Elliptical nozzles: the shape of silence? This project aims to leverage the aeroacoustic properties of elliptical nozzle geometries to significantly reduce installed jet noise. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding methods to reduce installed jet noise, a serious problem for the aerospace industry. Regulatory constraints inhibit the implementation of efficiency-increasing configurations but still fail to eliminate public health impacts. Expected outcomes include a set of tools ....Elliptical nozzles: the shape of silence? This project aims to leverage the aeroacoustic properties of elliptical nozzle geometries to significantly reduce installed jet noise. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding methods to reduce installed jet noise, a serious problem for the aerospace industry. Regulatory constraints inhibit the implementation of efficiency-increasing configurations but still fail to eliminate public health impacts. Expected outcomes include a set of tools for optimizing nozzle designs capable of significantly reducing installed jet noise. This will provide significant benefits, as jet noise is a serious health issue for the Australian public. This project represents an opportunity to reduce its impact while improving fuel efficiency.Read moreRead less
A novel surface preparation for manipulation of turbulent boundary layers. Australia's geographic isolation means that we are unusually dependent on long-haul transportation systems for sustaining our economy. This project seeks to examine novel surface coatings to reduce the drag of large transport systems. A successful outcome would ultimately reduce Australia's fuel costs and environmental footprint.
Two-stage ignition and flame stabilisation in engine-relevant conditions. This project aims to reveal the mechanisms of ignition and flame stabilisation in the temperature and pressure conditions that exist in diesel engines, understanding of which is currently very limited despite their significant bearing on pollutants and fuel efficiency. Using massively parallel supercomputing resources, the most detailed, direct numerical simulations of ignition and flame stabilisation to date will be perfo ....Two-stage ignition and flame stabilisation in engine-relevant conditions. This project aims to reveal the mechanisms of ignition and flame stabilisation in the temperature and pressure conditions that exist in diesel engines, understanding of which is currently very limited despite their significant bearing on pollutants and fuel efficiency. Using massively parallel supercomputing resources, the most detailed, direct numerical simulations of ignition and flame stabilisation to date will be performed - they will be three-dimensional and use a detailed chemistry model able to account for low-temperature kinetics and two-stage ignition. Analysis of these data aims to reveal how ignition and flame stabilisation depends on key turbulence and chemical kinetic parameters, thus contributing to developing low-emissions diesel engines.Read moreRead less
Understanding combustion in gasoline compression ignition conditions. This project aims to provide the first fundamental-level understanding of the processes of ignition, combustion, and pollutant formation relevant to a new, highly efficient combustion mode known as gasoline compression ignition (GCI). This project aims to provide information using a unique combination of direct numerical simulations, advanced transported probability density function modelling and a suite of laser measurements ....Understanding combustion in gasoline compression ignition conditions. This project aims to provide the first fundamental-level understanding of the processes of ignition, combustion, and pollutant formation relevant to a new, highly efficient combustion mode known as gasoline compression ignition (GCI). This project aims to provide information using a unique combination of direct numerical simulations, advanced transported probability density function modelling and a suite of laser measurements in a high-pressure combustion chamber. GCI engines have significant potential to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions harmful to health and the environment. The outcomes from this project will lead to accelerated development of the GCI engine, and more optimal GCI solutions to be found.Read moreRead less
Flame-wall interactions in diesel engine environments. This project aims to advance the fundamental understanding of flame-wall interactions in diesel engines, which is currently very limited despite the wall's significant impact on combustion and pollutants. The aim is to perform the most comprehensive set of measurements to date in a high-pressure chamber and optically accessible engine, including planar imaging of key species and soot, and space-/time-resolved measurements of wall temperature ....Flame-wall interactions in diesel engine environments. This project aims to advance the fundamental understanding of flame-wall interactions in diesel engines, which is currently very limited despite the wall's significant impact on combustion and pollutants. The aim is to perform the most comprehensive set of measurements to date in a high-pressure chamber and optically accessible engine, including planar imaging of key species and soot, and space-/time-resolved measurements of wall temperature. These are intended to be complemented by the first transported probability density function modelling of a diesel spray flame that includes soot, radiation and wall heat transfer. The expected outcomes will greatly advance understanding of flame-wall interactions, thus contributing to the development of cleaner and more efficient engines.Read moreRead less
