Evaluating the long-term costs and benefits of community-based initiatives. The ultimate benefit from the research is a more efficient allocation of public funds to provide public services, i.e. an increase in the gain derived from the government budget. The relative advantages of alternative methods of delivering government services are subject to significant uncertainty, which means that policy decisions are often poorly informed. Improvements in the accuracy of predicting the costs and benefi ....Evaluating the long-term costs and benefits of community-based initiatives. The ultimate benefit from the research is a more efficient allocation of public funds to provide public services, i.e. an increase in the gain derived from the government budget. The relative advantages of alternative methods of delivering government services are subject to significant uncertainty, which means that policy decisions are often poorly informed. Improvements in the accuracy of predicting the costs and benefits of complex community-based initiatives will help policymakers identify the set of initiatives that provide the best outcomes for the community they serve, as well as informing the optimal specification of the individual initiatives.Read moreRead less
Analysis, simulation, fabrication and characterization of reliable, robust and scalable compact cooling elements based on semiconductor nanostructures. Modern electronic, microelectronic and optoelectronic devices generally work better when they are cooler. We aim to develop a semiconductor nanostructure cooling element which directly integrates into existing devices. The solid-state cooling element will be reliable, robust, scalable and operate in any orientation. The basis of operation is ....Analysis, simulation, fabrication and characterization of reliable, robust and scalable compact cooling elements based on semiconductor nanostructures. Modern electronic, microelectronic and optoelectronic devices generally work better when they are cooler. We aim to develop a semiconductor nanostructure cooling element which directly integrates into existing devices. The solid-state cooling element will be reliable, robust, scalable and operate in any orientation. The basis of operation is thermionic emission - electrons are the working fluid. Our project combines (1) analysis and simulation, (2) fabrication of nanostructures and (3) experimental test-benching using optical and electrical methods. The outcome of this research has the potential to revolutionize cooling of modern electronic and photonic systems, from computer motherboards to mobile phones.Read moreRead less
Novel methods for enhancing room temperature figure of merit of thermoelectric/thermionic materials for refrigeration applications. With global warming and an increased awareness of climate change, devices such as thermoelectric modules can be part of the solution, particularly if their relative power and efficiency can be increased. The aim of this project is to bring together theoreticians, experimentalists, materials scientists, and industrial partners with complementary expertise to develop ....Novel methods for enhancing room temperature figure of merit of thermoelectric/thermionic materials for refrigeration applications. With global warming and an increased awareness of climate change, devices such as thermoelectric modules can be part of the solution, particularly if their relative power and efficiency can be increased. The aim of this project is to bring together theoreticians, experimentalists, materials scientists, and industrial partners with complementary expertise to develop new techniques and methods for fabricating novel thermoelectric/thermionic materials with high figure of merit, ZT, for solid state refrigeration applications. The success of the project will lead to a 3 to 5 fold increase in the market share of thermoelectric cooler and will have a significant impact on the Australian economy and reduce greenhouse emissions and global warming. Read moreRead less
Simulation and characterisation of opto-thermionic cooling devices. Opto-thermionic devices combine thermionic emission and laser cooling to achieve the maximum cooling power and highest thermal efficiency. These devices are ultra small, very reliable and fully integrable. Many important problems need to be solved to improve the performance of this new class of solid-state cooling devices. One is to understand and manipulate the electron-hole radiative recombination and minimize the Auger proces ....Simulation and characterisation of opto-thermionic cooling devices. Opto-thermionic devices combine thermionic emission and laser cooling to achieve the maximum cooling power and highest thermal efficiency. These devices are ultra small, very reliable and fully integrable. Many important problems need to be solved to improve the performance of this new class of solid-state cooling devices. One is to understand and manipulate the electron-hole radiative recombination and minimize the Auger process in reduced dimensionality devices such as quantum wells. Researchers at Wollongong and Lund will collaborate on theoretical analysis, computer simulation and electrical/optical measurements to solve this problem.Read moreRead less
Development of Solid-state cooling chips. The performance of modern electronic, microelectronic, optoelectronic and photonic devices improves as they are cooled. We aim to develop semiconductor cooling elements that can be directly integrated into existing circuits and devices. The new solid-state cooling elements will be reliable, robust, scalable and operate in any orientation. The proposed international collaboration combines the expertise of the Chinese Academy of Science in device fabricat ....Development of Solid-state cooling chips. The performance of modern electronic, microelectronic, optoelectronic and photonic devices improves as they are cooled. We aim to develop semiconductor cooling elements that can be directly integrated into existing circuits and devices. The new solid-state cooling elements will be reliable, robust, scalable and operate in any orientation. The proposed international collaboration combines the expertise of the Chinese Academy of Science in device fabrication with the expertise of the University of Wollongong in device characterisation and modelling. The outcome of this research has the potential to revolutionize cooling of diverse electronic systems, from computer motherboards to mobile phones.Read moreRead less
Holographic Videography for Spatial Communication. This project is aimed at developing a true colour holographic video display in which a user or users may interact with completely synthetic objects.
