Next generation space weather forecasts. Next generation space weather forecasts. This project aims to improve Australia's space weather prediction capabilities by developing space weather forecasts that use ground- and space-based GPS data. The Earth's ionosphere is temporally and spatially variable and the small number of observations limits understanding of its dynamics and effects on radio waves. Using ground- and space-based GPS to remotely sound the ionosphere increases this coverage and c ....Next generation space weather forecasts. Next generation space weather forecasts. This project aims to improve Australia's space weather prediction capabilities by developing space weather forecasts that use ground- and space-based GPS data. The Earth's ionosphere is temporally and spatially variable and the small number of observations limits understanding of its dynamics and effects on radio waves. Using ground- and space-based GPS to remotely sound the ionosphere increases this coverage and can be used to develop space weather forecasts tailored to industries that heavily rely on GPS and satellite communications. An expected direct outcome of this research is modernised space weather forecasts, with economic benefits for several industries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0883019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Organic Solar Cells Fabrication and Characterisation Facility. This application aims to provide key support to ongoing research projects in the area of organic solar cells, which will result in (1) an increase in quality and quantity of research publications and patents (2) a vital support that will establish the grounds for future industries in Australia and (3) a national contribution to the global fight against climate change.
Prediction of solar activity and space weather by automated analyses of solar radio and magnetic field observations and simulations. This project will build world-recognised capabilities to forecast space weather events at Earth in time to take protective measures. It involves around the clock automated identification and analysis of specific solar radio bursts, forecasting solar activity that results in transients moving Earth-ward, and simulations to predict when these will reach Earth.
High-performance smart solar powered on-chip capacitive energy storage. High performance and environmentally friendly on-chip power system is the key bottleneck issue limiting the further performance improvement and miniaturisation of ever-increasing portable optoelectronic devices. Building on previous work, including recent breakthroughs of on-chip photonic devices in patterned graphene oxide thin film and the record-breaking nanophotonics solar cells, the project aims to investigate a new con ....High-performance smart solar powered on-chip capacitive energy storage. High performance and environmentally friendly on-chip power system is the key bottleneck issue limiting the further performance improvement and miniaturisation of ever-increasing portable optoelectronic devices. Building on previous work, including recent breakthroughs of on-chip photonic devices in patterned graphene oxide thin film and the record-breaking nanophotonics solar cells, the project aims to investigate a new concept of super-resolution direct laser printing and simultaneous dopant activation of graphene oxide thin films. It is expected that the conceptually new development of the functional graphene oxide film patterning will allow for smart solar-powered on-chip power systems that outperform the state-of-the-art pollution generating batteries.Read moreRead less
Investigation into a graphene ultra-flat lens array for silicon solar cells breaking the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Based on a recent discovery of the giant refractive index modulation associated with graphene oxide to graphene transition upon laser exposure and the breakthrough of graphene silicon solar cells. This project aims to investigate a new concept of an integratible, broadband, dispersionless, ultraflat lens array from nanostructured graphene oxide/graphene. This conceptually ....Investigation into a graphene ultra-flat lens array for silicon solar cells breaking the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Based on a recent discovery of the giant refractive index modulation associated with graphene oxide to graphene transition upon laser exposure and the breakthrough of graphene silicon solar cells. This project aims to investigate a new concept of an integratible, broadband, dispersionless, ultraflat lens array from nanostructured graphene oxide/graphene. This conceptually new development of functional graphene oxide/graphene lens array in combination with a lumpy nanoparticle enabled back light trapping layer will allow for the non-reciprocal coupling of the broadband solar light into the photovoltaic devices with minimised entropy losses. Thus ultrahigh efficiency solar cells exceeding the conventional theoretical limit can be developed.Read moreRead less
Geomagnetic induced currents in the Australian electricity supply network. This project will develop measures to protect the Australian electricity supply network from adverse effects of enhanced solar activity. This is essential for risk assessment and long term asset management of the Australian electricity network.
Numerical modelling of the solar atmosphere. This project will develop a complete and realistic model of the magnetic solar activity using computer simulations of the interconnected solar interior and atmosphere. The results of this project will provide a deeper insight into the physical processes behind solar activity phenomena and will help in the development of methods of solar activity prediction.
Revealing the atoms that control performance in photoactive perovskites. This project aims to develop new electron microscopy techniques that will unambiguously determine the elusive structures of photoactive perovskite compounds under static and operational conditions, while correlating crystal structure with solar cell device performance. Photoactive perovskites are promising photovoltaic materials, however, many are sensitive to air and irradiation. This has impeded a huge international resea ....Revealing the atoms that control performance in photoactive perovskites. This project aims to develop new electron microscopy techniques that will unambiguously determine the elusive structures of photoactive perovskite compounds under static and operational conditions, while correlating crystal structure with solar cell device performance. Photoactive perovskites are promising photovoltaic materials, however, many are sensitive to air and irradiation. This has impeded a huge international research effort to determine their structure reliably at the atomic scale. With these new techniques applied to leading compounds and devices, it is expected this project will reveal the structural effects controlling electrical properties and device performance and so enable the design of superior perovskite photovoltaics.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238960
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,000.00
Summary
High Performance Semiconductor Micromachining Facility. The purpose of this project is to make available to the Australian semiconductor research community a facility to undertake specialist deposition and etching tasks needed for fabrication of next generation solar cells, microelectronics, optronics, and micro-electromechanical systems. The facility will have the flexibility to allow independent control of major process parameters, allowing development of new fabrication technologies which wi ....High Performance Semiconductor Micromachining Facility. The purpose of this project is to make available to the Australian semiconductor research community a facility to undertake specialist deposition and etching tasks needed for fabrication of next generation solar cells, microelectronics, optronics, and micro-electromechanical systems. The facility will have the flexibility to allow independent control of major process parameters, allowing development of new fabrication technologies which will be generic to a wide range of semiconductor materials. In particular, the facility will be unique in its ability to perform processes at low temperatures, and under conditions that allow optimisation of the deposition and etching processes, without compromising the performance of delicate devices or exceeding the maximum process temperature limitations found in many mainstream semiconductor materials technologies.Read moreRead less
Concepts towards the next generation of dye-sensitised solar cells: tandem and plasmonic solar cells. This project aims at exploring the feasibility of novel device concepts to enhance the performance of dye-sensitised solar cells. These concepts include tandem solar cells as well as novel energy relay systems based on the ability of nanoparticles to effectively act as antenna systems that can funnel energy towards a sensitising dye molecule.