EBE
news
Faculty of Engineering
and Built Environment
2016/17
www.newcastle.edu.au/engineering
Contents
1
For their world, not ours
2
Unexpected partnerships in engineering and biomedicine
3
A shift in perspective: Australia found to tilt and gyrate with the weather (cover story)
4
Scholars set to strengthen ties in the Pacific
4
UON hosts international catalysis conference
5
Clean water collaboration wins major international award
6
Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin awarded for innovation
7
The human side of architecture
8
UN flag flies above city hall
8
$2 million agreement with Buildsoft
9
Our Alumni Award winners
10
National recognition for passionate architecture educator
11
John Monash scholar to focus on sustainable resources
12
Building a future from the atoms up
13
International spotlight on engineering breakthrough
14
$4.2 million research centre for sustainable clean energy technologies
14
Cambridge Professor visits to discuss the risks of climate change
15
Menzies scholar sets sights on clean energy business
16
Laureate Professor honoured for lifetime achievement
No.1 No.2 32
in Australia for overall
quality in engineering1
in Australia for good
teaching in engineering2
TOP
TOP
in the world for
energy science3
in the world for
architecture and built
environment4
50
TOP
100
in the world for civil
engineering3
1 The Good Universities Guide 2016/17 | 2 Quality Indicators for Teaching and Learning (QILT) 2016 | 3 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2016 | 4 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
Welcome
2016 has been a year of looking to the future. This year
the Faculty undertook a major redesign of our engineering
degrees to meet the emerging needs of industry and society.
With themes in the new curriculum reflected in the ideas we
exchanged with international experts such as Professor Frank
Doyle, Harvard’s Dean of Engineering, who visited to share
with us his reflections on disciplinary convergence.
2016 was the year that first saw the United Nations flag
flying above Newcastle as it formally became a United
Nations City and our United Nations Institute for Training
and Research for Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction
was officially launched.
It has also been a year of tackling difficult and diverse
problems. Our architecture students travelled to places such
as Alice Springs, to help find solutions to the housing and
infrastructure problems faced by disadvantaged communities.
Meanwhile, Professor Behdad Moghtaderi was granted
$4.2 million in industry funding to establish a new research
centre for green energy technology.
This focus on problem solving was also demonstrated by our
graduates Catherine Richards, who received a John Monash
Scholarship, and Olsen Garland who received a Sir Robert
Menzies Scholarship. Each has pledged to use the opportunity
to develop their own unique ideas about the development of
clean energy and sustainable resources industries.
There have been so many proud moments in 2016 and I am
delighted to share them with you.
Professor Brett Ninness
Pro Vice-Chancellor
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
IEEE Fellowship
honour
In 2016, Professor Brett Ninness was honoured with an
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Fellowship. The IEEE Foundation is the world’s largest
technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing
technology for the benefit of humanity.
The IEEE Grade of Fellow is conferred by their Board
of Directors upon a person with an outstanding record
of accomplishments in any of their fields of interest.
IEEE Fellow is the highest grade of membership and is
recognised by the technical community as a prestigious
honour and an important career achievement.
Brett’s research interests lie in the areas of dynamic
system modelling, system identification and stochastic
signal processing. His recent work is in the area of signal
processing for wireless communication, with industry
partners Bell Labs, Agere Systems and LSI Logic.
Brett is chair of the IEEE Technical Committee on
Identification and Adaptive Control, Institution of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers Australia and has previously held
the position of Editor in Chief of IET Control Theory and
Applications, UK.
Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE
publishes 30 per cent of the world’s literature in the
electrical and electronics engineering and computer
science fields.
How UON’s
new degrees
recognize
the changing
role of the
engineer
For their world,
not ours
While you can’t predict the future, you
can predict that the world is going to
face unprecedented challenges. The
professionals at the centre of adapting
to and solving these challenges will be
engineers.
Recognising the changing role of the
engineer, the University of Newcastle
has redesigned its engineering degrees,
unveiling changes that will prepare
graduates for the jobs of the future.
“The philosophy behind the redesign
process has been ‘for their world, not
ours’. Our new engineering degrees
recognise that our graduates are likely
to have multiple careers and need
multiple skillsets,” Pro Vice-Chancellor
of the Faculty of Engineering and Built
Environment, Professor Brett Ninness
explained.
“The future will need engineers who can
see the big picture - who are bold, agile
and entrepreneurial.
