Dr Cristian Birzer

Biography/ Background

Dr Cristian Birzer is a mechanical engineer and Senior Research Associate at the School of Mechanical Engineering and Centre for Energy Technology. His research fields are in fluid mechanics, combustion and laser diagnostics, with major foci on the optimisation of energy systems, renewable energy sources and emissions control and mitigation. Dr Birzer is a former consultant engineer and also member of the Australian Defence Force, having worked in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

More information about the Centre for Energy Technology can be found at:

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/cet/

Awards & Achievements

2011 Finalist Advantage SA Young South Australian of the Year 

2010 Young Mechanical Engineer of the Year

2009 PhD thesis commendation from the Dean of Graduate Studies

2009 ATSE Symposium Fellowship

2005 AIE Postgraduate Student Award

2001 Captain Lionel Matthews Trophy

Australian Active Service Medal - East Timor

Australian Service Medal - Solomon Islands

Australian Defence Medal

Defence Long Service Medal

Return from Active Service Badge

Taskforce Commander Commendation

Research Interests

Fluid Mechanics (including two-phase fluid mechanics)

Combustion

Laser Diagnostics

Wave, Wind and Tidal Power

Biomass and Waste-to-Energy

PhD Students

Chowdhury - "A fundamental study of simple and co-annular particle-laden jets".

Cheong - "Targeted unmixing of particles in suspension".

Honours Projects

2011 - "Optimisation of cooking stoves for humanitarian purposes", Higgins, MacFarlane, Read, West and Wilkey

2011 - "3D CFD model of Adelaide CDB and surrounding parklands", Xu

2011 - "Design and build of a plasma thruster for MAV applications", Greig

Publications

Book Contributions

Birzer, C.H., and Birzer, C.H. (2011), "How the Australian Army does it: Development of training packages at the Defence Force School of Signals", in Engineering Education - An Australian Perspective, ISBN 978-1-907132-29-2, Ed. Grainger and Kestell, Multi-Science Publishing Co. Ltd.

Journal Publications

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2012), "The influences of particle mass loading on the mean and instantaneous distribution of particles in particle-laden precessing jet flows", International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 41, 13-22 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2011.11.009).

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2011), "A method to provide statistical measures of large-scale instantaneous particle clusters from planar images", Experiments in Fluids, 51(3), 641-656 (DOI: 10.1007/s00348-011-1081-7).

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2011), "The influences of jet precession on large-scale turbulent particle clusters", International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 37(4), 394-402 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2010.12.003).

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2009), "The influence of jet precession on near field particle distributions", International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 35, 288-296 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2008.10.009).

Birzer, C.H. and Doolan, C.J. (2009), "A quasi-one-dimensional model of hydrogen-fueled scramjet combustors", Journal of Propulsion and Power, 25 (6).

Kalt, P.A.M, Birzer, C.H., and Nathan, G.J. (2007), "Corrections to facilitate planar-imaging of particle concentration in particle-laden flow using Mie-scattering part 1: Collimated laser sheets." Applied Optics, 46 (23), 5823-5834. 

Peer Reviewed Conference Papers

Dally, B.B., Birzer, C.H., and Medwell, P.R. Keynote presentation "Structure of turbulent jet flames under hot coflow conditions", the Australian Combustion Symposium, The University of Newcastle.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2011), "The effect of radial injection on the particle distribution of an initially biased turbulent jet", accepted by the Australian Combustion Symposium, The University of Newcastle.

Birzer, C.H., Kelso, R.M., and Dally, B.B. (2011), "Flame structure of jets in confined cross-flows", accepted by the Australian Combustion Symposium, The University of Newcastle.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2011), "The effect of swirl injection on the particle distribution of an initially biased turbulent jet", accepted by the Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustions, The University of New South Wales.

Birzer, C.H., Dally, B.B., and Kelso, R.M. (2011), "Preliminary investigation into penetration of jets in confined cross-flows", accepted by the Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustions, The University of New South Wales.

Greig, A.,  Birzer, C. and Arjomandi, M.(2011), "Investigation into the response force of a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator with varying electrode angle using particle image velocimetry"accepted by the Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustions, The University of New South Wales.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M. and Nathan, G.J. (2010), "A method to characterise jets using correlations of large-scale features in instantaneous planar images" 17th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference, paper 132.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2009), "Towards optimising instantaneous particle clusters in pulverised fuel combustion systems", The Australian Combustion Symposium, Brisbane, Australia.

Birzer, C.H., and Jones, R.J. (2009), "A modular training programme for technical trades in the Australian Defence Force", 19th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education, Adelaide, Australia.

Birzer, C.H., and Birzer, C.H. (2009), "How the Australian Army does it: Development of training packages at the Defence Force School of Signals", 19th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education, Adelaide, Australia.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2008), "A methodology for measuring particle clustering from planar images", 11th International Conference in Multiphase Flows in Industrial Applications, Palermo, Italy.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2008), "A statistical analysis of a technique to measure large-scale particle clusters", Fifth Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustion, The University of Western Australia, Australia.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., Nathan, G.J., and Smith, N.L. (2005), "Planar measurements of the distribution of particles in a two-phase precessing jet flow", Fifth Asia-Pacific Conference on Combustion, The University of Adelaide, Australia.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., Smith, N.L., and Nathan, G.J. (2005), "Particle image velocimetry in the near field of a particle-laden precessing jet flow", Fourth Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustion, The University of Adelaide, Australia.

