DYnamic deployment planning for monitoring of ChEmical leaks using an ad-hoc deployable sensor network (DYCE)

Lead Research Organisation: University of Surrey
Department Name: Engineering and Physical Sciences

Abstract

The ability to analyse the chemical composition or quality of air samples in a controlled environment is easily demonstrated, but the problem becomes extremely complex when translated to an unconstrained outdoor environment. Here the sensors are faced with the need to identify very low particle counts, often in the presence of high levels of benign pollutants and rapidly changing turbulent meteorological conditions. The consortium will develop a capability for the rapid deployment of sensors to effectively gather data on chemical agents following their malicious or accidental release into an outdoor (industrial/urban) environment. The validity of chemical composition measurements is reliant upon the ability to gather air samples that are representative of the whole environment. To build an accurate picture of this it is currently necessary to deploy large quantities of chemical sensors, which is prohibitively time consuming and expensive. We will mitigate this limitation through the development of deployment planning tools that react to gathered data and instruct the dynamic redeployment of a limited set of wireless sensor nodes, thereby optimising their data gathering capability. The solution proposed in this project addresses the needs of military and blue light responders for rapid, reliable on-scene analysis of contaminant dispersion in an urban or industrial environment. The system employs a small network of ad-hoc deployable sensor nodes that are able to monitor and react to changing local conditions and chemical data content to enable end-users to dynamically optimise their locations. The solution is novel in that it addresses the combined yet unsolved issues of: 1. Optimised data gathering through intelligent organisation of the sensor network. 2. Monitoring localised changing environmental conditions and understanding its repercussions on the data-gathering mission. 3. To operate effectively in EM cluttered and complex urban and industrial environments by incorporating wireless communications needs into the deployment strategy. 4. To develop a deployment planning solution to optimise the data gathering mission given a constrained or unconstrained asset base.
 
Description The inverse modelling project, DYCE, led by Selex Galileo (Basildon) and including the sensor developer, Owlstone-Nanotech (Cambridge), was a direct 'follow-on' from DAPPLE. It addressed issues involved in using a limited number of observations to identify and locate the source of a chemical agent release, and then to predict downwind concentrations. Particular attention was focussed on the question of how the quality of the input data affected the quality of outputs. This clearly showed how the need for early outputs had to be tempered by the uncertainty that might be attached - in particular, resulting from sensor array configurations and the period over which data were averaged before analysis. Field trials at Porton Down provided the first field demonstration of the Owlstone NEXSENSE-C sensor system, as well as demonstrating the application of a mobile capability for deploying and using ad-hoc sensor networks to identify and quantify concentrations of chemical agents. The means by which the rapid advances in sensor technology can best be used in the security and air quality contexts remains an active area of EnFlo research.
Exploitation Route Selex were able to develop an emergency response system using the techniques developed in DYCE and Owlstone were able to demonstrate the use of their chemical agent sensors for the first time in the field. Third parties are using the wind tunnel data in testing and enveloping methods of inverse dispersion modelling. Collaborations with groups i other European countries have been established to continue this activity.
Sectors Environment,Security and Diplomacy
URL http://www.dapple.org.uk/DYCE
 
Description Work on the DYCE and DAPPLE project led to the PI joining the Blackett panel that is reviewed biological agent detection, reporting to the Chief Government Scientist. The PI also led a capability review for the Hazard Assessment, Simulation and Prediction (HASP) Group at dstl, Porton Down. This, together with extensive earlier work on the dispersion of releases from potential nuclear accidents, led to membership of the Technical Review Committee established by the Japanese Preparatory Office for Reactor Safety in response to the Fukushima accident. The committee will review the procedures used and being developed in Japan for, amongst other things, the response to accidental emissions from nuclear power plant. To date, almost all investigations of urban dispersion, for security or other purposes, have treated passive dispersion, in that the physical properties of emissions do not affect dispersion processes. However, there has long been concern about the consequences of the release of large quantities of gases that are denser than air, chlorine being a case in point. This is precisely the focus of the European Defence Agency project, MODITIC, led by FFI (Norway), in which Surrey will play a central role in running wind tunnel simulations that will then be used for evaluating the performance of operation dispersion models. The output will provide tools for the civil defence agencies in Norway, Sweden and France that are supporting the work.
First Year Of Impact 2010
Sector Chemicals,Environment,Security and Diplomacy
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Blackett review for Home Office of wide area biological detection
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
 
Description FFI (Norway) MODITIC
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Organisation Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) 
Sector Public
Country Norway
Start 01/2012 
End 03/2016
 
Description Future Cities Grand Challenge
Amount £4,173,134 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/N010221/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2015 
End 12/2020