“To solve problems such as food
and water security, climate change,
data security and assisting our aging
population, we’re going to need a new
generation of engineers - engineers
who are at home with developing
technologies like advanced robotics,
precision agriculture, artificial
intelligence, advanced materials,
biotechnology and bioinformatics.
“We need engineers who want to make
a difference and we’ve designed our
degrees to train these engineers.”
The restructured engineering degrees
include professional practice courses
that will be delivered in collaboration
with industry, and expose students to
world-changing technologies.
1 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Students can also select
interdisciplinary sets of courses in areas
such as biochemistry, communications,
computer science, entrepreneurship,
human cell and molecular science,
leadership, pharmaceutical chemistry,
industrial design, and legal studies. This
flexibility will allow students to develop
breadth and depth in their skill set,
setting them up to thrive in the changing
world of engineering.
For those who want to take their
learning to the next level, the unique
degree structure now offers a Master
of Professional Engineering, with just
one additional year of study. Unlike
other models, this further year of study
is not required for students to become a
professionally-recognised engineer, but
gives high achievers an optimal way to
differentiate themselves.
New intellectual spaces for
interdisciplinary thinking are
encouraging engineers to
work with bioscientists
Rick Middleton, Frank Doyle
and Brett Ninness
Unexpected partnerships in
engineering and biomedicine
A visitor from Harvard University
recently highlighted how engineers
are finding surprising solutions using
interdisciplinary thinking.
How can we build robots that act like
living organisms? What will it take to
develop an artificial pancreas or create
intelligent medical nanotechnologies?
New intellectual spaces for
interdisciplinary thinking are
encouraging engineers to work with
bioscientists to find surprising solutions
to such complex problems.
At the University of Newcastle,
engineers have a long history of
involvement with biomedical research,
including developing genetic markers
for Alzheimer’s disease, smart assistive
devices for stroke rehabilitation and
medical image processing, and carrying
out artificial pancreas work and logistics
and planning for health care.
Professor at the School of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science
at UON, Rick Middleton said that
engineering is increasingly being seen
as having value beyond the technical
and is now being applied to broader
areas, including the life sciences.
“UON is working towards an enterprise
collecting multiple faculties in STEMM
– science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, and medicine, including
plans for new multidisciplinary spaces,”
Professor Middleton said.
Aimed at tapping into global thought
leadership, UON hosted a public lecture
in November by Professor Frank Doyle,
Dean of the Harvard John A. Paulson
School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences. Professor Doyle’s talk was
titled ‘Convergence: unexpected
partnerships in engineering and
biomedicine’.
Professor Doyle applies systems
engineering principles to the analysis
of regulatory mechanisms in biological
systems. He describes convergence as
“the merging of distinct technologies,
industries or devices into a unified whole.”
His presentation explored new
pathways and opportunities that
result from not only the convergence
of systems engineering with the
life sciences, but also the emerging
opportunities that result from
embedding engineering into design,
business, law, arts and humanities.
University of Newcastle | 2
A shift in
perspective:
Australia
found to tilt
and gyrate
with the
weather
A world-first discovery from the University
of Newcastle has shown the continent
of Australia tilts and shifts in a coherent
gyrating motion as a result of seasonal
weather patterns across the globe.
Professor Shin-Chan Han, a geodesist
with NASA and academic in UON’s
School of Engineering, has utilised a
combination of GPS data along with data
from the Gravity Recovery and Climate
Experiment (GRACE) satellites, both of
which measure ground deformation, to
discover a ‘seasonal gyration’.
“The new research shows Australia
sinks and rises between 3mm – 5mm
in response to the mass change across
the globe, as well as shifting northwest
1mm during the southern hemisphere’s
summer and moving back during the
winter,” Professor Han said.
Although small, the movement
symbolises a significant discovery.
“The whole continent is basically leaning
toward where the earth is heavier.
Australia experiences a larger mass
shift than other continents due to its
unique location.”
Seasonal mass change is effected by
multiple factors, including atmospheric
pressure, ocean mass, ground water
storage and the ice/snow cycle.
“When the southern hemisphere is
experiencing summer, there is more
mass in Europe due increased rainfall,
snow and water distribution. With a
change in season and shift in mass as a
result of evaporation, Australia responds
by tilting toward the heavier area.
Professor Han said that, whilst we
anticipate every continent is in motion,
he didn’t expect to discover such a large
elliptical motion in response to weather.
“It’s an exciting development in that
we now know we can use these forms
of surveillance to track the slightest
of movements, which are vital in the
long-term planning for our response to
climate change,” Professor Han said.
