Curtin University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Hybrid Hydrocarbon-Carbon Fuel Cells for Long-Life Power Generation. This project aims to design an innovative high-energy portable power source based on a hybrid direct hydrocarbon-carbon fuel cell concept, in which the deposited carbon in the anode of a fuel cell during operation with liquid hydrocarbon fuels can be used as a fuel by subsequent operation in the direct carbon fuel cell mode. The key concept in this project is the controlled deposition and utilization of carbon over the anode of the fuel cell by systematic modelling and experimental development. A continuous power output will be realized via an intelligent cycling mode with an intermittent supply of pure liquid hydrocarbon fuels, thereby achieving an extremely high fuel utilization efficiency in a hybrid electrochemical system. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering The proposed green portable power sources with high energy density and minimum impact to the environment in this project can contribute significantly to the sustainable development of Australia. The fuel cells are ideal electrochemical conversion devices for the highly efficient conversion of the chemical energy of hydrocarbon and carbon fuels to electric power, which are particularly suitable for Australia because of the abundant natural resources of Australia. The highly effective use of fossil fuels and biomass will enhance the long-term viability of Australia’s resources. Furthermore, the application of this novel system will lead to new breakthroughs in the commercial viability of fuel cell industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Healing Land Healing People: Novel Nyungar Perspectives . This project aims to investigate means of biodiversity conservation and human resilience in a global hotspot by advancing collaborations between Aboriginal environmental and cultural knowledges and Western science and humanities. The project will generate new strategies to slow decline of biodiversity in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region, and help build Aboriginal resilience by exploring innovative techniques to restore narratives of local life styles to Dryandra Woodland history. Expected outcomes include enhanced sustainability of environment and culture and new theories and assessment models. This should provide significant benefits for Aboriginal well-being, national reconciliation and for coping with global climate change. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies Significant environmental and socio-cultural benefit to the Australian and international community will be contributed. The Project combines expertise in cultural healing, cross-cultural knowledge of biodiversity on old and young landscapes, archival collections-based historical studies, and oral histories explored on country with Nyungar people at Dryandra Woodlands and along songlines in southwest Australia. Innovation is highlighted by the application of new theory, by multidisciplinary teamwork, by Nyungar leadership and through active community involvement in exploring approaches to healing people and healing land. Biodiversity research will explore theory focussed on old climatically buffered infertile landscapes such as lateritic and granitic uplands common at Dryandra and in 12 of the world’s 35 Global Biodiversity Hotspots. The project will deliver a model and case study for researching cultural heritage and healing strategies for First Nations, especially those for Australian indigenous people, and devising sustainable ways of living with biodiversity through cross-cultural investigation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Detecting cosmic rays using precision radio imaging. This project's aim is to identify the source of the highest-energy particles in nature, cosmic rays, and discover new physical processes at energies unreachable by the Large Hadron Collider. It will do this by using the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope to detect the sub-microsecond pulses from cosmic ray interactions in the Earth's atmosphere. The project's intended outcome is a sample of thousands of cosmic ray events, and a new technique to analyse the structure within them. The anticipated benefits are the establishment of the Murchison Widefield Array as a world-leading instrument for astroparticle physics, new knowledge of high-energy astro and particle physics, and advances and training in fast signal processing methods. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Particle physics and astronomy have been at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs and technological development in the 20th century. Discoveries such as the Higgs boson at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN), and the expansion of the Universe by two teams of researchers in the USA, have captured the public imagination. They have also changed our way of life - the World Wide Web was invented at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) as a method for physicists to communicate, while CSIRO astronomers looking for exploding black holes developed technology key to enabling WiFi. This project combines existing Australian expertise in both particle physics and astronomy to push the bounds of what a radio telescope can do. It will develop fast signal processing techniques to enable the Murchison Widefield Array to study the highest-energy particles in Nature. This will cement Australia as a world leader in the emerging discipline of multi-messenger astrophysics, and pave the way for future projects with the Square Kilometre Array.