Jim Poss

The talk was hosted by the  Environment Institute and The Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources as part of The University of Adelaide’s Research Week on Friday 28th October.

ABSTRACT
We can’t afford to depend on cold fusion, safe nuclear or sustainable fuels to avert the worldwide catastrophe of climate change. Today’s opportunity is in energy efficiency. Economically and environmentally, energy efficiency opportunities represent most of the progress we will make in the next 1-2 decades. Careers in energy efficiency can help you do good and do well.

Graham (Gus) Nathan

Gus was one of only 26 people in the nation to receive this award, 2 other recipients, Dr Adrienne Paton and Associate Professor Samer Akkach were also from The University of Adelaide.

We Congratulate all three researchers on this outstanding achievement!

Associate Professor Greg Metha

Centre for Energy Technology member and Head of Chemistry at the University of Adelaide, Associate Professor Greg Metha is leading research into how the metal nanoparticles act as highly efficient catalysts in using solar radiation to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

“Efficient and direct production of hydrogen from solar radiation provides a renewable energy source that is the pinnacle of clean energy,” said Associate Professor Greg Metha. “We believe this work will contribute significantly to the global effort to convert solar energy into portable chemical energy.”

The latest research is the outcome of 14 years of fundamental research by Associate Professor Metha’s research group investigating the synthesis and properties of metal nanoparticles and how they work as catalysts at the molecular level.

The group works with metal “clusters” of about one-quarter of a nanometre in size – less than 10 atoms. Associate Professor Metha said these tiny “magic clusters” act as super-efficient catalysts. Catalysts drive chemical reactions, reducing the amount of energy required.

Read More

The Centre for Energy Technology (CET), part of the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) at the University of Adelaide, signed a statement of collaboration with Korea Maritime University’s Centre for Ocean Energy Research and Education earlier this year.

The groups will collaborate with joint research programs, exchange information and actively seek to exchange academic members and researchers for study and research.

One of the first projects the two institutions will work together involves an investigation into the effect of amplitude modulation on wind farm noise pollution. The project, led by Dr. Maziar Arjomandi, is supported by CET’s partnership with Adelaide Airport Limited. This two year project is aimed at numerical simulation of wind farm noise propagation, the behaviour of which in different atmospheric conditions and terrains is still unknown.

In recent years, wind farm developers in Canada, the US, New Zealand and the UK have faced increasing opposition from neighbouring land holders about the location of wind farm turbines triggered by noise pollution concerns.

Noise from wind farms are characterised as either mechanical – from the electrical generation turbine parts, the gear box or generator – or aerodynamic sound generated by pressure variations within the air which fluctuates at acoustic frequencies of between 20 and 20,000 times per second. In wind turbines, fluctuating pressure is caused by flow turbulence – hypothetically if the flow of air into and over the blades could be made completely smooth, noise would disappear. In practice, flow is turbulent hence noise is created. While design improvements have largely resolved mechanical issues, aerodynamic noise is a focus of further research.

It is hypothesized that amplitude modulation enhances the distance that wind farm noise can be propagated, although this effect is heavily dependent on atmospheric properties and wind farm layout and terrain. Amplitude modulation of aerodynamic noise from wind turbines is a phenomenon that occurs when broadband aerodynamic noise is modulated at a frequency, corresponding to the revolution speed of the turbine and the number of blades. This may be experienced as low frequency noise, causing annoyance for some people.

The research aims to ascertain the effect of amplitude modulation of aerodynamic noise in relation to three-bladed 3MW class wind turbines designed for a wind farm under various simulated conditions viewing elements such as farm terrain, atmospheric conditions and turbine positions.

Photo by vaxomatic

“The Japanese Fukushima Daiichi plant crisis has caused some people to question the impact of various power generation sources on our environment and lifestyles,” said the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) researcher.

Professor Gus Nathan

“Each source of energy requires an investment to extract and each brings environmental impacts,” he said.

“This is why there is no ‘silver bullet’ and why it is necessary for society to invest not only in the development of a wide range of technologies but also in the assessment of their impacts and how these can be minimised,” said Professor Nathan.

Technological development to avoid adverse environmental impacts can be traced back centuries – the burning of coal was introduced to address deforestation from the use of wood for fuel.

Evolving legislation has driven the development of technologies to mitigate emissions – from smoke, through to carbon monoxide, the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen and now carbon dioxide emissions.

“There are two key differences which make the introduction of legislation to control CO2 much more difficult than other pollutants,” said Professor Nathan.

“Legislation to control air pollution has been historically driven by the local effects of air pollution such as smog. In contrast, carbon dioxide has no local effect – we all breathe it out – but has a global effect.”

Professor Nathan suggests human society is poorer at addressing global issues as international bodies have weaker governance than national entities while the mitigation of CO2 is more expensive than other pollutants.

“Of course, the cost of mitigation is significantly less than the long-term cost of doing nothing. I would argue this situation offers an imperative to find low-cost pathways to a cleaner energy future.”

The sentiment is echoed by IMER’s vision to be a globally-recognised centre of excellence in research and technology transfer for the sustainable and efficient use of the world’s mineral and energy resources.

