Understanding mud pumping in heavy haul railroads. This project aims to examine the factors that cause mud pumping and evaluate the effectiveness of sub-surface drainage to prevent rail track instability. Fast heavy haul operations (such as loads used in mining and agriculture) impart repeated loads on the natural formation that can result in mud pumping. If the build-up of water pressure becomes excessive this can cause track failure. Through an experimental program and field study, the mechani ....Understanding mud pumping in heavy haul railroads. This project aims to examine the factors that cause mud pumping and evaluate the effectiveness of sub-surface drainage to prevent rail track instability. Fast heavy haul operations (such as loads used in mining and agriculture) impart repeated loads on the natural formation that can result in mud pumping. If the build-up of water pressure becomes excessive this can cause track failure. Through an experimental program and field study, the mechanisms of mud pumping, incorporating train loads and frequencies, will be studied, and the role of vertically installed drains will be quantified for improved practical design. The project aims to contribute to improved track longevity and reduced maintenance costs, with a corresponding boost in rail productivity.Read moreRead less
Mitigating the Severity of Level Crossing Accidents and Derailments. Ongoing increases in the number of level crossings and heavy road vehicles cause more frequent and severe level crossing accidents and derailments. Despite the use of active warning systems, each year, on average, 100 level crossing accidents occur in Australia. With a view to mitigating these crashes, this research aims to formulate theories for reduction in crash energy and effective wheel constraints to prevent derailment by ....Mitigating the Severity of Level Crossing Accidents and Derailments. Ongoing increases in the number of level crossings and heavy road vehicles cause more frequent and severe level crossing accidents and derailments. Despite the use of active warning systems, each year, on average, 100 level crossing accidents occur in Australia. With a view to mitigating these crashes, this research aims to formulate theories for reduction in crash energy and effective wheel constraints to prevent derailment by modifying the levels of road and rail crossings and providing guard rails in the recesses of these modified level crossings. The theories are intended be developed using nonlinear dynamic computational methods and laboratory experiments. The outcomes are expected to enable reduction in the severity of level crossing accidents and hence save lives and costs of derailment.Read moreRead less
Modelling and distributed control of large infrastructure networks. The main outcome of this project will be the capability to study systematically basic questions on the operation of large infrastructure systems. Methodologies for control of larger systems and security issues will be developed. Application of the techniques to several applications areas will include power grids and traffic networks.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100116
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
100 Gbit to 1 Terabit per second optical communication test bed facility. This facility will develop and demonstrate novel optical technologies that will underpin the generation and transmission of a higher-speed Ethernet at 100 Gb/s to 1Terabit/s, and will lead to better broadband and more energy efficient internet. At the foundation of this research will be a test bed with multiple signal sources at data rates above 50 Gbaud.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100062
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$240,000.00
Summary
Universal Optical Transmitter for rapid prototyping and system emulation. Universal optical transmitter for rapid prototyping and system emulation: This Project proposes an integrated, multi-user facility for the generation of extremely wide-bandwidth optical communication signals that will help to dramatically improve the data-handling capability of optical fibres and improve the energy efficiency of optical communication networks. The project will modulate the input of an advanced optical tran ....Universal Optical Transmitter for rapid prototyping and system emulation. Universal optical transmitter for rapid prototyping and system emulation: This Project proposes an integrated, multi-user facility for the generation of extremely wide-bandwidth optical communication signals that will help to dramatically improve the data-handling capability of optical fibres and improve the energy efficiency of optical communication networks. The project will modulate the input of an advanced optical transmitter with multi-level, multi-phase signals at multi-Gb/s rates to generate 'higher-order' modulation formats at multi- terra bits per second rates including orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), Nyquist-wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), regular WDM and Optical Time-Division Multiplexing (OTDM). With this transmitter the project will investigate advanced optical communications concepts including 'constellations' of phase and intensity, limitations of nonlinearity in optical fibres, signal regeneration, and all-optical routing.Read moreRead less
Safety in the Heavy Vehicle Industry: A Collaborative Response. The management and regulation of heavy vehicles, particularly in relation to safety, is recognised as an urgent issue at all levels of government across Australia. In the absence of research that identifies the key determinants of heavy vehicle crashes, countermeasures will continue to be based on anecdote. The proposed study will determine the role key risk factors, namely scheduling and sleep-related factors, play in heavy vehicl ....Safety in the Heavy Vehicle Industry: A Collaborative Response. The management and regulation of heavy vehicles, particularly in relation to safety, is recognised as an urgent issue at all levels of government across Australia. In the absence of research that identifies the key determinants of heavy vehicle crashes, countermeasures will continue to be based on anecdote. The proposed study will determine the role key risk factors, namely scheduling and sleep-related factors, play in heavy vehicle crashes and will identify cost-effective strategies to reduce the growing economic burden associated with these crashes.Read moreRead less
Optimising throughput and Delay in network coded systems. This project addresses one main disadvantage of network coding: decoding delay. By solving this issue, we will unlock the true potential of network coding: delivery of high data rates in wireless and wireline networks. This will make network coding an attractive choice for live video streaming and mission-critical delay-sensitive applications.
Optimum cross-layer design in wireless communication systems with channel uncertainty. For wireless communications to be part of Australia's information delivery infrastructure, including the National Broadband Network, requires improvements in reliability, speed and cost effectiveness over current technologies. The assembled world class research team has the objective to develop advanced design techniques to meet this challenge.
Signal Processing for Reconfigurable Antennas – a Multidisciplinary Approach for Next Generation Wireless Communications. To satisfy the enormous demand for wireless applications with scarce radio spectrum, new technologies must be researched, developed, and then employed. Reconfigurable antennas, through morphing their physical structures with various switches, can adapt to the radio propagation environment, thereby increasing spectrum efficiency and power efficiency of wireless communications. ....Signal Processing for Reconfigurable Antennas – a Multidisciplinary Approach for Next Generation Wireless Communications. To satisfy the enormous demand for wireless applications with scarce radio spectrum, new technologies must be researched, developed, and then employed. Reconfigurable antennas, through morphing their physical structures with various switches, can adapt to the radio propagation environment, thereby increasing spectrum efficiency and power efficiency of wireless communications. This project aims to design signal processing algorithms for achieving all the benefits that reconfigurable antennas can provide for wireless communications. An important outcome of this research is sound channel models validated by extensive field measurement data.Read moreRead less
Investigating Transport Disadvantage, Social Exclusion and Well Being in Metropolitan, Regional and Rural Victoria. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem; fringe urban and rural communities who are excluded from life opportunities due to lack of transport. Evidence suggests this problem is growing as fuel costs rise, the population ages and rural/fringe urban migration continues. Australia spends Billions annually to address these issues but Australian ....Investigating Transport Disadvantage, Social Exclusion and Well Being in Metropolitan, Regional and Rural Victoria. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem; fringe urban and rural communities who are excluded from life opportunities due to lack of transport. Evidence suggests this problem is growing as fuel costs rise, the population ages and rural/fringe urban migration continues. Australia spends Billions annually to address these issues but Australian research exploring the nature of behaviours and links between transport problems and life opportunities is limited. This project fills this important knowledge gap in an Australian project that will advance world knowledge in this growing international research field. Findings will better focus Australia's approach to increasingly challenging transport futures.Read moreRead less