Research themes and projects
Research themes
Spanning fundamental technical and non-technical research all the way through to pilot and demonstration projects, the research objectives will deliver solutions for a lower carbon ecosystem that is competitive with current markets, scalable for bulk energy transport, value-adding through the creation of carbon products, and able to integrate with energy policy to enable a successful transition.
To deliver on the aspirations of the Woodside Monash Energy Partnership, the research objectives are structured into three focused research themes:
New energy technologies
High-efficiency and low-cost solutions to generate, store, and export carbon neutral energy, including hydrogen and its carriers.
Carbon capture, conversion and utilisation
Commercially sustainable solutions that reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions through chemical, thermal, and biological approaches.
Energy leadership
Understanding and enabling the interplay of economics, energy security, policy and governance on the transitioning energy system, including carbon markets.
Research projects
New energy technologies
Liquid H2 Storage
Chief Investigators: Professor Jacek Jasieniak, Dr Tom Hughes, Professor Gregory Sheard
Current liquid hydrogen storage tanks rely on complex double-shelled configurations with active cooling to minimise boil off. Critical to its operation is the need for vacuum in one of the shells to minimise thermal transfer.
Scaling of such existing storage facilities presents a major challenge. A systematic bottom-up approach is being applied to determine an ideal hydrogen storage system. This will include quantitative simulations, energy models and recommendations for structural and barrier materials for cryogenic liquid storage.
Seawater electrolysis
Chief Investigators: Dr Alexandr N. Simonov, Professor Douglas R. Macfarlane
The majority of existing low-temperature (<100 °C) electrolyser devices cannot use seawater directly.
This project will determine economic and technically feasible technologies for electrolytic production of hydrogen gas from seawater.
Carbon capture, conversion and utilisation
Gas phase CO2 conversion
Chief Investigators: Associate Professor Akshat Tanksale, Associate Professor Matthew Hill, Professor Kiyonori Suzuki, Dr Lee Djumas
One of the most attractive options for CO2 utilisation into fuels and chemicals is through the conversion of CO2 into synthesis gas (CO+H2) via dry or tri-reforming of methane.
However, these reactions are highly endothermic, which along with the catalyst coking problem, pose challenges for large scale application.
This proposal aims to investigate the feasibility of incorporating novel heating to reduce the energy requirement, while simultaneously developing state of the art catalysts.
Biological production of 1,4-butanediol from CO2
Chief Investigator: Associate Professor Victoria Haritos
1,4-Butanediol is a versatile and widely used industrial chemical for production of polymers and specialty chemicals. As the world transitions to lower carbon processes, bio-derived as opposed to crude oil-derived 1,4-butanediol demand will increase.
Using sugar as feedstock proof of concept production of 1,4-butanediol by the biotechnological microorganism E. coli is being investigated. By introducing a new metabolic pathway into the microbe, conditions will be optimised to achieve highest yields.
Energy leadership
LCA: New energy flows and environmental assessment
Chief Investigators: Professor Damon Honnery, Associate Professor Andrew Hoadley, Dr Roger Dargaville
Life cycle assessment methodology will be developed with consideration of environmental and energy flow impacts for assessment of new and emerging low energy technologies.
Framework will enable a comparative assessment based on first order considerations of both impacts and energetics of the supply chain.
Analysing change for a lower carbon future
Chief Investigators: Professor Wray Buntine, Professor Fang Lee Cooke, Associate Professor Gerry Nagtzaam, Alejandra Mendoza Alcántara, Abby Wild
This interdisciplinary project will investigate whether there is a relationship between: (a) low carbon energy regulatory policy and investment; (b) society’s energy economy; and (c) information expressed in media and communication, which can be used to predict how these three domains will influence each other.