Smart Infrastructure: Wireless sensor network system for condition assessment and monitoring of infrastructure
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges facing civil engineers in the 21st century is the stewardship of ageing infrastructure. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the networks of tunnels, pipelines and bridges that lie beneath and above the major cities around the world. Much of this infrastructure was constructed more than half a century ago and there is widespread evidence of its deterioration. Tunnels, particularly old ones, are prone to being influenced by activities such as adjacent construction, for instance piling, deep excavations and other tunnel construction. Excessive leakage and pipe bursts are frequent and usually unanticipated. Importantly, underground structures often cannot be inspected when they are being used by trains or due to other physical constraints. The fragility of old infrastructure also presents a challenge for new construction in congested urban environments. Little is known of the long-term performance of such infrastructure. These uncertainties and the importance of safety to users and consumers prompted the initiation of recent research projects investigating the prospect of damage detection and decision making and the use of novel materials to mitigate damage. Advances in the development of innovative sensors such as fibre optic sensors and micro electrical mechanical sensors (MEMS) offer intriguing possibilities that can radically alter the paradigms underlying existing methods of condition assessment and monitoring. Future monitoring systems will undoubtedly comprise Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and will be designed around the capabilities of autonomous nodes. Each node in the network will integrate specific sensing capabilities with communication, data processing and power supply. It is therefore the objective of this proposal to demonstrate how large numbers of sensors can be integrated into large-scale engineering systems to improve performance and extend the lifetime of infrastructure, while continuously evaluating and managing uncertainties and risks. This proposal is a joint project between the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London and comprises an integrated research program to evaluate and develop prototype WSN systems. The main objectives of this proposal are to bridge advances in modelling large-scale engineering infrastructure with advances in wireless sensor networks and to develop a low-cost smart sensing environment for monitoring ageing public infrastructure. Three application domains will be studied in detail: (i) monitoring water supply and sewer systems and (ii) monitoring tunnels and (iii) monitoring bridges. The complexity of the monitoring system requires the following research areas to be explored : sensor systems, wireless communications, autonomous systems, information management, programming and design tools, trust security and privacy, systems theory, human factors and social issues. Field trials will be carried out with London Underground Ltd., Thames Water, Highways Agency and Humber Bridge. Intel Corporation will support the project with hardware for the trials.
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- Thames Water Utilities Limited (Collaboration)
- Department of Transport (Collaboration)
- Humber Bridge Board (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Intel (United States) (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Kelda Group (United Kingdom) (Collaboration)
- BT Group (Collaboration)
- Transport for London (Collaboration)
- Tube Lines Ltd (Collaboration)
- Transport for London (Project Partner)
- Thames Water (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Thales Research Ltd (Project Partner)
- BT Group (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Highways England (Project Partner)
- Kelda Group (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Publications
A Aisopou
(2009)
Multi-parameter Water Quality Sensors for Water Supply Systems
Bachir A
(2009)
Preamble sampling MAC protocols with persistent receivers in wireless sensor networks
in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
Bachir A
(2010)
MAC Essentials for Wireless Sensor Networks
in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials
Dong H
(2017)
TensorLayer
Díaz M
(2011)
Efficient data aggregation and transport in wireless sensor networks
in Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing
Díaz-Anadón M
(2011)
TDMA scheduling for event-triggered data aggregation in irregular wireless sensor networks
in Computer Communications
Hoult N
(2009)
Wireless sensor networks: creating 'smart infrastructure'
in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Civil Engineering
Karney B
(2014)
Analytical and experimental investigation of chlorine decay in water supply systems under unsteady hydraulic conditions
in Journal of Hydroinformatics
Mazurkiewicz P
(2008)
Clique-Based Location Estimations for Wireless Sensors in GPS-Free Environments
Description | In this project, prototype wireless sensor network systems coupled with advances in miniaturized sensors such as micro electrical mechanical sensors were developed and deployed in real infrastructure field sites to evaluate their potentials to offer intriguing possibilities that can radically alter the paradigms underlying existing methods of infrastructure condition assessment and monitoring. Application specific sensing solutions were developed by integrating advances and knowledge in embedded hardware and software design. The development allowed us to successfully cover both high-frequency-high duty cycle applications and low-frequency-Iow-duty cycle applications. |
Exploitation Route | Research was undertaken in collaboration with infrastructure managers (water companies, highways authorities, etc.), who will incorporate findings and tools into their future R&D activities. Further research and development work is on-going at Imperial College and Cambridge University supported by other funding sources. |
Sectors | Construction Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Environment Transport |
Description | Findings and prototype devices have been incorporated in to R&D activities of infrastructure managers (e.g. water utilities, highways agencies, London Transport, etc.). |
Description | British Telecommunications Plc |
Organisation | BT Group |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Highways Agency |
Organisation | Department of Transport |
Department | Highways Agency |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Humber Bridge Board |
Organisation | Humber Bridge Board |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Intel Corporation |
Organisation | Intel Corporation |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | London Underground Ltd |
Organisation | Transport for London |
Department | London Underground |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Thames Water Utilities Limited |
Organisation | Thames Water Utilities Limited |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Transport for London |
Organisation | Transport for London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Tube Lines Ltd |
Organisation | Tube Lines Ltd |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Yorkshire Water |
Organisation | Yorkshire Water |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2006 |
Title | IMPROVED NON-GPS POSITIONING SYSTEMS |
Description | A method for determining the relative position of each of a plurality of devices, each device having a three-dimensional local coordinate system; the method comprising the steps of: aligning one of the axes of the local coordinate system of each device with a reference direction; and determining the elevation and azimuth angles, and distance, from each device to another such device. Preferably the reference direction is collinear with the direction of gravity. Preferably the method further comprises a step of aligning the local coordinate systems of the devices, particularly preferably by propagating the local coordinate system of a first device to a second device, and so on throughout all the devices. Preferably each device also comprises a wireless sensor, and may thus collect and generate sensing data such as temperature data, pressure data, force data, stress data, strain data, humidity data, vibration data, presence data, pH data, radioactivity data, gas or liquid level data, or gas or liquid flow rate data. As a consequence of the devices' positioning capability, the method may further comprise each device transmitting location data together with the sensing data. The method may be implemented in areas where GPS positioning methods are not applicable or available, such as within underground tunnels, along pipes, inside buildings, or in war zones. Also provided is a system operable to determine the relative position of each of a plurality of devices, and a device for use in such a system. |
IP Reference | WO2008102098 |
Protection | Patent granted |
Year Protection Granted | 2008 |
Licensed | No |
Impact | None |