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Black holes accreting at extreme rates . The release of gravitational energy as mass is dumped onto a black hole powers some of the most extreme phenomena in the Universe. This project aims to use a new X-ray telescope to find the most disruptive stellar-mass and supermassive black holes in the Universe, and characterise their outflows with some of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes. This research will answer fundamental questions identified by the astronomical community regarding how black holes grow, how they generate powerful outflows, and how much energy they can deposit into the surrounding environment. It will forge strong links with international partners, strengthen Australian expertise in this high-impact area of science, and stimulate public outreach work. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Using radio and X-ray observations to probe how the most extreme black holes grow, this project will answer fundamental questions identified by the Australian astronomical community in their most recent Decadal Plan. By leveraging Australia's existing investments in radio astronomy, it will provide access to the unrivalled capabilities of some of the world's newest space-based and ground-based telescopes, and develop strong international collaborations. Building on prior agreements and partnerships supported by the ARC, this project will develop and test observing strategies for conducting transient science with the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, which will be partly hosted in Australia. It will thereby position Australian researchers to take full advantage of the significant national investment in SKA. Finally, black hole astronomy is able to excite the public like few other fields of science, which gives the project the potential to generate widespread community interest and significant media coverage, inspiring increased engagement with science, particularly among young people.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

A thermal battery for dish-Stirling concentrated solar power systems. This project will investigate new high temperature (> 600 degrees Celsius) metal hydrides and carbonates suitable for thermochemical energy storage in dish-Stirling Concentrated Solar Power systems. The intended outcome is to discover cost effective, energy dense materials that are capable of operating over a 30 year life span in a solar power plant. This will enable 24/7 electricity production from renewable sources in a dispatchable solar platform, ideal for remote locations. The successful development of high temperature metal hydrides and carbonates will finally provide an energy storage solution to dish-Stirling Concentrated Solar Power systems, which will greatly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels to produce electricity. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering This research project will significantly contribute to the Australian Scientific and Research Priorities for Energy of which the targets are to face the challenges of new clean energy sources and storage technologies that are efficient, cost effective and reliable. Specifically, the project will target the development of new materials to store energy for dispatchable concentrating solar thermal power plants. This would enable dish-Stirling systems to provide 24/7 power, solely from the sun. This technology is ideal for Australia, especially for remote, off-grid locations, where they could provide small to large scale base-load power generation. As such, the development of this technology offers the possibility of providing national and international commercial and economic benefit. Further, the environmental benefits would be even more dramatic due to the ability to shift away from fossil fuels to a next generation base-load renewable power source.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Purification and bioactivity of legume protein as nutritional supplements . Lupin seed is a major Australian high protein legume crop, undervalued at only ~$200 tonne due to its use as an animal feed. However this project aims to add value to the crop by designing a scalable food-grade and commercialisable technology to purify the protein gamma-conglutin from lupin seed waste as a nutraceutical for human blood glucose control. The process optimisation and mechanism of action for gamma-conglutin will be informed by proteomic analysis and cellular studies. From the project farmers may benefit through adding a premium to their crop value, a new gamma-conglutin purification technology will be available for processors to commercialise and consumers will have a natural product to help their blood glucose control. Field of research: 0908 - Food Sciences Australia is the world's largest lupin seed producer and it is one of our largest legume crops. However lupin is undervalued as sold as animal feed and thus does not attract a premium as human food. Lupin has many advantages for the Australian agri-food system being an ideal rotation crop in the Western Australian wheat belt, where its nitrogen fixation assists with soil quality. Due to its current low value, lupin has lost some favour with farmers, therefore it is vital that value-added human nutrition uses are found. Lupins are high in protein and human trials, though limited, have indicated that one protein, gamma-conglutin may help in control of blood glucose. The design of a commercialisable process for the purification of gamma-conglutin from lupin proposed in this study has potential for wide ranging benefits such as increased financial returns on the crop, stimulating increased planting and follow-on environmental benefits. The proposed technology may lead to highly profitable new Australian manufacturing opportunities and the quality-of-life of consumers with high blood glucose may be assisted.