A recently re-appointed geodesy
professor with NASA, Professor Han has
worked extensively on GRACE, the data
of which influenced his current research.
3 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
The GRACE satellites measure ground
deformation, relying on the Earth’s centre
of mass to inform its findings.
Dr Han’s discovery is detailed in
Seasonal clockwise gyration and tilt of
the Australian continent chasing the
center of mass of the Earth’s system
from GPS and GRACE, which was
published in the Journal of Geophysical
Research: Solid Earth.
We can use these
forms of surveillance
to track the slightest
of movements, which
are vital in the longterm planning for our
response to climate
change
Scholars
set to
strengthen
ties in the
Pacific
Two Faculty of Engineering and Built
Environment students have been
honoured with a prestigious New
Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship, a
unique initiative from the Australian
Government to strengthen ties between
Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
In 2017 Georgia Holt, who is studying
Environmental Engineering, will be
on exchange at Taylors University
in Malaysia. Samuel Lumley, who is
completing a combined degree in
Mechanical Engineering and Business
will spend his time overseas at Korea
University.
The key goals of the NCP are to lift
knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in
Australia, deepen Australia’s people-topeople and institutional relationships with
the region, establish study in the IndoPacific as a rite of passage for Australian
undergrads, and increase the number
of work-ready Australian graduates with
diverse working experience.
UON hosts
international
catalysis
conference
Photo and quotes
courtesy of The
Newcastle Herald
As many as 300 chemical engineers and
scientists from around the world came
to Newcastle for the ninth International
Conference on Environmental Catalysis.
Organiser, Associate Professor Michael
Stockenhuber, said it focused on
sustainable and clean energy production,
emission control, indoor air cleaning,
water treatment, green engineering and
chemistry. Dr Stockenhuber said it was
an honour to have the conference here.
“The public may not know a lot about
catalysis, but it’s intensely important
to industry and to reducing our carbon
footprint.”
University of Newcastle | 4
University of Newcastle’s Professor
Robert Melchers has received an
international award with a team of
national and international researchers
and water utilities for solving a major
water-supply problem: failure in critical
pipes to deliver fresh water.
The International Water Association
award for innovation was presented on
October 12 in Brisbane at the Global
Awards Ceremony of the International
Water Association’s World Water
Congress and Exhibition.
There are over $500bn worth of critical
pipe assets in Australia, the UK and US
alone. Most are buried in the ground,
sometimes in highly aggressive soils.
Water authorities urgently needed
the capability to predict where and
when major failures of critical pipes
would occur to put effective, long-term
preventative measures in place.
The project’s aim
was to improve
prediction of pipe
failure, to reduce
costs, and improve
reliability and
customer service
This six-year, $16 million project was
designed to address the issues caused
by ageing critical pipelines which present
a major challenge to cost-effective
management of water pipe assets.
Commenced in July 2011, the partners
in this project include Sydney Water
Corporation, UK Water Industry
Research Ltd., Water Research
Foundation of the USA, Water
Corporation (WA), City West Water,
Melbourne Water, Yarra Valley Water,
South Australia Water Corporation,
Queensland Urban Utilities, South
East Water Ltd, and Hunter Water
Corporation. On the research side,
Monash University leads the project,
supported by University of Technology
Sydney and the University of Newcastle.
The project’s aim was to improve
prediction of pipe failure, to reduce
costs, and improve reliability and
customer service.
UON led one of the three core activities
in the project: estimating how to assess
current corrosion and deterioration of
the buried pipes and to predict likely
future deterioration accurately with
respect to the environment.
Team leader Professor Melchers said he
was proud that the project helped the
team develop and calibrate a realistic
predictive model for pipe corrosion in soil.
“We have transferred our own cuttingedge research experience from
other corrosion areas to this project,
destroyed a few myths in the process
and worked very closely with industry
to ensure our work brings reality and
practicality to industry decision-making.”
Clean water
collaboration
wins major
international
award
5 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin
received the 2016 NSW Premier’s Prize
for Energy Innovation in NSW.
The award was presented at Government
House on Friday 14 October by the NSW
Premier with His Excellency the NSW
Governor as the Patron.
NSW Premier, The Hon. Mike Baird
MP said the NSW Premier’s Prizes
for Science and Engineering awards
recognise and reward research
excellence, “NSW has a wealth of
science and engineering talent across
its universities and other research
organisations, including leaders in
energy technology, data analytics, big
robotics, geomechanics, biotechnology,
health and medical research,
nanoscience and quantum computing”.
