School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering

UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR, Friday, 12th Oct 2012

LIST OF ABSTRACTS

Salam ABBAS (Saeed Maleksaeedi/Andrew Ruys)

GELCASTING OF ZTA FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIP REPLACEMENTS

One of the major problems associated with ceramic-ceramic hip replacements currently available on the market is the brittle nature of ceramics. ZTA is being developed as an improvement material to be applied to ceramic-ceramic hip replacements. This thesis focuses on optimising the properties of ZTA for the target application.

Abdul Haadi ABDUL MANAP (Ahmad Jabbarzadeh)

MOLECULAR DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF NEWTONIAN FLOW AROUND A PERIODIC ARRAY OF CYLINDERS PARTICLE IN A CONFINED CHANNEL IN NANO-SCALE.

In this thesis show the computational analysis using molecular dynamic simulations of Newtonian flow in rectangular channel over a cylindrical in nano-scale. A linear periodic array of nano-cylinder will be place in a nano-channel. The effect of the molecular size and ratio of particle to the channel size on the flow condition will be investigated.

Azwan ADAM (Dries Verstraete)

AERO-THERMAL EFFECTS IN MICRO GAS TURBINES

Micro gas turbines have become one of the technologies that experience a growing interest for the past decades. Due to its large power density, the micro gas turbines have become very attractive for propulsion of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as well as for portable power units. However, there are a few aero – thermal issues surrounding the miniaturisation of gas turbines. Thus, this thesis will focus on investigating the effects of heat transfer on the performance of a micro gas turbine.

Tamkin AHMADZADA (Internal: Qing Li External: Yongbai Yin / Natalie James / David McKenzie)

HERMETIC AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PEEK WITH THIN FILM ALD COATINGS

Medical implants that house electronics primarily rely on metals to obtain hermetic encapsulation for long-term use. Biopolymers however are much more cost-effective but have not been exploited given their poor hermetic properties. This thesis investigates the potential of Atomic Layer Deposited (ALD) Alumina in enhancing the hermeticity of PEEK biopolymer.

Bianca ALBANESE (Corey Scholes / Qing Li)

VALIDITY OF A 3- DIMENSIONAL DYNAMIC MRI METHOD FOR

ASSESSMENT OF TIBIOFEMORAL KINEMATICS IN-VIVO

A key limitation of contemporary orthopaedic surgery is the lack of quantitative data regarding in vivo function of both the healthy and pathological tibiofemoral joint. Current methods for measurement of knee kinematics are limited, impeding on true representations of kinematic motion. This thesis aims to validate a novel dynamic MRI method for the assessment of tibiofemoral kinematics.

James Daniel ALLEN (Andrei Lozzi)

FSAE DATA ANALYSIS FOR DRIVER TRAINING

One of the many purposes of data analysis in motor racing competitions such as Formula SAE is to understand and improve a vital aspect of a team’s performance in dynamic events – the racing driver.

Ryan ANDERSON (Gareth Vio)

THERMAL EFFECTS ON AEROELASTICITY

The effect of temperature on the elastic response of an aircraft, aerothermoelasticity, has previously been associated to space applications. However, recent studies have pushed for the requirement for a low-cost single stage to orbit, re-useable launch vehicle. This Thesis focuses on modifying existing aeroelastic models to incorporate the effects of temperature to predict its effect on catastrophic flutter and the modes of motion.

William ANGUS (Philip Boughton / Giang Tran)

INHIBITING CALCIFICATION ONSET IN BIOMATERIALS

Bovine pericardium is widely used a variety of cardiovascular applications including replacement heart valves. Calcification of these tissues can lead to structural dysfunction, tissue degeneration and catastrophic implant failure. The onset of calcification and its effects were studied by a range of techniques. Existing and novel methods to prevent and test for calcification were investigated.

Nur Izyan Farhana ASHIRAN (Dries Verstrate)

EFFECTIVENESS OF SPLIT AILERONS FOR THE BLENDED WING BODY LATERAL STABILITY

Conventionally, the ailerons are designed to provide the lateral stability of the blended wing body of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). However, the lateral stability of this blended wing body can be improves by using split ailerons. Hence, this thesis is focusing on the effectiveness of split ailerons to the blended wing body of UAV lateral stability in terms of roll and yaw.

Emmanuel ASSARGIOTIS (Matthew Dunn)

STABILIZATION AND CONTROL OF FLAME STRUCTURES AND PROPAGATIONS THROUGH AC INDUCED ELECTRICAL FIELDS DURING VARIOUS ELECTRODE

CONFIGURATIONS.

This study investigates 6 bluff body flames with different fuel and oxidizing mixtures, and how/if a driving mechanism for control and stability of a flame can be achieved with differing electrode geometries and enhanced electrical fields. Electric fields range from 10Kv-40Kv AC /DC ranges. Designed in Python/Cantera then realized.

Jack BATCHEN (Internal: Andrew Ruys/ External: Corey Scholes/ Joe Lynch)

GAIT ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTED KNEES

A multiple ligament reconstruction will result in functional differences to the affected knee. Gait analysis using motion capture software and a technique called relative phase analysis have been used effectively to investigate knee function in many disorders. This thesis focuses on using these techniques to investigate multiple ligament reconstructed knees.

Muhammad Nur Aizat BENDARAH (Lin Ye / Jianing Zhang)

CROSS-LINKING DENSITY OF A DGEBA EPOXY CURED USING DIFFERENT CURING AGENTS

Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin cured with different types of hardeners/ curing agents. Differential Scanning Calorimetry DSC machine is used to determine the temperature properties of the cured epoxy to investigate the cross-linking density of the cured epoxy.

Gennady BOLOTOV (Thierry Peynot)

3D LASER – CAMERA CALIBRATION, DATA CORRELATION AND DISCREPANCIES

Perception is one of the fundamental problems in robotics. In order to improve the model ofthe perceived environment, integrated multi-sensor systems are employed. Such systems areknown to provide more reliable information in conditions where single-sensor systems fail. This Thesis focuses on fusion of data from 3D Laser Range Finder and a Camera.

Christopher CASTANEDA (John Currie)

INNOVATION AND ITS PLACE IN A MATURING AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Innovation is the essence of human ingenuity that has propelled society through the years and is often associated in synonymous fashion with the aerospace industry. This engineering project will explore the relationship between innovation and aerospace, analysing how firms have adapted to the new demands brought about by social attitudes and maturity of the industry.

Marc CHAN (KC WONG)

AIRCRAFT 3D MODELS DEVELOPMENT WITH OPENVSP & FURTHER INTEGRATION WITH ANALYSIS SOFTWARE

OpenVSP is a parametric geometry tool developed by NASA and specifically intended for conceptual aircraft design. The Jabiru J160 3D model is developed using OpenVSP along with a user manual for future students. The export capabilities and integration methods with SolidWorks/CFD software are also investigated as part of this project.

Tyrell CHANDRA (Peter Gibbens)

DEVELOPMENT OF A STATIC COLLIMATED FLIGHT SIMULATOR

Flight Simulators have been used extensively to train pilots, simulate existing aircraft models and test new aircraft designs. This thesis focuses on the development of the Static Collimated Flight Simulator (SCFS) as an alternative to the Variable Stability Flight Simulator (VSFS) for educating Flight Mechanics students.

Chattarin CHANHOM (Xiaofeng Wu)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHARGE-EXCHANGE THRUSTER

The Charge-Exchange thruster is a new type of electric propulsion system developed by the University of Sydney. It utilises an asymmetric cathode tube to create a plasma discharge, causing the ejection of high velocity neutral atoms which produces thrust. This thesis focuses on the process of redesigning, manufacturing, and testing of a prototype unit that is self-contained and small enough to be used in practical applications. The thesis also explores the possibility of integrating the system on to an integrated circuit board.

Lily CHAU (External: Simon Poon / Josiah Poon (School of IT)Internal: Colin Dunstan)

UNIFYING STATISTICAL PLATFORM FOR HIGH DIMENSIONAL SYNERGISTIC DRUG INTERACTIONS

Drug combinations are dependent on its constituent’s interaction, whereby the effect may be exaggerated or neutralised. It is therefore difficult to determine quantitatively, what differentiates the synergistic responses from the additive. By developing a computational model, it is possible to statistically test for the optimal statistically significant synergistic effect.

Xiaojia CHEN (Philip Boughton / Cecile King / Joanna Warren)

THE FEASIBILITY OF FGSG (FUNCTIONAL GRADED SKIN GRAFT) IN IMPROVING BAHA DEVICE PERFORMANCE

The author would focus on the design and development of a functionally graded synthetic skin graft (the ‘device’) which is innovated from this original evenly distributed porosity Variotis, and to investigate its feasibility in promoting long term skin ingrowth from porous circumference to its central portion thus creating a hermetic transdermal access.

Fei CHENG (John Currie)

ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Leadership is important in engineering companies. This project is about engineering leadership and leadership development of 4S Auto shop services and junior engineer cultivations in China. Research and analyse suitable leadership modes, customer service improvement and further leadership development.

