Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | CAD_SIF0004 | |
| Title | Digital Inspector Alpha R2 | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact Cadent Gas |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 September 2023 | |
| End Date | 01 March 2024 | |
| Duration | 6 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £343,809 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | ||
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Cadent Gas |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , Cadent Gas |
|
| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , Cadent Gas |
|
| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/CAD_SIF0004 |
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| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | The project continues to meet the primary innovation challenge with its core aim to increase productivity through a reduction in construction costs, production defects, project delays and carbon footprint directly linked to welding and its associated activities. This is to be achieved by lowering the risk of deviations or errors during the welding process, which is a critical path activity, through better practice and quality management. Increasing system robustness and traceability through digitisation of welding process and supply chain gas assets. The project continues to provide value to gas consumers by lowering the costs on a regulated asset by refining the user needs into clear outputs that must be met these are: a) The elimination of double and triple handling of data b) Reducing the number of staff needed to cover projects c) Reducing the amount of travelling needed by staff d) Live error correction through production transparency via a shared portal e) Open ended design ready for future upgrades f) Able to provide Live metrics, KPI's and remote monitoring of projects day to day The project continues to look to the future by considering emerging technology such as satellite internet, artificial intelligence integrations and blockchain data security and how these contrasting systems may integrate into the solution in 10 to 20 years' time by asking the question "how would we use these technologies if they were ready today?" to provide significant resiliency to the gas network for upgrades and rebuilds. Throughout the discovery phase the project developed as predicted apart from three core factors, IT communication, technology standardisation and accessibility. The partners have learnt that these three factors had a higher significance to the success of the project than originally thought. Strong IT communication was known to be needed and whilst the original idea conceptualised wireless and 5G connectivity, through observation of how unreliable these can be on sites with poor access to phone masts (due to their remote locations) the project has included a radio mesh system for site side system resilience over long 'field' distances and satellite internet for site to office communication in lieu of phone mast connectivity. Technology standardisation was partially considered originally; the project partners original focus looked only at macro technological solutions such as equipment and integration with other software systems through using Application Programming Interfaces (API's) however during discovery the partners realised that there is a need to ensure future systems and technologies understand what a weld 'looks' like in the digital space at the micro level, as this would future proof the creation of new API's and new equipment outside of this project. The project partners believe this will be best met by producing a new International Standards Organisation (ISO) standard to depict what a digital weld is amongstthe business community. Fortunately, two of the project partners United Living and TWI have presence on international committee's and experience creating and modifying international standards; this may result in a separate project alongside Digital Inspector. Whilst an accessible system to both customer and contractor is still part of the project objectives, greater consideration has been applied to the physical site side users. Whilst the new generation of user are technology savvy current incumbents are largely technology shy so the user interface being considered is planned to be simple and logical that requires minimal training thus the design of a simple Site App will be produced with possible consultation from a human factors engineer. | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 08/01/25 | |