Laureate Professor Galvin joined
the University of Newcastle in 1993,
following 10 years in industry and a PhD
from Imperial College.
He is now Director of the Centre
for Advanced Particle Processing
and Transport and Director of the
ARC Research Hub for Advanced
Technologies for Australian Iron Ore –
both part of the Newcastle Institute for
Energy and Resources.
Laureate
Professor
Kevin Galvin
awarded for
innovation
Professor Galvin is recognised
internationally for his innovations in
minerals processing research through
his inventions, the development of
the Reflux Classifier, and related
technologies such as the Reflux
Flotation Cell and the Graviton.
His work has led to the establishment
of a new ‘laminar-shear’ separation
mechanism which has revolutionised
gravity separation, solving a previously
intractable problem in the beneficiation
of low-density coal and many other
commodities.
NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer,
Professor Mary O’Kane AC, said of
the prizes, “The quantity and quality of
nominations for the prizes never fails
to impress, and the standard of entries
this year set the bar very high indeed.
The judging panel, comprising of our
former NSW Scientists of the Year,
relished the challenge of deciding this
year’s prize winners”.
His work [is]...
solving a previously
intractable problem
in the beneficiation
of low-density coal
University of Newcastle | 6
The human
side of
architecture
Our aim was to create a
book of solutions to fix the
problems we encountered...
Everyone deserves the
same experience from
architecture
From a two-week design studio
focusing on the essential infrastructure
needs of Indigenous communities
in central Australia, University of
Newcastle architecture students
learned about the human side of
architecture - collaboratively creating
new places and spaces, and engaging
with the lives of the people who will use
and occupy them.
The talented group of students worked
closely with local architectural practice
Tangentyere Design and its parent
organisation Tangentyere Council to craft
creative, practicable proposals for muchneeded small and large infrastructure
in the Alice Springs Town Camps. Four
projects looking at community centres
and basic accessibility issues were
developed with residents at Ilperle Tyathe
(Warlpiri), Anthelk-Ewlpaye (Charles
Creek), Karnte, Ilparpa and Inarlenge
(Little Sisters).
Jessica Maher was one of 14
undergraduate students who
collaborated to help develop responses
to the accessibility challenges faced by
Town Camp residents on a daily basis.
“We visited several homes, walking
through each and speaking directly with
the owners and other local residents
about how they go about doing their
washing, going to the toilet and other
day-to-day activities,” she explained.
7 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
“From there, we developed a reverse
brief. Our aim was to create a book
of solutions to fix the problems we
encountered and to have these be
applicable to all homes across Australia
in similar circumstances.”
Adding that, “everyone deserves the
same experience from architecture,”
Maher said she believes it’s been only
very recently that the discipline had
begun to consider equality and disabled
access. Echoing these sentiments,
fellow project participant Thomas
Studholme acknowledged that as much
as architectural practice continues to
change in response to new technologies
and influences, its essential nature and
purpose remains unchanged.
“Clean water, sunlight, accessibility,
functionality and good structural
design are still the most important
considerations when designing buildings
within marginalised communities.
They’re really fundamental,” he said.
The students’ efforts represent
significant first steps to seeing old
buildings once again become active
community spaces. Importantly, the
focus on accessibility has inspired the
development of an invaluable tool to
advocate for the needs of Town Camp
residents around their own homes and
neighbourhoods.
UN flag flies
above city hall
In June 2016, a United Nations flag was raised in Newcastle’s Civic Park to
confirm Newcastle as a ‘United Nations City’ and host of the first United Nations
Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) for Disaster Preparedness and Risk
Reduction in Australia and the Pacific region.
Alexander Mejia, Director of the UNITAR’s Decentralised Cooperation
Programme, presented Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and University of Newcastle
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Caroline McMillen, with the UN flag.
UNITAR maintains a global network of 14 International Training Centres for
Authorities and Leaders, known by their French acronym ‘CIFAL’. Councillor
Nelmes and Professor McMillen attended the Geneva induction of the University
of Newcastle as UNITAR’s 15th CIFAL Training Centre, which equip authorities
to meet the UN’s global sustainability goals and deal with issues of governance,
climate change and industrial decline.
The centre draws on the UON School of Architecture and Built Environment’s
strengths in disaster preparedness and sustainable development to help
governments and communities mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and social
and industrial upheaval in the 21st Century.
Professor McMillen said CIFAL Newcastle would cement Newcastle and the
Hunter’s position as a globally-engaged hub.
