research - university of newcastle · particle processing and transport, directed by professor...

The University of Newcastle – Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment I CRICOS Provider 00109J 1

RESEARCHENGINEERING


ENGINEERINGRESEARCHIntroduction

FACULTY RESEARCHAdvanced Particle ProcessingCentre for Complex Dynamic Systems and ControlBioinformatics, Biomaker Discovery and Information-based MedicineBulk Solids and Particulate TechnologiesCentre for Intelligent Electrical NetworksControl and Systems AutomationData Mining and BioinformaticsDynamics and Control of NanosystemsEnergyEnergy TechnologyEnvironmental Engineering and Water ResourcesFluid Mechanics and TurbulenceGeotechnical and Materials ModellingGeotechnical EngineeringMachine Learning and RoboticsMaterials EngineeringMultiphase ProcessesProcess Safety and Environmental ProtectionSignal Processing MicroelectronicsStructural EngineeringSurveyingTelecommunications

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The University of Newcastle – Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment I CRICOS Provider 00109J2

INTRODUCTIONThe University of Newcastle The University of Newcastle is the most research-intensive university outside an Australian capital city. Ranked ninth among Australia’s universities for research, our reputation is for innovation, excellence and research with impact. International agency QS Stars rates Newcastle a five star University for research.

In 2010 we celebrated a record year in Australian Research Council funding, receiving over $14 million for 38 projects across health, science, engineering, history and education. A further 20 projects commenced in 2011 supported by funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. Total research income reached more than $80 million in 2010.

Through our commercial business arm, Newcastle Innovation, our researchers are supported in their efforts to transfer their knowledge, technological developments and scientific research into market-ready, economically valuable commodities. Each year Newcastle Innovation generates $16 million in intellectual property, consulting and research income.

The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is one of the leading faculties of its kind in Australia. We are internationally recognised for our outstanding research record, which places our engineering schools among the best in Australia. Along with four University Priority Research Centres, the Faculty also leads the new $14.4 million Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Geotechnical Science and Engineering.

Our research-intensive environment has helped to attract a high standard of academic research staff from throughout Australia and around the world. Many of our staff are leaders in their fields, carrying out internationally recognised work in pure and applied research that attracts high levels of funding.

Through collaborative research, we have forged strong partnerships with industry. Our interactions with industry bring real-world technology issues into our research laboratories and our teaching. Working with industry is central to maintaining a ‘forward-looking’ approach in our education of students.

We are committed to building long-term relationships that mutually benefit all parties, and are focused on expanding these relationships for the future. Together with industry, we can research and develop new technologies and discover innovative solutions to problems that face society today.


Hunter Medical Research Institute The University, in partnership with Hunter New England Health and the community, forms the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). In 2012 a new $90 million building was opened to house the HMRI. It is the most modern medical research centre in the world, housing teams of researchers seeking cures for cancer, brain and mental health issues and heart disease. The Faculty’s Priority Research Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery and Informatics-Based Medicine is part of HMRI.

Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources The University is home to the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER). NIER addresses national priorities in sustainability and energy, producing a range of solutions for sustainable production and energy use. Unrivalled in Australia in scale and the quality of research infrastructure, NIER is located at the former BHP-Billiton Newcastle Research Laboratories, a 3.8 hectare site adjoining the University of Newcastle’s Callaghan campus. Funded with the assistance of a $30million Australian Government grant, NIER will include specialist laboratory space for large-scale test bed and pilot plant operations. NIER is home to the PRC for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport and the PRC for Energy.

Resources for Research Higher Degree Students The Faculty is committed to providing Research Higher Degree (RHD) candidates with a quality research training experience. This includes the provision of appropriate physical resources to undertake your research, quality supervision, as well as access to various laboratories, studios, machinery and computing systems.

Students who are enrolled fulltime in a RHD program are provided with a dedicated workstation, chair, pedestal drawers and a bookshelf unit . Students who are enrolled part time may be required to share space.

Upon enrolment in an RHD program at the University you are entitled to receive a laptop computer, which is provided under the ‘RHD Laptop Scheme’.

As an RHD student, you may be eligible for up to $1500 per annum, under the Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PGRSS), for various research expenses such as conference travel, workshops, equipment and consumables.

Living in Newcastle A lively port city on a breathtaking stretch of Australia’s coastline, Newcastle boasts wonderful beaches, a comparitavely low cost of living, a very favourable climate, a casual lifestyle, and is not far from Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

Its population of 350,000 supports a thriving business and commercial sector and an excellent network of leading health care and educational facilities. Newcastle offers all the usual city comforts, such as restaurants, cafes, parks and gardens, theatres, art galleries, shopping centres and nightclubs.


ADvANCED PARTICLE PROCESSING

The Priority Research Centre for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport, directed by Professor Kevin Galvin, conducts world-leading research into the processing, transport and storage of minerals.

The processing of particles is a significant part of the operations of the Australian coal and minerals industries. These industries face significant challenges that will require solutions in the future. They are heavy users of water and energy, and also major emitters of greenhouse gases.

The Centre is investigating innovative ways of separating valuable particles from waste material, which do not involve water; ways of separating different mineral species that eliminate the need for fine grinding, thereby reducing energy consumption; as well as flotation in saline water, and new gel explosives.

Our purpose is to establish the technologies needed for energy efficient transport of raw materials, and efficient recovery of fine particles. This efficiency lowers the carbon footprint, water consumption, and cost of mining on a per tonne of product basis.

NIER The Priority Research Centre for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport is part of The Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER). Unrivalled in Australia in scale and the quality of research infrastructure, NIER is located at the former BHP-Billiton Newcastle Research Laboratories, a 3.8 hectare site adjoining the University of Newcastle’s Callaghan campus.

Research Programs n Energy efficient transport of raw materials: steep conveying, pneumatic conveying; energy efficient belt conveying over long distances.

n Fine particle beneficiation and characterisation: dry separation, novel flotation technology, novel and enhanced gravity separation and desliming of fine particles; application of electrostatic, magnetic and high G forces; selective flocculation and agglomeration.

Experimental work is supported by facilities in bulk solids handling, belt conveying, mineral processing, fundamental physical chemistry instrumentation, high-speed video, and laser flow diagnostics, while our modelling capability includes computational fluid dynamics and discrete element modelling.

Research Opportunities Opportunities exist in fundamentals of bulk solids handling, pneumatic conveying, belt conveying, dust suppression, physical chemistry and control of surfactant adsorption, particle-particle aggregation, and interactions between particles and interfaces. Research is also focused on the hydrodynamics of foam drainage, the application of fluidisation to support the flotation of coarse particles and the aggregation of nano-particles, and in promoting the gravity separation of coal and minerals in the Reflux Classifier. A new shock-wave technology is being developed to enhance ultrafine flotation, while in gravity separation centrifugal forces are being exploited to target finer particles.

Key Achievements The Reflux Classifier: The device consists of a system of inclined channels attached to a conventional fluidised bed. The inclined channels permit significantly higher feed rates, with improved separation performance achieved as a result of the higher shear rates in the channels. Already under patent, the award winning Reflux Classifier is currently used in seven countries.

The Jameson Cell: The Jameson Cell is a radically different flotation machine that gives better performance than traditional designs. Jameson has been engaged in a long-term program to improve the performance of flotation equipment for mineral and coal separations and wastewater treatment. Jameson Cells have been sold, to mineral and coal operations in eight countries.

Contact Details Centre Director Professor Kevin Galvin T +61 2 4033 9077 E [email protected] W www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/capp/


CENTRE FOR COMPLEx DyNAMIC SySTEMS AND CONTROL

The Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control has internationally recognised excellence in analysis, design, optimization and control of dynamic systems. The Centre’s expertise in fundamental research of complex systems, coupled with the active pursuit of industrial linkages, will enable new technology-based industries, reducing pollution, improving production and efficiency and allowing safer operation of complex processes.

The Centre’s research capabilities involve the following areas of research:

Control System DesignControl system design for simple problems is a mature discipline, although the existing methodologies tend to be limited to relative standard problems. Unfortunately many real world problems are non-standard, exhibiting such features as nonlinear and non-smooth behaviour, high state dimension and lack of convexity. This research area addresses these issues using alternative theoretical tools and in the context of modern computational methods.

