Determination of the fate of dissolved organic nitrogen in biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes and development of appropriate treatment technologies. The aim of this project is to better characterise the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in sewage treatment plant influent, determine its fate in biological nutrient removal (BNR) plants, and to evaluate and develop an appropriate treatment technology.
As a result of tightening effluent N licence requirements for sewage treatment plants, ....Determination of the fate of dissolved organic nitrogen in biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes and development of appropriate treatment technologies. The aim of this project is to better characterise the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in sewage treatment plant influent, determine its fate in biological nutrient removal (BNR) plants, and to evaluate and develop an appropriate treatment technology.
As a result of tightening effluent N licence requirements for sewage treatment plants, the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) fraction has become extremely important. In many cases, the DON forms the major fraction of the effluent N, and is constraining further reductions in licence specifications, and in some cases it is the cause of failure to meet licence.
DON is refractory (un-biodegradable), very poorly characterised, its fate in conventional biological treatment processes not known, and its eventual impact on the environment unknown. Considering its importance, it is critical that these issues are addressed. This proposal intends to address some of them.
This project is an APA(I) PhD student project.Read moreRead less
Production of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers using Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Process Technology. The aim of this project is to develop a sustainable process for producing biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHAs)polymers from an innovative aerobic-anaerobic biological wastewater treatment process, ?treating? high strength food industry effluent. These biopolymers offer enormous potential for use as renewable and biodegradable thermoplastics.
It is proposed to inve ....Production of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers using Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Process Technology. The aim of this project is to develop a sustainable process for producing biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHAs)polymers from an innovative aerobic-anaerobic biological wastewater treatment process, ?treating? high strength food industry effluent. These biopolymers offer enormous potential for use as renewable and biodegradable thermoplastics.
It is proposed to investigate two process configurations, namely the sequencing batch reactor and a continuous two step anaerobic-aerobic reaction system. These will be studied at bench-scale. The outcomes include:
1. Determination of the optimum microbial conditions and key growth
parameters for the production of PHA.
2. Optimisation of the process configuration, operating strategies
and operating conditions to maximise the
production of PHA.
3. Assessment of the influence of the feed composition (e.g. VFA)
on the PHA composition (PHB/PHV).
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Development of a Nitrogen Removal Technology to Integrate with the Novel ‘EnRec’ Energy Recovery Sewage Treatment Process. The aim of this project is to develop a nitrogen removal technology to integrate with the novel energy recovery sewage treatment process, EnRec. EnRec is presently being developed as part of a collaborative R&D activity between the partners, and is partly supported by a Queensland Government (QSEIF) grant which was awarded in November 2002.
One important issue yet to b ....Development of a Nitrogen Removal Technology to Integrate with the Novel ‘EnRec’ Energy Recovery Sewage Treatment Process. The aim of this project is to develop a nitrogen removal technology to integrate with the novel energy recovery sewage treatment process, EnRec. EnRec is presently being developed as part of a collaborative R&D activity between the partners, and is partly supported by a Queensland Government (QSEIF) grant which was awarded in November 2002.
One important issue yet to be addressed is how to achieve nitrogen removal in the EnRec process. One of the major differences between the EnRec process and conventional sewage treatment technology is that the main process reactor is anaerobic, thus eliminating aeration costs and enabling methane production. However, anaerobic treatment processes do not provide significant nitrogen removal, and thus it will be necessary to integrate a nitrogen removal technology with the main energy recovery process. This is the aim of this project.