Joshua Teik-han CHEW (Andrei Lozzi)

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF FSAE REAR UPRIGHTS

This thesis details the design, testing and manufacture of the 2012 FSAE rear uprights. The rear uprights will be developed around the 2011 design philosophy which was implemented to reduce the time and complexity of the upright’s manufacture.

Rachel CHOI (Elizabeth Clarke / Qing Li)

BIOMECHANICAL TESTING OF TENDONS IN EQUINE TENDON DEGENERATION MODEL

Tendon degeneration can cause long-term pain and loss of joint function in the rotator cuff and Achilles tendon especially. Gathering strength data for tendon tissue presents a challenge for tendon degeneration researchers. This thesis aims to find a method of testing smaller regional specimens taken from whole equine flexor tendon.

Oliver CLIFF (Sildomar Monteiro)

MANIPULATOR REINFORCEMENT LEARNING

Computing Inverse Kinematics for a high DOF manipulator is computationally expensive and hardware-specific. This thesis focuses on determining and implementing an efficient and portable machine learning algorithm on a low-cost robotic arm.

Emma CONNELL (Elizabeth Clarke)

THE EFFECTS OF GROWTH ON MUSCLE MOMENT ARMS

Muscle moment arms are an important parameter in joint kinematics, with research based and clinical applications. This thesis investigates the effects of growth on human gastrocnemius muscle moment arms, by applying and optimising a new MRI method to non-invasively track dynamic movement in 3D.

Tom CONNELL (Graham Brooker)

SCANNING THERMAL IMAGER AND HOT SPOT TRACKING

Design and construction of a low cost Thermal Imaging Scanner proposed as an alternative to staring array based imagers.

Matthew COUTTS (Dries Verstraete)

WING-WEIGHT CORRELATIONS FOR UAV’S

Weight estimation is a critical stage in the development of new aerospace platforms. Whilst current estimation techniques are suitable for large metal aircraft, corresponding data does not

exist for composite aircraft on a micro scale. The paucity of wing-weight estimation data forms the motivation for this thesis.

William CROWLEY (Chris Jackson / Hala Zreiqat)

APPLICATION OF LIPOASPIRATE TO HYPERTROPHIC SCARRING

Hypertrophic Scarring is a cosmetic and debilitating problem caused by excessive scar tissue formed during wound healing. A novel approach to deal with this problem is through the injection of lipoaspirate (fat). This thesis seeks to understand the cellular and molecular interaction between dermal fibroblasts and adipose derived stem cells.

Michael DALRYMPLE (Andrei Lozzi)

USYD FSAE CHASSIS DESIGN

A well designed chassis is essential for an FSAE car that is going to perform well at competition, both statically and dynamically. This Thesis explores what is required of a good FSAE chassis and how The University of Sydney chassis has been designed to achieve these goals.

Christopher DAVEY (Internal: Andrew Ruys / External: Alex Argyros /Sam Solomon / Simon Fleming)

A MICROSTRUCTURED METAL-POLYMER OPTIC FIBRE FOR MULTISITE OPTOGENETIC, ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL NEURAL INTERFACING.

Optogenetics has recently enabled high precision optical neural interfacing. In combination with metal electrodes, numerous hybrid neural interface devices have successfully combined both optical and electrical technologies for enhanced neural control. Here we present a device that better integrates these two modalities while additionally providing potential for drug delivery.

Telissa DEPAOLI (Michael Kirkpatrick)

INVESTIGATION OF TURBULENT ENTRAINMENT IN SHEARED CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY LAYERS BY PIV AND PLIF

A laboratory rig has been developed to produce turbulent entrainment in sheared convective boundary layer. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) techniques are used to measure the velocity and density gradients. This is to gain a greater understanding of the mixing rates at the boundary layer, which will have many associated benefits to the scientific and engineering applications.

Daniel DIGIROLAMO ( Peter Gibbens / Darren Lamburn)

DEVELOPMENT OF A COLLIMATED SIMULATOR SYSTEM

The university is conducting ongoing development of a multi-window collimated simulator system as an accessible educational tool for students. This project will focus on the practical design of the simulator cockpit layout, structural features and hardware/software interface systems as well as the integration of helicopter functionality into the system.

Huidong David DING (Xiaofeng Wu)

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF SATELLITE FORMATION FLIGHT IN LOW EARTH ORBITS

To determine the orbital dynamic characteristics of satellites in formation flight and analyse the effects of long term perturbation due to Earth’s oblateness.

Aouni EL-HAJJE (Andrew Ruys / Saeed Maleksaeedi)

3D PRINTING AND CHARACTERISATION OF POROUS TITANIUM SCAFFOLDS

The elastic modulus of metallic orthopaedic implants is much greater than cortical bone, causing stress shielding which leads to fracture at the implantation site. Introducing pores into an implant via three dimensional printing (3DP) will lower the modulus significantly. This thesis focuses on physical and mechanical properties of 3DP titanium

Manaal FATIMA (Qing Li / Corey Scholes)

LOAD DISTRIBUTION ON THE CARTILAGE AND MENISCI DURING GAIT AFTER LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION FOLLOWING A MULTIPLE-LIGAMENT KNEE INJURY

Clinical observations have reported a higher incidence of knee osteoarthritis in individuals with a multiple ligament injury. This thesis aims to combine patient-specific gait data, image-based modelling and finite element methods to determine whether differences exist in the injured knee’s loading conditions that could potentially lead to the onset of osteoarthritis.

Dionne FORWARD (Graham Brooker)

FEM ANALYSIS OF POINTE SHOES

The use of FEM and mechanical testing on ballet Pointe shoes will be used to determine a new design with enhanced durability and mechanical properties.

Devendra GAIRE (Phillip Boughton / Melinda Lee)

BIOACTIVE IMPLANT COMPOSITES AND SURFACE TREATMENTS FOR SOFT TISSUE ATTACHMENT

Soft tissue implants like cochlear implants are readily subjected to migration due to poor tissue attachment. Traditionally, mechanical fixation methods like screws, suture, etc are used but now there is a shift towards bioactive fixation. This Project will look at the silicone-bioactive glass composites and surface treatments of silicones and titanium using bioactive glass coat.

Xiang GAO (Matthew Cleary)

PREDICTION OF POLLUTANT EMISSION FROM LIQUID FUEL COMBUSTION

Liquid fuels are a major part of world total energy supply and essential component of our daily lives. However, the disadvantages associated with burning liquid fuels are well known as carbon dioxide emission which has become one of the most confronting issues worldwide. Thus, clean combustion is a major concern and the aim of this thesis is to predict pollutant emission from liquid fuel combustion by analysing CFD models developed.

Moonho GOO (John Currie)

INNOVATION AS A COMPETENCY IN THE AEROSPACE COMPOSITE INDUSTRY

Innovation is becoming a more crucial and significant part of a company’s competency. This is the same for firms in the aerospace composite industry. This project aims to explore the strategic methods which firms in the aerospace composite industry use to acquire the resources to innovate.

Adam DeGraff GUILFOYLE (Paul McHugh)

DESIGN OF A SEAMLESS GEARBOX

‘Seamless’ gearbox technology claims to provide an instantaneous means of changing between gear ratios without interrupting the torque through the drive-train. This study involves the conversion of an existing ‘standard sequential’ gearbox to a ‘seamless’ configuration over a single gear ratio. From this an assessment will be made as to the viability of such system s in everyday applications.

Muhammad Hanafi HAMBALI (Ahmad Jabbarzadeh)

MICROSTRUCTURE OF CRYSTALLIZED WAX THROUGH SIMULATIONS

The purpose of this study is to determine the wax crystalline temperature and to understand how they will crystallize in such systems that can affect the oil production rate from an oil well. It is

proposed to do the molecular dynamic simulation of the smaller molecular size of alkane (i.e. C12 – C15) under constant pressure conditions.

Alex HAMMERTON (Matthew Cleary)

THE EFFECT OF OXYGEN ENRICHMENT ON COMBUSTION EMISSIONS AND EFFICIENCY IN LEAN PREMIXED GAS TURBINES

This Project uses Chemical Reactor Network simulation to analyse the effect of using oxygen-enriched air as an oxidant in lean premixed gas turbines. Of most importance is the change in combustion emissions and efficiency that occurs as a result of using oxygen enriched air in combustion.

Daniel HAMMOUD (Colin Dunstan)

EFFECT OF MULTIPLE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION ON THE ARTICULAR CARTILAGE OF THE KNEE JOINT

Analysing the degradation of the articular cartilage in the human knee joint in patients that have undergone multiple ligament reconstructions by creating T2 Maps in various test patients. The maps of patients will be compared to control/healthy knee joints and a conclusion drawn.

Youn Sang HAN (Simmy Grewal / Jae Beom Kwon)

INCREASE MANUFACTURING THROUGHPUT

The necessity to revise and implement improvements for throughput strategies is becoming the norm for manufacturing companies as operation cost and competitive competition continue to increase. To address the issues of rising costs, this thesis evaluates the assembly line of an automatic value manufacturing company, HKC Co., Ltd.

