Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100119
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Materials characterisation facility for a sustainable future. Sustainable development will require access to large-scale carbon-neutral energy production. The tools provided through this project will enable the development of new knowledge and novel materials and processes technologies that will deliver this carbon-neutral energy.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,031.00
Summary
A national facility for the analysis of pyrogenic carbon. This project aims to develop a national facility for pyrogenic carbon analysis. Pyrogenic carbon is a poorly constrained, slow-cycling terrestrial carbon pool with significant carbon sequestration potential. The project expects to expand the newly developed hydrogen pyrolysis analytical capability to provide high throughput, robust measurement of the abundance and isotope composition of pyrogenic carbon in soils and sediments. This will p ....A national facility for the analysis of pyrogenic carbon. This project aims to develop a national facility for pyrogenic carbon analysis. Pyrogenic carbon is a poorly constrained, slow-cycling terrestrial carbon pool with significant carbon sequestration potential. The project expects to expand the newly developed hydrogen pyrolysis analytical capability to provide high throughput, robust measurement of the abundance and isotope composition of pyrogenic carbon in soils and sediments. This will provide significant benefit, such as the ability to make significant advances in areas as diverse as geochronology, archaeology, palaeoecology, soil science geomorphology and carbon cycle/sequestration science.Read moreRead less
Unlocking the anchors of soil organic carbon to manage climate change. Soil is the largest reservoir of terrestrial organic carbon. Most of the organic carbon in soils is preserved by association with minerals, however, the composition and stability of mineral-associated organic carbon remain poorly understood. The project will use novel and emerging techniques to discover the composition of organic carbon and stability of organic carbon present in mineral-organic associations in representative ....Unlocking the anchors of soil organic carbon to manage climate change. Soil is the largest reservoir of terrestrial organic carbon. Most of the organic carbon in soils is preserved by association with minerals, however, the composition and stability of mineral-associated organic carbon remain poorly understood. The project will use novel and emerging techniques to discover the composition of organic carbon and stability of organic carbon present in mineral-organic associations in representative Australian soils. Expected outcomes include new knowledge necessary for emerging global carbon cycling models and improve future climate projections. Read moreRead less
Developing a novel carbon negative fertiliser . Food security is vital to support our growing population. However, our increasing reliance on intensive farming systems necessitates increased fertiliser use, leading to increased water pollution and soil degradation - threatening both the Australian environment and food security. Increasing carbon storage capacity by soil and decreasing fertiliser use are two of the primary pathways for restoring the bio-support capacity of soils and reducing farm ....Developing a novel carbon negative fertiliser . Food security is vital to support our growing population. However, our increasing reliance on intensive farming systems necessitates increased fertiliser use, leading to increased water pollution and soil degradation - threatening both the Australian environment and food security. Increasing carbon storage capacity by soil and decreasing fertiliser use are two of the primary pathways for restoring the bio-support capacity of soils and reducing farming footprints. This innovative and first-of-its-kind project aims to develop a cost-effective, carbon negative fertiliser that reduces fertiliser inputs and increases soil carbon storageRead moreRead less
Urban biochar: towards prescriptive biochar use for maximum economic productivity and sustainability benefits in urban environments. This project will develop a life cycle assessment of waste management options for green waste and biosolids based on a clear understanding of productivity benefits of urban biochar application to high value production systems.
