a university for the real world
Staff profiles

Personal details

Name
Professor Richard Brown
Position(s)
Professor
Science and Engineering Faculty,
School of Mechanical Medical & Process Engineering
Discipline *
Interdisciplinary Engineering, Atmospheric Sciences, Automotive Engineering
Phone
+61 7 3138 5157
Fax
+61 7 3138 1516
Email
Location
View location details (QUT staff and student access only)
Identifiers and profiles
ORCID iD
Qualifications

PhD (University of Sydney)

Professional memberships
and associations
  • Co-Chair, 22nd Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference, Brisbane, December, 2020
  • Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society (AFMS) (2000 – Present)
  • The Combustion Institute (Australia and New Zealand Section) (2006 – Present)
  • Corporate Member, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1996 – Present)
  • National Board Member, Environmental Engineering Society, IEAust (2003 – 2005)
  • Committee Member (Queensland), Environmental Engineering Society, IEAust (2000 – 2009)
  • Member, Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (1993 – 2003)
  • Member, Environmental Engineering Society, IEAust
  • Technical Panel Chair and Editor for Conference Proceedings (over 60 papers): “IEAust National Environment Conference”,Brisbane (18-20 June, 2003)
  • Technical Panel Chair and Editor for Conference Proceedings (over 100 papers): “4th Environmental Engineering Society Conference” (Brisbane, 22-23 May, 2002)
Keywords

biodiesel, biofuel, fluid mechanics, internal combustion engines, thermodynamics, turbulence, turbulent dispersion

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

Biography

Area of Focus: Energy and Fluid Mechanics Richard Brown is a Professor in the Science and Engineering Faculty at QUT, Director of the Biofuel Engine Research Facility and leader of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Group. His disciplines of expertise are Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, which are commonly referred to as Thermofluids because of their close relationship in many Engineering applications. Richard’s research interests include applied thermodynamics, internal combustion engines, renewable/alternative energy, smog formation, emissions/dispersion, environmental fluid mechanics. He leads an active research group consisting of postdocs, Research Fellows, Early- Mid- Career Academics and around  half a dozen PhD students.  To support the work of this group, in 2008 QUT opened the Biofuel Engine Research Facility (BERF) which was conceived as a result of his initiative and leadership. Through the work of this facility and related achievements his research funding exceeds $2.4 M in grants (over 50 % of which he is First Chief Investigator) – Richard has gained national and international recognition and significantly contributed to the development of QUT’s research culture. He has had over 1,600 citations in Scopus (May, 2017) and published over 100 refereed journal papers (over 70 % are in Q1 journals). His areas of interest include:

  • Applied Thermodynamics
  • Internal Combustion Engines
  • Renewable/Alternative Energy
  • Energy management
  • Emissions, Pollution, Smog Formation
  • Environmental Fluid Mechanics

Grants – also see Research projects on above Tab

  • Research funding 2007 – present for A/Prof Richard Brown (RAD) (Total funding $2.42M) 14 grants from 2000 – 2006 (value $460,000 not shown)

    Year

    Amount

    Scheme

    Project

    Team and Role

    2015-2018

    $60,000

    Vietnam International Education Development (VIED)

    Measurement and Management of Emissions from Shipping Including Use of HFO and Biofuel
    Brown , Chu Van

    2014-2018

    $582,928

    ARC Linkage – Projects + Sunshine Coast Regional Council

    Advances in real-time Satellite Monitoring of flow in Rivers and Estuaries (SE12)
    Brown, Feng, Saha, Fairweather (USC), Sidle (USC), Borgas (CSIRO), Allan (Sunshine Coast Regional Council)

    2015-2017

    $10,000

    International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU)

    Development of a Methodology to Measure and Assess Ship Emissions (SE11)
    Garaniya (UTAS), Khan (AMC), Brown, Kimball (Maine Maritime Academy – USA), Ristovski

    2014-2016

    $247,250

    Australian Coal Association Research Program

    Holistic Evaluation of Diesel Exhaust Filters and related Measuring Instrumentation
    Ristovski, O’Beirne (SkillPro Services P/L – Australia), Brown