Mathematical SystemsThe object of the mathematical systems programme is to investigate mathematical models of dynamic systems which exhibit complex behaviour, exploiting our expertise in modern functional analysis.

Bayesian LearningThe bayesian learning programme comprises researchers from engineering, mathematics, machine learning and statistics backgrounds, reflecting the strong interdisciplinary nature of the Centre. The programme focuses on the following four research themes: parametric bayesian modelling, bayesian non-parametrics, complex systems and bayesian computation. Applications of this research included problems in genetics, environment, medicine, finance and robotics.

Signal ProcessingThis programme focuses on model-based signal processing. Research problems include physical

modelling, system identification, model validation, prediction, filtering, and signal recovery. Examples of this type of signal processing are adaptive control, Kalman filtering, communications channel equalization, and multi-user detection for wireless communications. This research also involves applications of modelling, control and estimation in various signal processing problems.

MechatronicsMany technical processes and products in the area of mechanical and electrical engineering show an increasing integration of mechanics with electronics and information processing. The development of mechatronic systems involves finding an optimal balance between the basic mechanical structure, sensor and actuator implementation, automatic digital information processing and overall control, and this synergy results in innovative solutions. These complicated interactions generate a rich and complex set of dynamic behaviours to be analysed and controlled. This programme is aimed at investigating such multidisciplinary analysis and control questions in emerging mechatronic systems.

Distributed Sensing and ControlThis programme aims to investigate the areas of sensor networks, network control and multi-agent processes. These areas involve multidisciplinary research, and will utilise applications such as medical imaging and robotics as test-beds for research results.

Industrial Control and OptimisationThe partnerships between researchers and industry enable reciprocal transfer of knowledge and new ideas of great potential impact on the community and economy. This programme encompasses three main research projects motivated by and in collaboration with industrial partners. The main underlying theme of these projects is the application of advanced control and optimisation techniques to maximise asset utilisation and production in selected industrial processes of significant complexity. The complexity of the dynamics of such processes

arise from factors including model errors, unknown disturbances, nonlinearities, distributed parameter systems, elements of human-machine interaction and hybrid (Discrete and Continuous State) components. Expected outcomes of the programme include high quality research solutions and human resources tailored to the needs of Australian industry.

Recent projects studied include:n Integrated mine planning (BHP Billiton) n Optimisation based operator guidance schemes (BHP Billiton Innovation) n Next generation model-based control tools (Matrikon)n Marine cybernetics (Halcyon International)n Evaporator control in sugar milling (CSR)n Synchronous machine estimation (Connell Wagner)n Rolling mill control (IAS).

Contacts DetailsSchool of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science T +61 2 4921 7072 F +61 2 4960 1712 E [email protected] W http://livesite.newcastle.edu.au/cdsc

Centre Director Professor Richard Middleton T +61 2 4921 6488 E [email protected]

Associate Director Professor Minyue Fu T +61 2 4921 7730 E [email protected]

Associate Director Professor Reza Moheimani T +61 2 4921 6030 E [email protected]


BIOINFORMATICS, BIOMARKER DISCOvERy AND INFORMATION-BASED MEDICINE

The Priority Research Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery and Information-Based Medicine (CIBM) was established by the Deputy vice-Chancellor Research in August 2006 and brings together more than 29 academics from the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and the Faculty of Health and draws together the often disparate disciplines of bioinformatics, molecular and genetic analysis, clinical information and population data.

The CIBM works in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute’s Information Based Medicine Program.

Bioinformatics is an exciting new frontier in delivering bench-to-bedside research in the development of patient tailored treatment to a host of diseases with a genetic involvement. Such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, schizophrenia and potential applications for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Researchers in the Centre are utilising advanced and powerful computer technology and complex mathematical formulas to extract meaningful information from overwhelming amounts of data to identify genetic patterns.

Applications in Clinical PracticeThere are many challenges facing medical practice and none more so than in the field of cancer. Currently whilst an armament of therapies exists for people with cancer, many treatments are not designed to target specific disease – some will work on some people, while others will not work at all. The aim is to provide patients with an optimal treatment to maximise their chances of a good outcome.

The CIBM is the first of its type in Australia and the researchers are intensifying their focus on the potential of personalised medicine. By individualising patient treatment benefits will be maximised and adverse side-effects minimised, potentially saving the healthcare industry millions of dollars.

Research Themesn Complex Genetics of common diseasesn Molecular mechanisms of diseasen Artificial Intelligence and signal and image processingn Biochemistry and cell biologyn Information Based Medicine

Associations and FundingThe CIBM hosts the Newcastle node of the Australian Research Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics. The Centre also obtains funding from industry partnerships, the Australian Research Council in the form of Discovery Projects and the National Health and Medical Research Council and other funding bodies such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Members publish in relevant, mainstream and top-ranked peer-reviewed journals.

For further information visit: www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/cibm/

The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community. For further information visit: www.hmri.net.au

Contact DetailsProfessor Rodney ScottCo-Director Faculty of Health T + 61 2 4921 4974 F + 61 2 4921 4253 E [email protected]

Professor Pablo MoscatoCo-Director Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment T + 61 2 4921 6056 F + 61 2 4921 6929 E [email protected] W www.linkedin.com/pub/pablo-moscato/2b/5/4


BULK SOLIDS AND PARTICULATE TECHNOLOGIESA demand for improved performance, reliability and efficiency of operations

Australia’s Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies (CBSPT) is a world leader in applied and fundamental bulk solids handling research. In 1995, it was established and supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) as one of a prestigious handful of national Key Centres of Teaching and Research.

Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources The Newcastle node of CBSPT is located at the University in the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER). It continues its research programs through competitive research grants from such bodies as the Australian Research Council and Industry and supports Post Graduate Research, and Master’s and Bachelor Degree level final year students, both nationally and internationally. The Centre’s Newcastle Node is strongly linked with TUNRA Bulk Solids and the Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment at the University of Newcastle. The mission of the Centre is to pursue excellence in teaching, research and industrial development in bulk solids handling and particulate technologies.

The CBSPT is actively involved in both fundamental and applied research on a range of problems associated with bulk solids and particulate technology and in conjunction with TUNRA Bulk Solids, is engaged in over 200 projects with industry each year. The research areas include storage, flow, processing and transportation of bulk solids in the following areas:

n Pulsating loads in bins and silos n Feeder performance and interfacing n Conveyor performance n High pressure/temperature operations n Prediction of pneumatic conveyor/gas n Solid flow in pipelines n Discrete Element Modelling n Computational Fluid Dynamics for multiphase flows n Solid/fluid separation n Instrumentation and control

‘World recognised applied research’ The Group operates at the cutting edge of knowledge through a world recognised applied research and development program, it is uniquely equipped to assist processors and manufacturers with industrial troubleshooting and technical assistance. Comprehensive laboratory test facilities have been established to aid the research and consulting activities that encompass storage, flow and handling, instrumentation and control, belt conveying and mechanical handling and industrial fluid mechanics.

The Centre has an ongoing commitment to continuing professional development courses in Bulk Solids Handling in Australia as well as other countries; the latter includes the USA, UK, Norway, Turkey, South Africa, India, Singapore, China and Germany.

The professional development and recognition of the discipline of Bulk Solids Handling in Australia and indeed, world-wide, is due in no

small way to the contribution of the University of Newcastle through CBSPT and TUNRA Bulk Solids. There is no doubt that Australia is setting the standard as the leading country of the world in the research, industrial practice and professional development of the discipline of bulk solids handling. The Newcastle node of CBSPT operates at the cutting edge of bulk solids and particulate knowledge through a world-recognised applied research and development program. It is uniquely equipped to assist processors and manufacturers with industrial troubleshooting, technical assistance and Education.

If you would like to engage in consulting with the Faculty or would like to find out more about research collaboration please contact the school for more information.

Contact Details Professor Mark Jones School of Engineering T +61 2 4921 6067 F + 61 2 4921 6021 E [email protected] W www.newcastle.edu.au/research/newcastle-institute-for-energy-resources


CENTRE FOR INTELLIGENT ELECTRICAL NETWORKS

The Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Electricity Networks (CIEN) is an innovative partnership between NIER and Ausgrid via Ausgrid’s Intelligent Electricity Networks (Smart Grid) Program. CIEN is focused on exploring intelligent energy distribution initiatives with the aim of developing technology solutions to meet the challenges of building a more intelligent energy future.

