Low-Cost Real-Time Nanomagnetooptical Integrity Monitoring Tool and Intelligent Asset Integrity, Risk and Performance Management Software

Project Information

NANO

Grant agreement ID: 738956

DOI

10.3030/738956

Project closed

EC signature date 12 December 2016

Start date 1 January 2017

End date 31 December 2018

Funded under

• Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Total cost

€ 3 237 589,75

EU contribution

€ 2 266 312,83

Coordinated by

EQS - SERVICIOS DE ENGENHARIA QUALIDADE E SEGURANCA LDA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NANO (Low-Cost Real-Time Nanomagnetooptical Integrity Monitoring Tool and Intelligent Asset Integrity, Risk and Performance Management Software)

Reporting period: 2018-01-01 to 2018-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Proximally 60% of the incidents in the EU’s hazardous industries are due to integrity failures and in 50% of these cases, ageing is a significant factor. Structural integrity monitoring can provide far greater integrity knowledge than traditional inspection methods, critically increasing safety with significant maintenance cost reduction through the early detection of problems. These tools combined with advanced societal and individual risk assessment methods significantly improve the risk management over the asset lifetime.
EQS aims to deliver a low-cost highly sensitive real-time remote monitoring tool and a intelligent web-based software to manage asset integrity, safety and performance, for the Oil, Gas, Chemicals and Energy markets. This new disruptive market solution, based on nanotechnology, will increase the resilience of critical energy installations and networks, allowing the reduction of human losses, avoiding energy production disruption, minimizing environmental and economic impact and material damage from natural and man-made disasters.
The NANO concept is to provide a cost-efficient real-time asset management solution, capable of performing the screening of degradation, condition assessment, safety and environmental monitoring in large pipelines, process equipment, industrial plants, terminals and offshore structures.
The monitoring tool will be the first combining nanotechnology with magnetostrictive generated ultrasonic Guided Waves and Fibre Bragg Gratting. Through an advanced material fabrication process, it will be possible to have a low cost monitoring solution with higher sensitivity level than any other inspection tools. The Asset Management software will bring the novelty of combining physical and human assets risk management and asset integrity monitoring data.
It will be also possible to obtain 3D web visualization of the asset’s integrity, safety and performance, providing qualitative and quantitative information to improve decisions.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Between 6 and 12 months of NANO project, the following work packages and respective tasks were developed:
Work Package 1 – Coordination and management (Task T1.1: Decision Making Management; Task T1.2: Administrative Coordination; Task T1.3: Financial Management; Task T1.4: Value Chain and Contractual Management; Task T1.5: Assessment of Progress and Results)
Work Package 2 – MOT Final Development (Task T2.1: Wave Emitter Assembly; Task T2.2: Pulse Emitter Final Development; Task T2.3 FBG Receiver Sensor Optimization; Task T2.4: Product Design).
Work Package 3 – Hybrid Data Acquisition (Task T3.1: Acquisition Box Electrical Circuit Development; Task T3.2: DAQ Guided Wave Programming and Design; Task 3.3: Product Design and Certification; Task 3.4: Hybrid DAQ Option Development)
Work Package 4 – Management System Development (Task T4.1: Advanced Algorithms; Task T4.2: NDT Simulation Tool; Task T4.3: Engineering Intelligent Analysis; Task T4.4: Risk Management; Task T4.5: 3D Asset Management; Task 4.6: Interconnection with other NDT Technologies; Task T4.7: Development of Mobile Applications).
Work Package 5 – Tests and Validation (Task T5.1: Mock-ups; Task T5.2: Laboratory Tests; Task T5.3: Pilot Project on Refinery/Petrochemical Plant).
Work Package 6 – Dissemination & Exploitation (Task T6.2: Workshops, Conferences and Trade-Fares; Task T6.3: Dissemination; Task T6.4: IP Management).
Regarding the Plan for Exploitation and Dissemination of the project’s results, and considering this specific period (M6 – M12), contacts with potential clients have already being made in order to achieve expected impact. The communication plan is totally aligned with the promotion of the new brand UNO. The new brand will be the highlight of the project results dissemination, following EQS strategy for the creation of a new spin-off business supported on the products developed on NANO project.
Furthermore, the business plan development (Task 6.1) is already under development in order to define the entrance to the market strategy. A dissemination plan is also under development and is being implemented on months 13th to 24th. Dissemination plan as described in the DoA will be updated according to the dissemination described on section 1.2.6 Work package 6 – Task T6.3 Dissemination above on this report.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

EQS’s solution concept is to provide the client a cost-efficient real-time monitoring solution dedicated to asset integrity, risk and performance management, significantly increasing the resilience, life span, safety and environmental impact of industrial plants, equipment’s and networks. With NANO capability to perform data capture, integration, visualization and analytics EQS aims to improve the reliability and availability of physical assets, promoting costs reduction, production improvement and risk control.
Based on the market and scientific research, NANO solution is genuinely the first cost-efficient monitoring solution that integrates monitoring technology, engineering advanced integrity analysis and risk management (societal and individual, safety and environmental) dedicated to critical oil, gas, chemicals and energy installations and networks. For this reason, EQS is determined to become the flagship company in the industry.
The ambition is to successfully introduce NANO monitoring solution into the global market as a brand new solution, with its own space and applications, competing side-by-side with the existing alternative/dominant products (direct competitors) but offering more benefits at a lower price and unique engineering and risk management capabilities. The ultimate ambition is to turn this disruptive technology into a standard/dominant solution globally and the preferred asset management tool for critical assets.
This new disruptive market solution will increase the resilience of critical energy installations and networks, allowing the reduction of human losses, avoiding energy production disruption, minimizing the environmental and economic impact and material damage from natural and man-made disasters. NANO will increase shareholders value by increasing asset availability and dramatically reducing operational costs.

NANO's website