Experimental study of Australian sugarcane bagasse pulp permeability

In this experimental study the permeability of Australian bagasse chemical pulps obtained from different bagasse fractions were measured in a simple permeability cell and the results compared to one another as well as to eucalypt, Argentinean bagasse and pine pulps. The pulps were characterised in terms of the permeability parameters, the specific surface area, Sv, and the swelling factor, α. It was found that the bagasse fraction used affects these parameters. Fractionation of whole bagasse prior to pulping produced pulps that have permeability properties that compare favourably with eucalypt pulp. The values of Sv and α for bagasse pulp also depend on whether a constant or a variable Kozeny factor is used.

Initial CFD investigation of an MR fluid in a bicycle ergometer

A bicycle ergometer is a scientific device used by exercise physiologists which attempts to mimic on-road cycling characteristics such as foot technique, EMG activity, VO2, VCO2 and rider cardiology in a laboratory environment. Presently there are no known useful scientific ergometers that mimic these characteristics and are able to provide a satisfactory controlled resistance that is independent of speed. Previous research has suggested the use of a Magneto-Rheological (MR) Fluid as part of the ergometer design, as when used in a rotary brake application it is able to be controlled electronically to increase resistance instantly and independent of speed. In the target application, MR fluids are subject to immense tribological wear and temperature during viscous shearing, and will eventually show some degree of deterioration which is usually manifested as an increase in off-state viscosity. It is not known exactly how the fluid fails, however the amount of deterioration is related to the shear rate, temperature and duration and directly related to the power dissipation. Currently, there is very little literature that investigates the flow and thermal characteristics of MR fluid tribology using CFD. In this paper, we present initial work that aims to improve understanding of MR fluid wear via CFD modelling using Fluent, and results from the model are compared with those obtained from a experimental test rig of an MR fluid-based bicycle ergometer.

Washout hole for bi-ventricular assist device (BVAD) centrifugal blood pump

The shortage of donor hearts for patients with end stage heart failure has accelerated the development of ventricular assist devices (VAD) that act as a replacement heart. Mechanical devices involving pulsatile, axial and centrifugal devices have been proposed. Recent clinical developments indicate that centrifugal devices are not only beneficial for bridge to transplantation applications, but may also aid myocardial recovery. The results of a recent study have shown that patients who received a VAD have extended lives and improved quality of life compared to recipients of drug therapy. Unfortunately 25% of these patients develop right heart failure syndrome, sepsis and multi-organ failure. It was reported that 17% of patients initially receiving an LVAD later required a right ventricular assist device (RVAD). Hence, current research focus is in the development of a bi-ventricular assist device (BVAD). Current BVAD technology is either too bulky or necessitates having to implant two pumps working independently. The latter requires two different controllers for each pump leading to the potential complication of uneven flow dynamics and the requirements for a large amount of body space. This paper illustrates the combination of the LVAD and RVAD as one complete device to augment the function of both the left and right cardiac chambers with double impellers. The proposed device has two impellers rotating in counter directions, hence eliminating the necessity of the body muscles and tubing/heart connection to restrain the pump. The device will also have two separate chambers with independent rotating impeller for the left and right chambers. A problem with centrifugal impellers is the fluid stagnation underneath the impeller. This leads to thrombosis and blood clots.This paper presents the design, construction and location of washout hole to prevent thrombus for a Bi-VAD centrifugal pump. Results using CFD will be used to illustrate the superiority of our design concept in terms of preventing thrombus formation and hemolysis.

Computational fluid dynamics of a centrifugal heart pump as biventricular assist device(BVAD)

The results of a recent study have shown that there is a severe shortage of donor hearts to meet the demand of patients suffering from acute heart failures, and patients who received a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) have extended lives. However, some of them develop right heart failure syndrome, and these patients required a right ventricular assist device (RVAD). Hence, current research focus is in the development of a bi-ventricular assist device (Bi-VAD). Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is useful for estimating blood damage for design of a Bi-VAD centrifugal heart pump to meet the demand of the left and right ventricles of a normal hearts with a flow rate of 5 lit/min and the supply pressure of 100 mmHg for the left ventricle and 20 mmHg for the right ventricle. Numerical studies have been conducted to predict pressure, flow rate, the velocity profiles, and streamlines in a continuous flow Bi-VAD using. Based on the predictions of numerical simulations, only few flow regions in the Bi-VAD exhibited signs of velocity profiles and stagnation points, thereby signifying potentially low levels of thrombogenesis.

Indoor environments : design, productivity and health

In a typical large office block, by far the largest lifetime expense is the salaries of the workers - 84% for salaries compared with : office rent (14%), total energy (1%), and maintenance (1%). The key drive for business is therefore the maximisation of the productivity of the employees as this is the largest cost. Reducing total energy use by 50% will not produce the same financial return as 1% productivity improvement? The aim of the project which led to this review of the literature was to understand as far as possible the state of knowledge internationally about how the indoor environment of buildings does influence occupants and the impact this influence may have on the total cost of ownership of buildings. Therefore one of the main focus areas for the literature has been identifying whether there is a link between productivity and health of building occupants and the indoor environment. Productivity is both easy to define - the ratio of output to input - but at the same time very hard to measure in a relatively small environment where individual contributions can influence the results, in particular social interactions. Health impacts from a building environment are also difficult to measure well, as establishing casual links between the indoor environment and a particular health issue can be very difficult. All of those issues are canvassed in the literature reported here. Humans are surprisingly adaptive to different physical environments, but the workplace should not test the limits of human adaptability. Physiological models of stress, for example, accept that the body has a finite amount of adaptive energy available to cope with stress. The importance of, and this projects' focus on, the physical setting within the integrated system of high performance workplaces, means this literature survey explores research which has been undertaken on both physical and social aspects of the built environment. The literature has been largely classified in several different ways, according to the classification scheme shown below. There is still some inconsistency in the use of keywords, which is being addressed and greater uniformity will be developed for a CD version of this literature, enabling searching using this classification scheme.

