ACH

IEVEMEN

TS

LEADERS IN INNOVATION

FACuLTy OF ENgINEERINg

AND BuILT ENVIRONMENT

2010

Smart grids – An electrifying revolution

Materials Modelling – a mine of information

The world of Complex Dynamic Systems and Control (CDSC)

Wind turbines

Making cleaner energy a reality

Turning parking space into living space

ACHIEVEMENTS | 01

MESSAGE FROM PRO VICE-

CHANCELLOR PROFESSOR

JOHN CARTER

The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle has an enviable reputation as one of the leading faculties of its kind in Australia, responsible for educating and training cutting edge researchers and leading professionals in the various fields of engineering and built environment. We educate future practitioners who will respond to these important challenges, and who will help to solve the various problems of survival and sustainability being faced by our society. We have achieved this high status by employing the best and brightest practitioners as educators, the most innovative researchers, and outstanding support staff, in order to ensure a dynamic and satisfying working and learning environment. Our numerous conjoint staff members are particularly valued for the nexus they help to provide between professional practice and education and research.

Through collaborative research, we have forged strong partnerships with industry and professionals over many years. 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 we are focused on expanding these relationships for the future. Together with industry, we are able to research and develop new technologies and discover innovative solutions to the problems that face society today.

In this publication, I am delighted to present some highlights of the Faculty’s achievements during 2008 and 2009 –achievements which have helped to meet the expanding demands on education, training and research in engineering and the built environment. The Faculty is proud of its strengths in teaching and research, so I trust you will enjoy the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment’s Achievements publication and the insight we hope it will provide into the extraordinary dedication of our staff and their achievements, and those of our talented students.

Professor John Carter Pro Vice-Chancellor

We are in an era of expanding demand for professionals in the broad fields of engineering, computing and the built

environment – professionals who can tackle and solve the numerous

problems that confront the modern world, and may even threaten the

existence of society as we know it. These problems include many

significant challenges, such as those related to dealing with the ever

increasing demands for energy and natural resources, and the provision of

food, water and shelter for a growing world population, while at the same

time behaving responsibly as custodians of our fragile environment

aswell as providing sustainable solutions to meet all these demands.

| ACHIEVEMENTS02 ACHIEVEMENTS | 03

in pure and applied research that invariably attracts high levels of competitive research funding and highly talented research students.

Our interactions with industry also bring real-world technology issues into our research laboratories as well as our teaching programs. 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 provide benefits to all parties, and we are focused on expanding these relationships into the future. Together with our industry colleagues, we research and develop new technologies and discover innovative solutions to problems that face society today.

The SchoolsResearch conducted within each of the three schools of our Faculty is often directly linked to business and industry.

School of Architecture and Built Environment

The School of Architecture and Built Environment has an international reputation for pioneering problem-based learning, research-led learning and on-line learning in its

The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is one of the leading faculties of its kind in Australia, with a reputation for the highest quality teaching and research.

This quality was recognised recently when the renowned Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking system placed our Faculty in the top 100 universities in the world for engineering, technology and computer sciences. This strong international reputation, along with our comprehensive study options, helps us to attract a diverse range of high quality staff and students from many regions of the world.

The Faculty brings together the professions of engineering, architecture, building, industrial design, computer science and surveying. Our degree programs focus on the development of innovative, resourceful and creative graduates, preparing them to be future leaders in industry, the professions, academia and the community.

undergraduate built environment programs. The School has more than 900 undergraduate and postgraduate students studying architecture, design, construction management, property economics and quantity surveying.

The School’s research strengths are:■ Construction innovation:

Globalisation and Internet-based supply chain management have had an impact on the Australian property and construction industry through increased exposure to fierce international competition. Research into innovative construction practices and methods is an important activity in the School.

■ Management of the built environment:Sustainable management practice is integral to the conservation of our built environment, particularly with reference to protection of heritage areas. Innovative research is being undertaken in the School of Architecture and Built Environment to study conservation planning.

Industry interactionThe Faculty’s cooperative relationships and strong partnerships with industry ensure that we continue to provide resourceful, articulate graduates who meet the needs of industry in their professional roles.

Our many colleagues and supporters in industry and the professions contribute significantly to our success through the development of options in course delivery; the review and updating of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs; and collaboration on project work, ensuring that our students gain useful experience in solving real-world problems.

ResearchThe Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is internationally recognised for its outstanding research record, which places our Schools among the very best in Australia, and around the world. Indeed, many of our staff are leaders in their fields, carrying out internationally recognised work

FACULTY IN PROFILE

| ACHIEVEMENTS02 ACHIEVEMENTS | 03

in pure and applied research that invariably attracts high levels of competitive research funding and highly talented research students.

Our interactions with industry also bring real-world technology issues into our research laboratories as well as our teaching programs. 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 provide benefits to all parties, and we are focused on expanding these relationships into the future. Together with our industry colleagues, we research and develop new technologies and discover innovative solutions to problems that face society today.

The SchoolsResearch conducted within each of the three schools of our Faculty is often directly linked to business and industry.

School of Architecture and Built Environment

The School of Architecture and Built Environment has an international reputation for pioneering problem-based learning, research-led learning and on-line learning in its

The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is one of the leading faculties of its kind in Australia, with a reputation for the highest quality teaching and research.

This quality was recognised recently when the renowned Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking system placed our Faculty in the top 100 universities in the world for engineering, technology and computer sciences. This strong international reputation, along with our comprehensive study options, helps us to attract a diverse range of high quality staff and students from many regions of the world.

The Faculty brings together the professions of engineering, architecture, building, industrial design, computer science and surveying. Our degree programs focus on the development of innovative, resourceful and creative graduates, preparing them to be future leaders in industry, the professions, academia and the community.

undergraduate built environment programs. The School has more than 900 undergraduate and postgraduate students studying architecture, design, construction management, property economics and quantity surveying.

The School’s research strengths are:■ Construction innovation:

Globalisation and Internet-based supply chain management have had an impact on the Australian property and construction industry through increased exposure to fierce international competition. Research into innovative construction practices and methods is an important activity in the School.

■ Management of the built environment:Sustainable management practice is integral to the conservation of our built environment, particularly with reference to protection of heritage areas. Innovative research is being undertaken in the School of Architecture and Built Environment to study conservation planning.

Industry interactionThe Faculty’s cooperative relationships and strong partnerships with industry ensure that we continue to provide resourceful, articulate graduates who meet the needs of industry in their professional roles.

Our many colleagues and supporters in industry and the professions contribute significantly to our success through the development of options in course delivery; the review and updating of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs; and collaboration on project work, ensuring that our students gain useful experience in solving real-world problems.

ResearchThe Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment is internationally recognised for its outstanding research record, which places our Schools among the very best in Australia, and around the world. Indeed, many of our staff are leaders in their fields, carrying out internationally recognised work

FACULTY IN PROFILE

| ACHIEVEMENTS04 ACHIEVEMENTS | 05

and postgraduate study in electrical engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, telecommunications and computer science.

The School’s research strengths are:

■ Control and systems automation:Researchers in the School are interested in developing intelligent methods to enable innovation in modelling, control, design and decision-making in a variety of physical systems.

■ Data mining and bioinformatics:Research in bioinformatics is tightly related with the development of powerful methods for knowledge extraction from computer databases.

■ Embedded systems:Researchers are working on creating smart environments in which any possible device, from the human body, clothing, tools, appliances, buildings, cars, workplaces and whole city areas, can be equipped with embedded systems to connect the device to a network of other devices.

■ Machine learning and robotics:The availability and affordability of fast workstations and new robotic hardware has created a significant growth of research in machine learning and robotics.

■ Smart structures:The Smart structures group in the School is interested in exploring the development of new technologies that can improve the design of structures and systems to optimize both their performance and safety.

■ Telecommunications:Researchers are active in developing, designing, implementing and managing telecommunications hardware, software and systems for processing and transmitting information.

■ Spatial visualisation group:Technological improvements in assessment methods for urban design may now become possible and valued through pioneering research being conducted in the School.

School of Engineering

The School of Engineering offers undergraduate programs of study in civil, chemical, environmental, mechanical and mechatronics engineering as well as in surveying.

The School also has two postgraduate coursework masters programs: the Master of Engineering Management and the Master of Engineering Science.

Research capabilities of the School of Engineering include:

■ Energy technology:Innovative research into energy technology has many positive applications to industry in providing solutions to overcome challenges such as reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other chemical emissions in industry processes.

■ Environmental engineering and water resources:Engineering researchers are developing new innovative

computer and other models to provide methods of assessment of environmental impacts and management of disturbed ecosystems.

■ Fluid mechanics and turbulence:Management and control of turbulent flows is currently of major international focus in turbulence research primarily due to its wide spread technological, economic and environmental implications.

■ Geotechnical engineering:Experts in the Faculty are working on providing unique solutions to difficult problems presented to industry in geotechnical engineering. Their aim is to develop new methods and solutions techniques and advanced computer software that will result in cheaper and safer designs of civil infrastructure.

■ Particle technology and interface science:Research activities 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.

■ Process safety and environmental protection:New standards in process safety and environmental protection are currently being developed in Australia for industry. This is particularly relevant to the study of fire, its control and other research activities associated with fire management.

■ Structural engineering: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. The School of Engineering is involved in pioneering studies, developing an understanding of the durability of infrastructure and material characteristics.

■ Surveying:Surveying enables us to obtain information about the size and shape of objects in our world through precise measurement. Today new technology in surveying is changing the nature of the work of surveyors. Researchers in the School are actively involved in developing a number of these new techniques.

■ Masonry:The Masonry Group has established itself as a research centre of excellence in developing an improved understanding of concrete and masonry products and their applications.

■ Bulk solids and particle technologies:Much progress to date has been made in the theory and practice of bulk solids handling and particulate technologies. However, it is becoming progressively clearer that there are many gaps where further research is necessary. Researchers in the School of Engineering are seeking a better understanding of bulk solids behaviour.

■ Materials engineering:The ability to manipulate the properties, behaviour and structure of a material to enhance its performance is of significant on-going interest to researchers in the School of Engineering.

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers undergraduate

PRIORITY RESEARCH CENTRESThe University of Newcastle has 12 Priority Research Centres, four of which are based within the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and another operates jointly with the Faculty of Health. These are:

■ Centre for Advanced Particle Processing ■ Centre for Energy■ Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control■ Centre of Geotechnical and Materials Modelling ■ Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery and Information-Based Medicine (with the Faculty of Health).

Our Priority Research Centres focus resources into areas of existing and potential research strength, and importantly they promote cross-faculty and cross disciplinary research.

OTHER RESEARCH CENTRESThe Faculty is also home to a number of other important university research centres. These include:■ Special Research Centre for Multiphase Processes■ Signal Processing Microelectronics ■ Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies■ Cooperative Research Centres for Coal in Sustainable Development■ Construction Innovation■ Advanced Composite Structures■ Australian Centre for Renewable Energy.

| ACHIEVEMENTS04 ACHIEVEMENTS | 05

and postgraduate study in electrical engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, telecommunications and computer science.

The School’s research strengths are:

■ Control and systems automation:Researchers in the School are interested in developing intelligent methods to enable innovation in modelling, control, design and decision-making in a variety of physical systems.

■ Data mining and bioinformatics:Research in bioinformatics is tightly related with the development of powerful methods for knowledge extraction from computer databases.

■ Embedded systems:Researchers are working on creating smart environments in which any possible device, from the human body, clothing, tools, appliances, buildings, cars, workplaces and whole city areas, can be equipped with embedded systems to connect the device to a network of other devices.

■ Machine learning and robotics:The availability and affordability of fast workstations and new robotic hardware has created a significant growth of research in machine learning and robotics.

■ Smart structures:The Smart structures group in the School is interested in exploring the development of new technologies that can improve the design of structures and systems to optimize both their performance and safety.

■ Telecommunications:Researchers are active in developing, designing, implementing and managing telecommunications hardware, software and systems for processing and transmitting information.

■ Spatial visualisation group:Technological improvements in assessment methods for urban design may now become possible and valued through pioneering research being conducted in the School.

School of Engineering

The School of Engineering offers undergraduate programs of study in civil, chemical, environmental, mechanical and mechatronics engineering as well as in surveying.

The School also has two postgraduate coursework masters programs: the Master of Engineering Management and the Master of Engineering Science.

Research capabilities of the School of Engineering include:

■ Energy technology:Innovative research into energy technology has many positive applications to industry in providing solutions to overcome challenges such as reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other chemical emissions in industry processes.

■ Environmental engineering and water resources:Engineering researchers are developing new innovative

computer and other models to provide methods of assessment of environmental impacts and management of disturbed ecosystems.

■ Fluid mechanics and turbulence:Management and control of turbulent flows is currently of major international focus in turbulence research primarily due to its wide spread technological, economic and environmental implications.

■ Geotechnical engineering:Experts in the Faculty are working on providing unique solutions to difficult problems presented to industry in geotechnical engineering. Their aim is to develop new methods and solutions techniques and advanced computer software that will result in cheaper and safer designs of civil infrastructure.

■ Particle technology and interface science:Research activities 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.

■ Process safety and environmental protection:New standards in process safety and environmental protection are currently being developed in Australia for industry. This is particularly relevant to the study of fire, its control and other research activities associated with fire management.

■ Structural engineering: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. The School of Engineering is involved in pioneering studies, developing an understanding of the durability of infrastructure and material characteristics.

■ Surveying:Surveying enables us to obtain information about the size and shape of objects in our world through precise measurement. Today new technology in surveying is changing the nature of the work of surveyors. Researchers in the School are actively involved in developing a number of these new techniques.

■ Masonry:The Masonry Group has established itself as a research centre of excellence in developing an improved understanding of concrete and masonry products and their applications.

■ Bulk solids and particle technologies:Much progress to date has been made in the theory and practice of bulk solids handling and particulate technologies. However, it is becoming progressively clearer that there are many gaps where further research is necessary. Researchers in the School of Engineering are seeking a better understanding of bulk solids behaviour.

■ Materials engineering:The ability to manipulate the properties, behaviour and structure of a material to enhance its performance is of significant on-going interest to researchers in the School of Engineering.

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers undergraduate

PRIORITY RESEARCH CENTRESThe University of Newcastle has 12 Priority Research Centres, four of which are based within the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and another operates jointly with the Faculty of Health. These are:

■ Centre for Advanced Particle Processing ■ Centre for Energy■ Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control■ Centre of Geotechnical and Materials Modelling ■ Centre for Bioinformatics, Biomarker Discovery and Information-Based Medicine (with the Faculty of Health).

Our Priority Research Centres focus resources into areas of existing and potential research strength, and importantly they promote cross-faculty and cross disciplinary research.

