Public Funding for Klarian Limited

To develop high-performance energy harvesting technologies for battery-less sensing systems, for use in the remote monitoring of industrial infrastructure/processes.

Field Equipment trials of our in-house designed flowmeters, supported by customer discussions, have highlighted that customers will often want to install our sensors in sub-optimal locations (nearby bends and hot-tap sensors). This reduces the accuracy and leak detection capability of our sensors because they can no longer predict the flow turbulence conditions. This project seeks to address this by using computational fluid dynamics to model the turbulence conditions for common disruptors of flow (bends and hot-tap sensors). Data from this modelling will be used to enhance the mathematical algorithms which run within the sensor software. This will improve the sensor accuracy to levels obtainable for an ideal pipeline run, thus enabling us to offer our flow metering for a more comprehensive range of customer installation scenarios.

no public description

The Oil and Gas (O&G) industry has a rapidly growing problem with leak detection, security breaches and the prevention of incidents. These incidents affect global prices, oil and gas supply and cause long lasting and highly destructive damage to the environment and the lives of those who live and work near these pipelines. From 2010-14 in Europe, multiple oil spillages averaged in excess of 397m3 of crude oil per year, with some exceeding 1000 m3 (https://www.concawe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Spillage-descriptions-2005-2016.pdf). The estimated cost of oil clean up alone (exclusive of fines etc) was €14 per gallon, making the average cost per incident in the region of EU €1.23 million. These numbers are increasing annually and represent a significant threat to the public, environment and critical infrastructure security. Water Utilities are losing over 20% of their water supply through leakages. They are not only losing a precious resource in clean water, but leakages are also affecting consumers with higher prices. This is compounded by reduced profits as a result of lost revenue. Moreover, significant fines imposed by Ofwat for missing leak targets further negatively affect their bottom-line. This project seeks to thoroughly test the accuracy, stability and reliability of the pipeline monitoring solution. The DASHBOARD system will result in a step change in pipeline leak monitoring by facilitating the identification of leaks on oil and gas pipelines in near real-time. This will enable predictive infrastructure maintenance and enhance asset management. DASHBOARD combines innovative hardware and software, capitalising on the power of transformational data collection, communication, analysis and visualisation. The DASHBOARD solution is a high value proposition for O&G and water companies and society as a whole with the following benefits: (1) Continuous pipeline monitoring and visualisation with real time alerts ensuring uninterrupted supply of O&G. (2) Greatly improved detection rates. (3) An estimated 20% reduction in operation and maintenance costs due to reduced call outs for leaks. (4) A retrofittable hardware device with an estimated lifecycle of 10+ years. (5) Reduced environmental impacts due to reduced hydrocarbon leaks. (6) Reduced wastage of an important resource in desalinated water. We expect the project to result in improved operation of the DASHBOARD solution and a wider application scope. In the long-term, the project would result in job creation within the UK.

