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A thermal resistance model of conduction–thermal radiation heat transfer in pebble-bed nuclear reactors
No full textThe pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) is an advanced nuclear system with inherent safety. The nuclear reactor is operated in high-temperature ranges and its design temperature limit is 1600 °C. It is important to discuss the conduction–radiation heat transfer in the nuclear pebble bed during the thermal hydraulics analysis. Until now, the investigation mainly focuses on large-scale experimental tests, such as the Selbsttätige Abfuhr der Nachwärme (SANA) test by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), high temperature test unit (HTTU) under low gas pressure by North-West University of South Africa, and the pebble bed equivalent conductivity measurement (PBEC) under vacuum conditions for the high temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble bed module (HTR-PM) project by the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET) of Tsinghua University. In this work, a thermal resistance model was developed to calculate the conduction–radiation effective thermal conductivity of nuclear pebble beds. With the constitutive continuum modeling for conduction, contact resistance, coordination number, and void fraction are considered for physical expressions, and heat conduction in the packed bed will be enhanced directly by higher packing density and more contact. For thermal radiation dominated by the heat transfer process under high temperatures, a sub-cell model with an equivalent resistance network is developed to calculate the radiative exchange factor, and the void fraction effect is implemented by a modification term with thermal ray tracing results. At low packing density, because the thermal rays from the local pebble will travel a further distance until reaching the surrounding pebbles, the local sphere will be in contact with more particles by thermal radiation, and the heat transfer is enhanced. Compared with the empirical correlations, the present model is proven to be applicable for both dense and dilute cases. In the nuclear pebble bed, th
Making Queer Content Visible: Approaches and Assumptions of Australian Film and Television Stakeholders working with LGBTQ + Content
No full textA concept of visibility frames much scholarship and public writing on LGBTQ + representation in film and television, and underpins diversity reporting and inclusivity measurement. Although visibility is often depicted as a social good, there is a growing critical interest in asking if there are different kinds of visibility, and how these might be differentially valued. This paper reports insights gained from interviews with Australian stakeholders involved in the production of screen entertainment with LGBTQ + content. The study found that stakeholders are motivated by to create texts that make LGBTQ + stories and characters visible. The range of approaches to visibility was, however, nuanced and diverse: some understood any LGBTQ + representation as valuable, while others discussed visibility in contexts of character depth, anti-stereotyping, and visibility tempered by concepts of human dignity. Although visibility is perceived diversely, it remains a significant lens by which creative artists involved in LGBTQ + texts understand their work
Representations of the South: A Decolonial Analysis of Visual Communication in Crónica Magazines
No full textThis research explores the role of visual communication and design in perpetuating discrimination and inequality, focusing on crónica magazines in Latin America. Using a decolonial lens, the study analyses how these magazines reinforce patriarchal, capitalist, and colonial narratives through their visual language and cultural symbols. Through a collective case study of three magazines, the research reveals how design practices shape societal discourses and cultural meanings. It advocates for inclusive design practices that challenge colonial legacies and amplify marginalised voices. The study also suggests pathways for future research in decolonising design and Latin American design history, emphasising the transformative potential of visual communication in promoting cultural diversity and equity.</p
Low-Dimensional Materials for Antimicrobial Treatment
No full textThe escalating threat from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has created an urgent need for non-drug based, next generation treatment methods. One field that has gained considerable interest in combatting AMR is low-dimensional materials (LDMs). One rising star within LDMs used for medical applications is black phosphorus nanoflakes (BPNFs), which have shown promising antitumor and tissue regenerative properties. While showing great biomedical properties, previous studies into BPNFs have relied on using external stimuli, such as light irradiation. This thesis explores the potential of BPNFs to act as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent without requiring the use of external stimulation.
In the first experimental chapter, chapter 3, BPNFs were used as an antimicrobial surface coating for a range of medically relevant surfaces, such as titanium implants and bandages. In the absence of light, the BPNF coating was effective against multiple different bacterial and fungal species with varying levels of drug resistance within just 2 hours. The BPNF coatings were able to generate ROS at a high enough concentration to induce fatal damage to microbial cells, while maintaining low cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. This chapter showcases the practical utility of BPNFs as a coating for medically relevant surfaces, offering a promising pathway for their use as an antimicrobial agent.
Chapter 4 describes a more fundamental investigation into the interaction between BPNFs and model microbial cells using a range of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Importantly, synchrotron source macro-attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microspectroscopy was conducted to characterise chemical variations of microbial biofilms, as well as any changes induced by BPNFs in the absence of light at a molecular level. This study confirms the ROS-induced damage observed in chapter 3, as well as showing damage to the phospholipid cell membrane. Gaining better insight into the antimicrobial mechanism of BPNFs without light irradiation is vital for the future implementation.