Professor Pavel Bedrikovetski, The University of Adelaide

The project, supported by major Australian energy company Santos, aims to develop new technology to significantly increase the efficiency of gas production from coal beds.

Coal seam gas (CSG) is the world’s fastest-growing unconventional gas resource and offers potential for much cleaner power than traditional coal.

Production of CSG has become an important industry providing an abundant, clean-burning fuel in an age when pollution, climate change, fuel shortages and fuel prices are major public concerns.

However CSG production offers borderline economic efficiency because of low-production rates from the low permeability of typical coal seams. Companies are faced with strategies such as drilling costly horizontal or multilateral wells or locating a sweet spot from the use of detailed structural geological methods or through expensive drilling of exploration wells.

This project looks at developing cost-effective engineering solutions to increase cleat system permeability and well productivity. The novel technology uses a combination of new theoretical models for suspension transport in cleats, innovative mathematical modelling, laboratory studies and validation against field tests to develop strategies.

A multi-disciplinary team has been formed for the project uniting world-class specialists to develop a new integrated technology for well productivity enhancement in CSG, shale, tight gas and geothermal reservoirs.

The University of Adelaide team consists of Prof Pavel Bedrikovetski, Prof Anthony Roberts, A/Prof Andrei Kotooussov, Prof Mark Biggs, Dr Mark Tingay, and Dr John Codrington, along with collaborators at the University of South Australia, University of New South Wales and Santos.

The Centre for Energy Technology (CET) Director Professor Gus Nathan heads up the successful application team which includes other Adelaide University staff Associate Professor Bassam Dally, Dr Zeyad Alwahabi, and RWTH Aachen University’s Prof Heinz Pitsch. The industry partner is Petratherm, parent company of Heliotherm.

Concentrated solar radiation in thermal power generation remains significantly more expensive than many alternative energy sources. One approach to reduce the cost of solar thermal energy is to combine it with established technologies using fossil fuels. Such ‘hybrid’ systems can typically halve the cost of solar thermal power. However, this is achieved at the expense of reducing solar contribution to around 5 per cent of total output.

This project supports the development of a new Australian renewable energy technology with a world-wide application through the first detailed investigation between concentrated solar radiation and a flame by the joint application of advanced laser diagnostics and modelling.

Not only does the novel approach offer cost reductions, it also trebles the proportion of renewable energy and provides full base-load capability. An immediate application includes the potential use by off-grid sites such as remote mines in Australia and globally.

CET is part of the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER).

Members of the Centre are internationally recognised for their leading research into clean energy technologies and practices that reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and decrease the cost of energy. With a wide range of facilities spanning laboratory to pilot-scale, our team of researchers are pledged to creating a culture of research excellence and delivering significant breakthroughs in the development of innovative technologies for a clean energy future.

CET is seeking two outstanding students in the field of mitigation and control of flame generated soot. The project has been well established with many publications in leading international journals. The research will be mainly experimental and will involve the use of laser diagnostics techniques for state-of-the-art measurements of flame composition and temperature. This exciting project will suit an enthusiastic student with inquisitive mind and an urge for scientific discoveries. The student will join a dynamic leading group and will receive ample support and guidance throughout the candidature. Students are also encouraged to attend conferences nationally and internationally and collaborate with our partners in different parts of the world.

Students with background in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics or Chemistry are encouraged to apply. Suitable candidates, with an Australian permanent residency, will be offered a scholarship. Please contact us for an obligation free meeting and tour of the labs.

For details please contact:
A/Prof Bassam Dally: bassam.dally@adelaide.edu.au
Dr Zeyad Alwahabi: zeyad.alwahabi@adelaide.edu.au

AGL Torrens Island is providing $10,000 and a secure location for the ‘Smart Vertical Axis Wind Turbine‘ Project being undertaken by a combination of Aerospace and Mechatronics final year students from the School of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Adelaide. The five students under the supervision of Dr. Maziar Arjomandi intend to continue the 2010 Vertical Axis Smart Turbine project.

The existing unit will be modified with the installation of new composite blades and evaluated with computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis packages.  The intention is to further increase the efficiency of the system in turning wind energy into mechanical energy through the modelling of the localised circulation of the air over the blades and integration with a new control system that changes the pitch of each individual turbine blade.

Construction is intended to be completed by the end of June with testing taking place for a period of three to four months. Power output, aerodynamic performance and response times will be recorded and analysed to enable optimisation of the system for the urban environment. Its maintenance schedule and noise signature will also be compared to a commercial small wind turbine enabling direct comparisons. Enabling future end users to be confident of the advantages of a Smart Vertical Axis Wind Turbine.

The CET, University of Adelaide, took the opportunity to organise a Christmas breakfast for all of its staff, students and colleagues from across the University. It was held on the 21^st of Dec 2010 at the Angas Gardens, on the banks of the River Torrens, accompanied by glorious summer weather. More than 30 people attended the Christmas breakfast and savoured the catering of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Everyone enjoyed taking time out from their busy schedules to catch up with one another and discuss research issues and holiday plans.

The CET would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!