Summer and Winter Research Programs for Undergraduates

SIMULIA Isight Proof of Concept as an Integrated Engineering Value Chain Simulation platform applied to a minerals extraction example

The successful applicant will be required to gain an understanding of the operation of  Dassault Systemes’ (3DS) SIMULIA ISight workflow simulation platform. This will be supported by 3DS’ online support and expert support online.

The aim of the project is to prepare a working example of running SIMULIA ISight to automatically call JKSimBlast, JKSimMet and JKSimFloat, successfully translating and passing data flows between the applications using ISight functionality to run an integrated mine value chain simulation.

The project will involve liaison with JKMRC and JKTech experts in JKSimBlast, JKSimMet and JKSimFloat as and when required.

The applicant will be integrated into the research program of the JKMRC and receive bespoke instruction on simulating engineering value chains and techniques. At conclusion of the project the applicant will be expected to produce a written report and provide an oral presentation summarising their investigations and the results obtained.

The project is well suited to 3^rd or 4^th year Engineering or Computer Science/Information Technology students wishing to obtain experience in integrated engineering value chain simulation practices and techniques, with a focus on the minerals industry.

The project does not require minerals industry expertise, but familiarity with engineering simulators is beneficial. Key skills required include a level of familiarity with software, data structures, translation of data flows and command line initiation.

A student with software coding experience that can develop APIs is required.

 Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Data capture and mapping from mine and comminution energy data into emissions profiles and climate change impacts

The research project will support an existing MPhil project that is developing mine energy curves into emissions curves. The project will involve analysis of mine energy supply and demand profiles, and map this information into visual formats (based on the existing comminution energy curves) to benchmark and evaluate mine operations’ performance in emissions, climate impacts and improvement opportunities.

The project may also analyse the potential impacts of introducing renewable energy solutions on mine performance in emissions, climate impacts.

The successful applicant will be required to gain an understanding of the existing mine energy curves outcomes and processes. This will be supported by the Emissions Curves MPhil scholar and JKMRC researchers.

The aim of the project is to prepare benchmarking tools to:

• Assess potential impacts of introducing renewable energy solutions to mines
• Impacts of different mine energy sources on
  • Climate change
  • Emissions profiles
• Compare emissions performance of
  • Different mine types
  • Commodities
  • Energy supply profile
  • Operating regimes

The applicant will be integrated into the Energy to Emissions Curves research project at the JKMRC and receive bespoke instruction energy & emissions curves techniques.

At conclusion of the project the applicant will be expected to produce a written report and provide an oral presentation summarising their investigations and the results obtained.

The project is well suited for 3^rd or 4^th year Engineering, Science or Information Technology students wishing to obtain experience in integrated engineering and climate change/emissions impacts across the minerals industry.

The project does not require minerals industry expertise, but familiarity with natural resources and energy/emissions is beneficial.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Project title:

Evaluation of new instrumentation for the JK Drop Weight Tester Ore Characterisation Device

Project Duration & Delivery:

5 weeks duration and the applicant will be required on-site at UQ’s Indooroopilly Mine site.

Description:

The University of Queensland’s Julius Kruttschnitt Minerals Research Centre (JKMRC) is world-renowned for development of a novel ore breakage characterisation device known as the JK Drop Weight Tester. The device is designed to assess the energy required to crush and grind rock within minerals processing plants and has become a minerals industry standard via JKMRC’s commercialisation company, JKTech. The purpose of this project is to evaluate recently procurred  instrumentation for the JK Drop Weight Tester: an impact load cell. The impact load cell promises to provide quantitative measurements of the fracture energy absorbed by rocks during breakage events with differing input energies. The research wil involve conducting a series of experiments aiming to assess the efficacy of the new instrumentation, as well as provide background knowledge for development of a new standard for ore breakage characterisation within the minerals industry. The experimental program wil involve preparation of rock samples for breakage experiments, conducting the breakage tests and analysis of the results.