Chapter 5 explores the integration of BPNFs into eutectogels as a potential wound treatment gel. The eutectogel was comprised of a deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride-glycerol) and cellulose network. Since eutectogels have a minimal/limited water and free oxygen content, the degradation of BPNFs was slowed down. The BPNF-loaded eutectogels were able to show a strong antimicrobial response without any external stimuli. For the BP-loaded eutectogels, the antimicrobial efficiency after 28 days was still >80%, which is higher than typically seen from BPNFs stored in different solvents (90% cell death). This chapter not only provided a practical application for antimicrobial BPNFs, but it also highlighted the eutectogels as promising drug delivery vehicles, capable of delivering a range of antimicrobial compounds effectively.
Overall, this thesis represents a significant advancement in the understanding and utilisation of BPNFs as an antimicrobial nanomaterial. By leveraging the broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties of BPNFs without relying on light activation, this research offers promising solutions to combat AMR and address unmet medical needs. The practical applications of BPNFs in antimicrobial coatings and wound dressings highlight their potential as next-generation antimicrobial agents, advancing antimicrobial therapy and combatting the global threat of AMR.</p
Planar Microwave Sensors for Mechanical Applications and Materials Detection
No full textMeasurement and instrumentation play a fundamental role in scientific and technical knowledge acquisition. The ongoing evolution of sensing and measurement techniques, driven by technological advancements and societal needs, has led various industries to rely on sensors. Radio frequency (RF) and microwave-based sensors are of high importance among various sensing technologies due to the advantages such as low-cost, non-contact, and label-free detection together with potential passive operation that alleviates the requirement for power sources such as batteries.With the growing interest in microwave sensors for different applications, this dissertation focuses on the design of advanced microwave-based sensors for mechanical displacement/rotation detection using the semi-lumped planar structures. The research is categorised into three main parts, each focusing on a specific microwave sensor type based on the operation principles. The first part of the thesis presents frequency shift-based microwave sensors with an emphasis on a reflective-mode displacement sensor with a wide dynamic range and high linearity using transmission lines terminated with semi-lumped RLC resonators. Transmission lines terminated with series LC resonators are proposed for the design of displacement and rotation sensors based on the variations of the reflection phase in the second part of the thesis. The phase variation sensing principle is also extended to the design of sensors for detection of solid dielectric composites. The third part focuses on the design of mechanical displacement sensors based on the amplitude variation principle. A wide dynamic range amplitude variation displacement sensor is proposed using transmission lines loaded with a π-shaped semi-lumped capacitive network. The simulations and measurement results confirm a wideband amplitude variation-based displacement sensing ensuring a high immunity of the sensing response to the fluctuations of the measurement frequency.In conclusion, the research outcomes presented in this dissertation confirm the efficiency of the planar semi-lumped elements in the design of high-sensitivity and compact microwave sensors for various applications ranging from mechanical displacement and rotation detection up to characterisation of the dielectric materials.</p
Mitigating Earthquake Pounding of Adjacent Buildings
No full textDuring strong earthquakes, buildings sway. If these buildings are adjacent and have insufficient space between them, the sway will bring about multiple collisions. These collisions can cause structural damage and possible building collapse. These collisions are referred to as structural pounding. This pounding is a function of the strength and depth of the earthquake, distance from the earthquake epicentre and geology of the building site. To investigate potential pounding mitigation, historic data from previous earthquakes is used as a guide. The data is only partially relevant because each earthquake event has its own unique features. Taking this into account, an active feedback system; made up of a brake and stepper motor, was designed to investigate pounding mitigation. The design focuses on the presence of adjacent buildings and their proximity.
The experiments performed have shown that an active system is viable, and that pounding can be reduced. Building accelerations are comparable with those recorded in full-sized buildings, albeit marginally higher due to model flexibility. Earthquake amplification through the building is within acceptable standards and deceleration spikes have been controlled by a deceleration mechanism. The deceleration mechanism is to reduce the braking spikes during feedback control. The measured power requirements of the model were compared with calculated power requirements with the aid of distance-measuring lasers and an analytical method using the equations of motion. (E.O.M). The laser measuring power was within 0.2%, and the E.O.M. within 0.9% of the measured power.
These figures are acceptable considering the assumptions upon which the study is based.
A real-size analysis of the power requirements for three- and four- storey buildings was calculated. The calculation was based on the model analysis. The analysis showed that a large peak of electrical power is required for the active system during braking and motor movements. The calculated power requirement is in the vicinity 46kW, this figure is high but not insurmountable considering such powers being used in the automotive industry. This large power requirement can be distributed across the building using two or more systems, which also reduces the stress on the building. Since the energy requirements are high, the total power for the active system is minimal because of the active time of the earthquake. The power and peak requirements are the specifications needed for designing the active system.
