Turbulent mixing of a passive scalar. Turbulence is the usual state of fluid motion. This proposal will increase Australia's expertise in fundamental turbulence research, especially in the area of turbulent mixing, which is of major importance in many natural and engineering problems involving combustion, chemical reactions and pollution. A better knowledge of mixing at small scales will lead to more efficient combustion, savings in energy expenditure as well as a reduction in pollutant emiss ....Turbulent mixing of a passive scalar. Turbulence is the usual state of fluid motion. This proposal will increase Australia's expertise in fundamental turbulence research, especially in the area of turbulent mixing, which is of major importance in many natural and engineering problems involving combustion, chemical reactions and pollution. A better knowledge of mixing at small scales will lead to more efficient combustion, savings in energy expenditure as well as a reduction in pollutant emissions. Read moreRead less
Wave to Wire: Optimising Hydrodynamic Performance and Capture Efficiency of Next Generation Ocean Wave Energy Systems. Wave energy in the oceans of the world represents a vast renewable energy resource that has not been tapped. This project will play a crucial role in maximising the performance and economic viability of a unique Australian wave energy technology. We will develop a dynamically integrated theoretical model aimed at capturing the complex behaviour of ocean waves and optimising the ....Wave to Wire: Optimising Hydrodynamic Performance and Capture Efficiency of Next Generation Ocean Wave Energy Systems. Wave energy in the oceans of the world represents a vast renewable energy resource that has not been tapped. This project will play a crucial role in maximising the performance and economic viability of a unique Australian wave energy technology. We will develop a dynamically integrated theoretical model aimed at capturing the complex behaviour of ocean waves and optimising the energy capture efficiency of the Oscillating Water Column (OWC) wave energy system. One of the most exciting aspects of the technology is its potential to provide on-site bulk desalination of seawater, whilst being driven entirely by renewable energy. It will also result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation.Read moreRead less
Enhanced Waste Heat Recovery from Low-grade Heat Sources Using a Novel Supercritical Power Cycle. Compared with conventional technologies for waste heat recovery, GRANEX cycle offers higher thermal efficiencies, better economics and a greater degree of robustness. If deployed ascross the country to recover even 10% of the nation's waste heat, it would reduce greenhouse emissions by 9 mega tonne which is roughly 1.6% of the annual national emissions. That is equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions ....Enhanced Waste Heat Recovery from Low-grade Heat Sources Using a Novel Supercritical Power Cycle. Compared with conventional technologies for waste heat recovery, GRANEX cycle offers higher thermal efficiencies, better economics and a greater degree of robustness. If deployed ascross the country to recover even 10% of the nation's waste heat, it would reduce greenhouse emissions by 9 mega tonne which is roughly 1.6% of the annual national emissions. That is equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions from 648,000 houses or 2 million cars. The proposed research will place Australia within the forefront of the research and development activities in the field of waste heat recovery and will clearly contribute to the Federal Government’s effort in the National Research Priority 1, An Environmentally Sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Heat transfer processes in evacuated tubular solar absorbers. The aim of this project is to improve the understanding of the complex heat transfer processes in evacuated tubular solar water heaters. This project will develop thermal and hydrodynamic models for advanced solar water heaters incorporating evacuated tubular absorbers and will assess the accuracy of the models through a series of outdoor experiments on prototype evacuated tubular solar water heaters. The outcomes will lead to the d ....Heat transfer processes in evacuated tubular solar absorbers. The aim of this project is to improve the understanding of the complex heat transfer processes in evacuated tubular solar water heaters. This project will develop thermal and hydrodynamic models for advanced solar water heaters incorporating evacuated tubular absorbers and will assess the accuracy of the models through a series of outdoor experiments on prototype evacuated tubular solar water heaters. The outcomes will lead to the design and manufacturing of more efficient solar collectors, which can greatly benefit both Australian domestic and export markets.Read moreRead less
Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result ....Enhancing natural convection heat transfer using a single horizontal non-metallic fin. This project will develop the basis for a simple design to improve the energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are widely adopted in many electronic devices and industrial processes as they require no external power input, additional space, and are quiet, reliable and economical. The research will exploit the interaction between two flows to trigger turbulence, and will result in an increase of the overall capacity and performance of engineering systems. This will contribute significantly to reductions in power consumption and improvements in productivity and work environment, leading ultimately to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Research into techniques for enhancing the heat transfer performance of finned-tube heat exchangers. This project explores several methods for enhancing the heat transfer performance of mechanically bonded finned tube heat exchangers. The methods would be analysed experimentally, and using finite elements, numerically. Any increase in heat transfer efficiency would contribute to the conservation of energy, and therefore, of natural resources. An improved design of heat exchangers would give a de ....Research into techniques for enhancing the heat transfer performance of finned-tube heat exchangers. This project explores several methods for enhancing the heat transfer performance of mechanically bonded finned tube heat exchangers. The methods would be analysed experimentally, and using finite elements, numerically. Any increase in heat transfer efficiency would contribute to the conservation of energy, and therefore, of natural resources. An improved design of heat exchangers would give a definite competitive edge to the Australian manufacturer. An equally significant outcome would be the training of a research person in industry-related research and skilled both in experimental and numerical procedures.Read moreRead less
Investigation of a Novel Fan. Fans are very widely used for cooling and heating, thrust and mass transport and are one of the most common fluid mechanical devices. An optimal fan design will maximise flow velocity and pressure rise for minimum energy requirements and noise production. De Rolfe has recently developed a new fan that shows considerable promise in comparison to conventional designs on single point tests.
