Current Postgraduate Students

Students based in Gladstone:

Kakoli Chattopadhyay

PhD candidate
Research Engineer

Office: PELM centre
Phone: (07) 4970 7601 
Email: k.chattopadhay@cqu.edu.au 

Research project:

• Experimental Investigation and Analysis of Energy Neutral Technology and its Strategic Impact on Australian Power Network

Ashfaque Chowdhury

Research project:

Rajkumar Devadoss (Centre for Railway Engineering, hosted by PELM)

PhD candidate, Centre for Rail Engineering (CRE), 2009-

B.E (Mechanical), M.E (CAD/CAM)

Office: PELM centre
Email: r.devadoss@cqu.edu.au
Phone: (07) 4970 7381

Research Project: 

• Develop best practice for Combined below rail and above rail decision model in Rail Grinding

Expected industry growth is projected to increase the annual rail freight task by 98.2 billion tonne-kilometres, or 52.9 per cent, to 283.8 billion tonne-kilometres in 2014/15. (Australian rail transport facts, Apelbaum, 2007) This is possible by advances in rail design, increased speed of the carriers, longer trains and heavier axle loads. Ironically the benefits come with a cost due to increase in wear and fatigue leading to early rail replacements and failures.

Rail grinding and lubrication helps in controlling surface fatigue defects, wear and noise if applied properly. After the unfortunate Hatfield accident in the year 2000, a considerable amount of research work was commissioned in the UK by the then Railtrack and the RSSB to understand the causes of RCF (Rolling contact fatigue) and wear. This project is expected to develop the best practices in rail grinding combining rails and wheels in decision model to avoid or retard rail wheel wear and fatigue under varying operating conditions. A condition monitoring system would be developed to assess the remaining life and suggest proactive measures to avoid interruptions to service, early replacements, derailments and rail disasters.

Lilian de Torres (submitted 2011)

MEng by Research candidate, PELM centre, 2008-2010.
BSc (Hons) Chemical Engineering

Office: PELM centre
Email: l.detorres@cqu.edu.au
Phone: (07) 4970 7604

Research Project:

• Development of a method of characterisation of stack gas emissions from process industry plants:

Due to continuously improving targets for air quality set for Australian industries, there is a high demand for the chemical characterisation of industrial stack gas emissions. It is very important to know the content of chemicals that exhibit harmful effect on human health as well as those chemicals that contribute to the greenhouse effects and the depletion of the ozone layer. One of the main aims of the project is the development of a more comprehensive method of analysis than those currently available to characterise the emissions for Gladstone region industries. Techniques such as gas chromatography and SEM will be used to develop the new analysis method. The outcome of this research will be integrated to Airlabs' future strategy to improve their services and broaden the range and classes of chemical compounds that they will be able to target.

Ian McNeilly (submitted 2011)

PhD candidate, PELM centre, 2006-2009
BAppSc (Chem); Gad.Dip.IT (software)

Office: PELM centre
Email: i.mcneilly@cqu.edu.au
Phone: 7382

Research Project:

• Electrochemical characterisation of a unique rotating Parallel Disc Device for corrosion research:

The properties of surface films that form naturally on metals and alloys are critical to an informed understanding of the resistance of metallic components to flow accelerated corrosion and erosion-corrosion. Two widely studied and well behaved electrochemical systems are being used to characterise a novel rotating Parallel Disk Device (PDD) designed and built at PELM. The PDD was designed to study aspects of the formation, structure, and stability of protective corrosion films formed on metals in aqueous media under laminar and high wall shear rate flow conditions. 

The systems being studied are (1) the reduction of dissolved oxygen at a copper electrode, and (2) the reduction of the hexacyanoferrate [III] (ferricyanide) ion at a nickel electrode. The project also includes a preliminary study of the formation and stability of protective corrosion films on copper in an aqueous carbonate/bicarbonate electrolyte under conditions of high wall shear.

Md Gyas Uddin (Centre for Railway Engineering, hosted by PELM)

PhD candidate, Centre for Rail Engineering (CRE), 2009-.
Master of Manufacturing Engineering and Management (University of New South Wales).
Bachelor (Honors) Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET))

Office: PELM centre
Email: md.uddin@cqu.edu.au
Phone: (07) 4970 7381

Research Project:

• Development of a practical curve lubricator placement model for heavy haul lines

As the construction of railway infrastructure is highly costly and labor intensive it is very important to maintain it in the best possible ways. As there is a high wear and tear on the wheel and rail interface specially critical in the curves so it's essential to lubricate the curves on the heavy haul lines properly to reduce wear and friction. Research has been continuing on this issue so we need more effort to find out some fruitful solution on this problem and can increase the life of rail and wheel and protect the railway from unexpected interruption of continuous operation.

Vineet Varma

PhD candidate, PELM centre, 2008-2011.
B.E (Mechanical); MS (Engineering management)

Office: PELM centre
Email: v.varma@cqu.edu.au
Phone: 7606 

Research Project:

• Lean Methodology for Sustainable Development:

The growing world population has been causing a severe imbalance on human lives along with the flora and fauna of the world. Human activities in areas such as mining, deforestation, urban development and industrialization have created adverse impact on environmental, social and economic stability of companies and countries. This research would consider ‘Lean Methodology', to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the business. The current practices in sustainability do not consider an essential outcome, the quality of life, into consideration. They also do not separate financial outcomes from economic outcome. Existing models look only at industry, local, regional or a national level and do not consider the value stream of products and services. . This research will address these shortcomings and propose a more comprehensive model covering financial, economic, social, environmental and quality of life aspects from a holistic perspective and use value stream for a more transparent and objective model useful for sustainable development. This research will focus on deriving the maximum value from a bundle of available resource to enhance sustainability.

Students based in other campuses:

Lutfiye Allahmanli, PhD candidate.
Integrated Multi Criteria Hierarchical Asset Performance Measurement Model for Power Transmission Network.

Moninder Singh Bajwa, MEng. 
Study of fluid velocity on scale growth rate in hydrated alumina over metal surface.

Ali Mahmoud Baniyounes, PhD candidate. 
Assessment of Solar Cell Assisted Air Conditioning for an Institutional Building in Sub Tropical Climate.

Pavel Dzitac, PhD candidate. 
Intelligent Robotic Object Detection, Grasping and Safe Manipulation.

Richard Egelstaff, PhD candidate. 
How Solving Problems by Unlearning Affects Asset Utilisation.

Maurice Gall, PhD candidate. 
The "Black Art" of space management, as it relates to modern facilities management systems and processes.

Md. Shahanur Hasan, Meng. 
Machining of wear resistant and difficult-to-machine materials.

Nur Hassan, PhD candidate. 
Bubble rise phenomena in various non-Newtonian fluids.

Timothy Heron, Meng. 
 Holistic View of Maintenance management system for Peabody Wilkie Creek Coal Mine.

Rasel Mahamud, MEng.
Integrated Model to Evaluate Carbon Capture and Storage Technology Options for Coal Power Plants.

Abul Hasan Md. Rashid, Meng. 
Effective design and condition monitoring for bulk handling belt conveyors.

Anthony Vaughan, PhD candidate. 
Human Factors in Maintenance Management.