Field Assessment of Granular MaterialsCopy Link

The NUiX challenge competition, delivered by the KTN, is supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies (the Challenger) to identify innovative solutions to its innovation challenges. The winning business(s) in this competition will be given an opportunity to pitch their solution and potentially receive support from the KTN and the wider InnovateUK network.

Background

The Nuclear Innovation Exchange (NUiX) is supporting a challenge holder to identify transferable solutions for its innovation and customer needs.

There is a requirement to analyses samples of soil removed from site to determine locally and quickly the nature of all extracted material from industrial sites in order to process and dispose of the material appropriately.  By shortening the time it takes to quantify the levels of contaminants and nature of the material, there is a significant opportunity to reduce the cost (inc. disposal to landfill).  It currently takes between 4-6 weeks to collect and analyse extracted materials.

The challenge is to identify a solution which can provide in-situ measurement, ideally within four hours, for asbestos and if possible for heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oil and explosives.

Whilst not limiting the technologies from solution providers, it is expected that solutions would consider innovations from some of the following areas:

• Oil and gas industry
• Chemical industry
• Landfill and waste industry
• Buildings and civil infrastructure
• Analytical instrument manufacture
• Defence and security
• Sensors and advanced imaging
• Artificial intelligence and image recognition

To meet the desired timescale and minimise risks, it is preferred that the proposed solution, or the key part(s) of the solution, has been previously demonstrated in an industrial environment (>TRL 3).  The solution should be achievable with health and safety requirements and regulations.

Rewards and Benefits

Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to the Challenger. The package may also include:

• Support from the challenge owner to develop the technology
• Support from the Catapults or the KTN to identify development funding opportunities
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot study
• Technical support
• A place at KTN or Catapult events
• A potential business collaboration
• Potential to access the Game Changers programme (inc. funding)

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements

• A system (inc. sample prep.) which can achieve testing in the field (preferable)
  • Testing equipment located in a portable building on site, or in a van / trailer will also be considered
• A system which can operate in real-time (desirable) or at least within four hours of sample collection
  • Currently samples are collected, packaged, transported off-site, prepared, analysed, reported and quality assured before the data is interpreted and the results sent back.  This process takes between four and six weeks.
• Requires no more than 1 cup (approx. 200g) of sample per analysis

Technical Characteristics

• A technology which must be able to confirm asbestos type (e.g. chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite)
• A technology which can quantify levels of asbestos
• Must be able to quantify asbestos waste down to a level of 0.05 wt% (minimum of 0.1wt%)
• If these levels can’t be achieved, please declare the levels that can be achieved
• A technology which can also detect and quantify VOC’s, oil, heavy metals and TNT (desirable)

Deployment Timescale

• There is an immediate need for the technology
• Validation of solution: within 1 year (via a trial)
• Field trials: within 1-2 years
• Commercial implementation: within 3 years (quicker if possible)

Operating Conditions

• Sample collection is in an open environment and subject to UK weather conditions
• Samples are collected via bore holes and trail pits
• Samples may consist of a mixture of industrial materials including, but not limited to, soil and cementitious waste etc.

Cost Requirements and Market Opportunity

• There are 1000s of samples per year taken at Sellafield with over 1 million m3 of soil scheduled to be removed over the next 80 years
• There are significant opportunities across other industrial sites as this is a national and international challenge (e.g. rail and construction sites)
• Any reduction in the amount of material stockpiled results in a saving to the challenge holder and therefore has significant value.  
• Once material is excavated it is stockpiled on-site, taking up valuable space, and will not be sentenced or released for disposal until the results have come back from the laboratory. 

Eligibility and Assessments Criteria

Entrants to this competition must be:

• Established businesses, start-ups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
• UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base

Applications will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the topic
• Innovative nature of the subject
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Feasibility/ economic viability
• Development potential
• Maturity of project/solution
• Ability to launch project quickly/ease of implementation
• Price/quality ratio
• Suitability for the UK and European Market

IP and Potential Commercial Route

• Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the NUiX programme.