Modelling the flow of cane constituents in the milling process

A model has been developed to track the flow of cane constituents through the milling process. While previous models have tracked the flow of fibre, brix and water through the process, this model tracks the soluble and insoluble solid cane components using modelling theory and experiment data, assisting in further understanding the flow of constituents into mixed juice and final bagasse. The work provided an opportunity to understand the factors which affect the distribution of the cane constituents in juice and bagasse. Application of the model should lead to improvements in the overall performance of the milling train.

Attunement to haptic information helps skilled performers select implements for striking a ball in cricket

This study examined the perceptual attunement of relatively skilled individuals to physical properties of striking implements in the sport of cricket. We also sought to assess whether utilising bats of different physical properties influenced performance of a specific striking action: the front foot straight drive. Eleven, skilled male cricketers (mean age = 16.6 ± 0.3 years) from an elite school cricket development programme consented to participate in the study. Whist blindfolded, participants wielded six bats exhibiting different mass and moment of inertia (MOI) characteristics and were asked to identify their three most preferred bats for hitting a ball to a maximum distance by performing a front foot straight drive (a common shot in cricket). Next, participants actually attempted to hit balls projected from a ball machine using each of the six bat configurations to enable kinematic analysis of front foot straight drive performance with each implement. Results revealed that, on first choice, the two bats with the smallest mass and MOI values (1 and 2) were most preferred by almost two-thirds (63.7%) of the participants. Kinematic analysis of movement patterns revealed that bat velocity, step length and bat-ball contact position measures significantly differed between bats. Data revealed how skilled youth cricketers were attuned to the different bat characteristics and harnessed movement system degeneracy to perform this complex interceptive action.

Effects of a defender on run-up velocity and ball speed when crossing a football

This study evaluated effects of defensive pressure on running velocity in footballers during the approach to kick a stationary football. Approach velocity and ball speed/accuracy data were recorded from eight football youth academy participants (15.25, SD=0.46 yrs). Participants were required to run to a football to cross it to a receiver to score against a goal-keeper. Defensive pressure was manipulated across three counterbalanced conditions: defender-absent (DA); defender-far (DF) and defender-near (DN). Pass accuracy (percentages of a total of 32 trials with 95% confidence limits in parenthesis) did not significantly reduce under changing defensive pressure: DA, 78% (55–100%); DF, 78% (61–96%); DN, 59% (40–79%). Ball speed (m·s−1) significantly reduced as defensive pressure was included and increased: DA, 23.10 (22.38–23.83); DF, 20.40 (19.69–21.11); DN, 19.22 (18.51–19.93). When defensive pressure was introduced, average running velocity of attackers did not change significantly: DA versus DF (m·s−1), 5.40 (5.30–5.51) versus 5.41 (5.34–5.48). Scaling defender starting positions closer to the start position of the attacker (DN) significantly increased average running velocity relative to the DA and DF conditions, 5.60 (5.50–5.71). In the final approach footfalls, all conditions significantly differed: DA, 5.69 (5.35–6.03); DF, 6 .22 (5.93–6.50); DN, 6.52 (6.23–6.80). Data suggested that approach velocity is constrained by both presence and initial distance of the defender during task performance. Implications are that the expression of kicking behaviour is specific to a performance context and some movement regulation features will not emerge unless a defender is present as a task constraint in practice.

Not just another ball game : young adult and adult football fictions are different

Current media attention on the crossover novel highlights the increasing permeability of the boundaries between young adult and adult fiction. This paper will focus upon some of the difficulties around definitions of young adult fiction before considering the fiction of football, or soccer as it is more commonly known in Australia. The football genre exhibits a number of discrete and identifiable differences between young adult and adult readerships including, for example, the role of the protagonist, and the narrative’s distance from the game. This paper will use Franco Moretti’s Mapping as Distant Reading model of abstraction to highlight and unpack these and other characteristic differences in the narratological and stylistic techniques employed across adult and young adult texts. Close reading analysis of the adult football fiction Striker (1992) by Hunter Davies and young adult football fiction Lucy Zeezou’s Goal (2008) by Liz Deep-Jones’ will further illustrate the range of tensions and divergences as they are reflected across those readerships. The texts have been selected because they speak to themes of fear and safety; Joe Swift (Striker) is driven by a need to move away from childhood poverty and insecurity, while Lucy Zeezou shelters a homeless friend. With both protagonists being kidnapped for ransom for example, the texts have also been selected for their striking similarities in form and content.