Ammar Ariff Shah HANIPAH (Assaad Masri)

STABILITY LIMITS AND THE EXTENT OF STRATIFICATION IN PARTIALLY PREMIXED COMBUSTION

Partially premixed combustion is a common mode of burning in practical combustion devices and it is important to understand its characteristics. The degree of stratification in the fuel/air mixture and the level of turbulence could affect the combustion and the stability limits.

Layale HARB (Andrew Ruys)

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF 3D-PRINTED TITANIUM SCAFFOLDS

The use of Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on titanium to enhance the bonds between bone and biomedical implants is a well-researched area. However, the use of new 3D printed titanium has not been yet documented. This thesis deals with optimising the HA coating on 3DP-Ti as well as determining the cell response to the coating on this material.

Elias HKEIK (Andrei Lozzi)

ANALYSIS OF A FORMULA SAE VALVETRAIN

Due to the use of an inlet restrictor, the standard valve train of the Aprilia RXV550 engine is far from optimal for use in the Formula SAE race car. A kinematic and dynamic analysis of the valve train in its standard form, as well as modified valve trains to extract the maximum performance were analysed.

Jessica HOUANG (Philip Boughton/ Karen Vickery)

DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL TISSUE SCAFFOLD FOR CHRONIC WOUNDS

Chronic wounds are often associated with high morbidity, and their subsequent treatment with high healthcare costs. Currently used wound dressings only address few of the requirements necessary for successful wound healing. This thesis focuses on the development of a multi-function skin tissue scaffold for the treatment of deep chronic wounds.

Liyang HUA (Philip Boughton)

THE DEVELOPMENT OF LASER-ACTIVATED SCAFFOLD IN COCHLEAR IMPLANT

The use of biomedical scaffold to solve the issue of implant displacement and migration in cochlear application is my main topic. We are developing a fixation technique that could firmly hold the cochlear implant and bind the implant with tissue and bone.

Irfan ILIES (Ahmad Jabbarzadeh)

EFFECT OF NANO-PATTERNING OF SURFACES ON THEIR WETTABILITY

Understanding of boundary condition is crucial to predict the flow pattern in nano-channel accurately. Boundary condition can be modified by changing the surface pattern of the nano-channel. This Thesis investigates the effect of various surface patterns on the flow pattern and studies the corresponding degree of wettability.

Hee On JANG (Paul McHugh)

DESIGN OF A PORTABLE BIO-DIESEL PLANT

The aim of this project is to make a portable bio-diesel plant which can be used at any time with simple directions. The portable plant will fit on the back of a small table top ute (6 feet by 8 feet).

Claire JELFS Andrew Ruys / Lachlan McKenzie (Stryker Australia)

REINVENTING THE PRODUCT RECALL PROCESS FOR THE MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY

Recent public scrutiny around the regulations of medical devices and the TGA has highlighted the inefficiencies and complexities surrounding the current product recall process. The analysis of this process and its stakeholders led to the development of a more effective system with improved communication and product quality.

Kenneth JOHNSTON (Gareth Vio)

AEROELASTIC EFFECTS ON AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE

Aircraft performance and flight mechanics are generally defined on an assumption of rigid aircraft and airframe structures. This thesis focuses on the changes to aircraft performance due to the aeroelastic behaviour of airframe components subject to strenuous aerodynamic loading, by utilising FEA modelling.

Rano JONQUILLE (Dries Verstraete)

DYNO TESTING OF BRUSHLESS DC MOTORS

To allow the selection of the best brushless DC motor for fuel-cell powered UAVs, it is vital to have accurate performance characteristics of the motors. This thesis will analyse the performance and efficiency of DC motors through dyno testing, and, where possible, validate test results with published data from manufacturers.

Muhammad Irfan JUSOH (Li Chang / Samir Mustapha)

SHEAR-THICKENING AND STRUCTURE FORMATION IN POLYMER COLLOIDS CONTAINING NANOPARTICLES

Shear-thickening fluids are non-Newtonian fluids which can exhibit a sudden increase in viscosity with the increase of shear rate. The study aims to explore the industrial applications of shear-thickening fluids under damping conditions. The damping behaviour of a shear thickening fluid will be examined with different vibration frequencies and amplitudes.

Mohamad KADDAH (Rodney Fiford)

DESIGN AND TESTING OF AUTOMATIC ROTATING COMPOST BIN

This thesis details the theory, design, construction, modification and testing of a self rotating compost bin powered only by renewable energy.

Alexander KALFAS (Dries Verstraete)

ANALYSIS OF TURBINE HEAT TRANSFER IN MICRO GAS TURBINES

Micro gas turbines have significant potential for distributed generation and small scale aviation applications. However heat transfer, due to the close proximity of components, limits their efficiency. This Thesis focuses on determining the effect of heat transfer on the performance of an axial turbine stage for micro gas turbines.

Justin KANDIAH (Philip Boughton / Ashish Diwan)

IN-SITU SPINAL LOAD TESTING SYSTEM

FEM is at the frontier of spine biomechanics research, however is dramatically set back with lack of verification by experimental means. This Thesis focuses on the development of a minimally invasive in-situ load measurement system for the spine. The system is to be used in conjunction with FEM and expand its applications.

Ben KEARY (Graham Brooker)

THE USE OF DIFFUSION FIELDS IN LOCALISATION

The Use of diffusion fields’ in particular electro-magnetic fields within an indoor environment can reveal a cost effective approach to localisation. The indoor environment warps the local magnetic fields creating unique signatures that can be collected and then local data can be compared to databases that can localise targets within such an environment.

Christopher KENDRICK (Graham Brooker)-

MICRO-DOPPLER GAIT EVALUATION TO INFER FATIGUE LEVELS IN LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS

Research has suggested that changes in gait could indicate a recent concussion. It is speculated that similar changes in gait could indicate the fatigue level of long distance runners. The aim of

this thesis is to determine whether micro-Doppler gait evaluation can determine fatigue levels in long-distance runners.

Parijaat KHATRI Johnathon Choi / Andrew Ruys

DESIGN OF AN INTRAVENOUS INFUSION FLOW MONITORING SYSTEM

It’s crucial to intravenously infuse the desired amount of a drug to prevent toxicity effects or inadequate diagnosis. The current market doesn’t achieve optimal balance between accuracy, practicality and simplicity. This thesis attempts to achieve this balance by presenting a mechanical means of flow detection for pressure differential pumps.

Ankit Kumar KHOBA (Andrei Lozzi)

INTAKE PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION

The testing of Intake designs in the past has purely been based on simulation in Ricardo Wave and Vectis. This year the focus is on increasing the accuracy of the Ricardo simulations and developing methods of comparison with empirical results. The intake design has thus been accurately validated.

Edward KIM (Graham Brooker)

INDOOR NAVIGATION USING UBIQUITOUS FIELD INFORMATION

Indoor navigation hasn’t had the commercial success of outdoor navigation systems (such as GPS) due to poor signal penetration and transmission abilities in indoor environments. The thesis explores a technique to eliminate the use of external hardware and infrastructure by processing sensory inputs from local diffused field information (with Particle Filters and Machine Learning algorithms) to extract user movements through known and mapped indoor environments.

Hong Ju KIM (Qing Li)

TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION FOR CRANE

It is important to determine the optimum design with maximizing the performance of the structure, preventing the overuse of materials and satisfying given design requirements simultaneously. This desirable concept can be achieved by topology optimization technique. In this thesis, tower crane structures are optimized by using topology optimization in ANSYS program

Yevgen KRIPAK (Andrei Lozzi)

FSAE INERTIA DYNAMOMETER

The University of Sydney’s Formulae SAE team requires an in-house inertia dynamometer to test and fine tune the vehicle’s performance prior the competition. Currently there is a working prototype, however, it requires some work before it can be utilized. This thesis focuses on improving the current dynamometer in several major areas such as safety and efficiency.

David LAI (Xiaofeng Wu)

SOLAR SAIL TECHNOLOGY

The aim of this thesis project is to look at the dynamics behind solar sail satellites and how they are operated. Other topics that will also be discussed include a brief history, potential applications and the current limitations of solar sail technology.

ANDREA LAM (Chris Jackson / Hala Zreiqat)

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS THERAPY: EASY AS APC?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severely debilitating disease. Sadly, almost half a million Australians fall victim to this painful disorder. Current treatments are far from perfect, rendering the need for improved therapies paramount. This thesis undertakes a mechanistic investigation into the therapeutic potential of Activated Protein C, a novel and promising treatment.

Joshua LAWRENCE (Andrew Ruys / Paul Matteucci (UNSW))

ULTRA LOW-COST PROSTHETIC HAND FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Landmines claim thousands of lives and the limbs of the survivors. Post-trauma, the victims often find it difficult to maintain their jobs and lead normal lives. Although many high-tech devices exist, they are neither affordable nor maintainable by third world standards. This proposed device is easily replaced and made from easily obtainable materials.

