Research

Research Interests

The combined interests of engCORE researchers include (but are not limited to), mechanical design, finite element analysis, photonic sensing, digital signal processing, ASIC design, embedded systems & Internet of Things (IoT), electric machines, instrumentation, soil mechanics, sustainable energy for the built environment, civil engineering and architectural design, water treatment. The engCORE team collaborates with regional, national and transnational industrial partners, ranging in size from indigenous start-ups to large scale multi-national corporations to undertake research and develop near-term product solutions/prototypes.

Capabilities

engCORE has the following capabilities within its thematic areas of research providing our team with an environment to develop multidisciplinary engineering solutions to industry relevant problems:

Smart Materials & Mechanics

• CAD modelling – CATIA, AutoCAD & SolidWorks
• Static and Dynamic Simulation – ANSYS
• Vibration Analysis – ANSYS
• Mechanical Design Optimisation
• Product Development
• Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
• Wind Tunnel Testing & Validation
• Tensile Testing
• Stress Strain Analysis
• Product Prototyping
• Automation and PLC Programming
• Machine Design
• Sustainable Systems for Power Generation
• Energy Recovery Systems
• Electric Machines (Motors, Generators & Transformers)
• Condition Monitoring for Rotating Machines
• Electrical Insulation Degradation Analysis
• Agri Technologies

Circuits & Systems

• Cybersecurity for Industrial, Automation and Control Systems
• Internet of Things (Sensors and Systems)
• Circuits design and simulation (Proteus)
• Embedded Systems
• Microcontroller-based development board
• Applied Signal Processing Methods
• Signal Classification and Segmentation
• Acoustic Array Techniques
• Sound Source Localisation
• IC Design – Cadence, Mentor Graphics, Tanner
• PCB Design – Cadence Allegro, OrCAD, Mentor PADS, Proteus
• PCB Fabrication – LPFK Milling Machine
• FPGA Design – Xilinx Vivado
• RF Chacterisation – R&S Spectrum Analyser, Signal Generators
• Devices/Systems – ARM, Intel x86, Artix/Kintex/Virtex, Raspberry Pi, Beagleboard

Intelligent Built Environment

• Testing and Characterisation of Granular Fill
• Building Information Modelling (BIM)
• Energy Performance Monitoring Systems
• Radon Measurement and Evaluation
• Urban Environment 3D modelling
• Biomass Systems Analysis
• Wetlands Condition Monitoring
• Spanning Structure Optimisation

Types of Research

engCORE researchers are involved in a range of applied research projects relating to:

• Cybersecurity for Industrial, Automation and Control Systems
• Aircraft Vehicle Detection (AVoiD) A novel solution for both the detection and reporting of contact and near-contact incidents between a piece of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and an aircraft.
• The commercialisation of a novel Agitation-Aeration system for slurry waste
• The Investigation of novel applications for materials such as Shape Memory Alloys (SMA), Magnetorheological Fluids, Shear Thickening Fluids, and Phase Change Materials (PCM). Typical application areas being explored are Biomedical Devices, Medical Instruments, Military protective armour, Energy Storage and Energy Recovery Systems and Aerospace Structures.
• The thermo-analysis of electromagnetic coils in electric machines.
• The design and testing of novel low cost, low power, digital to analogue converters.
• The design, development and prototyping of wired and wireless sensing, monitoring and control systems for engineering applications
• Data acquisition systems and sensors for measurement of load, deformation, strain, acceleration, moisture content, temperature and relative humidity particularly for performance monitoring of buildings.
• The utilisation of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology to produce components with embedded sensing capability. The embedded sensing technology can be applied to areas such as structural loading and health monitoring (Civil Engineering), composite curing characterisation and monitoring (Aerospace Engineering), and force sensing for Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgical Systems.
• Research activity in the Intelligent Built Environment particularly in the areas of soil mechanics, sustainable energy systems, heat recovery systems, combined heat and power plants, civil engineering, architectural design, hydrology and water quality systems.