Kalt, P.A.M. and Birzer, C.H. (2005), "Calibrations for planar laser nephelometry in densely seeded two-phase flows ", Fourth Australian Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Fluid Mechanics and Combustion, The University of Adelaide, Australia.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., Nathan, G.J., and Smith, N.L. (2004), "The influence of mass loading on particle distributions in the near field of a co-annular jet" 15th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Non Peer Reviewed Conference Papers and Abstracts

Greig, A., Cheong, M., Arjomandi, M., and Birzer, C. (2012), "Invesitgation into the effect of electrode angle on force production of a Dielectric Barrier Discharge actuator", AIAA-2012-0821, 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee.

Wilkey, J., West, T., Higgins, M., MacFarlane, G., Read, M., Birzer, C., and Medwell, P., (2011), "An investigation of biochar-producing cooking stoves for use in developing countries", APCSEET, the University of Adelaide.

Birzer, C.H., and Doolan, C.J. (2007), "Quasi-one-dimensional modeling of hydrogen fuelled scramjet combustors", 18th AIAA Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Miami, Florida, AIAA 2007-4314.

Technical Reports

Birzer, C.H. (2011) "Heat exchanger design for a diesel engine on an irrigation system", MechTest Report MT-11-1093.

Jones, R.J., Medwell, P.R. and Birzer, C.H. (2011) "Preliminary assessment of laser-curing oven panel lables", MechTest Report, MT-11-1072.

Birzer, C.H. and Walsh, J. (2010), "Training Needs Analysis for ADF SIGINT / EW Officers", SOPVET SIGINT 2009-015, report number 50D-09-0042.

Birzer, C.H., and Doolan, C.J. (2006), "Performance estimates of a waverider: aerodynamics and propulsion systems", DSTO research agreement 2004/1070598.

Birzer, C.H., and Doolan, C.J. (2006), "Aerodynamic prediction methodology for hypersonic vehicles", DSTO research agreement 2004/1070598.

Birzer, C.H., and Doolan, C.J. (2006), "Scramjet Propulsion Model - Mark III" DSTO research agreement 2004/1070598.

Birzer, C.H., and Doolan, C.J. (2006), "Scramjet Propulsion Model - Mark II", DSTO research agreement 2004/1070598.

Birzer, C.H., and Doolan, C.J. (2006), "Scramjet Propulsion Model - Mark I", DSTO research agreement 2004/1070598.

Invited Presentations

"Structure of turbulent jet flames under hot coflow conditions", the Australian Combustion Symposium, The University of Newcastle (Dally, B.B., Birzer, C.H., and Medwell, P.R.)

"A new look into the effect of Reynolds number on turbulent jets", Third International Conference on Jets, Wakes, and Separated Flows (ICJWSF), Cincinnati, September, 2010 (on behalf of Mi and Nathan)

"Reacting jet mixing in a hot coflow", Third International Conference on Jets, Wakes, and Separated Flows (ICJWSF), Cincinnati, September, 2010 (on behalf of Dally)

Papers In Progress

Greig, A., Birzer, C.H. and Arjomandi, M. (2012), "Atmospheric plasma thruster, theory and concept" submitted to AIAA Journal.

Birzer, C.H., and Kalt, P.A.M. (2012), "The characterisation of jets using correlations of large-scale features in instantaneous planar images", in preparation for Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science.

Birzer, C.H., Dally, B.B., and Kelso, R.M. (2012), "Trajectory scaling of jets in confined cross-flows", in preparation for Experiments in Fluids.

Birzer, C.H., Kalt, P.A.M., and Nathan, G.J. (2012), "Renormalisation of particle distribution in an initially-biased turbulent jet by swirl and radial injection", in preparation for International Journal of Multiphase Flow. 

Birzer, C.H., Dally, B.B., and Kelso, R.M. (2012), "Flame and flow structure of multiple jets in cross-flows", in preparation for Experiments in Fluids.

Birzer, C.H., and Lau, T. (2012), "Industry leadership presented through case studies of sustainable and financially beneficial projects", in preparation for the Engineering Leadership Conference, 2012.

Cheong, M., Lau, T. and Birzer C.H. (2012), "Single-image attenuation corrections to facilitate instantaneous planar imaging of densely seeded particle-laden flows", in preparation for ASME Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting 2012, FEDSM2012.

Professional Interests

(In addition to the stated Research Interests)

Clean and Sustainable Technologies

Humanitarian and Emergency Relief

Military and Engineering Education

Military Communications

Community Engagement

2012-2010, 2002 Committee Member, Engineers Australia - SA Division

2010-2012 Organising Committee Member, 2012 Engineering Leadership Conference (ELC 2012)

2011-2012 Board Member International Young Professionals Foundation(IYPF)

2011 President and Chair of the Board, International Young Professionals Foundation(IYPF)

2011-2012 Tutor, Australian Refugee Association Homework Club

2009-2012 Advantage SA Speakers in Schools

2011, 2002 Chair Young Engineers Australia - SA Division

2010, 2009, 2001 Vice Chair Young Engineers Australia - SA Division

Entry last updated: Thursday, 19 Jan 2012