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Tracking formation-flying of nanosatellites using inter-satellite links. This project aims to realise real-time kinematic precise orbit and attitude determination of nano satellites. Formation flying, based on distributed miniaturised satellites such as Cubesats, is envisioned to revolutionise the way the space-science community conducts autonomous missions. The project will develop a purely kinematic concept exploiting the full capabilities of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) carrier-phase measurements for instantaneous precise orbit and attitude determination of the Cubesats. The project will also pioneer the use of the satellite based augmentation systems (SBAS), supporting the future Australian SBAS program, and the development of integrated algorithms for space-based, Precise Point Positioning with fixed ambiguities supported by SBAS. Field of research: 0909 - Geomatic Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A novel ToF-SIMS facility for organic and inorganic analyses in WA. This project aims to establish a Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) facility to support national and international research projects in the areas of energy, minerals, material sciences, planetary sciences, life sciences and biomedical sciences. This is a surface sensitive analytical technique that provides detailed elemental, isotopic and molecular information on surfaces, interfaces and thin layers with detection limits reaching in the parts-per-billion-range. The facility will be a next generation ToF-SIMS allowing parallel detection of organic and inorganic species in a given sample. This facility will increase national prosperity by providing structural information of organic molecules associated with minerals, meteorites, fossils, petroleum source-rocks and biochemical samples. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A new nano-geochronology approach to global Earth processes. This project aims to develop a new nano-geochronology tool. Geochronology is the science of determining the ages of rocks and geological events, and is key to answering fundamental questions of planetary evolution, the geological processes that shaped our Earth, and evolution of life and past climates. Many valuable mineral phases are too small to be dated by conventional methods. The potential that nano-geochronology has to unlock information otherwise untraceable remains largely unexplored. The development and application of nano-geochronology will improve our understanding of the Australian crust and the field of geological mapping, which largely supports mineral exploration. Field of research: 0403 - Geology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Phase stability of biomass fast pyrolysis bio-oil: behaviour and control. This project aims to carry out a systematic investigation into the phase behaviour and control of biomass fast pyrolysis into bio-oil and its derived fuels. The project addresses the major problem of fuel phase separation during processing and handling that cause significant operational challenges, for example pumping difficulties and line clogging, during storage, transport and applications of these fuels. The outcomes include the discovery of fundamental knowledge on the phase structure, stability and behaviour of the products of biomass fast pyrolysis bio-oil and its derived fuels and the development of essential engineering tools for predicting and controlling phase behaviour and stability of these fuels. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Development of novel inerter-based damper for platform vibration control. This project aims to develop a novel inerter-based damper to mitigate the excessive vibrations of offshore floating platforms (OFP), which are widely used in the offshore industry for oil exploration. Harsh environmental loads such as wind and waves can induce excessive vibrations to OFPs and endanger their safety and stability. This project aims to develop a novel inerter-based damper that can produce a considerable apparent mass that is much larger than its physical mass through an amplifying mechanism by translating the linear motion into high-speed rotational motion, which can significantly reduce the mass and cost of the damper. Benefits of the project include more economical and safer OFP designs, which are expected to improve the competitiveness of Australian pillar oil and gas industries. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Improved analysis and design of structures to resist blast and impact. This project aims to develop an improved single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model which can be easily used in design analysis by engineers and yield accurate structural response predictions in analysis of structures subjected to blast and impact loads. Current practice uses SDOF models in analysis of structures subjected to blast and impact loads, however many experimental tests and high fidelity numerical simulations have revealed the SDOF analysis does not always lead to accurate structural response predictions. This project will develop an improved SDOF model, which can be easily used in design analysis by engineers and yield accurate structural response predictions. These will lead to more economical designs and robust structures that resist blast and impact loads. