Professor Troy Farrell

Research Projects

• The mathematical modelling of the production of bio-fuels from cellulosic materials. This project specifically considers the acid pretreatment and the enzymatic hydrolysis of bagasse (sugar cane fibre residue).
• The mathematical modelling of electrochemical nano-dioides. These are nano-porous devices that rectify the passage of current in an electrolyte solution. This project considers electric double layer formation and interaction, charge transport in electrolyte solution using Poisson-Nernst-Planck and modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck models as well as discrete to continuum approaches for modelling low density flows.
• The optimisation of metal-air batteries. This work involves a complementary experimental and mathematical modelling approach to provide decision support capabilities for the understanding and subsequent optimisation of lithium-air electrodes for secondary batteries.
• The multiscale, mathematical modelling of periodic porous materials using a hybrid continuum/particle based approach. This projects considers the integration of microscopic scale particle based models (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics, Lattice Boltzmann and Boundary Element) for high-dimensional Stokes flow with continuum flow (conservation of momentum and mass equations) at mesoscopic and macroscopic size scales.
• Modelling the uptake of agrochemicals through the cuticular membranes of plant leaves. This project aims to develop novel mathematical models of chemical uptake in plants. It is envisaged that such models can then be utilised to better understand this process as well as develop more efficacious agrochemicals..
• The Intermittent Microwave Convective (IMWC) Drying of food. This project is developing multiphase, multicomponent mathematical models of food materials that account for free and bound water transport and material deformation during drying.
• Predicting the component gas concentrations of coal seam gas (CSG) reservoirs over time using a mathematical modelling approach. This project develops a population of models (PoMs) to predict the changing gas composition at a CSG compression facility. The individual reservoir models that feed into the PoMs are volume averaged unsaturated porous flow models that account for multicomponent liquid and gas transport within the matrix and cleat scales of individual coal seams.
• Thermal Modelling of Large-Scale Biomass Stockpiles. This project addresses the important problem of preventing spontaneous combustion in large stockpiles of bagasse (sugar cane fibre residue). This will significantly extend its availability for renewable energy products.
• Phase field modelling of Lithium Metal Phosphate Batteries. This project is looking at the development and numerical solution of mutliscale, high-dimensional, Cahn-Hilliard Reaction models to predict the phase change behaviour within secondary, lithium-ion batteries. Such model systems are notoriously difficult to solve accurately and novel numerical approaches have been developed to achieve this.