    2013-2014

    $100,000

    Department of Industry – Enterprise Connect (OCS) + Peak 3 P/L (OCS)

    Researchers in Business (RIB) – Vehicle Particle Emission Monitoring
    Brown, Ristovski, Bodisco, Lorensuhewa (Dept of Innovation, Industry, Sci. and Res.), Chandler (Peak 3 P/L)

    2012-2015

    $433,298

    ARC Linkage Projects with APAI or APDI + Mainline Automotive Equipment

    Optimising gaseous and particulate emissions from diesel engines
    Brown, Ristovski, Gu, Situ(JCU), Ayoko, De Pellegrin, Chandler (Peak 3 P/L), Koschel (LCR P/L)

    2012-2014

    $557,625

    ARC Linkage – Projects + Peak 3 P/L

    Developing New Technologies for Reducing the Toxicity of Diesel Engine Particle Emissions into Confined Environments
    Ristovski, Brown, Millar, Bottle, Miljevic, Morgan (Peak 3 P/L)

    2011-2012

    $118,500

    Australian Coal Association Research Program
    Ext C20036

    DPM Risk Factors Extension: Effect of Cooled Exhaust and Scrubber on Toxic Particulates
    Ristovski, O’Beirne (SkillPro Services P/L – Australia), Gilbert, Brown

    2009-2011

    $27,382

    Peak 3 P/L (OCS)

    Optimisation of LPG/Diesel system for Optimum Emission and Performance
    Ristovski, Brown, Morgan (Peak 3 P/L – Australia)

    2009

    $23,728

    Beijing Etung Tecnhology Inc. (OCS)

    MOU with Beijing Etung Technology Inc – grant application funding
    Brown, Zhou, Situ, Zhinjian (Beijing Etung Technology Inc. -PRC)

    2008-2010

    $523,991

    ARC Linkage (APAI /APDI) + Built Environ. Res. Unit – Qld Primary Industries and Fisheries

    Novel Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Water Purification – Science and Application
    Bell, Martens, Frost, Will, Brown, Goonetilleke, Rasul (CQU), Gilbert, Ball (Qld Dept Public Works , T Student

    2008-2009

    $9,500

    Smart State PhD Research Grants

    Better Quality Paper Products from Australian (AET) cane Fibre: Increase Range of Products & Rev-enue Produced Qld Sugar Industry
    Brown, Doherty,Rainey, Pietzner (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries – Queensland)

    2007-2011

    $13,743

    Country Energy (OCS)

    Temperature Increases in Water Pipes (J. Bell)
    Bell, Brown, Tesfamichael, Dekkers, Allen (Cntry Energy)

    2007-2009

    $384,216

    ARC Linkage Projects with APAI or APDI + Alternative Engine Technology

    Optimisation of Dual Fuel Compression Ignition (Diesel) Engines For Engine Performance and Pollutant Emissions
    Brown, Ristovski, Hargreaves, Kruger (Alternative Engine Technologies (AET) P/L.), Hodgson, Bodisco

    * – Requested

EMPLOYEMENT HISTORY PRIOR TO JOINING QUT

1997 – 2000    ARC Postdoctoral Fellow, CSIRO Atmospheric Research Aspendale VIC.

1996 – 1997    Australian Academy of Science, Postdoc Fellowship, Toyohashi JAPAN

1996                ARC Postdoctoral Fellow, CSIRO Atmospheric Research Aspendale VIC.

1990 – 1991    Level A Academic (Tutor) University of Sydney

1989                6 Months Community Development, Philippines, SIL

1984 – 1986    Professional Engineer, NSW State Rail Authority

1980 – 1983    Cadet Engineer, NSW State Rail Authority

1984                3 Months Community Development, PNG

 

VISITING POSITIONS

2013                3 Months Professorial Research Fellow, JSPS1 Gunma , JAPAN

2005                3 Months Senior Research Fellow, AAS2 Toyohashi Univ., JAPAN

2002                3 Months Research Fellow, JSPS1 Kyoto Univ., JAPAN

 

