Modelling of Nitric Oxides and Carbon Monoxide Emissions from Bagasse-Fires Boilers. The project aims to develop computational models to predict emissions of nitric oxides and carbon monoxide from sugar-mill boilers burning bagasse. Bagasse combustion does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and clean and efficient combustion of this fuel has become very important for the sugar industry and for Australia. The project combines the opportunity of direct boiler measurements by SRI with the m ....Modelling of Nitric Oxides and Carbon Monoxide Emissions from Bagasse-Fires Boilers. The project aims to develop computational models to predict emissions of nitric oxides and carbon monoxide from sugar-mill boilers burning bagasse. Bagasse combustion does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and clean and efficient combustion of this fuel has become very important for the sugar industry and for Australia. The project combines the opportunity of direct boiler measurements by SRI with the modelling expertise at the University to develop combustion-kinetics models for these species. The models will be incorporated into the previously developed computational fluid dynamics - combustion code of the furnace to give the capability of emission prediction as a function of burner operating conditions and fuel parameters.Read moreRead less
Applying the Lessons of the Virtual Battlefield to Financial Modelling - Investigating Innovative use of Distributed Simulation. The development of Distributed Simulations is recognised as an increasingly important part of training, scientific modelling and acquisitions in the defense community. While the benefits of simulation are well understood the actual development costs and complexity remain prohibitive, requiring expert programming skills and training. These limitations are greatly impedi ....Applying the Lessons of the Virtual Battlefield to Financial Modelling - Investigating Innovative use of Distributed Simulation. The development of Distributed Simulations is recognised as an increasingly important part of training, scientific modelling and acquisitions in the defense community. While the benefits of simulation are well understood the actual development costs and complexity remain prohibitive, requiring expert programming skills and training. These limitations are greatly impeding the wider adoption of simulation in the broader business community.
To address these issues this proposal investigates the means of applying simulation technologies to a domain in which user-configurable desktop tools, such as spreadsheets and word processors, are more the norm - for example financial modelling.
We aim to extend the development of tools and techniques that support the desktop use of simulation and to assess the relative merits of these approaches. Our eventual goal is to provide approachable simulation services, without adversely compromising their inherent power, to a far wider range of application domains.
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Prediction of Time-dependent Deformations in Post-tensioned Concrete Suspended Slabs in Tall Buildings. The proposed project aims to develop an analytical model that can predict the time-dependent deformations in post-tensioned concrete slabs considering concrete shrinkage and creep, cracking, and bond-slip behaviour. Over the past several years, numerous cases have been reported in Australia and elsewhere, of flexural elements for which the calculated deflection is far less than the actual defl ....Prediction of Time-dependent Deformations in Post-tensioned Concrete Suspended Slabs in Tall Buildings. The proposed project aims to develop an analytical model that can predict the time-dependent deformations in post-tensioned concrete slabs considering concrete shrinkage and creep, cracking, and bond-slip behaviour. Over the past several years, numerous cases have been reported in Australia and elsewhere, of flexural elements for which the calculated deflection is far less than the actual deflection leading to serviceability problems. The significance of this investigation hence lies in its potential to provide a solution to more accurately predict service-life deflections in post-tensioned concrete suspended slabs and validate the model with real-life deflections monitored over time on a current building project.Read moreRead less
Thermal enhancement strategies and development of a high-performance micro-scale heat exchanger for thermoelectric refrigeration with large cooling loads. Traditional refrigeration essentially utilises CFC-refrigerants which are potent atmospheric pollutants causing widespread ecological damage. Devoid of such adversities, electronic heat pumping mechanism of thermoelectric principle offers a practical ?CFC-free? alternative for conventional cooling methods. While the current thermoelectric te ....Thermal enhancement strategies and development of a high-performance micro-scale heat exchanger for thermoelectric refrigeration with large cooling loads. Traditional refrigeration essentially utilises CFC-refrigerants which are potent atmospheric pollutants causing widespread ecological damage. Devoid of such adversities, electronic heat pumping mechanism of thermoelectric principle offers a practical ?CFC-free? alternative for conventional cooling methods. While the current thermoelectric technology adequately meets light cooling demand, its potential for heavy-duty refrigeration is critically undermined by ill-developed methods for dissipating heat from thermoelectric modules to coolants, and remains grossly under-utilised. The proposed work will devise novel heat transfer techniques for raising thermoelectric cooling thresholds to suit large heat loads and develop a thermally enhanced micro-scale heat exchanger for application in commercial thermoelectric refrigeration.Read moreRead less
Design, build and test a fault current limiter employing magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconducting coils. Recent occurrences of blackouts around the world caused immeasurable damage to electrical network hardware in the range of $10M, however, the losses from an unavailable network are much more. The CIs and Zenergy Power Pty Ltd (formerly Australian Superconductors) have been developing saturated core fault current limiters (FCL) since 1999. The first saturated core fault current limiter employ ....Design, build and test a fault current limiter employing magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconducting coils. Recent occurrences of blackouts around the world caused immeasurable damage to electrical network hardware in the range of $10M, however, the losses from an unavailable network are much more. The CIs and Zenergy Power Pty Ltd (formerly Australian Superconductors) have been developing saturated core fault current limiters (FCL) since 1999. The first saturated core fault current limiter employing the Australian's entity's technology was installed in California. The aim of this proposal is to extend this technology to demonstrate next generation FCL using a newly developed superconductor magnesium diboride (MgB2) wire which is cheaper and easier to manufacture than high temperature superconductors and the CIs' group hold strong IP on nano-scale chemically doped MgB2 wires.Read moreRead less