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Real-time global optimisation for distributed parameter control systems. This project aims to develop real-time optimal control algorithms for distributed parameter systems involving both time and spatial variables and multiple time-delays, with a focus on mining and energy applications. Current optimal control algorithms for such systems are too slow for real-time use and often get trapped at local optima, which can be vastly inferior to the global solution. This project will result in a new optimal control framework, underpinned by recent advances in constraint propagation, switching surface optimisation, and input regularisation. It will result in cutting-edge mathematical tools to complement and exploit new technologies and optimise key processes in natural gas liquefaction and zinc and alumina production, increasing efficiency and reducing the ecological footprint. This project will lead to new cutting-edge control algorithms for replacing the inefficient manual operations endemic in Australia’s natural gas and mineral processing plants. Field of research: 0103 - Numerical and Computational Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Distributionally robust dynamic optimisation for nonlinear switched system. Biochemical production utilising fermentation processes evidences poor product repeatability. This project aims to control and optimise 1,3-propanediol production via microbial fermentation. 1,3-propanediol is an essential ingredient for many polymeric materials and is present in cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products. New theory and parallel algorithms will be developed for the control and optimisation of the microbial fermentation of 1,3-propanediol production, where the bacteria kinetic parameters are uncertain without full knowledge of the probability distribution. This theory will also be applicable to other fermentation processes. The project outcomes are expected to significantly improve the productivity of the biochemical engineering industry involving fermentation processes. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Accuracy and cost-effectiveness of technology-assisted dietary assessment. This project aims to compare leading methods for technology-assisted dietary assessment. Excessive cost and questionable accuracy limit the routine use of dietary assessment and undermine decision making in Australia. This project intends to compare three technology methods of assessing diet with the current standard recall method used in population surveys in order to confirm if the use of food images and automated methods provide new approaches to improve accuracy and consumer acceptability. Expected outcomes of this project include more accurate and acceptable methods of assessing dietary intake. These findings will inform decision making for researchers, policy makers and practitioners in Australia, and potentially lead to more regular population surveillance. Field of research: 1111 - Nutrition and Dietetics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Photogrammetric Reconstruction for Underwater Virtual Heritage Experiences. This project aims to enable significant underwater cultural heritage sites such as shipwrecks to be recreated in immersive underwater virtual heritage experiences. Photogrammetric 3D reconstruction techniques will be used to generate complex digital 3D models of shipwreck sites from hundreds of thousands of underwater images. This will allow vivid experiences to be created which explain the stories of these wrecks. The project will conduct audience engagement studies to recommend the most appropriate methods to implement underwater virtual heritage experiences for Australian audiences. The sites which will be used as test datasets are some of the most significant Australian shipwreck sites, including HMAS Sydney (II) and HMAS AE1. Field of research: 2102 - Curatorial and Related Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Antihydrogen formation. This project aims to advance fundamental understanding of collisions involving antimatter. The dominance of matter over antimatter in the Universe is one of the most intriguing questions of today’s science. Researchers at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) are addressing this question by creating antihydrogen and studying its properties, including the gravitational behaviour. By trapping and cooling antihydrogen positive ions, ultra-cold antihydrogen atoms can be created and used in free fall experiments at CERN. The convergent close-coupling method and threshold theory will be used to provide the necessary theoretical guidance for the experimental antihydrogen positive ion formation via low-energy positronium-antiproton and positronium-antihydrogen collisions. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Electrostatic catalysis from single-molecule events to macroscopic systems. Electrostatics has important applications in day-to-day technologies, from recycling plastics to photocopying, but the exploration of how static charges affect chemical bonds and bonding is still in its infancy. This project aims to demonstrate the experimental links between the magnitude and polarity of an external electric field and chemical rates, expanding our understanding of chemical reactivity and transforming our view of catalysis. By investigating the role of static electricity over systems selected from different sub-disciplines of chemistry, the project will derive the ground and selection rules for reactivity and selectivity by electrostatics. The project is expected to show that for chemical reactions of practical and conceptual value a specific catalyst can be replaced by a generic electric field stimulus, an invisible catalyst, enabling cleaner and cheaper opportunities that current technologies cannot fulfil. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Innovative Data Driven Techniques for Structural Condition Monitoring . Safe and sustainable infrastructure involves the development and application of structural monitoring and assessment techniques for condition evaluation. This project develops an innovative structure condition monitoring approach based on the emerging digital technologies on image processing, data analytics and machine learning techniques, for better infrastructure asset management under operational environment. Expected outcomes of this project enhance the capacity to conduct the operational monitoring and data interpretation to deliver the best life cycle performance of infrastructure. This project should provide significant benefits to Australia in infrastructure asset management by reducing the interruption of infrastructure operations. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