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY AFTER JOINING QUT

2009 –             Associate Professor

2004 – 2008    Senior Lecturer

2000 – 2003    Lecturer

 

SUMMARY OF QUT SERVICE, HIGHER DUTIES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2014 –             HDR Associate Director for the CPME School

2015 –             SEF Outstanding Thesis Award Committee

2014                Mid-Career Academic Development Program (MCAD)

2007 – 2011    Facilitator – Chaplaincy / Multifaith Working Party

2007 – 2008    University Policies and Procedures Committee

2006 – 2007    Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, Promotion Committee

2005                Course Coordination Master of Engineering Management, ME73

2004 – 2008    University Academic Board

2003 – 2004    School Student Staff Liaison Committee

2002                QUT Students’ Field Trip to South Africa and Lesotho

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

 

Postgrad:                 PhD, University of Sydney, 1996

Undergrad:             Bachelor of Theology, Sydney Coll. of Divinity, 1988

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons 1), UTS, 1984

                                                                         

This information has been contributed by Professor Richard Brown.

Teaching

Course coordination, unit teaching and coordination

Professor Brown coordinates 34 units and course coordination of the Master of Engineering Management (2005) since commencing at QUT. He was also a regular examiner and curriculum reviewer for QUT/Crossfields off-shore teaching in Asia (Bachelor of Engineering Management).

He has supervised (to successful completion) more than 100 Engineering students for their final year projects (July 2001 – February 2017).

Teaching development

Professor Richard Brown actively leads teaching collaborations to explore effective teaching and learning and share these developments with the wider University teaching community as demonstrated below:

  • 2008: Poster for the QUT Teaching & Learning Expo – Online interactive tutorials to support on- and off- campus learning for ENB222 Thermodynamics
  • 2004: Paper at QUT online learning & teaching conference – Presented paper on development of an e-learning environment to enhance student learning in
  • 2003: Paper at the A2E2 Conference (with Mr Graham Dawson, QUT Engineering Librarian with whom I closely collaborate) on improvements to student information literacy, peer coaching and technical reporting skills to the university teaching community
  • 2001: Paper at the Australian Association of Engineering Education Conference (A2E2) on the use of peer tutoring in Thermodynamics. This compared student cohorts at the University of Sydney and QUT and evaluated and compared the use of peer tutoring in technical and humanities environments.

Teaching innovation

Professor Richard Brown’s experiential/discovery/real world approach to teaching and learning in engineering has been shaped by his professional engineering experience, comprising five years with NSW Railways, community development work overseas, experimentally-based postgraduate study and subsequent professional research. He values connecting practical engineering to theoretical understanding and take students to industrial/ engineering sites whenever relevant/possible.

Significant student numbers and limited resources have led Professor Brown to develop interactive web-based tutorials and literacy and information literacy resources, specifically:

  • 2006: initiated a collaboration with the Queensland Maritime Museum to enable Thermodynamics students to undertake a practical laboratory at the museum.
  • Online interactive laboratory preparation tutorial developed in conjunction with a final year undergraduate project student. This tutorial contains highly interactive material to prepare students for the Diesel Engine Practical in the Thermodynamics Laboratory. It includes an integrated, summative assessment tool (quiz) which the students must complete before attending the laboratory.

 

This information has been contributed by Professor Richard Brown.

Experience

External collaborations

  • Peak 3 P/L
  • Prof Satoru Komori (Mechanical Engineering, Kyoto University)
  • Industry Partner CM Concrete P/L
  • GRG Engineering P/L
  • Honda Japan R&D Co.,Ltd
  • Honda R&D Co, Ltd.
  • Qld Dept Public Works
  • Country Energy
  • Ra Energy Ltd
  • Brisbane Airport Corp
  • DACO Bldg Services
  • Prof Stephen Clarke (Flinders) Specialist in biofuels
  • Prof Hubert Chanson (Univ Queensland) – Environmental Fluid Mechanics
  • Prof Damon Honnery (Monash University) – Internal combustion engines
  • Prof Akiyoshi Iida (Toyohashi University, Japan) -Aero-Acoustic Flows
  • Prof Norimasa Iida (Keo University, Japan) – HCCI Combustion
  • Prof Pulagala Venkateswara Rao (Andhra University, India) – Biodiesel properties and combustion
  • Prof Tarmo Soomere (President Estonian Academy of Sciencesis Leading Research Scientist and Head of Wave Engineering Laboratory in the Institute of Cybernetics of Tallinn University of Technology and Head of Division of Informatics and Engineering in the