John LeMERLE (Guocheng Wang / Hala Zreiqat)

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF TITANIUM ALLOYS USING CHEMICALAND HYDROTHERMAL TREATMENTS

This project concerns the surface modification of titanium alloys to produce an environment that encourages attachment and growth of Human Osteoblasts, involving in depth nano and micro-scale analysis of surface topography and composition.

Kurt LEWIS (Paul Briozzo)

3D SCANNING AND MODELLING

3D scanning of complex and irregular structures.

Matthew LEWIS (Paul Briozzo)

FRONTAL CRASH COMPATIBILITY OF A WESTFIELD CLUBMAN KIT CAR

Kit cars are purpose built for track racing but are often used on road. Generally such cars are built without regard for on road safety. This project aims to examine the frontal crash compatibility of a Westfield Clubman kit car through the use of finite element modelling analysis.

Rodney LI (Sildomar Monteiro)

3D COMPUTER VISION FOR HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING

Developments in Hyperspectral Imaging have recently seen increased use in applications such as mining where it is highly useful in determining mineral concentration and composition. This thesis focuses on developing methodologies to combine the Hyperspectral images with 3D laser data to build geological maps.

Meng-hua LU ( Masud Behnia / Nagarathinam Srinarayana)

THERMODYNAMIC MODELLING OF DATA CENTRE COOLING SYSTEMS

By varying the location of the CRAC and parameters of the room to design a cooling system will able to provide optimum cooling to the data center. This Thesis focuses on modelling different cooling system of data center.

Abhishek MADRAS (Philip Boughton / Giang Tran)

STUDYING THE EFFECT OF STRUCTURAL MODIFICATION ON THE LONGEVITY OF HEART VALVE BIOMATERIALS

This thesis is a continuation of Andrew Haymet’s Thesis from last year. Im trying to examine the effects of structural modification (mainly ridged patterns) on the longevity of prosthetic heart valves. The bovine pericardium which is to be used in making the heart valves would be treated with Glutaraldehyde and at the same time pressed in a jig which would introduce a ridged shaped pattern similar to a shark skin which would ultimately increase the micro-turbulence in blood

flow leading to lower drag. This approach should decrease the shear stress which may lead to an increase in Longevity.

Benjamin MAGID (Colin Dunstan)

MC3T3 CELL ANALYSIS ON PROTEIN COATED PIII TREATED PEEK

This thesis is testing the adhesion, growth and differentiation of MC3T3 cells on Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) after Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII). Specifically, it addresses the suitability of cell adhesion gylcoprotein coatings to enhance PEEK's bioactivity

Muhamad Nazri MAHDAR (Assaad Masri)

MICRO-COMBUSTION

Micro-combustion is a relatively new field of research that is fast evolving due to interest in micro-power generation system. Simulation modelled that has been set up and modified for this experiment will be used to investigate the chemical kinetics for the surface and gaseous reactions. Using DME as hydrocarbon fuels that will mix with air over platinum plate, the calculations and analysis of the flameless reaction will be conducted using non-commercial FLUENT CFD software to get numerical results.

Ronald MAKINS (Andrew Ruys / Rob Wilkins)

THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMISSIONING OF A NOVEL MEDICAL PHANTOM ROTATOR DEVICE FOR 4D CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

4D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming increasingly popular in its application in image-guided radiotherapy, particularly for lung cancer treatment. This thesis is based around producing a medical phantom rotator device, which can assist in testing a unique approach to radiotherapy that is based on 4D CBCT.

Abdul Haadi ABDUL MANAP (Ahmad Jabbarzadeh)

In this thesis show the computational analysis using molecular dynamic simulations of Newtonian flow in rectangular channel over a cylindrical in nano-scale. A linear periodic array of nano-cylinder will be place in a nano-channel. The effect of the molecular size and ratio of particle to the channel size on the flow condition will be investigated.

Nadim MANSOUR (Masud Behnia / Ashkan Javadzaddegan)

FSI ANALYSIS OF A CORONARY ARTERY

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of mortality. CFD has been used to model arteries to determine haemodynamic factors associated with CAD. This study compares four FSI models of patient coronary arteries in order to form a physiologically correct computational model.

Ashwin MARWAH (Graham Brooker / Corey Scholes)

REMOTE MONITORING OF THE KNEE

This thesis focuses on an orthopaedic measurement device to aid patients with knee injuries. This remote monitoring device aims to provide objective and accurate data in a cost effective manner. The device’s output will be validated against the gait lab data which is the current industry gold standard.

Lindsay McDONALD (Dries Verstraete)

CALCULATION OF STABILITY DERIVATIVES FOR UNCONVENTIONALLY CONFIGURED UAVS (Unconventional UAV Designs)

Many modern UAV designs feature unconventional configurations, moving away from the traditional fuselage and wings layout. This presents challenges in calculating handling qualities in preliminary design for platforms such as the Blended Wing Body. This thesis focuses on examining traditional methods of stability evaluation, comparing them to scale wind tunnel testing.

Geordie McSULLEA (Steve Armfield)

CFD ANALYSIS OF SURFBOARD HYDRODYNAMICS

This project aims to further develop a CFD model of a surfboard to investigate the hydrodynamic effect of the design on its manoeuvrability. This project continues the work started last year, using Solidworks and ANSYS, investigates the effect of fins and board shape on the board’s ability to turn.

Muhammad Fitri Md YAZID (Assaad R. Masri / Ahmed Al-harbi)

INVESTIGATING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF STRATIFIED COMBUSTION UNDER CONDITIONS OF HIGH SHEAR RATES

The use of rectangular chamber as the combustion burner is applied to reveal the aim of this experiment. The chamber consists of a concentric tube feeding premixed fuel-air mixtures at different equivalence ratios. The project will study the stability features of this burner under different levels of stratification.

Gavin MENEZES (Corey Scholes / Andrew Ruys)

ALTERATIONS IN GAIT AFTER CHRONIC ACL INJURY

Differences in kinematics after damage to the anterior cruciate ligament have been well documented. This thesis aims to quantify the differences in chronic ACL injury so that better surgical methods can develop and a better long-term outcome can be achieved.

Cameron MENZIES (Phil Boughton / Paul Carter)

ELECTROCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD FOR NERVOUS REPAIR

Peripheral and central nerve injuries affect many people each year, usually from traumatic injury or surgery. The purpose of this research is to develop an Electroconductive tissue scaffold in vitro using a polycaprolactone/carbon nanotube composite, and test cell cytotoxicity.

Aicha MHAJER (Graham BROOKER / Hala Phipps (RPAH))

MANUAL ROTATION TRAINING MANNEQUIN FOR OPP

Occipito-posterior (OP) position of a fetal head during labour, leads birth complications and emergency caesarean sections. Caesareans are a major contributing factor to maternal mortality and morbidity. This thesis covers the design, making and model analyses of a training mannequin, for manual rotation of a fetal head in OP position.

Tristan MILLETT (Peter Gibbens)

VISION BASED GUIDANCE FOR AIRCRAFT USING SFM(STRUCTURE FROM MOTION)

The traditional determination of the attitude and position of an aircraft using an IMU and GPS is significantly different from the process used by a human pilot to navigate. This Thesis aims to use SFM as method of SLAM based primarily on visual information; mimicking human processes.

Mohamad Anas MOHAMAD YUSOF (Paul McHugh)

CONTINUOUS WASHED SYSTEM OF BIODIESEL

One of the stages in order to complete the production of biodiesel is the washing system. Hence, In order to do a mass production of biodiesel in industry, a continuous process of washing system is essential. In this project, the aim is to use high shear pump approach for the portable washing

system where biodiesel and water is sheared at high rate in particular condition before separation process.

Mohamad Firaz MOHD FAUZI (Ahmad Jabbarzadeh / Shao Cong Dai)

POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION

This thesis research is basically to build up the insightful about the polymer crystallization process which is essential for polymer processing industry. Due to complex nature of polymers, their mechanical properties are dependent on their morphology and degree of crystallinity. Hence, the understanding on the crystallization phenomena of the end product and its dependence on cooling rate, additives, flow conditions and molecular structure is very vital to design efficient processing techniques in order to produce the required polymer.

Fatin Shahirah MOHD ISA (Michael Kirkpatrick)

PURGING OF STRATIFIED FLOW THROUGH 180° CURVED CHANNEL RIG

The accumulations of saline ground water at the bottom of scour depressions along riverine result in the formation of saline pools that pose serious effects on the aquatic ecosystems. This thesis investigates the purging of the stratified flow within an open channel bend using a curved flume, replicating a river bend.

Shahira MOHMAD ZAMEL (Yiu-Wing Mai / Hong-Yuan Liu)

TEARING FRACTURE OF NANOCOMPOSITE THIN FILMS

Nanocomposites-based packaging materials have great potential in food packaging industry which can improve the properties and overall quality of the packaging materials. This thesis is concerned with the study of Nylon-based-Montmorillonite mechanical properties and their interrelationships with microstructures under tearing mode of fracture. The investigation is based on the EWF approach.

