Embrittlement-tolerant alloys for safe hydrogen transmission and storage. Hydrogen embrittlement in steels is a major impediment to a safe hydrogen economy. This project will determine how hydrogen affects the deformation behaviour of steel, providing the fundamental information that is required to develop alloys that can be safely used in infrastructure for a future Australian hydrogen industry. We will utilise new technologies that allow us, for the first time, to determine the position of hyd ....Embrittlement-tolerant alloys for safe hydrogen transmission and storage. Hydrogen embrittlement in steels is a major impediment to a safe hydrogen economy. This project will determine how hydrogen affects the deformation behaviour of steel, providing the fundamental information that is required to develop alloys that can be safely used in infrastructure for a future Australian hydrogen industry. We will utilise new technologies that allow us, for the first time, to determine the position of hydrogen atoms around micro-scale features and to compare it to local mechanical behaviour, determined by micro-mechanical tests. The systematic investigation of the effect of hydrogen on different micro-components within steel will allow the development of microstructure-guided alloy design principles.Read moreRead less
Bulk Mg based hydrogen storage alloys with faster activation. Bulk Mg based hydrogen storage alloys with faster activation. This project aims to improve the performance and efficiency of manufacture of magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys, making them more cost competitive and widely useable. A hydrogen economy will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in urban areas. The expected outcomes are an understanding of the mechanisms governing the activation process, a necessary ....Bulk Mg based hydrogen storage alloys with faster activation. Bulk Mg based hydrogen storage alloys with faster activation. This project aims to improve the performance and efficiency of manufacture of magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys, making them more cost competitive and widely useable. A hydrogen economy will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in urban areas. The expected outcomes are an understanding of the mechanisms governing the activation process, a necessary step in manufacture, and techniques to exploit these mechanisms to minimise the activation time. This is expected to develop competitive, bulk magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys for effective and safe hydrogen storage systems.Read moreRead less
Scalable high-density hydrogen storage by nano-bubbles in layered materials. Stable and low-cost hydrogen storage and transportation are cornerstones of a global hydrogen economy. This project aims to advance a novel hydrogen storage technology based on highly pressurised nano-bubbles in layered materials. The project expects to expand our fundamental knowledge of the interactions between hydrogen and layered materials. Expected outcomes include a hydrogen storage technology that exhibits a rema ....Scalable high-density hydrogen storage by nano-bubbles in layered materials. Stable and low-cost hydrogen storage and transportation are cornerstones of a global hydrogen economy. This project aims to advance a novel hydrogen storage technology based on highly pressurised nano-bubbles in layered materials. The project expects to expand our fundamental knowledge of the interactions between hydrogen and layered materials. Expected outcomes include a hydrogen storage technology that exhibits a remarkable energy density, high stability and low cost. This should provide significant benefits, such as improving the capacity and robustness of low-cost hydrogen storage and transportation, reducing energy costs and making hydrogen energy a more accessible and sustainable clean energy source for Australia.Read moreRead less
Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will ob ....Mitigating hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels. Hydrogen wreaks havoc in many alloys, leading to embrittlement that can cause catastrophic failure. This is a very serious issue for any industry in which structures are exposed to hydrogen and is a limiting factor for the production, transport, storage and use of hydrogen in a potential hydrogen economy. However, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen in alloys is restricted by the difficulty of observing it. In this project we will obtain accurate 3D maps showing the position of hydrogen atoms in steel by combining deuteration with cryogenic atom probe microscopy. In this way we will will elucidate how a proposed solution, hydrogen trapping, reduces hydrogen embrittlement, contributing to design criteria for hydrogen-resistant steels.Read moreRead less
Beyond the limits of corrosion detection in inaccessible areas. The project will develop a new technology for medium-range corrosion mapping in inaccessible areas of infrastructure. This will overcome the limitations of existing corrosion inspection techniques for corrosion inspection at inaccessible areas. The project will create a new concept and generate new knowledge on accurate corrosion mapping in inaccessible areas. The expected outcomes are significant improvements in the capability and ....Beyond the limits of corrosion detection in inaccessible areas. The project will develop a new technology for medium-range corrosion mapping in inaccessible areas of infrastructure. This will overcome the limitations of existing corrosion inspection techniques for corrosion inspection at inaccessible areas. The project will create a new concept and generate new knowledge on accurate corrosion mapping in inaccessible areas. The expected outcomes are significant improvements in the capability and practicability over existing corrosion inspection technologies adopted by industry for a wide range of infrastructure, in particular the Oil and Gas, Mining, Energy and Water infrastructure, as well as improving the reliability and cost-efficiency of the corrosion inspection.Read moreRead less