“UNITAR’s decision to locate its CIFAL Training Centre in Newcastle will enhance
the Hunter’s global engagement and partnership opportunities, as well as enable
us to be part of a network of centres that are focused on tackling some of the
world’s key challenges.
“CIFAL Newcastle will build on the academic strengths of the University in disaster
recovery disciplines and help our researchers and partners to shape cutting-edge
programs that make a real difference to communities around the world coping
with the aftermath of disaster,” said Professor McMillen.
2016 also saw the launch of UON’s new Graduate Certificate in Disaster Risk
Reduction. Graduates will be able to conduct disaster risk evaluations and guide
disaster risk mitigation and management strategies for organisations.
$2 million
agreement
with Buildsoft
Buildsoft is providing the University
with $2,675,000 including
software, support, training, research
opportunities and cash prizes for
students. The exclusive agreement
will provide cutting edge learning
opportunities and will lead to further
developments over the next five years.
Our students will experience modern
and in some cases ground breaking
construction industry software,
and will contribute to the continued
development of the software. Part
of the agreement includes Buildsoft
senior personnel mentoring students in
their final year dissertation.
University of Newcastle | 8
Our Alumni
Award winners
Professor ER Meng
Hwa is one of the most
distinguished engineers
of his generation.
Professor ER Meng Hwa
Alumni Award for Professional Excellence
PhD (Electrical Computer Engineering) 1986
The Alumni Medal for Professional Excellence recognises an
outstanding record of professional excellence in leadership,
knowledge and professional practice.
Professor ER Meng Hwa is one of the most distinguished
engineers of his generation. This year his extensive
contributions to the field were recognised by his inclusion
in The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Top 126
Most Influential Engineers, alongside fellow luminaires Albert
Einstein, Henry Ford and Bill Gates.
Meng Hwa has completed 24 research projects, published more
than 250 papers and received $21 million in grants. During
his prolific career, Meng Hwa has engineered innovations that
have transformed people’s lives, and actively encouraged the
next generation of engineers. He holds five patents, including a
computer program patented by UON and the Commonwealth
Government of Australia to help submarines filter noise.
Meng Hwa became the first Singaporean and the first
academic in Asia to be conferred an Honorary Fellowship by
the London-based Institution of Electrical Engineers in 2005.
In 2006 he was also conferred an Honorary Fellowship by the
ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisation in recognition
of his outstanding contributions to engineering profession in
Singapore and the region.
9 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Dr Neelam Pradhananga
Alumni Award for Exceptional Community Service
PhD (Architecture) 2011
Since completing a PhD in Architecture in 2011, Dr Neelam
Pradhananga has gone on to establish multiple communitybased not-for-profit organisations in Australia and South East
Asia, including Guthi Australia and Clean Up Nepal.
Guthi Australia is focused on raising awareness and preserving
Newar cultural heritage. Through this organisation, Neelam
opened the Sabdamala Napelese Language School. This was
the first Nepali community language school in Australia.
Clean Up Nepal was established with the aim of creating
healthier community by improving waste management, water
quality, sanitation, sustainable livelihoods and advocacy.
Through this organisation, over 474 000 kilograms of waste
has been cleaned up.
Andrew Donaldson
Alumni Award for Regional Leadership + Watt Space
Master of Architecture 2005, Bachelor of Design (Architecture) 2001
Andrew Donaldson is the creative force behind Andrew Donaldson
Architecture and Design (ADAD), an architectural practice
specialising in tailored residential construction and public art gallery
design. ADAD spearheaded the inspired design of the University of
Newcastle’s student art gallery Watt Space.
Watt Space reopened in November 2015 in the historic
Northumberland House to critical acclaim. Andrew transformed the
building into an urban space that mirrors the creativity and innovation
of the students’ art on display.
The heritage-listed façade offers a stark contrast to the industrial style
interior. During the design process, ADAD uncovered lost structures,
forgotten courtyards and hidden laneways. Exposed structural
elements form the focal point of the design, aimed at inspiring the
creativity of student artists. The project took a modern approach,
pushing art onto the street to engage with the wider community.
Watt Space casts a spotlight on Newcastle’s unique art scene,
promoting the city to a national audience. The gallery is set to
become the premier rooftop event space and a fixture in the city’s
emerging cultural precinct.