OTHER RESEARCH CENTRESThe Faculty is also home to a number of other important university research centres. These include:■ Special Research Centre for Multiphase Processes■ Signal Processing Microelectronics ■ Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies■ Cooperative Research Centres for Coal in Sustainable Development■ Construction Innovation■ Advanced Composite Structures■ Australian Centre for Renewable Energy.

ACHIEVEMENTS | 07| ACHIEVEMENTS06

Dr Michael Stockenhuber’s revolutionary work began at Britain’s Nottingham Trent University, where he developed a catalyst capable of producing hydrogen from kerosene. Catalysts are substances that perform a sort of ‘chemical judo’, facilitating chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. They have numerous practical uses, from refining petrol to making margarine.

The hydrogen produced using Stockenhuber’s catalyst will be used in planes’ fuel cells to generate all onboard electricity, replacing the inefficient turbine generators. The result will be a reduction in the level of CO2 pollution created by the airliner.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel because it burns to form water. But it boils at a very low temperature and has to be kept extremely cold, making it very difficult to use in liquid form. Stockenhuber’s invention means planes will be able to overcome this by manufacturing gaseous hydrogen on board – and there will be no fire hazard because the gas will always be safely contained within the power generation system.

“I was asked to produce the catalyst by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, which manufactures the Airbus. We have shown that it works to their specifications and it is planned to have the first fuel cells producing electricity on board an aircraft within two years,” Stockenhuber, now the University’s Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, said.

Stockenhuber’s hydrogen catalyst is made from a noble metal – one that is resistant to corrosion or oxidation. But for now its exact make-up is under wraps while it is patented.

Catalysts are a fascination to Stockenhuber. “I do a lot of work with them because they provide the possibility of doing very interesting fundamental science, then quickly transforming that into practical applications with lots of benefits for society.”

He probes the complex secrets of catalysts – which are hard to understand because of the disordered nature of their structures – using X-ray absorption spectroscopy, a method of analysing substances based on studying spectra.

Stockenhuber’s wider research goal is to make chemical production processes more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint. Currently he is working with a subsidiary of Newcastle’s Bloomfield Collieries on biodiesel, a fuel made from renewable resources such as waste cooking oils.

Its production results in large quantities of the by-product glycerol (also known as glycerine), and eliminating glycerol is a growing waste problem. Stockenhuber is looking at ways to produce useful products from the glycerol, and in particular methanol, which could then be used to produce more biodiesel.

Cutting airlines’ carbon footprint

Within a few years, air travel could be revolutionised with Airbus planes generating onboard electricity using a new clean energy power source.

Calculated risk

In the aftermath of a catastrophic event, activity quickly turns to future prevention of a similar situation. Whether forces of nature, such as floods or cyclones, or the calculated motives of terrorists are to blame, survival instinct kicks in – often at any cost.To Professor Mark Stewart, a civil engineer with expertise in probabilistic risk assessment, the 9/11 attacks prompted questions about that survival instinct – how cost-effective was it to protect infrastructure, such as commercial buildings and bridges, against a perceived threat?

“It struck me that most of the discussion post 9/11 centred on the worst-case scenario every time,” Stewart said. “There would be talk about a five-tonne explosive truck bomb downtown. With a risk-based approach, you do not focus on total destruction, you look at the spectrum of threats. You do not design a building based on the worst earthquake in 100,000 years.”

Nevertheless, Stewart observed the billions of dollars spent in the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 to strengthen infrastructure based on worst-case scenarios. It prompted him to research how much safer buildings and people were as a result of the vast sums poured into hazard mitigation such as vehicle barriers, perimeter walls, blast-resistant glazing and strengthened perimeter columns.

Using general engineering principles, Stewart and his team of researchers applied the same numerical modelling used to assess cyclone and seismic risks. They considered likely terrorist scenarios, the size and impact of

A different approach to road safety

Managing rock fall threat across more than 17,000 kilometres of roads is a major responsibility for the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA). While it already commits around $20 million each year to manage the risk, even at this rate it is extremely difficult to eliminate the hazard.

While death or injury from rock falls onto roads and railways are rare they occur often enough to cause concern. Even if a rock fall on a major highway does not cause death or injury, the economic losses associated with subsequent delays and disruptions can reach $3 million per day.

The RTA has turned to Stephen Fityus, Associate Professor in Geotechnical Engineering and a Principal Researcher in the Priority Research Centre for

Geotechnical and Materials Modelling, to help find a better, cheaper way to manage the rock fall risk. The research is important because little relevant local information exists.

“The RTA is looking for more effective barrier designs,” Fityus said. “Most of the existing research and associated technology is derived from other parts of the world where rock falls are very different in nature.”

Fityus leads a team of six in examining the characteristics of rock fall hazards in different geological and geographical

environments so that appropriate kinetic energy ratings can be used as a basis for an efficient design approach to the new barriers. “A 50-kilojoule rock can be a small rock travelling fast or a big rock travelling slowly. The same barrier might not be the best protection in both cases,” Fityus explained.

Designs will consider the use of readily available materials and the ease of build and repair. Once the design phase has been completed, testing can begin.

“The team will develop designs using new computer modelling applications that incorporate simulated rock fall motions and high strain-rate material response models. We will then get out in the field and test a series of full scale prototypes under actual impact loads – that will be the proof of the design.”

explosives, the distance of an attack and probable damage, as well as the material, construction and design costs of protection. They also factored in the human toll in terms of injury and death. Against this, they weighed the benefits: lives saved, damage prevented.

Four years later, Stewart confirmed what most engineers suspected: from a purely financial perspective most infrastructure is not worth the price of protecting against a terrorist attack. “A solution would need to reduce the risk by 80 or 90 per cent for the expenditure to be worth it,” Stewart explained.

His team has established the framework for more detailed modelling. To date, it can enter data for glazing and receive a detailed risk assessment. Next, he plans to investigate masonry and concrete walls. “I see 20 more years of work. Being able to plug in information about a building and get a damage and safety risk assessment is the Holy Grail for a civil engineer,” he said.

ACHIEVEMENTS | 07| ACHIEVEMENTS06

Dr Michael Stockenhuber’s revolutionary work began at Britain’s Nottingham Trent University, where he developed a catalyst capable of producing hydrogen from kerosene. Catalysts are substances that perform a sort of ‘chemical judo’, facilitating chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. They have numerous practical uses, from refining petrol to making margarine.

The hydrogen produced using Stockenhuber’s catalyst will be used in planes’ fuel cells to generate all onboard electricity, replacing the inefficient turbine generators. The result will be a reduction in the level of CO2 pollution created by the airliner.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel because it burns to form water. But it boils at a very low temperature and has to be kept extremely cold, making it very difficult to use in liquid form. Stockenhuber’s invention means planes will be able to overcome this by manufacturing gaseous hydrogen on board – and there will be no fire hazard because the gas will always be safely contained within the power generation system.

“I was asked to produce the catalyst by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, which manufactures the Airbus. We have shown that it works to their specifications and it is planned to have the first fuel cells producing electricity on board an aircraft within two years,” Stockenhuber, now the University’s Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, said.

Stockenhuber’s hydrogen catalyst is made from a noble metal – one that is resistant to corrosion or oxidation. But for now its exact make-up is under wraps while it is patented.

Catalysts are a fascination to Stockenhuber. “I do a lot of work with them because they provide the possibility of doing very interesting fundamental science, then quickly transforming that into practical applications with lots of benefits for society.”

He probes the complex secrets of catalysts – which are hard to understand because of the disordered nature of their structures – using X-ray absorption spectroscopy, a method of analysing substances based on studying spectra.

Stockenhuber’s wider research goal is to make chemical production processes more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint. Currently he is working with a subsidiary of Newcastle’s Bloomfield Collieries on biodiesel, a fuel made from renewable resources such as waste cooking oils.

Its production results in large quantities of the by-product glycerol (also known as glycerine), and eliminating glycerol is a growing waste problem. Stockenhuber is looking at ways to produce useful products from the glycerol, and in particular methanol, which could then be used to produce more biodiesel.

Cutting airlines’ carbon footprint

Within a few years, air travel could be revolutionised with Airbus planes generating onboard electricity using a new clean energy power source.

Calculated risk

In the aftermath of a catastrophic event, activity quickly turns to future prevention of a similar situation. Whether forces of nature, such as floods or cyclones, or the calculated motives of terrorists are to blame, survival instinct kicks in – often at any cost.To Professor Mark Stewart, a civil engineer with expertise in probabilistic risk assessment, the 9/11 attacks prompted questions about that survival instinct – how cost-effective was it to protect infrastructure, such as commercial buildings and bridges, against a perceived threat?

“It struck me that most of the discussion post 9/11 centred on the worst-case scenario every time,” Stewart said. “There would be talk about a five-tonne explosive truck bomb downtown. With a risk-based approach, you do not focus on total destruction, you look at the spectrum of threats. You do not design a building based on the worst earthquake in 100,000 years.”

Nevertheless, Stewart observed the billions of dollars spent in the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 to strengthen infrastructure based on worst-case scenarios. It prompted him to research how much safer buildings and people were as a result of the vast sums poured into hazard mitigation such as vehicle barriers, perimeter walls, blast-resistant glazing and strengthened perimeter columns.

Using general engineering principles, Stewart and his team of researchers applied the same numerical modelling used to assess cyclone and seismic risks. They considered likely terrorist scenarios, the size and impact of

A different approach to road safety

Managing rock fall threat across more than 17,000 kilometres of roads is a major responsibility for the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA). While it already commits around $20 million each year to manage the risk, even at this rate it is extremely difficult to eliminate the hazard.

While death or injury from rock falls onto roads and railways are rare they occur often enough to cause concern. Even if a rock fall on a major highway does not cause death or injury, the economic losses associated with subsequent delays and disruptions can reach $3 million per day.

The RTA has turned to Stephen Fityus, Associate Professor in Geotechnical Engineering and a Principal Researcher in the Priority Research Centre for

Geotechnical and Materials Modelling, to help find a better, cheaper way to manage the rock fall risk. The research is important because little relevant local information exists.

“The RTA is looking for more effective barrier designs,” Fityus said. “Most of the existing research and associated technology is derived from other parts of the world where rock falls are very different in nature.”

Fityus leads a team of six in examining the characteristics of rock fall hazards in different geological and geographical

environments so that appropriate kinetic energy ratings can be used as a basis for an efficient design approach to the new barriers. “A 50-kilojoule rock can be a small rock travelling fast or a big rock travelling slowly. The same barrier might not be the best protection in both cases,” Fityus explained.

Designs will consider the use of readily available materials and the ease of build and repair. Once the design phase has been completed, testing can begin.

“The team will develop designs using new computer modelling applications that incorporate simulated rock fall motions and high strain-rate material response models. We will then get out in the field and test a series of full scale prototypes under actual impact loads – that will be the proof of the design.”

explosives, the distance of an attack and probable damage, as well as the material, construction and design costs of protection. They also factored in the human toll in terms of injury and death. Against this, they weighed the benefits: lives saved, damage prevented.

Four years later, Stewart confirmed what most engineers suspected: from a purely financial perspective most infrastructure is not worth the price of protecting against a terrorist attack. “A solution would need to reduce the risk by 80 or 90 per cent for the expenditure to be worth it,” Stewart explained.

His team has established the framework for more detailed modelling. To date, it can enter data for glazing and receive a detailed risk assessment. Next, he plans to investigate masonry and concrete walls. “I see 20 more years of work. Being able to plug in information about a building and get a damage and safety risk assessment is the Holy Grail for a civil engineer,” he said.

| ACHIEVEMENTS08 ACHIEVEMENTS | 09

An electrifying revolutionImagine drawing down excess electricity from thousands of electric car batteries while they charge overnight, and using that energy to run your home.

This scenario could become reality with the introduction of intelligent electricity networks, according to Associate Professor Steven Weller, Head of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The surges of energy produced by renewable resources will need to be stored and that is where banks of electric car batteries could come into play.

“Consider the possibility that there is an enormous distributed battery bank in the form of electric vehicles parked at peoples’ houses that could be a resource the grid called upon to extract energy back,” Weller said.

Computers in the cars would communicate with the electricity network to ensure that the right amount of power was drawn and batteries remained charged. “It is very important that the network be able to communicate within itself because this will allow energy from all sorts of renewable sources to enter the grid in a coordinated way.”

Research and development for the technology known as smart grids will be the focus of the University’s new Centre for Intelligent Electricity Networks. The result of a $5 million partnership between EnergyAustralia and the University, the centre will be established over five years and will attract international researchers.

EnergyAustralia Managing Director George Maltabarow said smart grids were the biggest change to the electricity network in 100 years.

“The smart grid network will change the electricity industry in much the same way that mobile phones have re-shaped the telecommunications industry. These technologies will improve reliability and response times to electricity outages, drive productivity gains and allow more renewable energy sources to be connected to the grid.”

Building a smart grid involves overlaying existing electricity delivery networks with communications and computer networks, allowing for the monitoring and repair

of the system with minimal human intervention.

The benefits will be significant: utilities like EnergyAustralia will be able to make better use of existing infrastructure; customers will get real time information on costs so they can switch off appliances when energy prices are high; and better integration of wind, solar and other renewable power sources will be possible.

The collaboration will join the market and infrastructure skills of EnergyAustralia with the research and development capability of the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment.

EnergyAustralia’s Executive General Manager Engineering, Geoff Lilliss, said the partnership highlighted the strong working relationship between the two organisations.

“The Centre will give engineering students the chance to help transform traditional energy networks by researching, developing and testing technologies that will deliver a dynamic, interactive electricity grid capable of changing the way

we use, manage, generate and deliver energy,” he said.

Research at the new Centre will mesh with the strengths of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, including the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control.

The smart grid network will change the electricity industry in much the same way that mobile phones have re-shaped the telecommunications industry

“ “

What began as research into the corrosion of steel structures located in the sea, now puts this internationally respected engineer in the lab, looking for traces of bacterial DNA which could be the key to predicting the durability of steel exposed to saltwater.

In the long-term, the findings may unlock the answer to slowing corrosion and increasing durability of steel infrastructure such as pipelines and nuclear waste systems.

“Even though rust is conventionally thought to be a chemical reaction between iron, water and oxygen, it is now commonly believed bacteria, particularly those in the ocean, are involved in steel corrosion,” Melchers said.

“The sea is naturally full of bacteria, so we need to prove there is a link between the presence of certain bacteria and corrosion.

“Once we can do that, we can begin to predict more accurately how much corrosion there is likely to be.”

Pinning down the elusive bacteria has proved more challenging than Melchers and his team anticipated.