Stephen Lloyd MOW (Qing Li / Gregg Suaning)

HERMETIC ENCAPSULATION OF MICRO-IMPLANTS USING LASER BRAZING TECHNIQUES

The joining of dissimilar materials is of great importance in various industries, in particular, the biomedical industry. A successful adhesion takes advantage of specific properties attributed to

each material. Thus, enhancing the performance, and or function of the resulting product. The studies outlined in this thesis, pertain to the brazing of Alumina to Titanium via the use of laser processes. The effects of various parameters; laser power, wave function output, pulsing and energy density, were studied yielding an optimal set of parameters to achieve a hermetic join. A 400W GSI JK400FL Fibre laser was used in the joining process. Photographs of the weld profile using SEM were observed and leak testing of specimens was done to evaluate the hermeticity of the welded joint. Weld profiles were simulated using a 3D heat transfer script written in MATLAB and compared with experimental results.

Lisa MUIR (Michael Kirkpatrick)

WIND-SOLAR HYBRID SYSTEM FOR RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN POKHARA, NEPAL

Currently over 60% of Nepal’s population are without access to electricity. This thesis describes a sustainable solution based on a small scale solar and wind hybrid system. Working alongside Engineers Without Borders a design will be put forward to power lighting for rural households in Pokhara, Nepal.

Indharjeet NAIDU (John Currie)

ISO9000: A STRATEGIC MARKETING TOOL OR GENUINE PRACTICE FOR IMPROVING QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OPERATIONS

Quality management systems play a crucial role in the performance of engineering firms. This topic aims to identify internal and external motives for ISO9000 adoption in engineering firms and determine whether it is used as a strategic marketing tool or genuine improvement in quality management system operations, evaluating its’ relevance.

Rahman NAKKAS (Masud Behnia / Ashkan Javadzadegan)

CFD ANALYSIS OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC LEFT CORONARY ARTERIES

CFD can be used to simulate blood flow in vessels very effectively. Since mortality rates due to atherosclerosis are alarmingly high, it is imperative to gain better insights into hemodynamics of atherosclerotic arteries. This thesis focuses on wall compliance effects on flow properties of blood in atherosclerotic left coronary arterial models.

Pamela NASSIF (Internal: Andrew Ruys /External: Dr. Peter Liddicoat / Dr. Julie Cairney)

BETA TITANIUM IN ORTHOPAEDICS

Stress shielding is a problem in orthopaedics that can occur as a result of the difference in stiffness of the bone and implant material. This thesis aims to investigate the use of beta titanium, alloys with ultra-low elastic modulus, to take place of the current high modulus materials used.

Nadeera NAZLAN (Michael Kirkpatrick)

PURGING STRATIFIED FLOWS IN RIVERS

Ecological monitoring has shown salinity increase in Australian rivers that has led to widespread destruction of aquatic flora and fauna. This thesis presents the experimental investigation of purging stratified flows in a trapezoidal cavity. The result will help river authorities to improve river management strategies in restoring river water quality.

James NG (Assaad Masri / Vinayaka Prasad)

HIGH-SPEED OH-LIF IMAGING OF PULSED LIFTED FLAMES

Using the greater temporal resolution afforded by high speed OH-LIF, the transient response of pulsed flames can be observed. The object of this thesis is to use high speed imaging and other post-processing tools to investigate the lift behaviour of pulsed lifted flames.

Joanna NG (Internal: Colin DunstanDr. Nicky Bertollo / Prof. Bill Walsh)

INTRAMUSCULAR IMPLANTATION AND OSTEOINDUCTIVITY OF BONE GRAFT SUBSTITUTES IN SHEEP

Osteoinductive bone graft substitutes have the potential to heal critical sized defects due to their association with spontaneous bone formation. In this thesis, an intramuscular implantation of such calcium phosphates was investigated in sheep models and analysed histologically to determine the osteoinductivity of these bone graft substitutes.

Ngai Kwong NG ( K Srinivas / Prof. Itsu Sen)

COMPUTATION OF BLOOD FLOW IN CEREBRAL ANEURYSMS: EFFECT OF FLOW DIVERTER IN IDEALISED CURVED PARENT ARTERY GEOMETRIES

Flow diverter is the next generation treatment for cerebral aneurysms. It is hypothesised that flow diverter facilitates thrombus inside aneurysms by reducing the blood flow into the aneurysm sac. This thesis concentrates on the hemodynamic effect of flow diverter insertion into idealised curved cerebral artery CFD models.

Mykim NGUYEN (Hong-Yuan Liu / Yinggang Miao)

FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF NANO-FILLED POLYMERS

As failure is not limited to static loading, engineering components and structures experience in-service cyclic loading ,which necessitates the investigation of fatigue properties of epoxy nanocomposites with nanoparticles silica(S12), nanorubber(R12) and nanorubber-silica(R6S6) loading. The effects of fillers reinforced polymers have shown an improvement in mechanical properties and enhanced fatigue life and increased fatigue crack propagation (FCP) resistance.

Jenna NICHOLAS (Graham Brooker)

AUTOMATED GAS CYLINDER FILLING MECHANISM

Currently the mechanism of fill for gas cylinders is predominantly manual labour. To move away from traditional methods, BOC is developing a fully automated filling site. This thesis focuses on determining a valve sensing and orientation mechanism, as well as investigating whether it is safe to transport cylinders throughout the plant by attaching to the valve.

Arjun NIDIGALLU (Peter Gibbens)

COLLIMATOR-TYPE SIMULATOR DESIGN

The school of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (AMME) has decided toInvest in a fixed collimator type flight simulator system in the Aeronautical Engineering building,Alongside the existing Variable Stability Flight Simulator (VSFS). The project involves design of the system’s cockpit, and operator station for the new simulator system.

Young Jung NO A/Prof Hala Zreiqat / Iman Roohani

INVESTIGATING PROPERTIES OF A NOVEL CERAMIC BONE SCAFFOLD

Bone graft transplantation is used to treat diseased and broken bone. Current clinical bone grafts cannot be used to treat load-bearing regions. This Thesis investigates the mechanical and biological properties of a novel ceramic that can be potentially used as a material for synthetic bone grafts.

Mohamad Syafiq NODIN (Lin Ye)INCREASING THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF CARBON

FIBRE/EPOXY(CF/EP)

Carbon fibre epoxy has been mainly used in the semiconductor industry. Nowadays, carbon black has famously been used to increase the electrical and thermal conductivity of CF/EP. This study focus on the affect of the impact can bring to the electrical and thermal conductivity of carbon fibre epoxy.

Raniia NUGROHO (Michael Kirkpatrick)

LDV STUDY OF DYNAMIC TURBULENT ENTRAINMENT IN A SHEARED CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY LAYER (SCBL)

The understanding of turbulent entrainment in Sheared Convective Boundary Layers is a key tool in climate and pollution dispersion models. Using a lab scale model and Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), this thesis aims to model and study flows found in the atmosphere.

Eleanor O’HAGAN (Rod Fiford)

GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY THROUGH THE AEROELASTICITY PHENOMENON

There has been an increase of research into the development of small scale electrical generators that are able to generate electricity at ambient flows, in particular at low Reynolds numbers. This thesis focuses on one such technology, the Windbelt, which uses Aeroelastic flutter to generate electricity.

Felix OSSIG-BONANNO (Ali Haydar GÖKTOĞAN)

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE SPHERICAL SURFACE

A spherical touch-screen providing a natural user interface which is particularly suited to geological and astronomical applications such as weather patterns and satellite coverage. This thesis explores its design focusing on the synaptic link between optical and software systems; allowing direct manipulation of data using multi-touch gestures.

Priyadarshi PANDEY (Assaad Masri / Agisilaos Kourmatzis)

DENSE SPRAY INVESTIGATIONS

Most practical combustion applications utilise dense sprays. Despite numerous investigations, many characteristics of these sprays still remain relatively unexplored. This thesis investigates Biodiesel & Ethanol spray atomisation characteristics for a specially designed multi-modal atomiser. Further, some combustion characteristics in the form of flame stability limits are also investigated.

Emiyu PARK (K.C. Wong)

TETHERED QUADROTOR WITH CONTRA-ROTATING PROPELLERS SUPPLEMENTARY LIFT DEVICE

The design and refinement of a tethered quadrotor with contra-rotating propellers supplementary lift device into a feasible working system is presented. The mission specification is derived from

real world current needs, which drive the preliminary vehicle design. Initial concept testing to discover feasibility and operational issues was performed.

Robert PATERSON (Robert Henry / Andrew Ruys)

AN FEM INVESTIGATION INTO THE DESIGN LIMITATIONS OF THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS (TPE)

Recent advances in Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) technology has resulted in these materials becoming a viable alternative to some thermoset elastomers currently utilised in industry; potentially driving substantial cost reductions. This thesis aims to break down some of the barriers around TPE implementation in design through the application of FEM.