Silencing the screech tone - noise suppression in supersonic jets. The focus of this research is to further develop understanding of the fundamental mechanics of the aeroacoustic phenomenon known as screech. From this deeper understanding a range of tailored control mechanisms are expected to be developed to reduce or eliminate the effects of screech in the engines of high-speed aircraft. The research builds on existing expertise and established experimental facilities. As well as an improved un ....Silencing the screech tone - noise suppression in supersonic jets. The focus of this research is to further develop understanding of the fundamental mechanics of the aeroacoustic phenomenon known as screech. From this deeper understanding a range of tailored control mechanisms are expected to be developed to reduce or eliminate the effects of screech in the engines of high-speed aircraft. The research builds on existing expertise and established experimental facilities. As well as an improved understanding of fundamental mechanism, the expected outcomes of the research are more efficient active and passive flow control devices for the reduction of supersonic jet noise.Read moreRead less
A novel approach to controlling boundary-layer separation. This project will involve fundamental research into the control of the fluid dynamical phenomena of boundary-layer separation and transition to turbulence. The project will be built upon a firm foundation of mathematical modelling of the complex behaviour of fluid flows that are near the onset of flow separation or turbulence. The project will produce results that will permit the development of control strategies that can be implemented ....A novel approach to controlling boundary-layer separation. This project will involve fundamental research into the control of the fluid dynamical phenomena of boundary-layer separation and transition to turbulence. The project will be built upon a firm foundation of mathematical modelling of the complex behaviour of fluid flows that are near the onset of flow separation or turbulence. The project will produce results that will permit the development of control strategies that can be implemented in a wide variety of important technological applications, such as drag reduction in the aerospace and ship industries as well as the control of stall (or loss of lift) in modern aircraft.Read moreRead less
Practical wall-turbulence drag reduction through adaptive control. Long term increases in the price of aviation fuel disproportionately impacts on Australian carriers, given our geographic isolation and the resulting greater percentage of long-haul flights. The resulting higher fares will also have a direct impact on international tourism to Australia. One way to reduce the impact of rising fuel cost, and to reduce CO2 and other emissions at the same time, is to decrease drag on aircraft. This ....Practical wall-turbulence drag reduction through adaptive control. Long term increases in the price of aviation fuel disproportionately impacts on Australian carriers, given our geographic isolation and the resulting greater percentage of long-haul flights. The resulting higher fares will also have a direct impact on international tourism to Australia. One way to reduce the impact of rising fuel cost, and to reduce CO2 and other emissions at the same time, is to decrease drag on aircraft. This project will develop understanding in wall turbulence and adaptive control, and use this to experimentally demonstrate active reductions in skin friction drag. The results are equally applicable to a range of other applications including sea transport, pipe flows and combustor designs.Read moreRead less
Maximum entropy modelling and Bayesian inference in turbulent fluid mechanics. Fluid turbulence, characterised by fluctuating properties such as velocity and density, remains one of the great unsolved problems of science, due to the difficulty of calculating the Reynolds stresses created by the turbulence. This project will bring a new technique, the maximum entropy method of Jaynes, to this challenge, for the formulation and closure of theoretical and reduced-order numerical models of turbulent ....Maximum entropy modelling and Bayesian inference in turbulent fluid mechanics. Fluid turbulence, characterised by fluctuating properties such as velocity and density, remains one of the great unsolved problems of science, due to the difficulty of calculating the Reynolds stresses created by the turbulence. This project will bring a new technique, the maximum entropy method of Jaynes, to this challenge, for the formulation and closure of theoretical and reduced-order numerical models of turbulent flows. Several well-characterised case study flows, of importance to human society, will be examined. Turbulent flow models will also be constructed by maximum-entropy and Bayesian methods directly from experimental data. The project will substantially enhance our ability to predict the behaviour of turbulent flows.Read moreRead less
Advanced Combustion Modelling for Scramjets and Rotating Detonation Engines. This project will develop new fundamental knowledge and engineering models underpinning air-breathing high speed propulsion engines employing complex hydrocarbon fuels. Extensive data and new physical understanding will be garnered through analysis of direct numerical simulations of supersonic reacting mixing layers including impinging shock waves. That data will be employed to isolate, test and develop computationally ....Advanced Combustion Modelling for Scramjets and Rotating Detonation Engines. This project will develop new fundamental knowledge and engineering models underpinning air-breathing high speed propulsion engines employing complex hydrocarbon fuels. Extensive data and new physical understanding will be garnered through analysis of direct numerical simulations of supersonic reacting mixing layers including impinging shock waves. That data will be employed to isolate, test and develop computationally efficient engineering models that are accurate and efficient for high speed combustion in rotating detonation engines and scramjets. Expected outcomes are knowledge and tools needed to develop practical and effective supersonic propulsion engines for access to space, defence and high speed point-to-point flight.
Read moreRead less