In this project experimental and computional fluid dynamics investigations o ....Investigation of a Novel Fan. Fans are very widely used for cooling and heating, thrust and mass transport and are one of the most common fluid mechanical devices. An optimal fan design will maximise flow velocity and pressure rise for minimum energy requirements and noise production. De Rolfe has recently developed a new fan that shows considerable promise in comparison to conventional designs on single point tests.
In this project experimental and computional fluid dynamics investigations of the new fan will be carried out to determine the basic fluid mechanics and to obtain performance curves. Scaling laws will be obtained and, if possible, the fan will be further optimised.Read moreRead less
Diagnostics and Prognostics of Turbine Engine Bearings. Rolls Royce are a leading supplier of engines world-wide, but in particular (with respect to this application) to airlines operating in and from Australia, including Qantas, as well as to the Australian armed forces. The methods to be developed will give greater security to the flying public, and to the Defence Forces, allowing them to carry out their role more reliably. Collaboration with Rolls Royce will add prestige to this Australian de ....Diagnostics and Prognostics of Turbine Engine Bearings. Rolls Royce are a leading supplier of engines world-wide, but in particular (with respect to this application) to airlines operating in and from Australia, including Qantas, as well as to the Australian armed forces. The methods to be developed will give greater security to the flying public, and to the Defence Forces, allowing them to carry out their role more reliably. Collaboration with Rolls Royce will add prestige to this Australian developed technology, and increase the likelihood of it (and related technology) being used in the Joint Strike Fighter.Read moreRead less
Atomisation and Combustion Physics of Australian Bio-oils. Australia is highly dependent on fossil fuels for energy production and transport, and this dependence is growing. Wide spread substitution of liquid hydrocarbon fuels by indigenous renewable bio-oil has the potential to improve Australian's energy outlook and assist in reaching greenhouse gas targets. Understanding the interrelationships between the physical and chemical properties of bio-oil, its atomisation, droplet formation and com ....Atomisation and Combustion Physics of Australian Bio-oils. Australia is highly dependent on fossil fuels for energy production and transport, and this dependence is growing. Wide spread substitution of liquid hydrocarbon fuels by indigenous renewable bio-oil has the potential to improve Australian's energy outlook and assist in reaching greenhouse gas targets. Understanding the interrelationships between the physical and chemical properties of bio-oil, its atomisation, droplet formation and combustion physics is fundamental to the delivery of an efficient and reliable combustion process using this fuel. Measurements using laser based diagnostics of the atomisation flow, droplet formation and combustion process will provide the experimental data to understand this complex interrelationship.Read moreRead less
An innovative wind power system primarily for urban environments. The project aims to develop a novel rotor vane array wind power system that can be used as a roof fence or balcony on existing or new buildings. Traditional wind turbines cannot fully realise the potential of excellent wind speed in tall buildings because of space efficiency, visual impact, and danger or noise issues. The system to be developed in the project incorporates advanced active flow control that addresses these issues. T ....An innovative wind power system primarily for urban environments. The project aims to develop a novel rotor vane array wind power system that can be used as a roof fence or balcony on existing or new buildings. Traditional wind turbines cannot fully realise the potential of excellent wind speed in tall buildings because of space efficiency, visual impact, and danger or noise issues. The system to be developed in the project incorporates advanced active flow control that addresses these issues. The project plans to conduct a structured program of numerical and experimental studies, the intended outcomes of which will contribute to energy security, progress towards zero emissions and sustainable living, and lead to innovative architecture of the future.Read moreRead less