A parametric study on changes in building natural frequency and distance apart, has shown a linear relationship with possible power changes of up to 2.8%. To obtain more accurate results further studies are required. Such studies will need to use scaled models and a more substantial shake table. These improvements will allow for fewer assumptions and more accurate results.</p
“The Finest Car of its Class in the World”: An Analysis of the Marketing of the Jaguar Brand in Australia, 1950–1959
No full textThis thesis is situated within research in automotive history and marketing in Australia in the 1950s. Holden’s rise to prominence as Australia’s own car has been well documented by historians, alongside the establishment of the Australian car industry. This thesis complements this existing knowledge by exploring the marketing of Jaguar both as a British luxury brand, but also as one that is suitable to the Australian landscape and lifestyle. Research on Jaguar in a British context proposes that during the 1950s the cars were so well designed they sold themselves. Analysing primary and secondary sources, this thesis questions this assumption, and in the context of Jaguar’s Australian market, to argue that Jaguar’s main Australian distributor Bryson Industries ran a multi-faceted marketing campaign to sell Jaguar cars to wealthy Australians.
Central to the marketing of Jaguar in Australia is the charismatic head of Bryson Industries Jack Bryson. A memoir by his son, historical records of Bryson Industries and research by other historians are discussed. Print advertising of Jaguar cars from the 1950s is comprehensively reviewed and a select number are analysed to demonstrate how images and copy addressed Australian consumers, targeting specific sectors of society. A second part of Bryson’s marketing strategy was the use of motor journalism and motor sports. Reviews of Jaguars supplied by Bryson Industries to motoring magazines are discussed alongside evidence of Bryson’s facilitation of Jaguars cars in Australian motorsport.
The thesis finds that the marketing of Jaguar cars in Australia during the 1950s was comprehensive. Bryson industries targeted affluent sectors of society, including a network of men’s clubs and the Jewish community. The print advertising reveals a mix of content, the majority similar in theme and style to British advertisements but tuned to an Australian audience. These include advertisements suggesting Jaguars could operate in unique Australian conditions and appealed to the lifestyle aspirations of Australians. The research also reveals how Bryson Industries used motoring reviews and motorsport to promote the Jaguar brand in Australia. By supplying particular types of cars to motor journalists, the attributes of Jaguar were exposed to a large readership. In a similar way, Bryson Industries imported high-performance cars and made them available to leading racing drivers, leveraging from the success of Jaguar on the track to appeal to customers.
This research adds nuance to the documentation and discussion of historic automotive marketing in Australia by looking beyond locally-manufactured cars. By the 1950s, most luxury British manufacturers were ingrained in the Australian market, with Jaguar a dominating fixture by 1960. Contrary to the view that the cars sold themselves, Jaguar became a market leader as a result of a sustained and targeted marketing strategy. This thesis has also shown the value of automotive magazines as a source of analysis and demonstrated that they are another means by which to understand the culture and shifts in post-war Australian society.</p
Investigating Engagements between International Police Agencies and Non-State Actors in Peace and Stability Operations
No full textThis thesis investigates and examines engagements between international policing agencies (IPAs) and non-state security actors (NSAs) within peace and stability operations. It provides a foundational study into the nature of these engagements as a method for enhancing civilian protection and conflict-stabilisation in conflict-affected areas. Throughout the thesis, I examine why such engagements are deemed necessary, their impact as a modality to implement civilian protection and conflict stabilisation mandates, and how they might be utilised in future peace and stability operations.
Evaluating engagements between IPAs and NSAs within conflict-affected environments is an important pursuit for academic inquiry; particularly when considering the evolution in the delivery of peace and stability operations and the contemporary challenges they face. For one, scholars of peace operations have catalogued and critiqued an array of failures attributed to state-centric approaches to peacebuilding and security reform (Donais & Barbak, 2021; Dinnen, 2022). This involves the funding and the reform of state police and military institutions as the main approach to stabilising conflict-affected environments. One of the key criticisms of such approaches has been their inability to appreciate and acknowledge the respective local political environments, which are often replete with NSAs as legitimate security and governance providers (Mcloughlin, 2019; Idris, 2019). As peace and stability operations attempt to pivot from these long-winded state building projects (Curran & Hunt, 2020; Hunt, 2020b), increasing the contextual relevance of stabilisation and protection programs remains a pressing challenge.
