Current projects
Dr Tony Ahfock
Title: Ground Fault Neutralisers
Investigator(s): Bob Burgess, Tony Ahfock, Gerard Ledwich (QUT)
Sponsor(s): Ergon Energy
Period: 2008-2009
Abstract: Ground Fault Neutralisers (GFN) have the potential to improve the reliability and safety of electricity distribution systems. GFNs can reduce outage time and limit damage during faults. There are however important technical questions that remains to be answered. Areas of investigation include cross-country faults and detection of high impedance faults including load side down faults. Assessment of costs and benefits are also being carried out.
Title: Energy Storage for Remote Area Power Systems
Investigator(s): Andreas Helwig; Tony Ahfock
Sponsor: Brazil Farms
Period: 2008-2011
Abstract: Remote Area Power Supplies, specially those based on solar energy, normally rely on lead-acid batteries for storage of energy. Inverters draw power from the batteries to supply standard AC loads such as microwave ovens.
Title: Printed Circuit Brushless DC Motors
Investigator(s): Daniele Gambetta; Tony Ahfock
Sponsor: Metallux (Switzerland)
Period: 2007-2010
Abstract: Modern rare earth magnets and advances in power electronics have made possible highly efficient compact brushless DC (BLDC) motors. These motors may be of the conventional radial type or may be of axial construction. Printed circuit stators can be used for low power axial BLDC motors. This project is about the development of optimised track shapes and the development of sensorless commutation techniques for printed circuit BLDC motors.
Assoc Prof Dmitry Strunin
Title: Effectively and accurately model dynamics, deterministic and stochastic, across multiple space and time scales
Investigators: A.J. Roberts, D.V. Strunin
Sponsor: ARC Discovery
Period: 2009-2011
Abstract: This project develops and implements a systematic approach, both analytical and computational, to extract compact, accurate, system level models of complex systems in physics and engineering. Our wide ranging methodology will explore how fine scale, microscopic, detailed descriptions of discrete dynamical systems are transformed across a multiscale hierarchy to a system level discrete model. The multigrid hierarchy of discrete dynamic models should be stable and accurate as the methodology systematically accounts for multiscale and stochastic interactions between subgrid processes. Our coherent methodology will illuminate how the emergent dynamics appear for both deterministic and stochastic dynamics.
Dr Alexander Kist
Title: Enterprise Overflow Router performance testing
Investors: A.A. Kist
Sponsor: Exinda Networks Pty Ltd, Australian Telecommunications Cooperative Research Centre (ATcrc).
Abstract: The Enterprise Overflow Router is an appliance, allowing cost efficient, straight forward multi-homing of small and medium sized company networks. Simple multi-homing allows the simultaneous use of multiple Internet service providers. Internet access technology can vary, including ADSL, wireless broadband and other technologies. Multiple Internet connections are necessary to increase available bandwidth or increase the resilience to failure. This focuses on the performance assessment of the prototype.
Prof Thanh Tran-Cong
Title: USQ High Performance Computing Cluster
Coordinator: Prof T. Tran-Cong on behalf of USQ Research communities
Sponsor: QCIF (Queensland Cyber-Infrastructure Foundation)
Period: 2009-2011 and beyond
Dr Zhongwei Zhang
Title: Evolutionary Approach of Designing Optimal Wireless Sensor Networks Deployed for Health Care
Investigator(s): Dr Zhongwei Zhang
Sponsor: N/A
Period: 2005-2009
Abstract: Wireless sensor networks have enormous applications in battlefield surveillance, health care, environmental and habitat monitoring, the major hurdle impeding the wider deployment is their short lifetime. This short lifetime is due to irreplenishable energy resources. This project aims to develop novel efficient techniques for increasing the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. Our approach is to apply a Genetic Algorithm to optimize the network topology, consequently maximizing the lifetime of wireless sensor networks without compromising performance. The novel techniques will be used to facilitate the development of sustainable wireless sensor networks for application-specific deployments like health care.