Control and safety monitoring systems for large scale irrigation networks. The water losses in irrigation channels in Australia are large, but they can be substantially reduced by employing advanced control and monitoring systems, leading to significant environmental benefits. Due to the large size of the irrigation networks, design of control and monitoring systems represents technical challenges for which there are currently no good methodologies. In this project we will develop design methodo ....Control and safety monitoring systems for large scale irrigation networks. The water losses in irrigation channels in Australia are large, but they can be substantially reduced by employing advanced control and monitoring systems, leading to significant environmental benefits. Due to the large size of the irrigation networks, design of control and monitoring systems represents technical challenges for which there are currently no good methodologies. In this project we will develop design methodologies, and in particular we will focus on issues relating to the communication constraints arising since data are transmitted over a radio network and the trade off between robustness and performance in centralised and decentralised designs.Read moreRead less
Improving the operation of large-scale irrigation networks through automation. Channel networks for irrigation are critical infrastructure. Efficient operation is important in terms of sustainability and food security. This project aims to deliver automatic control techniques for improving system-wide performance. The research outcomes will secure Australia's place at the forefront of irrigation network automation technology.
The Acoustic, Control and Aerodynamic Aspects of the Entecho Hoverpod. The development of small aerial vehicles, both manned and unmanned is a growing market in the aviation industry. This market sector has the potential to provide cheap, environmentally friendly transport solutions for the defence purposes, law enforcement agencies and emergency and recreational vehicles. This project serves to enhance Australia's position in this market by helping a local company develop its technology in a ....The Acoustic, Control and Aerodynamic Aspects of the Entecho Hoverpod. The development of small aerial vehicles, both manned and unmanned is a growing market in the aviation industry. This market sector has the potential to provide cheap, environmentally friendly transport solutions for the defence purposes, law enforcement agencies and emergency and recreational vehicles. This project serves to enhance Australia's position in this market by helping a local company develop its technology in a cost effective and timely manner. The progress made in the three research aspects will also advance areas of science and technology with practical applications other than aerial vehicles.Read moreRead less
Managing Australia's water resources: Automated demand scheduling and supply control systems for large scale irrigation networks. Irrigation water delivery losses in Australia are equal in volume to the total non-agricultural water consumption nationwide. In a drought-prone country where water is such a scarce resource, precise water management is critical. Through the intelligent development and application of technology to the supply and management of water flows in irrigation networks, this p ....Managing Australia's water resources: Automated demand scheduling and supply control systems for large scale irrigation networks. Irrigation water delivery losses in Australia are equal in volume to the total non-agricultural water consumption nationwide. In a drought-prone country where water is such a scarce resource, precise water management is critical. Through the intelligent development and application of technology to the supply and management of water flows in irrigation networks, this project will deliver increased flexibility and security in water delivery to farmers, and substantial water savings overall. These benefits will lead directly to increased productivity and growth in the rural sector and wider economy, whilst providing improved environmental and catchment flows of benefit to all Australians.Read moreRead less
Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. This project aims to design automated pipelines to distribute irrigation water from backbone open-channels to end-users. Automation can make irrigation networks more efficient, which is important for food security and the environment. Automation is expected to achieve low-energy distribution, in line with the gravity-powered operation of typical op ....Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. This project aims to design automated pipelines to distribute irrigation water from backbone open-channels to end-users. Automation can make irrigation networks more efficient, which is important for food security and the environment. Automation is expected to achieve low-energy distribution, in line with the gravity-powered operation of typical open-channel networks. The main challenges are the development of suitable models for designing outlet-flow control systems, optimization-based outlet-flow scheduling methods for ensuring operation within hydraulic constraints, and system monitoring techniques. This project will design automatic control systems to enable low-energy water distribution from open-channels to end-users by pipes.Read moreRead less
Control systems for irrigation networks in storage critical operations. The aim of the project is to further develop automatic control technologies for irrigation channels, with particular focus on supply mode operations for channels with critical limits on storage and inflow. The significance relates to the role of irrigation channels in food and fibre production. New knowledge generated will help Rubicon Water expand its Total Channel Control product, already used extensively in Australia, to ....Control systems for irrigation networks in storage critical operations. The aim of the project is to further develop automatic control technologies for irrigation channels, with particular focus on supply mode operations for channels with critical limits on storage and inflow. The significance relates to the role of irrigation channels in food and fibre production. New knowledge generated will help Rubicon Water expand its Total Channel Control product, already used extensively in Australia, to suit emerging markets with significant export potential. Beyond the commercial impact, expected benefits include improved service, reduced environmental footprint, the safeguarding of assets in extreme events, and the training of engineers in the important areas of modelling and control for infrastructure management.
