Congratulations - Justin Gavranich - Young Engineer of the Year

We congratulate ResTech Research and Development Engineer Justin Gavranich who has been awarded Engineers Australia, Newcastle Division, Young Engineer of the Year.

Justin graduated from Griffith University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering with First Class Honours and has since achieved exceptional success in the hazardous area industry.

Justin has a passion for all areas of technology with a strong foundation in hazardous area (explosion protected) electronic design. He’s taken an active role in the development of technical standards in both national and international forums, including completing the Standards Australia Young Leaders Program and representing Australia at the 2015 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Young Professional Workshop.

As a young engineer and the first in his family to attend university, Justin is passionate about the importance of mentoring for aspiring young engineers.

We wish Justin the best of luck as he progresses to the national award.

Justin with his engineering colleagues at the Sally Chapman Memorial Dinner

Sustainable Options for Developing Water Harvest and Supply

Join ResTech Principal, Clint Bruin as he explores sustainable options for developing water harvest and supply at the Australian Regional Development Conference, 11 - 12 September 2017. 

People in small communities of Regional Australia need water.

The conventional approaches to providing treated water don’t work, practically or economically. They do not readily accommodate the absence of major infrastructure and economies of scale- such as unlimited grid power, diverse support and service skills, communications infrastructure, logistics and high population density.

New thinking and collaboration can change this.

This presentation will show that by going back to system design basics. By addressing the integration of process and renewable power so that it is in sympathy with the environment and available resources, we can create a new convention. A convention that is scalable, sustainable and natural.

The presentation explains how using renewable energy in the DNA of water treatment plant design (rather than just an add-on) we can implement practical and economic water solutions for small and distributed communities.

Find out more or register for the conference at https://regionaldevelopment.org.au/ 

Justin Gavranich - Young Engineer of the Year Finalist

We congratulate ResTech Research and Development Engineer Justin Gavranich, a finalist in the Engineers Australia, Newcastle Division, Young Engineer of the Year Award.

Justin graduated from Griffith University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering with First Class Honours and has since achieved exceptional success in the hazardous area industry.

Justin has a passion for all areas of technology with a strong foundation in hazardous area (explosion protected) electronic design. He’s taken an active role in the development of technical standards in both national and international forums, including completing the Standards Australia Young Leaders Program and representing Australia at the 2015 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Young Professional Workshop.

As a young engineer and the first in his family to attend university, Justin is passionate about the importance of mentoring for aspiring young engineers.

We wish Justin the best of luck for Friday 8 September, when the winner of the Young Engineer of the Year will be announced at the Sally Chapman Memorial Dinner.

The Internet of Things and Managing Change

Clint Bruin, Principal ResTech, will be presenting on 'The Internet of Things and Managing Change' at the MEMMES (Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineering Society) Newcastle Branch, June meeting. 

Meeting details: 
Date: Tuesday 20 June
Time: 5:30pm
Location: Toronto Workers Club
Address: 9 James Street, Toronto, NSW

ResTech Receives ACARP funding

ResTech is pleased to announce that it has been awarded ACARP funding for 2017 to continue research into electrical protection schemes in coal mines as well as funding for two additional projects in collaboration with the University of Newcastle.

ResTech received funding from ACARP in 2016 of $174,000 to undertake a broad evaluation of the adequacy of past and present systems and approaches. The aim was to develop and justify new approaches for electrical protection. The outcome of this research has led to further funding from ACARP in 2017 of $129,000 to investigate adaptive protection schemes. The aim is to provide a proof of concept demonstration to demonstrate and quantify the advantages over current practices. This work will be done in collaboration with Ampcontrol.

The first project with the University of Newcastle, is in collaboration with Dr Galina Mirzaeva from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computing. ACARP funding for $158,000 was awarded to develop electrically safe VSDs. The aim is to minimise the adverse effects that are generated by VSDs by looking at alternative topologies and control of switching devices.