Andrew has received numerous industry awards, recognising his
innovative designs on national and international levels. Andrew was
honoured with the prestigious Blacket Prize for his design of Watt
Space. This is an annual award presented by the Australian Institute
of Architects (AIA) to the most outstanding architectural work in
regional NSW. Andrew actively encourages the next generation of
architects by providing ongoing support to UON students through
mentoring and employment opportunities.
National
recognition
for passionate
architecture
educator
Dean of Architecture, Professor
Michael Ostwald, was awarded
the 2016 Neville Quarry Medal for
services to Architectural Education
at the annual Australian Institute of
Architects (AIA) recognition ceremony
in Adelaide in May.
This medal is the highest honour
that the architectural profession
can bestow on an academic. It is
given ‘in recognition of outstanding
contributions in all areas of
architectural education, the national
and international impacts of which
resonate beyond the university system.’
University of Newcastle | 10
John
Monash
scholar to
focus on
sustainable
resources
University of Newcastle engineering
graduate, Catherine Richards, will
continue her ambition of securing a
sustainable future for the world after
receiving a prestigious John Monash
Scholarship valued at $200,000
to carry out postgraduate study at
Cambridge University, UK.
The highly competitive John Monash
Scholarships are awarded each year to
only a handful of Australian graduates
who demonstrate academic excellence,
leadership potential and aspirations to
make the world a better place.
Equipped with a passion for the
environment from a young age,
Catherine said the PhD scholarship
will enable her to address some of
the critical challenges the world faces
regarding the sustainable management
of energy, water and land resources.
“This is a life changing opportunity
to study at one of the world’s best
universities and address global issues
in the resource sustainability space.
“Every country faces different challenges
and this experience will enable me to
step up as a leader to drive holistic and
effective action on big issues such as
climate change, renewable energy and
food and water supplies,” she said.
At the young age of 27, Catherine
is no stranger to success. Juggling
a demanding study load of a double
degree in Civil and Environmental
Engineering along with full time
employment at Hunter Water, she still
managed to graduate in 2013 with firstclass honours and the rare accolade of
two University medals.
“Growing up, I had big dreams to have
a beneficial impact on the world, and I
wanted my career to be based around
my passion for human wellbeing and the
natural environment. I’ve made a lot of
personal sacrifices to get to where I am,
but it’s such an honour to have that hard
work recognised and be regarded as a
leader,” she said.
This experience will
enable me to step up as
a leader to drive holistic
and effective action
on big issues such as
climate change
11 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
There is an ever
increasing demand for
higher performance
and miniaturisation in
mechatronic systems
Building a future from the atoms up
Australian Research Fellow, Associate
Professor Andrew Fleming, has coauthored a significant new book that
is of particular interest to researchers
in mechatronics, control applied to
atomic force microscopy, and other
nanopositioning applications.
Design, Modeling and Control of
Nanopositioning Systems, coauthored with Associate Professor
Kam K Leang from the University of
Nevada, is the first comprehensive
text on the complete design cycle of
nanopositioning systems.
Published in 2014, the book covers
three broad areas: precision control
theory; the complete process of
nanopositioning control including
practical difficulties and their solution;
and applying basic principles to
experimental application in atomic
force microscopes.
Fleming’s previous publications
include over 130 papers for journals,
conferences and three books. He
also has six patent applications with
international licensing in 13 countries.
A graduate of the University with a
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering in
2000 and a PhD in 2004, Fleming is
currently an Associate Professor with
the School of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science, and Director of the
University’s Precision Mechatronics Lab.
The Lab enables a multidisciplinary
group of electrical engineers,
mechanical engineers and physicists
to combine their knowledge to
develop new mechatronic and robotic
technologies for fabrication, imaging
and health care. Fleming’s research
focuses on nanofabrication, microrobotics, metrological sensing, nanopositioning and high-speed scanning
probe microscopy.
Over the past 12 years, Fleming has
secured over $10 million in funding,
including a $750,000 Australian
Research Council Future Fellowship for
full-time research from 2014 to 2017
into miniaturising piezoelectric sensors.
“There is an ever increasing demand for
higher performance and miniaturisation
in mechatronic systems such as
semiconductor process machinery,
atomic force microscopy, and
biomedical devices. This demand is
driving the development of new highperformance methods for sensing and
actuation, precision fabrication, and
control,” explains Fleming.
“Research at the Precision
Mechatronics Lab is at the forefront
of these developments with a number
of new technologies for building and
controlling new miniature piezoelectric
systems. These technologies are
being applied to applications such as
integrated circuit fabrication, ultrasonic
machining, miniature robotics, and high
performance motion control.”