Smart Grid Technology Smart Grid Technology has been recognised as arguably the most important transformation in the power industry to date. It extends traditional power engineering to include telecommunications and computer network technologies. Smart grid technology has enormous potential to improve the efficiency with which we use electricity, and to enable the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid. A smart grid works by overlaying the existing electricity network with advanced sensing and communication technology, enabling digital technology to control electrical appliances.

Smart Grid, Smart City The Australian federal Government has committed up to $100 million to develop the Smart Grid, Smart City demonstration project based in Newcastle. The project is lead by EnergyAustralia and includes the State Government, CSIRO, Newcastle City Council, IBM Australia, AGL, TransGrid and GE Energy.

This is the first commercial-scale smart grid project in Australia. In line with this project, Ausgrid has sponsored the Centre for Intelligent Electricity Networks (CIEN), including the Ausgrid Chair at the University of Newcastle. This funding builds on an existing $5 million, five-year partnership with EnergyAustralia (now Ausgrid) and CIEN.

Research Objectives The main objectives of CIEN’s research include the development of new intelligent network technology and innovative ways to address future energy supply problems facing industry and the community, and close cooperative links between the university and industry to ensure that Australia is at the forefront of the development of intelligent electrical networks.

CIEN’s research has the ability to produce higher efficiency, lower capital cost technologies that enable energy demand management, provide the capacity to integrate new energy sources and loads such as renewable energy and electric vehicles, and build high performance telecommunications capabilities within Australia’s electrical infrastructure.

Professional services provided by CIEN include:

n Smart grid modelling, security and controln voltage/var controln Microgrid operations and controln Intelligent substationn Wide area measurement and agent based control n Data mining, grid computing and cloud computing for smart grid analysisn STATCOM and battery energy storage for smart grid/distribution feeder operationsn Smart grid as cyber-physical system modelling and security assessmentn Power system planning, including cost and benefit analysis n Power system steady state and dynamic stability assessmentn Power system load modelling

n Wind power modelling, wind farm design, wind resource modelling, wind speed prediction, dispatch and system reserve analysisn Electricity market modelling, operations, planning, risk management, and emission trading

Led by Professor Joe Dong, CIEN is well positioned to establish a leading, internationally important research centre that will benefit Ausgrid, the Australian power industry and ultimately electricity users for decades ahead.

Contact Details Professor Joe Dong T + 61 2 4033 9180 E [email protected] W http://www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/cien/


CONTROL AND SySTEMS AUTOMATIONIntelligent innovation that provides important industrial and manufacturing performance advances

An internationally recognised group of researchers in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is focused on developing intelligent methods and innovations in modelling, control, design and decision-making in systems. This group has a mission to carry out high level research in systems and control theory and to support industry in the area of process optimisation and control. The group has attracted international recognition for world leading research in this area and forms the core of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence ‘The Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control’ (CDSC). Other participants are the Queensland University of Technology, Matrikon, BHP Billiton and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development.

The broad aim of the research is to provide important industrial and manufacturing performance advances in areas such as automotive, information technology, power systems, mining and materials processing, by working on approaches to control and scheduling. These approaches aim to unify the use of disparate technologies, namely, mathematical modelling through to computer systems, electromechanical machinery, scheduling systems and automation.

This is aimed at an increase in the performance of industry in key areas including product quality, plant efficiency, safety, productivity, waste minimisation, pollution control and operational flexibility.

The Centre has had much success in receiving ARC grant funding and offers consultation and opportunities for collaboration.

Contact DetailsProfessor Rick Middleton Director CDSC School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science T +61 2 4921 6488 F + 61 2 4960 1712 E [email protected] W livesite.newcastle.edu.au/cdsc

The key areas of research are:n Switching, discrete event and hybrid systemsn Process control applicationsn Control of time delay systemsn Fundamental limitations on performance of feedback systemsn Control of electromechanical systemsn Nonlinear model predictive controln Feedback control systems involving communications constraintsn Finite alphabet systems and controln Marine cybernetics

Strong Interactions with IndustryThe strong interactions with industry have also included work on cross directional control, food processing and vibration suppression.

Some of the projects being conducted in the group include:n Electromagnetic mineral explorationn Optimal mine planningn New tools for advanced controln Control of copper leachingn Marine vessel ride controln Sugar mill co-generation

Other research in the Centre includes:n Inverse problems with constraints (a fundamental area that underpins much of control and signal processing).n Performance and sensitivity analysis of novel control configurationsn Micro-actuators and control systemsn Learning and adaptive systems


DATA MINING AND BIOINFORMATICSDeveloping methods based on new revolutionary algorithms for some of the most challenging problems in the life sciences

Bioinformatics was identified as one of Australia’s National Research priorities in 2002. It is the “first defence” against the deluge of data that is expected to overwhelm both researchers and decision makers in the 21st century as biology and medicine will increasingly depend on information extraction from databases and become large-scale, data-driven sciences. Research in bioinformatics is tightly related with the development of powerful algorithmic methods for knowledge extraction from computer databases. As a consequence, mathematical methods developed in this field are applicable to a large variety of problems in industrial, commercial and governmental areas.

Associations In August 2006, the Priority Research Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery and Information-Based Medicine (CIBM) upscaled the existing Newcastle Bioinformatics Initiative (NBI), both projects founded by Professor Pablo Moscato.

CIBM is a multidisciplinary research group that works at the interface of computer science, information technologies, mathematics, physics and chemistry to analyse information produced by new revolutionary biotechnologies. CIBM links their activities with that of researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics and overseas partners. In 2012 CIBM is going to relocate to the new Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) building under construction at the Rankin Park Campus of Hunter New England Health.

For more information, visit: www.hmri.net.au/pages/news/index.php?id=472

A Leader in ResearchCore areas of expertise include:n Information visualizationn Computational molecular biologyn Data mining and machine learningn Molecular classification of diseasesn Design and analysis of optimization algorithmsn Bioinformatics with applications in genetics, proteomics and metabolomicsn Mathematical modelling and algorithm developmentn Applications of optimization methodsn Evolutionary algorithmsn Combinatorial optimizationn GPU and HPC supercomputing

The challenge for bioinformatics is that microarray and other similar techniques generate such massive amounts of data that current techniques are inadequate to cope with their analysis. Among the new techniques targeted at meeting this challenge is mathematical modelling and powerful optimization metaheuristics, in particular “memetic algorithms”, which was introduced by Prof. Moscato in 1989 and is used in many industrial applications. These techniques are applied to the problem of finding structure in a seemingly uninformative amount of data with great success.

The CIBM has also recently introduced a novel approach for pattern recognition that has been tested in a large variety of domains. In the area of Bioinformatics and Medical Research, it has been applied to:

n find genetic signatures for a number of neurological diseases (schizophrenia, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases)n to analysis of EEG records (detecting the absence of epilepsy from clinical EEG)n and to the molecular classification of melanoma, colon and breast cancer.

State of the Art Techniques and EquipmentThe CIBM has recently started analysing genome wide association studies with the data mining techniques described above, and some novel algorithms being developed in-house.

Since its inception, the CIBM has been assembling a state-of-the-art HPC computing cluster, consisting of a grid of more than 130 cores, enhanced by the recent acquisition of several GPU supercomputing nodes. This allows the CIBM to tackle huge datasets produced by today’s high throughput genomics and proteomics experiments.

For further information visit: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/cibm/

Contact details Professor Pablo Moscato School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science T + 61 2 4921 6056 F + 61 2 4921 7058 E [email protected] W www.cs.newcastle.edu.au/~nbi W www.linkedin.com/pub/pablo-moscato/2b/5/4


DyNAMICS AND CONTROL OF NANOSySTEMS

The Laboratory for Dynamics and Control of Nanosystems (LDCN) is a multi-million dollar state of the art research facility dedicated to the advancement of nanotechnology through innovations in systems theory, control engineering and mechatronics. The main thrust of research in the Laboratory is to develop methodologies, technologies and the necessary instrumentation for fast and accurate interrogation and manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. The LDCN’s multidisciplinary research team pursues a dynamic and active research programme that maintains a solid systems and control focus on a variety of emerging applications in nanotechnology.

