Microdynamic study of the flow of granular materials in bladed mixers. This project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of granular mixing mechanics in bladed mixers. The study will be carried out by means of newly developed advanced numerical and experimental techniques to generate particle scale information. The flow and mixing behaviour of particles under different conditions will be analysed at both micro- and macro-scopic levels. The research outcomes such as predictive equations ....Microdynamic study of the flow of granular materials in bladed mixers. This project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of granular mixing mechanics in bladed mixers. The study will be carried out by means of newly developed advanced numerical and experimental techniques to generate particle scale information. The flow and mixing behaviour of particles under different conditions will be analysed at both micro- and macro-scopic levels. The research outcomes such as predictive equations will be tested by simulating and analysing complicated industrial mixing processes; modelling to improve granulation and breakage will be targets. It will significantly improve the design, optimisation and control of mixing processes that are widely used in many industries.Read moreRead less
Particle scale studies of powder mixing in bladed mixers. Powder handling and processing are widely used in both conventional and modern industries but rarely reach more than 60% of design capacity because of poor fundamental understanding. Such operations are important to Australia in view of the heavy dependence on raw materials processing (about 40% of the GNP). This project will tackle the core problems in powder mixing which is a key operation in many industries. Application of the research ....Particle scale studies of powder mixing in bladed mixers. Powder handling and processing are widely used in both conventional and modern industries but rarely reach more than 60% of design capacity because of poor fundamental understanding. Such operations are important to Australia in view of the heavy dependence on raw materials processing (about 40% of the GNP). This project will tackle the core problems in powder mixing which is a key operation in many industries. Application of the research outcomes can lead to better process or product control, a decrease in energy consumption and an improvement in productivity, which is very helpful to maintaining Australia's leading position in resource, energy, process and allied industries.Read moreRead less
Multi-scale Process Modelling for Intelligent Control. Processing and manufacturing systems are inherently multi-scale in their behaviour. From the molecular scale to the enterprise-wide scale. This and other attributes of the individual models create difficulties in the design and control of such systems. This project will develop suitable multi-scale measures (metrics) for process models based on an object oriented assumption based modelling language. It will lead to enhanced intelligent contr ....Multi-scale Process Modelling for Intelligent Control. Processing and manufacturing systems are inherently multi-scale in their behaviour. From the molecular scale to the enterprise-wide scale. This and other attributes of the individual models create difficulties in the design and control of such systems. This project will develop suitable multi-scale measures (metrics) for process models based on an object oriented assumption based modelling language. It will lead to enhanced intelligent control strategies and improved operational performance through use of the most appropriate model. The work will focus on industrially important reaction and particulate processing systemsRead moreRead less
Development of an integrated methodology to assess dewatering system performance in solid-liquid separation. 3D visualisations of microstructures are possible with techniques such as confocal laser microscopy and high resolution X-ray microtomography. Data obtained in-situ enable direct computation of solids assembly properties and their permeability to fluids. A specific application involving aggregate formation and sediment networks could be evaluated through micro-scale analysis combined with ....Development of an integrated methodology to assess dewatering system performance in solid-liquid separation. 3D visualisations of microstructures are possible with techniques such as confocal laser microscopy and high resolution X-ray microtomography. Data obtained in-situ enable direct computation of solids assembly properties and their permeability to fluids. A specific application involving aggregate formation and sediment networks could be evaluated through micro-scale analysis combined with robust fluid flow simulations. The method can potentially be utilized to predict trends such as filtration behaviour of materials under different states of compression. This offers significant benefits in formulating the design of flocculated systems pertinent to a number of industrial sectors wishing to design optimum solid-liquid separation processes.Read moreRead less
APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation Visitors Program. This project aims to improve understanding of earthquakes through development of numerical simulation models for the earthquake generation process. Its centerpiece is a major international collaboration, achieved via a visitor exchange program between the headquarters of the APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation in Australia and overseas centres of excellence. Earthquakes are one of the most costly and deadly natural disasters, a ....APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation Visitors Program. This project aims to improve understanding of earthquakes through development of numerical simulation models for the earthquake generation process. Its centerpiece is a major international collaboration, achieved via a visitor exchange program between the headquarters of the APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation in Australia and overseas centres of excellence. Earthquakes are one of the most costly and deadly natural disasters, and APEC member economies have a high earthquake risk. Recent analyses suggest earthquakes may dominate the loss potential in Australia. The complementary research programs offer an opportunity to achieve breakthrough advances in improved methods of earthquake forecasting and hazard quantification.Read moreRead less