Professional service and Conference service: organisation, scientific committee membership, and review

  • 20th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC) 5 – 8 Dec., 2016, Perth, WA
  • Australian Combustion Symposium, 7-9 December 2015, Melbourne
  • 36th IAHR WORLD CONGRESS 28 June – 3 July, 2015 Delft – The Hague, Netherlands
  • 19th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC) 8 – 11 Dec., 2014, Melbourne
  • 18th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference 3 – 7 Dec., 2012, Launceston Tasmania
  • Invited to join International Scientific Advisory Committee 3rd International Conference on Tribology and Design (11 – 13 May, 2010, Algarve, Portugal)
  • Invited to join Scientific Advisory Committee of 6th International Symposium on Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces (Kyoto, 16-21 May, 2010)
  • Invited to join International Scientific Advisory Committee 3rd International Conference on Tribology and Design (11 – 13 May, 2010, Algarve, Portugal)
  • Invited to join Scientific Advisory Committee of 6th International Symposium on Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces (Kyoto,16-21 May, 2010)
  • Invited Session Chair and Member of the Editorial Panel, 16th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (2007)
  • Invited member of the editorial panel for Engineers Australia National Committee on Water Engineering, 8th National Conference on Hydraulics in Water Engineering, ANA Hotel Gold Coast, Australia (13-16 July 2004)
  • Editor for the Proceedings of the National Environment Conference (IEAust), Brisbane (18-20 June, 2003)
  • Editor for the Proceedings of the 4th Environmental Engineering Society Conference (IEAust), Brisbane (22-23 May, 2002)
This information has been contributed by Professor Richard Brown.

Publications


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

Research projects

Grants and projects (Category 1: Australian Competitive Grants only)

Title
Secondary Aerosol Formation from Engine Exhaust Emissions
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
DP180102632
Start year
2018
Keywords
Title
Advances in real-time Satellite Monitoring of flow in Rivers and Estuaries
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP150101172
Start year
2016
Keywords
Title
Holistic Evaluation of Diesel Exhaust Filters & related Measuring Instrumentation
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
C24022
Start year
2015
Keywords
Diesel; Dpm; Filtration; Monitoring; Undergound Mines
Title
Optimising gaseous and particulate emissions from diesel engines
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP110200158
Start year
2012
Keywords
Internal combustion engines; particulate emissions; dual fuel technology; Alternative fuels; transport emissions
Title
DPM Risk Factors Extension: Effect of Cooled Exhaust and Scrubber on Toxic Particulate Formation: Ext C20036
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
51073
Start year
2011
Keywords
Diesel Exhaust Particles; Toxic Particles; Underground Coals Mines; Wet Scrubbers
Title
Novel Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Water Purification - Science and Application
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP0776793
Start year
2008
Keywords
Titania; Photocatalysis; Water Reuse; Water Treatment; Surface Chemistry; Fluid Dynamics
Title
Optimisation of Dual Fuel Compression Ignition (Diesel) Engines With Respect to Engine Performance and Pollutant Emissions
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP0775178
Start year
2007
Keywords
biofuels; ethanol; particulate emissions; transport; dual fuel; greenhouse gas emissions;
Title
Research and development of devices to improve the quality of stormwater by removal of gross pollutants such as oil,litter and sediment.
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP0235258
Start year
2002
Keywords
Title
Investigation of the dispersion of two-stroke engine emissions in sea water
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
C00107784
Start year
2001
Keywords

Supervision

Current supervisions

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)