At the moment, the research performed by LDCN researchers falls within the following three broad areas.

Advanced Nanopositioning and Control Nanotechnology is the science of understanding and controlling matter at dimensions of 100 nanometers or less. Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling and manipulating matter at this level of precision. A key goal of nanotechnology research is to create and utilize functional materials, devices and systems with novel properties and specific functionalities through the control of matter, atom by atom, molecule by molecule, or in certain applications, at the macromolecular levels. This research program involves both fundamental and applied research aimed at developing innovative nanopositioning stages and high performance controllers for ultra-fast nanoscale positioning systems with ultra-high resolutions for applications that involve imaging and manipulation at a nanoscale. The ability to control matter with sub-nanometer precision is crucial to future progress of nanotechnology. The fundamental focus in this research program is to develop new and innovative controller design methodologies to

address open problems in this area. In particular, we seek to address challenging problems including: loss of positioning precision due to hysteresis, creep and scan-induced vibration in piezoelectric scanning stages, thermal drift between a probe and a surface, minimizing the effect of sensor noise in high-speed nanopositioning, and the adverse effect of cross coupling between the three axes of a nanopositioning stage.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are commonly driven in open loop. There has been significant interest in operating MEMS transducers in closed loop to achieve higher levels of performance and robustness with respect to variations in dynamics of these systems due to, e.g. micromachining tolerances that could be as high as 20%. Unlike larger mechanical systems, where control implementation is relatively straightforward, application of feedback to a MEMS transducer could be quite complicated. Limited availability of sensor data, fast dynamics of MEMS devices and presence of sensor noise, which could be comparable to the required accuracy, makes control of MEMS a highly challenging task. The purpose of this research program is to design high-performance controllers for MEMS transducers and to implement them on prototype devices. LDCN researchers also design and build novel MEMS transducers for applications such as power harvesting, ultrasonic power transmission to medical implants and RF MEMS, and micron-sized nanopositioning devices.

Control of Micro-cantilever Dynamics Micro-cantilevers are used as sensors in many applications such as measuring air pressure, the concentration of chemical and biological substances and as a force sensor in the Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscope (TMAFM). In all of these applications the micro-cantilever is oscillated at or close to the cantilever resonance frequency and interactions between the cantilever and the measured variable are observed through changes in the cantilever dynamics. The sensitivity of the micro-cantilever sensor is dependent on the cantilever quality (Q) factor. The tip-sample force and scan speed are also dependent on the cantilever Q factor in the TMAFM. The focus of this research is to develop new and improved methods of modifying the micro-cantilever Q factor to improve the sensitivity of other micro-cantilever based sensors and to optimise image resolution and scan speed in the TMAFM. Increasing the scan speed of the TMAFM, whilst maintaining high image resolution, is desirable to observe dynamic biological processes such as protein synthesis and DNA replication. Another application of the TMAFM is defect detection in electronic grade silicon devices. Higher scan speeds are desirable in this application to increase throughput.

Contact Details Professor Reza Moheimani School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science W http://routh.newcastle.edu.au/reza W http://mechatronics.newcastle.edu.au/lab/


ENERGyClean energy technology

Focusing on Clean and Renewable Energy The Priority Research Centre (PRC) for Energy focuses on one of the most challenging contemporary issues – the management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). Through its research themes, the PRC Energy members are undertaking cutting edge research and development across a range of fields including low emission coal, renewable energy and other GHG abatement technologies. The PRC for Energy is led by Profs Dlugogorski, Moghtaderi and Kennedy and its key research programs are:

n Low emission coal technologies - oxyfuel; chemical looping combustion and air separation; and CO2 capture especially mineralisation of CO2 and post combustion capture.n Renewable energy - biomass utilisation (gasification, charcoal, co-firing, toxic products); wind energy; geothermal energy; solar thermal; and hybrid energy systems.n Transportation fuels and energy conversion - ammonia and methanol; hydrogen powered micro-energy systems; fuel cells; electrical energy (batteries, generation and transmission); and biodiesel and value added products from glycerol.n Energy and the environment - minimisation of ventilation air methane in mining; environmental technologies (soil treatment, desalination, synthetic greenhouse gases, pollution abatement); energy efficiency (energy efficient buildings and retrofitting, urban regeneration and renewal, transformation of inefficient structures into green buildings, flow control strategies); knowledge systems, resilience, life cycle analysis, well-to-wheel; and knowledge supply chain system development for energy: knowledge acquisition, representation, storage and usage.

Real World Application

The PRC for Energy brings together key people and skills harnessing and focusing the extensive expertise in energy across the

University. Researchers work alongside process developers and commercialisation specialists offering the unique ability to take a concept from its theoretical beginnings through to commercialisation.

The University’s work emphasises quality and impact delivering results which are making a real difference in energy efficient housing, energy recovery from co-utilisation of biomass and coal, energy recovery from refuse-derived fuels, geothermal energy and energy efficient desalination plants, energy storage and many other areas.

The University of Newcastle’s PRC for Energy is unique in its breadth of expertise and the comprehensive service it offers from concept through to commercialisation. This approach is unmatched anywhere in Australia.

A Snapshot of Projects n CS Energy Callide Oxy-fuel Demonstration n Funded by Low Emissions Technology n Development Fund n Chemical Looping with the newcastle n Port Corporation n Geothermal power generation n Synthetic GHG emissions (eg CFC)n State of the art facilitiesn Computational Surface Physics laboratoryn Clean Coal Research laboratoryn Scale-up and Pilot Plant facilityn Chemical Analysis facility n Turbulence Research laboratoryn Facility for Analysis of Thermal decomposition of Solid Materials at High Pressures

n Integrated Particle Image Thermometry/n velocimetry facilityn Advanced Surface and Porosity n Characterisation facilityn Cone Calorimeter – mass spectrometer n Combustion facility

Our Partners n Centre for Coal in Sustainable Developmentn Newcastle Port Corporationn Tomago Aluminiumn BHP Billitonn Proactive Energyn xstrata Coaln Delta Electricityn 3Mn Wormaldn Anglo Coaln CS Energyn Clay Brick and Paver Instituten Hunter Water Corporationn HIsmelt

Contact Details Professor Bogdan Dlugogorski Director Priority Research Centre for Energy T + 61 2 4985 4433 F + 61 2 4921 6893 E [email protected]


ENERGy TECHNOLOGyCleaner methods of energy generation

Consumption of fuel and its related energy generation is an important issue for many industries and governments around the world. This issue has intensified due to the impacts of the greenhouse effect. The Energy Research Group (ERG) is exploring the development of advance technologies for cleaner energy production and the impact energy related activities have on the environment.

The ERG research activities involve:n Conducting basic fundamental and applied research on thermal conversion of solid fuels (coal, biomass, RDF, etc) for energy generationn Demonstrating the applications of its workn Investigating the environmental impact of energy-related activities.

ERG enjoys strong links with Industry and Government. The group collaborates in these endeavours with the Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development; The Australian Research Council (through various funding schemes); state, and local governments; private industry; public utilities; community groups; and universities and research institutes throughout the world, especially in Japan, Europe and North America.

The ERG has an exceptional record of achievement and capabilities in:n Coal utilizationn Developing technologies to use biomass for energy, charcoal, and high-value chemicals

‘Providing real solutions to overcoming challenges’Innovative research into Energy Technology has many positive applications to industry through providing solutions to overcoming challenges such as reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other chemical emissions in industry processes.

Examples of projects recently completed or being investigated by the ERG researchers are:n Zero emission CO2 technology for coal combustionn Oxy-fuel combustion of solid fuels (in collaboration with Japan)n Advanced analytical techniques for solid fuelsn Pilot-scale trials of coal/biomass cofiringn Burnout and ash issues related to cofiring of coal and biomass in PF boilersn Combustion characteristics of biomass chars in pressurised circulating fluidised bedsn The effects of pyrolysis conditions on combustion and gasification reactivities of biomass chars and the quality of their ashn Gasification characteristics of Australian biomass species in fluidised bed reactorsn Production of hydrogen by low temperature catalytic steam gasification of biomass

The School of Engineering has had much success in receiving ARC Linkage grants. It also has numerous opportunities for industry in collaborative research projects and consulting.