The successful applicant will receive training in the safe use of industrial Pilot Plant equipment to conduct experimental investigations, as well as gain skills in data collection, analysis and reporting.

The applicant will be integrated into the research program of the JKMRC and receive bespoke instruction on minerals processing knowledge and techniques.

At conclusion of the project the applicant will be expected to produce a written report and provide an oral presentation summarising their experimental investigations and the results obtained.

The project is well suited to 3^rd or 4^th year Engineering students wishing to obtain experience in industrial R&D procedures and practice.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

The hydrocyclone performance testing

The devices most commonly used for classification in the mining industry are hydrocyclones. Hydrocyclones have been preferred over most other devices due to their low operating cost and a small footprint, but have not received as much attention as more expensive comminution units and therefore their technological progress has been incremental.

This project is about the hydrocyclone performance testing.

Any student willing to gain some experience in mineral classification.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Dr Vladimir Jokovic

An experimental study of the liquid-fluidisation properties of a range of granular materials in the presence of air bubbles

5 weeks duration and the applicant will be required on-site at UQ’s Indooroopilly Mine site.

Fluidised bed reactors are used in fields such as oil and gas, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals for applications requiring a large surface area contact between a powder and a fluid (liquid or gas). Fluidised beds have recently been adopted in the field of mineral processing where they are used to increase the contact area between particles in a slurry (a mixture of solids and liquid) and air bubbles. Many questions remain about the behaviour of such three-phase fluidised beds.

The aim of this project is to experimentally study the fluidisation behaviour of mixtures of particles of different sizes and densities in response to changes in fluid flow rate and composition (proportion of liquid and gas).

These experiments will include manual observations, the use of a specialist optical probe and a high-resolution camera, and online sensor measurements.

Once the data has been collected and analysed by the student, they will be asked to produce a final report. It is hoped that this report will form the basis of a journal publication, and that its findings will suggest further research questions.

In undertaking this project, the student will have an opportunity to develop their laboratory, data-analysis and report-writing skills. They will receive hands-on training in industry standard tools such as National Instruments LabVIEW, Mettler Toledo PVM and Mathworks MATLAB. And they will gain experience working to deadlines and specifications in a world-renowned industrially-focused research centre.

This project is open to applications from students with a practical and numerate background, particularly in engineering. Applicants should be familiar with the health and safety requirements of laboratory work, and comfortable conducting experiments with laboratory-scale equipment such as pumps and motors.

Processing the experimental data, particularly the image analysis, will require the use of a programming language such as Matlab or python. Training will be provided, but some familiarity would be beneficial.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

An experimental study of three-phase fluidisation behaviour in vessels of various designs

Fluidised bed reactors are used in fields such as oil and gas, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals for applications requiring a large surface area contact between a powder and a fluid (liquid or gas). Fluidised beds have recently been adopted in the field of mineral processing where they are used to increase the contact area between particles in a slurry (a mixture of solids and liquid) and air bubbles. Many questions remain about the behaviour of such three-phase fluidised beds.

The aim of this project is to experimentally study the behaviour of a fluidised bed of particles contained in vessels of various designs.

These experiments will include manual observations, the use of a specialist optical probe and a high-resolution camera, and online sensor measurements.

Once the data has been collected and analysed by the student, they will be asked to produce a final report. It is hoped that this report will form the basis of a journal publication, and that its findings will suggest further research questions.

In undertaking this project, the student will have an opportunity to develop their laboratory, data-analysis and report-writing skills. They will receive hands-on training in industry standard tools such as National Instruments LabVIEW, Mettler Toledo PVM and Mathworks MATLAB. And they will gain experience working to deadlines and specifications in a world-renowned industrially-focused research centre.

This project is open to applications from students with a practical and numerate background, particularly in engineering. Applicants should be familiar with the health and safety requirements of laboratory work, and comfortable conducting experiments with laboratory-scale equipment such as pumps and motors.