“The patterns of behaviour displayed by bacteria are highly dependant on a range of conditions including temperature, pollution and water velocity,” Melchers said.

“We wanted more convincing proof of which bacteria are involved, which is why we decided to look for bacterial

DNA where the corrosion has occurred.”

Funded by an Australian Research Council grant, the team has established a DNA testing facility at the University where a microbiologist is examining samples.

“We needed our own lab for this work – most biology laboratories are generally pretty pristine places, not really the environment for lumps of concrete and rust,” Melchers said.

Using three-metre strips of steel sunk into several locations from Port Arthur to Townsville three years ago, the team is able to observe how the corrosion process occurs in tidal zones and in the atmosphere near the sea.

The team is also comparing corrosion in natural seawater and sterilised water to measure the effect of bacteria in different types of waters. The aim is to determine how these differences influence general and pitting corrosion.

“The deterioration of structural materials under adverse conditions – such as corrosion of steel in seawater environments – is a major cost to industry,” Melchers said.

“Being able to predict how much corrosion is likely to occur under uncertain conditions over a period of time would be extremely useful in estimating reliability and durability.

“We want to strengthen our case scientifically, which is why we have turned to DNA analysis to strengthen our understanding of the influence of bacteria.”

Structural engineer, Professor Rob Melchers, could not have anticipated that his work on steel corrosion would land him in a biology lab.

STEEL CORROSION: THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK IS TICKING

| ACHIEVEMENTS08 ACHIEVEMENTS | 09

An electrifying revolutionImagine drawing down excess electricity from thousands of electric car batteries while they charge overnight, and using that energy to run your home.

This scenario could become reality with the introduction of intelligent electricity networks, according to Associate Professor Steven Weller, Head of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The surges of energy produced by renewable resources will need to be stored and that is where banks of electric car batteries could come into play.

“Consider the possibility that there is an enormous distributed battery bank in the form of electric vehicles parked at peoples’ houses that could be a resource the grid called upon to extract energy back,” Weller said.

Computers in the cars would communicate with the electricity network to ensure that the right amount of power was drawn and batteries remained charged. “It is very important that the network be able to communicate within itself because this will allow energy from all sorts of renewable sources to enter the grid in a coordinated way.”

Research and development for the technology known as smart grids will be the focus of the University’s new Centre for Intelligent Electricity Networks. The result of a $5 million partnership between EnergyAustralia and the University, the centre will be established over five years and will attract international researchers.

EnergyAustralia Managing Director George Maltabarow said smart grids were the biggest change to the electricity network in 100 years.

“The smart grid network will change the electricity industry in much the same way that mobile phones have re-shaped the telecommunications industry. These technologies will improve reliability and response times to electricity outages, drive productivity gains and allow more renewable energy sources to be connected to the grid.”

Building a smart grid involves overlaying existing electricity delivery networks with communications and computer networks, allowing for the monitoring and repair

of the system with minimal human intervention.

The benefits will be significant: utilities like EnergyAustralia will be able to make better use of existing infrastructure; customers will get real time information on costs so they can switch off appliances when energy prices are high; and better integration of wind, solar and other renewable power sources will be possible.

The collaboration will join the market and infrastructure skills of EnergyAustralia with the research and development capability of the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment.

EnergyAustralia’s Executive General Manager Engineering, Geoff Lilliss, said the partnership highlighted the strong working relationship between the two organisations.

“The Centre will give engineering students the chance to help transform traditional energy networks by researching, developing and testing technologies that will deliver a dynamic, interactive electricity grid capable of changing the way

we use, manage, generate and deliver energy,” he said.

Research at the new Centre will mesh with the strengths of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, including the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control.

The smart grid network will change the electricity industry in much the same way that mobile phones have re-shaped the telecommunications industry

“ “

What began as research into the corrosion of steel structures located in the sea, now puts this internationally respected engineer in the lab, looking for traces of bacterial DNA which could be the key to predicting the durability of steel exposed to saltwater.

In the long-term, the findings may unlock the answer to slowing corrosion and increasing durability of steel infrastructure such as pipelines and nuclear waste systems.

“Even though rust is conventionally thought to be a chemical reaction between iron, water and oxygen, it is now commonly believed bacteria, particularly those in the ocean, are involved in steel corrosion,” Melchers said.

“The sea is naturally full of bacteria, so we need to prove there is a link between the presence of certain bacteria and corrosion.

“Once we can do that, we can begin to predict more accurately how much corrosion there is likely to be.”

Pinning down the elusive bacteria has proved more challenging than Melchers and his team anticipated.

“The patterns of behaviour displayed by bacteria are highly dependant on a range of conditions including temperature, pollution and water velocity,” Melchers said.

“We wanted more convincing proof of which bacteria are involved, which is why we decided to look for bacterial

DNA where the corrosion has occurred.”

Funded by an Australian Research Council grant, the team has established a DNA testing facility at the University where a microbiologist is examining samples.

“We needed our own lab for this work – most biology laboratories are generally pretty pristine places, not really the environment for lumps of concrete and rust,” Melchers said.

Using three-metre strips of steel sunk into several locations from Port Arthur to Townsville three years ago, the team is able to observe how the corrosion process occurs in tidal zones and in the atmosphere near the sea.

The team is also comparing corrosion in natural seawater and sterilised water to measure the effect of bacteria in different types of waters. The aim is to determine how these differences influence general and pitting corrosion.

“The deterioration of structural materials under adverse conditions – such as corrosion of steel in seawater environments – is a major cost to industry,” Melchers said.

“Being able to predict how much corrosion is likely to occur under uncertain conditions over a period of time would be extremely useful in estimating reliability and durability.

“We want to strengthen our case scientifically, which is why we have turned to DNA analysis to strengthen our understanding of the influence of bacteria.”

Structural engineer, Professor Rob Melchers, could not have anticipated that his work on steel corrosion would land him in a biology lab.

STEEL CORROSION: THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK IS TICKING

| ACHIEVEMENTS10 ACHIEVEMENTS | 11

THE BITE SIDE OF LIFE

The question begs to be asked and sure enough, the answer is a sheepish affirmative and a confession that, as a child, his favourite television program was David Attenborough’s Life On Earth.

That fascination no doubt inspired McHenry’s research on the biomechanics of carnivorous reptiles and mammals, which seeks to unravel the lives of ancient predators such as dinosaurs and sabre-toothed tigers.

It is a highly specialised field of interest and one which has seen McHenry and his research partners break new ground in their use of three-dimensional computer modelling to predict the mechanical behaviour of

the skulls and jaws of various extinct species.

Called finite element analysis, the technique is being harnessed by McHenry and his colleagues – including Dr Philip Clausen at the University of Newcastle, and the University of NSW’s Dr Stephen Wroe – as part of the work of the University of Newcastle’s Computational Biomechanics Research Group.

Early this year, the prestigious New Scientist magazine reported on the group’s work in modelling different species. The article discussed McHenry’s work in applying the laws of physics to these models to determine their biomechanics and ascertain exactly what these extinct animals were and were not capable of doing.

The New Scientist story included McHenry’s discovery that the legendary fearsome sabre-toothed tiger actually had an astonishingly weak bite and that its ferocity came mainly from the piercing effect of its sword-like upper canines.

“These are the sorts of answers biomechanics can give us,” McHenry said.

“Using biomechanics, we can examine how an animal’s bone structure responds to different loads, including bite force.”

The realisation that finite element analysis could be used to learn more about the mechanical behaviour of animals – living and extinct – came about through McHenry’s research interest on the behaviour of the pliosaur Kronosaurus queenslandicus, a large predatory marine reptile that lived in Australian waters during the Age of Dinosaurs.

McHenry said capturing a true picture of the ancient lives of the fossil super predators was a tricky problem.

“We cannot watch them hunt and so whether something like a Tyrannosaurus rex actually preyed upon well-defended herbivores such as Triceratops is open to question,” he said.

“Even if the fossil record does not often catch predators in the act of attacking their favourite prey, all animals are subject to the law of physics and if T. rex is going to feed on a five-tonne horned dinosaur, then it needs a skull strong enough for the job.

“Engineers regularly use three-dimensional computer models to predict, or crash-test, the mechanical behaviour of man-made designs for aircraft, cars, bridges and buildings. The Computational Biomechanics Research Group uses the same tools to predict the mechanical behaviour of the skulls and jaws of dinosaurs and sabre-toothed tigers in order to infer predatory behaviour in these animals.

“Understanding the biomechanics of these fossil predators requires an

Sitting in his office, surrounded by dinosaur fossils, crocodile skeletons and computer-generated resin bone structures, Colin McHenry talks about his work with the animated manner of a man you might guess spent a fair amount of his boyhood catching lizards.

understanding of biomechanics in living species, therefore much of our work is focused on the feeding mechanics of living species such as cats, dogs, crocodiles and sharks.”

During his PhD research, McHenry built digital models of his ancient aquatic predators using finite element analysis and compared their behaviour to that of the modern crocodile, which led to his continuing analysis of skull biomechanics in crocodiles.

Ongoing projects with other Computational Biomechanics Research Group members include experimental measurement of bone in mammals and reptiles, the first biomechanical analysis of a marine animal (the leopard seal) and technical validation data from primate models.

McHenry said the primary motivation for his research was to ascertain how an animal’s structure relates to its function.

“Biological structures are much more complex than traditional man-made objects in both their shapes and their composition of materials,” he said.

“One of the spin-offs of developing tools which can model the biomechanics involved is an insight into the way organisms are engineered.

“This has significant potential application to medical biomechanics, including surgical repair of bone fractures and the development of orthopaedic prostheses like hip replacements.

“It can also be used to improve and develop the design of safety equipment.”

McHenry said research was currently being undertaken on these new aspects of the work and points out how engineers, in turn, will also benefit “from understanding how nature uses composite materials, such as bone, to optimise strength and weight”.

“We cannot watch them hunt and so whether something like a Tyrannosaurus rex actually preyed upon well-defended herbivores such as Triceratops is open to question

“Image: John Conway

| ACHIEVEMENTS10 ACHIEVEMENTS | 11

THE BITE SIDE OF LIFE

The question begs to be asked and sure enough, the answer is a sheepish affirmative and a confession that, as a child, his favourite television program was David Attenborough’s Life On Earth.

That fascination no doubt inspired McHenry’s research on the biomechanics of carnivorous reptiles and mammals, which seeks to unravel the lives of ancient predators such as dinosaurs and sabre-toothed tigers.

It is a highly specialised field of interest and one which has seen McHenry and his research partners break new ground in their use of three-dimensional computer modelling to predict the mechanical behaviour of

the skulls and jaws of various extinct species.

Called finite element analysis, the technique is being harnessed by McHenry and his colleagues – including Dr Philip Clausen at the University of Newcastle, and the University of NSW’s Dr Stephen Wroe – as part of the work of the University of Newcastle’s Computational Biomechanics Research Group.

Early this year, the prestigious New Scientist magazine reported on the group’s work in modelling different species. The article discussed McHenry’s work in applying the laws of physics to these models to determine their biomechanics and ascertain exactly what these extinct animals were and were not capable of doing.

The New Scientist story included McHenry’s discovery that the legendary fearsome sabre-toothed tiger actually had an astonishingly weak bite and that its ferocity came mainly from the piercing effect of its sword-like upper canines.

“These are the sorts of answers biomechanics can give us,” McHenry said.

“Using biomechanics, we can examine how an animal’s bone structure responds to different loads, including bite force.”

The realisation that finite element analysis could be used to learn more about the mechanical behaviour of animals – living and extinct – came about through McHenry’s research interest on the behaviour of the pliosaur Kronosaurus queenslandicus, a large predatory marine reptile that lived in Australian waters during the Age of Dinosaurs.

McHenry said capturing a true picture of the ancient lives of the fossil super predators was a tricky problem.

“We cannot watch them hunt and so whether something like a Tyrannosaurus rex actually preyed upon well-defended herbivores such as Triceratops is open to question,” he said.

“Even if the fossil record does not often catch predators in the act of attacking their favourite prey, all animals are subject to the law of physics and if T. rex is going to feed on a five-tonne horned dinosaur, then it needs a skull strong enough for the job.

“Engineers regularly use three-dimensional computer models to predict, or crash-test, the mechanical behaviour of man-made designs for aircraft, cars, bridges and buildings. The Computational Biomechanics Research Group uses the same tools to predict the mechanical behaviour of the skulls and jaws of dinosaurs and sabre-toothed tigers in order to infer predatory behaviour in these animals.

“Understanding the biomechanics of these fossil predators requires an

Sitting in his office, surrounded by dinosaur fossils, crocodile skeletons and computer-generated resin bone structures, Colin McHenry talks about his work with the animated manner of a man you might guess spent a fair amount of his boyhood catching lizards.

understanding of biomechanics in living species, therefore much of our work is focused on the feeding mechanics of living species such as cats, dogs, crocodiles and sharks.”

During his PhD research, McHenry built digital models of his ancient aquatic predators using finite element analysis and compared their behaviour to that of the modern crocodile, which led to his continuing analysis of skull biomechanics in crocodiles.

Ongoing projects with other Computational Biomechanics Research Group members include experimental measurement of bone in mammals and reptiles, the first biomechanical analysis of a marine animal (the leopard seal) and technical validation data from primate models.

McHenry said the primary motivation for his research was to ascertain how an animal’s structure relates to its function.

“Biological structures are much more complex than traditional man-made objects in both their shapes and their composition of materials,” he said.

“One of the spin-offs of developing tools which can model the biomechanics involved is an insight into the way organisms are engineered.

“This has significant potential application to medical biomechanics, including surgical repair of bone fractures and the development of orthopaedic prostheses like hip replacements.

“It can also be used to improve and develop the design of safety equipment.”

McHenry said research was currently being undertaken on these new aspects of the work and points out how engineers, in turn, will also benefit “from understanding how nature uses composite materials, such as bone, to optimise strength and weight”.

“We cannot watch them hunt and so whether something like a Tyrannosaurus rex actually preyed upon well-defended herbivores such as Triceratops is open to question

“Image: John Conway

ACHIEVEMENTS | 13| ACHIEVEMENTS12

DOWN TO EARTH

MATERIALS MODELLING –

A MINE OF INFORMATION

Today as Director of the Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling, Professor Sloan’s academic achievements are testimony to his decision. A geotechnical engineer, Sloan is an Australian Research Council Federation Fellow (one of only three in civil engineering).

He is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (also one of only three in civil engineering), and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He is one of only 70 people to be elected to a Fellowship of both of these academies.

