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Professor John Bell

Science and Engineering Faculty,
Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering,
Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering

Personal

Name
Professor John Bell
Position(s)
Head of School
Science and Engineering Faculty,
Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering,
Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering
IHBI Member
Institute of Health Biomedical Innovation (IHBI),
IHBI Science and Engineering Projects,
IHBI Chem Physics Mech Engineering - Medical Devic
Discipline *
Materials Engineering, Building, Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural
Phone
+61 7 3138 4298
Fax
+61 7 3138 1529
Email
Location
View location details (QUT staff and student access only)
Qualifications

PhD (University of New South Wales), BSc(Hons) (University of Sydney)

Professional memberships
and associations
Keywords

Buildings - thermal performance, Ceramics & ceramic processing, Daylight in building, Energy efficiency (building materials), Energy efficient buildings, Materials - thin film materials, integrated PV systems

* Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008

Biography

Broad area of research: Energy

Main areas of research

New materials for future challenges of mankind

Research is based around the coordination, support and advancement in materials science for various industries.

John’s research operates in interdisciplinary groups and centres, investigating the connections between the underlying structure and the processing, properties, and performance of the material.

Areas include:

  • Ceramics and ceramic processing
  • Characterisation – Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM)
  • Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composites
  • Thin film materials (deposition, analysis and applications).

Energy savings in modern buildings

To develop solutions to make buildings more energy efficient by improving thermal performance, daylight and adopting integrated PV systems which rely on solar energy.

Areas include:

  • Energy efficiency (building materials)
  • Energy efficient buildings
  • Thermal performance
  • Daylight in building
  • Integrated PV systems.

Career history

  • 2005 – present: Assistant Dean (Research) – Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT
  • 2003 – 2004: Director – Centre for BEE Research, QUT
  • 2000 – 2003: Assistant Dean – Research, Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT
  • 2001 – 2003:Program Co-Leader – Environmental Sustainability, CRC for Construction Innovation
  • 1997 – 2001: Project Leader – Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy
  • 1996 – 2005: Director – Research Concentration in Materials Technology, QUT
  • 1996 – 2005: Associate Professor in Mechanical, Manufacturing and Medical Engineering, QUT (full-time appointment)
  • 1994 – 1996: Senior Lecturer, QUT (half-time appointment)
  • 1994 – 1996: Associate Professor – Applied Physics at UTS
  • 1994: Director, Centre for Materials Technology, UTS
  • 1991 – 1993: Senior Lecturer in Applied Physics, UTS
  • 1988 – 1991: Lecturer in Applied Physics, UTS
  • 1986 – 1987: CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellow – Cornell University and CSIRO Division of Applied Physics, Lindfield

Grants

Industry Funding

Over $431,821 received in Industry Funding since 1994.

Selected List of Industrial Projects

Professor John Bell and his research team has been granted funds to conduct following research projects:

Alternative Energy – Design System to Produce Continuous Flow of Hydrogen (Year: 2006-07)

Investigators: Geoffery Wills and J.M. Bell
Company: Alternative Energy International Pty Ltd
Amount: $1,600,000

Temperature Increases in Water Pipes (Year: 2007)

Investigators: J.M. Bell and G.D. Will
Company: Country Energy
Amount: $8,742.00

Cathodic Materials for due-sensitised solar cells (Year: 2005)

Investigators: J.M. Bell and G.D. Will
Company: Dyesol Pty Ltd
Amount: $221,000

Thermal and Optical Performance of Heat Reflecting Paints (Year: 2004)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, T. Tesfamichael
Company: Heat Management Company Pty Ltd
Amount: $8,333

Simulation of dye sensitised solar cell systems: a route to increasing module and array performance (Year: 2004)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, K. Khouzam and I.L. Skryabin
Company: Sustainable Technologies International
Amount: $15,000

Energy Efficiency at AFC1 (Year: 2004)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, R.J. Brown, and N.Demirbilek
Company: Brisbane Airport Corporation
Amount: $6,000

Electronic properties of diamond like carbon for applications in planar optical waveguides (Year: 2004)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, E.M Gray (GU) and J. Kavanagh (Laserdyne)
Company: Laserdyne Pty Ltd
Amount: $15,000

Plasma Electroplating (Year: 2000)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Company: QUT Strategic Links/Zentec
Amount: $52,488

WERS Training Manual (Year: 2000)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Company: Australasian Window Assoc.
Amount: $18,600

Mathematical modelling of dye-sensitised titania solar cells: a route to improved efficiency in production (Year: 2002)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, T. Farrell and G. Will
Company: Sustainable Technologies` International
Amount: $15,000

