Smart Component Technologies Ltd (SCT) and Severn Unival Ltd (Severn) have identified an opportunity to apply SCT's leading-edge safety critical fastener management technology to flanged assets with potential application across a wide range of industries, in particular energy & power generation and process chemical industries, which Severn operate in, where the correct installation of pipework, pumps, valves, process vessels etc. and the ongoing remote condition monitoring of flanges and critical bolted joints is both performance and safety critical to the asset owners.

There is considerable economic and environment benefits for the UK from shale gas but this is critically dependant on its safe and responsible exploitation. There are many complex factors to be considered, however, there is the opportunity to adapt sensor and wireless communication technology to allow for the remote condition monitoring of wellheads. This will ensure that the site operator will be immediately alerted to any leaking of gas. Anomalous vibration indicative of seismic events will similarly be identified. SCT a leading specialist in applying this technology and intends, with their partner, Severn Unival a world leading specialist in valves for the Oil & Gas industry, to create a "smart valve" which will provide both the sensing and wireless communication platform for the safe and responsible operation of shale gas wellheads. Furthermore, this will allow the regulator to ensure compliance and make available to the public key performance data thus addressing many of the current concerns.

Smart Component Technologies has developed a wireless smart washer which is capable of measuring the clamp force of bolted joints. The technology was created to monitor the correct clamp force of bolted joints during and after installation and routine maintenance of plant and valves across a wide variety of industries (e.g. rail, nuclear, oil and gas). At present the technology relies on near field wireless recharging technology and long life batteries. Smart Component Technologies wishes to add an energy harvesting facility to scavenge power from the vibrational energy present in most of the applications where a smart fastener will be used; this will yield a true fit-and-forget clamp-force monitoring system.

The consortium has identified a novel technology which, when used in valve assemblies, will enable a shift towards a condition monitoring pre-fault responsive system. The present approach to assess the integrity of critical threaded fasteners is by on site periodic maintenance by maintenance engineers who perform visual assessments and, under certain circumstances, measure fastener torque. A condition monitoring approach is the preferred solution, as this can mean the difference between the optimal operation of the facility / pipeline and an unscheduled shutdown. The smart washer, when fitted in critical valve fasteners, will wirelessly communicate performance data and relay the status of the fasteners to centralised data centres. Immediate impacts will be increased safety and reduced maintenance costs. Maintenance will be performed after one or more indicators indicate that equipment is going to fail or that equipment performance is deteriorating.