UniSA thermal energy researcher Professor Frank Bruno has been awarded almost $1 million by the Federal Government to find a solution to agricultural pollution in Australia and India.
Bruno, South Australian Energy Chair at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute, will lead a collaborative project with India’s biggest private university, LPU, to develop a renewable energy-driven food processing and drying system that alleviates pollution and landfill issues in both countries.
India is the largest global producer of food, while Australia is one of the world’s largest food exporters.
The three-year $977,585 project is being funded by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, announced last week by Federal Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews.
According to the World Health Organization, India has nine of the top 10 cities with the highest air pollution in the world, partially due to agricultural waste burnt by farmers in the field, rice husks in particular, which are a major food source for the country.
Bruno’s research focuses on developing high temperature, electrically charged thermal energy storage which can provide heated air for drying, while replacing fossil fuels.
Previous studies show that this system, driven by solar PV, can meet more than 80 per cent of energy requirements at half the cost of LPG.
Bruno explained that the technology will not only cut air pollution and agricultural waste landfill, but also reduce food manufacturers’ costs.
“Shifting towards this solution will undoubtedly result in significant amounts of biomass which can then be converted into high-value renewable biofuels,” he said.
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