Kinetics of Ion Intercalation at Elevated Temperatures (Year: 2000)

Investigators: J.M. Bell and I. Skryabin (STA)
Company: ARC APA(I)
Amount: $15,000

Wear of Ceramics (Year: 1996)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Company: SEPR Pty Ltd
Amount: $18,000

Mechanical Properties and Adhesion of Sol-Gel Deposited Thin Films (Year: 1996)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Company: QUT Strategic Links/Zentec
Amount: $20,000

Energy Efficient Materials (Year: 1996)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Company: Sustainable Technologies Australia
Amount: $13,000

Grain Size Effects in Ferroelectric Thin Films (Year: 1991)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Company: Silicon Technologies Australia
Amount: $15,000

Selected List of Awarded Grants

ARC

Received over $3,627,315 from Australian Research Council in the form of funding since 1994.

Efficient Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells: New Cathodic Materials and Systems (Year: 2007-10)

Investigators: J.M. Bell et al.
Scheme: ARC Linkage Projects with APAI or APDI components
Amount: $465,000

Novel Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Water Purification – Science and Application (Year: 2007-10)

Investigators: J.M. Bell et al.
Scheme: ARC Linkage International
Amount: $465,000

Carbon Nanotube Photovoltaic Cells (Year: 2005)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, N.Motta, E.Waclawik and B-Q Wei
Scheme: ARC Linkage International
Amount: $116,480
 
A Focussed Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope for South East Queensland (Year: 2006)

Investigators: J.M. Bell et al.
Scheme: ARC LIEF
Amount: $880,333

Simulation of dye sensitised solar cell systems: a route to increasing module and array performance (Year: 2004)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, K. Khouzam and I.L. Skryabin
Scheme: ARC Linkage
Amount: $70,568

An Advanced Electron Microanalytical Facility for South East Queensland (Year: 2004)

Investigators: J. Drennan, P. Hayes, J.M. Bell, R. L. Frost, T. Bostrom
Scheme: ARC LIEF
Amount: $440,000

Synthesis of a Nano-Structured Titania Surface and it’s Application in Photo-catalytic Oxidation for Water Treatment (Year: 2004)

Investigators: Z. Ding, R.L. Frost, G. Will and J.,M. Bell
Scheme: ARC Discovery
Amount: $245,000

Fundamental Studies of the Mechanism of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Deposition of Thin Films (Year: 2003)

Investigators: J.M. Bell and P.M. Fredericks
Scheme: ARC Discovery
Amount: $175,997

Mathematical Modeling of dye-sensitised titania solar cells: a route to improved efficiency in production (Year: 2002)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, T. Farrell and G. Will
Scheme: ARC Linkage
Amount: $67,635

Electronic properties of diamond like carbon for applications in planar optical waveguides (Year: 2002)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, E.M Gray (Griffith) and J. Kavanagh
Scheme: ARC Linkage
Amount: $67,635

An advanced facility for materials characterization (Year: 2002)

Investigators: J.M. Bell and P.M. Fredericks
Scheme: ARC LIEF
Amount: $535,000

A Multi-Campus X-ray Diffraction Facility (Year: 2003)

Investigators: G.A. Hope, M. von Itzstein, J.M. Bell et al.
Scheme: ARC REIF
Amount: $300,000
 
Integrated Resource Network for Engineering and IT Investigators (Year: 1999)

Investigators: D.F. Radcliffe, J.B. Schmidt, J.M. Bell, et al.
Scheme: ARC REIF
Amount: $100,000

Low Temperature Magnetometer (Year: 2003)

Investigators: E.M. Gray (Griffith), J.M. Bell and I. McKinnon
Scheme: ARC REIF
Amount: $165,000

Micromechanical Testing Facility (Year: 1997)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, E.M. Gray (Griffith), I. McKinnon (UQ)
Scheme: ARC Infrastructure
Amount: $90,000

Micromechanical Properties of Thin Ceramic Films (Year: 1995)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Scheme: ARC Small Grants
Amount: $15,000

Inorganic Materials Synthesis (Year: 1994)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, L. Spiccia (Monash), J. Woolfrey
Scheme: ARC Mech C
Amount: $150,000

Advanced Optical Spectroscopy (Year: 1993)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, A.T. Baker and G.B. Smith
Scheme: ARC Mech B (UTS)
Amount: $207,000

Grain Boundaries in High Temperature Superconductors (Year: 1991)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, G.B. Smith and W. Kalceff
Scheme: ARC Large Grant
Amount: $63,000

Grain Size Effects in Ferroelectric Thin Films (Year: 1991)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Scheme: ARC APA(I)
Amount: $63,000

Other Government and CRC Funding

Over $3,340,010 received from other government and CRC’s in Funding since 1988.