This will be the first system of its kind, giving a user the illusion of real physical interaction with a completely holographic object. The illusion may be shared by many participants without the use of external aids. The project has the potential to improve productivity in many applications suc ....Holographic Videography for Spatial Communication. This project is aimed at developing a true colour holographic video display in which a user or users may interact with completely synthetic objects.
This will be the first system of its kind, giving a user the illusion of real physical interaction with a completely holographic object. The illusion may be shared by many participants without the use of external aids. The project has the potential to improve productivity in many applications such as geospatial information systems, x-ray inspection, and medical imaging, by giving a user a much more natural way of interacting with three dimensional data.Read moreRead less
The Enhancement of Heat Transfer in Micro-Chips by MEMS actuator: Parametric Study. This challenging project has the potential of introducing a new technology for cooling micro-devices. Since the computer industry is sensitive to innovation it is necessary to develop the theoretical and practical skill for manufacturing the cooling devices. This will help Australian industry to greatly enhance its capabilities in this very important area of economy. The present project is a rare combination ....The Enhancement of Heat Transfer in Micro-Chips by MEMS actuator: Parametric Study. This challenging project has the potential of introducing a new technology for cooling micro-devices. Since the computer industry is sensitive to innovation it is necessary to develop the theoretical and practical skill for manufacturing the cooling devices. This will help Australian industry to greatly enhance its capabilities in this very important area of economy. The present project is a rare combination of multi-disciplinary studies and will result in a better understanding of the complex thermal and fluid flow phenomena in micro channels, and the design and fabrication techniques for the next generation of micro-chips. Read moreRead less
Design Methodology for Low- and Ultra-Low Power Integrated Circuits. This project will develop low-power and ultra low-power technology that is applicable to wide range of products and electronic devices. The results will benefit many areas, for example, wireless sensors employed in environmental monitoring, bio and life monitoring, bio-sensors to improve patient care, reduce medical costs, implantable devices and bio-interfaces that will enhance the quality of life and public health. This proje ....Design Methodology for Low- and Ultra-Low Power Integrated Circuits. This project will develop low-power and ultra low-power technology that is applicable to wide range of products and electronic devices. The results will benefit many areas, for example, wireless sensors employed in environmental monitoring, bio and life monitoring, bio-sensors to improve patient care, reduce medical costs, implantable devices and bio-interfaces that will enhance the quality of life and public health. This project will benefit Australia by developing frontier technologies with a strong potential for global impact. Bringing these solutions to the public and realizing their financial benefits will add a valuable component of economic diversity to the country in addition to positioning Australia as a leader in this field.Read moreRead less
Enhancement of heat transfer by micro-electro-mechanical devices: numerical and experimental study. The main goal of the present project is to approach a completely new concept for cooling electronic-micro-devices (EMD). We will integrate the cooling system in the EMD by mean of built micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). The area of application is so innovative, that there is no engineering experience for modelling heat transfer at such small physical scales. The first goal of this project ....Enhancement of heat transfer by micro-electro-mechanical devices: numerical and experimental study. The main goal of the present project is to approach a completely new concept for cooling electronic-micro-devices (EMD). We will integrate the cooling system in the EMD by mean of built micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). The area of application is so innovative, that there is no engineering experience for modelling heat transfer at such small physical scales. The first goal of this project is to fill this lack of knowledge and to validate the possible numerical procedure using experimental data obtained from experiments, also planned for the present project. Once a suitable procedure has been established for evaluating heat fluxes , we will optimized configurations for heat transfer enhancers in micro devices.Read moreRead less
The Enhancement of heat transfer in microchannels by microelectomechanical devices. A perennial and extremely important problem in computer chip technology is the provision of adequate cooling. This project is a rare combination of multi-disciplinary activities which will lead to new knowledge in a number of poorly explored areas in heat transfer, whilst at the same time permitting the development of the necessary theoretical and practical fabrication skills for the manufacture of a realistic c ....The Enhancement of heat transfer in microchannels by microelectomechanical devices. A perennial and extremely important problem in computer chip technology is the provision of adequate cooling. This project is a rare combination of multi-disciplinary activities which will lead to new knowledge in a number of poorly explored areas in heat transfer, whilst at the same time permitting the development of the necessary theoretical and practical fabrication skills for the manufacture of a realistic cooling micro devices. The main goal of this project is therefore to design, manufacture and test a very efficient micro-channel cooling device equipped with a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) synthetic jet generator.Read moreRead less