Sloan cites his election to the prestigious Australian Academy of Science – a peak body of just over 400 of the nation’s top scientific researchers – as a career highlight. Fellows are recognised for research that has had a profound impact on international scientific knowledge. Sloan was nominated for his creation of numerical methods to predict the maximum load capacity for structures such as tunnels, dams, highways, offshore platforms and building foundations. The methods have delivered groundbreaking new tools for

engineers to design cheaper and safer civil infrastructure.

Based on the limit theorems of plasticity, finite elements and advanced optimisation algorithms, these methods have been extended to model both static and cyclic loading.

Sloan said the ability to accurately estimate load limits was crucial to many forms of infrastructure design, but that it was complicated because natural ground often responds in a complex manner in any given area.

Sloan’s work has created a method enabling engineers to tackle this challenging problem.

The computer programs arising from Sloan’s techniques are currently being developed for the marketplace through a software company formed with colleagues through Newcastle Innovation. He finds this side of the work particularly exciting.

“You get an incredible sense of achievement when software you have laboured over for months works for the first time. The behaviour of geomaterials is very complicated, and programs which accurately estimate load capacity are crucial to the safe and economic design of infrastructure.”

In 1984, when a young Dr Scott Sloan paused to reflect on an already-accomplished academic career in civil engineering, he looked around the hallowed grounds of Oxford University and decided a move back to Australia might offer him the chance to “build something”.

Writing sophisticated computer programs is an art form, and it is very rewarding to see them used to solve practical problems

“Heap leaching is a process used to recover copper from ore. Mined ore is crushed into small chunks and irrigated with a leach solution to dissolve the copper that percolates through the heap and can then be collected.

The cutting-edge computer equipment will form an integral part of a study being conducted by Dr Kristian Krabbenhoft under an Australian Research Council Linkage grant with BHP Billiton’s Newcastle Technology Centre.

Krabbenhoft’s colleague, the Centre’s Co-Director, Professor Irina Belova, has been working on materials modelling at the nanoscale. Krabbenhoft is drawing on Belova’s microscopic studies to form models that more accurately reflect the properties of the heaps.

In doing so, he aims to formulate optimal leaching strategies for higher yields and provide models for the uptake of the new technology by other industries.

The research will combine two emerging technologies – X-ray micromography and virtual testing – to study the micromechanical properties of the cluster heaps.

Krabbenhoft said that as the world’s reserves of valuable metals diminished, efficient extraction from mined ore was a global problem.

“The acquisition of the ‘supercomputer’ is the next big step in this research. It will let us process very large sets of data and enable the simulation of more realistic and complete models of the physical processes involved in the extraction of copper minerals from ore.”

The Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials

Modelling will soon be home to a powerful new ‘supercomputer’ to help

devise new methods of increasing copper heap leaching yields.

Dr Philip Clausen and Dr David Wood’s enthusiasm drove their idea forward and four years later, they had constructed and mounted their first small wind turbine prototype at the Waratah Sub-Station.

To commercialise and market the small wind turbines on an international level, Wood traded his academic position at the University in 2004 to form Aerogenesis.

Continuing his collaboration with Clausen, from the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy, Wood and his business partners honed and fine-tuned the design of the turbines – evaluating different materials, blade shapes, fatigue strength, tower heights and control systems.

Combining this technology with standard, reliable and cost-effective components, the 5KW,

THE WINDS OF CHANGEAlmost 20 years ago, an ambitious idea sparked between two engineers in an office overlooking the towering gum trees of the University of Newcastle campus. The idea turned to talk; talk turned to action; and very soon, that same idea will be turning on the lights in remote villages of North-Western China.

18 metre tall wind turbine has attracted the attention of the Australian Greenhouse Office, with Aerogenesis recently awarded a grant under the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate.

Awarded for a demonstration program, the grant sponsors Aerogenesis for the erection of five turbines in Australia and China, the first of which will find its home on the University’s Callaghan campus.

“The purpose of the program is to demonstrate the technology and to complete the product development,” Clausen said.

“So, at the end of the program, we will have a turbine we know works well and has been certified to the highest international safety standards.”

The technology begins with a patented blade design that

optimises low wind and starting performance, as well as efficient power extraction and low noise.

Designed using sophisticated computer optimisation software, the master moulds were machined by computer control for maximum dimensional accuracy. The blades were constructed with an advanced vacuum infusion method for strength and a fatigue life of more than 20 years.

The heart of the turbine is the rugged gear motor which can be cost effectively mass produced to a high quality; while the turbine’s controller, which has also been patented, is designed on the basis of a standard motor speed controller.

Next on the agenda for Aerogenesis and the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy is a series of Village Electrification Schemes in

“So, at the end of the program, we will have a turbine we know works well and has been certified to the highest international safety standards

“

“

remote West and North-Western China, where turbines are currently being produced and installation negotiations are underway.

While the blades and controllers will be made in Australia, the strategy behind Aerogenesis’s marketing is to couple potential projects in isolated areas with local manufacture.

“With Chinese provincial governments, we are working to supply electricity to villages that are not part of a grid,” Wood said.

“In addition to teaching large labour forces the manufacturing side of the turbines, we will offer training to maintain them and supervise their operation.”

Looking to the future the team is initiating negotiations with Indian governments based on the China model.

ACHIEVEMENTS | 13| ACHIEVEMENTS12

DOWN TO EARTH

MATERIALS MODELLING –

A MINE OF INFORMATION

Today as Director of the Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials Modelling, Professor Sloan’s academic achievements are testimony to his decision. A geotechnical engineer, Sloan is an Australian Research Council Federation Fellow (one of only three in civil engineering).

He is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (also one of only three in civil engineering), and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He is one of only 70 people to be elected to a Fellowship of both of these academies.

Sloan cites his election to the prestigious Australian Academy of Science – a peak body of just over 400 of the nation’s top scientific researchers – as a career highlight. Fellows are recognised for research that has had a profound impact on international scientific knowledge. Sloan was nominated for his creation of numerical methods to predict the maximum load capacity for structures such as tunnels, dams, highways, offshore platforms and building foundations. The methods have delivered groundbreaking new tools for

engineers to design cheaper and safer civil infrastructure.

Based on the limit theorems of plasticity, finite elements and advanced optimisation algorithms, these methods have been extended to model both static and cyclic loading.

Sloan said the ability to accurately estimate load limits was crucial to many forms of infrastructure design, but that it was complicated because natural ground often responds in a complex manner in any given area.

Sloan’s work has created a method enabling engineers to tackle this challenging problem.

The computer programs arising from Sloan’s techniques are currently being developed for the marketplace through a software company formed with colleagues through Newcastle Innovation. He finds this side of the work particularly exciting.

“You get an incredible sense of achievement when software you have laboured over for months works for the first time. The behaviour of geomaterials is very complicated, and programs which accurately estimate load capacity are crucial to the safe and economic design of infrastructure.”

In 1984, when a young Dr Scott Sloan paused to reflect on an already-accomplished academic career in civil engineering, he looked around the hallowed grounds of Oxford University and decided a move back to Australia might offer him the chance to “build something”.

Writing sophisticated computer programs is an art form, and it is very rewarding to see them used to solve practical problems

“Heap leaching is a process used to recover copper from ore. Mined ore is crushed into small chunks and irrigated with a leach solution to dissolve the copper that percolates through the heap and can then be collected.

The cutting-edge computer equipment will form an integral part of a study being conducted by Dr Kristian Krabbenhoft under an Australian Research Council Linkage grant with BHP Billiton’s Newcastle Technology Centre.

Krabbenhoft’s colleague, the Centre’s Co-Director, Professor Irina Belova, has been working on materials modelling at the nanoscale. Krabbenhoft is drawing on Belova’s microscopic studies to form models that more accurately reflect the properties of the heaps.

In doing so, he aims to formulate optimal leaching strategies for higher yields and provide models for the uptake of the new technology by other industries.

The research will combine two emerging technologies – X-ray micromography and virtual testing – to study the micromechanical properties of the cluster heaps.

Krabbenhoft said that as the world’s reserves of valuable metals diminished, efficient extraction from mined ore was a global problem.

“The acquisition of the ‘supercomputer’ is the next big step in this research. It will let us process very large sets of data and enable the simulation of more realistic and complete models of the physical processes involved in the extraction of copper minerals from ore.”

The Priority Research Centre for Geotechnical and Materials

Modelling will soon be home to a powerful new ‘supercomputer’ to help

devise new methods of increasing copper heap leaching yields.

Dr Philip Clausen and Dr David Wood’s enthusiasm drove their idea forward and four years later, they had constructed and mounted their first small wind turbine prototype at the Waratah Sub-Station.

To commercialise and market the small wind turbines on an international level, Wood traded his academic position at the University in 2004 to form Aerogenesis.

Continuing his collaboration with Clausen, from the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy, Wood and his business partners honed and fine-tuned the design of the turbines – evaluating different materials, blade shapes, fatigue strength, tower heights and control systems.

Combining this technology with standard, reliable and cost-effective components, the 5KW,

THE WINDS OF CHANGEAlmost 20 years ago, an ambitious idea sparked between two engineers in an office overlooking the towering gum trees of the University of Newcastle campus. The idea turned to talk; talk turned to action; and very soon, that same idea will be turning on the lights in remote villages of North-Western China.

18 metre tall wind turbine has attracted the attention of the Australian Greenhouse Office, with Aerogenesis recently awarded a grant under the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate.

Awarded for a demonstration program, the grant sponsors Aerogenesis for the erection of five turbines in Australia and China, the first of which will find its home on the University’s Callaghan campus.

“The purpose of the program is to demonstrate the technology and to complete the product development,” Clausen said.

“So, at the end of the program, we will have a turbine we know works well and has been certified to the highest international safety standards.”

The technology begins with a patented blade design that

optimises low wind and starting performance, as well as efficient power extraction and low noise.

Designed using sophisticated computer optimisation software, the master moulds were machined by computer control for maximum dimensional accuracy. The blades were constructed with an advanced vacuum infusion method for strength and a fatigue life of more than 20 years.

The heart of the turbine is the rugged gear motor which can be cost effectively mass produced to a high quality; while the turbine’s controller, which has also been patented, is designed on the basis of a standard motor speed controller.

Next on the agenda for Aerogenesis and the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy is a series of Village Electrification Schemes in

“So, at the end of the program, we will have a turbine we know works well and has been certified to the highest international safety standards

“

“

remote West and North-Western China, where turbines are currently being produced and installation negotiations are underway.

While the blades and controllers will be made in Australia, the strategy behind Aerogenesis’s marketing is to couple potential projects in isolated areas with local manufacture.

“With Chinese provincial governments, we are working to supply electricity to villages that are not part of a grid,” Wood said.

“In addition to teaching large labour forces the manufacturing side of the turbines, we will offer training to maintain them and supervise their operation.”

Looking to the future the team is initiating negotiations with Indian governments based on the China model.

| ACHIEVEMENTS14 ACHIEVEMENTS | 15

A few minutes of conversation with her quickly reveals she is very at home among the thunderous equipment. Mirzaeva along with her team and resources from P&H and P&H MinePro is currently developing a tool with the potential to save the mining industry hours of lost time caused by machinery breakdowns each year.

With a group from the Cooperative Research Centre for Mining, Mirzaeva, an electrical engineer, is working on formulating a monitoring tool called the DC Motor Duty Meter. The meter monitors the motor performance of mining machinery to its condition and provides data anticipating failure before it occurs.

The group has been given an industry-funded Australian Coal Association Research Program grant to develop a prototype of the Duty Meter and is establishing its unique test facility at one of the mine sites in the Hunter Valley area.

It takes a stretch of the imagination

to picture the softly spoken Dr Galina

Mirzaeva in an open-cut mine

working with massive mining

equipment.

Mirzaeva said the recent Australian minerals boom had presented challenges for industry that could be addressed by the improved use of mining equipment and the development of automated mining systems.

While AC (Alternating Current) motor technology is increasingly gaining market share in the industry, DC (Direct Current) motors remain an attractive solution for mining applications because they are robust and simple to control.

“DC machines will continue to be used for up to several decades and the ageing of the existing motor fleet will intensify maintenance problems while mines make the move into an AC-dominated environment,” she said.

“Condition monitoring systems can provide real-time information about DC equipment and prevent it from a catastrophic failure.

“We are talking about massive pieces of equipment with megawatt power motors operating in very harsh conditions with rapid shifts in speed and directions.

“Installing the tool on machinery is very cost-effective in terms of shutdowns and will also improve the safety for people operating the machinery.

“At a modest estimation, at least one week a year will be saved in breakdown time for each piece of equipment.”

To develop the Duty Meter the group is running experiments on full-scale machines under controlled conditions in its facility in the Hunter Valley.

Mirzaeva said the team is investigating the influence of loading conditions on performance and extending the relevant mathematical models for the development of the DC Motor Duty Meter’s software.

“Condition monitoring systems can provide realtime information about DC equipment and prevent it from a catastrophic failure

“

Photo: Glen McCurtayne/Fairfaxphotos

WORKING AT THE COAL FACE

For many of us, life without the Internet is unimaginable. We appreciate its convenience, its speed and the fact it lets us do a lot of things from the comfort of our office or home that, just a few years ago, would have meant a trip to the library, the store or the bank.

The depths of its inner workings remain a mystery for most people but for Professor Mirka Miller, it is a world waiting to be discovered.

THE GRAPHIC APPROACH

Miller’s research interests lie in Extremal Graph Theory. She is currently working on a French-Australian Science and Technology Program with a team of colleagues from the University of Newcastle and the University Paris Sud on determining the maximum number of nodes, given certain limitations, a network can have.

“Any network – such as the Internet and communications and transport networks – can be

represented as a graph, so we can see how it becomes applicable in modern-day living,” Miller said.

“A graph is a great visual tool and people are usually more able to comprehend a picture than some formulas or a lot of statements.”

Once something is represented as a graph, the team can use the representation to explore its various properties. These

properties can for example help find the best route in a network, or a best placing for a new node within an existing network.

By representing networks graphically, the team can discover new properties of the networks. The rewards are significant in that the new knowledge can be used to run applications more efficiently on the web.

In recent years, the University of Newcastle has achieved international success with its soccer playing robotic dogs, the NUbots. With Sony discontinuing manufacture of the four-legged robots, a new avenue had to be found for the computer programming geniuses behind the NUbots. To continue the cutting-edge research, Newcastle entered the new Standard Platform League, a two-legged version of the robotics soccer world cup.

The new League featured the recently released Aldebaran Nao robots and only the 16 most experienced teams from around the world were given access to the hardware. Teams played for 10-minute halves in the knockout 2008 RoboCup competition in China, and the

ROBOCHAMPIONS!Move over NUbots, the NUManoids are the new world champions.