The second project is in collaboration with Dr Rohan Stanger from the School of Engineering. ACARP funding of $119,000 was awarded to develop a novel method to measure fine coal particle size and density which will be faster than present methods. This will allow for plant optimisation due to the faster feedback and hence improved productivity.

National Engineers Australia Innovation Award

ResTech in conjunction with Ampcontrol have been awarded the 2013 National Engineers Australia Innovation Award for our project on the management of VSD earth leakage currents in fault limited networks.

ResTech’s submission covered seven years of research including analysing phenomena, developing simulations, conducting underground research, educating the industry and developing VSDguard a protection regime to monitor VSDs and protect plant and personnel.

The judges described the project as ‘an excellent example of engineering problem solving resulting in the development of a product with international marketing potential. Ampcontrol with ResTech took information that all others saw as "noise" and used it to identify and clear potential hazardous situations in underground mines. The company has applied advanced investigative techniques, modelling and design to produce the product.’

Find out more about the awards

Directional noise monitors

Novecom recently introduced the QuattroSound directional noise monitor, the latest addition to their SentineX range of environmental monitoring solutions.

QuattroSound is the next generation in directional noise monitoring systems, providing unparalleled source detection and analysis. The QuattroSound directional noise monitors enable up to four separate sound sources to be resolved simultaneously, with detailed spectral data available for further characterisation of each source.

ResTech completed a proof of concept realtime data collection and analysis system, implementing algorithms developed by the University of Newcastle School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. On successful field trial, Novecom then integrated the data acquisition and signal processing modules from the pilot electronics into the SentineX system, which is now available for commercial sale.

Video Analytic System

ResTech completed a proof of concept video image processing system to automatically detect failure of a coal wagon to properly empty while over the dump station hopper.

The proof of concept video included an overlayed, synthesised video image of a coal hangup inside a wagon, with the algorithm and decision code to highlight wagons failing to empty. There are approximately 30 different wagon types which significantly complicates conventional detection techniques based on absolute measurements.

ResTech used a heuristic interpretation of video image data (in some ways similar to human recognition) which did not rely on absolute measurements, and so coped well with the various wagon geometries, locomotives and inter-wagon coupling spaceswithout significant complexity or additional non-contact measurement equipment.

Following success of the proof of concept video, ResTech assisted local company Power Control Engineers to complete a commercial implementation. Two video analytic systems based on the ResTech proof of concept are now installed and operational at Port Waratah.

Wide bandwidth earth leakage

Variable Speed Drives generate high frequency currents that circulate through the cabled and physical earth. With standard earth leakage protection relays and electrical system assessments based only on consideration of faults driven by the supply system (50Hz), protection performance is unlikely to be adequate when variable speed drives are used in mining applications.

Computer modelling has indicated that when powered from a common supply the combined effects of multiple VSDs and EMI filters during fault conditions on the load side of the VSD can excite resonances that cause large circulating currents to flow between the EMI filters. This modelling suggests that currents several times the maximum value of the limitation device can flow at the substation NER.

Therefore, during an earth fault on the output side of an operating VSD high fault currents could also have the effect of generating higher than expected prospective touch potentials at machinery associated with the supply system, not just at the location of the earth fault. There is also an increased risk of sparking between machines, if machines are in close proximity to each other at the time an earth fault occurs on the VSD supplied motor or cable.

ResTech has been investigating this issue for a number of years and are uniquely positioned to help you. We offer:

1. Independent assessments of your system to help you understand the effect your earth protection system has on the touch potentials on electrical equipment and ensure your protection system is compliant with the step and touch potentials specified by AS/NZS4871.1:2010. Find out more.
2. A two day seminar exploring the principles and pittfalls associated with earth leakage protection in the high resistance earthed networks common in mining environments. Find out more.

For more information on this issue refer to Mine Safety Bulletin No: SB11-04 issued 21/12/11 or download Tim Wylie's presentation from the 2011 Electrical Engineering Safety Seminar or 2011 Mine Electrical Safety Conference.