New high energy density cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. This project aims to develop new high-energy-density and low-cost lithium-rich cathode materials for advanced lithium-ion batteries that can store solar energy for Australian households and power the next generation electric vehicles. The project will design innovative strategies to suppress the voltage decay and capacity decline of the lithium rich materials over long-term cycling. The project expects to significantly improve ....New high energy density cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. This project aims to develop new high-energy-density and low-cost lithium-rich cathode materials for advanced lithium-ion batteries that can store solar energy for Australian households and power the next generation electric vehicles. The project will design innovative strategies to suppress the voltage decay and capacity decline of the lithium rich materials over long-term cycling. The project expects to significantly improve battery performance at a lower price and make a substantial impact to the energy supply technologies and industries in Australia and benefit the environment in the long run.Read moreRead less
Cryogenic pipelines to replace trestle for liquefied gas transfer terminals. This project aims to develop geotechnical design tools, software, and publish design guidelines, for engineers to lay and keep cryogenic pipelines stable on the seabed. Transferring liquefied natural gas between floating tankers and onshore plants conventionally relies on a pipeline on a trestle system. As an alternative, novel subsea cryogenic pipelines are being considered. By ensuring the stability of subsea cryogeni ....Cryogenic pipelines to replace trestle for liquefied gas transfer terminals. This project aims to develop geotechnical design tools, software, and publish design guidelines, for engineers to lay and keep cryogenic pipelines stable on the seabed. Transferring liquefied natural gas between floating tankers and onshore plants conventionally relies on a pipeline on a trestle system. As an alternative, novel subsea cryogenic pipelines are being considered. By ensuring the stability of subsea cryogenic pipelines laid directly on the seabed, this project will provide significant benefits to Australia’s liquefied natural gas trade by unlocking substantial cost savings, and making this key export industry more competitive.Read moreRead less
Sodium borohydride for solid-state green hydrogen export. This project aims to develop a new method of producing, storing, and exporting green hydrogen using Australian resources. Sodium borohydride will be produced from borax using renewable energy and exported internationally to countries that desire hydrogen from renewable sources to replace fossil fuels. Green hydrogen will be released from sodium borohydride by adding water. The spent material will then be shipped back to Australia for recy ....Sodium borohydride for solid-state green hydrogen export. This project aims to develop a new method of producing, storing, and exporting green hydrogen using Australian resources. Sodium borohydride will be produced from borax using renewable energy and exported internationally to countries that desire hydrogen from renewable sources to replace fossil fuels. Green hydrogen will be released from sodium borohydride by adding water. The spent material will then be shipped back to Australia for recycling back to sodium borohydride, creating a closed-loop energy cycle using renewable energy. This will create a new export industry in Australia by expanding current mining expertise whilst harnessing our wealth of renewable energy to potentially deliver billions of dollars of revenue.Read moreRead less
Machine learning techniques for fuel loss detection at service stations. This project aims to develop effective techniques to identify the sources of fuel losses, such as leaks and calibration errors in underground storage tanks at service stations. Monitoring fuel losses at service stations is influenced by many external factors which can be difficult to predict. The project expects to use machine learning to develop the techniques and test them with live data at service stations. The expected ....Machine learning techniques for fuel loss detection at service stations. This project aims to develop effective techniques to identify the sources of fuel losses, such as leaks and calibration errors in underground storage tanks at service stations. Monitoring fuel losses at service stations is influenced by many external factors which can be difficult to predict. The project expects to use machine learning to develop the techniques and test them with live data at service stations. The expected outcomes are a set of tailor-made machine learning techniques for effective fuel loss detection and a software suite that can be easily incorporated into the normal operation of service stations. This should reduce the costs to the petroleum industry from wasteful leaks and the environmental damage caused by these leaks. Read moreRead less
Design of new two-dimensional materials for lithium sulphur batteries. Design of new two-dimensional materials for lithium sulphur batteries. This project aims to develop classes of electrode material systems for high performance batteries. This project will design new hierarchical cathode composites for a high capacity lithium-sulphur battery with a long cycling life. It intends to improve energy density by confining active sulphur in conductive graphene and exfoliated titanium dioxide nanoshee ....Design of new two-dimensional materials for lithium sulphur batteries. Design of new two-dimensional materials for lithium sulphur batteries. This project aims to develop classes of electrode material systems for high performance batteries. This project will design new hierarchical cathode composites for a high capacity lithium-sulphur battery with a long cycling life. It intends to improve energy density by confining active sulphur in conductive graphene and exfoliated titanium dioxide nanosheets, and use a unique hybrid protecting layer to suppress cycling instability. This research is expected to establish the relationship between synthetic conditions, structure, and electrochemical performance.Read moreRead less