NOC Ocean Technology and Engineering
Lead Research Organisation:
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Abi Kaed Bey S
(2024)
Measurement of nano molar ammonium with a cyclic olefin copolymer microchip and low-power LED
in Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research
Abi Kaed Bey S
(2011)
A high-resolution analyser for the measurement of ammonium in oligotrophic seawater
in Ocean Dynamics
Atkinson J
(2018)
The Application of X-Band Radar for Characterization of Nearshore Dynamics on a Mixed Sand and Gravel Beach
in Journal of Coastal Research
Bagshaw E
(2021)
Measuring pH in low ionic strength glacial meltwaters using ion selective field effect transistor (ISFET) technology
in Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
Bagshaw E
(2011)
High-resolution monitoring reveals dissolved oxygen dynamics in an Antarctic cryoconite hole
in Hydrological Processes
Bagshaw E
(2016)
Chemical sensors for in situ data collection in the cryosphere
in TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry
Bagshaw EA
(2011)
The microbial habitability of weathered volcanic glass inferred from continuous sensing techniques.
in Astrobiology
Bagshaw EA
(2011)
Determination of dissolved oxygen in the cryosphere: a comprehensive laboratory and field evaluation of fiber optic sensors.
in Environmental science & technology
| Description | We have developed and grown a multidisciplinary team that has produced a portfolio of innovations in ocean technology including submersible biogeochemical sensors, samplers, benthic observatories, communication systems and microsensors. These have both scientific and socioeconomic value as they provide solutions to measurement problems, and products for commercial activity. |
| Exploitation Route | The technologies underpin scientific, industrial and regulatory monitoring of aquatic environments, and many of the designs have commercial potential as products. We currently have one technology licensed to a start up (see spinout section), 2 companies negotiating licences for a second technology, and two further technologies being discussed with commercial partners . |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Agriculture Food and Drink Chemicals Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Electronics Energy Environment Healthcare Government Democracy and Justice Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | Biogeochemical Sensors - Innovative state-of-the-art in situ (i.e. submersed and autonomous) sensors for precision measurement of biogeochemical parameters including: 1) patented low cost high performance miniature Conductivity Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen sensors (CT-DO) 2) patented (4 patents) high performance and low cost Lab on chip nutrient analysers; 3) other sensors in development in collaboration with industry that are smaller and higher performance than alternative technologies. This work is recognised as world leading technology. Key advances include low-cost high performance opto-fluidic chips made in low-cost polymers now covered by a granted patent at national phase. These are used for measuring water chemistry with greater than 10 times resolution of state of the art and at less than a 10th of cost (less than £2k). Predicted sales exceed £40M/year and commercialisation is in progress with 2 companies. Another advance is greater than 100 times reduction in CT-DO technology size (~2 L to 20 mL) and cost (£20k to £200). Another is nutrient sensors providing data at previously unattainable accuracy and data rate demonstrate variability not seen by spot sampling. An example is data from a nitrate sensor integrated with a ocean glider which produced 4 weeks of hourly data in a Celtic Sea Shelf deployment and a year of data from a successful deployment in the Fram Strait (with Trans National Access funding associated with the EU FixO3 project). We have developed a precommercial precision pH sensor, capable of resolving anthropogenic ocean acidification on autonomous platforms. Miniature CT-DO sensors are the subject of three national phase granted patents (funded by industry / potential licensee) with expected annual royalties of £15M/year. A pipeline for future exploitation has been established with interest from large multinationals in the instrumentation and offshore energy industries including the largest global players particularly in the field of offshore carbon capture and storage. Potential markets are multibillion and can be accessed because our technology is world beating, but feasible to manufacture, sell and deploy in large numbers. Particular opportunities include drinking and wastewater, offshore monitoring (e.g. hydrocarbons), aquaculture, and regulatory compliance verification in environmental and industrial applications. At a minimum we expect at least 3% of a market exceeding £500 M pa market to return directly to the UK for the CT-DO sensor alone |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | (TechOceanS) - Technologies for Ocean Sensing |
| Amount | € 8,975,662 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 101000858 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | MISSION (Mid- Infrared Silicon Photonic Sensors for Healthcare and Environmental Monitoring) |
| Amount | £5,757,814 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/V047663/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2021 |
| End | 06/2026 |
| Title | APPARATUS FOR SENSING AT LEAST ONE PARAMETER IN WATER |
| Description | Apparatus (2) for sensing at least one parameter in water, which apparatus (2) comprises: (i) a dissolved oxygen sensor (4) for sensing dissolved oxygen in the water; and which apparatus (2) is such that: (ii) the dissolved oxygen sensor (4) has a working electrode and a reference electrode; and (iii) a voltage signal is applied between the working electrode and the reference electrode, and the voltage signal provides a conditioning waveform, then a wait time, and then a measurement function. |
| IP Reference | WO2014044998 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | Licence in negotiation, costs paid by potential licensee |
| Title | APPARATUS FOR SENSING AT LEAST ONE PARAMETER IN WATER |
| Description | Apparatus (2) for sensing at least one parameter in water, which apparatus comprises: (i) a conductivity sensor (6) for sensing conductivity in the water; (ii) a dissolved oxygen sensor (4) for sensing dissolved oxygen in the water; (iii) a glass substrate (14); and (iv) the conductivity sensor (6) and the dissolved oxygen sensor (4) are fabricated on the glass substrate (14) using photolithography and etching. |
| IP Reference | WO2014044999 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | license in negotiation with potential licensee paying patent costs |
| Title | APPARATUS WITH A SELF-CLEANING ELECTRODE FOR SENSING AT LEAST ONE PARAMETER IN WATER |