Additionally, wars and violent conflicts are now more common, complex, and unpredictable than ever (Owsiak, Diehl, & Goertz, 2024). We have seen sharp increases in civilian casualties in recent years (Davies, Pettersson & Öberg, 2023), as well as increased scrutiny on the relevance and effectiveness of modern peace and stability operations. Unfortunately, addressing the shortfalls in civilian protection and stabilisation needs is proving to be no simple task. Implementing effective and relevant programs for protection and stabilisation requires a significant amount of reflexivity and appreciation of unique environmental conditions on behalf of agencies and their practitioners. This is made more difficult by increased budget cuts and discord between member states partaking in large multilateral peace and stability operations (UNSG, 2022; 2015; UN, 2023; Osland & Peter, 2021). In the face of these pressing challenges, analysing and evaluating new approaches and mechanisms that can enhance conflict stabilisation and protection outcomes will remain an important task for academics and practitioners.
This thesis contributes to this effort, by analysing and investigating an understudied and potentially significant new approach seen in modern peace and stability operations; this being, engagements between IPAs and NSAs for conflict stabilisation and civilian protection. IPAs have become a topical stakeholder in a new era of contemporary peace and stability operations that prioritise civilian protection and short-term stabilisation (Hunt, 2022; Greener, 2011c). Their rise in prominence in the debates surrounding peacekeeping delivery has been concurrent with the steady growth of academic and analytical work that advocates for greater acknowledgement and engagement with local and non-state forms of security governance in conflict-affected environments (Baker, 2009; Podder, 2013). While there have been modern examples of engagements between IPAs and NSAs, such engagements have yet to receive detailed analytical attention regarding their motivations and impact.
Here, the thesis argues that it is important to do precisely this, as practical engagement with NSAs remains a challenging and elusive proposition for peace and stability operations. This is despite NSAs often being the legitimate providers of governance, justice, and security mechanisms in some conflict-affected environments. Overall, the analysis provided in this thesis enhances our understanding of how international actors can feasibly engage with NSAs within modern missions, and whether such engagements can be useful and beneficial for current and future operations.
To address this gap, the thesis conducts an analysis of select historical engagements between IPAs and NSAs, to understand when such interactions are likely to occur, and if they can have a significant impact on conflict stabilisation mandates. It focuses on three modern case studies where IPAs have been involved in engagements with NSAs for stabilising conflict zones; the Australian Federal Police’s (AFP) program in Afghanistan; the New Zealand Police’s (NZP) program in Bougainville; and, UNPOL as part of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNSIFA). Using a critical constructivist analytical framework and qualitative research methods, I examine the motivations and impacts of each engagement and provide a comprehensive assessment of their benefits and limitations to the goals of peace and stability operations. By doing so, the thesis provides a detailed assessment of how these engagements are likely to occur in future operations, and if they can form a viable approach to enhance civilian protection and conflict stabilisation in conflict-affected environments.
Overall, the thesis argues that IPA-NSA engagements, in the form of community protection groups, can present useful benefits to missions with conflict stabilisation and civilian protection mandates; particularly in areas of limited statehood. That being said, the thesis provides a detailed account of the benefits and limitations of such engagements, the characteristics required for these engagements to be effective, and defines the likely scenarios where they can be used in other operations.
The findings of this study have important implications for scholarship and practitioners of conflict stabilisation, civilian protection and international policing. For scholarship, it has provided a unique and detailed assessment of a promising avenue of non-state engagement in conflict-affected environments, which shows great potential in what has been an uncertain period for peace and stability operations. The thesis also provides a novel analytical framework for analysing and planning such NSA engagement programs, to ensure that they elicit maximum benefits to security mandates, while also mitigating risks to local populations and mission integrity.</p
Mapping cross-national conceptions of essential energy to advance housing energy justice – Urban tour photos - Heerlen
No full textThe project entailed qualitative research from focus groups and urban tours. The study leveraged the cross-national collaboration of the WELLBASED project. WELLBASED was a European Union Horizon 2020 project that was trialling energy poverty interventions between 2021 and 2025 across six cities: Leeds (UK), Valencia (Spain), Heerlen (Netherlands), Edirne (Turkey), Obuda (Hungary) and Jelgava (Latvia). The study captured and compared the WELLBASED professionals’ perceptions of essential energy.This dataset contains the photos of the urban tour in Heerlen, The Netherlands, in the summer of 2023.</p
Mapping cross-national conceptions of essential energy to advance housing energy justice - Urban tour photos Jelgava
No full textThe project entailed qualitative research from focus groups and urban tours. The study leveraged the cross-national collaboration of the WELLBASED project. WELLBASED was a European Union Horizon 2020 project that was trialling energy poverty interventions between 2021 and 2025 across six cities: Leeds (UK), Valencia (Spain), Heerlen (Netherlands), Edirne (Turkey), Obuda (Hungary) and Jelgava (Latvia). The study captured and compared the WELLBASED professionals’ perceptions of essential energy.This dataset contains the photos of the urban tour in Jelgava, Latvia, in the summer of 2023.</p