Processing the experimental data, particularly the image analysis, will require the use of a programming language such as Matlab or python. Training will be provided, but some familiarity would be beneficial.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

A CFD study of a 2D, three-phase fluidised bed

Fluidised bed reactors are used in fields such as oil and gas, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals for applications requiring a large surface area contact between a powder and a fluid (liquid or gas). Fluidised beds have recently been adopted in the field of mineral processing where they are used to increase the contact area between particles in a slurry (a mixture of solids and liquid) and air bubbles. Many questions remain about the behaviour of such three-phase fluidised beds.

The aim of this project is to conduct preliminary computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of a small-scale, 2D fluidised bed containing a continuous liquid phase and two dispersed phases (particles and bubbles). The simulation results will be compared with experimental data to validate the computational approach.

Once the simulations have been performed, and the results analysed, the student will be asked to produce a final report. It is hoped that this report will form the basis of a journal publication, and that its findings will suggest further research questions.

In undertaking this project, the student will have an opportunity to develop their numerical modelling, data-analysis and report-writing skills. They will receive hands-on training in Siemens STAR-CCM+, an enterprise standard CFD code, in the use of UQ’s high-performance computing facility, and in MATLAB for scientific computing. And they will gain experience working to deadlines and specifications in a world-renowned industrially-focused research centre.

This project is open to applications from students with a numerate background, particularly in mathematics, physics and engineering. Basic programming experience is essential, although guidance in applying existing MATLAB code will be provided. Training in STAR-CCM+ will also be provided, but some experience of CFD or fluid mechanics would be a great advantage.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Overcoming pyrite challenges in Queensland’s ore reserves and mine tailings

5 weeks duration and the applicant will be required on-site at UQ’s Indooroopilly Mine site.

Pyrite is a waste mineral often present in copper ores. It significantly hinders the yield and quality of the final product, causing severe processing difficulties in downstream smelting operations. The exclusion of pyrite in early stages of ore processing would have significant economic advantages.

Mount Isa Mines, Queensland’s largest copper producer, is facing depletion of their underground ore reserves within 5 years. Their potential new reserves contain high quantities of pyrite, with associated processing challenges.

This project will develop new strategies for treating pyrite-rich ores to enable pyrite rejection, improving the viability of processing Queensland’s untreated ore reserves and tailings.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

The successful applicant will be will be helping with running the hydrocyclone test rig, collecting representative samples, sizing and data analysis. These steps are an important part in understanding how the hydrocyclone operating parameters can impact its performance.

The applicant is expected to gain/learn/complete the following skills/knowledge/tasks from participating in the project:

1. Sample preparation theory and techniques;
2. Sample characterisation – results analysis and interpretation;
3. Grinding theory, techniques, and result analysis;
4. Flotation theory and techniques, and downstream processing.
5. Students are required to understand the whole mineral processing chain at the end of the project.

This project is suitable for students who would like to learn basic mineral processing skills and theories.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Comparison of impact and compression breakage devices for comminution characterisation

The project is well suited to engineering and/or geologist students wishing to obtain experience in R&D procedures and practices for mining industry. 

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Interested applicants may contact Dr Karina Barbosa to discuss this project in more detail, prior to submission of their online application.

Investigating SAG mill operational behaviour

This project is suitable for any student willing to gain some experience in mineral classification.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Interested applicants may contact Conrad Ndimande to discuss this project in more detail, prior to submission of their online application.

Geometallurgy techniques’ review

The project is well suited to 3^rd or 4^th year engineering/geology students wishing to obtain experience in R&D procedures and practices in mining industry.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Interested applicants may contact Dr Karina Barbosa to discuss this project in more detail, prior to submission of their online application.

Characterising the impact of dust on the respiratory health of coal miner workers: Computer program for analysis of scanning electron microscope data

The applicant will become familiar with dust generation in mining, characterisation of particulates and scanning electron microscope analysis of particulates.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.

Data Mining for geometallurgical modelling

This project is open to students who have good attention to detail and is particularly suitable for students with a background in geology. Strong skills in MS Excel would be an advantage.

Self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are essential.