Contact Details Professor Terry WallSchool of Engineering T +61 2 4921 6179 F + 61 2 4921 6920 E [email protected]


ENvIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND WATER RESOURCESDeveloping computer models to assess environmental impact

There are significant pressures on Australia’s surface water and groundwater resources to satisfy a wide range of competing economic, social and environmental needs for water.

Industrial development, population growth and future climate change will continue to put pressure on environmental systems and on vital natural resources such as water resources. In their quest to address these issues engineers in the School of Engineering are developing new innovative computer and other models to provide methods of assessment of environmental impacts and management of disturbed ecosystems. This will be achieved through understanding the fundamental principles which describe the hydrologic, environmental and ecological processes observed in natural and disturbed catchments.

The Group has expertise and capabilities in: n Assessment of climate variability, climate change and its variability.n Extreme events: Drought and flood risk analysis n Urban water infrastructure: simulation and multi-criterion optimization n Catchment and river management n Rehabilitation of mine sites and low level nuclear waste repositoriesn Soil dynamics including soil carbon and soil mappingn Groundwater management and coal seam gas.n Ecology and water interactions

Building Strong Relationships with Industry and Government The Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Group has built up a strong research profile and are recognized nationally and internationally.

It maintains close links with the urban water industry and government. It is an advisor to government on water technology and policy and was a partner node in the eWater CRC.

A Need for Improved Methods There is an urgent need to develop improved methods that will predict the hydrological consequences of a range of water management options and help make good decisions in the context of multiple objectives sensitive to environmental, economic and social needs.

Some of the projects that are currently being researched in the Faculty are: n Development of multi-site stochastic models for annual hydrological data n Development of a spatial rainfall model using weather radar data n Improved understanding of long-term climate variability and its impacts n Pool-riffle design for the naturalization of urban streams n Mean flow and turbulence characteristics of pool-riffle structures in low-gradient streams. n Estuarine wetland rehabilitation and ecohydraulics n Integrated urban water cycle modelling n Multi-criteria optimisation of the urban water cycle n Multi-criteria assessment tools and techniques

n Scaling and assimilation of soil moisture. n Use of remote sensing based actual evapotranspiration estimates and water delivery data for assessing water use efficiency in an irrigated landscape. n Carbon, nutrient and sediment dynamics in a semi-arid catchment. n High resolution mapping of surface and rootzone soil moisture n Airborne laser scanning for advanced environmental monitoring n Investigation of vegetation and carbon dynamics using remote sensing and groundbased observations n Bayesian total error analysis in environmental model calibration, prediction and regionalization n Large-scale testing of permeable reactive barriers to remove groundwater contaminants n Surfacewater and groundwater impacts of coal seam gas extractionn Use of downscaled climate models to assess the hydrologic impacts on hydrology yield and flood extremesn Interactions bfall mountainous tropical regionsn Automated digital elevation data analysis to rapidly map flood risk.

Contact Details Professor George Kuczera School of Engineering T +61 2 4921 6038 F + 61 2 4921 6991 E [email protected]


FLUID MECHANICS AND TURBULENCE Applying expertise and knowledge of turbulence to improve the management and control of turbulent flows

Management and control of fluid flows is currently of major international focus in turbulence research primarily due to its wide spread technological, economic and environmental implications. Turbulence management aims to enhance or attenuate turbulence levels using appropriate techniques.

Research over the past half century has resulted in significant advances in understanding the physics of turbulence, which is one of the most complex problems in physics. Researchers in the School of Engineering are taking this knowledge and applying resources and expertise to make significant contributions to improving management and control of turbulence.

Key Areas of Focus Include: n Turbulence control and management boundary layer control, Jet flow control and wake controln Fundamental of turbulence : small scale turbulence, mixing, modelling, homogeneous isotropic turbulence.n Turbulence computation: Direct numerical simulation, lattice Boltzmann method.

The Turbulence Group is Well Established for its Research Using: n Wind and water tunnelsn Hot wire and laser Doppler systemsn Flow visualizationTurbulence management concepts can be applied in any industry/technology dealing with fluids. Typical examples are process, material

transport, power, aerospace, marine industries and environmental aerodynamics. Thus there is enormous significance in developing and applying turbulence management strategies both from local and global perspectives. The economic benefits and environmental advantages of such an approach can lead to significant improvement in the quality of life.

Research in Turbulence will also benefit industry, as it will provide improved processes that will be energy and cost efficient.

‘Using computer technology for solutions with industrial benefit’ The group has developed expertise in the new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method called lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). LBM is used to simulate complex turbulent flows and has significant industrial applications. The LBM has been successfully used to simulate macroflows (e.g. grid-generated turbulence, flow behind parallel cylinders) and microflows (e.g. flow in microchannels and mixing in a microreactor).

The LBM simulations are carried out either on a single PC or using a PC cluster of 8 dual processors for parallel computations.

The group offers expert advice to industry and currently collaborates with overseas groups. If you are interested in obtaining more information in regards to collaboration opportunities or consultancy please contact the School.

Contact Details Professor Lyazid Djenidi School of Engineering T +61 2 4921 6184 F + 61 2 4921 6946 E [email protected]


GEOTECHNICAL AND MATERIALS MODELLING

The Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling focuses on the development of new models and innovative computational methods for predicting the behaviour of geomaterials, metals, ceramics and composites. The PRC Director is Laureate Professor Scott Sloan, an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow and a world leader in geotechnical research.

Some research themes are:n Multi-scale modelling of geomaterialsn Stability and shakedown analysis of geomaterialsn Mechanics of multiphase soilsn Contact mechanics at large deformationn Atomistic modelling of hollow nanocrystalsn Embankments on soft soiln Rock mechanics with a focus on mine geomechanics

Real World ApplicationThe PRC for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling brings together key people and harnesses a broad range of expertise across the University. Researchers work closely with government agencies and private industry to offer a unique ability to provide practical solutions to geotechnical and materials problems using advanced software for limit analysis, shakedown analysis, finite element analysis, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo simulation.

A Snapshot of Projectsn Remediation of fluoride and cyanide contaminated groundwater for the Kurri Kurri aluminium smeltern Stability analysis of tunnels and harbour wallsn Behaviour of embankments on soft soiln Energy extraction from underground coal firesn Stabilisation of expansive soils by polymer additionn Modelling of copper ore agglomerates for heap leachingn Stability analysis of very high spoil dumpsn Barriers for cost-effective rockfall hazard mitigation n Improved management of rockfall hazard at the base of highwalls n Dynamic soil-structure interactionn Mechanics of multi-seam mining operationsn Modelling of complex granular flowsn Multiscale modelling of granular materialsn Homogenisation of geomaterials using x-ray microtomography

State of the Art Facilitiesn Georemediation research facilityn NEWSyD mobile soil testing facilityn Advanced soil testing laboratoryn Advanced environmental testing laboratoryn Computational laboratory with high- performance multiprocessor workstations

Our PartnersThe CGMM has collaborated with a wide range of industry partners on research and consulting projects including the Roads and Maritime Services of NSW, Hydro Aluminium, Datamine, the Mine Subsidence Board, Geosciences Australia, Douglas Partners, Coffey Geotechnics, BHP Billiton and the Australian Coal Association Research Program.

Laboratory TestingThe Geotechnical Research Group regularly performs advanced laboratory testing including:n Stress path triaxial testingn Strain/pore pressure gradient controlled oedometer testingn Large shear box testing of gravels and crushed rockn Small shear box testing of shear planes in weathered rock coresn Ring shear testingn Psychrometer and filter paper suction testingn Ion chromatographyn Large stress controlled calibration chamber testingn Unconfined compression testingn Shrink-Swell testingn Skid resistance testing of pedestrian surfaces

Laboratory testing is available to industry for a limited amount of commercial consulting. Commercial rates for testing can be obtained by contacting our Business Manager.