Hybrid Airconditioning (Year: 2007-09)

Investigators: L. Guan and J.M. Bell
Agency: Department of Public Works (QLD)
Amount: $90,000

Daylighting in the Tropics (Year: 2007)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Agency: Department of Public Works (QLD)
Amount: $40,000

The Effect of High Temperature and Light Intensity on the Performance of Photo-catalytic Reactions (Year: 2006-09)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Agency: Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Amount: $13,500

Cathodic Materials for due-sensitised solar cells (Year: 2005)

Investigators: J.M. Bell and J. Williamson
Agency: Qld Public Works and Emergency Services
Amount: $130,000

CRC for Renewable Energy – Extension Funding (Year: 2003)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Agency: ACRE
Amount: $25,000

Productivity and Health in Buildings (Year: 2003)

Investigators: J.M. Bell et al.
Agency: CRC CI
Amount: $44,500

Dye sensitised solar cells – optimising nanostructure and composition, Increasing the efficiency of dye-sensitised titania photovoltaic cells (Year: 2001-02)

Investigators: J.M. Bell, G. Will & T. Tesfamichael
Agency: CRC CI
Amount: $18,600

Fundamental study of the mechanism of film deposition by plasma electrolysis (Year: 2004)

Investigators: T. Paulmier and J.M. Bell
Agency: Australian Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering
Amount: $6,698

Development of Nano-Structured Titania Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Evaporation (Year: 2004)

Investigators: T. Tesfamichael and J.M. Bell
Agency: Australian Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering
Amount: $9,234

Microwave modification of titania nanoparticles (Year: 2004)

Investigators: G.D. Will and J.M. Bell
Agency: Australian Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering
Amount: $11,361

Communicating and Querying Urban Design Scenarios Through Virtual Environments (Year: 2003)

Investigators: S. Bucolo, L. Ferreira and J.M. Bell
Agency: Built Env. Research Unit & QUT Strat Links
Amount: $15,000

Cool Schools (Year: 2001)

Investigators: J.M. Bell & R.J. Brown
Agency: Qld Public Works/QUT Strat. Links
Amount: $23,000

Optimisation of Passive and Active Components in Buildings (Year: 1997-2001)

Investigators: J.M. Bell
Agency: ACRE
Amount: $430,000

Intelligent Glazing Materials (Year: 1989-1996)

Investigators: J.M. Bell (Chief Investigator and Project Manager)
Agency: Energy Research & Development Corporation
Amount: $1,806,617

Ceramic Coatings (Year: 1988-1993)

Investigators: B.O. West, J.M. Bell, L. Spiccia & B. Ben-Nissan
Agency: IR&D Board (GIRD Grant)
Amount: $820,000

Awards and recognitions

  • 1992 – 1994: NSWIT Readership, UTS
  • 1986 – 1987: CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 1983: Gordon Godfrey Scholarship for Postgraduate Study in Theoretical Physics, UNSW
  • 1981 – 1984: Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award
  • 1981: University Medal in Physics, Sydney University
This information has been contributed by Professor John Bell.

Teaching

Teaching areas

  • material science
This information has been contributed by Professor John Bell.

Experience

Interests and community service

  • 2000 – present: Chair – Faculty Library Committee
  • 2000 – present: Member – Academic Staff PDP committee
  • 2004 – present: Member – project team formed by the Dean to assist in the transformation of the Faculty as a result of the Quinquennial Review
  • 1995 – 1996; 1999 – 2004: member – Faculty Research Committee
  • 2002 – 2003: Director – Busines Council for Sustainable Energy
  • 2000 – 2002: Director – Sustainable Energy Industries Association
  • 2000: Member – steering committee – Australian Greenhouse Lighting Challenge
    member – advisory panel for Energex Greenpower Scheme
  • 2000: Member, International Advisory Committee, IME-4, Uppsala
  • 1999 – 2000: Member – IEAust Taskforce on Building and Construction Energy
  • 1996: Technical Session Co-Chair – PACRIM 96 Ceramics Conference, Cairns.
  • 1993: Treasurer – Condensed Matter Physics Conference, Wagga.
  • 1993 – 1997: Member – International Energy Agency Task 18 Experts Group
  • 1989: Member – program committee for Superconductivity Conference, Canberra (organised by the Commonwealth Department of Industry Technology and Commerce).
This information has been contributed by Professor John Bell.

Publications


For more publications by this staff member, visit QUT ePrints, the University's research repository.

Supervision

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)