Camilo PAZ (Christopher Burton / Colin Dunstan)

THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TAX INCENTIVE ON THE MANAGEMENT OF ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN INDUSTRY

The research and development (R&D) tax incentive was designed by the Australian government to promote innovation and encourage R&D activities. The aim of this thesis is to research and investigate the effectiveness of the R&D Tax Incentive in stimulating R&D in firms.

Paul PHILLIPS (Stefan Williams / Richard Rickett)

THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMERCIAL, AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLE

This thesis covers all aspects of the development of a commercial autonomous surface vehicle from conseptualisation to completion. A suitable watercraft is designed as a platform on which to develop a guidance, navigation and control system. Ultimately, the ASV is to serve as a means of autonomously surveying bodies of water using sidescan sonar.

Dean Luke PINCHEN (Paul Briozzo)

MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FDM-3D PRINTING

The emerging technology of 3-Dimensional printing has seen its use in recent times change from representational prototypes to end use devices. Fused Deposition Modelling is the most widely available method used for home 3D printing yet little has been studied on the mechanical effects of various build settings. This Thesis focuses on studying the behaviour of printed parts with changes to common user inputs.

Jack PINKERTON (Andrei Lozzi)

TYRE ANALYSIS IN FORMULA SAE

Tyres are considered one of the most important parts of any race car. Improved performance of the tyres can have a large impact on lap times. This Thesis outlines the performance of various tyres and provides a mathematical model of these tyres for use in a vehicle dynamics simulator.

Luke William PULLAN (Andrew Ruys /Ms Zhang Su Xia (SIMTech))

Powder Injection Moulding of transparent alumina ceramics with micro-features for the biomedical industry

TRANSPARENT CERAMICS-PIM In recent years PIM has become a competitive manufacturing technology, combining the dimensional accuracy of plastic injection moulding with the mechanical properties of metals and ceramics. This thesis investigated the notion of achieving transparency in alumina samples. Also investigated was the achievable dimensional tolerance of the components with micro-features.

Phillip QIN (Andrei Lozzi)

DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM

The transition from the familiar singular rear brake to a duel semi-inboard layout requires approach from an entirely new angle. The design must satisfy both the safe reliability of rear brakes with optimal rates of thermal energy dissipation and achieve minimal size, mass and cost allowances for the FSAE competition.

Katrina RACHMAT (Colin DUNSTAN)

THE EFFECT OF VITAMIN D AND OESTROGEN ON MCF-7 BREAST CANCER CELLS

Breast cancer incidence has been correlated with various factors including sunlight exposure, age of menses and menarche, and the use of exogenous hormones. Studies suggest that breast cancer is inhibited by vitamin D and promoted by oestrogen. This thesis will look at their effects of on MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Nabil RADZUAN (Paul McHugh)

DESIGN OF A PORTABLE BIO-DIESEL PLANT (HEAT EXCHANGER)

Bio-diesel fuel is manufactured from vegetable oils or animal fats that can be used in diesel engines. This plant is the device that can be used to produce bio-diesel fuel. My project will focuses on designing one of the components of the plant which is the heat exchanger.

Muhammad Hasif RAMLI (Paul McHugh)

SEPARATORS FOR PORTABLE BIO-DIESEL PLANT

Separators are required to unnecessary liquids which present in the biodiesel after it is mixed with methanol and washed with water. There are several methods of separating those liquids from biodiesel. The best method will be decided by student and parts will be designed accordingly based on AS1100 standards.

Suraj RAO (Steven Armfield)

ELECTRICITY GENERATION FROM A SOLAR POND

In recent years, study on using rankine cycles to convert low –temperature heat sources to electricity has been intensified as it has been adopted as the best technology for this purpose. Solar ponds are being extensively investigated as a source of heat to initiate the rankine cycle to generate power on large scales. This thesis aims to research if it is feasible to generate about 1 MW of power.

Muhammad Norfaiz RAZALI ( Lin Ye / Jianing Zhang )

COMPRESSION STRENGTH OF UNIDIRECTIONAL GF/EP COMPOSITES WITH NANOPARTICLES 

Enhance the compression strength of glass fibre/epoxy (GF/EP) laminates using nanosilica. Nanosilica has ability to act as a reinforcing phase at nanoscale. This project is focuses on comparing the compression strength of glass fibre/epoxy with nanosilica and the pure epoxy for the same laminates.Hawra RESAFI (Simmy Grewal)

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS

Management and leadership are two different but related concepts that can lead to one another if the necessary requirements and skills are obtained. It is crucial to acknowledge that good managers are not necessarily leaders and in fact not all leaders are necessarily managers. This project studies the uniquely distinguishable properties, functions and roles of managers and leaders in organisations.

Sang Beom RHO (Colin Dunstan / Yong Juan Chen)

EFFECT OF VITAMIN D AND TESTOSTERONE ON HUMAN PROSTATE CANCER CELL GROWTH

Various techniques have been performed to investigate the effects of vitamin D and testosterone in vitro. Experiments have verified that vitamin D has inhibitory effect on human prostate cancer cell growth while testosterone encourages the cell proliferation.

Anders RIDLEY-SMITH (Graham Brooker / Miriam Welgampola (RPA))

A TEST FOR WALKING BALANCE

Design and testing of a portable Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) circuit and walking trajectory monitoring system using a low-cost IMU for use in clinical diagnosis of vestibular function.

Ethan RIZOS (Philip Boughton / John Daniels)

PIEZOELECTRICITY IN BONE

As theorised in Wolff’s Law, bone structure is directly related to mechanical stress. It is now well-established that two electromechanical coupling mechanisms are involved in producing strain-generated potentials; the piezoelectric effect and streaming potentials. This thesis examines the role of piezoelectricity in bone modelling and remodelling.

Emma RUBENACH (Philip Boughton / Ashish Diwan)

POSTERIOR DYNAMIC STABILISATION OF THE LUMBAR SPINE

Interest has been growing in the field of posterior dynamic stabilisation (PDS) for patients with early stage disc degeneration. This thesis focuses on varying the geometric form of the PDS device in an attempt to mimic the natural biomechanics of the lumbar vertebrae.

Diarmuid RYAN (Andrei Lozzi)

FSAE MANAGEMENT AND DRIVE SHAFT DESIGN

Generating a successful team of engineers to design, build, manufacture, test a race a car each year requires stringent management. Understanding the technical requirements of undertaking such a project is largely advantageous to maximising the utility of each team member. FEA, fatigue analysis and testing are sound mechanisms to producing light drive shafts with high loading capacity suitable for racing conditions. With performance the key concern, designing lighter shafts to fulfil the demands of racing offers a competitive advantage over the competition.

Michael SAMMONS (Ali Haydar GÖKTOĞAN)

DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

The ability to monitor water quality in inland water bodies is important for crop irrigation and drinking water. Traditional means of monitoring required the use of fixed sensors, with low spatial resolution and high costs. This thesis focuses on the development of an inexpensive ASV to monitor water characteristics.

Noor Hidayah SHAHARUDDIN (Masud Behnia / Ashkan Javadzadegan)

EFFECT OF MAGNETIC FIELD IN ELIMINATING RECIRCULATION OF BLOOD IN CORONARY ARTERIES

The study focuses on the potential of magnetic field effect in eliminating the formation of the recirculation of blood in coronaries arteries. Set of simulations with different geometries are carried out by using CFD. The approach is expected to potentially lead to clinical applications for assessment of cardiovascular risk.

Fady SHARKAWY (John Currie)

ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEMAND/EXPECTATIONS

How big a role does perception of engineering play in the popularity of the profession? Is there a genuine shortage in Australia and if so, is it largely due to misconceptions of the engineering profession and the skills which are highly valued in the work force? While some may choose to follow the path of becoming an engineer and run into regret other students may disregard engineering as an option under false assumptions. Can the above scenarios be highly attributed to estrangement of school education to that of universities?

Oliver SMITH (Assaad Masri / Agisilaos Kourmatzis)

THE EFFECT OF TURBULENCE ON ATOMISATION

Many combustion devices and industrial processes require liquids to be atomised. Turbulence is inherent within these processes. This study focuses on the effect that turbulence has on the breakup of liquid droplets, experimental comparison is used and the results are applied to the entire atomisation and combustion process.

George SOURY (Andrei Lozzi)

CARBON FIBRE SUSPENSION

The project imparts the research, design and method of manufacture for a lightweight suspension system comprised of materials such as carbon fibre composite and aluminium, which are to substitute conventional steel as the main material. Research is to be conducted to observe the performance of carbon fibre composites as a load bearing structure and the behaviour of adhesives as well as adhesively bonded joints of varying substrates under tensile and compression loading.

Mark Creighton SPROULE (Stuart Naylor (Stryker South Pacific) / Andrew Ruys)

IMPLEMENTATION OF ISO 13485:2003

The implementation of an effective Quality Management System (QMS) is essential to any medical device organisation. Certification to ISO13485:2003 gives confidence to customers and regulatory authorities that an effective QMS is in place. This thesis focuses on the feasibility of Stryker South Pacific gaining certification to this standard.