Contact DetailsDirectorLaureate Professor Scott SloanARC Australian Laureate FellowT +61 2 4921 6059F +61 2 4921 6991E [email protected]

Business ManagerMr Lachlan BatesT +61 2 4921 6141F +61 2 4921 6991E [email protected]


CENTRE OF ExCELLENCE FOR GEOTECHNICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering (CGSE) combines two of the world’s leading geotechnical groups, the Centre for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling at The University of Newcastle led by Laureate Professor Scott Sloan, and the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems at The University of Western Australia led by Winthrop Professor Mark Cassidy. It also includes the highly influential Centre for Geotechnics and Railway Engineering at The University of Wollongong, led by the Professor Buddhima Indraratna, which has a worldwide reputation for its work on transport infrastructure. The Centre also includes two world-renowned partner investigators: Professor Harry Poulos from Coffey Geotechnics and Professor vaughan Griffiths from Colorado School of Mines, USA. Industry sponsors of the Centre’s research are Coffey Geotechnics, Douglas Partners and Advanced Geomechanics. The CGSE was the only successful ARC Centre of Excellence bid in the field of Engineering in 2010, and formally commenced operation at the end of June 2011.

Centre researchers are recipients of the highest awards possible in the field of geotechnical engineering. All the participating groups have extensive experience in managing large research projects and working closely with government and industry infrastructure firms.

Geotechnical engineering is an integral part of civil engineering and plays a key role in delivering

a modern standard of living in a healthy and safe environment. It is central to the engineering of buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, ports and underground space. The CGSE is pioneering new scientific approaches to geotechnical engineering design. This will underpin Australia’s energy and transport infrastructure, resulting in increased productivity and sustainability of the nation’s major export industries.

There are four major research themes focusing on the geotechnical aspects of energy and transport infrastructure, each of which is linked to advanced computational modelling, state-of-the-art physical modelling and laboratory testing and engineering applications.

These key research areas are:n Geomaterial science which focuses on the complexity of the behaviour of geomaterials, largely attributable to their granular nature and the presence of internal structure and multiple phases (solid, liquid and gas).

n Multiphysics modelling which examines geotechnical design problems beyond the domain of conventional soil mechanics with behaviour of soil governed by multiphysical processes that operate at different length and time scales.

n Moving boundary problems which investigates an entirely new design paradigm where a geostructure is allowed to move large distances during its design life. Traditional design methods are focused on stationary systems and constant material properties with negligible movement under loads.

• Georiskwhichmodelsandmanages geotechnical risk in the design of physical infrastructure. This exciting new field involves probabilistic analysis, and has evolved in response to industry and community demands for better methods of estimating and controlling risk.

With the support of the Roads and Maritime Services of NSW and its partner organisations, the CGSE is establishing Australia’s first national soft soil testing site at Ballina. This site will serve as a national focal point for engaging the geotechnical industry in the science and engineering of construction on soft soil. Key features of the study include full-scale testing of embankments, advanced in situ and laboratory testing to characterise the soil, reduced-scale centrifuge modelling, and state-of-the-art numerical modelling. A key feature of this work will be to compare the predictions from the centrifuge and numerical models with the observed field behaviour.

For more information on the CGSE please visit our website www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/cgse

Contact DetailsDirectorLaureate Professor Scott SloanARC Australian Laureate FellowT +61 2 4921 6059F +61 2 4921 6991E [email protected]


MACHINE LEARNING AND ROBOTICSDeveloping high performance computing concepts and applying them to challenging real world tasks

The availability and affordability of fast workstations and new robotic and sensor hardware has created a significant demand of new research in machine learning and robotics. The Machine Learning and Robotics Research Concentration addresses this research direction in several projects and three specialised laboratories:n Interdisciplinary Machine Learning Groupn Laboratory for Anthropocentric Biocybernetic Computingn Newcastle Robotics Laboratory

Interdisciplinary Machine Learning (IMLRG) – Advanced Learning Algorithms for Scientific Computing and Interdisciplinary ProjectsThe IMLRG investigates different aspects of machine learning and data mining in theory, experiments and applications. The emphasis is on the development, implementation, and evaluation of evolutionary algorithms, neural networks, kernel methods and non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques. The potential of these methods is demonstrated in new interdisciplinary applications in areas such as architecture, biology, finance, health, image processing, politics, neuroscience, robotics, and signal processing.

Research directions currently being addressed by the IMLRG include:n Applications of machine learning in computer vision, image analysis, and roboticsn Classification of extreme data setsn Data mining and application of kernel methodsn Geometric data analysis and visualisationn Manifold learning and non-linear dimensionality reduction

n Timeseries analysis

Laboratory for Anthropocentric Biocybernetic Computing (LABC) – Gaining a Deeper Understanding of the Nature of Human Information ProcessingAnthropocentric biocybernetic computing views humans as complex information processing systems and investigates information processing on different levels, including the cell level, body level, language level and interaction with the environment. It also models and analyses what impact these processes have on social factors and health.

Project areas addressed by LABC are:n Application of computer visualisation and machine learning techniques to the design of architectural and urban spaces. n Artificial emotionsn Brain theoryn Creative computing and automated music generationn Dynamic language processingn Facial expression analysis and pareidolian Human-robot interactionn Humanoid walkn Hypergraphics and visualisation

The Newcastle Robotics Lab – New Concepts in Robotics Changing the FutureThe Robotics Lab conducts innovative research in intelligent robotics and control and is supported by researchers from different disciplines such as computer science, electrical engineering and statistics.

Since 2002, our robot soccer team participated in the international RoboCup competition. In 2006 and 2008 the NUbots/NUmanoids became world champions in the standard platform league at RoboCup.

Current work in the robotics lab includes interdisciplinary robotics research linking artificial intelligence, control, machine learning, software engineering, and statistics. Projects include research on autonomous multiagent systems, humanoid robots, robot vision, robot simulations, and development of companion robots for human-robot interaction.

The developed vision, control and machine learning methods have application to the real world and will be essential for autonomous vehicles, companion robots, household robots, medical robots, nursebots, rescue robots as well as for transport and traffic automation of the future.

The Machine Learning and Robotics Research Concentration offers expertise and consulting in a wide range of relevant techniques. There are numerous opportunities for collaboration in new research projects. Prospective industry or research partners are welcome to contact the Discipline of Computer Science and Software Engineering.

Contact DetailsAssociate Professor Stephan ChalupDiscipline of Computer Science and Software EngineeringSchool of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science T +61 2 4921 6080 F +61 2 4921 6929 E [email protected]


MATERIALS ENGINEERINGResearch with a wide range of applications

Materials are crucial to most aspects of our lives. Products such as computer chips, jet engines, surgical tools and solar cells are directly related to the engineering of materials. Materials engineering encompasses a range of materials: metals, ceramics, polymers (plastics), semiconductors, and composites. The ability to manipulate the properties, behaviour and structure of a material to enhance its performance is of interest to materials engineers. The School of Engineering has broad expertise in this area.

Research into materials such as metals and alloys has significant benefits to industry. Metals are used widely in industry because they possess unique combinations of mechanical properties such as strength, ductility and toughness. The relationship between to material synthesis, forming properties and performance allow for development of innovative new materials that can be used for a wide range of applications. Research in the school also encompasses refractory and ternary carbide ceramics, large piezoelectric response materials and materials for the encapsulation of electronics for bio implantation.

The key areas of research in Materials Engineering focus on:n The development of the theory an computer simulation of atomic diffusion and thermodynamics in solids particularly in metal and ceramicsn Synthesis of ternary carbide ceramicsn Failure mechanicsn Microstructural and crystal structure analysis of materialsn Corrosion analysis

n Failure prediction/prevention and lifetime enhancementn Mechanical propertiesn Modellingn Neutron diffractionn Residual stress measurement

‘Solving real problems with innovative research’Research of interest particularly to industry is the deterioration of structural materials under adverse conditions such as the corrosion of steel in seawater environments. Researchers in the School of Engineering are studying how much corrosion is likely to occur under given (uncertain) conditions after a period of time. The present project uses available data to construct a series of probabilistic models for the corrosion rate process under different conditions and to use this to predict the likelihood of structural failure. Both general corrosion and pitting corrosion are being considered in the modelling of seawater corrosion for offshore structures.

The spatial variability of material, dimensional and environmental variables is under analysis also. The proportion of a concrete deck that cracks at any point in time due to corrosion damage is one of the outcomes that provide information that can be used to predict expected maintenance costs and to optimise maintenance and repair strategies. The School of Engineering has numerous opportunities for industry in collaborative research projects and consulting.

