Reserving surface nanobubbles as cavitation nuclei

We are currently looking for PhD candidates to assist on an Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project on ‘Reserving surface nanobubbles as cavitation nuclei’.

The rapid movement of mechanical parts through liquids can lead to cavitation which is the formation of bubbles or voids. When subjected to tension, cavitation bubbles may spontaneously expand and subsequently collapse, resulting in significant pitting, erosion, and damage to adjacent surfaces (e.g., a ship propeller, a controlled valve, and a pump). Cavitation has also been observed in biology, as demonstrated in mechanical heart valves, and is a cause of blood damage. The subsequent repair of damaged ship propellers is costly, while the consequences of cavitation in a heart valve is life-threatening. In addition, cavitation events generate unpredictable noise, which affects the efficacy of basic processes in a myriad of industrial applications including manufacturing, processing and management of water, and marine transport. This project aims to discover where cavitation originates and how it develops, so that novel technology to minimise or entirely prevent cavitation occurrence and damage can be developed. Through the development of new cavitation-resistant technologies and commercialisation for use by manufacturing, medical, and maritime industries, this project will deliver significant cost savings to Australian manufacturing industries. Further, innovative new approaches to implanted medical devices will enhance the safety of thousands of Australians whose lives depend on their safe functioning.

We have openings for two positions.

1. Resolving cavitation in prosthetic heart valves in biological fluids. In this position the candidate will specifically study influence of cavitation in a mechanical heart valve on itself and blood system, with a view towards assessing the usefulness of surface modifications in controlling cavitation performance and further to mitigate the damaging in prosthetic heart valves. It would be advantageous for the candidate to have previous experience in biophysics, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, or chemistry.

2. Computational modelling of cavitating nanobubbles and surface conditions contributing to boundary slip. In this position the candidate will study the detailed physics of the nanobubble cavitation and the influence of surface roughness and wetting ability on boundary conditions using systematic computational study. The candidate will use CFD and molecular dynamics simulations to work out the conditions that surface and fluid properties influence the flow, and link the likelihood of nanobubble-induced cavitation to experimental conditions. The candidate will also conduct a set of simulations of the wall shear stress for different surface properties to estimate the slip lengths.

The training through this project will equip you with unique interdisciplinary skills to solve challenging problems of engineering, physics and biology. The project is supported by experienced supervisors and a team of hard-working postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers.

The selected candidates with either research at the Nathan Campus in Brisbane or the Gold Coast Campus.