NUManoids were declared champions.

Newcastle was one of only two Australian teams invited to compete. They teamed up with the National University of Ireland to form the NUManoids. Two Aldebaran Nao robots were programmed in Newcastle, the other two in Ireland.

The victorious NUManoids contingent consisted of staff and students from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, each a leading researcher in their field.

Newcastle PhD student Naomi Henderson said the research involved more than just programming robots to play an intricate game of football, the complex software being developed could be directly

applied to the design of robots for the future.

“These new robots have presented a number of challenging research tasks and provided an indication of the direction robotics research will take in the next two to five years.

Photo: Newspix/ Liam Driver

“The ultimate aim is to develop and program robots to support humans with routine, as well as dangerous and expert tasks. By 2050, we believe robots will be advanced enough to play competitively against the leading football team in the world.”

| ACHIEVEMENTS14 ACHIEVEMENTS | 15

A few minutes of conversation with her quickly reveals she is very at home among the thunderous equipment. Mirzaeva along with her team and resources from P&H and P&H MinePro is currently developing a tool with the potential to save the mining industry hours of lost time caused by machinery breakdowns each year.

With a group from the Cooperative Research Centre for Mining, Mirzaeva, an electrical engineer, is working on formulating a monitoring tool called the DC Motor Duty Meter. The meter monitors the motor performance of mining machinery to its condition and provides data anticipating failure before it occurs.

The group has been given an industry-funded Australian Coal Association Research Program grant to develop a prototype of the Duty Meter and is establishing its unique test facility at one of the mine sites in the Hunter Valley area.

It takes a stretch of the imagination

to picture the softly spoken Dr Galina

Mirzaeva in an open-cut mine

working with massive mining

equipment.

Mirzaeva said the recent Australian minerals boom had presented challenges for industry that could be addressed by the improved use of mining equipment and the development of automated mining systems.

While AC (Alternating Current) motor technology is increasingly gaining market share in the industry, DC (Direct Current) motors remain an attractive solution for mining applications because they are robust and simple to control.

“DC machines will continue to be used for up to several decades and the ageing of the existing motor fleet will intensify maintenance problems while mines make the move into an AC-dominated environment,” she said.

“Condition monitoring systems can provide real-time information about DC equipment and prevent it from a catastrophic failure.

“We are talking about massive pieces of equipment with megawatt power motors operating in very harsh conditions with rapid shifts in speed and directions.

“Installing the tool on machinery is very cost-effective in terms of shutdowns and will also improve the safety for people operating the machinery.

“At a modest estimation, at least one week a year will be saved in breakdown time for each piece of equipment.”

To develop the Duty Meter the group is running experiments on full-scale machines under controlled conditions in its facility in the Hunter Valley.

Mirzaeva said the team is investigating the influence of loading conditions on performance and extending the relevant mathematical models for the development of the DC Motor Duty Meter’s software.

“Condition monitoring systems can provide realtime information about DC equipment and prevent it from a catastrophic failure

“

Photo: Glen McCurtayne/Fairfaxphotos

WORKING AT THE COAL FACE

For many of us, life without the Internet is unimaginable. We appreciate its convenience, its speed and the fact it lets us do a lot of things from the comfort of our office or home that, just a few years ago, would have meant a trip to the library, the store or the bank.

The depths of its inner workings remain a mystery for most people but for Professor Mirka Miller, it is a world waiting to be discovered.

THE GRAPHIC APPROACH

Miller’s research interests lie in Extremal Graph Theory. She is currently working on a French-Australian Science and Technology Program with a team of colleagues from the University of Newcastle and the University Paris Sud on determining the maximum number of nodes, given certain limitations, a network can have.

“Any network – such as the Internet and communications and transport networks – can be

represented as a graph, so we can see how it becomes applicable in modern-day living,” Miller said.

“A graph is a great visual tool and people are usually more able to comprehend a picture than some formulas or a lot of statements.”

Once something is represented as a graph, the team can use the representation to explore its various properties. These

properties can for example help find the best route in a network, or a best placing for a new node within an existing network.

By representing networks graphically, the team can discover new properties of the networks. The rewards are significant in that the new knowledge can be used to run applications more efficiently on the web.

In recent years, the University of Newcastle has achieved international success with its soccer playing robotic dogs, the NUbots. With Sony discontinuing manufacture of the four-legged robots, a new avenue had to be found for the computer programming geniuses behind the NUbots. To continue the cutting-edge research, Newcastle entered the new Standard Platform League, a two-legged version of the robotics soccer world cup.

The new League featured the recently released Aldebaran Nao robots and only the 16 most experienced teams from around the world were given access to the hardware. Teams played for 10-minute halves in the knockout 2008 RoboCup competition in China, and the

ROBOCHAMPIONS!Move over NUbots, the NUManoids are the new world champions.

NUManoids were declared champions.

Newcastle was one of only two Australian teams invited to compete. They teamed up with the National University of Ireland to form the NUManoids. Two Aldebaran Nao robots were programmed in Newcastle, the other two in Ireland.

The victorious NUManoids contingent consisted of staff and students from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, each a leading researcher in their field.

Newcastle PhD student Naomi Henderson said the research involved more than just programming robots to play an intricate game of football, the complex software being developed could be directly

applied to the design of robots for the future.

“These new robots have presented a number of challenging research tasks and provided an indication of the direction robotics research will take in the next two to five years.

Photo: Newspix/ Liam Driver

“The ultimate aim is to develop and program robots to support humans with routine, as well as dangerous and expert tasks. By 2050, we believe robots will be advanced enough to play competitively against the leading football team in the world.”

ACHIEVEMENTS | 17| ACHIEVEMENTS16 ACHIEVEMENTS | 17

CDSC Director, Laureate Professor Graham Goodwin, uses the recent landing of a spacecraft on Mars to demonstrate the importance of mastering control systems.

“In terms of guidance and systems control, safely landing that spacecraft on a planet more than 100 million kilometres away is a fantastic achievement,” the former Australian Research Council Federation Fellow said with more than a hint of admiration for the feat.

“We do not research landing spacecraft here but it is the perfect example of the wonders of control – which is the area we work in.”

The team of internationally acclaimed Newcastle-based engineers is pioneering modern control system design and breaking new ground globally.

PERFECTLY PARTNERED

The world of Complex Dynamic Systems and Control (CDSC) is intricate but surprisingly simple to illustrate.

Goodwin explains almost everything we use in our everyday lives contains some form of control system, similar (although perhaps not as complex) to that used in the Mars landing.

Since its establishment in 2003, CDSC, now an Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence, has given life to a host of fundamental research achievements and significant industry collaborations.

Whether in the field of mineral exploration, marine systems, mine planning or model-based control software, the Centre’s 60-plus team of engineers, mathematicians and statisticians is focused on developing cutting-edge process optimisation and control solutions.

Linked to the University’s schools of Electrical Engineering

and Computer Science, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Queensland University of Technology, the CDSC has seven major research programs: Control System Design; Mathematical Systems Theory; Bayesian Learning; Signal Processing; Industrial Control and Optimisation; Mechatronics; and Distributed Sensing and Control.

A host of industrial sponsors provide real-world challenges for the Centre as it hones-in on how complex control problems can be addressed with alternative theoretical tools in the context of modern computational methods.

One example is the Centre’s work with BHP Billiton’s Newcastle Technology Centre on high-technology electromagnetic minerals exploration.

“We are looking at the signal-processing of what is basically a 1km2 metal detector,” Goodwin said.

“Ore – which can be buried up to a kilometre underground – when pulsed by a large coil on the surface of the ground emits small electrical signals that can be picked up by the detector. The problem is sferics (the low frequency electromagnetic radiation from lightning strikes) interrupt the receivers, particularly in areas near the Equator, which can experience up to 100 lightning strikes a second.

“We are looking at ways to reduce the sferics interference and have developed broadband noise cancellation techniques using spatial correlation of atmospheric noise.”

Dynamic partnerships between researchers and industry are the cornerstone of the University’s Complex Dynamic Systems and Control (CDSC) Centre, enabling reciprocal knowledge and transfer of ideas.

The partnership between the CDSC and Matrikon – a Canadian provider of integrated industrial intelligence for process industries – is a perfect example.

The collaboration began when the Centre’s spin-off control design software company was bought by Matrikon in 2002.

Today, the CDSC provides high-technology advice to Matrikon on how to improve advanced control systems software for continuous process industries such as steel making, and mineral and food processing.

Recent research focused on enhancing existing Model Predictive Control software, integrating knowledge and existing CDSC closed-loop identification software.

Matrikon has applied the software to two ethanol plants, one in Queensland, the other in Texas, United States. The improvements to the Texas plant resulted in a saving of more than

New technology sensors have also enabled the development of techniques for noise cancellation to frequencies as low as 4Hz.

“We are now developing a single, unbiased model for broadband multiple noise cancellation and the implementation of code that automates the model estimation and signal processing,” added Goodwin.

From under the ground to over the seas, CDSC research is applied to all types of industry, with recent breakthroughs reducing the motion of Australian Customs Service vessels.

In collaboration with naval architecture company Halcyon International, a CDSC team led by Dr Tristan Perez, has developed control allocation strategies to reduce wave-

induced motion in roll and pitch in high-speed sea-going vessels.

The motion reduction is achieved using various force devices which, depending on how they are positioned on the hull, produce forces affecting either roll or pitch motion, or both.

The team developed a novel strategy to optimise the control forces produced in changing sailing conditions.

The strategy was added to Halcyon’s existing ride control system – improving performance and contributing to the company winning a contract for the upgrade of the Bay Class Patrol Boat fleet of the Australian Customs Service.

MASTERS OF CONTROL

$US1 million annually and the solution is expected to be replicated across another 50 plants.

Future collaboration with Matrikon on next-generation model-based control tools will investigate the classification and prediction of plant downtimes using alarm data; and non-linear process control strategy development.

We are looking at the signal-processing of what is basically a 1km2 metal detector“ “

ACHIEVEMENTS | 17| ACHIEVEMENTS16 ACHIEVEMENTS | 17

CDSC Director, Laureate Professor Graham Goodwin, uses the recent landing of a spacecraft on Mars to demonstrate the importance of mastering control systems.

“In terms of guidance and systems control, safely landing that spacecraft on a planet more than 100 million kilometres away is a fantastic achievement,” the former Australian Research Council Federation Fellow said with more than a hint of admiration for the feat.

“We do not research landing spacecraft here but it is the perfect example of the wonders of control – which is the area we work in.”

The team of internationally acclaimed Newcastle-based engineers is pioneering modern control system design and breaking new ground globally.

PERFECTLY PARTNERED

The world of Complex Dynamic Systems and Control (CDSC) is intricate but surprisingly simple to illustrate.

Goodwin explains almost everything we use in our everyday lives contains some form of control system, similar (although perhaps not as complex) to that used in the Mars landing.

Since its establishment in 2003, CDSC, now an Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence, has given life to a host of fundamental research achievements and significant industry collaborations.

Whether in the field of mineral exploration, marine systems, mine planning or model-based control software, the Centre’s 60-plus team of engineers, mathematicians and statisticians is focused on developing cutting-edge process optimisation and control solutions.

Linked to the University’s schools of Electrical Engineering

and Computer Science, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Queensland University of Technology, the CDSC has seven major research programs: Control System Design; Mathematical Systems Theory; Bayesian Learning; Signal Processing; Industrial Control and Optimisation; Mechatronics; and Distributed Sensing and Control.

A host of industrial sponsors provide real-world challenges for the Centre as it hones-in on how complex control problems can be addressed with alternative theoretical tools in the context of modern computational methods.

One example is the Centre’s work with BHP Billiton’s Newcastle Technology Centre on high-technology electromagnetic minerals exploration.

“We are looking at the signal-processing of what is basically a 1km2 metal detector,” Goodwin said.

“Ore – which can be buried up to a kilometre underground – when pulsed by a large coil on the surface of the ground emits small electrical signals that can be picked up by the detector. The problem is sferics (the low frequency electromagnetic radiation from lightning strikes) interrupt the receivers, particularly in areas near the Equator, which can experience up to 100 lightning strikes a second.

“We are looking at ways to reduce the sferics interference and have developed broadband noise cancellation techniques using spatial correlation of atmospheric noise.”

Dynamic partnerships between researchers and industry are the cornerstone of the University’s Complex Dynamic Systems and Control (CDSC) Centre, enabling reciprocal knowledge and transfer of ideas.

The partnership between the CDSC and Matrikon – a Canadian provider of integrated industrial intelligence for process industries – is a perfect example.

The collaboration began when the Centre’s spin-off control design software company was bought by Matrikon in 2002.

Today, the CDSC provides high-technology advice to Matrikon on how to improve advanced control systems software for continuous process industries such as steel making, and mineral and food processing.

Recent research focused on enhancing existing Model Predictive Control software, integrating knowledge and existing CDSC closed-loop identification software.

Matrikon has applied the software to two ethanol plants, one in Queensland, the other in Texas, United States. The improvements to the Texas plant resulted in a saving of more than

New technology sensors have also enabled the development of techniques for noise cancellation to frequencies as low as 4Hz.

“We are now developing a single, unbiased model for broadband multiple noise cancellation and the implementation of code that automates the model estimation and signal processing,” added Goodwin.

From under the ground to over the seas, CDSC research is applied to all types of industry, with recent breakthroughs reducing the motion of Australian Customs Service vessels.

In collaboration with naval architecture company Halcyon International, a CDSC team led by Dr Tristan Perez, has developed control allocation strategies to reduce wave-

induced motion in roll and pitch in high-speed sea-going vessels.

The motion reduction is achieved using various force devices which, depending on how they are positioned on the hull, produce forces affecting either roll or pitch motion, or both.

The team developed a novel strategy to optimise the control forces produced in changing sailing conditions.

The strategy was added to Halcyon’s existing ride control system – improving performance and contributing to the company winning a contract for the upgrade of the Bay Class Patrol Boat fleet of the Australian Customs Service.

MASTERS OF CONTROL

$US1 million annually and the solution is expected to be replicated across another 50 plants.

Future collaboration with Matrikon on next-generation model-based control tools will investigate the classification and prediction of plant downtimes using alarm data; and non-linear process control strategy development.

We are looking at the signal-processing of what is basically a 1km2 metal detector“ “

| ACHIEVEMENTS18 ACHIEVEMENTS | 19

The huge box-shaped building, seemingly filled with soap bubbles, is built from more than 22,000 irregular sized beams.

It is a remarkable engineering feat and one that University of Newcastle graduate Mark Arkinstall, who played a major role in its structural design, resoundingly calls “the best work I have ever done”.