Contact DetailsProfessor Erich Kisi School of Engineering T +61 2 4921 6213 F + 61 2 4921 6946 E [email protected]


MULTIPHASE PROCESSESExpertise to solve industrial problems using the latest instrumentation and techniques

The Australian mineral industry is technically well advanced and is always seeking new ideas. The industry is structured to be able to appreciate and absorb innovative research ideas generated in universities. The University of Newcastle through its research in particle and bubble technology maintains a significant role in providing new solutions and quality information to industries such as the high-tech industries, mineral industry, and food and beverage industry that essentially improves their processes and outputs. Innovative research into this area has led to the establishment of the Centre for Multiphase Processes, the University’s key research centre for studying the science and technology of fine particles and bubbles.

Centre for Multiphase ProcessesThe key areas of expertise include:n Bubble hydrodynamicsn Flotationn Mass transfer to bubbles and dropletsn Interface sciencen Thin film drainage and stability of flowing foamsn Triboelectric processing

Applied research focuses on mineral processing, industrial emulsions, and nanotechnology. The high quality researchactivities in particle technology and interface science are concerned with the fundamental understanding and subsequent exploitation of physical systems composed of bubbles, particles, droplets and foams. Current research projects include:n Flotation of coarse particles – to reduce energy costsn Flotation of ultrafines – to improve the recovery of micro-particlesn Capture of particles in a shock wave in an aerated suspension

n Bubble-particle collection in a fluidized bedn Behaviour of particles in flotation frothsn Triboelectric separation of coal and sulfide minerals from waste materialsn Fluidization and sedimentation

‘Solutions with strategic importance to the Australian economy’Research in multiphase processes has many diverse applications to industries. Some processes that have been developedare now in use world-wide. The Jameson Cell has reached an exponential growth phase, with a contribution to Australian export income approaching $5 billion a year. Some of the current ground-breaking projects being undertaken that have important strategic and economic benefits to industry include:n A new process for improving the capture of ultrafine platinum and gold minerals in flotationn A radical new device for the capture of coarse base metal particles in a fluidized bedn A new method for introducing wash water into flotation frothsn Nano particles at interfaces

Projects like these have created strong collaborative ties and partnerships with industry and have resulted in the purchase of state-of-art equipment and facilities allowing the Centre to further explore innovative techniques in Multiphase Processes and remain in a strong position to further receive significant Government grants. The Centre for Multiphase Processes has been highly successful in attracting competitive grants over many years. It also has numerous opportunities for industry in collaborative research projects and consulting.

Contact DetailsLaureate Professor Graeme J Jameson AO Centre for Multiphase Processes T +61 2 4921 6181 F + 61 2 4960 1445 E [email protected] W www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/centre-for-multiphase-processes/


PROCESS SAFETy AND ENvIRONMENT PROTECTIONLeading edge industry focused research

Industrial processes often involve a certain level of inherent risk, with one of the most significant being associated with fires and explosions.

The Process Safety and Environment Protection Research Group has expertise in quantitative assessment of hazards related to these phenomena in real industrial operations.

To address the need for development of advanced and safe technologies, the Group is researching chemical and physical processes that occur in fires and explosions.

The Group has won many prizes, including the Harry C. Bigglestone Award from the National Fire Protection Association (USA) and enjoys an international reputation for excellence in research attracting, since the group establishment, around $17 Million from industry, government agencies and nationally competitive grant schemes. The group is a leader in its field with many of its projects providing technological underpinning for the development of new and improvement of the existing processes that are safe to people and the environment.

The key research activities of the group explore the fundamental understanding of flame ignition, fire development, its spread and extinction.

The main areas of expertise and study are:n Fire and explosion mitigation: New suppression technologies including fluorine-free fire fighting foam and water mist systems; Interaction between fires and water mist; Behaviour of foams, gels and powders in fires; Gaseous suppressants,

their global-warming and ozone-depletion properties; Flame quenching and its extinction; Flammability limits; burning velocities and combustion waves.n Fire and explosion chemistry and toxicity: Formation of toxic by-products in chemical fires, especially highly toxic organic molecules such as dioxins; Formation of NOx in detonations; Contamination of the environment with fire fighting and flame retardant chemicals, such as perfluorosurfactants and brominated flame retardants; Thermal decomposition and stability of materials in fires and explosions; Cone calorimeter and other fire tests.n Process safety: Fire and explosion prevention and protection in chemical plants; Fire fighting strategies and hazard assessment; Mitigation of spontaneous combustion and dust explosions; Fire spread, escalation and mitigation of large fires; Thermal radiation and its mitigation; Process safety systems; Code compliance and gap analysis.

‘Addressing real problems’The group tackles practical problems in industry from a fundamental perspective and has a number of projects in progress aimed at addressing important issues connected with process safety and the environment.

Examples of current projects undertaken by the Group include:n Energy recovery from biomass contaminated with pesticide chemicalsn Spontaneous ignition of zinc dust, linseed oil, and related materialsn Minimisation of NOx formation in chemical gassing and in blasting ammonium nitrate explosivesn Conversion of halons, CFC, HCFC and related chemicals into useful productsn Toxic products from chemical fires

Contact details Professor Bogdan Dlugogorski School of Engineering T +61 2 4985 4433 F + 61 2 4921 6893 E [email protected] W www.newcastle.edu.au/faculty/engineering/


SIGNAL PROCESSING MICROELECTRONICS

The Centre for Signal Processing Microelectronics (SPM) conducts fundamental and applied research spanning signal processing, communications and control systems. A particular strength of the research conducted within SPM involves the embodiment of research outcomes in the form of publicly available software toolboxes, wireless communications testbed development, and hardware implementation via application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

Background The genesis of the SPM group can be traced to CIDAC, an ARC Special Research Centre and precursor to the current CDSC Priority Research Centre. Some ten years ago, a decision was made to establish SPM as a distinct research grouping, to better reflect and support a growing research focus on theoretical and algorithmic advances in physical-layer telecommunications, including coded multi-antenna wireless communications and advanced forward error correction algorithms, while building on its significant international profile in system identification. Today SPM is a vibrant research group, bringing together academics with a range of complementary research strengths.

Key Areas of Research n System identification and state estimationn Analysis and design of nonlinear systemsn Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codesn Relay networksn Multi-antenna wireless communicationsn Theory and applications of model predictive control (MPC)

The thread, which unifies the broad span of research interests among SPM members, is a shared interest in the formulation, design, implementation and analysis of signal processing algorithms for the solution of complex engineering problems. See below for more information about our projects.

Signal Processing Our work in signal processing includes topics in system identification, non-linear filtering and smoothing. This involves theoretical analysis, in combination with supporting software packages which are available for download. Key projects include system identification toolbox, MCMC system identification and filtering and smoothing.

Communications Our communications projects consider the latest algorithms, as well as the development of test hardware, for future generation communications technologies. Key projects include MIMO communications testbed and LDPC codes.

Control Systems These projects address aspects of control theory, as well as practical applications of the latest control algorithms. We consider not only the algorithms, but also the real-world practicalities of deploying them. Key projects include model predictive control, QPC quadratic programming in C, nonlinear systems analysis and design.

Algorithms to ASICs Our microelectronics projects involve investigating the feasibility of deploying cutting edge signal processing algorithms into FPGA and ASIC devices. We are developing software tools to assist with the algorithm-to-chip process. Key projects include c4Hardware – limited precision modeling in C++, c4HDL – C++ for bit-accurate modeling of HDL, SBAM – SPM Bit Accurate Modelling.

Associations and Funding SPM is largely funded by Australian Research Council Discovery Project grants and Fellowships, but also attracts significant income from industrial research partnerships and software licensing agreements. Researchers in SPM have established strong national and international networks with researchers at the University of Melbourne, University of South Australia, KTH (Sweden), Linköping University (Sweden), Universität Paderborn (Germany), Universität Bayreuth, and Universität Magdeburg (Germany).

