July 25, 2024

Geomechanics researcher named as a ‘Future Leader’

Dr Pabasara Wanniarachchige earns prestigious American Rock Mechanics Association honour

University of Wollongong (UOW) geomechanics researcher Dr Pabasara Wanniarachchige has been named as an American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) Future Leader. She was one of six, and the only Australian, to be awarded the honour this year.

Dr Wanniarachchige, from UOW’s School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, said she was deeply honoured to have been named an ARMA Future Leader.

“Participating in the 58th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium was an incredible experience and an opportunity to engage with innovative research and meet inspiring individuals in our field,” Dr Wanniarachchige said.

The ARMA Future Leader Program identifies motivated ARMA members of outstanding promise who are relatively early in their careers and provides opportunities for them to practice leadership and get actively involved in ARMA’s organisation and leadership. The tenure of a Future Leader is three years.

The program also provides opportunities for Future Leaders to showcase their research, receive mentoring from ARMA fellows and to network with researchers from all major US rock mechanics groups and the international geomechanics community.

An Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Fellow, Dr. Wanniarachchige’ s research focuses on geomechanics applications for geothermal extraction. Currently, she is researching geothermal heat recovery and energy storage from underground mines and the potential for re-using the mines as a source for low-carbon heat extraction and storage.

“As a country with a strong mining legacy, Australia has the potential to convert underground mines to geothermal resources, tapping into the Earth’s natural heat reservoirs as a renewable and low-carbon energy source to provide heating, cooling and energy storage for homes and businesses,” Dr Wanniarachchige said.

“My project aims to develop a new method for harnessing heat from elevated rock temperatures of underground mines, with no drilling or excavation, promoting the effective transition of post-mining landscapes to support communities.

“I am working on identifying feasible mine sites for geothermal development, particularly exploring the potential of hot sedimentary aquifers. With two PhD candidates commencing their projects in this Spring session, I plan to assess the resource potential of selected sites, explore how heat extraction affects mine reservoirs, and optimise engineering designs for better energy efficiency.”

Geothermal energy technologies encompass various applications, from electricity generation through steam turbines to utilising ground source heat pumps for space heating and cooling, along with other direct-use applications.

^{Above: Dr Pabasara Wanniarachchige at the Climax mine in Colorado, USA; with ARMA President Associate Professor Andrew Bunger; and at the Mines Museum of Earth Sciences, Colorado School of Mines.}