Development of Topological Optimisation Techniques for the Conceptual Design of Multi-storey Buildings. The building design process often begins with a case based preliminary design which derives its main parameters and features from a number of existing buildings of similar dimensions and functionality. This project aims to develop a design tool which incorporates two topological optimisation techniques in the conceptual design of multi-storey buildings. This design tool will enable inefficient ....Development of Topological Optimisation Techniques for the Conceptual Design of Multi-storey Buildings. The building design process often begins with a case based preliminary design which derives its main parameters and features from a number of existing buildings of similar dimensions and functionality. This project aims to develop a design tool which incorporates two topological optimisation techniques in the conceptual design of multi-storey buildings. This design tool will enable inefficient materials to be automatically removed from the design, thus producing a structurally efficient building system. At the same time, the new topologies generated by these optimisation techniques can be used by the designer to create innovative forms and layouts for the building.Read moreRead less
Multilevel converters. Until recently the vast majority of power electronic applications have been to low voltage systems. However, developments in high voltage semiconductor switches in the last decade have generated significant activity in high voltage power electronic applications.
Traditional two level converters have significant problems in high voltage applications - high output dv/dt damages insulation and motor bearings, and the semiconductor switches have high switching losses.
Mu ....Multilevel converters. Until recently the vast majority of power electronic applications have been to low voltage systems. However, developments in high voltage semiconductor switches in the last decade have generated significant activity in high voltage power electronic applications.
Traditional two level converters have significant problems in high voltage applications - high output dv/dt damages insulation and motor bearings, and the semiconductor switches have high switching losses.
Multilevel converters hold the promise of alleviating these problems. This project will research and develop multilevel converter technology for static VAR compensators and medium voltage drives, initially targeted at mining applications.Read moreRead less
Low emission, Gas Turbine Air Compressor (GTAC) demonstrator. Compressed air production consumes a significant portion of electricity generated world-wide. The fragility of power infrastructure in many developed countries, and the growing Chinese economy, has created very large markets for compressed air plants that run off Diesel and natural gas fuels. Australia's reliance on coal introduces the added greenhouse incentive of reduced electricity use.
This project will demonstrate a novel air ....Low emission, Gas Turbine Air Compressor (GTAC) demonstrator. Compressed air production consumes a significant portion of electricity generated world-wide. The fragility of power infrastructure in many developed countries, and the growing Chinese economy, has created very large markets for compressed air plants that run off Diesel and natural gas fuels. Australia's reliance on coal introduces the added greenhouse incentive of reduced electricity use.
This project will demonstrate a novel air compressor concept that features a natural gas fuelled micro-gas turbine. This device is expected to have comparable thermal efficiency to other air compressors, but with very significantly reduced greenhouse and overall emissions, much quieter operation, lower cost and increased device compactness.
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Unlocking the Grid: the future of the electricity distribution network. This project applies to the National Research Priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia. A critical challenge for the development of power systems will be to transform them from their current dependence on conventional centralised generation to a situation where more diversified, more volatile and less controllable generation sources contribute a significant percentage of the energy. Coupled with this is a change ....Unlocking the Grid: the future of the electricity distribution network. This project applies to the National Research Priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia. A critical challenge for the development of power systems will be to transform them from their current dependence on conventional centralised generation to a situation where more diversified, more volatile and less controllable generation sources contribute a significant percentage of the energy. Coupled with this is a change in demand patterns due to both demographic and socio-economic variables as well as climate change. Careful analysis is required in the design of the future grid architecture to ensure the security of supply.Read moreRead less
Innovative strategy for salt management and water recovery from newsprint mill effluent using membrane processes. Newsprint mills are a major employer in regional Australia. The mills are located in environmentally sensitive areas, consume large quantities of water and return high levels of salt to the environment. To remain competitive the newsprint industry, like all industries in regional Australia must develop new strategies for water recycling and salt management. Successful execution of t ....Innovative strategy for salt management and water recovery from newsprint mill effluent using membrane processes. Newsprint mills are a major employer in regional Australia. The mills are located in environmentally sensitive areas, consume large quantities of water and return high levels of salt to the environment. To remain competitive the newsprint industry, like all industries in regional Australia must develop new strategies for water recycling and salt management. Successful execution of this project will minimize water consumption in newsprint production, mitigate the effects of increased sodicity in soils irrigated with mill effluent and accelerate the commercial development a hydrophobic microporous membrane for water recycling and salt removal in environmentally sensitive areas of inland Australia.Read moreRead less