Professor Ben Cazzolato

 Position Professor
 Org Unit Mechanical Engineering
 Email benjamin.cazzolato@adelaide.edu.au
 Telephone +61 8 8313 5449
 Location Floor/Room 2 ,  Engineering South ,   North Terrace

  • Biography/ Background

    Ben Cazzolato began research in the field of acoustics and vibrations as an undergraduate at the 成人大片 in the School of Mechanical Engineering & graduated with 1st Class Honours in a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Mechanical Engineering) at the 成人大片 in 1990.

     

    After completion of undergraduated studies, he commenced employment with VIPAC Engineers & Scientists as a consulting engineer where he worked on a varied number of projects:

    • Industrial Noise Surveys, including assessment of risk to hearing damage,recommendations for noise control, ranking of sources and generation of noise contour maps (S.A. Brewing Co.).
    • Ground Vibration Monitoring and damage assessment (PRA - Mobil, Koukourou & Partners, Coffee & Partners).
    • Sound absorption and Transmission loss measurements of materials (Lysaght Industries).
    • Modelling and design of acoustic panels to increase transmission loss (James Hardie).
    • Significant experience in underwater-acoustics including towed array performance testing, involving data acquisition, instrumentation support, signal processing of hydrophone and accelerometer signals, data analysis, interpretation and reporting (Commonwealth Procurement Office, Defence Science & Technology Organisation, GEC Marconi Systems).
    • System modelling of land based flow noise testing facilities for the purpose of understanding array performance (Commonwealth Procurement Office, Defence Science & Technology Organisation, GEC Marconi Systems).
    • Vibration Condition Monitoring of rotating equipment (Bridgestone Tyre Division, APCEL, Dept. of Marine & Harbours, Adelaide Brighton Cement, Detroit Engine & Turbine Co.).
    • MFP Environmental Impact Statement support (PPK).
    • The design, construction, testing and supply of a ground based acoustic system to detect wheel flats and bearing faults of railway rolling stock (Australian National).
    • Design and testing of Hercules C-130 rear wing flaps for acoustic fatigue.

     

     

    In 1998 Ben completed his PhD thesis titled with the at the 成人大片, South Australia.

     

    Whilst undertaking postgraduate and post-doctoral research he was also involved in numerous consulting projects in conjuction with MechTest Pty Ltd, 成人大片:

    • Vibration measurements and fault diagnosis on a diesel generator set (Cavpower).
    • Sound intensity and sound power measurements on an electric motor (Pope Electric Motors).
    • Sound power level measurements in a reverberant chamber (Dadanco).
    • Compliance testing of gymnastics equipment (Acromat).
    • Design, installation and testing of an active noise control system for an exhaust stack (Adelaide Brighton Cement)
    • Sound Transmission loss measurements of fire wall materials (Mitsubishi Motors Australia), acoustic insulation (Tontine Industries) & rubber panels (bounce-back).
    • Insertion Loss measurements of flexible ducts (DuctAir).
    • Vibration Condition Monitoring and fault diagnosis of electrical motors (Pope Electric Motors).
    • Telescope truss design using FEA (Dept. of Physics, 成人大片).

     

     

    In 2000 Ben was awarded an Anglo-Australian PostDoctoral Fellowship by the to undertake research into Optimal Focusing of Underwater Acoustic Source Arrays. From the press release "Beating the dolphins at their own game":

    Five more young research stars from Australia have won Anglo-Australian Postdoctoral Fellowships to work for a year at British universities and research institutions in the second year of a Government scheme covering engineering, science and the social sciences. The programme is funded through the UK Office of Science & Technology and the Australian Research Council finances a reciprocal arrangement for UK researchers to go to Australia.

    The Royal Academy of Engineering, with support from the Royal Society and the British Academy, selected the successful candidates from among 64 applications. Three researchers were appointed to the first round of fellowships in 1998.

    Dr Ben Cazzolato, 30, an acoustic engineer from the 成人大片, will spend a year working with Philip Nelson, Professor of Acoustics at the University of Southampton. Cazzolato will study new signal processing techniques to avoid distortion of active sonar signals. Sound travelling underwater often suffers from reflections from both the ocean surface and the sea bed. Southampton's Institute of Sound & Vibration Research is collaborating with the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Winfrith to solve this problem. They aim to use inverse filters to compensate for the distortion, preserving even a signal transmitted by an array of sources.

     

     

  • Qualifications
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, Honours), The 成人大片, Australia, 1991
    • PhD, The 成人大片, Australia, 1999

  • Teaching Interests

    Subjects Taught

     

    Ben commenced employment with the 成人大片 in 2001 as an academic. He is currently teaching two control automatic control subjects; and . Dynamics and Control II is focussed on understanding and controlling dynamic systems from a state space perspective. Advanced PID control, as the name suggests, is focussed on developing PID control skills within a theoretical and practical framework.

     

    One key interest for teaching is the development of physical platforms to demonstrate control theory. These include the , the , the , the , and .

