Data projects win Technology Strategy Board funding

London - Wireless monitoring of gas turbines and sensors to monitor chemical leaks are among 11 R&D projects (see also below) to win funding support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The Board, last year, invited companies to submit proposals to develop technologies that could be used successfully in difficult or complex environments to gather data that currently cannot be captured.

The data gathering projects, which have a total value of nearly £15 million, are to receive £7 million from the TSB. Two of the projects are to receive funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, worth over £750,000, while the participating companies will invest the balance of £7 million.

The projects include Wireless Data Acquisition in Gas Turbine Engine Testing by partnership involving Rolls-Royce plc, University of Strathclyde, Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems Ltd and University College London. This project aims to combine advanced wireless technologies with agent-based computing to design, model, simulate and evaluate flexible and reliable wireless sensor networks for effective data acquisition in the harsh, dynamic and inaccessible environment of gas turbines.

TSB is also supporting a consortium comprising Selex Galileo, Owlstone Ltd, University of Reading and the University of Surrey on a project titled Dynamic deployment planning for monitoring of chemical leaks using an ad-hoc sensor network. The partners aim to develop a capability for the rapid deployment of sensors to effectively gather data on chemical agents following their "malicious or accidental release" into industrial or urban environments.

The ability to gather information in complex or difficult environments is important in a wide range of industry and service sectors, according to David Bott, TSB director of innovation programmes. He listed target applications as including  pollution monitoring, power generation, the aerospace industry and buildings management.

"Many UK companies have particular strengths in sensing, instrumentation and imaging technologies, and in telecommunications and intelligent systems," explained Bott. "Bringing this expertise together will help give the UK the capability to exploit the worldwide demand for tracking, data gathering and monitoring technologies.“

The project funding is the latest in a series of investments in R&D by TSB - a business-led public body, established by the government. Since August, the Board has announced investments of nearly £80 million in over 120 projects in cell therapy, material technologies for energy, high value manufacturing, low carbon energy technologies, advanced lighting & lasers, data protection & privacy, technologies for assisted living, healthcare technologies and, now, data gathering.

TSB’s Collaborative Research and Development Programme Is designed to help businesses work with each other or with academic partners to develop technologies that will underpin products and services of the future. Since 2004, the programme has supported about 700 projects across 40 technology areas with a combined business and government investment worth over £1 billion.

Other TSB-funded projects include:

WIreless Technologies for Novel Enhancement of Systems and Structures Serviceability: Delivers demonstrated, validated technology to enable robust, high integrity wireless links for gathering and transmitting data in the extremely harsh RF and physical environments of aerospace applications e.g. helicopter rotors, aero-engines or composite structures.
Partners: TRW Conekt (registered as TRW Ltd), QinetiQ Ltd, QM Systems Limited, Rolls-Royce plc, Airbus UK, BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd, System Level Integration Limited, GE Aviation Systems Ltd, Bombardier Aerospace Belfast (registered as Short Brothers PLC), Ultra Electronics BCF, AgustaWestland. 

Coordinate Measuring Robot: The aim of this project is to develop an accurate, repeatable and flexible in-line inspection solution for complex production line environments. Key objectives are to provide coordinate measuring machine (CMM) accuracy and repeatability with the flexibility of manual measurement arms, enabling 100% real time inspection, and accommodating complex production environments.
Partners: Metris UK Ltd, Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) PLC, WMG at the University of Warwick.

GNSS Availability, Accuracy, Reliability anD Integrity Assessment for timing and Navigation: To create a web enabled data gathering system which can be used in the vicinity of mission or safety critical activities to certify the integrity, accuracy and reliability of Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems. This includes GPS and the new eLoran transmissions, and in the future Galileo. The system will operate in real time, on a 24x7 basis and at point of use.
Partners: Chronos Technology Ltd, BT Plc, Ordnance Survey, Imperial College London, University of Bath, National Physical Laboratory, General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland

Automated Sensing Technologies for Coastal Monitoring (ASTEC): The project will develop a novel marine wireless sensor network for deployment on the sea bed to enable data gathering for better understanding of the causes and effects of coastal erosion. This will be the first system to gather data related to coastal erosion from beneath the surface of the sea, and will be used to support decision making on the management of coastlines around the world.
Partners: WFS Ltd, Swansea Metropolitan University, Valeport Ltd

Interactive Components (ICOMP) - Embedded sensors and RFID tags for through life part identification and data gathering: The project will enhance the ability in the construction and rotary wing aerospace sectors to gather data on location, identity, status and operating conditions of a component.  Partners: AgustaWestland, Building Research Establishment, Swift Horsman (Group) Ltd.

Cultural Heritage Environmental Monitoring with Intelligent Sensor Systems: The objective is to develop an intelligent monitoring system for art objects in museums and historic buildings, or in transit, and for large outdoor heritage buildings and sites, to address issues of cost effective management and preservation. The project will innovate through integration of a large range of chemical and physical sensors into a single 'early warning' system for possible damage.
Partners: Senceive Ltd, Centre for Sustainable Heritage University College London, Hutton+Rostron Environmental Investigations Ltd, Historic Royal Palaces, National Trust, British Museum.