A record of what I've done
and what I've learned doing it.

Turbulent flow over a backward-facing step

MIET2586 Computational Fluid Dynamics · Individual

The backward-facing step is a well established test case in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A two-dimensional backward-facing step in a channel was modeled at a Reynolds number based on the step height of Re = 5100 using three different meshing schemes and a three-level refinement strategy. Four turbulence treatments and two fluids were used, and the results were compared with DNS (reattachment length 6.28h) and experimental data (6.0h).

Both k-ε models for the 2D BFS were found to reattach too early, the standard model by 33.5% and the realizable model by 23.0%. ANSYS Fluent · mesh refinement study · k-ε, k-ω SST · validation against DNS and experiment.

Degrees of Danger: infants left in hot cars

Heat transfer coursework · Group of 5 · My part: the windows-closed CFD simulation

This study models the transient thermal response of a typical car cabin (G-wagon: internal volume ~8 m³) under Melbourne summer conditions (35°C ambient, 15 January) to quantify the time to life-threatening infant core temperatures (identified as 40-42°C). A three-dimensional transient CFD simulation was used to record and compare cabin air temperature over time.

Cabin air temperature reaches approximately 50°C within 15 minutes and approaches a steady-state of ~54°C at 60 minutes. The 40°C heat stroke threshold is projected to be reached within approximately 75 minutes, and a 200 mm window opening provided no meaningful thermal protection. ANSYS Fluent · DO radiation with solar loading · transient.

Suspension shaft rocker and lower wishbone

MIET1084 Finite Element Analysis · Pair project

Finite element analysis of a shaft rocker and lower suspension wishbone has been conducted using ANSYS Workbench for application in a vehicle suspension assembly. Structural analyses were performed on the baseline geometries, followed by iterative geometric refinements to achieve the required safety factors while minimizing overall mass.

Shaft rocker: a minimum fatigue safety factor of 1.74 at a design life of 1000 blocks. Lower wishbone: buckling safety factor of 7.73, maximum deformation of 0.31 mm and minimum yield safety factor of 4.05. Both designs met the 75 g and 300 g mass limits. ANSYS Workbench · SpaceClaim · fatigue · eigenvalue buckling.

Hearing propeller damage on a quadrotor

MIET2580 Vehicle Noise and Vibration · Individual

A propeller failure can be dangerous for a quadrotor. Normally, propeller damage is discovered by ground inspection. We used 1956 five-second on-board audio clips from a published data set to classify the number of damaged propellers (0, 1, 2, 3–4), holding out five configurations.

The course-default 1-NN scores 99.2, 98.4 and 84.1%; a pre-registered mel-bank change raises the last to 87.6% (the final model). Detection could trigger inspections; counting is not yet reliable. MATLAB · MFCC features · 1-NN, SVM · flight-grouped validation.

Off-grid cogeneration for a wool mill

Energy and exergy analysis · Group of 3 · My part: energy balance and exergy balance

This project evaluated the feasibility of a diesel cogeneration system for supplying both electricity and hot water to a wool mill operating without access to grid electricity or mains gas. The system uses a diesel generator to meet the mill's electrical demand, while recovering waste heat from the engine coolant and exhaust gas to heat process water.

An 18 kW generator was selected for a 17.78 kW peak demand. The exergy analysis showed that the diesel generator had the largest irreversibility in the system; the coolant heat exchanger achieved a maximum exergetic efficiency of 60.3%. Energy balance · exergy analysis · storage sizing.

Frequency response of a cruise-control vehicle

MIET2006 Automatic Control · Pair lab

Frequency response and system identification of a virtual cruise-control vehicle.

First-order model identified from step and sinusoidal tests, checked with Bode and Nyquist diagrams. MATLAB · Simulink.

Deployable nosecone — L2 rocket

Servo-actuated two-fairing deployable nosecone for an L2-class rocket. Systems engineering, trade studies for material and servo selection, parachute sizing, and failure analysis.

Validated preliminary design with demo prototype; simulation- and trade-study-backed CAD files. OpenRocket · SolidWorks.

Freight-pod concept — RTSA hackathon

Category-B freight-pod solution for Australia's intermodal logistics challenge. Conductive guidance rails within dedicated freight lanes using existing rail infrastructure.

SolidWorks preliminary design and motion study; positive feedback from senior RTSA engineers.

Autonomous drone system

RUASRT project for colour detection and autonomous landing. Working with gyro, range, colour and temperature sensors to develop Python control scripts for full flight autonomy.

Active development; targeting associate-level Python proficiency and deeper autonomy understanding.

VTOL drone prototype

RUASRT research contribution — modifying an existing UAV frame for vertical lift. Rapid-prototyped and 3D-printed custom brackets for carbon-fibre rods with iterative structural testing.

Hands-on prototyping and structural problem-solving for VTOL UAVs.

Electric control panel

Personal project modelling an electrical control panel in SolidWorks Sheet Metal to showcase DFM skills. Designed bends, flanges and cutouts with flat pattern for laser/CNC manufacturing.

Improved DFM proficiency and practical sheet-metal workflows.

Quadcopter model

Full SolidWorks model of a quadcopter — from fasteners to propellers. Applied advanced mates and produced a motion study and exploded view for technical communication.

Boosted CAD proficiency; exploded view for technical documentation.

Retractable landing gear

Personal project modelling landing gear to understand mechanical linkages and realistic motion. Advanced mates for retraction/extension; SolidWorks FEA across multiple materials.

Deeper understanding of complex linkages and introductory FEA for robust design.

Shell & tube heat exchanger — CFD analysis

Built full heat-exchanger geometry in SpaceClaim and generated a boundary-layer-refined mesh in ANSYS Meshing, configuring turbulence models, material properties and boundary conditions for a complete thermal-fluid simulation. Post-processed pressure, temperature and velocity contours in CFD-Post.

Outlet temperatures validated against analytical predictions — directly applicable to process-plant and FIFO engineering environments.

Mixing elbow with swirler — CFD analysis

Built mixing-elbow and swirler geometry in SpaceClaim and generated a refined mesh in ANSYS Meshing, configuring species-transport models, turbulence settings and boundary conditions to simulate swirl-enhanced mixing. Post-processed velocity streamlines and species-concentration contours in CFD-Post.

Demonstrated how swirl-induced turbulence improves mixing efficiency — relevant to chemical dosing, reagent tanks and mineral processing.