| Description | Apparatus (2) for sensing at least one parameter in water, which apparatus (2) comprises: (i) at least one electrode based sensor (4, 6) for sensing at least one parameter in water; and which apparatus (2) is such that: (ii) the electrode based sensor (4, 6) has a self-cleaning electrode; (iii) the electrode based sensor (4, 6) has a reference electrode; (iv) the self-cleaning electrode is stable in water; (v) the apparatus (2) is configured to operate by liberating chlorine from the water using a first waveform applied to the self- cleaning electrode; (VI) the apparatus (2) is configured to operate by liberating chlorine and oxygen from the water using a second waveform applied to the self-cleaning electrode; and (VII) the apparatus (2) is configured to preserve the condition of the reference electrode by periodically regenerating the reference electrode. |
| IP Reference | WO2014045001 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | Licensing in negotiation |
| Title | APPARATUS WITH A SELF-CLEANING ELECTRODE FOR SENSING AT LEAST ONE PARAMETER IN WATER |
| Description | Apparatus (2) for sensing at least one parameter in water, which apparatus (2) comprises: (i) at least one electrode based sensor (4, 6) for sensing at least one parameter in water; and which apparatus (2) is such that: (ii) the electrode based sensor (4, 6) has a self-cleaning electrode; (iii) the electrode based sensor (4, 6) has a reference electrode; (iv) the self-cleaning electrode is stable in water; (v) the apparatus (2) is configured to operate by liberating chlorine from the water using a first waveform applied to the self- cleaning electrode; (VI) the apparatus (2) is configured to operate by liberating chlorine and oxygen from the water using a second waveform applied to the self-cleaning electrode; and (VII) the apparatus (2) is configured to preserve the condition of the reference electrode by periodically regenerating the reference electrode. |
| IP Reference | WO2014045001 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2014 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | license in negotiation with two companies |
| Title | Apparatus for sensing e.g. parameter in sea water for industrial and environmental applications, has conductivity sensor comprising electrodes for current stimulation geometrically bounding and enclosing electrodes for voltage sensing |
| Description | The design of a planar conductivity cell with geometry that constrains the field limiting the error caused by either conductors or insulators placed in proximity to the sensor. I.e. only the water conductivity is measured. |
| IP Reference | WO2014044997-A1 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2015 |
| Licensed | Commercial In Confidence |
| Impact | This IP is currently the subject of negotiations for a license to one UK and one non UK company |
| Title | MICROFLUIDIC ABSORPTION CELL |
| Description | An absorption cell for microfluidic chemical analysis made from tinted or coloured polymers, for example polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), in which microfluidic channels are cut. Light is coupled into the absorption cell via two windows (typically 200 um thick) that are retained at either end of the channel. Absorption is measured using a light source, such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode butted against the windows. Spurious scattered and/or reflected light is absorbed by the coloured polymer over the length of the measurement cell, while very little light loss occurs at the coupling windows. |
| IP Reference | WO2011095821 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2011 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | License being drafted |
| Title | MOLYBDENUM BLUE ASSAY FOR MEASUREMENT OF CHEMICAL SPECIES |
| Description | A process for measuring a concentration of a chemical species in an aqueous sample employing polyvinylpyrrolidone. The process comprises : providing an aqueous sample containing the chemical species; mixing the aqueous sample with a first reagent that comprises a solution of a molybdenum VI salt to provide a first solution; mixing the first solution with a second reagent that comprises a reducing agent to form a second solution; and measuring a property of the second solution to determine the concentration of the chemical species. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is added to the aqueous sample, the first reagent, the first solution or the second solution. The intensity of light absorbed or transmitted by the second solution may be used to determine the concentration of the chemical species. |
| IP Reference | WO2018087507 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2018 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Added to the body of IP offered in a currently running IP auction / partnering opportunity. The outcome of this is pending but will either result in a license to one of the 5 bidders, a joint venture (with one or more of the 5 bidders) or a spinout company (possibly in collaboration with one or more of the 5 bidders |
| Title | Pump and valve |
| Description | New components of microfluidic analysers with improved performance i.e. valves and pumps |
| IP Reference | GB1619023.3 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2017 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Added to the body of IP offered in a currently running IP auction / partnering opportunity. The outcome of this is pending but will either result in a license to one of the 5 bidders, a joint venture (with one or more of the 5 bidders) or a spinout company (possibly in collaboration with one or more of the 5 bidders |
| Title | UV oxidation device |
| Description | A device for oxidation of samples prior to analysis by a chemical analyser |
| IP Reference | GB1619020.9 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2017 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Added to the body of IP offered in a currently running IP auction / partnering opportunity. The outcome of this is pending but will either result in a license to one of the 5 bidders, a joint venture (with one or more of the 5 bidders) or a spinout company (possibly in collaboration with one or more of the 5 bidders) |
| Company Name | ClearWater Sensors |
| Description | ClearWater Sensors develops underwater chemical sensors. |
| Year Established | 2019 |
| Impact | Clearwater sensors has setup manufacture at scale and delivered a complex high performance miniature chemical analyser / sensor technology to customers within 10 months of signing license agreements with the NOC and University of Southampton. It now offers for worldwide sale sensors capable of making scientific grade chemical measurements from frozen surface ocean to the deep sea for: Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphate, Silicate, Iron and pH with further sensors in development (including in collaboration through the license agreement with the NOC). Currently employing 4 FTE staff, including key inventors also employed at the NOC the company has secured innovate UK funding (2 awards) together with angel investment and is experiencing strong demand that is enabling rapid growth. Customers include scientists, government agencies and aquaculture industries in the UK and abroad. |
| Website | https://www.clearwatersensors.com/ |