Kristien SYKES (Paul Briozzo)

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THE CLUBMAN KIT CAR

Rear crash analysis of automobiles is currently not undertaken or available in Australia. This thesis will focus on the construction of a Finite Element Model of the Clubman Kit Car used to validate the rear crashworthiness of the car against roadside furniture and poles.

Samuel TAM (Hala Zreiqat / Daniela Traini & Paul Young (Pharmacy)

SYNTHESIS OF A SEMI-FLUORINATED ALKANE AS AN EXCIPIENT IN HFA-BASED pMDIs.

To synthesise a semi-fluorinated alkane as a liposome forming surfactant for use in hydrofluoroalkane-based (HFA) pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDI). This novel excipient is designed to address the problem of low solubility of some drugs in the pMDI due to the reformulation of the propellant mixture from chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) to HFAs.

Edison TAN (Xiaofeng Wu)

HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON

High altitude balloon is like a mini satellite being launched to a near space environment. This thesis focuses on building and launching it to an altitude over 20 km and successfully collecting the data using real time down linked telemetry or retrieve stored data after flight.

Thomas TARENTO (Qing Li / Dané Turner)

THE EFFECT OF GLENOID ANCHOR HOLE LOCATION AND DIAMETER ON STRESSES IN THE GLENOID: A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS STUDY

Glenoid suture anchors are commonly used to achieve soft tissue fixation in arthroscopicshoulder reconstructions. An emerging post-operative problem with these procedures is fracture of the glenoid through the anchor holes. Significantly, this phenomenon has been observed in younger patients with good bone integrity. Fractures are most prevalent in patients that have received bioabsorbable anchors however they have also been observed in patients with non-absorbable anchors. Both athletes and nonathletes are affected by this phenomenon.

We hypothesized that the fractures are caused by stress concentration around the anchor holes. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the stress concentration is exacerbated by a number of factors: increased diameter of the anchor holes; the proximity of the holes to the glenoid rim; the dissimilarity of the material properties of the anchor hole filling, and; the abnormal loading of the glenoid due to an engaging Hill-Sachs lesion. These factors were tested using computational modeling. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the scapula was conducted to determine the stresses in the glenoid for a number of different cases. The effects of changing the anchor hole location and diameter, hole filling and glenoid loading type were tested.

Alon TAYLOR ( Lauren Kark (UNSW) / Qing Li)

EVALUATION OF ACCELEROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SIT-TO-STAND MOTION FOR FALLS DETECTION

Miniaturisation of microelectromechanical systems have allowed the use of wearable accelerometer based devices to successfully predict if an elderly person will experience a fall. This thesis takes a diagnostic approach and evaluates the potential of these devices to characterise the 3D kinematics of specific biomechanical factors which precipitate a fall.

Willy THEODORE (James Pierrepont / Brad Miles / Qing Li)

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF TAPER GEOMETRY ON THE MICROMOTION AT THE HEAD/NECK INTERFACE IN THR USING FEA

In contemporary total hip replacement, the popularity of the modular component design concept has increased. Modular devices are often used that consist of a femoral stem and head joined by a Morse-type tapered interlock that is assembled intra-operatively. However, modularity often introduces a complication such as corrosion. Corrosion is often correlated to the micromotion at the trunnion junction. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effects of the taper geometry on the micromotion at the trunnion junction using FEA.

Alexander TILBURY (Steve Armfield)

CFD ANALYSIS OF THREE AND FOUR FIN CONFIGURATIONS ON THE MODERN SURFBOARD

This project aims to quantitatively analyse the performance characteristics of three and four fin set-ups in the modern short board using computational fluid dynamics. This entails measuring the lift and drag coefficients of the two set-ups at varying flow conditions in order to determine which set-up provides superior speed and manoeuvrability.

Aoun Ahmed TURABI (Masud Behnia)

SIMULATING FLOW IN BLOOD VESSELS

The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood to alveolar capillaries. It’s vital that the flow in these arteries stays uninterrupted. We have used anatomic and physiological data to develop mathematical model of cardiovascular functions. This could enable physicians, to predict the outcome for a variety of treatment.

Charles TURNER (Assaad Masri)

PULSED PILOTED BURNER TO SIMULATE AND STUDY TURBULENT COMBUSTION

Determine the relationship and behaviour of combustion with respect to local extinction, blow off, re-ignition and reconnection of the pulsed piloted burner flame as a result of altering the flow rate of the fuel-air mixture, with the aim of improving and advancing the understanding of turbulent flame characterisitcs.

Joshua TWIGGS (Corey Scholes / Andrew Ruys)

MUSCULOSKELETAL GAIT SIMULATION OF THE KNEE

Musculoskeletal models allow researchers to examine and predict the impact of bone or muscle-affecting treatments on a patietn specific basis. This thesis focuses on altering a model and using it to model a high tibial osteotomy in an individual patient.

Jack UMENBERGER (Ali Haydar Goktogan)

DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTONOMOUS PARAMOTOR

A paramotor is unique aircraft platform attracting interest as an alternative to the conventional parachute for the precise aerial deployment of cargo payloads. This thesis presents the design, implementation and flight testing of a low-cost guidance, navigation and control system for a small scale paramotor.

Tim VALE (Andrei Lozzi)

VEHICLE DYNAMICS MODELLING FOR SUSPENSION SET-UP OF AN FSAE CAR

A racing car has many set-up parameters which can be tuned in order to optimise the cars performance. Track testing of all possible set-up combinations is beyond the time and resource capabilities of a Formula SAE team. This thesis looks at mathematically modelling the performance of a car in order to predict the potential of a certain set-up prior to the car being tested on the track.

Gian Carlo VALENZUELA (Masud Behnia / Kurosh Parsi)

THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON SCLEROSANT FOAM STABILITY

Sclerosant foams such as Sodium Tetradecyl Sulphate (STS) and Polidocanol (POL) are unstable and break down once injected into varicose veins. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of temperature on foam stability, drainage, surface tension, and viscosity to maximise its effectiveness.

Sam VAN GASTEL (Gareth Vio)

FLUTTER AND GUST SUPPRESSION USING NON-LINEAR OSCILLATORS

Aircraft structures are designed the ensure robustness against gust loads, and to prevent flutter phenomenon occurring within the flight envelope. The development of mechanisms to counteract gusts and flutter may allow for reduced structural weight and/or a greater flight envelope for an aircraft. This thesis investigates the use of non-linear oscillators which passively act to suppress the flutter phenomenon and gust loads.

Benjamin VAN GOGH (Philip Boughton)

DEVELOPMENT OF A COATED SKIN GRAFT

This thesis involved the design of a method of sputter coating a polycaprolactone skin graft with a metallic glass consisting of magnesium, calcium and zinc. Further, a device to aid the continuous coating of these grafts was developed with the aim of being able to coat a large number of grafts with little input from the operator.

Scott VAN MUNSTER (Steven Armfield)

INVESTIGATION INTO PRECURSOR SOLITONS AS A NOVEL METHOD OF GENERATING SURFING WAVES

As a disturbance travels in a confined channel of water within a trans-critical speed range a succession of solitary waves are generated, periodically and indefinitely, to form a procession advancing upstream of the disturbance. These waves are analysed numerically and experimentally for the purpose of building a surfing wave-pool.

Daniel VOGELNEST (Stefan Williams)

AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR OPTIMAL HUMAN AWAKENING

The detection of human sleeping patterns with small un-invasive devices is an emerging technology. Current implementations achieve improvable results through the use of singular data sources such as acceleration. This Thesis focuses on the interpretation of multiple sources of sensory data to achieve greater robustness for optimal wake-up time detection.

Aiza Ruznida, WAHID (Hong Yuan Liu)

THE INTERPHASE OF CARBON FIBRE AND MATRIX

Composites have been used broadly as structural material due to their amazing properties compared to conventional materials. There are many researches have been done to investigate on how to improve the strength of these composites. Addition of CNTs onto the carbon fibre and the addition of nano particles into the matrix are found to successfully improve the strength of the composites.

Muhamad Rafiuddin WAHIDON (Paul McHugh)

DESIGN OF A PORTABLE BIODIESEL PLANT

Students are asked to design a portable biodiesel plant that can fit at the back of a small table top Ute which have the dimension of 6 feet by 8 feet. The project should include design reviews and presentation of final design.

Edgar WAKELIN (Colin Dunstan)

ANALYSIS OF BIO-ACTIVATION OF POLYETHER ETHER KETONE (PEEK)

Current orthopaedic implants focus predominantly on mechanical suitability. PEEK is a polymer which displays bulk mechanical properties in a biologically relevant range, and can be treated using plasma techniques to increase the surface bioactivity. This thesis focuses on investigating the plasma conditions which yield the greatest protein binding capability.

Bailey WANG (Masud Behnia / Houman Tamaddon)

SIMULATION OF THE PULMONARY VASCULAR SYSTEM

It is know from clinical studies that hemodynamic factors and biomechanical forces play key roles in pulmonary vascular disease. Key hemodynamic parameters include pressure, velocity of blood flow and wall shear stress. These parameters are analysed through producing an accurate computer model of pulmonary arterial system using CAD and CFD methods.

