Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100245
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$460,237.00
Summary
Transforming wastewater services in regional Australia. Wastewater treatment in regional Australia faces challenges of odour control, poor pollutant and pathogen removal, and greenhouse gas emissions. This project aims to innovatively use iron salts to realise highly efficient wastewater treatment in regional areas. With Partner, Western Australia Water Corporation, this project expects to leverage a recent breakthrough discovery on iron chemistry to co-develop and field test a solar system that ....Transforming wastewater services in regional Australia. Wastewater treatment in regional Australia faces challenges of odour control, poor pollutant and pathogen removal, and greenhouse gas emissions. This project aims to innovatively use iron salts to realise highly efficient wastewater treatment in regional areas. With Partner, Western Australia Water Corporation, this project expects to leverage a recent breakthrough discovery on iron chemistry to co-develop and field test a solar system that doses wastewater with iron, to overcome four challenges and a supply chain issue simultaneously. Expected outcomes include industry capacity to adopt and commercialise a novel technology with important global relevance. Outcomes should reduce the inequity of wastewater services in regional Australia.Read moreRead less
Monitoring Desalination Membrane Fouling using Sodium Magnetic Resonance. Seawater desalination using membrane modules is critical technology for potable water access, however it faces significant challenges due to fouling. Sodium magnetic resonance techniques will be developed to non-invasively detect and image salt accumulation in these opaque membrane modules due to fouling. These data will first be used to improve our understanding of the unexplored interplay between fouling and detrimental ....Monitoring Desalination Membrane Fouling using Sodium Magnetic Resonance. Seawater desalination using membrane modules is critical technology for potable water access, however it faces significant challenges due to fouling. Sodium magnetic resonance techniques will be developed to non-invasively detect and image salt accumulation in these opaque membrane modules due to fouling. These data will first be used to improve our understanding of the unexplored interplay between fouling and detrimental salt accumulation in the modules (known as cake-enhanced concentration polarisation) and thus validate 3D simulations of this phenomenon. The ability to unambiguously detect salt accumulation in membrane modules will then be extrapolated to a non-invasive monitoring tool for membrane fouling in desalination facilities.Read moreRead less
A New Spin on Liquid Hydrogen: Controlled Cold Energy. While hydrogen is set to play a leading role in global decarbonisation, significant challenges remain regarding methods for its reliable storage and transportation. Hydrogen liquefaction has emerged as a promising approach in this regard due to its high energy density and hydrogen purity, but is currently prohibitively expensive. In this project we will exploit the peculiar spin physics of hydrogen to alleviate liquefactions costs through t ....A New Spin on Liquid Hydrogen: Controlled Cold Energy. While hydrogen is set to play a leading role in global decarbonisation, significant challenges remain regarding methods for its reliable storage and transportation. Hydrogen liquefaction has emerged as a promising approach in this regard due to its high energy density and hydrogen purity, but is currently prohibitively expensive. In this project we will exploit the peculiar spin physics of hydrogen to alleviate liquefactions costs through the provision of controllable refrigeration (so-called 'cold energy') following regasification. In particular we will measure, optimise and exploit the highly endothermic catalysed conversion of para- to ortho- hydrogen, which can provide up to 525 kJ/kg of cooling at convenient temperatures. Read moreRead less
Dual-membrane upgrading towards sustainable wastewater management. Water utilities in Australia have set aspirational targets for energy- and carbon-neutral wastewater services by as early as 2030. However, these two aims are often incompatible because of excessive aeration energy consumption and substantial greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants. This project aims to develop a novel biotechnology that enables simultaneous bioenergy recovery, cost-efficient nitrogen removal and ....Dual-membrane upgrading towards sustainable wastewater management. Water utilities in Australia have set aspirational targets for energy- and carbon-neutral wastewater services by as early as 2030. However, these two aims are often incompatible because of excessive aeration energy consumption and substantial greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants. This project aims to develop a novel biotechnology that enables simultaneous bioenergy recovery, cost-efficient nitrogen removal and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, thus bringing multifaceted benefits to wastewater management. The project will provide strong support to the Australian water industry in their endeavour to achieve economically and environmentally sustainable wastewater services.Read moreRead less
Fate of PAPs and short-chain PFAS in biosolids amended soils. Biosolids generated during wastewater treatment contain PFAS which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Application of biosolids to agricultural land may result in soil, groundwater and surface water PFAS contamination via leaching and run-off and pose unknown potential risk to soil health, crops and beneficial biota. This study aims to generate novel knowledge on the PFAS fate in biosolid amended soils, crops and toxicity to ke ....Fate of PAPs and short-chain PFAS in biosolids amended soils. Biosolids generated during wastewater treatment contain PFAS which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Application of biosolids to agricultural land may result in soil, groundwater and surface water PFAS contamination via leaching and run-off and pose unknown potential risk to soil health, crops and beneficial biota. This study aims to generate novel knowledge on the PFAS fate in biosolid amended soils, crops and toxicity to key soil and aquatic biota at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study is supported by Australian water and its allied industries, as it is important for them to ensure that biosolids application to agricultural land is an environmentally sustainable solution to the Australian farmers and communities.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH220100012
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Carbon Utilisation and Recycling. This Research Hub aims to develop technologies to transform carbon dioxide emissions from our energy and manufacturing sectors into valuable products and create pathways to market to drive industry transformation. This hub aims to achieve this by developing novel electro, thermo, and biochemical methods for converting CO2 from sectors that cannot easily avoid emissions and a technological pathway for CO2 recycling. The outcomes of this Hub a ....ARC Research Hub for Carbon Utilisation and Recycling. This Research Hub aims to develop technologies to transform carbon dioxide emissions from our energy and manufacturing sectors into valuable products and create pathways to market to drive industry transformation. This hub aims to achieve this by developing novel electro, thermo, and biochemical methods for converting CO2 from sectors that cannot easily avoid emissions and a technological pathway for CO2 recycling. The outcomes of this Hub are likely to be transformative for industry, the economy, and society in moving the fate of CO2 from pollutant to feedstock. The benefits to Australia are intended to be the stimulation of a new industry, a skilled workforce for this emerging industry and a contribution to meeting CO2 reduction targets.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH230100011
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,955,854.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Value-Added Processing of Underutilised Carbon Waste. This Hub aims to advance upcycling technologies and associated regulatory and social engagement for processing underutilised carbon waste within Australia. Its anticipated goal is to deliver value-added products, and improved technology readiness levels for full exploitation of carbon wastes from agriculture, tyres and plastics. It will also train a large talent pool providing interdisciplinary knowledge and entrepreneuri ....ARC Research Hub for Value-Added Processing of Underutilised Carbon Waste. This Hub aims to advance upcycling technologies and associated regulatory and social engagement for processing underutilised carbon waste within Australia. Its anticipated goal is to deliver value-added products, and improved technology readiness levels for full exploitation of carbon wastes from agriculture, tyres and plastics. It will also train a large talent pool providing interdisciplinary knowledge and entrepreneurial skills for post-hub commercialisation. The Hub will benefit rural Australia by transforming local job markets and manufacturing capability. Ultimately, this Hub will make a significant contribution towards achieving Australia’s National Waste Action Plan goal by 2030, and a circular economy for a sustainable future. Read moreRead less