ARCS collaboration tools

The Australian Research Collaboration Service (ARCS) has been supporting a wide range of Collaboration Services and Tools which have been allowing researchers, groups and research communities to share ideas and collaborate across organisational boundaries.----- This talk will give an introduction to a number of exciting technologies which are now available. Focus will be on two main areas of Video Collaboration Tools, allowing researchers to talk face-to-face and share data in real-time, and Web Collaboration Tools, allowing researchers to share information and ideas with other like-minded researchers irrespective of distance or organisational structure. A number of examples will also be shown of how these technologies have been used with in various research communities.----- A brief introduction will be given to a number of services which ARCS is now operating and/or supporting such as:--- * EVO – A video conferencing application, which is particularly suited to desktop or low bandwidth applications.--- * AccessGrid – An open source video conferencing and collaboration tool kit, which is great for room to room meetings.--- * Sakai – An online collaboration and learning environment, support teaching and learning, ad hoc group collaboration, support for portfolios and research collaboration.--- * Plone – A ready-to-run content management system, that provides you with a system for managing web content that is ideal for project groups, communities, web sites, extranets and intranets.--- * Wikis – A way to easily create, edit, and link pages together, to create collaborative websites.

ARCS collaboration tools and support workshop

Registration fees for this workshop are being met by ARCS. There is no cost to attend; however space is limited.----- The Australian Research Collaboration Service (ARCS) has been supporting a wide range of Collaboration Services and Tools which have been allowing researchers, groups and research communities to share ideas and collaborate across organisational boundaries.----- This workshop will give an introduction into a number of web based and real-time collaboration tools and services which researchers may find useful for day-to-day collaboration with members of a research team located within an institution or across institutions. Attendees will be shown how a number of these tools work with strong emphasis placed on how these tools can help facilitate communication and collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to try out a number of examples themselves, and interact with the workshop staff to discuss how their own use cases could benefit from the tools and services which can be provided.----- Outline: A hands on introduction will be given to a number of services which ARCS is now operating and/or supporting such as:--- * EVO – A video conferencing environment, which is particularly suited to desktop or low bandwidth applications.--- * AccessGrid – An open source video conferencing and collaboration tool kit, which is great for room to room meetings.--- * Sakai – An online collaboration and learning environment, support teaching and learning, ad hoc group collaboration, support for portfolios and research collaboration.--- * Plone and Drupal – A ready-to-run content management system, that provides you with a system for managing web content that is ideal for project groups, communities, web sites, extranets and intranets.--- * Wikis – A way to easily create, edit, and link pages together, to create collaborative websites.

Improved maritime target tracker using colour fusion

Searching for humans lost in vast stretches of ocean has always been a difficult task. This paper investigates a machine vision system that addresses this problem by exploiting the useful properties of alternate colour spaces. In particular, the paper investigates the fusion of colour information from the HSV, RGB, YCbCr and YIQ colour spaces within the emission matrix of a Hidden Markov Model tracker to enhance video based maritime target detection. The system has shown promising results. The paper also identifies challenges still needing to be met.

A University Support Model for eResearch

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is faced with a rapidly growing research agenda built upon a strategic research capacity-building program. This presentation will outline the results of a project that has recently investigated QUT’s research support requirements and which has developed a model for the support of eResearch across the university. QUT’s research building strategy has produced growth at the faculty level and within its research institutes. This increased research activity is pushing the need for university-wide eResearch platforms capable of providing infrastructure and support in areas such as collaboration, data, networking, authentication and authorisation, workflows and the grid. One of the driving forces behind the investigation is data-centric nature of modern research. It is now critical that researchers have access to supported infrastructure that allows the collection, analysis, aggregation and sharing of large data volumes for exploration and mining in order to gain new insights and to generate new knowledge. However, recent surveys into current research data management practices by the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories (APSR) and by QUT itself, has revealed serious shortcomings in areas such as research data management, especially its long term maintenance for reuse and authoritative evidence of research findings. While these internal university pressures are building, at the same time there are external pressures that are magnifying them. For example, recent compliance guidelines from bodies such as the ARC, and NHMRC and Universities Australia indicate that institutions need to provide facilities for the safe and secure storage of research data along with a surrounding set of policies, on its retention, ownership and accessibility. The newly formed Australian National Data Service (ANDS) is developing strategies and guidelines for research data management and research institutions are a central focus, responsible for managing and storing institutional data on platforms that can be federated nationally and internationally for wider use. For some time QUT has recognised the importance of eResearch and has been active in a number of related areas: ePrints to digitally publish research papers, grid computing portals and workflows, institutional-wide provisioning and authentication systems, and legal protocols for copyright management. QUT also has two widely recognised centres focused on fundamental research into eResearch itself: The OAK LAW project (Open Access to Knowledge) which focuses upon legal issues relating eResearch and the Microsoft QUT eResearch Centre whose goal is to accelerate scientific research discovery, through new smart software. In order to better harness all of these resources and improve research outcomes, the university recently established a project to investigate how it might better organise the support of eResearch. This presentation will outline the project outcomes, which include a flexible and sustainable eResearch support service model addressing short and longer term research needs, identification of resource requirements required to establish and sustain the service, and the development of research data management policies and implementation plans.