Modelling the flow of cane constituents through the milling process of a raw sugar factory

This thesis reports on an investigation to develop an advanced and comprehensive milling process model of the raw sugar factory. Although the new model can be applied to both, the four-roller and six-roller milling units, it is primarily developed for the six-roller mills which are widely used in the Australian sugar industry. The approach taken was to gain an understanding of the previous milling process simulation model "MILSIM" developed at the University of Queensland nearly four decades ago. Although the MILSIM model was widely adopted in the Australian sugar industry for simulating the milling process it did have some incorrect assumptions. The study aimed to eliminate all the incorrect assumptions of the previous model and develop an advanced model that represents the milling process correctly and tracks the flow of other cane components in the milling process which have not been considered in the previous models. The development of the milling process model was done is three stages. Firstly, an enhanced milling unit extraction model (MILEX) was developed to access the mill performance parameters and predict the extraction performance of the milling process. New definitions for the milling performance parameters were developed and a complete milling train along with the juice screen was modelled. The MILEX model was validated with factory data and the variation in the mill performance parameters was observed and studied. Some case studies were undertaken to study the effect of fibre in juice streams, juice in cush return and imbibition% fibre on extraction performance of the milling process. It was concluded from the study that the empirical relations developed for the mill performance parameters in the MILSIM model were not applicable to the new model. New empirical relations have to be developed before the model is applied with confidence. Secondly, a soluble and insoluble solids model was developed using modelling theory and experimental data to track the flow of sucrose (pol), reducing sugars (glucose and fructose), soluble ash, true fibre and mud solids entering the milling train through the cane supply and their distribution in juice and bagasse streams.. The soluble impurities and mud solids in cane affect the performance of the milling train and further processing of juice and bagasse. New mill performance parameters were developed in the model to track the flow of cane components. The developed model is the first of its kind and provides some additional insight regarding the flow of soluble and insoluble cane components and the factors affecting their distribution in juice and bagasse. The model proved to be a good extension to the MILEX model to study the overall performance of the milling train. Thirdly, the developed models were incorporated in a proprietary software package "SysCAD’ for advanced operational efficiency and for availability in the ‘whole of factory’ model. The MILEX model was developed in SysCAD software to represent a single milling unit. Eventually the entire milling train and the juice screen were developed in SysCAD using series of different controllers and features of the software. The models developed in SysCAD can be run from macro enabled excel file and reports can be generated in excel sheets. The flexibility of the software, ease of use and other advantages are described broadly in the relevant chapter. The MILEX model is developed in static mode and dynamic mode. The application of the dynamic mode of the model is still under progress.

Out of position : the ball park of humour in contemporary art

This practice-led research project explores how humour can be employed to develop a methodology for examining the socio-political dimensions of contemporary art practice. This research aims to identify and elaborate on how using the evasive strategies and elliptical frameworks associated with ideas of the absurd and nonsense can lead to new ways of understanding the nexus between social, political and cultural practices. This is achieved primarily through an examination of the art practices of Marcel Duchamp, Bruce Nauman, and Martin Kippenberger. These artists contextualise this research because in different ways they all engage with humour as a device to critique conventional notions of how art can be read or understood. Using these strategies the project aims to demonstrate new ways for considering how visual art can use humour to creatively and critically investigate the relationships between art and the social.

Rapid nutrient determination of sugarcane milling by-products using near infrared spectroscopy

This thesis investigates the use of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic methods for rapid measurement of nutrient elements in mill mud and mill ash. Adoption of NIR-based analyses for carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and silicon will allow Australian sugarcane farmers to comply with recent legislative changes, and act within recommended precision farming frameworks. For these analyses, NIR spectroscopic methods surpass several facets of traditional wet chemistry techniques, dramatically reducing costs, required expertise and chemical exposure, while increasing throughput and access to data. Further, this technology can be applied in various modes, including laboratory, at-line and on-line installations, allowing targeted measurement.

Did you see that? Dissociating advanced visual information and ball flight constrains perception and action processes during one-handed catching

The integration of separate, yet complimentary, cortical pathways appears to play a role in visual perception and action when intercepting objects. The ventral system is responsible for object recognition and identification, while the dorsal system facilitates continuous regulation of action. This dual-system model implies that empirically manipulating different visual information sources during performance of an interceptive action might lead to the emergence of distinct gaze and movement pattern profiles. To test this idea, we recorded hand kinematics and eye movements of participants as they attempted to catch balls projected from a novel apparatus that synchronised or de-synchronised accompanying video images of a throwing action and ball trajectory. Results revealed that ball catching performance was less successful when patterns of hand movements and gaze behaviours were constrained by the absence of advanced perceptual information from the thrower's actions. Under these task constraints, participants began tracking the ball later, followed less of its trajectory, and adapted their actions by initiating movements later and moving the hand faster. There were no performance differences when the throwing action image and ball speed were synchronised or de-synchronised since hand movements were closely linked to information from ball trajectory. Results are interpreted relative to the two-visual system hypothesis, demonstrating that accurate interception requires integration of advanced visual information from kinematics of the throwing action and from ball flight trajectory.