eXtending the GLEAM view of the Universe. This project will explore the entire radio sky visible to the future Square Kilometre Array ten times more deeply than before, fully characterising the life cycles of active galactic nuclei and finding previously-undetected supernova remnants in the Galactic Plane. The resulting survey will be used for a plethora of science, such as studies of galaxy clusters, cosmic ray tomography of the Milky Way, and measuring the magnetic fields of radio galaxy lobes. It is a critical step toward the Square Kilometre Array. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Hidden geochemical treasure: apatite inclusions in zircon. This project aims to undertake high precision measurements of the isotopic composition of tiny apatite inclusions in the mineral zircon. This project will create a new isotopic data set to combine with age and isotope data for the host zircons in order to study the formation and evolution of the Earth's crust. Primary apatite inclusions represent a previously untapped treasury of pristine geochemical information made accessible by the latest advances in micro-analytical and imaging technology. This information will be used to test models for the timing of formation of the first continents, to map continental growth over time, and to evaluate the origins of the Earth's oldest rocks and minerals and the environmental conditions on the early Earth. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Social media influencers as conduits of knowledge in Australia and Asia. This project aims to evaluate how social media influencers can become conduits to communicate information among young people between Australia and East Asia. As icons on the internet who are experts in holding attention and amplifying content, influencers have expanded from being mere commercial enterprises to being conduits of public service information by reaching wide, diverse, and sometimes marginalised youth audiences with important socio-cultural messages. This project will glean lessons from leading influencer ecologies in East Asia (Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo), to understand how we can use internet-native communication formats to improve inter-cultural knowledge and relations in Australia. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Asset Intelligence: Maximising Operational Effectiveness for Digital Era . The primary aim of this project is to develop an innovative lifecycle semantic–based decision making approach through asset intelligence so as to maximize the operational effectiveness maintenance, repair and rehabilitation planning of infrastructure assets, such as concrete pavement. The research intends to address an important gap by providing logical formalisms and real-time capability to life-cycle asset information through computational intelligence. The expected outcome will be an intelligent asset management platform that provides structured and semantically enriched lifecycle asset information for optimised solutions to help reduce the cost, time and effort in asset information storage and retrieval, and decision-making. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Field scale biocementation in remediation and self-healing . This project aims to address the challenges of field applications and commercialisation of biocementation technology. Biocementation is the process through which Nature, with the help of microbes builds large and durable carbonate formations such as corals and beach rocks. This is emerging as a clean technology that alleviates the sustainability challenges faced by the construction industry. Microorganisms especially suited to Australian conditions will be developed focusing on optimum use of resources for economic and environmental viability. Biocementation products will be developed for easy field application and self-healing concrete and bioremediation will be attempted on deteriorated structural systems. This technology has the potential to usher in the era of biologisation of construction. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Imaging metal homeostasis in the ageing brain. This fellowship aims to deliver new tools to visualise how changes to blood vessels during ageing effect the amount and distribution of metal ions in brain cells in animal models. This will be a significant advance as current methods cannot image these parameters. Metal ions are essential for brain function, but the effects of ageing on metal ions within brain cells is largely unknown. The results are expected to associate brain-blood vessel permeability with changes to metal ion content during ageing. The methods developed, and the fundamental new knowledge they reveal will benefit national and international neuroscientists seeking to elucidate the fundamental neurobiology of metal ions with respect to maintaining healthy brain function. Field of research: 0301 - Analytical Chemistry