Active and Passive Techniques of Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interaction Control. The shock wave/ boundary layer interaction (SBLI) is a formidable problem in high-speed aerodynamics. We investigate a novel method, using piezoelectric flap actuators to control the interaction. The aim is to participate in an experimental programme on SBLI control using longitudinal slots at The University of Cambridge's Engineering Department, a leading international institution for SBLI control. Their longitudina ....Active and Passive Techniques of Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interaction Control. The shock wave/ boundary layer interaction (SBLI) is a formidable problem in high-speed aerodynamics. We investigate a novel method, using piezoelectric flap actuators to control the interaction. The aim is to participate in an experimental programme on SBLI control using longitudinal slots at The University of Cambridge's Engineering Department, a leading international institution for SBLI control. Their longitudinal slot control is very similar to unimorph control so that this research can be used to improve the understanding of unimorph control. Furthermore, their CFD program can validate our past work and allow theoretical optimisation to create a smart flap system.Read moreRead less
Increasing the effectiveness of quantitative verification. The ability to analyse the performance of complex systems and protocols is a vital part of the development of large-scale computer applications. Methods that improve the effectiveness of the analysis task would increase the competitiveness of the software industry, and would attract future development work (in complex systems) to Australia. The results of this project will have a direct influence on currently available design tools; the ....Increasing the effectiveness of quantitative verification. The ability to analyse the performance of complex systems and protocols is a vital part of the development of large-scale computer applications. Methods that improve the effectiveness of the analysis task would increase the competitiveness of the software industry, and would attract future development work (in complex systems) to Australia. The results of this project will have a direct influence on currently available design tools; the fact that Australian institutions will be (in part) responsible for key theoretical results in this growing field will strengthen Australia's position worldwide as an international centre for computer science.Read moreRead less
Modelling Virtual Transport Channel for Future Multimedia Heterogeneous Networks. Recent advances in network bandwidth and processing power have led to the emergence of real time multimedia streaming applications and it is expected that such applications will become an even more dominant source of traffic in future computer networks. Quality of service studies for real-time applications in high-speed networks, point to the importance of the transport layer functionality in admission control, mon ....Modelling Virtual Transport Channel for Future Multimedia Heterogeneous Networks. Recent advances in network bandwidth and processing power have led to the emergence of real time multimedia streaming applications and it is expected that such applications will become an even more dominant source of traffic in future computer networks. Quality of service studies for real-time applications in high-speed networks, point to the importance of the transport layer functionality in admission control, monitoring end-to-end delays, and network bandwidth adaptability. The project will study, design, develop and analyse a comprehensive model for the virtual transport layer to satisfy the necessary quality of service requirements for the next generation of multimedia-based applications.Read moreRead less
Supercomputer Simulation of Multiscale Dynamic Behaviour in Multiphase Deformable Porous Media. This project will establish and consolidate links between leading groups in China and Australia to develop a new and unique multiscale computational model and algorithm for simulating multiphase nonlinear behaviours of the porous media under dynamic loading conditions, and improve technology transfer between the two groups by the mobility of the ARC International Fellow. This will aid Australian geosc ....Supercomputer Simulation of Multiscale Dynamic Behaviour in Multiphase Deformable Porous Media. This project will establish and consolidate links between leading groups in China and Australia to develop a new and unique multiscale computational model and algorithm for simulating multiphase nonlinear behaviours of the porous media under dynamic loading conditions, and improve technology transfer between the two groups by the mobility of the ARC International Fellow. This will aid Australian geoscience and mining industry, such as in HFR geothermal/UCG energy facility design, construction, risk assessment and production and could help Australia shift away from greenhouse gases and become a world leader in the emerging worldwide HFR geothermal/UCG industry.Read moreRead less
A Novel Surface Alloying Technique to Improve the Corrosion and Wear Resistance of Magnesium Alloys. Surface mechanical attrition treatment will be used to generate nanometer-sized grains in the surface layer of engineering magnesium alloys, and therefore activate the surface of this material. Together with the use of efficient activators, the project will develop a novel low temperature surface alloying technique to significantly improve the wear and corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys wi ....A Novel Surface Alloying Technique to Improve the Corrosion and Wear Resistance of Magnesium Alloys. Surface mechanical attrition treatment will be used to generate nanometer-sized grains in the surface layer of engineering magnesium alloys, and therefore activate the surface of this material. Together with the use of efficient activators, the project will develop a novel low temperature surface alloying technique to significantly improve the wear and corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys without changing the substrate properties. Microstructural features and the wear and corrosion resistance of the ultrafine-grained surface layer will be examined. In addition, it may be possible to combine the surface alloying process with the conventional ageing process together in order to save energy.Read moreRead less