The stunning concept was given life after the Chinese Government ran a competition for the design of a national swimming centre as part of its preparation for the 2008 Olympics. The Watercube concept not only won the stamp of approval from the Government, but also won the Chinese popular vote, confirming its functionality and the beauty of the timeless design.

Arkinstall, who graduated from Newcastle in 1994 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), said his role after the initial

design competition was to assess whether such a structure was even possible.

“The design grew from the architects’ inspiration for an organic structure,” Arkinstall said.

“It was always going to be a challenging task – the timeline from winning the competition to tender documentation was only seven months – but I was extremely excited to be working on such a cutting-edge building.”

Arkinstall’s brief was to deliver a structural engineering design that met all of the client’s requirements, as well as the Chinese design codes.

This included the design of thousands of steel beams for the superstructure – all of which needed to be capable of resisting thermal, wind, fire, snow, earthquake and gravity loads under a host of different conditions.

Computer automation and optimisation techniques were developed to create the final solution, including programs for structural design, optimisation and tender drawing creation.

Arkinstall attributes his ability to create the computer programs required to design the Watercube to the fundamentals he learned in programming classes at the University during his engineering degree.

As part of his desire to ‘give back’ to the University, Arkinstall gives at least two comprehensive presentations to engineering students during the teaching year. It is a practice he has maintained since 1995, as a way of inspiring would-be engineers to aim high and to reach far.

“I give the presentations at the University to demonstrate to students what they can achieve,” Arkinstall said.

“Engineering can be a very theoretical subject, so if students actually see where their degree can take them, they often gain a whole new perspective on their studies. Being able to see the application of their work really does make a difference.

“Not surprisingly, for the last few years, my presentations have focused on the Watercube and I like to think they have been inspirational for the engineering students.”

The awe-inspiring sight of the ‘Watercube’ – the National Swimming Centre built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games – illuminating the night sky is one the world will remember for years to come.

AN OLYMPIC EFFORT

You may be the world’s most brilliant software engineer but if you cannot communicate effectively or work in a team, your professional career could prove much more challenging than it has to be.

can cope with the challenges of this emerging engineering discipline,” Ye said.

The third-year course is designed to give the students a taste of the real world, experiencing all the professional twists and turns of a working software engineer.

In teams of three or four, the students use a standard industry development methodology, known as Process MeNtOR, throughout the course and are given an opportunity to qualify for an industry-recognised certificate in its proficiency.

Process MeNtOR is provided by Sydney firm Object Consulting, which has been partnering with the University for nearly a decade to help ensure graduates are familiar with state-of-the-art industry practices.

The students are given a product function that they need to develop using project specifications that are intentionally incomplete and ambiguous.

“This is what software engineers come up against all the time,” Ye said.

There is a great shortage of software engineers in Australia and it is important our graduates are trained properly so they can cope with the challenges of this emerging engineering discipline

“

PROGRAMMED FOR SUCCESS

“Complexity and changeability are very much part of the discipline and we want the students to experience reality as closely as possible.”

The course has a three-stage delivery and each is marked and students given detailed feedback. At a later stage, the teams have the opportunity to improve on whatever they missed earlier.

“This is the life of a software developer – everything is always evolving and being improved on,” Ye said.

“We show students how to use Process MeNtOR to guide their project development and extend their learning in dealing with industry-based themes, issues and problems of software development.

“This is great experience for their future careers.”

According to the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science’s Associate Professor Huilin Ye, teamwork and communication are vital qualities for a software engineer.

Ye, who worked in the software engineering industry for a decade before joining academia, has used her experience to identify important professional values and skill sets. She has incorporated them into the University’s software engineering degree program.

The course takes a university-industry collaborative approach to deliver the professional skills demanded of graduates, and earned Ye an Australian Learning and Teaching Citation in 2008.

“There is a great shortage of software engineers in Australia and it is important our graduates are trained properly so they

“

| ACHIEVEMENTS18 ACHIEVEMENTS | 19

The huge box-shaped building, seemingly filled with soap bubbles, is built from more than 22,000 irregular sized beams.

It is a remarkable engineering feat and one that University of Newcastle graduate Mark Arkinstall, who played a major role in its structural design, resoundingly calls “the best work I have ever done”.

The stunning concept was given life after the Chinese Government ran a competition for the design of a national swimming centre as part of its preparation for the 2008 Olympics. The Watercube concept not only won the stamp of approval from the Government, but also won the Chinese popular vote, confirming its functionality and the beauty of the timeless design.

Arkinstall, who graduated from Newcastle in 1994 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), said his role after the initial

design competition was to assess whether such a structure was even possible.

“The design grew from the architects’ inspiration for an organic structure,” Arkinstall said.

“It was always going to be a challenging task – the timeline from winning the competition to tender documentation was only seven months – but I was extremely excited to be working on such a cutting-edge building.”

Arkinstall’s brief was to deliver a structural engineering design that met all of the client’s requirements, as well as the Chinese design codes.

This included the design of thousands of steel beams for the superstructure – all of which needed to be capable of resisting thermal, wind, fire, snow, earthquake and gravity loads under a host of different conditions.

Computer automation and optimisation techniques were developed to create the final solution, including programs for structural design, optimisation and tender drawing creation.

Arkinstall attributes his ability to create the computer programs required to design the Watercube to the fundamentals he learned in programming classes at the University during his engineering degree.

As part of his desire to ‘give back’ to the University, Arkinstall gives at least two comprehensive presentations to engineering students during the teaching year. It is a practice he has maintained since 1995, as a way of inspiring would-be engineers to aim high and to reach far.

“I give the presentations at the University to demonstrate to students what they can achieve,” Arkinstall said.

“Engineering can be a very theoretical subject, so if students actually see where their degree can take them, they often gain a whole new perspective on their studies. Being able to see the application of their work really does make a difference.

“Not surprisingly, for the last few years, my presentations have focused on the Watercube and I like to think they have been inspirational for the engineering students.”

The awe-inspiring sight of the ‘Watercube’ – the National Swimming Centre built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games – illuminating the night sky is one the world will remember for years to come.

AN OLYMPIC EFFORT

You may be the world’s most brilliant software engineer but if you cannot communicate effectively or work in a team, your professional career could prove much more challenging than it has to be.

can cope with the challenges of this emerging engineering discipline,” Ye said.

The third-year course is designed to give the students a taste of the real world, experiencing all the professional twists and turns of a working software engineer.

In teams of three or four, the students use a standard industry development methodology, known as Process MeNtOR, throughout the course and are given an opportunity to qualify for an industry-recognised certificate in its proficiency.

Process MeNtOR is provided by Sydney firm Object Consulting, which has been partnering with the University for nearly a decade to help ensure graduates are familiar with state-of-the-art industry practices.

The students are given a product function that they need to develop using project specifications that are intentionally incomplete and ambiguous.

“This is what software engineers come up against all the time,” Ye said.

There is a great shortage of software engineers in Australia and it is important our graduates are trained properly so they can cope with the challenges of this emerging engineering discipline

“

PROGRAMMED FOR SUCCESS

“Complexity and changeability are very much part of the discipline and we want the students to experience reality as closely as possible.”

The course has a three-stage delivery and each is marked and students given detailed feedback. At a later stage, the teams have the opportunity to improve on whatever they missed earlier.

“This is the life of a software developer – everything is always evolving and being improved on,” Ye said.

“We show students how to use Process MeNtOR to guide their project development and extend their learning in dealing with industry-based themes, issues and problems of software development.

“This is great experience for their future careers.”

According to the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science’s Associate Professor Huilin Ye, teamwork and communication are vital qualities for a software engineer.

Ye, who worked in the software engineering industry for a decade before joining academia, has used her experience to identify important professional values and skill sets. She has incorporated them into the University’s software engineering degree program.

The course takes a university-industry collaborative approach to deliver the professional skills demanded of graduates, and earned Ye an Australian Learning and Teaching Citation in 2008.

“There is a great shortage of software engineers in Australia and it is important our graduates are trained properly so they

“

| ACHIEVEMENTS20 ACHIEVEMENTS | 21

An eclectic mix of sandstone, breathtaking coastal views and glass atriums was the inspiration behind an award-winning design by University of Newcastle graduate, Shaun Purcell.

A JUST DESIGN

Purcell was a third-year Bachelor of Design (Architecture) student when he received the honour from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter for his innovative vision for a courthouse within Newcastle’s legal precinct.

The HPA/Mirvac Award, fiercely contested by students from universities across Australia, acknowledged Purcell’s end-of-year work for its creative interpretation of public architecture.

“I wanted it to be a truly modern interpretation of a courthouse,” Purcell explained.

“The courthouse needed to represent the transparency of the legal system, which is why I incorporated a visually engaging glass atrium that spans all floors. Yet the building also had to

maintain a sense of mystique and permanence, appearing quite solid, as though it was carved from rock.”

The design brief called for the replacement of a dilapidated block of flats on a prominent corner in Newcastle, famed for its breathtaking coastal views.

This outlook was taken into account in the final design through Purcell’s use of construction materials.

“I used sandstone to represent not only the natural environment but also the legal system’s traditions, as sandstone is a material commonly used in courthouses,” Purcell said.

“It was important for the building to engage with the outside and represent the natural environment, as well as represent

the history and traditions of the law. I wanted it to reflect the complexity of the law and the society it governs.”

Purcell added the mix of old and new helped give the building a sense of the past and the future.

“This design was essentially about solving a complex planning problem and making your own assessment of what public architecture means,” he said.

Another crucial element required by the design brief was for the building to be user-friendly and actually work as a public administration building.

“It was especially important I got the function right, taking into account things like ensuring the circulation patterns of jurors, judges, the accused and the public did not cross.”

The new courthouse comprised one district courtroom, a local courtroom and ancillary spaces.

Purcell, who now works for global design firm Woods Bagot in Brisbane, said the award and his training at the University had given his career a substantial boost.

“The architecture degree at the University of Newcastle is held in high regard in the industry and the problem-based learning approach – which was evident in the courthouse brief – is something I would highly recommend as a learning tool,” he said.

“The course ensures graduates are highly employable once they leave university. It certainly prepared me well for the workplace.”

“Like any industry, we want our graduates to hit the ground running as skilled, qualified professionals

“While this is great news for the economy, it means students are being tempted away from construction management, quantity surveying and building surveying degree programs.

The lure of instant careers and on-the-job training is raising concerns in the industry about its future. Once the boom is over, will construction management suffer from a chronic shortage of qualified professionals?

Addressing this and other problems at university level is part of work by Associate Professor Tony Williams and Willy Sher from the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment.

The pair has received a grant from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council to look at the issues and opportunities confronting the discipline in terms of teaching, assessment, curriculum structure, professional attributes and work-readiness of graduates.

Williams said the quality of construction management education in Australia and how well it met industry expectations in delivering work-ready graduates, was key to how universities could assess and expand the curriculum.

“Like any industry, we want our graduates to hit the ground running as skilled, qualified professionals,” Williams said.

Williams and Sher have surveyed all full-time academics in the field; held focus groups with staff and students at universities across Australia; studied curriculum handbooks; and reviewed Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations data.

They have found that of those committing to a degree program, many are also working at least 20 to 30 hours a week.

“This has a real impact on learning,” Williams said. “Industry is poaching students as early as their first year and offering them part-time salaries of up to $100,000. As a result, they may not have time to learn properly and meet the demands of their assessment tasks.”

Williams and Sher said another issue compounding the skill shortage problem was the fact that women represented only 15 per cent of the construction management student population across Australia. Sher said that this gender imbalance was seen across academic staff numbers and the industry as a whole.

“Women are poorly represented and we need to address this as one way to meet demand,” he said. “If females are not attracted to construction management, we are missing out on a large pool of potential students.”

Sher, the recipient of a prestigious Australian Institute of Building Award – the Ronald Swane AM Award for Excellence in Teaching – said the scoping study was an important step forward for construction management education.

“We envisage the study creating the landscape from which new teaching and learning initiatives will emerge,” he said.

THE SCHOOL OF HARD HATS

Thanks to a nationwide building boom, demand for construction management

professionals is at an all-time high.

| ACHIEVEMENTS20 ACHIEVEMENTS | 21

An eclectic mix of sandstone, breathtaking coastal views and glass atriums was the inspiration behind an award-winning design by University of Newcastle graduate, Shaun Purcell.

A JUST DESIGN

Purcell was a third-year Bachelor of Design (Architecture) student when he received the honour from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter for his innovative vision for a courthouse within Newcastle’s legal precinct.

The HPA/Mirvac Award, fiercely contested by students from universities across Australia, acknowledged Purcell’s end-of-year work for its creative interpretation of public architecture.

“I wanted it to be a truly modern interpretation of a courthouse,” Purcell explained.

“The courthouse needed to represent the transparency of the legal system, which is why I incorporated a visually engaging glass atrium that spans all floors. Yet the building also had to

maintain a sense of mystique and permanence, appearing quite solid, as though it was carved from rock.”

The design brief called for the replacement of a dilapidated block of flats on a prominent corner in Newcastle, famed for its breathtaking coastal views.

This outlook was taken into account in the final design through Purcell’s use of construction materials.

“I used sandstone to represent not only the natural environment but also the legal system’s traditions, as sandstone is a material commonly used in courthouses,” Purcell said.

“It was important for the building to engage with the outside and represent the natural environment, as well as represent

the history and traditions of the law. I wanted it to reflect the complexity of the law and the society it governs.”

Purcell added the mix of old and new helped give the building a sense of the past and the future.

“This design was essentially about solving a complex planning problem and making your own assessment of what public architecture means,” he said.

Another crucial element required by the design brief was for the building to be user-friendly and actually work as a public administration building.

“It was especially important I got the function right, taking into account things like ensuring the circulation patterns of jurors, judges, the accused and the public did not cross.”

The new courthouse comprised one district courtroom, a local courtroom and ancillary spaces.

Purcell, who now works for global design firm Woods Bagot in Brisbane, said the award and his training at the University had given his career a substantial boost.

“The architecture degree at the University of Newcastle is held in high regard in the industry and the problem-based learning approach – which was evident in the courthouse brief – is something I would highly recommend as a learning tool,” he said.

“The course ensures graduates are highly employable once they leave university. It certainly prepared me well for the workplace.”

“Like any industry, we want our graduates to hit the ground running as skilled, qualified professionals

“While this is great news for the economy, it means students are being tempted away from construction management, quantity surveying and building surveying degree programs.

The lure of instant careers and on-the-job training is raising concerns in the industry about its future. Once the boom is over, will construction management suffer from a chronic shortage of qualified professionals?