Synthetic natural gas and biochar from biomass for energy services in remote communities and soil carbon sequestration. Resources, industry and rural communities, the backbone of Australian economy, are confronted by unprecedented challenges of carbon pollution reduction, land conservation and eco-sustainability to combat global climate change. This exciting, highly integrated and multidisciplinary project will develop a scientific basis and technological options for the resources industry and r ....Synthetic natural gas and biochar from biomass for energy services in remote communities and soil carbon sequestration. Resources, industry and rural communities, the backbone of Australian economy, are confronted by unprecedented challenges of carbon pollution reduction, land conservation and eco-sustainability to combat global climate change. This exciting, highly integrated and multidisciplinary project will develop a scientific basis and technological options for the resources industry and remote communities to respond to these challenges. The outcomes of this research will enable the deployment of renewable biomass energy technology, bio-char for carbon storage, and affect the restoration of marginal lands and salinity levels in an environmentally and economically sustainable way, thus contributing to the development of an environmentally sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100162
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Integrated 2MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance high temperature tri-axial flow cell apparatus. The development of an integrated facility for petrophysical measurements allows the efficient use of expensive rock cores from gas or liquid reservoirs to develop reliable cross-correlations at conditions encountered in real reservoirs. The equipment is optimised for applications to unconventional reservoirs like Australia’s gas resources, in particular coal-bed methane reservoirs and gas reservoirs where ....Integrated 2MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance high temperature tri-axial flow cell apparatus. The development of an integrated facility for petrophysical measurements allows the efficient use of expensive rock cores from gas or liquid reservoirs to develop reliable cross-correlations at conditions encountered in real reservoirs. The equipment is optimised for applications to unconventional reservoirs like Australia’s gas resources, in particular coal-bed methane reservoirs and gas reservoirs where gas is difficult to extract.Read moreRead less
Carbon in - carbon out: can carbon inputs keep up with losses in peatland? This project aims to quantify the current and predict the future carbon balance of a high altitude, carbon-dense ecosystem, namely sub-alpine grassy peatland, by measuring how environmental variables including experimental warming control the fluxes of carbon and water into and out of the system. In this way, this project will produce new knowledge on the susceptibility of high-altitude peaty soils to climate change. Expe ....Carbon in - carbon out: can carbon inputs keep up with losses in peatland? This project aims to quantify the current and predict the future carbon balance of a high altitude, carbon-dense ecosystem, namely sub-alpine grassy peatland, by measuring how environmental variables including experimental warming control the fluxes of carbon and water into and out of the system. In this way, this project will produce new knowledge on the susceptibility of high-altitude peaty soils to climate change. Expected outcomes include an enhanced ability to predict future carbon accumulation rates and the resilience of the vital water-storage and filtration services provided by these systems. This project will enhance outputs from new infrastructure and assist planning for future flood and drought management across SE Australia.Read moreRead less
Carbon conundrum: Functional characterisation of organic matter-clay mineral interactions in relation to carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration in soil has been recognised as one of the possible measures through which greenhouse gas emissions can be mitigated. The major processes involved in carbon sequestration in soil include chemical immobilisation of carbon with soil particles and physical protection in the pores of soil microaggregates. These two processes are mediated through the funct ....Carbon conundrum: Functional characterisation of organic matter-clay mineral interactions in relation to carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration in soil has been recognised as one of the possible measures through which greenhouse gas emissions can be mitigated. The major processes involved in carbon sequestration in soil include chemical immobilisation of carbon with soil particles and physical protection in the pores of soil microaggregates. These two processes are mediated through the functional relationships of soil organic matter and clay mineral interactions in soils. This project investigates nanoscale organomineral association underlying microaggregate formation and stability, as well as the distribution and microbial decomposition of carbon within microaggregates using a suite of advanced spectroscopic, molecular and isotopic techniques.Read moreRead less
Fires, black carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon balance of southern sclerophyll forests. Ecologically sustainable forest management requires an understanding of the role of fire in the carbon balance of native forests, and in Australia's overall carbon balance. Fires are crucial to both this carbon balance and to the ecology of the forests. This project will help forest managers make decisions about using prescribed fire to manage fuels while at the same time managing carbon. An ....Fires, black carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon balance of southern sclerophyll forests. Ecologically sustainable forest management requires an understanding of the role of fire in the carbon balance of native forests, and in Australia's overall carbon balance. Fires are crucial to both this carbon balance and to the ecology of the forests. This project will help forest managers make decisions about using prescribed fire to manage fuels while at the same time managing carbon. An aim of management is to identify fire regimes that will optimise the carbon outcome as well as provide protection to life and property. This project will help managers meet that aim by developing a quantitative understanding of how much stable, black carbon (charcoal) is produced and how it affects other soil processes.Read moreRead less