a novel experimentally-validated multiscale theory, with associated models, for characterising and predicting the complete dynamic fracture process of brittle materials. This theory is expected to generate close-to-reality simulations critical for understanding fundamental aspects of energy dissipation in dynamic fracture. The outcomes will enable an optimised control of the fragment size in block cave mining and mineral processing, forecast and prevent fatal rock bursts in underground mines, and minimise catastrophic failures in critical infrastructures challenged by extreme loading, e.g. explosions.Read moreRead less