Not just another ball game : young adult and adult football fictions are different

Current media attention on the crossover novel highlights the increasing permeability of the boundaries between young adult and adult fiction. This paper will focus upon some of the difficulties around definitions of young adult fiction before considering the fiction of football, or soccer as it is more commonly known in Australia. The football genre exhibits a number of discrete and identifiable differences between young adult and adult readerships including, for example, the role of the protagonist, and the narrative’s distance from the game. This paper will use Franco Moretti’s Mapping as Distant Reading model of abstraction to highlight and unpack these and other characteristic differences in the narratological and stylistic techniques employed across adult and young adult texts. Close reading analysis of the adult football fiction Striker (1992) by Hunter Davies and young adult football fiction Lucy Zeezou’s Goal (2008) by Liz Deep-Jones’ will further illustrate the range of tensions and divergences as they are reflected across those readerships. The texts have been selected because they speak to themes of fear and safety; Joe Swift (Striker) is driven by a need to move away from childhood poverty and insecurity, while Lucy Zeezou shelters a homeless friend. With both protagonists being kidnapped for ransom for example, the texts have also been selected for their striking similarities in form and content.

Nonlinear analysis of plastic ball grid array solder joints

A nonlinear finite element analysis was carried out to investigate the viscoplastic deformation of solder joints in a ball grid array (BGA) package under temperature cycle. The effects of constraint on print circuit board (PCB) and stiffness of substrate on the deformation behaviour of the solder joints were also studied. A relative damage stress was adopted to analyze the potential failure sites in the solder joints. The results indicated that high inelastic strain and strain energy density were developed in the joints close to the package center. On the other hand, high constraint and high relative damage stress were associated with the joint closest to the edge of the silicon chip. The joint closest to the edge of the silicon chip was regarded as the most susceptible failure site if cavitation instability is the dominant failure mechanism. Increase the external constraint on the print circuit board (PCB) causes a slight increase in stress triaxiality (m/eq) and relative damage stress in the joint closest to the edge of silicon die. The relative damage stress is not sensitive to the Young’s modulus of the substrate.

Milling and diffusion extraction : theory and practice

AN ENGINEERING Workshop was held from 21 to 24 November 2006 in Veracruz, Mexico. Forty delegates from 12 countries attended the workshop on theory and practice of milling and diffusion extraction. This report provides a general overview of activities undertaken during that workshop which consisted of five technical sessions over two days with presentations and discussions plus two days of field and factory visits. Topics covered during the technical sessions included: power transmissions, cane preparation, diffusers, mills, and a comparison of milling and diffusion.

Design, manufacturing and maintenance of sugar milling equipment : observations from the 2008 ISSCT Engineering Workshop

An International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) Engineering Workshop was held in Piracicaba, Brazil from 30 June to 4 July 2008. The theme of the workshop was Design, manufacturing and maintenance of sugar mill equipment. The workshop consisted of a series of technical sessions and site visits. The Brazilian sugar industry is growing rapidly. The growth has occurred as the result of the sugar industry’s position as a key provider of renewable energy in the form of ethanol and, more recently, electricity. The increased focus on electricity is seeing investment in high pressure (100 bar) boilers, cane cleaning plants that allow an increased biomass supply from trash and digesters that produce biogas from dunder. It is clear that the Brazilian sugar industry has a well defined place in the country’s future. The ISSCT workshop provided a good opportunity to gain information from equipment suppliers and discuss new technology that may have application in Australia. The new technologies of interest included IMCO sintered carbide shredder hammer tips, Fives Cail MillMax mills, planetary mill gearboxes, Bosch Projects chainless diffusers, Fives Cail Zuka centrifugals and Vaperma Siftek membrane systems.

Advanced computer simulation of the milling process

Process modelling is an integral part of any process industry. Several sugar factory models have been developed over the years to simulate the unit operations. An enhanced and comprehensive milling process simulation model has been developed to analyse the performance of the milling train and to assess the impact of changes and advanced control options for improved operational efficiency. The developed model is incorporated in a proprietary software package ‘SysCAD’. As an example, the milling process model has been used to predict a significant loss of extraction by returning the cush from the juice screen before #3 mill instead of before #2 mill as is more commonly done. Further work is being undertaken to more accurately model extraction processes in a milling train, to examine extraction issues dynamically and to integrate the model into a whole factory model.

Wrecking ball: could big tech firms ruin the Spotify party?

YouTube is contemplating the launch of a new music service. But how would such a service fare against established music services like Spotify, Rdio, and Pandora? All these services are referred to as “access-based music services”. They offer music listeners access to millions of songs they can listen to as much as they want for free (with advertising and only basic functionality) or for a monthly subscription fee (without advertising)...