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
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH200100035
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub in New Safe and Reliable Energy Storage and Conversion Technologies. This Research Hub addresses safety and reliability issues, and environmental impact of current energy storage and conversion technologies. The research will deliver a new generation of technologies for storage from small scale portable devices to large scale industrial applications, using recycled and natural materials, and eliminating the serious fire risk in current technologies. Outcomes include innovative ....ARC Research Hub in New Safe and Reliable Energy Storage and Conversion Technologies. This Research Hub addresses safety and reliability issues, and environmental impact of current energy storage and conversion technologies. The research will deliver a new generation of technologies for storage from small scale portable devices to large scale industrial applications, using recycled and natural materials, and eliminating the serious fire risk in current technologies. Outcomes include innovative integrated energy conversion and storage technologies and new energy materials and devices designed for different scale applications, leading to creation of start up companies and commercialisation opportunities for existing partners, benefiting both the Australian economy and potentially transforming the energy industry landscape.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101300
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,446.00
Summary
Probing interfacial impedance in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. This project aims to investigate the mechanism behind the high impedance at the interface between electrodes and the solid electrolyte in solid-state lithium-ion batteries using advanced in-situ transmission electron microscopy. The outcomes will deepen knowledge in chemical and structural evolution at the electrode–electrolyte interface during battery operation under different conditions, and thus inform the design and fabr ....Probing interfacial impedance in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. This project aims to investigate the mechanism behind the high impedance at the interface between electrodes and the solid electrolyte in solid-state lithium-ion batteries using advanced in-situ transmission electron microscopy. The outcomes will deepen knowledge in chemical and structural evolution at the electrode–electrolyte interface during battery operation under different conditions, and thus inform the design and fabrication of safe, high power, and long lasting solid-state batteries for a myriad of portable electronic devices and the emerging electric vehicles.Read moreRead less
Improved design and operational efficiency of small wind turbines in unsteady flows. The purpose of this research is to improve the design and performance of small wind turbines for energy generation. The expected outcomes are novel control strategies and mechanical designs that account for unsteady aerodynamics and its effects on structural loads and power quality. Recommendations to improve current design standards will be made.
Multiscale engineering of durable absorber coatings for solar thermal power. This project aims to advance the long-term stability and efficiency of high-temperature absorber coatings for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants. Solar energy is a vast and largely untapped resource in Australia. The project will design superior light absorbers and scalable and low-cost approaches for their fabrication. Optimal absorber properties will be achieved by multi-scale engineering of the coating composition ....Multiscale engineering of durable absorber coatings for solar thermal power. This project aims to advance the long-term stability and efficiency of high-temperature absorber coatings for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants. Solar energy is a vast and largely untapped resource in Australia. The project will design superior light absorbers and scalable and low-cost approaches for their fabrication. Optimal absorber properties will be achieved by multi-scale engineering of the coating composition and micro-texturing via modelling of the light absorption and heat transport within these complex nanocomposite structures. The intended outcome of the project is a set of commercially competitive absorber coatings, with superior performance and durability, that support the development of CSP as a competitive technology for energy generation.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
Making hydrogen storage work for the new hydrogen economy. This project aims to develop an innovative Liquid Organic Hydrogen Storage technology and prove its energy industry potential. This project expects to expand and validate the performance, safety and scale-up potential of this new technology in an industrial context to promote the development of the hydrogen economy. Expected outcomes include providing practical, efficient, large-scale storage technology for use in intermittent renewable ....Making hydrogen storage work for the new hydrogen economy. This project aims to develop an innovative Liquid Organic Hydrogen Storage technology and prove its energy industry potential. This project expects to expand and validate the performance, safety and scale-up potential of this new technology in an industrial context to promote the development of the hydrogen economy. Expected outcomes include providing practical, efficient, large-scale storage technology for use in intermittent renewable energy storage and hydrogen vehicle refuelling, and addressing legal/regulatory implementation issues. This should provide significant benefits in cultivating the emerging hydrogen energy industry, strengthening industrial competitiveness, enhancing Australia’s fuel security and protecting the environment.Read moreRead less
High Energy Density - High Delivery Rate Thermal Energy Storage. This project aims to address the intermittency of renewable energy sources using novel thermal storage media. Advanced heat transfer modelling and in situ neutron diffraction and imaging are intended to be used to optimise the microstructure of newly developed miscibility gap thermal storage systems. The new media store energy as the latent heat of fusion of one phase in a stable, high thermal conductivity inverted microstructure. ....High Energy Density - High Delivery Rate Thermal Energy Storage. This project aims to address the intermittency of renewable energy sources using novel thermal storage media. Advanced heat transfer modelling and in situ neutron diffraction and imaging are intended to be used to optimise the microstructure of newly developed miscibility gap thermal storage systems. The new media store energy as the latent heat of fusion of one phase in a stable, high thermal conductivity inverted microstructure. The high energy density of the latent heat (0.5-4.5 Mega Joules/Litre) requires storage volumes as little as five per cent of those relying upon heat capacity and the metal matrix has a hundred-fold greater thermal conductivity than current systems. It is proposed that a range of such materials will be engineered for concentrated solar thermal and space heating applications.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100127
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Controlled radiation facility to investigate turbulence-radiation-chemistry interactions in high-flux solar reactors. This project's facility will support the transition of Australia’s energy intensive industries, including minerals and resources, to a much lower carbon intensity. It will also underpin collaborations with internationally leading partners to develop novel solar-combustion hybrid reactors for the production of solar fuels and for minerals processing.
Thermal transport in multi-phase flows for concentrating solar applications. This project seeks to advance the field of heat transfer in high-temperature systems involving liquid metals, with emphasis on energy storage and solar power technologies. The concept couples a tubular sodium boiler with a sodium chloride phase-change storage system for continuous energy supply. Sodium chloride is low cost and has a melting temperature suitable for a wide range of industrial processes. The project plans ....Thermal transport in multi-phase flows for concentrating solar applications. This project seeks to advance the field of heat transfer in high-temperature systems involving liquid metals, with emphasis on energy storage and solar power technologies. The concept couples a tubular sodium boiler with a sodium chloride phase-change storage system for continuous energy supply. Sodium chloride is low cost and has a melting temperature suitable for a wide range of industrial processes. The project plans to address the challenge of sodium stability in highly irradiated tubes by investigating mass, momentum, energy and radiative transport in liquid metals. It is intended that this will inform the design and testing of novel sodium boilers to provide stable and isothermal process heat for continuous or on-demand production of power, chemical fuels and commodities.Read moreRead less