University of Newcastle | 12
International
spotlight on
engineering
breakthrough
Dr Kim van Netten won the inaugural
Australian Falling Walls Lab competition
that recognises innovative ideas and
research projects.
Hosted by the Australian Academy of
Science, the Australian Falling Walls Lab
winners were chosen by a distinguished
judging panel that included Australia’s
Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel; Nobel
Laureate and ANU Vice Chancellor,
Professor Brian Schmidt; and New
Zealand’s Deputy Chief Scientist,
Professor Stephen Goldson.
Dr van Netten presented on her
breakthrough treatment of the toxic
waste and contaminated water sent to
tailing dams, and reservoirs used to store
byproducts of mining operations that can
cause serious environmental disasters.
resulting in the cost being scaled down
appreciably,” she added.
Dr van Netten and her team have
developed a Novel Binder that clings to
harmful solids and creates aggregates
large enough to filter from the water.
Despite still being in the early stages
of development, onsite testing of the
Novel Binders on real-world material
has showed promising signs of moving
towards full scale implementation over
the coming years.
“The Novel Binders are made almost
entirely of water with a thin film
around them that is water repelling
and hydrophobic, meaning it attracts
particles to the binder quickly in the
space of just a few seconds,” she said.
Dr van Netten travelled to Berlin to
represent Australia at the Falling Walls
Finale among 100 other international
participants.
“Current extraction processes are
relatively slow and expensive due to the
large vessels needed to treat material.
Our laboratory work shows the process
cuts the time down by about 100 times,
There are 1.3 billion
people that have no
access to electricity.
Our work could
change lives
13 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Established on the 20th anniversary of
the fall of the Berlin wall, Falling Walls is
an international platform for field leaders
to promote the latest scientific findings.
$4.2 million
research
centre for
sustainable
clean energy
technologies
Cambridge
Professor visits
to discuss the
risks of climate
change
In October 2016, Professor Chris Hope, Professorial
Research Associate in Policy Modelling at University
College, London, and a Reader in Policy Modelling
at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge,
visited the University of Newcastle to discuss his
insights into the risks of climate change.
Professor Hope delivered a guest lecture on
modelling the risks of climate change, exploring
the view that climate change is the greatest market
failure the world has ever seen.
Professor Hope was a Lead Author and Review
Editor for the Third and Fourth Assessment Reports
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
and an advisor on the PAGE model to the Stern
review on the Economics of Climate Change.
His visit to UON was prompted by shared research
interests with the University of Newcastle’s
Associate Professors Steven Weller and Christopher
Kellett, who are applying an engineering
methodology - feedback control theory - to develop
a nonlinear model, predictive control-based
approach for estimating the social cost of carbon.
A $4.2 million research centre will
support world-class researchers to
solve critical clean energy challenges
through a new industry funded
research centre – VTara Green Energy
Technology (VGET).
Led by Professor Behdad Moghtaderi,
Director of UON’s Priority Research
Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies
and Utilisation, and in collaboration
with VTara Energy Group, VGET will
develop a range of sophisticated hybrid
renewable technologies.
One of the first technologies to be
rolled out is an integrated hybrid
gasification and power pack system that
uses genetically modified short rotation
energy crops, such as precision farmed
and harvested bamboo, as feedstock
to produce a gas for power generation.
Professor Moghtaderi said research
and industry collaboration was key to
achieving powerful global impact.
Climate change is
the greatest market
failure the world has
ever seen
“VGET builds on some groundbreaking
research we’ve already achieved
in partnership with VTara. We’re
excited to be developing some new
technologies but most importantly, the
industry collaboration enables us to
see the application where it’s needed,”
Professor Moghtaderi said.
A pilot-scale demonstration of the
technology will be built at the Newcastle
Institute for Energy and Resources
(NIER), and then field tested in India.
“The first demonstration site has the
potential to power up to 40,000 – 50,000
homes in developing economies annually.
“Such technologies have a wide
application globally, particularly in
underdeveloped and developing
economies, where there are 1.3
billion people that have no access to
electricity. Our work could change lives.”
Chairman and CEO of VTara Energy
Group, Dr Clive Stephens, said the
partnership will play an important role
in advancing the needs of regional
communities globally.
“One of VTara’s core beliefs is that
by bringing sustainable and clean
biomass based energy technologies to
regional and rural areas, VTara not only
delivers energy, but enables industry
and employment in rural and regional
communities.