Shuhei WATANABE (Matthew Cleary)

ADSORPTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN POROUS MEDIA

The increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has caused serious concerns for global warming in recent year. One of the common procedures of CO2 capture utilizes a porous media as a sorbent. However the simulation model of porous media is underdevelopment due to high complexity structure of porous material. The project deals with a simulation of the efficiency of CO2 capture capacity of CaO sorbent in different circumstances developing performance of new model of CO2 capture.

Celeste WEBB (Matthew Dunn)

CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS OF DIMETHYL ETHER

Dimethyl Ether is a promising new renewable fuel. In order to ensure its applicability in this area, its combustion properties must be fully understood. This is achieved by constructing a global reaction, which is then reduced to a form that is manageable for the computational fluid dynamics program, ANSYS Fluent.

Calem WHITING (Matthew Dunn)

ACTIVE HEAT TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY

High powered electrical devices such as CPUs are limited by the heat dissipation of traditional fan and heat sink combinations. Active heat transfer technology uses rotating heat transfer components in order to significantly increase the rate of heat transfer from these devices.

Klemen WONG (Paul McHugh)

ENGINE CONFIGURATIONS AND VIBRATIONS

The continued development of an engine model and programming the model in MATLAB. This project looks to model engines of different configurations (single cylinder, multi-cylinder, balance shafts, etc.) and how the configuration and other variables influence vibration.

Starny WONG (Andrei Lozzi)

COOLING & LUBRICATION ANALYSIS

The cooling and lubrication system is an integral part of an engine that is required for it to function properly. A simulation is developed that predicts the engine and oil temperatures using track data such that the effects of changing radiator and oil coolers parameters can be seen, to appropriately size them for FSAE competition use.

Hsiu Hsien WU (Hong Yuan Liu)

DYNAMIC TESTING OF NANO-MODIFIED EPOXY WITH SPLIT HOPKINSON PRESSURE BAR (SHPB)

The thesis is focused on the dynamic responses of epoxy material under high speed impact to explore its strain rate and the strength of shock absorptivity. Various types of nano-fillers will be added to epoxy to compare the differences between each material.

Jun Jie WU (XiaoFeng Wu)

EDUCATION GROUND STATION OF SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

This seminar will describe the complete ground station system which specialises on satel-lite tracking.The main aim of this project will be presented, that is to develop and operatea student ground station that operates within amateur radio bands (VHF, UHF and S-band).The ground station is exible, but it is specialised in LEO satellites and is limitedto the 2m VHF Cross-Yagi (145MHz), 70cm UHF Cross-Yagi (430MHz) and 60cm DishS-band(2400MHz).

Paul YANNOPOULOS (M Kirkpatrick)

SOLAR THERMOSYPHON ANALYSIS

The aim of this thesis is to analyse, in general, all aspects of thermosyphons used for solar hot water systems; with a particular emphasis on flat plate thermosyphon solar water heaters. I will design and build my very own flat plate thermosyphon solar water heater, and incorporate experimental results obtained along with the theoretical research in order to validate my conclusions.

Natasha YEE (Michael Kirkpatrick)

THE DESIGN OF A SOLAR ENERGY SOLUTION FOR THE DEVIKULAM COMMUNITY

As part of the EWB Open Research Challenge, the Devikulam community requires a clean, renewable and reliable back up power supply source to overcome the frequent power outages. This research project focuses on the design of a solar collector and storage unit as an energy solution for the community.

Siti Fariza ZAINOL (Masud Behnia / Ashkan Javadzadegan)

EFFECT OF MAGNETIC FIELD ON BLOOD VISCOSITY IN CORONARY ARTERIES

A thorough study of blood flow in stenosed coronary artery is vital to prevent the development of atherosclerosis. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is utilised to analyse the blood flow behaviour. This thesis focuses on the effect of uniform magnetic field on the blood viscosity in stenosed coronary arteries.

Nor Shairah ZAINUL ABIDIN (Qing Li)

MODELLING FOR VIRTUAL SURGICAL PLAN OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) within the dentalalveolar bone is based on the ability of surrounding bone and periodontal ligament to react to a mechanical stimulus with remodelling processes. This thesis focuses on developing 2D model of human teeth to simulate the OTM as a result of hydrostatic stress in the periodontal ligament.

Yuan Yuan ZHANG (Xiaofeng Wu)

THE GROUND STATION SOFTWARE OF USYD CUBESAT PROJECT

This project is subjected to develop a complete software package for the University of Sydney CubeSat Project. The function of this software package includes: Controlling the radio transceiver/transmitter, controlling the motion of the antenna, tracking the Usyd CubeSat and decoding/encoding of the telemetry data.

Xi ZHANG (Eduardo Nebot)

VEHICLE LOCALIZATION

The accuracy of traditional GPS decreases when it is adjacent to high buildings. One solution is to combine the GPS with an inertial navigation system (INS), sensors are utilized to make short term estimation. This thesis investigates this solution in order to provide more accurate localization system to vehicles.

Jie ZHU (Lin Ye)

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF DGEBA EPOXY USING VARIOUS CURING AGENTS

Epoxy has been widely used in the industry over the past decades and has various mechanical properties. This project involves the production of DGEBA epoxy cured with different curing agents and testing/analysis of mechanical/thermal properties of the epoxies using Differential Scanning Calorimetry.

Qin Shun ZHU (Sildomar Monteiro)

HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGE

In this thesis ,my ultimate goal is to establish a laboratory of hyperspectral data which could be used by potential parties who might be interested in hyperspetral image system. Meanwhile the laboratory also creates a platform which helps people to further analyze the algorithms for linear unmixing of hyperspectral data. I design to collect the hyperspectral data from our normal day life, the scenes and objects which are encountered every day. For instance, school buildings , cars, grasslands, and small objects.

Muhamad Aiman ZULKAFLI (Lin Ye / Jianing Zhang, Samir Mustapha)

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF GF/EP

Fatigue or damage sensing in electrical conductive materials is widely used in aviation industry. This project focuses on how to analyse the resistance change that associate with the change in load (stress), displacement (strain), and damage growth in the laminates with and without notch using GF/EP laminates with nano-conductive particle.

Nicholas ZUMBO (Andrei Lozzi)

ERGONOMICS IN A RACE CAR

The most vital component to increase performance of any vehicle is the driver and their ability to easily input controls and obtain feedback. This Thesis studies the biomechanics of the human body to ensure the optimal performance of the driver during the FSAE competition.

James ZWAR (Paul McHugh)

ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES FOR IR STRATEGY

Industrial Relations in Australia have a long and turbulent history. Conflict can cause stoppages in the workforce, which negatively affects Australian Industries and by extension the economy. This project aims to identify Engineering techniques which can streamline IR conflict and optimise the workforce.

ABSTRACT FOR MIPS PROGRAM

Chrishan FERNANDO (Internal: Dries Verstraete /External: Piers Davidson, (Qantas))

AIRCRAFT LOPA OPTIMISER

An Aircraft LOPA (Layout of Passenger Accommodation) at Qantas is currently drawn manually using a CAD program. It costs the company around ten days to draw a single LOPA. This thesis focuses on developing a software module that will generate a space optimised LOPA within a few seconds.

Roger PASCO CASTILLO (Internal: Salah Sukkarieh /External: Kieren Jin (Qantas))

TAIL CORRECTION DETERIORATION PREDICTOR

Investigate the feasibility of using data mining, statistical techniques and machine learning methods to determine and predict the causes of fuel overburn, which indicated by the Tail Correction Factor, and subsequently the reasons that explain the decrease in aircraft’s performance over long periods of time by analysing the aircraft’s Quick Access Recorder (QAR).

Charles POPE (Internal: Gareth Vio /External: Piers Davidson (Qantas))

QANTAS ROUTE ANALYSIS SOFTWARE (QADRA)

Aircraft assessments are carried out for Qantas and their subsidiary airlines by the Fleet Development division of Performance Engineering. Qantas Performance Engineering department must assess new and existing aircraft suitability over different routes. A new Piece of software is being developed by Qantas to streamline this analysis of multiple aircraft over different routes.

Mohammad Ashik SHORIF (Internal: Matthew Cleary /External: Chris Marshall, (VISY))

OPTIMISATION OF THE WET END OF A PAPER MACHINE

The Wet End of a paper machine is where paper formation begins. Many attributes of the end-product depends on how this section performs. This thesis focuses on how to optimize the Wet End so as to gain better control over various mechanical properties of manufactured paper.

Satveer SINGH (Internal: Salah Sukkarieh / External: Kieren Jin (Qantas))

TAIL CORRECTION DETERIORATION PREDICTOR

Qantas Engineers continually monitor the performance of individual aircraft, measuring deviation in fuel usage from OEM baseline models. This thesis investigates the feasibility of applying machine learning and modelling approaches to QAR data recorded during flight to predict deterioration in aircraft performance as well as diagnose underlying causes for deterioration.