Contact Details Prof. Brett Ninness Director SPM School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science E [email protected] T +61 2 4921 6032

A/Prof. Steven Weller School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science E [email protected] T +61 2 4921 6089


STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

‘Using innovative computer methods for evaluating structure reliability’The reliability, strength and durability of materials used in construction, particularly in our urban landscape is critical in the design and mechanics of structures, their performance in withstanding loads and their behaviour in a variety of conditions like soil/ground movement or seismic activity. Currently, there is an urgent national need for rational assessment procedures, techniques and criteria for the assessment of the remaining life performance of infrastructure of all types. For example, it’s considered that more than $700 million is required in NSW alone just to maintain the existing road bridges at their present safety and performance level. Similar orders of magnitude exist for most other infrastructure systems.

Researchers in the Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability are involved in pioneering studies, developing an understanding of the performance, reliability and durability of infrastructure and material characteristics. They are formulating new computational methods for evaluating the reliability of structures and systems with application to structural aspects of buildings, bridges, ships, off-shore structures and in relation to earthquake design for intra-plate regions.

The key areas of expertise include:n Assessment of the performance of existing and deteriorating or ageing infrastructure, including buildings, bridges, mining equipment, roads, pipelines, power transmission towers, shipping, aircraft and railway systemsn The reliability evaluation of complex structures and systems

n performance, durability and reliability of structural masonryn Material and structural deterioration processesn energy performance of buildings

‘Research that provides input into Australian and International standards’Researchers in the Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability belong to international bodies and are part of a group with internationally recognized excellence. The Centre has forged many strong links with industry and government in its research. Many of the projects are industry or government funded with outcomes of the research providing input to Australian and international standards. Some of the current topics being studied include: n Seismic protection of masonry buildings using fibre reinforced polymersn Risk and security assessment of explosive blast damage to built infrastructuren Structural reliability analysis of corroding concrete and steel structuresn Hurricane/Cyclone hazard analysis and structural vulnerabilityn Stochastic material deterioration modellingn Efficient computational methods for structural reliabilityn Structural reliability of masonry structuresn The design of residential slabs and footings for reactive soil conditions n Fire performance of reinforced concreten Thermal and energy performance of masonry housing

n Risk and cost-effectiveness of climate adaptation

The Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability provides an extensive range of research, consulting services and independent testing to support the development of better building products and systems and improve the competitiveness of Australia’s building and construction industry.

The Faculty has a well equipped laboratory, which together with the skills and expertise of academic staff has been used to solve a range of industrial problems ranging from simple material or structural tests to complex tests. Additionally, the Centre is home to Australia’s largest Structural Masonry Group who are actively involved in expert consulting and testing with a long history of assisting industry with product development.

The Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability has had much success in receiving ARC Linkage grants. If you would like to engage in consulting with the Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability or would like to find out more about research collaboration please contact Professor Mark Stewart for more information.

Contact DetailsProfessor Mark Stewart School of Engineering T +61 2 4921 6027 F +61 2 4921 6991 E [email protected]


SURvEyINGDeveloping a new generation of technology for improved practices

Surveying enables us to obtain information about the size and shape of objects in our world, through precise measurement. Surveying is mostly used for creating maps of urban and rural areas, providing topographic, land boundary and other spatial information that can be used for planning and property conveyancing but also other uses like emergency services. Surveying is also used for engineering and industrial purposes, including the setting out of roads, railways, buildings, and the measurement of objects under construction (such as ships) or which have been constructed (such as processing plants). It also has application for measurement in sciences, including geoscience, biomedicine and forensic sciences. Today, new technology in surveying is changing the nature of the work of surveyors. The School of Engineering is conducting innovative research in photogrammetry and geodesy.

The Surveying group has been carrying out photogrammetric research since the 1980s into developments of analytical and digital photogrammetric plotting equipment and automated image matching and into a variety of applications of close-range photogrammetry, for engineering, topographic, biological, medical, and forensic studies.

Current research in the photogrammetry and spatial information area lies in applications of automated image matching and of automated surface shape registration without the use of control points.

‘Research with a wide range of applications’ Research in geodesy uses satellite altimetry and other remote sensing measurements for geodetic, oceanographic, climatological and hydrological purposes. The research has relevant industry applications, especially in understanding of the mesoscale ocean currents, sea level changes, and marine gravity field.

Satellite altimetry has measured the sea level and its variability globally on almost all space and time scales for more than 20 years, which supports studies of geodesy, oceanography and climate change. Moreover, recently launched and planned satellite altimetry missions provide an important opportunity for research into determination of an accurate marine gravity field globally and the sea level in Earth’s Polar Regions, allowing for an enhancement in investigating seafloor bathymetry and global climate change. Researchers in Surveying are significantly involved in these studies. Some of the current research topics being studied include:

n Improvement of coastal satellite altimetry data through developing new and effective waveform retracking algorithmsn Geodetic estimation of the Leeuwin Current characteristicsn Determination of the marine gravity field from multi-altimeter data, especially recent new non- repeat missions of Jason-1, Cryosat and Envisatn Recovery of the dynamic ocean topography from satellite geodetic (both satellite altimetry and gravimetry) and oceanographic data sources

n Regional sea level variability and tides from satellite altimetryn Monitoring floodplains from satellite geodetic and in-situ datan Assessment of extreme sea levels in coastal regions

The School of Engineering has an established reputation for working with industry on collaborative research projects and professional consulting, forging strong links with many national and international industry and government bodies. If you are interested in obtaining more information please contact Dr xiaoli Deng.

Contact details Dr xiaoli Deng School of Engineering T +61 2 4921 8988 F + 61 2 4921 6991 E [email protected]


TELECOMMUNICATIONSCreating innovative algorithms, protocols, networks and systems for dynamic and effective communication

Telecommunications is one of the key areas of Information Communications Technology (ICT) which is an integrated component of the economic and social fabric of modern societies.

Telecommunications technologies are the drivers of the information economy and creators of diverse new businesses and employments encompassing a range of industrial sectors. The ICT areas are dominated by the global standards where international research and collaborations have led to the development of new technologies relevant to Australian and international industrial sectors.

Relevant Applications of Key telecommunications technologies that impact on our society include telephony networks, broadband optical internet infrastructure, wireless and mobile communication networks, satellite communications, emerging smart grid communications and many other industrial networks.

Researchers in the University of Newcastle’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science are actively engaged in research and development relating to a range of telecommunications technologies relevant to today’s constantly evolving technological landscape.

Modern industry and society constantly demand breakthroughs in telecommunications engineering to improve productivity, quality of life, energy security, intelligent transportations, environmental sustainability, etc.

Telecommunications research at the University of Newcastle spans from fundamental theoretical work through to applied research highly relevant to the development of new technology.

Telecommunications researchers from the school are distributing their research outcomes through top international journals, conferences and professional forums. The group has access to world class computer simulation and hardware laboratories used to develop and test new ideas.

Key Research Areas n Channel codingn Information theoryn Signal processingn Multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) systemsn Multiple access control Techniquesn 3G/4G wireless networksn Cooperative and cognitive networksn Wireless sensor networksn Relay networksn Machine to machine (M2M) Communicationsn Smart grid communicationsn IP (internet protocol)n vehicular networks

4G Wireless Communication Systems Ground breaking research is being carried in the development of new algorithms and techniques for 4G wireless communication systems to develop transmission power control techniques to increase traffic capacity and transmission data rates.

Channel Coding Techniques The group is working on the development of advanced channel coding techniques based on information theory, which can be used to increase a network capacity without requiring additional transmission bandwidth.

Smart Grid Technology Researchers are also involved in multidisciplinary areas such as Smart Grid technology, where communication technologies will be essential to improve the reliability and flexibilities of electricity grids.

Machine to Machine Communications The group is also looking to develop advanced communication networking techniques for future machine to machine communication architecture which can be used in many industrial sectors including mining and utility.

Funding and Partnerships The group has had much success in receiving ARC (Australian Research Council) and industrial grant funding. The group maintains strong interaction with industry through research collaborations. A number of research projects are funded by industrial research partners including Ericsson and Ausgrid.

Contact Details Associate Professor Jamil Khan School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science T +61 2 4921 6077 F +61 2 4921 6993 E [email protected]

General Faculty Enquiries:

Pro vice Chancellor’s UnitFaculty of Engineering & Built EnvironmentEF Building - EF105University of NewcastleUniversity DriveCallaghan NSW 2308 AustraliaTelephone: +61 2 4921 6025Facsimile: +61 2 4921 7062Email: FEBE-PvC_Unit@newcastle

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