Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC190100033
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,852,568.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource. This Centre aims to bring together Australia’s leading biosolids researchers and key industry and government stakeholders to advance the management, transformation and reuse of biosolids in agriculture. The focus is: 1) capability and knowledge building, 2) research development, extension and training, 3) sustainable strategic partnerships. The expected outcomes of the Centre are to develop a group of new, highly-trained i ....ARC Training Centre for Transformation of Australia's Biosolids Resource. This Centre aims to bring together Australia’s leading biosolids researchers and key industry and government stakeholders to advance the management, transformation and reuse of biosolids in agriculture. The focus is: 1) capability and knowledge building, 2) research development, extension and training, 3) sustainable strategic partnerships. The expected outcomes of the Centre are to develop a group of new, highly-trained industry-ready researchers as well as advanced solutions in three major themes: improved technologies, enhanced products and sustainability. This will provide significant benefits in the economic value of new applications and market opportunities as well as deliver cost-savings – all in an environmentally friendly manner.Read moreRead less
A novel physical-digital approach for the assessing a large critical asset. This project aims to deliver an artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making tool to maintain and manage the floating covers of vast lagoons that treat raw sewage. The cover harvests the biogas released from the anaerobic digestion of sewage for electric power generation that exceeds the plant’s requirement. The approach involves an innovative thermographic technique and exploits transfer learning to adapt neural netw ....A novel physical-digital approach for the assessing a large critical asset. This project aims to deliver an artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making tool to maintain and manage the floating covers of vast lagoons that treat raw sewage. The cover harvests the biogas released from the anaerobic digestion of sewage for electric power generation that exceeds the plant’s requirement. The approach involves an innovative thermographic technique and exploits transfer learning to adapt neural networks trained on lab-scale and synthetic data to field implementation. The outcome is a machine learning framework to optimise biogas harvesting and renewable energy generation, and to avoid structural failure, that is capable of continuous improvement to take into account improved data and/or modelling capabilities.Read moreRead less
Development of Novel Concrete Noise Walls Incorporating Recycled Materials. This project will develop high-performance, lightweight, concrete noise walls and acoustic barriers that use recycled tyre and glass products to improve sound absorption, and address environmental problems associated with the mining of river sands, and stockpiling of waste tyre and glass products. Innovation in noise wall technology consists in developing low-carbon concrete mixes (using less cement) with a maximum amoun ....Development of Novel Concrete Noise Walls Incorporating Recycled Materials. This project will develop high-performance, lightweight, concrete noise walls and acoustic barriers that use recycled tyre and glass products to improve sound absorption, and address environmental problems associated with the mining of river sands, and stockpiling of waste tyre and glass products. Innovation in noise wall technology consists in developing low-carbon concrete mixes (using less cement) with a maximum amount of recycled product, together with reducing wall thickness, while maintaining the necessary engineering properties such as acoustics, strength, and durability. In addition to higher acoustic insulation, the novel low-carbon, lightweight, panels will improve material handling and affordability of noise barriers.Read moreRead less
Flipping the mattress: infinite polyurethane recycling by synthetic biology. Australia is covered in billions of tonnes of plastic and yet <10% is recycled today. Polyurethane (PU) is ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from lacquer coatings to elastane clothing to durable foam padding in car seats, cushions and mattresses. Currently, there are few avenues for PU recycling and much ends up in landfill e.g., a single mattress produces 15-20kg of PU foam waste. Luckily, biodegradation of PU can occu ....Flipping the mattress: infinite polyurethane recycling by synthetic biology. Australia is covered in billions of tonnes of plastic and yet <10% is recycled today. Polyurethane (PU) is ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from lacquer coatings to elastane clothing to durable foam padding in car seats, cushions and mattresses. Currently, there are few avenues for PU recycling and much ends up in landfill e.g., a single mattress produces 15-20kg of PU foam waste. Luckily, biodegradation of PU can occur naturally via various microbial means and from insects, like Galleria mellonella larvae. The overall aim of this research project is to understand plastic biodegradation and translate nature’s solutions into flexible and efficient synthetic enzyme technologies that can sustainably recycle commonly used PU foams. Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH200100005
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Innovation. The Hub’s overarching goal is to support the transition of Australia’s steel manufacturing industry to a more sustainable, competitive and resilient position based on the creation of new, higher value-added products and more advanced manufacturing processes. It anticipates delivering original, innovative research designed to enable a necessary technological shift in the supply chain through integrating advanced enabling technologies in large and ....ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Innovation. The Hub’s overarching goal is to support the transition of Australia’s steel manufacturing industry to a more sustainable, competitive and resilient position based on the creation of new, higher value-added products and more advanced manufacturing processes. It anticipates delivering original, innovative research designed to enable a necessary technological shift in the supply chain through integrating advanced enabling technologies in large and small businesses, developing step-change performance in anti-corrosion treatments and coating lines, generating more functional and durable products, and increasing resource intensities. It expects to train a more skillful and diverse workforce that will be critical in achieving this transformation.Read moreRead less
