Wind-power winners, mechanical engineering students Matthew Southam, Benjamin Tillott, Christopher Vernon, Bradley Oborn and Alexander Nicholson.
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Peter Wypych has become only the third Australian academic to receive a grant from the International Fine Particle Research Institute (IFPRI).
He has just been awarded $60,000 pa for 3 years for a project called prediction of optimal operating conditions for dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems.
This project will develop the technology to optimise the operation of pipeline transportation systems, minimising power consumption and maximising product quality.
It will be especially useful for fragile products, such as food and chemicals.
Firms and organisation in the US, Japan, Europe etc fund IFPRI, which supports research all over the world.
An IFPRI grant is more keenly contested than the Australian-based ARC Large or Collaborative Grant, as researchers from around the world apply.
Those successful can collaborate with IFPRI's international partners, such as Agfa-Bayer, British Nuclear, EI du Pont, Kodak, Exxon, Mitsubishi, Mobil and Unilever. These companies will see the results of the research project.
Wind-power winners, mechanical engineering students Matthew Southam, Benjamin
Tillott, Christopher Vernon, Bradley Oborn and Alexander Nicholson.
The winners of the Faculty of Engineering's sustainable energy Design and Build
competition demonstrated their models and were awarded cash prizes and trophies
last week.
The designs had to utilise the 'wind' from an electric fan to propel themselves towards the fan.
A group of engineering students from the University of Wollongong took out the major prize for their model, the only device entered which stored energy.
Entries were judged on how far and fast they could travel towards the energy source.
The winning entry was a slow starter, in the sense that it stayed in one spot for several minutes while a string connected to a spinning propellor gradually stretched a spring.
When the spring was released however, the model reached the finish line in less than two seconds, impressing the judges for its speed and ingenuity of design.
The students who designed it were Matthew Southam, Benjamin Tillott, Christopher Vernon, Bradley Oborn, Alexander Nicholson.
Two year nine students from St Mary's Star of the Sea College won the high school section with their model and outstripped some of the university entries, finishing sixth overall.
The
winning St Mary's students were Jessica Tait and Emma Wypych.
Technology teacher at St Mary's Chris Read encouraged the girls to enter the competition.
Integral Energy donated $500 and the Department of Mechanical Engineering $800 for prizes and trophies.
St Mary's team Emma Wypych and Jessica Tait receive their cheques and trophy
from Integral Energy's manager of renewable energies Anthony Patterson