Addressing this and other problems at university level is part of work by Associate Professor Tony Williams and Willy Sher from the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment.

The pair has received a grant from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council to look at the issues and opportunities confronting the discipline in terms of teaching, assessment, curriculum structure, professional attributes and work-readiness of graduates.

Williams said the quality of construction management education in Australia and how well it met industry expectations in delivering work-ready graduates, was key to how universities could assess and expand the curriculum.

“Like any industry, we want our graduates to hit the ground running as skilled, qualified professionals,” Williams said.

Williams and Sher have surveyed all full-time academics in the field; held focus groups with staff and students at universities across Australia; studied curriculum handbooks; and reviewed Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations data.

They have found that of those committing to a degree program, many are also working at least 20 to 30 hours a week.

“This has a real impact on learning,” Williams said. “Industry is poaching students as early as their first year and offering them part-time salaries of up to $100,000. As a result, they may not have time to learn properly and meet the demands of their assessment tasks.”

Williams and Sher said another issue compounding the skill shortage problem was the fact that women represented only 15 per cent of the construction management student population across Australia. Sher said that this gender imbalance was seen across academic staff numbers and the industry as a whole.

“Women are poorly represented and we need to address this as one way to meet demand,” he said. “If females are not attracted to construction management, we are missing out on a large pool of potential students.”

Sher, the recipient of a prestigious Australian Institute of Building Award – the Ronald Swane AM Award for Excellence in Teaching – said the scoping study was an important step forward for construction management education.

“We envisage the study creating the landscape from which new teaching and learning initiatives will emerge,” he said.

THE SCHOOL OF HARD HATS

Thanks to a nationwide building boom, demand for construction management

professionals is at an all-time high.

ACHIEVEMENTS | 23

Clean coal technologies involve releasing energy from coal to generate electricity, while at the same time concentrating carbon dioxide to levels that can be compressed to a liquid-like state and stored geologically.

Oxyfuel combustion technology is one clean coal technology project the team has been working on which will soon be demonstrated in Queensland. Oxyfuel combustion technology involves burning coal with oxygen rather than air, producing a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide which is easier to capture and store.

Moghtaderi’s team is also working on a second generation clean coal technology known as chemical looping combustion (CLC) - an $800,000 project jointly funded by the Australian Research Council, Newcastle Port Corporation and the University of Newcastle.

Chemical looping aims to dramatically increase efficiency in the combustion of coal by capturing carbon dioxide produced during energy generation. The process uses metal oxide oxygen carriers to supply necessary amounts of oxygen to complete the combustion of fuel.

However, the researchers believe clean coal technologies are just one part of the clean energy picture. Moghtaderi and his team are also investigating renewable energy – geothermal (heat from the Earth), solar, wind, and biomass (plantations and vegetation that can be re-grown).

“Unlike fossil fuels such as coal, using renewable energy sources to produce electricity emits minimal carbon dioxide. In the case of wind, solar and geothermal, there are no emissions at all,” explains Moghtaderi.

The team’s research is focusing on the development of systems and processes to more efficiently use renewable energy sources. The Priority Research Centre for Energy is concentrating on

The Priority Research Centre for Energy brings together industry, government agencies and University of Newcastle researchers to focus on one of the world’s most challenging issues – managing greenhouse gas emissions.

Led by Professor Bogdan Dlugogorski FTSE, the Centre’s researchers are working on the development, implementation and commercialisation of clean and sustainable technologies for energy production.

The Priority Research Centre for Energy supports four research programs.

Clean coal technologiesThis program, led by Professor Terry Wall AM FTSE, focuses on the abatement of greenhouse gases by establishing cleaner ways to burn coal. The team’s research underpins the development of technologies to capture carbon dioxide when using coal to produce energy.

Joining the international push to find better ways to generate power without sacrificing the environment, the University of Newcastle’s Professor Terry Wall and Professor Behdad Moghtaderi, are working with colleagues across Australia, Asia and Europe.

Wall and Moghtaderi lead the clean coal and renewable energy programs at the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy.

Wall says, “Coal is a significant source of power and an important export-earner for Australia. Burning coal to create electricity, however, releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at levels which are environmentally unsustainable. Our research attempts to balance the ongoing use of this important resource with the needs of the environment.”

PRIORITY RESEARCH CENTRE FOR ENERGY

MAKING CLEANER ENERGY A REALITY

Few challenges have captured the attention and budgets of the world’s major industries

and governments quite like the drive to produce clean, sustainable energy.

geothermal, wind and biomass, which the International Energy Agency predicts will collectively provide approximately 12 per cent of the world’s primary energy demand by 2030.

According to Wall, the solution to the world’s energy problems is a team effort. “One of the exciting elements of this research is the significant collaboration – both at the local level in the University, and at the global level with researchers working together across the world. Different perspectives present different solutions. Every day as a global team we move another step closer to finding better ways to meet the community’s energy needs.”

“ “Every day as a global team we move another step closer to finding better ways to meet the community’s energy needs

Renewable energy systemsThe goal of this program, led by Professor Behdad Moghtaderi, is to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and minimise greenhouse gas emissions, by increasing the amount of renewable energy in the world’s energy mix. The program focuses on the development of systems and processes to more efficiently use renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind and geothermal.

Transportation fuels and energy conversionA key aspect of this research program, led by Professor Eric Kennedy, is hydrogen, in recognition of its growing importance as a fuel and its role as an energy carrier. Researchers are investigating the synthesis of hydrogen from fossils such as coal, and converting hydrogen to chemicals such as methanol and ammonia.

Energy and the environmentThis program, led by Associate Professor John Lucas, concentrates on using sustainable waste processing for energy recovery and generation. Researchers are investigating environmental technologies such as soil treatment, desalination and pollution abatement. The program is also researching knowledge acquisition and energy efficiency in a range of areas including urban regeneration and renewal, and energy efficient buildings.

| ACHIEVEMENTS22

ACHIEVEMENTS | 23

Clean coal technologies involve releasing energy from coal to generate electricity, while at the same time concentrating carbon dioxide to levels that can be compressed to a liquid-like state and stored geologically.

Oxyfuel combustion technology is one clean coal technology project the team has been working on which will soon be demonstrated in Queensland. Oxyfuel combustion technology involves burning coal with oxygen rather than air, producing a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide which is easier to capture and store.

Moghtaderi’s team is also working on a second generation clean coal technology known as chemical looping combustion (CLC) - an $800,000 project jointly funded by the Australian Research Council, Newcastle Port Corporation and the University of Newcastle.

Chemical looping aims to dramatically increase efficiency in the combustion of coal by capturing carbon dioxide produced during energy generation. The process uses metal oxide oxygen carriers to supply necessary amounts of oxygen to complete the combustion of fuel.

However, the researchers believe clean coal technologies are just one part of the clean energy picture. Moghtaderi and his team are also investigating renewable energy – geothermal (heat from the Earth), solar, wind, and biomass (plantations and vegetation that can be re-grown).

“Unlike fossil fuels such as coal, using renewable energy sources to produce electricity emits minimal carbon dioxide. In the case of wind, solar and geothermal, there are no emissions at all,” explains Moghtaderi.

The team’s research is focusing on the development of systems and processes to more efficiently use renewable energy sources. The Priority Research Centre for Energy is concentrating on

The Priority Research Centre for Energy brings together industry, government agencies and University of Newcastle researchers to focus on one of the world’s most challenging issues – managing greenhouse gas emissions.

Led by Professor Bogdan Dlugogorski FTSE, the Centre’s researchers are working on the development, implementation and commercialisation of clean and sustainable technologies for energy production.

The Priority Research Centre for Energy supports four research programs.

Clean coal technologiesThis program, led by Professor Terry Wall AM FTSE, focuses on the abatement of greenhouse gases by establishing cleaner ways to burn coal. The team’s research underpins the development of technologies to capture carbon dioxide when using coal to produce energy.

Joining the international push to find better ways to generate power without sacrificing the environment, the University of Newcastle’s Professor Terry Wall and Professor Behdad Moghtaderi, are working with colleagues across Australia, Asia and Europe.

Wall and Moghtaderi lead the clean coal and renewable energy programs at the University’s Priority Research Centre for Energy.

Wall says, “Coal is a significant source of power and an important export-earner for Australia. Burning coal to create electricity, however, releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at levels which are environmentally unsustainable. Our research attempts to balance the ongoing use of this important resource with the needs of the environment.”

PRIORITY RESEARCH CENTRE FOR ENERGY

MAKING CLEANER ENERGY A REALITY

Few challenges have captured the attention and budgets of the world’s major industries

and governments quite like the drive to produce clean, sustainable energy.

geothermal, wind and biomass, which the International Energy Agency predicts will collectively provide approximately 12 per cent of the world’s primary energy demand by 2030.

According to Wall, the solution to the world’s energy problems is a team effort. “One of the exciting elements of this research is the significant collaboration – both at the local level in the University, and at the global level with researchers working together across the world. Different perspectives present different solutions. Every day as a global team we move another step closer to finding better ways to meet the community’s energy needs.”

“ “Every day as a global team we move another step closer to finding better ways to meet the community’s energy needs

Renewable energy systemsThe goal of this program, led by Professor Behdad Moghtaderi, is to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and minimise greenhouse gas emissions, by increasing the amount of renewable energy in the world’s energy mix. The program focuses on the development of systems and processes to more efficiently use renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind and geothermal.

Transportation fuels and energy conversionA key aspect of this research program, led by Professor Eric Kennedy, is hydrogen, in recognition of its growing importance as a fuel and its role as an energy carrier. Researchers are investigating the synthesis of hydrogen from fossils such as coal, and converting hydrogen to chemicals such as methanol and ammonia.

Energy and the environmentThis program, led by Associate Professor John Lucas, concentrates on using sustainable waste processing for energy recovery and generation. Researchers are investigating environmental technologies such as soil treatment, desalination and pollution abatement. The program is also researching knowledge acquisition and energy efficiency in a range of areas including urban regeneration and renewal, and energy efficient buildings.

| ACHIEVEMENTS22

| ACHIEVEMENTS24 ACHIEVEMENTS | 25

Professor George Kuczera wants to install a rainwater tank in your backyard.

Kuczera, from the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, undertook a four year study into rainwater tanks, in partnership with Newcastle City Council and Hunter Water Corporation.

The research assessed the feasibility of retrofitting water tanks into 16 existing homes in a Newcastle suburb, to be used for toilet, garden and laundry activities. The findings indicated that retrofitting needed to be carefully managed to maximise a tank’s use.

Kuczera says the mains water savings of about 20 per cent over two years – while significant –

were lower than expected. Savings were affected by the physical attributes of the house that constrained tank size, the amount of water that was harvested from the roof and the extent of activities the tank water was able to be used for.

One house in the research sample which harvested water from its entire roof area and used tank water for all household activities (except drinking) was able to deliver mains water savings of 65 per cent.

Once the tanks were installed, human behaviour was the primary factor affecting long-term water savings.

In some cases during the study, residents bypassed the tank when the water level was low and drew on mains water. They then failed to reconnect to the tank after it had been replenished by rain. In other instances, people readily

used mains water rather than replacing a broken part on their tank.

“Computer simulation models assume that tanks operate efficiently 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We believe that as long as people are connected to mains water, they are likely to revert to using it when the tank fails,” Kuczera says.

“With a tank, every home can be part of the water infrastructure, effectively decentralising the water system. However, simply installing a tank and giving instructions on its use is not

enough. The importance of the human element cannot be overstated in a decentralised system supported by centralised infrastructure.”

Kuczera believes that using a residential rainwater tank to its full capacity can significantly reduce reliance on mains water and lower the impact of urban living on the environment.

“Maximising the use of water from tanks is as much a social as a technical challenge. Without greater investment in consumer education and support we are unlikely to fully realise the potential.”

“

With a tank, every home can be part of the water infrastructure, effectively decentralising the water system“

HOUSEHOLD WATER TANKS – THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

An Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Lucas also sits on the Board of Innova Soil Technology, a company he founded which remediates contaminated soil.

“Soil remediation is a major industry in Australia,” Lucas says. “There are an estimated 70,000 contaminated sites in NSW alone and the clean-up costs across the country are somewhere between $5 and $10 billion.”

Innova was established in 1995 from research and development conducted at the University through its commercial arm, Newcastle Innovation (formerly TUNRA).* The company has successfully treated thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil and been recognised with a National

Engineers Australia award for environmental engineering excellence. Innova will soon start work on a multi-million dollar project to clean up a former vehicle assembly factory in Victoria.

Innova remediates a vast range of contaminants in soil including tars, greases, chlorinated pesticides and oils. The process separates and converts these hydrocarbons, returning the soil to its original state. The soil is then used for building roads, golf courses and even filling in disused quarries or old industrial sites for commercial or residential purposes.

Lucas says people are becoming less tolerant of contaminated land, and remediation is the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution.

CLEANING UP OUR ACT

People are becoming less tolerant of contaminated land, and remediation is the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution

““

“Our plant is mobile, with an overall remediation cost of about $100 to $120 per tonne. In comparison, it costs about $150 to $250 per tonne to take contaminated soil to landfill. The environmental and cost benefits are obvious when dealing with large quantities of soil.”

Innova is working towards combining smaller quantities of soil for cost-effective remediation and is seeking partners to invest in a state-of-the-art recycling centre.

“Of great appeal to potential partners is Innova’s close alignment with the University – anyone who works with Innova will have access to the latest research and development through that relationship.

“This will help maintain Innova’s leading market position and deliver great benefit to our partners.”

* Read more about Newcastle Innovation on page 34.

John Lucas is a man who likes to get his hands dirty.

| ACHIEVEMENTS24 ACHIEVEMENTS | 25

Professor George Kuczera wants to install a rainwater tank in your backyard.

Kuczera, from the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, undertook a four year study into rainwater tanks, in partnership with Newcastle City Council and Hunter Water Corporation.

The research assessed the feasibility of retrofitting water tanks into 16 existing homes in a Newcastle suburb, to be used for toilet, garden and laundry activities. The findings indicated that retrofitting needed to be carefully managed to maximise a tank’s use.

Kuczera says the mains water savings of about 20 per cent over two years – while significant –

were lower than expected. Savings were affected by the physical attributes of the house that constrained tank size, the amount of water that was harvested from the roof and the extent of activities the tank water was able to be used for.

One house in the research sample which harvested water from its entire roof area and used tank water for all household activities (except drinking) was able to deliver mains water savings of 65 per cent.

Once the tanks were installed, human behaviour was the primary factor affecting long-term water savings.

In some cases during the study, residents bypassed the tank when the water level was low and drew on mains water. They then failed to reconnect to the tank after it had been replenished by rain. In other instances, people readily

used mains water rather than replacing a broken part on their tank.