     

    Honours Design Projects

     

    Each year, honours students in the School of Mechanical Engineering undertake a of approximately 400 hrs. These projects typically involve some degree of research and risk, but are also a lot of fun. Some of the recent projects supervised by Ben are listed below:

    2013

    • Development of an automatic swabbing machine for Amcor (Awarded the Best Project Overall and the Best Mechanical Project)
    • HAVOC - Haptic Autonomous Vortex Cannon (Confidere 84 Award)
    • Sound directivity from high temperature exhaust stacks (Awarded the best Acoustics and Vibration Project)
    • Cat falling robot lands on its feet (Systems Engineering Prize)
    • Performance and assessment of archery bow-arrow interaction

    2012

    • Heterodyne Listening Device (Awarded the best Acoustics and Vibration Project)

    2011


    • (Awarded the best Acoustics and Vibration Project)
    • Make a splash
    • (Awarded the best Overall Project and Best Mechatronics Project)
    • Design and Build of a Prosthetic Attachment
    • Replicating the 3D kinematics of the ovine stifle joint using a hexapod robot (Awarded Best Sports Project)

    2010

    • (Awarded the best Mechatronic Project)
    • (Awarded the best Overall Project)

    • Smart sensor technology for the detection of structural damage (Awarded best Research Project)

    2009

     

    • (Awarded the best mechanical project)
    • Vibration of snowboard decks (Awarded the best vibro-acoustics project)
    • (Awarded the best mechatronics project)

    2008

    • (Awarded the best mechatronics project)


    2007

    • (Awarded the best defence project)

    2006

    • (Awarded the Sir Ross and Keith Smith Fund Best Project in the Aerospace Field)
    • (Schefenacker Award for Runnerup Best Overall Student Project)

    2005

    2004

    • (Schefenacker Award 1st Prize for Best Overall Student Project)
    • (Awarded the Sir Ross and Keith Smith Fund Best Project in the Aerospace Field)

    2003

    • (Awarded the Holden Prize for the Best Mechatronics Related Project)
    • (Awarded the Vipac Prize for the Best Acoustics - Vibrations Related Project)
    • (Awarded the Schefenacker Prize for Best Overall Project Runnerup & also the MechTest Prize for Best Commercial Project)
    • (Awarded the Australian Submarine Coorporation Innovation in Engineering Prize)

    2002

    • (Awarded the MechTest Prize for Best Externally Sponsored Project)
    • (Awarded Holden Prize for the Best Mechatronics Project)

    2001

    • (Awarded The Mechtest Prize for the Best Executed Industry Related Final Year Design Project)
    • (Awarded the Best Overall Project - Sponsored by the SA Centre for Manufacturing)
    • (Awarded Best Overall Project Runnerup - Sponsored by the SA Centre for Manufacturing)


    For a complete list of past projects, please see the School's .

     

  • Research Interests

    Current Areas of Research

    A complete list of research projects that Ben is currently involved with can be found on the and the . A few of the projects currently active are:

    Magnets
    Submarine

     
    Inverse Filtering
    Vertical Take Off and Landing
    Acoustic Radiation Modes from a plate

     
    Submarine
    Twin Motor
    Dual Axis Motor
    Virtual Structural Sensors
    Virtual Sensors

     


    Postgraduate Students

    Past Students

    , Alex Dunstone, , , , , , Rogan Shimmin, David Thompson, , Stuart Wildy, .

    Current Students

    Pouria Aryan, Md Ayub, Zahra Bagheri, Mohsen Bazghaleh, Javad Derakhshandeh, Boyin Ding, Farzin Ghanadi, Peter Hardy, Alex Laratro, Chenxi Li, Jayesh Minase, , Tao Zhu.



    Competitive Research Grants over past 10 years

    Higher-order virtual sensors for remote active noise control systems (Adelaide University Small Research Grants Scheme, 2002) $12,000
    Development of Next Generation Rear Vision Mirror (CRC-IMST SP1.6, 2003-2005) $300,000
    Virtual acoustic sensors for active noise control systems (ARC Discovery, 2004-2006) $280,000
    Development of a VTOL RC Aircraft (Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Fund, 2004) $40,000
    Application of Passive Control Devices to a Launch Vehicle (US Air Force, 2000-2005) $340,000
    Scanning 3D laser vibrometer for non-contact in-plane and out-of-plane vibration measurement (ARC LIEF, 2005) $542,000
    A control moment gyroscope (Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Fund, 2010) $30,000
    Establishment of a Large Scale Wind Tunnel Facility at the University of Adelaide, (Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith Fund, SA Premier's Science and Research Fund and the 成人大片 2010) $550,000
    Scramjet-based access-to-space systems (ASRP Stream B, Round 1, 2010) $5,000,000
    Prosthetic attachment for transfemoral amputees (MDRG, 2011) $20,000
    Mechanisms of sound absorption at the nanoscale (ARC DP, 2013) $300,000
    Upgrade of 3D scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (DVCR Strategic Equipment Round, 成人大片, 2012) $85,000
    Total competitive funding past 10 years $7,498,000

  • Publications

    A complete list of publications may be found by .

     

  • Professional Associations

     

     

     

     

     

    Member of the
    Australian Acoustical Society SA Division
    Member and Associate Editor of the
    Acoustical Society of America
    Member of the
    International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration

     

  • Professional Interests

    Acoustics and Vibration, Control and Automation

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Entry last updated: Thursday, 12 Jan 2023

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