Key research concentrations
The key research concentrations form a set of connected research themes in the Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies (ISST) and undertake research in diverse areas of expertise. A synopsis of these activities are listed below:
- Agricultural Machinery Research and Design
- Building and Planning Studies
- Industrial and Applied Mathematics
- Sustainable Design and Manufacturing Research
- Sustainable Energy
- Transport Systems
Agricultural Machinery Research and Design
The highly experienced staff have practical farming and
manufacturing backgrounds and advanced academic qualifications. They are
therefore able to offer practical research and consultancy services
based on their understanding of the engineering needs of farmers and the
agricultural industry. Current projects include:
- Improved Tillage and Seeding Equipment
- High Efficiency SubSoil Ripper/Amelioator for Vineyards
- Cropping System Research: importance of no-till seeding system technology (GRDC, SAGITF, Industry)
- Development of wide spread seed sowing systems (GRDC)
- Grain Harvester Modifications for handling snail infested crops (GRDC, Industry)
- Specialised sprayer machinery for plantation environment (Ausindustry, Industry)
- Improved separation techniques for snail contaminated grain (GRDC)
- Spray performance measurements of sprayer equipment (Industry)
- Wear and performance evaluation of ground openers (Industry, UniSA)
If you are interested in more information please
visit their website.
Building and Planning Studies
Established
in 1992 to provide resources and opportunities for research into the
planning, design and development functions of government, industry and
community staff have developed an expert advisory consultant service to the
building and planning industry. It is also responding to increasing
demands for Continuing Professional Development programs for the planning
and building professions, and providing short courses in Urban and Regional
Planning and Management, and Building Surveying for the overseas market.An important focus of their work is on the planning and construction of sustainable human settlements. There are several projects under this theme which seek a more holistic understanding of energy consumption in towns and cities. One particular project focuses on embodied energy and urban form, and has the overall aim of determining optimum configurations for urban development and renewal to minimise resource consumption.
For more detailed information on activities please visit their website.
Industrial and Applied Mathematics
The services offered by
include research, consultancy and
education in many areas of business and industry where efficiency of
operation is essential for maintaining a competitive edge. Researchers use sophisticated numerical methods to solve the large-scale
mathematical systems that describe the highly complex problems of modern
industry and of society as a whole. A majority of projects related
to sustainability are led by its environmental modelling research group.
This is an interdisciplinary group involving researchers from the School of Mathematics and Statistics and the School of Natural and Built Environments. Joint research projects in collaboration with other scientists from Australia, Mexico, Portugal and Switzerland are currently under way. Some of these received support from the South Australian State Energy Research Advisory Committee and the ARC SPIRT Grant Scheme. Professor Jerzy Filar is the Editor-in-Chief of "Environmental Modelling and Assessment", an international journal, published by Kluwer.
- Project list
- Modelling fish population
- Sustainable manufacturing systems
- Time series analysis of climatic variables
- Water cycle management
- Modelling the thermal performance of buildings
- Construction of house thermal nomogram software
- Integration of renewable energy sources
- Herbivory on vegetation cover
- Modelling the predictability of the El Nino/southern oscillation
If you are interested in more information please visit their website.
Sustainable Design and Manufacturing Research
This is an engineering research group with expertise in the areas of
advanced manufacturing, supply chain management, manufacturing management,
green manufacturing, robotics, intelligent control and engineering design
that has a strategic focus on applying novel and innovative engineering
solutions to productivity improvements and engineering sustainability.
The research objectives are, therefore, focussed on these strategic areas.
The key areas of current research activities are:
- Intelligent optimisation of supply chain design and operations
- Distributed and collaborative manufacturing
- Design for assembly, disassembly, recyclability and product upgrade
- Whole of life risk analysis and costing
- Decision support systems
- Modelling and simulation
- CIM, robotics, automation and machine vision systems
- Micro joining
To find out more of this group's activities please visit this link.
Sustainable Energy
The
multidisciplinary group
of researchers was established at the University of South Australia in 1996 with a focus on
energy and its associated environmental issues. Its main R&D programs
are in the areas of solar energy application and energy management
including heating, dehumidification and cooling. Outcomes of its
activities include developing methodologies for evaluating, regulating
and monitoring energy use in housing developments.
Products developed, which are finding their way to
commercialisation, include its roof-integrated solar heating system, a
new generation of solar lights and phase change storage systems for
heating and cooling applications. This group also has a high educational
profile through establishing the South Australian Solar Car Consortium.
Researchers were the main organisers of a successful ISES Solar
World Congress which was held in Adelaide in 2001. Since 1998, research staff and students have been active participants at national
and international conferences including the International Solar Energy
Society Congresses, World Renewable Energy Congresses and ANZSES
conferences. They have also published extensively in international
journals.
If you are interested in more information please visit
their website.
Transport Systems
ISST
- Transport Systems
is recognised internationally as one of Asia-Pacific's top centres for
research and education in transport engineering. Its expertise
includes intelligent transport systems, demand modelling, network
analysis and environmental issues, and it has developed computer systems
for transport planning and control.
It is an international centre of excellence in transport and logistics offering:
- Innovative, practical and cost-effective solutions to transport and logistics challenges
- A unique, multi-disciplinary approach to improving the performance, operation and understanding of transport and logistics
- Relevant and authoritative education, training and consultancy
- Education at the undergraduate and postgraduate level
- Training through specialist courses tailored to users needs
- Consulting and expert advisory services in a wide range of transport and logistics areas
- Research and development in all aspects of transport and logistics
systems
- Transport planning and policy
- Logistics
- Energy and emissions
- Transport management and control
- Spatial Information Technology
- Sustainable transport
If you are interested in more information please visit their website.