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Optimum location of FACTS devices with advanced control scheme for improving the security of complex power grid. Prevention of blackouts is one of the highest priorities of the electricity industry. One of the fundamental reasons for the recent blackouts in long transmission network is inter-area oscillations. Queensland's long transmission network is a vital part of the Australian electricity grid and is vulnerable to inter-area oscillations. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to inve ....Optimum location of FACTS devices with advanced control scheme for improving the security of complex power grid. Prevention of blackouts is one of the highest priorities of the electricity industry. One of the fundamental reasons for the recent blackouts in long transmission network is inter-area oscillations. Queensland's long transmission network is a vital part of the Australian electricity grid and is vulnerable to inter-area oscillations. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to investigate the effect of inter-area oscillation that contributes to blackouts. Focussing the Queensland network, this project will provide a complete assessment tool for the optimum location of FACTS devices with modern and advanced control schemes in improving the security of complex interconnected power-grid. Read moreRead less
Advanced Space-Time Coded Multiuser Wireless Communications via Test-bed Development. Meeting the global demand for mobile and wireless communications depends critically on reliable and high rate data transfer. Unfortunately, communications medium idiosyncrasies pose formidable challenges. Very recently, in combatting this, major breakthroughs have been achieved whereby the use of multiple antennas allows for drastic data-rate increases. These advances use sophisticated Space-Time coding metho ....Advanced Space-Time Coded Multiuser Wireless Communications via Test-bed Development. Meeting the global demand for mobile and wireless communications depends critically on reliable and high rate data transfer. Unfortunately, communications medium idiosyncrasies pose formidable challenges. Very recently, in combatting this, major breakthroughs have been achieved whereby the use of multiple antennas allows for drastic data-rate increases. These advances use sophisticated Space-Time coding methods, and while they are causing great excitement in terms of their simulation performance, it is not clear how they will perform in practice, or in fact how they are to be realistically implemented. This project will address this issue by building a world-first testbed that implements a high rate wireless communications system using Space-Time and other coding methods.Read moreRead less
Patient-specific computational tools for evaluating functional performance of total knee replacements in vivo. Knee replacement surgery is the established treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis. This proposal addresses one of the most fundamental questions related to knee replacement surgery: Why do total knee replacements fail? High-fidelity, patient-specific computer simulations of walking can help to answer this question and, in so doing, can improve the functional performance and longevity o ....Patient-specific computational tools for evaluating functional performance of total knee replacements in vivo. Knee replacement surgery is the established treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis. This proposal addresses one of the most fundamental questions related to knee replacement surgery: Why do total knee replacements fail? High-fidelity, patient-specific computer simulations of walking can help to answer this question and, in so doing, can improve the functional performance and longevity of current knee implant designs. Realistic computer simulations of human movement also can play a pivotal role in healthcare through patient rehabilitation; in sports, through the development of personalized training programs for elite athletes; and in entertainment, through the creation of video games and animated films.Read moreRead less
Modelling patient flows through hospitals: optimizing effective use of resources. Hospitals are complex, dynamic systems confronted by increased demand in the face of shrinking real capacity. Managing such systems is currently undertaken with sub-optimal analytical support, particularly when demand and capacity are changing and resources must be manipulated to respond to such changes. In this project, the investigators will apply a mathematical modelling approach to the analysis of hospital pati ....Modelling patient flows through hospitals: optimizing effective use of resources. Hospitals are complex, dynamic systems confronted by increased demand in the face of shrinking real capacity. Managing such systems is currently undertaken with sub-optimal analytical support, particularly when demand and capacity are changing and resources must be manipulated to respond to such changes. In this project, the investigators will apply a mathematical modelling approach to the analysis of hospital patient flows. Furthermore, they will employ statistical process control methodologies to the problem of recognising and responding to changes in the flows, so that performance objectives are met. In doing this, they will give health service managers and clinicians a significant advantage in deciding how best to manage a constrained resource to maximize access, throughput and patient outcomes.Read moreRead less