The project is an APA(I) PhD student project.Read moreRead less
Jet breakup of emulsions for the production of designer microparticulate drug delivery systems. Drug delivery systems are an important and growing part of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology market. The growth is estimated to be at 23% p.a. and is tied to the requirements for more precise and complex delivery profiles by highly potent drugs or vaccines (bioactives). To achieve the required level of control and precision, improved encapsulation technologies are needed to produce particles of a p ....Jet breakup of emulsions for the production of designer microparticulate drug delivery systems. Drug delivery systems are an important and growing part of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology market. The growth is estimated to be at 23% p.a. and is tied to the requirements for more precise and complex delivery profiles by highly potent drugs or vaccines (bioactives). To achieve the required level of control and precision, improved encapsulation technologies are needed to produce particles of a precise size and narrow size distribution. This project aims to develop an innovative technology for the production of superior uniformly sized particulate drug delivery systems for the delivery of the "next generation" bioactives.Read moreRead less
Terahertz Spectroscopy of Mass-Manufactured Viral Vaccines. The breakthrough vaccine for cervical cancer proves that new and exciting products are on the way to treat and protect against previously untouchable diseases. Similar products for bird flu are being researched, and new manufacturing methods are urgently needed to get this science to market at a price that people can afford. However, manufacturing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is constrained by a lack of methods for product ....Terahertz Spectroscopy of Mass-Manufactured Viral Vaccines. The breakthrough vaccine for cervical cancer proves that new and exciting products are on the way to treat and protect against previously untouchable diseases. Similar products for bird flu are being researched, and new manufacturing methods are urgently needed to get this science to market at a price that people can afford. However, manufacturing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is constrained by a lack of methods for product analysis. In this project engineers will devise advanced methods to fingerprint these new vaccine products, ensuring that manufacturing processes can be improved without compromising safety. These new analytical techniques will potentially lead to new low-cost vaccine products made in Australia.Read moreRead less
Nano-engineered catalysts for sustainable fuel production from waste . This project aims to address two major problems simultaneously-reducing the burden of non-recyclable waste currently going to landfill in Australia, and offsetting Australia’s reliance on imported diesel to support industry and transport needs. While approximately 95% of diesel consumed in Australia is imported, vast quantities of carbon-based waste ends up in landfill. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a mixture of plant-based ....Nano-engineered catalysts for sustainable fuel production from waste . This project aims to address two major problems simultaneously-reducing the burden of non-recyclable waste currently going to landfill in Australia, and offsetting Australia’s reliance on imported diesel to support industry and transport needs. While approximately 95% of diesel consumed in Australia is imported, vast quantities of carbon-based waste ends up in landfill. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a mixture of plant-based waste (including food, garden, paper, and wood) and fossil-fuel derived materials (plastics). Using an innovative and environmentally-sustainable catalytic process, the outcomes of this project are aimed alleviating Australia’s dependence on diesel fuel imports and better waste management solutions in Australia.Read moreRead less
Engineered functional metal silica membranes for hydrogen processing. This project focuses on hydrogen processing technologies for the petrochemical, agricultural and coal/energy industries. These sectors employ 110,000 people with annual combined revenues of $80 billion. Advanced technologies are vital for the competitiveness of the Australian economy, and to sustain Australia's social stability and economic growth.
Particle Transport and Separation in High Aspect Ratio Inclined Channels. This project will be of benefit to the Australian coal and mineral processing industries, worth tens of billions of dollars to the Australian economy each year. The objective is to establish new options for the processing of particles as large as 50mm, and smaller than 50 microns in size, and hence significantly extend the operating size range of the Reflux Classifier. The development of new resources, especially those of ....Particle Transport and Separation in High Aspect Ratio Inclined Channels. This project will be of benefit to the Australian coal and mineral processing industries, worth tens of billions of dollars to the Australian economy each year. The objective is to establish new options for the processing of particles as large as 50mm, and smaller than 50 microns in size, and hence significantly extend the operating size range of the Reflux Classifier. The development of new resources, especially those of poorer grade, requires more effective separation technology. Success in this project will significantly benefit the end users of the technology and also contribute to Australia's Mining Services industry.Read moreRead less
Advanced chemical recycling of mixed plastics for monomer recovery. This project aims to develop innovative catalytic routes to the chemical recycling of mixed plastics for recovery of their molecular building blocks. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to the Australian ecosystem. Efficient recycling technologies are urgently needed as Australia only recycles ~4% of its 3.4 million tons of mixed waste plastics. This project expects to design highly efficient catalysts for the stepwise ....Advanced chemical recycling of mixed plastics for monomer recovery. This project aims to develop innovative catalytic routes to the chemical recycling of mixed plastics for recovery of their molecular building blocks. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to the Australian ecosystem. Efficient recycling technologies are urgently needed as Australia only recycles ~4% of its 3.4 million tons of mixed waste plastics. This project expects to design highly efficient catalysts for the stepwise breakdown of mixed polyolefin plastics into monomers for the subsequent manufacturing of virgin plastics in a circular economy, and to elucidate fundamental underpinning reaction mechanisms. Outcomes will stimulate the Australian waste plastic recycling industry, and minimise plastic accumulation in the environment.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100205
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A novel high-pressure system for multiple gas adsorption. This facility will equip researchers with analytical capabilities for research in the field of multi-gas adsorption. The facility will be of great significance to clean energy research, such as greenhouse gas emission control and hydrogen production and storage.