“Computer simulation models assume that tanks operate efficiently 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We believe that as long as people are connected to mains water, they are likely to revert to using it when the tank fails,” Kuczera says.

“With a tank, every home can be part of the water infrastructure, effectively decentralising the water system. However, simply installing a tank and giving instructions on its use is not

enough. The importance of the human element cannot be overstated in a decentralised system supported by centralised infrastructure.”

Kuczera believes that using a residential rainwater tank to its full capacity can significantly reduce reliance on mains water and lower the impact of urban living on the environment.

“Maximising the use of water from tanks is as much a social as a technical challenge. Without greater investment in consumer education and support we are unlikely to fully realise the potential.”

“

With a tank, every home can be part of the water infrastructure, effectively decentralising the water system“

HOUSEHOLD WATER TANKS – THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

An Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Lucas also sits on the Board of Innova Soil Technology, a company he founded which remediates contaminated soil.

“Soil remediation is a major industry in Australia,” Lucas says. “There are an estimated 70,000 contaminated sites in NSW alone and the clean-up costs across the country are somewhere between $5 and $10 billion.”

Innova was established in 1995 from research and development conducted at the University through its commercial arm, Newcastle Innovation (formerly TUNRA).* The company has successfully treated thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil and been recognised with a National

Engineers Australia award for environmental engineering excellence. Innova will soon start work on a multi-million dollar project to clean up a former vehicle assembly factory in Victoria.

Innova remediates a vast range of contaminants in soil including tars, greases, chlorinated pesticides and oils. The process separates and converts these hydrocarbons, returning the soil to its original state. The soil is then used for building roads, golf courses and even filling in disused quarries or old industrial sites for commercial or residential purposes.

Lucas says people are becoming less tolerant of contaminated land, and remediation is the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution.

CLEANING UP OUR ACT

People are becoming less tolerant of contaminated land, and remediation is the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution

““

“Our plant is mobile, with an overall remediation cost of about $100 to $120 per tonne. In comparison, it costs about $150 to $250 per tonne to take contaminated soil to landfill. The environmental and cost benefits are obvious when dealing with large quantities of soil.”

Innova is working towards combining smaller quantities of soil for cost-effective remediation and is seeking partners to invest in a state-of-the-art recycling centre.

“Of great appeal to potential partners is Innova’s close alignment with the University – anyone who works with Innova will have access to the latest research and development through that relationship.

“This will help maintain Innova’s leading market position and deliver great benefit to our partners.”

* Read more about Newcastle Innovation on page 34.

John Lucas is a man who likes to get his hands dirty.

| ACHIEVEMENTS26 ACHIEVEMENTS | 27

Ostwald, who has been with the University of Newcastle for 13 years, investigates how people understand and interact with buildings, and how architects design them for the modern world.

Using new developments in computing and design theory, he mixes philosophical and mathematical concepts to analyse buildings.

“Philosophy or maths alone are not enough to describe architecture,” he says.

“A building may have a distinct shape, form or colour that a scientist could measure, but these same physical characteristics will have different meanings for a philosopher.”

Ostwald’s research provides advice to designers that will potentially save them both time and money in the short term, and result in more culturally and socially responsive buildings in the long term.

Higher doctorates are largely unheard of in the field of architecture and there are few known architectural academics in the world possessing such a degree. Ostwald received his Doctor of Science from the University of Newcastle.

“ “Philosophy or maths alone are not enough to describe architecture

MATHS+ PHILOSOPHY

= THE PERFECT BUILDING

Professor Michael Ostwald this year became the only current architectural academic in Australasia to receive a Doctor of Science – the highest degree an academic can earn in a university anywhere in the world.

Architect Chris Tucker won an international design award with his proposal to convert the outside of a bland Newcastle parking station into an affordable housing project by recycling sections of old miners’ houses.

Tucker was awarded $25,000 for winning the Central Glass International Architectural Ideas Competition, an international competition which asked for ideas for living within cities. His design was selected from 450 entries by a panel that included some of Japan’s foremost architects.

A lecturer in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle and Director of Herd Architecture, Tucker says: “Living

TURNING PARKING SPACE INTO LIVING SPACE

sustainably within cities isn’t just about constructing new buildings. It is often more economical and culturally relevant to use old buildings. To use parts of demolished buildings to renovate existing structures has great potential.”

The project forms part of his research into affordable housing solutions for the Hunter region. It also continues a five-year collaborative project which involved designing unusual structures to reflect and recreate the history of Newcastle.

“Architectural research, and specifically my research into affordable housing, should have a design outcome. It is very satisfying to see research ideas

come to fruition, and to reflect this process in my teaching. Students become more involved with learning when they can see how ideas and information might be applied and used in the real world.”

Tucker’s approach to teaching and research is underpinned by the belief that rather than building new suburbs in the bush, it is important for affordable housing to be close to the city centre. The sites for the new houses are found by re-using buildings, and using the sometimes forgotten spaces around and between them.

His proposal adds 30 one- and two-bedroom houses to the outside of the five-storey parking station. Tucker’s idea is to have

the front façade of each house constructed from selected, finely crafted sections of heritage houses, some a century old, that are being demolished in inner city suburbs.

“Our inner suburbs are losing many of their old small houses, being replaced by larger suburban like houses. This is taking a lot of the character out of these suburbs and eventually from our memory as well,” says Tucker. “Using the finely crafted parts of these demolished houses at least retains something of our past, and gives a second use for the energy and materials that went into making these parts in the first place.”

| ACHIEVEMENTS26 ACHIEVEMENTS | 27

Ostwald, who has been with the University of Newcastle for 13 years, investigates how people understand and interact with buildings, and how architects design them for the modern world.

Using new developments in computing and design theory, he mixes philosophical and mathematical concepts to analyse buildings.

“Philosophy or maths alone are not enough to describe architecture,” he says.

“A building may have a distinct shape, form or colour that a scientist could measure, but these same physical characteristics will have different meanings for a philosopher.”

Ostwald’s research provides advice to designers that will potentially save them both time and money in the short term, and result in more culturally and socially responsive buildings in the long term.

Higher doctorates are largely unheard of in the field of architecture and there are few known architectural academics in the world possessing such a degree. Ostwald received his Doctor of Science from the University of Newcastle.

“ “Philosophy or maths alone are not enough to describe architecture

MATHS+ PHILOSOPHY

= THE PERFECT BUILDING

Professor Michael Ostwald this year became the only current architectural academic in Australasia to receive a Doctor of Science – the highest degree an academic can earn in a university anywhere in the world.

Architect Chris Tucker won an international design award with his proposal to convert the outside of a bland Newcastle parking station into an affordable housing project by recycling sections of old miners’ houses.

Tucker was awarded $25,000 for winning the Central Glass International Architectural Ideas Competition, an international competition which asked for ideas for living within cities. His design was selected from 450 entries by a panel that included some of Japan’s foremost architects.

A lecturer in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle and Director of Herd Architecture, Tucker says: “Living

TURNING PARKING SPACE INTO LIVING SPACE

sustainably within cities isn’t just about constructing new buildings. It is often more economical and culturally relevant to use old buildings. To use parts of demolished buildings to renovate existing structures has great potential.”

The project forms part of his research into affordable housing solutions for the Hunter region. It also continues a five-year collaborative project which involved designing unusual structures to reflect and recreate the history of Newcastle.

“Architectural research, and specifically my research into affordable housing, should have a design outcome. It is very satisfying to see research ideas

come to fruition, and to reflect this process in my teaching. Students become more involved with learning when they can see how ideas and information might be applied and used in the real world.”

Tucker’s approach to teaching and research is underpinned by the belief that rather than building new suburbs in the bush, it is important for affordable housing to be close to the city centre. The sites for the new houses are found by re-using buildings, and using the sometimes forgotten spaces around and between them.

His proposal adds 30 one- and two-bedroom houses to the outside of the five-storey parking station. Tucker’s idea is to have

the front façade of each house constructed from selected, finely crafted sections of heritage houses, some a century old, that are being demolished in inner city suburbs.

“Our inner suburbs are losing many of their old small houses, being replaced by larger suburban like houses. This is taking a lot of the character out of these suburbs and eventually from our memory as well,” says Tucker. “Using the finely crafted parts of these demolished houses at least retains something of our past, and gives a second use for the energy and materials that went into making these parts in the first place.”

| ACHIEVEMENTS28

ResTech is a perfect example of a successful union between industry and research. Like any perfect partnership, ResTech combines the strengths of two separate entities to create a balanced, mutually supportive relationship that is continually maturing over time.A partnership between market-leading firm Ampcontrol and the University of Newcastle’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, ResTech is a research and engineering company that develops power electronic technologies for heavy industry, mining, power distribution and defence markets.

A TRULY COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPIt is an ideal combination of the skills, competencies, knowledge and diversity of Ampcontrol as a provider of innovative products and services, and the intellectual expertise of University researchers.

As a result, ResTech is now working on the commercialisation of a number of projects that both Ampcontrol and the University agree would have been well beyond the capability of either partner individually.

Ampcontrol Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dr Alan Broadfoot, said in the ever-changing world of technology it is imperative that we maintain a competitive edge.

“When ResTech was first formed, there was a period of acceptance for both partners,” Broadfoot said.

“But we quickly established credibility in terms of the quality of the products we were producing and this helped the partnership evolve. Now we

are at a level of maturity where we have excellent staff making outstanding contributions and growing their reputation in the marketplace.”

A future outcome of the partnership will be a new capability for Australia to replace imports, at the same time generating a strong export market, in the power and electrical industry. Using its specialist knowledge, ResTech is overcoming barriers in evolving technologies by providing local services previously offered only by large-scale multinational companies that were expensive and, at times, did not operate effectively in the Australian setting.

The result has been the development of cost-effective techniques and technologies that easily adapt to both small and large-scale operations in Australia. The technology can also be adapted to meet the needs of similar small-scale operations overseas.

With the support of Ampcontrol, ResTech is also able to extend its research and development capabilities and services to other companies. An example is the current collaboration with Tasmania’s Aurora Energy to develop technology that will help minimise the risk of electric shock in homes.

In 2004 Ampcontrol contributed financially to establish a Professor in Power Engineering position at the University. The position helps foster and reward academic excellence in the field of power engineering and power electronics through the development of the resources and capacity of the University.

A PhD graduate of the University, Dr Broadfoot sees enormous business advantages in engaging and collaborating with the University. His belief in the institution is reflected in the company’s ongoing generous financial support.

uoN

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0/14

67

Front cover: photograph shows Rio Tinto’s Mount Tom Price mine – ARC Linkage Project on High Capacity Steep Angle Belt Conveying System.

Photograph supplied by Rio Tinto

The University of Newcastle

These articles have been drawn from Research 2007, 2008 & 2009, Teaching and Learning 2008 and Engaging Communities 2009.

For more information about these and other articles from these publications, please visit www.newcastle.edu.au

Editors

Kate Robinson, Media and Public Relations kate.robinson@newcastle.edu.au

Katie Porritt, Media and Public Relations katie.porritt@newcastle.edu.au

Kate Reid, Media and Public Relations kate.reid@newcastle.edu.au

Blythe Hamilton, Media and Public Relations blythe.hamilton@newcastle.edu.au

Writers

EnigmaCorp

Editor group

Design

Bounce Design Pty Ltd

Photography

McKean Photo

WixPix Studio

Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment

Engineering and Built Environment The university of Newcastle university Drive Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia

T: +61 2 4921 6025 F: +61 2 4921 7062 W: www.newcastle.edu.au/faculty/engineering

CRICOS Provider 00109J

Achievements 2010 is printed on Mohawk Options 100% PC White, which is made from recycled fibre and manufactured using non-polluting, wind-generated energy. This paper is certified by green Seal and the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Savings from using recycled fibre in place of virgin fibre:

7 trees preserved for the future

10 kg waterbourne waste not created

11,743 litres wastewater flow saved

156 kg solid waste not generated

307 kg net greenhouse gases prevented

5,172,930 BTus energy not consumed

Additional savings if paper is manufactured with windpower and carbon offsets

380 kg air emissions not generated ~156 from windpower savings ~224 from carbon offset savings

197 cubic metres natural gas unused

not driving 1,333 km ~546 from windpower savings ~786 from carbon offset savings

planting 57 trees ~23 from windpower savings ~34 from carbon offset savings

uoN

201

0/14

67

Front cover: photograph shows Rio Tinto’s Mount Tom Price mine – ARC Linkage Project on High Capacity Steep Angle Belt Conveying System.

Photograph supplied by Rio Tinto

The University of Newcastle

These articles have been drawn from Research 2007, 2008 & 2009, Teaching and Learning 2008 and Engaging Communities 2009.

For more information about these and other articles from these publications, please visit www.newcastle.edu.au

Editors

Kate Robinson, Media and Public Relations kate.robinson@newcastle.edu.au

Katie Porritt, Media and Public Relations katie.porritt@newcastle.edu.au

Kate Reid, Media and Public Relations kate.reid@newcastle.edu.au

Blythe Hamilton, Media and Public Relations blythe.hamilton@newcastle.edu.au

Writers

EnigmaCorp

Editor group

Design

Bounce Design Pty Ltd

Photography

McKean Photo

WixPix Studio

Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment

Engineering and Built Environment The university of Newcastle university Drive Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia

T: +61 2 4921 6025 F: +61 2 4921 7062 W: www.newcastle.edu.au/faculty/engineering

CRICOS Provider 00109J

Achievements 2010 is printed on Mohawk Options 100% PC White, which is made from recycled fibre and manufactured using non-polluting, wind-generated energy. This paper is certified by green Seal and the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Savings from using recycled fibre in place of virgin fibre:

7 trees preserved for the future

10 kg waterbourne waste not created

11,743 litres wastewater flow saved

156 kg solid waste not generated

307 kg net greenhouse gases prevented

5,172,930 BTus energy not consumed

Additional savings if paper is manufactured with windpower and carbon offsets

380 kg air emissions not generated ~156 from windpower savings ~224 from carbon offset savings

197 cubic metres natural gas unused

not driving 1,333 km ~546 from windpower savings ~786 from carbon offset savings

planting 57 trees ~23 from windpower savings ~34 from carbon offset savings

ACH

IEVEMEN

TS

LEADERS IN INNOVATION

FACuLTy OF ENgINEERINg

AND BuILT ENVIRONMENT

2010

Smart grids – An electrifying revolution

Materials Modelling – a mine of information

The world of Complex Dynamic Systems and Control (CDSC)

Wind turbines

Making cleaner energy a reality

Turning parking space into living space