“Importantly, the establishment of
VGET’s collaborative environment is a
fantastic development for the future of
rural and regional electrification globally.
VTara Energy can demonstrate and
deploy a suite of hybrid technologies,
such as decentralised waste to energy
applications, state-of-the-art smart grid
technologies and energy storage and
harvesting, to a global market” he said.
University of Newcastle | 14
In the future, large monopoly
energy network providers
will be replaced with microgrids, providing consumers
with cheaper, more efficient,
zero- emission power
Menzies scholar sets sights on
clean energy business
Olsen Garland has been awarded
the Sir Robert Menzies Memorial
Scholarship for Engineering in 2017,
a scholarship won by the best and
brightest Australian engineers who
seek to undertake postgraduate studies
overseas in 2017.
Olsen is the first Menzies Scholar in
Engineering from the University of
Newcastle, having already won the
University Medal and several other
prestigious academic awards as he
completed an electrical engineering
degree with first class honours.
The Menzies Scholar is set to help bring
cheaper, more efficient, zero-emission
electricity to markets at home and
abroad by combining business nous
with his electrical engineering skills.
Olsen said he was still pinching himself
after learning of his success in being
awarded Scholarship.
Olsen, a University of Newcastle
Electrical Engineering alumnus, will study
a Master of Business Administration at
the London Business School starting in
2017, with the long-term aim of starting
a company which can compete with the
big electricity suppliers.
“I would not be going to do the MBA
without this help. It’s a dream come true.
“For me this is about developing all-round
knowledge, not just having the technical
engineering skills but the business,
finance, management and marketing
skills to be able to implement ideas”.
Olsen based his application for the
Menzies scholarship on the idea that in
15 | EBE News - Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
the future, large monopoly energy network
providers will be replaced with micro-grids,
providing consumers with cheaper, more
efficient, zero-emission power.
He said while the technology for such
a disruptive approach exists now, there
is a need to change people’s mindsets,
improve the speed from idea development
to practical application on the network
and navigate the regulatory environment.
The London Business School’s location
will allow Olsen to visit the latest microgrid projects happening in Europe, and to
bring back knowledge to Australia. Olsen
intends to work with entrepreneurial
companies and the Australian Energy
Regulator to create zero-emission
networks that supply an abundance of
energy and help Australia develop as a
world-leader in the field.
Well over 300 Jameson
Cells are now in operation
across 25 countries, with the
invention estimated to have
earned nearly $100 billion for
the Australian economy
Laureate Professor honoured
for lifetime achievement
Laureate Professor Graeme Jameson
AO received a Lifetime Achievement
Award at the 2016 International Mineral
Processing Congress (IMPC).
“It’s an honour to receive this award,
nominated by my peers, to join the
distinguished company of international
recipients,” Professor Jameson said.
The IMPC Lifetime Achievement Award
recognises a lifetime of distinguished
achievement and outstanding contribution
to the advancement of the art, science
and industrial practice of mineral
processing, together with participation in,
and contribution to, the IMPC.
Laureate Professor Jameson is
renowned for his invention of the
Jameson Cell, a revolutionary mineral
processing technology installed around
the world. Well over 300 Jameson
Cells are now in operation across 25
countries, with the invention estimated
to have earned nearly $100 billion for
the Australian economy.
The Award was presented before
an audience of 1500 academic and
industry specialists, at the XXVIII
meeting of the Congress.
While the technology is most famous for
its widespread use in the coal industry,
it is also used to recover metals such as
copper and gold, to remove suspended
solids from dairy in ice cream factories,
at breweries, chicken factories and
wineries, as well as to treat industrial
effluents and remove hydraulic oil from
cooling water streams.
Laureate Professor Jameson’s past
accomplishments are extensive.
In 2014, he was admitted to the
International Mining Technology Hall
of Fame and was awarded the NSW
Scientist of the Year at the 2013 NSW
Science and Engineering Awards.
In 2015, he was awarded the Prime
Minister’s Science Prize for Innovation
and elected to the US National
Academy of Engineering, one of the
highest professional distinctions offered
to an engineer.
University of Newcastle | 16
Contact
One of only three Australian member
institutions of the Global Engineering
Education Exchange Program.
General faculty enquiries:
Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Unit
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
EF Building - EF105
University of Newcastle
University Drive
Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia
Telephone: +61 2 4921 5000
Facsimile: +61 2 4921 7062
Email: [email protected]
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Our position as one of the most highly
ranked engineering faculties in Australia
is recognised through our associate
membership of the Group of Eight.