Enzyme-Mediated Machining of Chelators to Bind and Recover Valuable Metals. Metals are critical components of electronic devices and electrical products. Rapid disposal cycles create a major problem in managing e-waste metals and identifies an opportunity in the circular economy for recovery and re-use. Organic compounds that bind metal ions (chelators) are useful but could be improved to select a target metal from a mixture. This project aims to dissect a method used by bacteria to biosynthesiz ....Enzyme-Mediated Machining of Chelators to Bind and Recover Valuable Metals. Metals are critical components of electronic devices and electrical products. Rapid disposal cycles create a major problem in managing e-waste metals and identifies an opportunity in the circular economy for recovery and re-use. Organic compounds that bind metal ions (chelators) are useful but could be improved to select a target metal from a mixture. This project aims to dissect a method used by bacteria to biosynthesize chelators and hijack this to bioengineer new classes of chelators. Outcomes include new chelators and advanced knowledge of metal selectivity, with potential environmental and economic benefits arising from recovery of valuable metals. The project will benefit chemical biology research training for real-world applications.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC190100031
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,973,202.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE). Understanding the cumulative impact of actions regarding the use of our resources has important long-term consequences for Australia’s economic, societal and environmental health. Yet despite the importance of these cumulative impacts, and the availability of data, many decisions and policies are based on limited amounts of data and rudimentary data analysis, with little appreciation of the critical role that understand ....ARC Training Centre in Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE). Understanding the cumulative impact of actions regarding the use of our resources has important long-term consequences for Australia’s economic, societal and environmental health. Yet despite the importance of these cumulative impacts, and the availability of data, many decisions and policies are based on limited amounts of data and rudimentary data analysis, with little appreciation of the critical role that understanding and quantifying uncertainty plays in the process. The aim of Data Analytics in Resources and Environment (DARE) is to develop and deliver the data science skills and tools for Australia’s resource industries to make the best possible evidence-based decisions in exploiting and stewarding the nation’s natural resources.Read moreRead less
Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. This project aims to realize green logistics by researching how to run diesel-powered heavy-duty milk trucks economically and efficiently on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and demonstrating to logistics companies that LNG conversion will reduce operating costs and emissions. Transportation systems account for 18% of Australia's carbon emissions, and diesel-po ....Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. This project aims to realize green logistics by researching how to run diesel-powered heavy-duty milk trucks economically and efficiently on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and demonstrating to logistics companies that LNG conversion will reduce operating costs and emissions. Transportation systems account for 18% of Australia's carbon emissions, and diesel-powered logistics vehicles are a major contributor. However, converting these trucks to LNG requires strong evidence to convince logistics companies of the benefits of shifting to green logistics. An increase in logistics productivity is expected to increase Australia’s gross domestic product by $2 billion, while this research should also provide vital data on sustainability issues and LNG conversions.Read moreRead less
Rethinking housing: network analysis for digital collaboration. This project aims to understand persistent housing sector supply problems through analysis of digital collaborative practices. This project expects to generate new knowledge for an emerging housing digital economy using interdisciplinary network theory and data visualisation techniques. The housing sector has long been criticised for shortcomings in affordability, efficiency, quality, social and environmental responsiveness and appr ....Rethinking housing: network analysis for digital collaboration. This project aims to understand persistent housing sector supply problems through analysis of digital collaborative practices. This project expects to generate new knowledge for an emerging housing digital economy using interdisciplinary network theory and data visualisation techniques. The housing sector has long been criticised for shortcomings in affordability, efficiency, quality, social and environmental responsiveness and appropriateness of offerings. Expected outcomes include enhanced housing supply professionals' capability, improved knowledge among public/private sector decision makers responsible for housing supply and development of new digital collaborative behavioural theoretical and practical frameworks for the sector.Read moreRead less
Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of ....Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of the project will be a significantly improved prediction tool. It is also anticipated that the project will result in improvements in dam and public safety, and more efficient use of funds for dam safety upgrades and management.Read moreRead less