"The oil and gas (O&G) industry has a rapidly growing problem with leak detection, security breaches and the prevention of incidents. These incidents affect global prices, oil and gas supply and cause long lasting and highly destructive damage to the environment and the lives of those who live and work near these pipelines. From 2010-14 in the EU, an oil spill incident saw spillages of 289m3 on average of crude oil, with multiple spillages exceeding 1000 m3 (Concawe 2016), with the estimated cost of oil clean up alone (exclusive of fines etc) was €14 per gallon, making the average cost per incident in the EU €0.86 million. (http://bit.ly/2nEHX4c). These numbers are increasing annually and represent a significant threat to the public, environment and critical infrastructure security. Utilities are losing over 20% of their water supply through leakages. Water companies are not only losing a precious resource in clean water, but leakages are also affecting consumers with higher prices for water. Companies also have reduced profits due to lost revenue. Moreover, significant fines imposed by Ofwat for missing leak targets further negatively affect their bottom-line. This project seeks to thoroughly test Limpet, an effective pipeline monitoring solution that is accurate, stable and reliable across a complete technology stack. The system will result in a step change in pipeline leak monitoring as it will facilitate the identification of all sized leaks on O&G pipelines near real-time, enhancing asset management. Limpet combines innovative hardware and software, capitalising on the power of transformational data collection, communication, analysis and visualisation. The Limpet solution is a high value proposition for O&G and water companies and society as a whole with the following benefits: (1) Continuous pipeline monitoring and visualisation with real time alerts ensuring uninterrupted supply of O&G. (2) Greatly improved detection rates of 99+%. (3) An estimated 20% reduction in operation and maintenance costs due to reduced call outs for leaks. (4) A retrofittable hardware device with an estimated lifecycle of 10+ years. (5) Reduced environmental impacts due to reduced hydrocarbon leaks. (6) Reduced wastage of an important resource in desalinated water. We expect the project to result in the timely commercialisation of the Limpet solution. In the long-term, the project will result in job creation within the UK and globally (however Dashboard will always remain headquartered in the UK). We envisage hiring cumulatively over 85 FTEs in the 5 years after Limpet's market launch."

Limpet – Low Maintenance, High Security, Continuous Pipeline Leak Detection

Much of the cryptography we rely on everyday is based on the difficulty of certain mathematical operations, such as finding the prime factors of a very large integer. However, recent advances in quantum computing means that these difficult math problems might soon be solved efficiently, with a potentially serious impact upon our security and digital economy. This project will develop technologies for "quantum-safe" communications, which are not threatened by a quantum computer. It will combine efficient implementations of new quantum-resistant algorithms and techniques from quantum cryptography, which are immune to all advances in computing, including quantum computing. The project will build prototypes, test their security and demonstrate their benefits to end users.

Ageing electrical wiring inspection is one of the concern in aerospace sector. Aircraft wires operate under constant change of operational conditions i.e. aircraft wires might operate under a cold, hot or humid environment with variations in the atmospheric pressure. Operating in such conditions might create chafes, cracks, cuts, delamination or embrittlement in the insulation of the aircraft wires. The extreme conditions under which aircraft wires operate may cause failure if it becomes brittle or cracked. In these scenerios aircraft wiring can be potential fire hazard. There have been 400 reported incidents due to aircraft wiring failures. Therefore, there is a need for an inspection technique to improve the reliability of the aircraft wiring. NDT technology can be used to inspect aircraft wires and is regarded as the promising technology for aerospace industry to reduce its maintenance costs by 70% and can increase the system lifetime operation of aerospace systems. Consequently,reducing the need for new products, which will ultimately save cost for aviation industry. UltraHandMan project will develop a novel portable wiring inspection system based on extended long range ultrasonic testing techniques ,advanced signal processing software, innovative sensor array in combination with energised handheld pulser/receiver. Flaws in the wiring will reflect ultrasound back to the sensor assembly and will be detected by the pulser/receiver.Insulation damage will be recognised by advanced signal processing and pattern recognition techniques.

WindTwin project aims to revolutionise the monitoring and maintenance of wind turbines both onshore and offshore by developing an innovative digital platform that will virtualise with a digital twin the wind turbine behaviour and operation. These virtual models or twins will combine the mathematical models describing the physics of the turbine's operation, with sensor data collected and processed from real assets during real world operations. For example, condition monitoring on gearbox will be applied and sensors will be placed on the real wind turbine asset; the data being collected will be processed and transferred to the digital twin, continuously resulting in a close to real digital twin of the wind turbine showing real time performance. These virtual models will allow wind farm operators to predict failure and plan maintenance thus reducing both maintenance costs and downtime. The application of WindTwin platform will include (1) design using data and knowledge based tools and simulated testing of wind turbines before manufacturing, (2) continous predictive and preventive maintenance and condition monitoring of wind turbine asset (3) different power setting operation scenerios analysis, and associated wear and tear at different power outputs.