QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for Honours, Masters and PhD study. Search to find a topic that interests you or propose your own research topic to a prospective QUT supervisor. You may also ask a prospective supervisor to help you identify or refine a research topic.
Found 17 matching student topics
Displaying 1–12 of 17 results
Sustainable energy transition with system dynamics
The challenge to keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels has become even greater due to a continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions (IPCC, 2023). One major challenge is the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy to reduce emissions (Gholami et al., 2016). The share of renewable energy in electricity generation has increased to 28.3%, however, an acceleration of the pace of the transition is required to limit global temperature rise (REN21, 2022).New energy policies are needed to …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
Development composite electrode for next generation Li-ion batteries
Australia is rich in lithium battery materials and is poised to be the world leader in sustainable energy storage. The rapid growth in the automobile and energy sector created greater demand for high-performance Li-ion batteries with high energy density. Conventional Li-ion batteries utilise a graphite anode with a limited theoretical capacity. Therefore, we need to develop alternative electrode materials with high energy density and a longer lifespan.Silicon (Si) has received attention owing to its high specific capacity at ambient temperature. …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Combining solar and vibration energy harvesting for rainfall prediction
Rainfall prediction plays a crucial role in various sectors such as agriculture, water resource management, and disaster preparedness. Traditional prediction methods often rely on complex meteorological models and expensive equipment. However, advancements in energy harvesting technology offer the opportunity to develop low-cost and sustainable solutions for rainfall prediction.This project proposes to leverage solar and vibration energy harvesting for rainfall prediction. Combined measurements from both solar and vibration energy harvesting can provide comprehensive data for real-time monitoring of cloud coverage and …
- Study level
- Honours
- School
- School of Information Systems
Convergence of virtual reality (VR) and digital twin technologies to enhance energy resilience
A convergence of virtual reality (VR) and digital twin technologies can provide multifaceted benefits like digital learning processes, generating a collaborative ecosystem between technological and human assets (Martínez-Gutiérrez et al., 2023). When digital twins are adopted, they can provide sustainable energy solutions, such as energy efficiency optimisation or renewable energy integration (Coelho et al., 2024).In this project we investigate the adoption of digital twins and how this can drive the sustainable energy transition in VR environments from a cognitive computing …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Customer messaging for energy behaviour change in smart homes
Queensland has committed to the rapid transformation of its energy systems in the coming years, with the 2022 Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan targeting 70% renewable energy usage by 2032 (Queensland Government, 2022). While the implementation of the plan has the potential to deliver major environmental and economic benefits for the state, it carries significant technological and social challenges.Critically, it requires effective communication with customers to ensure uptake of target consumer energy resources (CERs) like electric vehicles, home battery storage, …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
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Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Do people really intend to adopt renewable energies? Exploring the consumer adoption paradox
Consumers generally express positive attitudes towards renewable energies, recognizing system values such as environmental benefits and sustainability advantages (Zhang et al., 2024). However, the actual adoption and use of renewable energy services may not align with their expressed preferences.This paradox stems from various customer value-related barriers, such as high upfront costs, limited awareness, and concerns about reliability or convenience, which hinder widespread consumer adoption of renewable energy solutions (Jridi et al., 2016).In this project, we analyse the consumer adoption paradox …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Understanding energy demand behaviours in Internet of Vehicles (IoV) systems
The internet of vehicles (IoV) plays an important role in the internet of things (IoT) value system. IoV enables vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications through enhanced connectivity and data-driven decision-making. However, given the importance of energy infrastructures in IoV systems (Shen et al., 2021), the role of energy demand behaviours is yet overlooked.In the context of electric vehicles as low-emission consumer energy resources (Degirmenci & Breitner, 2017), V2V and V2I networks improve the communication with other vehicles and charging …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Trust in renewable energy
Trust is a complex, multi-dimensional concept that plays an essential role in any context where there is interaction among different parties. Three dimensions are integral for a profound understanding of trusting beliefs: competence, integrity, and benevolence (Mayer et al., 1995). Due to the contingencies and dynamics of the renewable energy transition, trust is a critical factor in communities (Walker et al., 2010).In this project, we investigate the multiple dimensions of trust in the context of renewable energies and provide recommendations …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Climate justice: analysing eco-equity in the energy market
Climate justice aims at sharing the benefits and burdens of climate change equitably between individuals and communities, regardless of their socioeconomic status, geographic location, or other demographic factors (Upham et al., 2022). Yet, ethnic minority populations are disadvantaged, for example, with rising energy costs and limited access to renewable energy sources, such as African Americans in the United States (Nature Energy Editorial, 2020) or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia (Cain, 2024).In this project, we analyse eco-equity as a …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Gamification and serious games to encourage behavioural change in energy consumption
Games have become an integral part of our lives, which is why they are increasingly being used for other purposes than pure entertainment, such as learning, training, informing, or advertising (Degirmenci, 2017). While gamification uses game elements in non-game contexts, serious games are full-fledged games, both aiming to create meaningful engagement and foster desired behaviours (Degirmenci, 2023; Degirmenci and Breitner, 2023).In this project, we investigate how gamification and serious games can help to encourage behavioural change in energy consumption to …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Advanced electron microscopy for sustainable nanocatalysis
The systematic and detailed characterisation of heterogeneous catalysts is critical for design of effective and stable catalytic materials, since it allows one to understand the correlation between their structure and physicochemical properties.Especially, it is important to monitor the structural evolution of catalytic materials and their active sites in a controllable environment and under realistic reaction conditions.Thus, we propose to use a powerful combination of aberration-corrected high-resolution TEM and in situ TEM experiments which allow us to gain extensive knowledge about …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Modelling of electrochemical CO2 capture and conversion
Renewable electricity is remarkably cheap, and is only going to get cheaper. However, existing state-of-the-art CO2 capture and conversion processes use thermal energy (typically generated by burning natural gas). This modelling project will investigate electrochemical techniques for capturing CO2 from air (direct air capture) and converting it to useful chemicals and materials.
- Study level
- PhD
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
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