This project considers the requirements for implementing an AI vision-based system capable of detecting the position and condition of hatches and container locks on locomotives and wagons. The project considers the requirements of an international market.

Instrumentel Ltd. (a Unipart Technologies Group company) is leading a project to help the rail industry reduce asset maintenance costs and extend asset service life. Instrumentel has a proven track-record of building trusted partnerships by delivering solutions that enable the rail industry to save time, money and carbon through transforming data into usable, actionable insights. Instrumentel provides solutions and services to over 600 vehicles in the UK that collectively generate almost 4,000,000 data points every single day. The project's innovation will focus on solutions to overcome the time and cost barriers associated with the installation of complex condition based maintenance (CBM) technologies. The project will demonstrate this solution in a live rail environment by working closely with an existing partner and train operating company. Once the project has been successfully completed, Instrumentel plans to disseminate the innovative technology solution across the UK rail industry, to help reduce maintenance costs and extend asset service life.

_NAUTILUS_ will conduct a feasibility study to create a 'digital twin' for GCRE. It will be capable of integrating the site data at GCRE - current and future - with the data streamed from research programmes for infrastructure and vehicles. The platform will allow integration of predictive models and simulation to accelerate development speed and accuracy.

Project DETAIN brings together the expertise of Unipart Logistics, Aspire Engineering, HORIBA MIRA, and Instrumentel, to develop an 'intelligent' high voltage battery storage solution to mitigate the risks associated with thermal runaway. The consortium have an ambition to use intelligent systems to DETect and contAIN thermal runaway: DETAIN. Project DETAIN draws on the varying expertise, responsibilities and growth ambitions of the consortium to review industry-wide requirements and develop an intelligent storage facility to provide the end-to-end Electric Vehicle supply chain with a sustainable alternative to sacrificial storage and the 'let it burn' approach. The Faraday Challenge has set a target to eliminate thermal runaway at pack level by 2035\. Until that is achieved, the batteries that are designed and built will still be susceptible to thermal runaway, particularly when damaged or faulty, and will need to be safely stored. Project DETAIN aligns with the supply chain need to better manage the batteries currently in production and enable the imminent growth predicted. The project also supports the Faraday challenge for recyclability, as safe and effective storage solutions will be key to development of efficient remanufacturing, reuse for End-of-Life and recycling. To detect thermal runaway there will be three areas of focus: 1) BMS thermal runaway detection algorithms for next generation hardware, 2) externally mounted (on battery) thermal runaway detection systems, and 3) distributed sensor networks for battery storage facilities. To contain thermal runaway, Project DETAIN will investigate automation, fire suppression materials, and combinations of the two, to deliver an effective unmanned containment response when thermal runaway has been detected. The project has additional focus on the safety, legislative and regulatory requirements to ensure solutions being developed are approved by relevant Insurance bodies, and the testing requirements to approve the solution. The feasibility study allows the consortium to fully investigate the potential of an intelligent battery storage facility and understand the requirements to deliver a proof of concept. Project DETAIN's objectives are to: * Complete a holistic analysis of the state-of-the-art processes, products and technology to detect and contain thermal runaway, * Predict how an connected, intelligent storage solution could function in line with safety and insurance requirements, * Produce a gap analysis to identify further developments required, * A design and plan for the proof of concept facility, * Specify the testing facilities required to measure the efficacy of the proof of concept.

The demand for rail in the UK and Europe is growing rapidly and to meet this demand improvements in capacity for the network have come from improved rolling stock and track upgrades but while the system operates at capacity it is critical that mechanical failures of rolling stock both locomotives and carriages are minimised to prevent delays and the possibility of rail operating companies incurring fines for lateness. The most significant cause of breakdown is door failure or a false indication of door failure. Companies have recognised and have developed solutions to this problem; However, these systems are expensive and can cost up to £10k/train. Other companies offer train condition monitoring systems focused either specific subsystems such as Bogies or simply monitor alarms, door indicators, air-conditioners with data loggers as distinct from condition monitoring these sub systems. Our innovation - DDH is a condition monitoring system that collects the large volumes of data from each sensor and provides alerts to the driver to a developing fault. The pre-processed data is then transmitted to a cloud server and that data set is further processed to provide information to the maintenance teams so they can plan maintenance and avoid a costly breakdown.

Instrumentel have developed a range of advanced wireless telemetry products for the collection of in-operation data from moving parts and difficult to access locations. Instrumentel’s products are currently sold into the rail industry for condition-based monitoring of rolling stock including door operation and energy consumption, and into the automotive industry for engine telemetry. This project seeks to identify the market opportunity for a variant of Instrumentel’s near and far field wireless telemetry system for monitoring the integrity of containers and packaging during transportation. The proposed “Smart Transponder/RFID” system would have the potential to track and log changes in pressure, light, temperature or other critical parameters and to correlate them with position and time/date. By so doing, the system can alert logistics companies if the environment of a container or lorry changes unexpectedly, indicating possible unauthorised entry or tampering of the contents, and can monitor the shipping environment of temperature and humidity sensitive products to ensure they are maintained within optimum conditions during transportation